------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 163
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: clueless old-timers and hoarders [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
Re: cincinnati attendance [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
The Mysterious Novel [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Mechanics of Fear [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Satellite Radio Radux [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
Hoarding [ "Richard Sutherland" <rssuth@hotmai ]
Re: mp3 vs cassette [ Jer51473@[removed] ]
Digitech CD Player [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
PT Cruiser & OTR [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
Happy birthday, Bob Hastings [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
snapshot 6: Norman Corwin, part 2 [ Howard Blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
Amos and Andy [ "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
Bumper stickers [ "Nemesis@[removed]" <nemesis@[removed] ]
"Blue Birds Over The White Clifts of [ wa5pdk@[removed] ([removed] L.) ]
Martin Block and WNEW [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
Thank you, Elizabeth [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed] ]
My Thanks [ Rob Chatlin <rchatlin@[removed] ]
April 19th Birthdays [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
OTR Pets and Animals [ "Scott Eberbach" <saeberbach@earthl ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:32:22 -0400
From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: clueless old-timers and hoarders
Personally, and since we've had this exact same comversation not long >ago, I
think the old timers are full of it.
You're right. After all, they're the ones who dug through dumpsters to find
the discs, and then preserved them so that you can even listen to them at
all! [removed] do they know about how these shows should be [removed]
The worst trait, and many,many in our hobby share this, is that they >sit on
recordings and don't share them. This is completely unfathomable to me.
It's unfathomable that there are people sitting on large collections of
shows, and yet, they *can't* release them, because there's no hopes of
recouping their losses. In a perfect world, yes, money doesn't matter. But
when you're investing sometimes thousands of dollars into the restoration and
transfer of discs, it's not hardly too much to ask for some compensation from
the people who will benefit from these shows. And as far as "hoarders" are
[removed] all have their reasons. Sometimes in order to get the
discs, you have to make an agreement with the person who gave them to you not
to release them at a certain time (the Phil Harris estate comes to mind). If
this hobby means anything to you, you'd respect the wishes of the person who
thought enough of you personally to give you the discs, and grant their
wishes.
This whole attitude in the hobby where everyone wants something for nothing
is what will eventually kill it.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:32:49 -0400
From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: cincinnati attendance
Just got the numbers from Robert Newman
and the attendance was down 3 from last year.
Not sure where George got the idea the attendance
was so low this year.
The rooms were bigger, and it looked like there were less people. I noticed
a few people that weren't present (the Beils to name a couple), which
probably means that there were several first timers. Good stuff.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:33:12 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Mysterious Novel
This one stumps me. Does anyone know of the name and author of this story?
Frank Spotnitz (at MGM) wants to adapt a story he read as a teenager. He
believes it was a novel (but it could have been a short story) he believes
was put out under the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" by-line. Frank remembers
it as the story of a woman travelling across country with her two children
on her way to get married. Frank says she is "tormented" on her journey.
Does this ring a bell? Hitchcock merely lent his name to the anthologies -
never any novels - but I figure someone on the digest is familiar with the
story. . .
Martin
mmargrajr@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:33:49 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Mechanics of Fear
I received this request the other day but I'm afraid I have no knowledge of
any program entitled "Mechanics of Fear." I suspect it was the title of an
individual drama, but if it's so, my schedule is ssoooo busy this week that
I won't have time to go flipping through any broadcast logs (which can take
hours depending on how challenging the request is) so if anyone has an
answer, please let me know so I can forward it to her.
I'm a librarian way out of my league. I need to know where I can find a MP3
of "Mechanics of Fear." All I know about "MF" is that it is a radio
program, probably from the later '40s, early '50s, possibly British.
Your name keeps popping up as I plunder the web for information about radio
programs. Have you run across "Mechanics of Fear?" I'm afraid I don't even
know if it's an episode name or a show . . .
If you can be of some help, I would be very grateful. If nothing else, I'm
having great fun listening to some wonderful radio programs!
Cassandra Jacobs
Librarian
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:34:42 -0400
From: leemunsick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Satellite Radio Radux
John MacEachern continued his discussion of Satellite Radio. My wife and I
now have three XM radios and four bases. One in each of two cars and two
in our house. This is because there is practically no radio worth
listening to in our opinion, in our area. Same with television, so we are
forced to use DirecTV Satellite TV.
