Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #229
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 7/30/2005 7:00 AM

To: [removed]@[removed]

    ------------------------------

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2005 : Issue 229
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      IPod & OTR article                    [ Froggievilleus <froggievilleus@yaho ]
      This week in radio history 31 July t  [ "Joe Mackey" <joemackey108@adelphia ]
      Re: This is Your Life                 [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
      The Aristocrats/The Aristocats        [ "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed] ]
      Needs help on Al Jennings             [ Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@earthlin ]
      Re: THIS IS YOUR LIFE                 [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      RE: THIS IS YOUR LIFE                 [ "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed] ]
      Applause Books, Before It's Gone      [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
      The Shadow, and Leo                   [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
      The Hammer Drops at WVXU              [ seandd@[removed] ]
      Curtins!                              [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
      Another "This Is Your Life" story     [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]
      This Is Your Life                     [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
      7-30 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:39:03 -0400
    From: Froggievilleus <froggievilleus@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  IPod & OTR article

    Hi All!

    Found this article discussing how OTR is emerging in
    podcasts for the iPod.  My iPod mini is used to hold
    oodles of OTR shows, both mp3s from my collection and
    some podcasts.  It's a nice article that I wanted to
    pass along.  Just visit the following [removed]

    [removed]-
    free-otr-may-improve-podcasts/

    Elizabeth S.
    [removed]

    [removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:41:01 -0400
    From: "Joe Mackey" <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: "otrd" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  This week in radio history 31 July to 6 August

    >From Those Were The Days --

    7/31

    1933 -- listeners turned up the radio on this day to hear the announcer
    introduce "Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy!" The show was one of the
    longest-running adventure programs on radio, continuing until 1951.

    8/4

    1921 - The first tennis match on radio was broadcast on KDKA in Pittsburgh,
    Pennsylvania. This was a natural since KDKA was the first commercial radio
    station in the United States. Within eight months the powers that be figured
    out that sports on radio would bring in big sales revenues. And so, the
    Davis Cup match between Great Britain and Australia was aired on the radio;
    but much to the wonderment of KDKA's listeners. Tennis anyone? On radio? It
    rates right up there with radio wrestling or, maybe, [removed]

    1927 - Station 2XAG, later named WGY, the General Electric station in
    Schenectady, NY, began experimental operations from a 100,000-watt
    transmitter. Later, the FCC regulated the power of AM radio stations to not
    exceed 50,000 watts on 'clear channels' (where few, if any, stations would
    cause interference with each other).

    1940 - Crime Doctor introduced a new kind of radio hero to audiences. The
    CBS program presented Dr. Benjamin Ordway, the show's main character, who
    was a victim of amnesia. He once was a criminal, but got hit on the head,
    and suddenly began to work as a crime fighter. Nice twist.

    8/5

    1921 - KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA did the first play-by-play broadcast of a
    baseball game. Harold Arlin described the action as the Pirates beat
    Philadelphia 8-5.

    1935 - Backstage Wife was first aired, on MBS.

    8/6

    1928 - One of radio's first serials, Real Folks, debuted on NBC.

    1939 - After becoming a success with Ben Bernie on network radio, Dinah
    Shore started her own show on the NBC Blue network. Dinah sang every Sunday
    evening.

    Joe

    ---------
    Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
    No trees
    were killed in the sending of this message.  However a large number of
    electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 09:05:04 -0400
    From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: This is Your Life

    Several folks have inquired as to which TIYL programs are currently
    available. I have in my hands a DVD release that includes the following
    guest stars: Laurel & Hardy, Lou Costello, Bette Davis, Jayne Mansfield,
    Roy Rogers, Johnny Cash, Milton Berle, Betty White, Rear Admiral Samuel G.
    Faqua, Hanna Bloch Kohner, Bobby Darin, Dick Clark, Richard & Karen
    Carpenter, Shirley Jones, Jesse Owens, Duke Kahanamoku, Boris Karloff,
    Vincent Price

    So many of the programs remembered and mentioned are included,
    [removed]. The booklet does include a history of Ralph
    Edwards' own life, his success with Truth or Consequences on radio and the
    start of This is Your Life. TIYL was so successful that he needed a
    replacement host for Truth or Consequences - that is how Bob Barker got his
    big break hosting for 21 years on TV. He produced or packaged 21 shows
    including Name That Tune and The People's Court.

    Enjoy.

