Subject: [removed] Digest V2001 #336
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 10/18/2001 7:46 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2001 : Issue 336
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: A&A Recordings                    [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Audition recordings                   [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      re: Marion Harris                     [ "Dave" <davewh@[removed]; ]
      Jan Miner's Birthday                  [ dougdouglass@[removed] ]
      Audition Records                      [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      Bob Bailey                            [ "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-self ]
      CD Labels                             [ JBeck57143@[removed] ]
      Re: Joan Bennett on OTR               [ Bob Zeuschner <rbzeuschner@earthlin ]
      Correction                            [ "Robert Paine" <macandrew@[removed] ]
      Play Ball!                            [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
      Hans Conried (Sometimes Spelled Conr  [ "Ron Vanover" <vanoverr@[removed]; ]
      Son of Afflictions                    [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
      Vic Mizzy                             [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
      SINATRA 4-F                           [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
      AFRA AUDITIONS                        [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
      SINATRA, THE DETECTIVE                [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
      Sinatra and detective show on radio   [ "Scott business" <[removed]@worldne ]
      William Hopper                        [ Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:03:22 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: A&A Recordings

    Joe Salerno wrote:

>     The first A&A broadcasts, were they done live or via record? It is my
>     understanding that they were live.

    The original contract between Correll and Gosden and WMAQ required that
    the Chicago broadcasts be done live -- but they were synchronized with
    the syndicated recordings aired over the chainless-chain affiliates. What
    this meant in practice was that Correll and Gosden would record the
    episodes well in advance in marathon recording sessions, allowing time
    for the discs to be processed, pressed, approved, and shipped to the
    subscribers well in advance of the scheduled broadcast date. Then, as
    Correll and Gosden were seated at WMAQ broadcasting a given script, the
    recordings of that same episode would be airing on the chainless-chain
    stations. As new stations bought the series -- the chain grew from
    thirty-eight stations in the beginning to about seventy-five by the end
    of the syndication run -- they would join the storyline in progress
    rather than starting the series from the beginning.

    In April 1929, WMAQ agreed to allow Correll and Gosden to accept an
    extremely lucrative contract to tour the Pantages vaudeville circuit,
    appearing in several cities where the syndicated broadcasts had become
    popular, including St. Paul, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
    Part of the contract required that they broadcast their nightly episode
    live from the local chainless-chain affiliate on each city along the
    tour, and this meant, naturally, that Chicago would hear recordings for
    the duration of the trip. As it worked out, however, during their stop in
    Kansas City in mid-June, Correll and Gosden received word that NBC and
    the Pepsodent Company were interested in them -- and negotiations with
    the sponsor and the network kept them on the road for much of the summer.
    As a result, WMAQ ended up using the recordings for the rest of the
    syndicated run, not resuming live broadcasts until the network premeire
    on August 19th.

>     If this is so, what was the first ep to be recorded on disk for
>     distribution?

    Episode 1, for broadcast on 3/19/28, in which Amos and Andy discuss their
    plans to leave their jobs on a small farm outside Atlanta and seek their
    fortunes in Chicago.

    Recorded syndication was the entire reason "Amos 'n' Andy" came into
    existence -- Correll and Gosden had proposed the idea while doing "Sam
    and Henry" at WGN, probably some time in 1927, and had been rejected by
    those ever-foresighted executives at the Tribune Company. This made
    Gosden *really* mad -- normally he was a soft-spoken, rather shy person,
    unless it came down to a conflict over the show. Then it became "my way
    or the highway." The Tribune refused to do it his way -- so he and
    Correll resolved to hit the highway as soon as their contract ran out in
    December 1927.

    The Tribune figured they were replaceable -- the show was, after all,
    "Sam and Henry," not "Sam and Henry starring Correll and Gosden." They
    figured that any generic blackface performers could come in and take over
    the show, and that it would go on as before -- utterly missing the point
    that what made the show a success was the unique genius of its creators.
    Indeed, the fake "Sam and Henry" -- who were probably Henry Moeller and
    Hal Gilles, former associates of Correll and Gosden at the Joe Bren
    Producing Company -- lasted barely four months.

