------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2006 : Issue 288
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Fred Allen: yes, he is funny! [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
Fred Allen [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
Superman serial [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
MANC DVDs [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Re: Fred Allen, icon down the tubes [ "Bill Harris" <nbcblue@[removed]; ]
Re: Fred Allen [ Chargous@[removed] ]
FOTR Coverage - The Star-Ledger [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
Why Marla missed 2006 FOTR [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
10-23 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
OTR Comedy vs Drama [ soonersam@[removed] (Sam Bliss) ]
OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK [ kringskeep@[removed] ]
DVDs and Laser Discs [ Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed]; ]
Fred Allen & Amos n Andy [ "R. Steven Smith" <gracchi@[removed]; ]
Break the Bank [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
In Search of Tolerance [ "Karen Lerner" <[removed]@[removed] ]
Allen [ Steve Kostelecky <doyasteve@[removed] ]
A Canadian version of War of The Wor [ "theharness" <theharness@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:26:58 -0400
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Allen: yes, he is funny!
I beg to differ with Ron. I think Fred Allen is still funny. Some of his
jokes were topical, but so were some of Jack Benny's -- and countless other
comedians'. In both cases, it helps to know who was President at the time,
what goods were in short supply during and after WWII, the names of some of
the other players on radio, etc. Of all the comedians of the time, I think
Fred Allen was the most intellectual, so maybe he didn't/doesn't appeal to
everyone.
I have a lot of Allen's programs on tape, but because I file them
alphabetically (and am short), I can't reach them. Consequently, I listen
to Benny more often. Maybe I'll just have to bring down some of Fred's
shows so I can hear him more often!
Ted Kneebone / 1528 S. Grant St. / Aberdeen, SD 57401
[removed]~stmarkch/
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:28:26 -0400
From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fred Allen
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because he certainly isn't funny today.
Ron I sort of, kind of, wish you prefaced you remark by saying "To me
...." You see I wish this because "to me" Fred Allen is the best comedy show
of OTR. Yes he was topical and to listeners today some of the humor is lost,
but that doesn't take away from the overall show. Allen's Alley is a timeless
window into the eternal foibles of the political mind and the ethno-centric
fantasies of the American dream. That aside I have on many occasions been
involved in recreations of the Fred Allen show (mostly the Alley) in front of
live audiences and without exception the response was a room filled with
laughter.
Fred Allen is funny today, to me, and not funny to you and we are both
right as far as our personal views are concerned.
Respectfully
Larry Albert
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:28:45 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Superman serial
Regarding the Superman serial:
I have e-mailed Michael Hayde regarding the Superman serial and forwarded
him the name and address of the fella who was involved with making the
serial available commercially on VHS years ago. I would post a reply on the
Digest in detail but the answer would be best responded by the man involved
and since he's not on the DIgest and I don't want to post his name and
address on the Digest for all to contact, I'll let Mike ask him and learn
the exact details.
Martin
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:29:27 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: MANC DVDs
Fred and Ellen have the DVDs from the [removed] Convention available. They
became available days before FOTR. Anyone considering purchasing the FOTR
DVDs in the coming weeks and had a brief notion about possibly getting some
of the MANC DVDs, a few points of interest should be noted:
The first DVD in the set that contains the Green Hornet presentation offers
an un-circulated episode of THE GREEN HORNET. Terry decided to spend 30
minutes of his presentation devoted to a recording being played, and it's
one of the uncirculated episodes which means people wishing to hear a new
episode . . . there you go! (I mention this because someone who did not
attend MANC in September asked me over the weekend if I knew of any new
non-circulating episodes of radio shows that became available and after
telling him about the DVD, it occured to me that anyone who did NOT attend
MANC was unaware of what ALL went into the presentations).
Another is Neal Ellis's presentation about JFK Assassination Films, and all
of the clips played during the presentation were of broadcasts aired on the
network - history in the making. A fascinating viewpoint from the news
coverage angle.
The Author's Panel consisted of Jim Widner, Steve Darnall (who publishes
Chuck Schaden's NOSTALGIA DIGEST), Jim Cox, [removed] Henderson, Jack French,
Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson. So both magazines and books were
discussed.
Bill McMahon offered a presentation of Old-Time Radio Premiums on disc 9.
Not only did he explain what kind of premiums were made, but why the
companies had them issued.
The DVDs which were just made available can be purchased from
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:29:37 -0400
From: "Bill Harris" <nbcblue@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Fred Allen, icon down the tubes
From: Ronald Sayles in reference to Fred Allen
He may have been funnier when originally broadcast, I sure hope
because he certainly isn't funny today.