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:35:52 -0400
    From: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Aristocrats/The Aristocats

    In #228, Derek Tague wrote:

>     "A man walks into a talent [removed]" The less said about
>     the new documentary "The Aristocrats," about the dirtiest
>     joke in the world which has the punch-line "the
>     aristocrats," the better. Further analysis and discussion
>     of  this joke probably is way off-topic.

    Off topic, true.  But when I read your post, something popped into my
    head that I had to share, and since it tangentially involves Phil
    Harris, I'll do so.

    I haven't seen the documentary yet, but I'm familiar with the joke.
    When I read your post, I couldn't stop laughing at the idea of some poor
    parent who was trying to rent Disney's "Aristocats" and ends up with
    this movie instead.

    -chris holm

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:57:14 -0400
    From: Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Needs help on Al Jennings
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html

       I've been corresponding with an American originally from California,
       now living in the United Kingdom.  Can anyone help him in his
       researches on one "Al Jennings"?

       If so, please communicate directly with Kevin at
       Kjcsilentfilms@[removed]

       Many thanks - Lee Munsick  Here's his request:
       In a nutshell, I am doing a biography on AL JENNINGS.  Who?  You say!
       An attorney, turned outlaw, turned federal prisoner, pardoned, and
       returned to his law practice in Oklahoma.  Candidate for Governor of
       Oklahoma, then silent film actor.  Author, evangelist, vaudevillian,
       lecturer.  Yes I know quite a full [removed] then he was born in
       1863 and died in 1961, aged 98.  So, he had a long enough life to do
       all that.
       Supposedly my subject was on, although I cannot find any [removed]
       several programs on both Radio and/or TV.  He was on??? Groucho Marx's
       "You Bet Your Life,"  Ralph Edward's "This is Your Life," a game show
       called "Noah Webster says" that was hosted by a Haven MacQuarrie, and
       last in 1960-61 on Pat Michael's in Los Angeles in an interview, at
       either KFI or KABC.
       Also there was an episode in 1944 of the Lone Ranger that he was
       [removed] have a copy of that [removed] cannot seem to find any
       other biographical information on the [removed] you would on say
       films, if you looked them up on the [removed] know, air date,
       studio produced at, cast and characters, production crew, synopsis,
       etc. et al.
       For that [removed] would like actual taped episodes, audio tracks or
       even transcripts of the [removed] just access to archives that might
       be able to access photos, or any clippings, and [removed]
       So, if you have any [removed] I
       would be most grateful.  No piece of information is too small, or
       insignificant as the detectives say.
       All the best, from across the pond, Kevin

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    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:04:18 -0400
    From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:  THIS IS YOUR LIFE

    Michael C. Gwynne asks

>     if there are [This Is Your Life] shows that
>     survived and are available for viewing! Someone please tell me at least
>     some of them have survived. It would warm my heart.

      My assumption is that
    they have all survived (with the possibility that one or two might have
    gotten lost in the shuffle) because they made a point near the end of every
    show that they were providing the guest with a 16mm print of the show and a
    Bell & Howell projector to run it on.  Edwards certainly must have
    maintained a complete file for himself.

    As was mentioned in previous postings, there is a new box set available,
    and the Boris Karloff program you mention, as well as the Laurel & Hardy
    mentioned by others, is included.  Unfortunately the commercials were
    deleted (except for some of the time filler ad libs in the L&H program) and
    some of the closing credits sections have been modified.

    I don't think that it was mentioned that the program began on radio in 1948
    and ran for two years before being revived on TV in 1954.  Jay Hickerson's
    book mentions 15 in circulation but I've not heard them.  I suppose this is
    where they started the gimmick of having the people from the past speaking
    off-camera first before being identified.  That worked on radio, of course,
    and it also works well on TV because we can watch the guest squirm as they
    try to recognize a voice from 50 years ago that has obviously aged.  You
    would have thought that for TV they would have switched it around and had
    the guest try to guess via a picture, but they kept their radio roots on
    the TV show.

    The Sid Caesar parody was included in the old film compilation "Ten from
    'Your Show of Shows'" although I believe it was from "Caesar's Hour."  It
    is on one of the three Sid Caesar box sets now available.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:45:17 -0400
    From: "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  RE: THIS IS YOUR LIFE

    One subject of TIYL who was informed in advance was Frances Farmer. Ms.
    Farmer was an up and coming actress who was being given the star treatment by
    her studio. At some point she visited the Soviet Union and was effectively
    blacklisted upon her return. I can no longer remember the details, which came
    from a book about her that I had read many years ago, so I can't say whether
    her treatment upon her return to this country was justified. What I do
    remember is, that she was diagnosed with some mental illness, quite possibly
    in error, and lobotomized. All I can remember about the TIYL show is that
    sad, pretty woman sitting in the seat of honor, staring out into empty space
    while all the guests were trotted out to tell their stories about her.
    Because of her delicate mental condition, it had been pre-decided that she
    not be surprised, especially in public. I also have a vague memory that the
    book about her stated that her husband had married her so that he could
    exploit her notoriety, and that it was he who arranged to have her on the
    show.