John pointed out that he--like we--chose XM over Sirus because their
monthly fee is lower. In our case, we also heeded the suggestion of a very
knowledgeable store salesman. He recommended XM, and that we go the
adaptor route rather than purchasing an AM-FM-Cassette-XM radio for one
car, which was our original intention. We're so glad we didn't do
that. Having the adaptor allows us to move the radio into our house and
vice-versa.
Here's another point to drop the cost even further. If you get XM and have
more than one receiver, they have now instituted a Family Plan, whereby the
monthly rental drops from $[removed] a month to $[removed] a month per receiver.
Just in case anyone reading this doesn't already know this, one of the many
channels available for that fee is a 24-hour Old Time Radio channel. Aside
from their dreadful annoying repetitive commercials, it's great! This does
not refer to the occasional original commercial included in the OTR programs.
Usual disclaimer: Aside from being a listener and fan, I have no interest
in XM, Delphi (the receiver manufacturer), etc.
All the best. Lee Munsick That Godfrey Guy
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:02:51 -0400
From: "Richard Sutherland" <rssuth@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hoarding
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 13:46:30 -0400
From: TedOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hoarding
I have many shows that I just can't release. I received them
>from collectors and THEIR condition was that I do not sell or trade
them. That is their right as the material was in their possession. What
they have in mind is to get some good trades for the material.
My wording mught not have been the best. My post was born out of
frustration. If everybody holds back shows for trade purposes, but there
aren't any good trades to be made, then those shows will sit and rot away
without anybody being able to enjoy them again. This is incredibly
frustrating to those people who know that the shows exist, heard them when
they were braodcast but didn't have the means to record them, and now,
because of nostalgia or just a love for that series, would like to hear them
again, but cant. They don't have anything to trade, so they cant break into
the trade market. It's like trying to get your first credit card. You don't
have any credit history, so nobody will help you start off. The trade market
is limited because there are a finite number of recordings in existance. At
some time, many recordings will sit in collections, waiting for trades that
can never happen. The people who would most like to hear these shows again,
will die off, dissapointed at not having heard a favourite show one last
time (ok, that sounds a little dramatic, but you get the gist). Even worse,
the collector dies and his collection is thrown away by heirs that don't
care about OTR. What's the point of that? I know I'm hoping for a perfect
world, and we have anything but that, but if all OTR collectors made their
collections available, the world would be a better place.
Another reason is that I have had to pay a lot of money for some shows. I
am sure that you can understand if I had to pay $200 for one show (this has
happened quite a few times) I am not going to offer it for sale for a few
dollars only to see it posted on someone's site for free and everyone can
benefit from the $200 I had > to pay for it. I will not release it until I
am sure that I will recover what I have invested. If some people think
that is
wrong, well, that is their opinion but it won't change my actions
Ted, I have bought hundreds of shows from you. Although I believe in a
perfect world, I also realize that that is not the reality. As such, I
appreciate the effort you put into the shows. I also do not, generally, ever
send shows, or make available, shows that I have bought from a collector,
such as yourself, because these shows are available for sale at a reasonable
price. There have been some small deviations from this policy, but only in
exceptional circumstances. I have, in fact, pointed people to your website
when asked where certain shows can be obtained. This might seem like a
contradiction to my views, but I think it's only fair that you recover the
costs associated with the time and effort you put into the recordings. That
doesn't mean I wouldn't like it to be otherwise.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:02:14 -0400
From: Jer51473@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: mp3 vs cassette
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mp3s are great and at very reasonable prices. Why downgrade a great deal by
decreasing the quantity of programing so cassettes can be more competitive?
This doesnt sound like the american way of supply and demand to me. A better
product according to demand has appeared and it should be up to cassette
dealers to compete even by dropping THEIR prices if necessary. If they cant
do so, then move on over for a newer medium, mp3s. By the way, i own many
cassettes of otr and not all of them are of good quality either. True, some
of the mp3 material is of poor quality, but ill bet that the vast majority
of good quality sound on almost any mp3 would be far and above more than any
two or three program cassette and at approximately the same price or at a
better price per program. I hope there remains a market for both, but i sure
hope mp3s are not downgraded by a reduction in quantity just to let the other
medium, cassettes, compete.
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:48:03 -0400
From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Digitech CD Player
Hi Linda,
Did you try the MP3 CDs you burned in other players to be sure they are
not bad?
Give me your address and I'll send you an MP3 CD that plays in my
Digitech; if it won't play in yours then you have a defective unit.
