------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2006 : Issue 162
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Weather [ Cnorth6311@[removed] ]
AM transmitter [ "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@bas ]
Prairie Home Companion movie [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Bob Bailey movie role [ [removed]@[removed] ]
Graduation Theme Shows [ Trinapreston3@[removed] ]
Re: Bob Bailey [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
The real Clyde Beatty [ "Barbara Harmon" <jimharmonotr@char ]
1950s KNX radio program [ "Jim Hilliker" <jimhilliker@sbcglob ]
VE Day on BLUE [ "Walden Hughes" <walden1@yesterdayu ]
6-12 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
RE: report on AM transmitting OTR to [ "Bill Harris" <nbcblue@[removed]; ]
"Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Nig [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed] ]
Log information [ "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@sbcgloba ]
Announcers: From radio to TV [ William Shishko <wshishko@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:39:38 -0400
From: Cnorth6311@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Weather
I was listening to a Tom Mix episode, and at the end of the program there
was an advertisement for Breyer's Ice Cream, and then they gave a brief
weather
forecast for New York City. The broadcast was on VE day. I had always been
told that weather reports were not allowed either in print, or in any media
during World War Two.
Was this forecast allowed because New York is obviously on the east coast,
and it happened to be VE day, hence, no danger of invasion from Germany?
Charlie
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:40:21 -0400
From: "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: AM transmitter
I read the report one person had about his short distance AM transmitter. I
can onloy echo jhis results. I have had oneof those transmitters for years
and I use it to broadcast OTR to my working 1929 Atwater Kent. And, it
picks up other AM stations in the area. Too bad there is nothing of
interest to me on AM today.
Ted
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:41:26 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Prairie Home Companion movie
Derek Tague and I went to see the PHC movie Friday night and although I can
understand why, compared to the "blockbuster" movies of the summer, that
many theater chains are going to dismiss the notion of offering it to paying
customers - that and the fact that PHC is designed for the faithful
listeners so the fan base is a "limited" fan base - the film may or may not
play near many of the readers of this Digest.
I would like to say that along side with CARS and THE NOTORIOUS BETTY PAGE,
this was one of the three best films of the year. It's designed to
entertain using a relaxed atmosphere, a couple sub-plots, and some charm
that resembles soft humor rather than obvious jokes (though Harrelson and
Reilly's closing act was definately obvious and hilarious and almost worth
the price of admission).
The art form of radio broadcasting was depicted much in the same way as
RADIO LAND MURDERS and RADIO DAYS, offering viewers who were not aware of
the workings of a radio broadcast to admire the craft, the people who put
forth their lives for performing behind a microphone, and the little details
ranging from a sound man's imitations of farm animals, Garrison Keiller's
fly being down a couple times and the tissues around his neck being removed
after the curtain goes up (yes, there's an audience in the theater but this
is radio and who listening would have known that?) and the best scene of all
. . . when keiller's secretary misplaces and drops the sponsor sheets and as
the cast improvises to cover up this fact, including Keiller's continuous
attempt to sound like a commercial, the cast is frantically looking for the
correct sponsor sheet - again something the radio audience wouldn't know is
going on.
An attempt to push the trade to the young Lindsay Lohan fails but they did
manage to get her to sing a rendition of "Frankie and Johnny" and the
mentality of the younger generation not being exposed to radio broadcasts
(and the new station's manager who is axeing the program) is depicted
revealing the horrible truth about the demise of radio entertainment.
Streep is perfect and can sing exceptionally well - Lily Tomlin can't.
Overall, if you are a faithful or casual listener to the Prairie Home
Companion, I do recommend you check it out. Paying for a movie ticket shows
support for movies about radio broadcasting (movie moguls only judge
attention to box office dollars as the success of a movie) and both Derek
and I are proud to have helped show our support. It wasn't time wasted
sitting in a dark room for 90 minutes.
Martin Grams Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:41:39 -0400
From: [removed]@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Bob Bailey movie role
Bob Bailey played the role of "Staples" in the 1958 movie "The Line Up". He
was cast as a criminal and did quite well at it.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:42:02 -0400
From: Trinapreston3@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Graduation Theme Shows
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Hello! I was hoping some of you readers have a list of OTR Graduation Theme
shows. I mean any episodes where graduations took place. I only came across
two shows so far, they are The Life of Riley and Frances Langford Show. If
you know of more shows listings a Graduation theme please feel free to share
it.