If I may ask, how old are you Ron?
Bill H.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:29:57 -0400
From: Chargous@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Fred Allen
I agree with Ron that Fred Allen isn't rip-roaring funny, but I can listen
to him in small doses, especially the pre-1940 shows. His humor was a
little like Jean Shepherd's (Shep, IMO was much funnier) and they both had
commentaries about society - Shep being a little more open about it with
his feelings about the "slob world."
Fred Allen had rather a Henry Morgan sarcastic sense of humor. I like some
of his one-liners.
Travis
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:30:13 -0400
From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: FOTR Coverage - The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger, the paper of record in Newark, [removed], today published a
feature story on the 2006 Friends of Old Time Radio Convention.
The article focuses on the sight-impaired community and their interest in
the hobby and quotes several people familiar to this list as well as several
people who were in attendance in Newark yesterday (and if you weren't, where
the heck where you?).
Kaen Laypchynski, Steve Mendelsohn, Judy Wilkinson, Jack French, Walden
Hughes, Max Schmid and yours truly Sean Dougherty were all quoted in the
article.
A link follows,
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
[removed];coll=1
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:31:15 -0400
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Why Marla missed 2006 FOTR
As most Digesters know, Marla Slosberg, daughter of Charlie Cantor,
suffered a severe head injury just days before the 2005 FOTR. This
required lengthy hospitalization and rehabilitation in the NYC area.
Throughout those many months, she received calls and cards of
encouragement from her FOTR friends. She and her son, Lee, made plans
to attend 2006 FOTR to meet and thank all those people.
When she did not attend, and the "Duffy's Tavern" re-creation was
dedicated to her, a few attendees mistakenly believed she had died. She
has not.
However, this spring she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and her
doctors gave her little chance of fulfilling her intent to attend 2006
FOTR. She has been fighting the disease valiantly but is slowly losing
ground. Jay Hickerson had made arrangements that she and Lee could
attend the Saturday banquet without reservations and would be permitted
to just show up at the last minute. As the first of October, Lee and
Marla still believed this would be possible.
However when I spoke to Lee last Wednesday, he said a new complication
had arisen. She was beginning to have bouts of dementia and
occasionally having difficulty recognizing reality. He said she had
good days and bad days so Saturday night would have to be a last minute
decision. He was beginning to fear that even the trip from Forest
Hills, NY to Newark would be too much for her. He had my cell phone
number and said he would call me Saturday afternoon if it was a "go."
He did not call.
His backup plan earlier, to which I had agreed, was to take photos of
people at FOTR and send them to him via email <lshosbert@[removed]; and
he will print them out and put them on on the walls of Marla's
apartment where she is residing with round-the-clock care. I took
several pictures and will send them to Lee, but I'm sure I missed many
folks there whom Marla knows. If you are one of them, please relay any
FOTR pix you have to Lee.
Pix can also be snail mailed to Marla, along with cards of support, at
70-20 108th Street, Apt. C, Forest Hills, NY 11375.
Jack French
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:31:24 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 10-23 births/deaths
October 23rd births
10-23-1884 - Cesar Saerchinger - Aix-la-Chapelle, France - d. 10-10-1971
news correspondent: "Story Behind the Headlines"; "America's Town
Meeting of the Air"
10-23-1896 - Nathan Abas - d. 6-1-1980
orchestra director, violinist: "Northern California Symphony Orchestra"
10-23-1901 - Arthur Jacobson - NYC - d. 10-6-1993
actor: Kirk Harding "Woman in White"; Anthony J. Marleybone "Affairs
of Anthony"
10-23-1904 - Ford Bond - Louisville, KY - d. 8-15-1962
announcer: "Cities Service Concert"; "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round";
Highways in Melody"
10-23-1904 - Margaret Speaks - Columbus, OH - d. 7-16-1977
singer: "Voice of Firestone"
10-23-1904 - Oliver Barbour - d. 4-11-1968
producer, director: "Life Can Be Beautiful"; "Parker Family"; "When a
Girl Marries"
10-23-1906 - Lucy Monroe - NYC - d. 10-13-1987
singer: (The Star-Spangled Soprano) "Hammerstein's Music Hall";
"Manhattan Merry-Go-Round"