Assuming this is the same machine that Steve Jansen was praising a couple
of weeks ago, I bought one and it works great. One super "plus" is that
it memorizes material in advance and stops spinning the CD
intermittently, thereby extending battery life bigtime.
Best of luck,
Dan Hughes, Champaign, IL
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:48:50 -0400
From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: PT Cruiser & OTR
Partly inspired by John Mac's original posting, I,
too, bought a PT Cruiser-- a deep-cranberry-colored
turbo version -- and stuck on an "A" ration sticker
and "FDR in 1944" bumper sticker (another sticker
declaring that "The Shadow Knows" waits in reserve).
But I didn't stop there: I added some chrome accents
to the grille and body to give the car more of that
old-time look. As a finishing touch, I keep a fedora
and a Life magazine from the 1940s in the back seat
(I'm nuts, you see).
I'm still working my way through lots of OTR tapes
so I haven't yet considered a satellite radio or
hooking up my Rio Volt via a cassette adapter. (To the
writer who complained his Volt restarts the shows from
the beginning, there is a "resume" feature; the manual
will tell you how to access it.)
Truth tho tell, I haven't yet got a lot of reaction
to the car, probably because it hasn't been exposed
much to public view during the harsh New England
winter that just ended (I hope). I'll be interested in
the comments of fellow PT owners when I go to the
"Cruise the Falls" PT Cruiser event in Niagara Falls
this June. But the main thing is that I love the car.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:50:56 -0400
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Happy birthday, Bob Hastings
I just wanted to send a happy birthday greeting to Bob
Hastings, who is one of the friendliest OTR "stars"
that I've met. (Actually, all the ones I've met are
friendly, but they're not having birthdays today). If
you've ever met him at the Cincinnati convention, you
know that he is quite down to Earth and easy to talk
to.
This isn't limited to just casual conversation,
either. When I interviewed him for my magazine article
on the continuing appeal of OTR (which appeared last
year), it was as if we were just two guys chatting
about OTR, instead of being the more formal atmosphere
an interview can sometimes take.
That casual atmosphere, by the way, is one of the
things I like about the Cincinnati convention. Some
other conventions I've been to (non-OTR) can have both
physical and psychological barriers separating the
fans from the "stars." At Cincinnati (and, I assume,
other OTR conventions, everyone is united by their
common interest in old-time radio.
On a related note, I enjoyed the discussion with Jim
Jordan's nephew and would like to see more programs
like that at future conventions. I'm sure convention
attendees would welcome the opportunity to hear some
insights from the guests about the programs they're
best known for, what it was like to work with (fill in
the blank), and other such topics.
But anyway, happy birthday, Bob Hastings.
Rick
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:51:42 -0400
From: Howard Blue <khovard@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: snapshot 6: Norman Corwin, part 2
snapshot 6: --of an eight-year long book research project--Norman
Corwin, part 2
I am sitting in Norman Corwin's study. He's had an amazing career.
Both
in late 1941 and early in 1942 he produced in broadcast four network
radio programs connected with World War II. He was a colleague of Edward
R. Morrow, and other radio greats. As we talk, high realize that clearly
Corwin today has some misgivings (that may not be quite the correct word)
concerning his war related broadcasts. He did many of them under intense
pressure and he is very sensitive about the word "propaganda."
Today we have two hours to talk. I have a long list of questions. At
one point Corwin interrupts me to tell a story about one of his
colleagues. I find that the story reflects very nicely about the man. It
partly involves a confession that the man made. But several years later,
when I contact Corwin with a list of requests for permission to publish
certain things that he told me or that he published, this story is one of
the few that he prefers that I not use. His perception is that it might
embarrass the man's memory. I disagree, but I did not use it. Initially
Corwin also asked me not to use a story (from Corwin's papers) about an
actor who got drunk in the studio. But when I point out that the story
has already been published, he acceeds to my request. Corwin is
essentially such a decent man. At the end of the interview, I admire a
beautiful bust of him sitting on a shelf. He admits that he likes it, but
asks rhetorically where he should donate it. I suppress the instinct of
volunteering to take it off his hands.
Coming soon: snapshot 7: in pursuit of Archer Oboler
Howard Blue
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:52:44 -0400
From: "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed];
To: "otr message" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Amos and Andy
I recently listened to an interview with Barbara and Milton Merlin (radio
writers and producers) that, I think, came from
SPERDVAC holdings. They were talking about Gosden and
Correll as Barbara had been producer of the 30m radio series
in the early years. Some quotes: "They were the meanest [removed]
Correll was fairly nice, but Gosden had ice water in his spine."
