------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 322
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Radio Recall [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
RE: Halloween shows [ "Kirby, Tom" <Kirby@[removed]; ]
Sam Spade preformance / reproduction [ Ruk77@[removed] ]
Rodney Dangerfield [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
Rodney Dangerfield [ "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@charter. ]
10-7 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Rodney Dangerfield [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Actors On Stage [ StuartLubin@[removed] (Stuart Lubin ]
old microphone/lamp? [ Steve Salaba <philmfan@[removed] ]
Gildersleeve's Blade [ Tedshumaker@[removed] ]
OTR Journalists/Gossip Columnists [ William Harker <wharker@[removed] ]
Fwd: Re CART [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
Walden Hughes weekend show 10-8,9,10 [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
Re: Halloween Shows [ "jazmaan@[removed]" <dmf273@ya ]
Re: holiday show favorites [ vigor16@[removed] ]
Gildys Blade [ lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed]; ]
Arthur Godfrey on "What's My Line" [ damyankeeinva <damyankeeinva@earthl ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:17:20 -0400
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Radio Recall
The October issue of "Radio Recall" contains excellent articles on two
obscure, but fascinating, series. Although neither series had a
surviving audio episode, the authors have relied upon recently
discovered scripts and other plot summaries. Jim Widner details the
mysteries of "Stories of the Black Chamber", the mid-30s NBC juvenile
adventure based loosely upon the exploits of [removed] codebreaker, Herbert
O. Yardley. In the other article, Karl Schadow provides an exhaustive
history and complete log of "Peter Quill: The Crimson Wizard", a Mutual
series of 1938-41.
Also in this issue are book reviews of Jim Cox's "Mr. Keen, Tracer of
Lost Persons" and Tim DeForest's "Storytelling in the Pulps, Comics,
and Radio." The 12 big page issue includes a factual look at OTR's
"animal imitators." Non-members of MWOTRC can purchase copies of this
issue for $ [removed] (includes first class postage) from Maury Cagle, 900
McDaniel Ct, Herndon, VA 20170.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:17:38 -0400
From: "Kirby, Tom" <Kirby@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: Halloween shows
One of my favorites was "The Dunwich Horror", a "Suspense" episode
adapted from H. P. Lovecraft's story, starring Ronald Coleman, if
I recall correctly. I think it originally was aired on Halloween
night. It is also much more true to Lovecraft's story than the Roger
Corman movie (of a vintage much to late to be on-topic here).
I saw a couple of my favorites, "The Thing on the Fourble Board",
and "Sub Basement", already mentioned. I've been meaning to listen
to "House in Cypress Canyon" after hearing many positive reviews,
but I haven't yet. I think I'll save it for this [removed]
Thanks for the ideas,
-- Tom Kirby
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:18:10 -0400
From: Ruk77@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Sam Spade preformance / reproduction
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Last week someone posted about a preformance that was going to be on
[removed]
I was working Sunday and really would love to hear that. Does anyone know if
it is still able to be heard or if / where I could buy a copy of that
preformance? Thanks everyone.
[removed] God bless Rodney, he was one of the funnyest people EVER imho
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:18:26 -0400
From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Rodney Dangerfield
In the NYTimes obit
([removed]), it states:
"Rodney Dangerfield - his real name was Jacob Cohen, but a nightclub
owner suggested Rodney Dangerfield - was born in Babylon, [removed], on Long
Island, in 1921."
So perhaps the nightclub owner was link to the Benny character.
Kermyt
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:48:34 -0400
From: "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Rodney Dangerfield
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Hello-- "Rodney Dangerfield" is a parody name for a hero in several kinds of
melodrama -- stage shows from the turn of the century, early silent movies,
pulp magazine adventures.
It suggests a handsome hero in polo shirt and riding britches, ready to jump
in front of a locomotive and pull a bound heroine to safety. Jack Benny's
writing staff did not invent the name.