10-23-1911 - Martha Rountree - Gainesville, FL - d. 8-23-1999
co-founder, moderator: "Meet the Press"
10-23-1918 - Augusta Dabney - Berkeley, CA
actor: "Theatre Five"; "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
10-23-1918 - James Daly - Wisconsin Rapids, WI - d. 7-3-1978
actor: "Monitor"
10-23-1922 - Coleen Gray - Staplehurst, NE
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
10-23-1923 - Frank Sutton - Clarksville, TN - d. 6-28-1974
actor: "Couple Next Door"
10-23-1925 - Johnny Carson - Corning, IA - d. 1-23-2005
announcer, disc jockey: "Johnny Carson Show"
10-23-1931 - Diana Dors - Swindon, Wiltshire, England - d. 5-4-1984
actor: "Earplay"
10-23-1943 - Roger Scott - London, England - d. 10-31-1989
disc jockey: "Three O'Clock Thrill"; "Hitline"
October 23rd deaths
01-31-1872 - Zane Grey - Zanesville, OH - d. 10-23-1939
writer: "Rudy Vallee Hour"
03-16-1892 - James C. Petrillo - Chicago, IL - d. 10-23-1984
union leader" Head of the American Federation of Musicians
05-10-1909 - Maybelle Carter - Nickelsville, VA - d. 10-23-1978
singer: (Queen of Country Music) "Grand Ole Opry"
05-26-1886 - Al Jolson - Srednick, Lithuania, Russia - d. 10-23-1950
singer: (The Jazz Singer) "Shell Chateau"; "Kraft Music Hall"
06-04-1919 - Robert Merrill - Brooklyn, NY - d. 10-23-2004
singer: "An Evening with Romberg"; "Robert Merrill Show"
06-05-1928 - Robert Lansing - San Diego, CA - d. 10-23-1994
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
07-21-1905 - Diana Trilling - d. 10-23-1996
writer: "NBC University Theatre"
07-26-1915 - Fred S. Fox - St. Louis, MO - d. 10-23-2005
writer: "Freddie the Fox"
08-04-1897 - Abe Lyman - Chicago, IL - d. 10-23-1957
bandleader: "Jack Pearl Show"; "Lavender and New Lace"; "Waltz Time"
12-02-1915 - Adolph Green - NYC - d. 10-23-2002
songwriter: "Columbia Presents Corwin"
xx-xx-xxxx - Bill Leonard - NYC - d. 10-23-1994
interviewer: "This Is New York"; "In Town Today"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:20:03 -0400
From: soonersam@[removed] (Sam Bliss)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR Comedy vs Drama
Love the [removed] wanted to offer an opinion. I've been listening
to old time radio for over a decade, and at least in my experience, the
dramas/adventures of the day are much more entertaining than the
comedies, in large part because they've held up better.
I don't think this is just a 'radio' thing. In television, for
instance, with the rare exceptions like 'The Honeymooners' and 'I Love
Lucy', comedy from the 1950's is unwatchable today. However, television
drama/police/action from the same era has many more examples of shows
that still entertain.
Keep up the good work!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:26:27 -0400
From: kringskeep@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK
From: "Jerry Haendiges" <jerryhaendiges@[removed];
Hi Friends,
NOTE: Because of the many requests we've received, we are now making "Same
Time, Same Station" available as a free Podcast through iTunes by going to
our new website at: [removed]
I am very new to iPod Technology - when I went to [removed] all I found was
a spot to sign up to recieve e-mails about new updates and a picture that
went to Apple iTunes.
What did I do wrong? I have a very old computer (Win '98), and a very slow
dial-up modem so I can't do streaming - only downloads.
Katheryne
(this is my first post - so please excuse errors in protocol)
[ADMINISTRIVIA: As I noted before, this is not a true "podcast," but rather
_requires_ the use of Apple's bloated iTunes software; other legitimate
podcast clients can NOT access this file, nor is there a web-based download
link as is common for most podcasts.
Please send additional comments on this situation directly to
jerryhaendiges@[removed] and not to the list, as he is the only one who can
make the changes required to bring this website up to standard. --cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:29:18 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: DVDs and Laser Discs
Glenn E. Mueller mentions the following:
I would swear I was into DVD's in 1998 and Laser Disc's had gone by
the wayside except for some stores in the Hollyweird area selling
them as OUT OF PRINT as collector items . . I made a note on the
disc sleeve I paid $[removed] for the set but it had to have been in late
1980's . . . . . . I think I'll go lay down for a while . . .
I'd like to correct that a bit. Though there are stores selling Laser
Discs as OUT OF PRINT,
and at exorbitant prices, there is one store that sells EVERYTHING in
entertainment for deeply cut discounts. And
that includes OTR. Laser discs are selling there for an average price
of 2 to 10 dollars.