Trina,
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:43:43 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Bob Bailey
Karl tiedemann wrote:
One interesting footnote is that after BIRDMAN there's a twenty-year gap and
then suddenly a credit as a waiter on a single episode of a short-lived
Aaron Spelling series called FINDER OF LOST LOVES in 1984! It says he was
credited as "Robert Baile." I don't know, maybe it's a mistake, but if he
did shoot one last thing in the year of his death (he died 8/13/83), it
would be interesting to know how it came [removed]
That, it seems to me would have to be wrong. He died in 1983, but had
suffered a stroke several years before that and moved into a
convalescent home in Lancaster, CA. He lost all contact with show
business friends and people in fact assumed he had died.
Bobb Lynes, who is on this digest, would be one of the best sources of
information because he was involved in a birthday visit to Bailey in the
home back in 1982.
Jim Widner
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 15:44:07 -0400
From: "Barbara Harmon" <jimharmonotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The real Clyde Beatty
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I always admire the work Ron Sayles puts into his lists of births and deaths
for the day, but he made an error when he listed Clyde Beatty as portraying
himself on The Clyde Beatty Show. On that series, he was played by radio
veteran Vic Perrin, who physically resembled Beatty. I remember seeing a
photo of Perrin in pith helmet and garb as Beatty and he looked quite
convincing. Both were men of small stature but not small abilities.
However, Clyde Beatty himself did do radio, and specifically
radio drama. Once a year, the real Clyde would appear on Smilin' Ed's
Buster Brown Gang and tell a tale of his circus exploits and his narration
would lead to dramatized scenes. Even after the Beatty series began, Clyde
made one such appearance with Smilin' Ed. Even though he made many movies
from the early thirties into the fifties, Clyde was not a terribly
convincing actor. I could recognize that this was not the same man I heard
on the weekday show, even though there was a closing announcement advising
"be sure to hear Clyde Beatty on his own series weekdays on another
network".
The review of the Prairie Home Companion movie convinced me not
to hurry to a theatre to see it. The movie removes all the elements that
make the show virtually the only RADIO series with qualities similar to the
old radio we loved. I may catch it when it hits cable.
There is another movie out now about One who has often appeared
in radio dramas, such as The Greatest Story Even Told - Jesus Christ. I
refer, of course, to "The DaVinci Code". I have read the book (or most of
it) and have seen the film. I thought it was a good movie, one of the best
of recent years, but not an all time classic. My wife, Barbara, liked it
even better, and called it "wonderful".
We are both reasonably intelligent people. So why do so many critics
condemn the picture to hell? I would put forth the argument that they are
afraid of reprisals, even violence, from religious organizations and
fanatics. I would also suggest they some may simply have been bribed to
give the film a bad review. I don't mean with the promise of a job on some
movie, or some sort of favor, but with stacks of cold cash. It has come
out that some of the critics who gave the tepid Elizabeth Taylor "Cleopatra"
a GOOD review were paid off in cold cash.
Bribery could work in reverse. When "DaVinci" opened to record attendance,
a KNBC-TV reporter locally interviewed people leaving the theatre who liked
the movie, and some who specifically blasted the critics. He went on to day
he could find no one in the crowd who disliked the movie to put on camera.
JIM HARMON
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 19:31:45 -0400
From: "Jim Hilliker" <jimhilliker@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1950s KNX radio program
Hi!
I have no idea what the answer to this is or how to find out. Anyone
reading this know the answer? If so, then I can pass it on to the perosn
who sent me this email.
Thanks.
Jim
In the 1950s, KNX Radio had a program Midnight - ? called "Music 'til Dawn"
sponsored by America Airlines. It's theme music was a haunting version of
"That's All." As a child in Spokane, WA, I could receive that station
clearly, but never learned whose version of the theme was used. Any
suggestions about where I could locate the information?
John Swannack
Olympia, WA
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:48:36 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <walden1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: VE Day on BLUE
Hi Everybody,
I was at the Museum of TV and Radio today and requested One Man Family show
on VE Day. I know VE Day was a Tuesday on 5-8-45, and I thought it might be
a special broadcast. It turn out to be a run of shows heard on VE Day on
the Blue. It started out with Jack Armstrong, then Captain Midnight, and
news broadcast. I did not check the complete broadcast package. Does any
one know what time Jack started in 1945, and what shows were on the Blue
network that day? Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:48:43 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 6-12 births/deaths
June 12th births
06-12-1884 - William Austin - Georgetown, British Guiana - d. 6-15-1975
actor: Professor of the English Department "Jack Oakie's College"
06-12-1890 - Junius Matthews - Chicago, IL - d. 1-18-1978
actor: Grandpa Eph "David Harum"; Ling Wee "Gasoline Alley"
06-12-1893 - Evelyn Varden - Adair, Oklahoma Territory - d. 7-11-1958
actor: Dorothy Stewart "This is Nora Drake"; Mother Malone "Young Dr.