The name or slight variations of it like "Jack Dangerfield" were part of the
popular culture going back at least to the twenties, maybe earlier. -- Jim
Harmon
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:57:36 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 10-7 births/deaths
October 7th births
10-07-1870 - "Uncle Dave" Macon - Smart Station, TN - d. 3-22-1952
banjo player: "Grand Ole Opry"
10-07-1889 - Clarence Muse - Baltimore , MD - d. 10-13-1979
singer: "Paducah Plantation"
10-07-1898 - Alfred Wallenstein - Chicago, IL - d. 2-8-1983
conductor: "Virtuosos"; "Voice of Firestone"
10-07-1905 - Andy Devine - Flagstaff, Arizona Territory - d. 2-20-1977
actor: Jingles P. Jones "Wild Bill Hickok"; Mose Muich "Lum and Abner"; "Jack
Benny Program"
10-07-1905 - Jean Ellyn - NYC - d. 11-23-1989
actress: Margie 'Cookie' Cook "Valiant Lady"; Dr. Watson "Strange Dr. Karnac"
10-07-1911 - Vaughn Monroe - Akron, OH - d. 5-21-1973
singer, bandleader: "Penthouse Party"; "Vaughn Monroe Show"
10-07-1914 - Alfred Drake - The Bronx, NY - d. 7-25-1992
singer: "Best Plays"; Broadway Matinee"; "Ford Festival of American Music"
10-07-1917 - June Allyson - The Bronx, NY
actress: "Hallmark Playhouse"; "NBC Star Playhouse"; "Harold Lloyd Comedy
Theatre"
10-07-1918 - Helmut Dantine - Vienna, Austria - d. 5-3-1982
actor: "Crime Does Not Pay"; "Silver Theatre"; "Theatre of Romance"; "Suspense"
10-07-1926 - Diana Lynn - Los Angeles, CA - d. 12-18-1971
actress: "Theatre Guild On the Air"
October 7th deaths
01-10-1914 - Polly Rowles - Philadelphia, PA - d. 10-7-2001
actress: Nita's Aunt "Lone Journey"
01-19-1809 - Edgar Allan Poe - Boston, MA - d. 10-7-1849
author: "Columbia Workshop";"World's Greatest Short Stories"; "Weird Circle"
01-31-1921 - Mario Lanza - Philadelphia, PA - d. 10-7-1959
singer: "Mario Lanza Show"
06-01-1921 - Nelson Riddle - Oradell, NJ - d. 10-7-1985
composer, conductor: "On a Sunday Afternoon"; "Sears Radio Theatre"
07-27-1905 - Leo Durocher - West Springfield, MA - d. 10-7-1991
baseball legend: "baseball announcer"
11-26-1910 - Cyril Cusack - Durban, South Africa - d. 10-7-1993
actor: "Great Expectations"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 19:28:53 -0400
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Rodney Dangerfield
As I expected the passing of Rodney Dangerfield ([removed]) brought up mention
of that name being used by a character on Jack Benny in the early 40s.
Rodney (the comedian) was born Jack Cohen. In his 20s he did standup (none
too successfully) as Jackie Roy. He gave up comedy at 28 and returned to it
at 40. The story he always told was that he told the manager of the first
club he played on his return that he did not want to be billed as Jackie Roy
and that the manager could just make up a name. The name the manager made
up was Rodney Dangerfield. This must have been in the early 1960s. It's
possible the manager was just pulling up from memory something he had heard
20 years earlier.
BTW, Dangerfield is a real (if uncommon) surname. There was a distinguished
British historian named George Dangerfield, who wrote a famous work called
THE STRANGE DEATH OF LIBERAL ENGLAND , about the decline of the English
Liberal Party just before World War 1. George Dangerfield lived into the
1980s, but I don't know if he ever commented on his namesake.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 19:29:11 -0400
From: StuartLubin@[removed] (Stuart Lubin)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Actors On Stage
I moved to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1948 when I was 14 years old. I
was fiercely in love with radio then. I am not just any
Johnny-come-lately to this hobby. I went to many radio shows in
Manhattan and Los Angeles, and I can assure you that, in general, the
actors remained on the stage, seated, until the end of the show. Once in
a while, an actor would leave if he or she had no more lines, but that
happened rarely.