The store is Amoeba Records on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. It is one
of the few remaining
stores that sell used everything. I have found OTR, classical music,
rock, DVDs, documentaries, etc.
at Amoeba and very reasonably priced. For anyone interested in
purchasing from Amoeba, I do believe
they have a website under their name [removed] or amoeba records.
com. You have nothing to loose
by looking them up and asking them for any OTR you might be
interested in purchasing. They just may have it.
I hope my friend Glenn will forgive me if I say I think he got took
on the price he paid by the great God OUT
OF PRINT. Sorry, Glenn.
Ken Greenwald
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:27:25 -0400
From: "R. Steven Smith" <gracchi@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Allen & Amos n Andy
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As to Ron Sayles comments on Fred Allen and Amos 'n Andy:
I respectfully disagree that Fred Allen is not funny. Fred Allen was a
satirist, a wit and a wag. Since much of his shtick was about the politics and
events of his day, the humor is harder for us. But Fred Allen was funny. He
was cerebral. Fred wrote for intelligent people of his day. Intellectualism
has never been popular in America; hence, Mr. Allen has always had his
detractors. But Fred was a pioneer in the world of comedy. TV shows such as
the Tonight Show and Letterman evolved from the framework that Fred Allen gave
them. The Dennis Miller's and the Bill Maher's of this world owe a debt to
Mr. Allen too. Allen's Alley and the "man on the street" concept were very
well done by Fred Allen. I don't think you have to be knowledgeable of all
current events to appreciate Senator Cleghorn or Mrs. Nussbaum.
As for your aversion to Amos 'n Andy, that is your loss. Amos 'n Andy was
cutting edge comedy of its time. It was also a product of its time and
therefore it may lack the political correctness of our time. Nonetheless, the
show was popular and well written. The Lever Brothers/Rinso years of the
program are some of the funniest shows in old time radio. Much of the racial
criticism of the show is knee-jerk and superficial. Anyone who has actually
listened to these shows must admit that the characters of Amos and Andy paint
a picture of people who are honest, charitable, religious and patriotic (and
in the end the scheming plans of the Kingfish are always thwarted). I
wonder if anyone who ever watched "Green Acres" would think the scheming
fraudulent plans of Mr. Haney was an attempt to portray whites in a negative
light.
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:06:37 -0400
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Break the Bank
On Sunday, October 22, 2006, at 11:32 PM David Ballarotto wrote:
I've recently listened to a few "Break the Bank" shows and would like
to hear more. The questions can become pretty challenging, and the
format is engrossing. Unfortunately, it seems there are only a handful
of shows in circulation.
Does anyone know how much of this radio series still exists?
Jay Hickerson's "bible" says series ran for 10 years but only 4 audio
copies survived, one from 1949 and three from 1950. So you've probably
heard all that have been discovered thus far.
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:09:11 -0400
From: "Karen Lerner" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest (E-mail)" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: In Search of Tolerance
First, let me say that it was a pleasure meeting some of you at the FOTR
convention! Some of you teased me about my questions on behalf of customers,
and I shall keep the joke going by coming right back with another one.
I have a customer who is looking for information about an OTR episode that
was broadcast sometime early in the war years. He believes it was done by
Orson Wells' production group. However, he does not think it was one of his
Mercury Theatre on Air broadcasts. The only thing he remembers about the
epiosde was that it was set in a small town where Nazis were holding a
meeting - the town folk wanted to storm the meeting and run them out of town,
but someone reminded them it was America and we allowed for tolerance of
other views.
Does this ring any bells for anyone?
Karen Lerner
Radio Spirits
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:08:03 -0400
From: Steve Kostelecky <doyasteve@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Allen
I have loved fred allen since the first time I heard
him. Topicality has never been much of a hindrance to
me--our entire hobby is based around topicality and
evocation of another time. To me it is a treasure to
hear a joke about an historical tidbit that I have
just discovered. The Warner cartoons had examples of
catch phrases and jokes I laughed at but never fully
understood when I was a kid but the more I learned the
more I appreciated them. Allen's the same. I think
the Linit Bath Club Revue shows were outstanding and
may be what much of his reputation rests on and, as we
all know, there aren't many of them left. So who
knows. I suppose allen is an icon because many writers
and comedians cite him as an influence and he was a
large contributor to the zeitgeist.
Is allen still funny? I paraphrase a character in one
of allen's shows who says: "He makes me laugh."
P. Nussbaum
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:35:45 -0400
From: "theharness" <theharness@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: A Canadian version of War of The Worlds??
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Hi, everybody. Someone on another list I subscribe to raised the possibility
that there might be a Canadian version of War of The Worlds, presumably
produced by the CBC. Does anyone know whether such a thing does in fact
exist? Thanks. Devon Wilkins.
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--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #288
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