Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #389
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 10/28/2003 12:36 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 389
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      More OTR on the BBC                   [ John Francis MacEachern <JohnFMac@c ]
      Radio Activity In War (Cipher Divisi  [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Fred Allen Fan Club?                  [ "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@ho ]
      Hindenburg Question                   [ rfmillerjr1@[removed] ]
      Breaking Japanese Codes               [ <welsa@[removed]; ]
      LAUGHTER ON RADIO                     [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
      Ciil War Code was: Japanese Codes     [ Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Re: CBS Radio Workshop                [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      zoot suits and Zoot suit riots of 19  [ Howard Blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
      volunteer researchers needed: esp. i  [ Howard Blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
      Going to Hal.                         [ Zharold138@[removed] ]
      RE: Kudos For Howard                  [ OTRDSIEGEL@[removed] ]
      Another CBS Turns 75 Article          [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
      Rod Roddy                             [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
      CBS History                           [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 13:17:41 -0500
    From: John Francis MacEachern <JohnFMac@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  More OTR on the BBC

    Hi,

    This Saturday the BBC Radio 4's Archive hour will again feature OTR
    programming, some of it preserved here in the U. [removed]  They archive it on
    their web site for a week;  so, you can listen any time next week.

    For more info, go to their site at:

    [removed]

    John Mac

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 15:05:43 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Activity In War (Cipher Division)

    Chris Holm, reacting to my comments on his speculation that in World War
    II the Japanese could use a certain radio premium,

>     Well yeah, my comment that Yamamoto should have used a Captain Midnight
>     Code-O-Graph wasn't a serious suggestion.

    I knew that, but given the reaction to a certain April Fools' Digest, I
    thought I'd better qualify that statement.

    He then wonders,

>     With all the wartime effort in monitoring opponent radio transmissions
>     (both for content and position), how much did radio _reception_
>     technology advance during the war, and did that spill back into civilian
>     model radios?  Hmmm.

    Well, there were different considerations.  During the war, in addition
    to decrypting ciphers, just checking the transmissions of the enemy
    (frequent use, numbers of transmissions per station, etc.) for "Traffic
    analysis" could tell a lot.  If the activity picked up, there was a
    chance some significant operation was getting ready.  In aerial
    radionavigation, differentiating the center or edge of a "beam" was a
    refinement by both Axis and Allied forces.  But that was rather
    specialized and didn't have much impact after the war (aerial
    radionavigation works differently, now).

    Lee Munsick notes,

>     One major reason the Allies were able to break Japanese Codes was
>     supplied by the Japanese themselves.  Their messages were loaded with
>     rigid references to the Emperor, always the same way.  This allowed
>     cryptographers to recognize the same sentences in every message.  Thus
>     knowing what some of the letters were in the new code, they could figure
>     out the rest.

    Well, this is what cryptanalysts call a "crib."  Some of the German
    transmissions were that rigid.  The RED/ORANGE and PURPLE ciphers were
    machine generated.  The RED machine's output was similar to the output of
    a tabular system developed by Blaise de Vigenere in the mid-16th Century
    (during the American Civil War, the confederates used a cipher disk that
    could be used as a Vigenere table, and the Union cryptanalysts cracked it
    easily).  The PURPLE cipher was a more complex machine.  The American
    cryptanalysts, working under William Friedman, particularly Frank
    Rowlett, managed to create a mechanical analog of the Japanese Purple
    machine.  This was dubbed MAGIC.  A replica of one can be seen in the
    film Tora! Tora! Tora!  But Lee M. is right, in that decrypting the RED
    cipher, which used Japanese formalisms, was necessary for the encryption
    basics of the PURPLE machine.

    Much more complex than a Code-O-Graph, but nowhere as portable. :-)

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 15:05:04 -0500
    From: "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Fred Allen Fan Club?

    Over on the FA Phorum someone suggested a place to look for Allen material
    would be amongst the belongings of his Fan Club members. I wondered if
    anyone knew if there were such clubs and if so what they offered to members.
    Seems like an odd idea somehow. I know there was a great fad of Senator
    Claghorn merchandise, but a Fred Allen Fan Club?
    Thanks.

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:12:05 -0500
    From: rfmillerjr1@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Hindenburg Question

    Today at lunch, while watching Gunsmoke, there was a question regarding the
    Hindenburg disaster / broadcast.  One of my colleagues thought that the
    announcer on that broadcast subsequently lost his job, because he acted
    unprofessional while covering that tragic event.  He asked me (as the
    resident radio expert) if that was true.  I did not have an answer, but said
    I thought I knew where I could find out.  Any one out there know the answer,
    or could direct me to a historic site that would have it?
    Thanks in advance

    - Randy Miller
    Senior Engineer WITF / TV-FM Radio PA.

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:12:33 -0500
    From: <welsa@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Breaking Japanese Codes

    It is true that early on the US and its Allies were routinely breaking
    Japanese codes.  But there were still problems in understanding the
    messages.