On non-dramatic shows, the case was completely different. When a
celebrity was introduced, he or she came onto the stage for the first
time. I remember vividly being in the audience of Club 15 when Gisele
MacKenzie made her first appearance there. Bob Crosby first introduced
Jack Benny, who of course entered from backstage. Who could forget that
walk? Jack then introduced Gisele, and the rest is History.
About a year before her death, I was thrilled to be able to tell Gisele
the name of the song which she sang on that first Club 15. She was
impressed! (By the way, it was"Far Away Places".)
Stuart Lubin
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 19:29:34 -0400
From: Steve Salaba <philmfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: old microphone/lamp?
OK, here's a puzzler. I've decided that I'd like to have a table lamp that
looks like it was made out of an old fashioned microphone. Or maybe made
from a *real* old microphone. It just seems to present many possibilities
for jokes about covert recording ("Just speak into the lamp") as well as
the OTR reference. My search of the internet has come up with nothing. Have
any of you heard of or seen such a thing? I can always get an old mike and
make one myself, I suppose, but ready-made would be nicer.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 20:27:32 -0400
From: Tedshumaker@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gildersleeve's Blade
A couple of months ago one of Gildy's Blade sold for over $[removed] on E-bay and
there was a photo of it as you described.
Ted
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 20:27:46 -0400
From: William Harker <wharker@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR Journalists/Gossip Columnists
I gave this a generic sort of subject title, but I'm wondering if New York
City or Los Angeles newspapers (or if there might have been a specialty
print outlet) ran regular columns about radio: the shows, the stars, the
behind-the-mike people in the 1930s through 1950s. If so, who were the
columnists/journalists? If a regular column, was there a title?
I suspect Louella Parsons, Hedda Hopper, Ed Sullivan (maybe even Walter
Winchell) made reference to radio and its personnel, but I was wondering if
anything more specialized (geared specifically to radio) was ever written
during this period.
Bill Harker
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:54:07 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fwd: Re CART
Received this information this evening from Peggy Webber:
- ----
The California Artists Radio Theatre is trying something new.
They will be touring with a few of their most crowd pleasing shows, and the
first one will be Andrew J. Fenady's "The Man with Bogart's Face" starring
comedian and impersonator Rich Little. The rest of the cast are special CART
talents: JoAnne Worley, Leslie Easterbrook, Samantha Eggar, William Windom,
Linda Henning, Marvin Kaplan, [removed] Wynant, Beverly Garland, Tom Williams, Bob
Legionaire, John Bliss, Ian Abercrombie, and announcer John Harlan, with
Kenneth Stange performing the score he wrote for the show, Tony Palermo is on
sound. Peggy Webber produces.
This engagement will be October 30th on the Mainstage of the Los Angeles
Valley College in ValleyGlen,91401, next to Studio City, just off Coldwater
Canyon and Burbank Blvd. There will be two performances 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM,
the day before Halloween, October 30th, Saturday. Show is 90 minutes and with
two ten minute intermissions. Seniors : $15; general admission is $[removed] The
entrance to the theatre is at 5800 Fulton, off Burbank Blvd. And parking is
free.
Box Office will be open, and reservations may be made at 1- 818 947 2623.
ADA devices are available, if requested at time of reservation, accomodation
space for wheel chairs is available. The event is sponsored by the Arts
Council of [removed] profit, tax deductible. CART CD's and refreshments are
available for sale, in the lobby.
Thank you, very much,
Peggy Webber
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:53:19 -0400
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Walden Hughes weekend show 10-8,9,10
This weekend hear the Walden Hughes weekend show on Yesterday USA. As always
the program can be heard via the internet at [removed] Friday ,
Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 pm EDT/ 7:30 PDT.