Malone"
06-12-1902 - Al Donahue - Dorchester, MA - d. 2-20-1983
bandleader: "Al Donahue and His Orchestra"; "Matinee at Meadbrook"
06-12-1909 - Archie Bleyer - Corona, NY - d. 3-20-1989
conductor: "Arthur Godfrey Time"; "Casey, Crime Photographer"
06-12-1914 - Herbert C. Kenny - d. 7-11-1992
singer: (Member of the Ink Spots) "The Four Ink Spots"; "Let's Go
Nightclubbing"
06-12-1914 - William Lundigan - Syracuse, NY - d. 12-20-1975
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; announcer in early radio
06-12-1915 - Priscilla Lane - Indianola, IA - d. 4-4-1995
singer: "Fred Waring Show"
06-12-1916 - Ivan Tors - Budapest, Hungary - d. 6-4-1983
producer: "Bud's Bandwagon"
06-12-1919 - Uta Hagen - Gottingen, Germany - d. 1-14-2004
actor: "Big Show"
06-12-1920 - Peter Jones - Wem, Shropshire, England - d. 4-10-2000
actor: narrator "Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy"; "In All Directions"
06-12-1924 - Dave Parker - Fresno, CA
actor: Young Good Guys "Lone Ranger"; "Green Hornet"; "Challenge of
the Yukon"
06-12-1924 - George Herbert Walker Bush - Milton, MA
[removed] president: Saturday morning presidential broadcasts
06-12-1927 - Henry Slesar - Brooklyn, NY - d. 4-2-2002
writer: "Voice of the Army"; "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
06-12-1928 - Vic Damone - Brooklyn, NY
singer: "Saturday Night Serenade"; "Stars in Khaki 'n' Blue"
June 12th deaths
01-01-1917 - Ted Cott - Poughkeepsie, NY - d. 6-12-1973
announcer, emcee: "So You Think You Know Music?"; "Music You Want"
01-27-1888 - Harry "Singin' Sam" Frankel - Hillsboro, OH - d. 6-12-1948
singer: (The Barbasol Man) "Reminiscin' with Singin' Sam"
02-29-1904 - Jimmy Dorsey - Shenandoah, - d. 6-12-1957
bandleader: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Your Happy Birthday"
03-08-1908 - Franklyn MacCormack - Waterloo, IA - d. 6-12-1971
announcer: "Caroline's Golden Store"; "Jack Armstrong"
04-05-1916 - Gregory Peck - Lo Jolla, CA - d. 6-12-2003
actor: "Doctor Fights"; "Sealtest Variety Hour"
06-01-1915 - Johnny Bond - Enville, OK - d. 6-12-1978
singer, comedian: "Gene Autry's Melody Ranch"; "Hollywood Barn Dance"
07-07-1898 - Arlene Harris - Toronto, Canada - d. 6-12-1976
actor: Mrs. Higgins "Baby Snooks"; Human Chatterbox "Al Pearce and
His Gang"
08-11-1900 - Norma Shearer - Montreal, Canada - d. 6-12-1983
actor: "Everyman's Theatre"; "Louella Parsons"
10-14-1893 - Hal Burdick - Osceola, WI - d. 6-12-1978
actor, writer: "Do You Believe In Ghosts"; "Dr. Kate"
10-20-1884 - Thomas Chalmers - NYC - d. 6-12-1966
actor: Sam Young "Pepper Young's Family"
xx-xx-1924 - Eugenie Baird - d. 6-12-1988
vocalist: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Forever Top"; "Sing It Again"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Home state of Nathan Van Cleave
Bayfield, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 09:24:20 -0400
From: "Bill Harris" <nbcblue@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: report on AM transmitting OTR to old
radios
Rutledge Mann posted:
When I mentioned I had ordered a micro AM transmitter, some people were
keen on the results. I just got it
today. It's the SSTRAN AMT3000.
I have tried numerous low power AM transmitters, and this one in my opinion
is the best.
Being low power, as dictated by the FCC, it's not going to go far. In
fact, I had to put the antenna behind the radio to get
clear reception, but the signal is very clear when this is done.
It should easily cover your house. Did you tune the output to the antenna?
Get the antenna as high as possible, mine runs along the top of the room
next to the celing. It is in the basement and even covers the second story.
Since the antenna has to be short, use a frequency on the high end of the AM
band.
Bill H.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 09:24:32 -0400
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night Stand
with the Big Bands"
The latest "Golden Age of Radio" programs with Dick Bertel
and Ed Corcoran, and "A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"
with Arnold Dean can be heard at [removed].
Each week we feature three complete shows in MP3 format
for your listening pleasure or for downloading; two "Golden
Age of Radios" and one "One Night Stand." We present new
shows every week or so. The current three programs will be
available on line at least until the morning of June 19, 2006.