    For example, the Allies knew the Japanes were planning an attack in the
    mid-Pacific but they weren't sure exactly where.  The Japanese messages
    referred to the place only as AR (or was it AF?  Whatever)

    They suspected the locale might be Midway Island, but weren't sure.  So they
    set-up a ruse.  They had the radio operator on Midway send out a message to
    the US fleet that there was a problem with the water filtration system and
    they were running short of water.  Then they waited.

    Sure enough, less than 24-hours later the Japanese Fleet commander sent out
    a coded message:  "AR running short of water.  Attack
    now."

    The rest, as they say, is history.  The Japanese advance eastward in the
    Pacific ended resoundedly at Midway.

    Ted

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:13:54 -0500
    From: PURKASZ@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  LAUGHTER ON RADIO
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            All of this talk about the audience reaction over the air and unique
    sounding laughter reminded me of a long forgotten tradition in show biz going
    back to Vaudeville days.
         A comedian who wanted to go over especially well and was astute in his
    psychology knew that laughter was and is contagious and that if someone could
    get it started all would follow for fear of feeling left out and not hip to
    the
    joke.
         He would bring that person or persons with unique laughter sounds and
    place them in the audience at selected seats.
         Their howls from his routine could and did make stars overnight. Just
    ask Al Jolson who was famous for this.
         These people were known in the biz as 'clackers' and made a pretty good
    living as well as getting some of the best seats in town!
         The canned laughter of the subsequent TV era was an understanding of
    this same psychology.
         Producers of early sitcoms discovered that they had to almost lead the
    audience to the laffs because they were so self-conscious of the mikes so
    forgoing the rite of live audience, they decide to make the laughter placement
    decisions in the editing room.
         Canned laughter was born.
         There were some shows that featured 'warm-up' comedians so that by the
    time they were on the air the place was more receptive to the planned lunacy
    to
    follow. Abbott and Costello were the best at this and indeed if you listen to
    the opening of their shows these people are already hysterical before the
    announcer can read his lines!
         It's said that James Dean was a warm-up act at the beginning of the TV
    quiz show era though I find it hard to imagine.
         My friend Paul Krassner used to listen to these people laughing on
    reruns of I Love Lucy and look very sad. I would say why are you so sad and he
    would say because all these people laughing are dead.
         Cest la radio magique.
                        Michael C. Gwynne

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    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:14:14 -0500
    From: Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Ciil War Code was: Japanese Codes

    Steve Kallis responded to my comment that the Japanese inadvertently
    contributed to the Allies' breaking of their codes, and said further
    that  "during the American Civil War, the confederates used a cipher
    disk that could be used as a Vigenere table, and the Union cryptanalysts
    cracked it easily".

    Reproductions of this charming CW metal artifact are available at the
    Book & Gift Store at the Appomattox Court House National Historical
    Park, near where we live in Appomattox County.  If anyone is interested
    in obtaining such, I'll be happy to have the staff there contact you.

    Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 18:47:56 -0500
    From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: CBS Radio Workshop

    At 01:17 PM 10/27/2003 -0500, you wrote:

>     I've been collecting the CBS Radio Workshop recently. I come across an
>     oddity that I am trying to resolve.
>     Jerry H. Log's lists 84 shows for this series. Frank Passage log lists 85.
>      However, John Dunning's ON THE AIR mentions that 87 shows survive. Can
>     someone reconcile this?

    I haven't done a lot of research into this, but there could be a third
    discrepancy.

    Jerry Haendiges lists 84 - leaving out the episode called "Colloquy #4: Joe
    Miller's Joke Book, which Frank Passage lists, but as broadcasting on
    11/9/56. Jay Hickerson lists the show as moving to Sunday on November 4th
    and that the last Friday episode (Joe [removed]) was that Sunday and not
    Friday.

    Now Jay also lists another episode, which neither Frank nor Jerry list:
    1/6/57 - Carl Sand[burg] on His 79th Birthday, which Frank shows as
    pre-empted. If it was broadcast then that would make 86 shows.

    I show only two pre-emptions: 9/28/56 and 12/30/56. Frank shows both
    12/30/56 and the next week 1/6/57 as "no show."

    Dave Goldin definitely lists the "Joe [removed]" episode, but does not list
    the "Carl [removed]" one, but he also only displays 82 shows and he does
    not purport to be a complete log.

    Jim Widner
    [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 22:57:06 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

     From Those Were The Days --

    Marconi, Fessenden, and De Forest were the catalysts. However, it was an
    engineer for Westinghouse Electric who, in 1916, was broadcasting music
    from his garage (in Wilkinsburg, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh) over a
    wireless (amateur radio station 8XK) who really got the whole thing
    started. A newspaper article about the broadcasts caused such interest
    that the head honchos at Westinghouse decided to build a real radio station.