Friday 10-8-04
A. Walden and Frank interview Beryl Davis who was Glenn Miller's last
singer in England. Bob Hope brought her to the USA and was Frank Sinatra's
co-star on Your Hit Parade. Beryl will be at the SPERDVAC convention on
Friday November 12th.
Saturday 10-9-04
A. Walden's live interview with Chris Nickens to talk about Janet Leigh.
Chris was her co-author.
B. replay of Walden and Bill Bragg's interview with Janet Leigh.
C. Classic Interviews: John Dunning interview's Eliot Lewis
D. Fred Allen show from 1940
E. One Man Family show from October of 1949
Sunday 10-10-04
A. Mike Biels talks about the FOTR convention
B. Laura Leff presents the Jack Benny radio season of 1944-1945! This week
Laura
brings us the second show of the season from 10-8-44. Laura is heard
each Sunday
at 8:30 Pacific time and is a must for any fan of Jack Benny. Hear the
classic Benny
broadcast with the stories behind the show. LSMFT , LSMFT
Laura on Sunday Means Fantastic Times .
C. Fibber Mcgee and Molly 4-16-47 , Great Gildersleeve 4-17-47, Lux Radio
Theater from
November of 1947, two more One Man Family shows.
D. Classic Interviews: Richard Lamparski interviews Buffalo Bob Smith.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:53:37 -0400
From: "jazmaan@[removed]" <dmf273@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Halloween Shows
Thanks to all for the Halloween suggestions. I've downloaded almost every
one of your picks and
will be listening to them on my Ipod in my car for the rest of the month.
Today I started with
Baby Snooks Halloween. Baby Snooks' father dresses up to scare some kids
but gets into an
altercation with the dad of one of the kids he scares. I hadn't listened to
much Baby Snooks
before this, so its a good introduction for me.
Thanks again!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:54:26 -0400
From: vigor16@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: holiday show favorites
Hi,
I like for halloween a couple not mentioned:
Suspense "Never steal the butcher's wife" with a chilly suspenseful
ending
Fibber McGee and Molly Gildersleeve's halloween party (a reality touch
at the end)
Father knows best Halloween party at home the peanuts show is great too,
but not a holiday one.
of course: for otr fans a Halloween is not complete without WOTW.
Thanksgiving:
My all time fav T day show is Lum & Abner 30 minute show where they use
someone's mantion to hold a party for some relative of one of the boys.
I'm not sure, but the boys do another show where they manage to blow up a
house at the end of the supper.
thus my holiday of good cheeriness around here.
For the teary crowd Family Theater's "Home for Thanksgiving" will bring
out the tissues. It's all great fun. By for now.
Deric
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:54:51 -0400
From: lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gildys Blade
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A digester asked about Gildys Blade from The Great Gildersleeve show-. I
have a picture of one and have been trying to buy one for several years for
my Gildy collection. It looks like an all arround kitchen/butter knife.
They are very hard to find, I've even tryed e-bay on many many occasions.
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:55:22 -0400
From: damyankeeinva <damyankeeinva@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Arthur Godfrey on "What's My Line"
Friend "David B." mentioned on the "OTR Phorum" about seeing a re-run on the
Game Show Network, of a "What's My Line" program with Arthur Godfrey. I
thought other readers might like to share in recollections about Mr.
Godfrey's connection with "WML" and John Charles Daly. If you'd like to read
more on this or others of Charlie Summers' delightful Phorums, go to:
[removed]
and then scroll down until you make your way to the OTR forums, and then
Arthur Godfrey. Below is my current contribution thereto:
.....Now, to David B's comments about "What's My Line" and Arthur Godfrey.
This was indeed a good program, I think the first one of several on which Mr.
Godfrey appeared, once as moderator.
I recall as a teenager, watching WML as our family did each Sunday evening.