    Meanwhile, Correll and Gosden basically dictated their own terms at WMAQ,
    owned by the Chicago Daily News. They told program director Judith Waller
    that they wanted (1) the right to distribute the show by recordings
    outside Chicago, (2) exclusive ownership of the trademark registration on
    the title and the copyrights on the scripts, and (3) a financial package
    totalling $25,000 for the first year -- covering themselves and their
    announcer Bill Hay, who WMAQ would be required to bring over from WGN
    with the two performers. (To his dying day, Hay apparently never knew
    about this aspect of the deal -- because he always insisted that his
    leaving WGN and joining WMAQ at precisely the same time as Correll and
    Gosden was purely coincidental. It wasn't.) They also insisted that their
    personal business manager, Alex Robb, be hired by the Daily News to
    supervise the syndication project.

    It was unprecedented for radio performers to make such hard-line demands,
    especially performers who had been rank unknowns just three years before,
    but Waller was the rare example of a broadcasting executive who really
    understood why some programs worked and some didn't -- and she knew that
    Correll and Gosden were the reasons "Sam and Henry" had become the
    hottest property in Chicago radio over the course of its two-year run.
    She went to Daily News publisher Walter Strong and told him to give
    Correll and Gosden anything and everything they wanted -- even though the
    $25,000 contract would double the station's annual operating cost. Under
    the proposed contract, the Daily News would receive a cut of the profits
    from the syndication, which was administered by its own syndicate
    division, and would also make money on the "Amos 'n' Andy" comic strip
    which would be published in connection with the radio series. With these
    inducements (and after polling members of the Chicago Urban League about
    their feelings concerning Correll and Gosden's work, a survey which found
    wide approval) Strong approved the deal, and radio's first recorded
    syndication got underway.

>     In other words, what is the earliest ep that could possibly survive?

    While the first actual episode to be recorded was Episode 1--3/19/28,
    there was also a special promotional disc recorded by Correll and Gosden
    for airing during the three weeks preceding the premiere of the new
    series. This recording introduced the characters of Amos and Andy, and
    was aired by WMAQ six nights a week from 2/25/28 (the night the title of
    the new series was first announced in the Chicago Daily News) thru
    3/17/28. No copy of this promotional record is known to exist, nor was
    the script preserved -- but if it were ever to surface, it would be a
    supreme find, as the earliest-known instance of a pre-recorded
    promotional announcement in the history of American broadcasting.

    As to network episodes, currently the earliest-known A&A is a very rough
    home recording of the 3/24/32 episode, the day after Andy's ill-fated
    wrestling match with Bullneck Mooseface. Nothing earlier has ever
    surfaced, but at least two prior recordings are known to have been made.
    When Correll and Gosden arrived in Hollywood in June 1930 to begin
    filming "Check and Double Check," the RKO sound department presented them
    with a reel of 35mm film on which one of their broadcasts had been
    optically recorded. This reel hasn't been heard of since, although I
    suspect it may have been the source for the slightly-overmodulated
    recording of Joseph Gallicchio and his orchestra performing "The Perfect
    Song" which is heard over the opening titles of the completed film.

    A second known recording was made on a device called the "Telegraphone,"
    an early version of a wire recorder demonstrated before a Senate
    committee on 5/10/32. During this demonstration -- staged as part of an
    effort to secure special legislation extending an important patent on the
    device -- the lawyer for the Telegraphone interests played back a
    recording of an A&A episode made during the Breach of Promise storyline
    in February-March 1931. It's unclear how complete this recording was, but
    the attorney indicated in his testimony that the reel he used to make the
    recording could hold up to twenty minutes of sound. Where this reel of
    wire ended up is anyone's guess -- but it would be quite a nice thing to
    find in some forgotten National Archives file box containing the
    paperwork connected to Senate Bill S1301. (If Les Waffen is still on the
    list, this might be something worth looking up!)

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:06:19 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Audition recordings

    Michael J. Hayde asked:

>     - Were stars, supporting actors and/or "name" guests like Lucille Ball paid
>     any less for auditions than for regular broadcasts?

>     - Did audition recordings ever air?  Is there an estimate as to how often
>     they did/didn't?  Is there a way to find out which ones did/didn't?

    The answer to those is not as simple as a single reply.  That all depended
    on the producers/directors/networks, etc.  Simply put, that was a
    case-by-case history.  An audition (or pilot as many prefer to call them)
    was often recorded so it could be played back for potential sponsors and
    networks, hoping some of them would see the potential the program would
    have, and make the proposal a reality.  Sometimes (rarely often) an audition
    would air during prime-time on a local or national network as a one-time
    airing, to check out the audience's response, favorable or not favorable.

    CBS aired a short-run summer series known as FORECAST for two consecutive
    summers and during those months, the hour-long time slot offered various
    audition/pilots to test audience response.