    It took until this day in 1920 for the Westinghouse radio station to
    receive a license to broadcast. The license for KDKA, Pittsburgh came
    from the [removed] Department of Commerce. Although the license was
    officially issued on this day, KDKA did not start their broadcast
    operations for a week (they had to wait until the license was posted in
    the station). On November 2, 1920, the station aired the returns of the
    Harding/Cox election ... the first radio programming to reach an
    audience of any size ... approximately 1,000 people.

    1947 - This is Nora Drake premiered on NBC. Nora solved domestic, social
    and child-raising problems until January 2, 1959.

    1947 - "The one, the only Groucho" Marx appeared as quizmaster on You
    Bet Your Life for the first time -- on ABC. George Fenneman was
    Groucho's eternal straight man. Fenneman stayed with Marx during the
    program's run on radio (1948 - 1959) and TV (1950 - 1961). By the way,
    who is buried in Grantís tomb?

    Joe

    --
    Visit my homepage:  [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 22:56:43 -0500
    From: Howard Blue <khovard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  zoot suits and Zoot suit riots of 1943

    Someone is interested in  radio broadcasts concerning the Mexican
    American zoot suit wearers (pachucos) in the 1940s and the Zoot Suit
    Riots of June 1943.

    If you have any info about this, please contact me off line

    Howard Blue

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 22:56:57 -0500
    From: Howard Blue <khovard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  volunteer researchers needed: esp. in
     Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh

    In connection with my research for a book about a prominent actor of the
    1940's and early 1950's I am seeking the assistance of some volunteers
    including (but not limited to) people living in these particular cities:
    Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh. Kindly contact me off
    line.

    Thank you,

    Howard Blue

    [removed]  In Boston, we need someone who can visit the Special Collections
    Library at [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 23:16:55 -0500
    From: Zharold138@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Going to Hal.
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    High anybody,
        Hal ("Jughead") Stone wrote that he used to  ware "over-alls" with "bibs"
    and after watching him eat last week at the [removed] convention he needs to
    wear "bibs" on all his pants because when he eats, his food goes "over-all"
    himself !!!

    Your Fried ,Harold "Hal" Zeigler
    [removed] Hey Hal,where's my autographed photograph??

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

    Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 09:40:37 -0500
    From: OTRDSIEGEL@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RE: Kudos For Howard

       When your colleagues honor you by bestowing the prestigious Ray Stanich
    award to you in recognition of your contribution to writing and research in
    the field of broadcast history you have reason to be proud.
       Congratulations to Howard Blue, this year's recipient (presented at the
    FOTR banquet)for his epic: WORDS AT WAR.
        Dave S.

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

    Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 10:00:21 -0500
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Another CBS Turns 75 Article

    This article on the history of CBS is from Hollywood Reporter.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    THE eye network celebrates 75 years
    Hollywood Reporter, CA
    ... actors -- a slight oversight. People like Jack Benny had to change
    costumes out in the hallway.". Howard Stringer, former president ...
    <[removed]
    tent_id=2011361>

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

    Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 10:01:17 -0500
    From: <otrbuff@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Rod Roddy

    Word has arrived of the passing of Rod Roddy, the "come on down" fellow on
    The Price Is Right.  I don't know if Mr. Roddy had any radio history but
    quite likely so.  His gregarious personality will be missed.

    Most readers of this list will recall that he didn't originate the motto
    that became synonymous with his name.  That was introduced by radio luminary
    Johnny Olsen whose daily use of the catchphrase made it part of the American
    vernacular.  Olsen appeared on The Price Is Right's initial run from Nov.
    26, 1956-Sept. 3, 1965 and returned for the second (and current) run from
    Sept. 4, 1972 until his death at 75 on Oct. 12, 1985.  He was succeeded by
    Rod Roddy.

    Olsen's radio accomplishments are legendary among game and audience
    participation shows.  He was an emcee of Break the Bank, Get Rich Quick and
    Whiz Quiz and warmed up audiences for Beat the Clock, True or False and a
    half-dozen other vintage quizzes.  With his spouse Penny he cohosted Ladies
    Be Seated from 1946-49 over ABC.  Simultaneously, from 1946-57 he presided
    over the daily Johnny Olsen Show on ABC and MBS which also ran under other
    monikers like Johnny Olsen's Luncheon Club and Johnny Olsen's Rumpus Room, a
    series also appearing live over Dumont TV from 1949-52.  He emceed ABC-TV's
    Fun for the Money and was a principal in Kids and Company over Dumont TV
    from 1951-53.

    Here was a man whose career spanned being top dog on numerous occasions and
    second banana on others, seesawing back and forth.  He seemed well fitted
    for both.  His legacy, it appears, could be summed up in three famous words.
    Will his inspiring catchphrase continue with the next successor in the line?

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 13:32:46 -0500
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CBS History

    I ran across this list of CBS Milestones on the Internet.  It dates to 1928!
    I didn't know CBS had been around that long.

    [removed]

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #389
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