Even before the Mystery Guest took chalk to slate and before we at home saw
who it was, the audience went absolutely bonkers. Applause, yelling,
whistling! I said to my folks, "It has to be either (then sitting President)
Dwight Eisenhower, or Arthur Godfrey". As soon as that hand reached out from
behind the curtain and started just that circular capital letter "A", I
followed through with, "Yep, it's Godfrey!" My folks couldn't quite
understand my prescience. I understood the enormous, nearly unprecedented
popularity held at the time by Mr. Godfrey. Only he or his friend
"GeneralIke" would have garnered such a reception.
An interesting thing not generally known is that when early WML panelist Hal
Block took off his blindfold in the Mystery Guest round because he couldn't
stand the suspense, he was actually quite stunned that the surprise guest was
Arthur Godfrey. For those who were steady listeners a few years later, Mr.
Block may be an unknown. He was a major comedy writer for many years for
numerous programs, including but not limited to Bob Hope, and George Burns
and Gracie Allen.
What was not told at the time is that Block and Mr. Godfrey had appeared
together at another event, quite recently before. If I recall correctly
without digging out my notes, it was just the day before that particular WML
aired.
Another story re AG and WML is that for one of his appearances, his
participation slipped Mr. Godfrey's mind, and as the evening wore on, he was
home relaxing in his apartment. Fortunately he was there, rather than out at
the theatre or something. A frantic staff member finally contacted him. He
rushed to get dressed, raced across town to the theatre, galloped through
Makeup, and just made it.
All the time, host John Daly was chewing his lower lip as the program
proceeded and he was not in a very good position to know what was happening,
wondering where his special guest was. He was greatly relieved when the
genial redhead finally showed up at the last possible minute. Fortunately, he
and Mr. Godfrey had known each other for years, having worked together on
morning radio at WJSV (CBS in Washington. They're heard together on that
famous day-long recording one can buy from various OTR sources and on the
Internet. Daly hosts a mini-program for a local baking company, which was
inserted into Mr. Godfrey's regular weekday eye-opener.
That moment of suspense for John Daly raises the question, what would he have
done had Mr. Godfrey (or any Mystery Guest) failed to show? They obviously
didn't have stand-by [removed], and all of them were kept away from the eyes of
the audience and the panelists until the time they stepped up to sign in on
that blackboard. What Daly always planned to do should that horrible
situation occur, was to actually step in himself as the [removed] for that
evening. That would have been hilarious for the audience both in the studio
and at home, as John Charles Daly and John Daly (he used both names at
various times in his career) chatted with each other and answered the
panelists. Mr. Godfrey, by the way, referred to Daly as "Charley".
And that, dear friends of the radio audience, raises the ultimate question:
did it ever happen? Yes it did, and that's just what John Daly did. Before
the blindfolded panelists, he welcomed himself, chatted with himself in at
least two voices, and had a wonderful time. I do not recall who the errant
Mystery Guest was supposed to be, and obviously nobody outside the show staff
would have known, as it would never have been announced. The book about the
show, needless to say, does not reveal. But wouldn't we all love to see that
show? If anyone has a copy, please do let me know!
On another appearance by Mr. Godfrey as the Mystery Guest, an unusual special
panelist was a gent from England, who had just come in from appearing in the
[removed], but on the West Coast. He could be forgiven if he were not as familiar
with Arthur Godfrey as his three American counterparts. Mr. Godfrey again
teased and delighted the panel and almost fooled them again. But one panelist
finally just blurted out a guess that it was Arthur Godfrey. Ironically, it
was that chap from merrie olde England!
Mr. Godfrey appeared on a number of "panel" and other shows, as if he didn't
have enough to do on his own! They pop up from time to time on Game Show
Network and I think on TV Land. Unfortunately, neither channel lists program
guides in advance, so one either has to be glued to his set, or have a
recorder running 24 hours a day to catch these and other special delights.
Heigh-ho Tivo!
Thanks, David, for your interest, and for sharing. We invite everyone to join
in on this Phorum. Be the Good Lord willin', I'll be around to chime in (oops
- Mr. Godfrey was a CBS personality) er, join in and respond.
Bestus, Lee Munsick That Godfrey Guy
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #322
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