Nat King Cole played the piano for the radio band and they treated him
shamefully, constantly referred to him as Boy this and Boy that." "But they
were great businessmen."
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:42:13 -0400
From: "Nemesis@[removed]" <nemesis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Bumper stickers
I don't believe they had bumper stickers in those days. Although I could
be wrong, the first time I remember seeing them was in the 1952 Presidential
election.( I Like Ike and I'm Gladly for Adlai)
Apparently Old Time Bumper Stickers were metal and were screwed onto the
bumpers. There's a couple "Wilkie for President" metal tags (about 6 inches
tall) that my late father nailed to the inside window sill in our garage. I
think he told me (too many) years ago that people used these on their car
bumpers.
Linda T.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:52:36 -0400
From: wa5pdk@[removed] ([removed] L.)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Blue Birds Over The White Clifts of Dover"
mp3 desired
One of the hauntingly beautiful songs that I heard in the early part of
WW2 was this song rendered by an English vocalist. If anyone has am MP3
of that song that can be sent to me, I would appreciate it very much.
I have seldom heard that recording since the war ended.
Thanks a million,
Ralph
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:53:26 -0400
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Martin Block and WNEW
<<<Dr. Biel clarifies my Martin Block postings>>>
Thanks for the "Make Believe Ballrooom" and Clyde McCoy corrections,
Michael. I referred to Nightingale Gordon's publication for the 50th
Anniversary (1934-1984) of WNEW for my posted information about Martin
Block, a souvenir book written for Metromedia.
"The Milkman's Matinee" for a theme used by deejay Art Ford on the overnight
program was first recorded in 1936 by Charlie Barnett and The Modernaires;
in 1938, Tommy Dorsey's "Clambake Seven" record it with vocalist Edyth
Wright, and again on Coral Records, The Modernaires sang it with Les Brown
in 1954.
Incidentally, one of the composers of both "Make Believe Ballroom Time" AND
"Milkman's Matinee" was lyricist Andy Razaf (Andreamentania "Andy"
Razafinkarefo) who worked on songs with Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, [removed]
Johnson, as well as Broadway productions.
Regarding Al Jarvis at KFWB in Los Angeles, are there airchecks of his
"Ballroom" show? I'm wondering if Martin Block sounded like Jarvis as well
as "borrowing" his program name to use on the New York station.
Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 14:36:25 -0400
From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Thank you, Elizabeth
... for your interesting post about Blackface comedians etc on the BBC.
That'll each me to tease you ! Now, how do I remove a tongue welded to my
cheek ?
The Black & White Minstrels were indeed very popular on BBC-TV but it's one
series that has never been sold to the re-run satellite stations. The PC
brigade would be up in arms, but the public here never considered it
derogatory at the time.
Incidentally one such UK satellite TV channel features "You Bet Your Life",
"Ozzie & Harriet" etc, and for OTR fans, [removed] features
occasional shows during the day and evening. Mostly readings but all sorts
of OTR are featured.
Regards from England
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:31:36 -0400
From: Rob Chatlin <rchatlin@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: My Thanks
As someone whose OTR collection and knowledge has thrived due to mp3
distributions,
I'd like to thank all those folks in the early days who contributed to
preserving this wonderful material
for future generations.
Rob
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:31:44 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: April 19th Birthdays
If you were born on the 19th of April, you share your birthday with:
04-19-1900 - George O’Brien - San Francisco, CA
04-19-1907 - Alan Wheatley - Tolworth, Surrey, England
04-19-1914 - Betty Winkler - Berwick, PA
04-19-1920 - Frank Fontaine - Cambridge, MA - d. 8-4-1978
04-19-1925 - Hugh O’Brian - Rochester, NY
04-19-1926 - Don Adams - NYC
04-19-1933 - Jayne Mansfield - Bryn Mawr, PA
04-19-1935 - Dudley Moore - Essex, England - d. 3-27-2002
04-19-1977 - Martin Grams. Jr.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Make your day, listen to an Olde Tyme Radio Program
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:31:54 -0400
From: "Scott Eberbach" <saeberbach@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR Pets and Animals
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The posting about OTR pets and animals got me to thinking about all those
Vampire bats over at The Temple of Vampires!
Scott
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End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #163
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