     B. Ray

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:39:45 -0400
    From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Applause Books, Before It's Gone

    Actually, if you can get to Applause Books on 71st, west of broadway
    (down the stairs of this cool looking entrance), on the north side of
    71st--

    Derek, isn't there still a 60% or 70% off sale?

    If you buy $[removed] worth of books, 20% [removed]  $[removed], 30% off, and so
    [removed]

    Some of Applause's older books were always overpriced, but if you browse
    around, there were some neat things to be had.

    As Derek mentioned, many film and TV bios, movie books, and, natch, a
    ton of theatre stuff.

    Best, Jim

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:40:29 -0400
    From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Shadow, and Leo

    Isn't that SHADOW "Computer" album from 1966 when MGM's Leo the Lion
    records released a few costumed adventurers albums?

    As a tiny tyke, it was neat getting the FLASH GORDON album, with a
    gorgeous Al Williamson cover, AND Buster Crabbe playing Flash for the
    first time in twenty-five [removed]!
    (If  recal corectly. the stories, interestingly, were based on a couple
    of the comic book stories of the time, written, I guess, maybe, by the
    late Archie Goodwin. One of the stories has Flash journeying to the
    undergrund city of Krenkelium--named for famed fantasy, and EC Comics,
    artist, Roy Krenkel!)

    THE PHANTOM/MADRAKE album also features Bret Morrison, and Lon Clark,
    with Jackson Beck as the narrator.

    As I recall, Jackson Beck narrates the FLASH GORDON album, as well.

    Best, Jim Burns

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 17:52:37 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Hammer Drops at WVXU

    Cincinnati's WVXU will stop airing OTR on Saturday.

    While this article from the Cincinnati Enquirer says the broadcsts coudl
    resume in some format, it looks like it will at best be very limited compared
    to the generous 14 hours currently aired.

    Even living in New Jersey, I recorded the 11:00 [removed] show over the Internet
    and frequently found them playing episodes of Fibber McGee & Molly, Lights
    Out and X-1 that I didn't already have in my collection.  A move to a "best
    of the best" format suggests playing rarities is likely to become, well, rare.

    I also enjoyed the 2-minute "radio retrospective" features.  in fact, I
    shared a copy of the mini-documentary on Arthur Anderson with the man himself.

    Too bad - it was a good show while it lasted.  They have a big send-off
    planned for this weekend, details in the article below.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    [removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:47:59 -0400
    From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Curtins!
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Milwaukee's own birthday expert Ron Sayles posted the birthday of OTR
    performer Joseph Curtin:

    07-29-1910 - Joseph Curtin - Cambridge, MA - d. 4-5-1979
    actor: Nick Charles "Advs. of the Thin Man"; John Perry "John's Other Wife"

    As an addendum, I liked to ask: Wasn't Mr. Curtin the father of either 1970s
    comic Velerie
    Curtin or SNL/"Kate and Allie" co-star Jane Curtin?

    Ether!

    Derek Tague

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    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:48:28 -0400
    From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Another "This Is Your Life" story

        May I add one more "This Is Your Life" story? (Even though the
    series began on radio in 1948 we all seem to remember the TV moments.
    Since every guest received a film of the program I assume the whole
    series is out there somewhere).

        "This Is Your Life" originated in Hollywood, and apparently the
    subject of that week's biography wasn't necessarily secret elsewhere in
    the country.  One of the shows told the story of Jenny Grossinger, a
    business and social pioneer who founded the famous Grossinger's resort
    in New York's Catskill Mountains (the "borscht belt").
        Among the old friends who was set to turn up on the show was a
    [removed], whose family owned Gertz Department Store in Jamaica, NY.
    Gertz was also the biggest advertiser in the old Long Island Daily
    Press.  The appearance of Mrs. Gertz on national television was
    apparently such a noteworthy event that it had to be publicized in
    advance on the front page of the Press, complete with the fact that
    Ralph Edwards would be presenting the life of Jenny Grossinger (who felt
    a bit extraneous in the Press story, though I seem to remember a sly
    mention that we should all try to keep this a secret from Mrs.
    Grossinger, who was anyway secluded 3,000 miles away).
        Mrs. Gertz did appear, Mrs. Grossinger seemed genuinely surprised
    and delighted, and a fuzzy photo from the TV screen was on the front
    page of the next afternoon's edition of the Long Island Daily Press
    ("...and remember, it's home-delivered" *).