    ERWIN OF THE ARCTIC, I COVER THE WATERFRONT, DAVY CROCKETT, EXPECTANT
    FATHER, LOG OF THE BLACK PARROT, I KNEW A WOMAN, UNCLE JUDGE BEN (created by
    Carlton E. Morse), PEOPLE YOU KNOW AND FUN QUIZ are just a few that were
    recorded, but never aired.  Some are riots, others are plain old boring.

    Some auditions never aired at all.  Others were later used as part of the
    series, most notably I've observed during the early-mid 1950s, when shows
    like Crime Classics and Dark Venture would later use the same audition
    recording as a regular episode.

    Other programs would use the same scripts but do a different production.
    ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT was the title of an audition show hosted by Alfred
    Hitchcock, an attempt at an anthology series of mystery stories.  In May of
    1945 the audition was recorded, but never made it to the airwaves.  Two
    years later, in 1947, another attempt at the same type of series entitled
    THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK SHOW was recorded, using the same short story from the
    1945 pilot, but a different script.

    As for the pay, that also depended on the program, again a case-by-case
    history.  Some stars were personal friends of the lead actors, and would
    occassionally do a "guest spot" for their audition as a way of helping out a
    little.  The pay depended on the producer and/or director, and a few stars
    did auditions for litterally nothing.  Reason being, the sponsors usually
    paid the fees and withou a sponsor, a star took to the mike in the hopes
    that if the series would be carried on a network, that would guarentee a
    steady income, and worth the risk alone.

    One thing that should be pointed out, Radio Spirits released a 20-tape set a
    few years ago entitled "Radio's Missing Masters" and offered 60 rare
    recordings from the Golden Age of Radio.  Although the recordings themselves
    are top-notch sound quality and many were non-circulating recordings, the
    booklet enclosed with the set contained numerous inaccuracies and it should
    be pointed out that even if the back of the album (and/or) the booklet said
    "only existing episode of the series", that wasn't 100% true, as there are
    other episodes of the particular series.  And many listed as "audition to a
    series that never aired", was also inaccurate as broadcast logs and
    documented proof of multiple episodes aired are floating about.  Too many
    times I've seen dealers and collectors list those episodes inaccurately in
    their own catalogs/listings.  I just wanted to point that out so the
    mis-information stops circulating.  Last week an article mentioned that
    Radio Spirits was offering the only existing episode of "The Green Lama" in
    their missing masters set, and sadly, I have seen three circulating for the
    past few year.  Case in point.

    As for the Martin and Lewis show with Lucille Ball as guest, wasn't there
    two versions of that broadcast?  The actual audition show was something like
    47 minutes long (this is off the top of my head) and later it was edited
    down to the usual 29/30 minute time frame, so it was broadcast as part of
    the series.  Interesting, huh?

    [removed]  I have no doubt that it'd be impossible to figure out exactly how many
    radio auditions were recorded and how many of those aired.  I wouldn't be
    surprised if there were more pilots recorded than there are existing, and I
    don't think there would be any source that could tell us exactly how many
    were proposed over the years.

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:06:49 -0400
    From: "Dave" <davewh@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  re: Marion Harris

        George's post on Marion Harris caught my interest and I did a little
    digging of my own.  I found that by the forties Marion had pretty well
    retired from show business, remarried and moved to London, England.  Her
    home was hit by a nazi rocket and the incident severely traumatised her.
    Upon being released from hospital she travelled to New York to recuperate
    and visit with old show business friends.  While staying in a hotel she fell
    asleep with a lighted cigarrette and as a reult lost her life.
    There is an interesting commercial site which has a bit of her early history
    as well as a few sound bites from a cd of her Victor recordings located at:
    [removed]  and no, I am not connected with this
    site in any way,  it's just an interesting place to visit.

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:07:27 -0400
    From: dougdouglass@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jan Miner's Birthday

    Jan was 84 on Monday, the 15th.

    Cards can be sent her at
    [removed] Box 293
    Southbury, CT 06488-0293

    ---Doug

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:07:46 -0400
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Audition Records

    I believe you are using the term "audition" incorrectly.  It looks like you
    mean the "rehearsal" or the readings of a script before it reaches the air.

    An "audition" is when several people get called to read for a part, and then
    from those hopefully one or more of them get chosen to play that part.

    The star would be paid as the others are, by the job.  He would be paid $xxx
    which included the read-through and rehearsal, AND the on-the-air final
    show.

    I can think of no reason for a rehearsal record to be cut, and certainly
    never aired, as it was not a finished product.  If it was cut, it was
    probably at someone's whim and not for actual radio use. (Engineers were
    known to cut a record for their own amusement, and some of these have gotten
    out to the public).