Program 50 - May, 1974 - Arnold Moss
One of the many unsung character actors we recognize but
don't know the name, Arnold Moss was a gem of an actor
best suited for villainy. He was born on January 28, 1910 in
Brooklyn, New York and raised there. He was a Phi Beta
Kappa graduate of New York City College and earned his
master's degree in Old French at Columbia with plans of
teaching. He later decided upon acting as a career. He
narrated for various symphony orchestras occasionally and
provided the voice of God for the Chicago Lyric Opera's
production of "Paradise Lost." He also worked as staff
announcer for CBS radio. The [removed] State Department sent
him on a world tour as an ambassador of theatre. He also
taught theatre at several universities. His son, Jeffrey Moss,
was a writer and co-creator of TV's "Sesame Street."
Program 51 - June, 1974 - Arnold Stang
As one of American radio's busiest and best-known character
actors during the 1930s and '40s, Stang almost single-handedly
invented the modern comic persona now popularly called a
"nerd," years before that term was coined. Think back to a
familiar character you've seen and heard many times on classic
radio and TV-a gangly, smart-aleck "egghead," typically named
Seymour or Stanley, with round spectacles, an oversize bowtie,
buckteeth, and a high-pitched voice with a heavy Brooklyn
accent-and chances are you're thinking of Arnold Stang.
"A One Night Stand with the Big Bands" With Arnold Dean
Bob Eberly
Popular big band singer Bob Eberly spent much of his career
with Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra. His younger brother, Ray
Eberle, sang with Glenn Miller and later led his own band.
In his early days, Bob, who changed the spelling of his last
name because the announcer of the Milton Berle radio show
kept mispronouncing it, gained prominence by winning the
''Allen Amateur Hour'' on Fred Allen's radio show. He began
his professional career singing in clubs around his hometown
of Hoosick Falls, in upstate New York, where the Dorsey
Brothers discovered him and later hired him to replaced the
departing Bob Crosby.
Eberly started work in the spring of 1935, just before Tommy
walked out on the orchestra. He stayed with Jimmy for eight
years and became one of the top male vocalists of his day,
rivaling Bing Crosby and later Frank Sinatra for that title.
In the 1970's WTIC decided that there was a market in
the evening for long-form shows that could be packaged
and sold to sponsors. Two of those shows were "The
Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night Stand with the
Big Bands."
Dick Bertel had interviewed radio collector-historian
Ed Corcoran several times on his radio and TV shows,
and thought a regular monthly show featuring interviews
with actors, writers, producers, engineers and musicians
from radio's early days might be interesting. "The Golden
Age of Radio" was first broadcast in April, 1970; Ed was
Dick's co-host. It lasted seven years. "The Golden Age
of Radio" can also be heard Saturday nights on Walden
Hughes's program on Radio Yesteryear.
Arnold Dean began his love affair with the big band
era in his pre-teen years and his decision to study
the clarinet was inspired by the style of Artie Shaw.
When he joined WTIC in 1965 he hosted a daily program
of big band music. In 1971, encouraged by the success
of his daily program and "The Golden Age of Radio"
series, he began monthly shows featuring interviews
with the band leaders, sidemen, agents, jazz reporters,
etc. who made major contributions to one of the great
eras of music history.
Bob Scherago
Webmaster
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 10:18:05 -0400
From: "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "The Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Log information
In my collection of OTR I have a lot of GANGBUSTERS and GENE AUTRY'S MELODY
RANCH episodes, and very few have dates I assume they were AFRS
rebroadcasts. I have searched the internet and have not found any logs for
these programs. I hope that one of the very knowledgeable reads of the
DIGEST may know of the existence of a log that I missed.
I find that even if you have a log, with dates and no official episode
titles , it is very difficult to date a program, such as Bob Hope, Amos &
Andy, Burns & Allen, Fred Allen and other variety programs and situation
comedies. I takes detective work and that's [removed] best.
Thank for the help
Frank McGurn
McHenry, Illinois
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 11:27:34 -0400
From: William Shishko <wshishko@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Announcers: From radio to TV
We are watching the first year (1953 - though they were filmed in
1951) of the original TV Superman series. I am wondering who the
announcer for that was, [removed] the name behind the "Faster than a speeding
bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, etc. " He is not the announcer
for the radio version - at least not for the ones I have heard - but his
voice sounds familiar. That brought the question: What prominent radio
announceers made the transition to TV? And: To what programs did they
go.
Old Time Radio digest is my daily electronic snack in the midst of
busy days. Keep up your interesting contributions!
Bill Shishko
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #162
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