    *old-time radio reference

    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:48:59 -0400
    From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  This Is Your Life

>     Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:28:30 -0400
>     From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];

>     Anybody else here ever seen the parody of "This is Your Life" that Sid
>     Caesar did on "Your Show of Shows" where Sid is the honoree and he
>     pretends to be asleep, then tries to run away and is restrained?  .
>     IMHO, it's one of the funniest TV comedy sketches ever.

    Yes, go back a couple of days, and you'll see my description of it.

    On the subject of "This Is Your Life" spoofs, I had a Batman comic book back in the mid-
    1950s, where Batman and Robin were lurred to an auditorium thinking there was some sort
    of crime going on, then the house lights went on, and they were greeted by the host of "Your
    Life Story," which was featuring the life of Batman.  This wasn't entirely a surprise because
    Bruce Wayne had already been called to be a guest. How the two appeared together is left
    as an exercise for the reader.

    "This Is Your Life" was also invoked on the 10th anniversary Howdy Doody Show and again,
    with Ralph Edwards making a cameo appearance (by voice only, I believe), in the Howdy
    Doody 40th anniversary special in 1987.

    --
    A. Joseph Ross, [removed]                           [removed]
     15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@[removed]
    Boston, MA 02108-2503           	         [removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 09:00:56 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  7-30 births/deaths

    July 30th births

    07-30-1880 - Robert R. McCormick - Chicago, IL - d. 4-1-1955
    newspaper publisher, commentator: "The Chicago Theatre of the Air"
    07-30-1890 - Casey Stengel - Kansas City, MO - d. 9-30-1975
    hall of fame baseball manager: "DiMaggio Farewell"; "Witness!"; "Tops in
    Sports"
    07-30-1912 - Charles Irving - Minnesota - d. 2-15-1981
    actor: Tex Mason "Bobby Benson's Advs."; Jerry Malone "Young Dr. Malone"
    07-30-1912 - Edward L. Bliss - Fizhou, China - d. 11-25-2002
    cbs news correspondent: (One of Morrow's Boys) CBS News Twentieth Century
    Roundup"
    07-30-1914 - John Meston - Pueblo, CO - d. 3-24-1979
    writer: "Gunsmoke"; "Escape"; "Fort Larmie"
    07-30-1928 - Christine McGuire - Middletown, OH
    singer: (The McGuire Sisters) "Arthur Godfrey Time"

    July 30th deaths

    02-08-1908 - Myron McCormick - Albany, IN - d. 7-30-1962
    actor: Christopher Wells "Advs. of Christopher Wells"; Walter Manning "Portia
    Faces Life"
    03-17-1916 - Karl Weber - Columbus Junction, IA - d. 7-30-1990
    actor: Ray Matson "Dr. Six Gun"; Phil Stanley "When a Girl Marries"
    05-10-1914 - Charles McGraw - New York City, NY - d. 7-30-1980
    actor: Ken Thurston "Man Called X", "Dragnet"; "Suspense"
    06-07-1897 - George Szell - Budapest, Austria-Hungary - d. 7-30-1970
    orchestra leader: "NBC Symphony Orchestra"; "New York Philharmonic"
    07-10-1914 - Joe Shuster - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - d. 7-30-1992
    co-creator (with Jerry Siegel): "Advs. of Superman"
    08-22-1897 - Eddie Dunstedter - Edwardsville, IL - d. 7-30-1974
    organist, conductor: "Gold Medal Fast Freight"; "Lineup"; "It Happened in
    Hollywood"
    09-08-1896 - Howard Dietz - New York City, NY - d. 7-30-1983
    song lyricist: "The Gibson Family"
    09-13-1903 - Claudette Colbert - Paris, France - d. 7-30-1996
    actress: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players"; "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Millions
    for Defense"
    09-29-1915 - Brenda Marshall - Island of Negros, Philippines - d. 7-30-1992
    actress: Nancy Smith "Smiths of Hollywood"
    11-27-1917 - Buffalo Bob Smith - Buffalo, NY - d. 7-30-1998
    actor: Howdy Doody "Howdy Doody"
    12-06-1887 - Lynn Fontanne - Waterford, England (Lived in Genesee Depot, WI) -
    d. 7-30-1983
    actress: "Theatre Guild On the Air"; "Biography In Sound"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #229
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