    Lois Culver
    KWLK Radio (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-44
    KFI Radio (NBC) Los Angeles CA 1945-47, 50-53
    Widow of Howard Culver, actor

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:08:24 -0400
    From: "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bob Bailey

    Can anyone give me any info on how Bob Bailey died?  Did anyone interview
    him about his radio days?

    thanks as always,

    rodney.

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:09:29 -0400
    From: JBeck57143@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CD Labels

    Here are some excerpts from Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ
    ([removed]) followed by a message that was posted to the Bob
    Dylan newsgroup (RMD) awhile back:

    "...The adhesives on some labels can dissolve the protective lacquer coating
    if the adhesive is based on a solvent that the lacquer is susceptible to.
    Asymmetric
    labels can throw the disc out of balance, causing read problems, and labels
    not designed for CDs might bubble or peel off when subjected to long periods
    of heat inside a CD drive. So long as you use labels that were meant for CD-R
    discs, you will *probably* be [removed]"

    "The best way to feel confident about labeling your discs is to try it
    yourself. Buy some labels, put them on some discs, leave them someplace warm,
    and see if they peel off. If they do, you'll need a different kind of media
    or a different kind of label. Some labels don't adhere very well unless
    they're attached to a disc with a plain  lacquer surface on top, so combining
    labels with "inkjet printable surface" media may be asking for trouble. One
    note of caution: this only tells you if the label will peel up right away. It
    doesn't tell you if the label will still be nice and flat two or three years
    from now. Using adhesive labels on discs meant for long-term storage may be
    unwise.

    It may not be a good idea to put labels on discs that will be fed into a
    "slot in" CD player, such as those popular in dashboard car CD players.
    Sometimes the added thickness will cause the disc to get stuck."

    Someone posted this to RMD in April 1999:
    "To all those who use self adhesive labels for their discs, you should
    probably stop. I recently attended a seminar on the preservation of magnetic
    media (discs and tape). One of the speakers has run tests on these labels and
    their effects are gruesome.

    There are four main concerns:

    1. The adhesive may eventually eat thru' the top lacquer layer and damage the
    reflective foil layer beneath.

    2. These labels will eventually begin to release from the disc. You will
    notice bubbles in the labels, similar to bubbles in wallpaper. As the labels
    begin to lift, there is a good chance they will take the top layers of the
    discs with them, rendering the discs useless. This is referred to as
    delamination.

    3. If the labels are placed incorrectly, the disc will be unbalanced which
    may lead to damage to playback equipment. If you need to label a disc you
    should use a felt tip marker ("Redi" Sharp Plus, Sanford Sharpie are among
    some of the recommended brands) to label the clear hub of the disc, not over
    the reflecting foil.

    4. Labels may lead to warping of discs.

    General tips:

    Jewel cases are one hell of a lot better than paper or plastic sleeves.
    Sliding discs in and out of these sleeves will lead to scratches real quick.

    The top of any optical disc is much more prone to damage than the bottom
    layer.

    If you wish to keep your discs a *long* time, it is best to remove any liner
    notes or other paper products from the cases and store separately. Paper, and
    inks used on them, will deteriorate and give off gas compounds that will
    adversely affect the discs."

    So it looks like, in general, adhesive labels may not be such a good idea,
    except maybe for your own discs, if you don't mind the possibility of having
    to eventually replace them. It wouldn't be a good idea to put labels on discs
    you're going to give to other people, unless they don't mind the possibility
    of the discs having to one day be replaced.

    Jim Beck

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:09:49 -0400
    From: Bob Zeuschner <rbzeuschner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Joan Bennett on OTR

    I've got a 1940s vintage photograph of popular actress Joan Bennett
    standing before a CBS microphone with a script in her hands.
    Does anyone know which OTR programs Joan Bennett appeared on?
    Thanks.
    Bob Zeuschner

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:10:33 -0400
    From: "Robert Paine" <macandrew@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Correction

    Re: George Wagner's reflection about his stupidity level running on
    [removed], now, I wouldn't say THAT, Mr. Gildersleeve. Seems to me that
    after fifty years I would be able to spell Gertrude Warner's first name
    properly instead of the Getrude I tried to pass off in my post.

    My mother told me there's be days like this. She forgot to mention they'd
    come nearly every day.

    Re: The Downhomers. In the 1985 WTIC history I referred to (and which is, of
    course, still buried with all my radio reference [removed]) is a photo of
    the group. There were five all together; two were Lloyd Cornell and a fellow
    whose first name was Shorty. They did an early morning (6:30-ish) half-hour
    program five or six days a week and around 1946 to 1951 appeared live at the
    Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts. TIC used to broadcast a good
    part of its daytime schedule from the Eastern for a week or so of the fair,
    maybe going back as far as the 40's. I suppose with the news-talk format the
    practice has become a thing of the past.

    And finally, WAMU's Ed Walker played another of the WTIC 1970's series, The
    Golden Days of Radio, this past Sunday night. Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran
    did the show for some years. This week's program featured an interview with
    "Ma Perkins", Virginia Payne. She had some very interesting background on
    the program and her career. The usual disclaimer, if I'd only known I woulda
    taped it, applies. Forty lashes with a well-inked teletype ribbon.

     Macandrew

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:11:22 -0400
    From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Play Ball!

    Hello All,

    Ron Crowley wrote:

>     For you Boston Red Sox fans, back in the mid-fifties the two sportscasters
>     covering the game (Bosox vs. ?) on radio were Bob Delaney and Curt Gowdy
>     with their "Hi, neighbor, have a 'Gansett!" commercials.  As one inning came
>     to an end, Bob D. turned the mike over to Curt with the unintentional
>     Spooner-ism: "And now, the next inning will be covered by Gurt Cowdy!"  Not
>     to be outdone, Curt casually replied:  "Thank you, Dob Belaney!"  I still
>     get a chuckle just thinking about it!  Regards, RonC

    I remember reading that at about this time Bob and Ray were working WHDH in
    Boston, the same station that carried Gowdy's broadcasts of the Red Sox.
    Gowdy used to sign-off after every game with the line: "This is Curt Gowdy
    rounding third and heading home."  Bob and Ray invented a sportscaster
    character (the character name escapes me) based on Gowdy who signed off:
    "This is (name) rounding third and getting thrown out at home".  Gowdy
    dropped his own tag line because of this parody.

    George

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

    Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2001 23:15:21 -0400
    From: "Ron Vanover" <vanoverr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Hans Conried (Sometimes Spelled Conreid)

    I'm attempting to identify any dates of episodes from

    - The Whistler
    - The Great Gildersleeve
    - The Adventures of Sam Spade
    - The First Nighter
    - The Screen Guild Players

     in which Hans Conried appeared.  Any helped would be appreciated.

    Ron Vanover

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 13:08:37 -0400
    From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Son of Afflictions

    Bill Cullen had one artificial limb -- he was never shown walking on
    camera.

                      Sandy Singer
              A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 13:09:27 -0400
    From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Vic Mizzy

    Vic Mizzy also wrote the Get Smart theme.

                      Sandy Singer
              A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 13:08:58 -0400
    From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  SINATRA 4-F

    Not certain if this has been addressed, but Sinatra incurred a punctured
    ear drum at birth -- the reason he was declared 4-F in WW2.

                      Sandy Singer
              A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 13:10:00 -0400
    From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  AFRA AUDITIONS

    AFRA had a rehearsal schedule, but I don't ever remember being paid for
    an audition.

                      Sandy Singer
              A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 13:10:23 -0400
    From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  SINATRA, THE DETECTIVE

    The radio show was called Rocky Fortune, and there are a number of
    episodes available.

                      Sandy Singer
              A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 13:10:50 -0400
    From: "Scott business" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Sinatra and detective show on radio

    I'm sure I'll be one of many who respond to this. Sinatra's "detective" show
    was titled Rocky Fortune. "Fortun"-ately all of the shows in the series have
    survived and are frequently posted on the newsgroups. I have them all,
    listen to them frequently and unlike many who think the are boring and
    trite, I love the show. It is one of my favorites!
    Fibber

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

    Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 21:44:33 -0400
    From: Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  William Hopper

    Recently, a poster to the Digest speculated  that Hedda Hopper's son,
    William Hopper, committed suicide. I wrote to the poster privately, but as
    yet have not received a response.  My research does not indicate that
    Hopper killed himself.  He died in 1970 of pneumonia.  If my research is
    correct, then I am pleased to present it here.  Ironically, in the same
    issue, a relative of Hopper also had written an anecdote, but he hasn't
    corrected the record either.

    Hopper was a fine actor, made many movies, and can even be spotted in "The
    Maltese Falcon." Of course most people know him as Perry Mason's right-hand
    man  in the television series of the same name.

    Dennis Crow

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #336
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