Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #249
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 8/17/2005 9:29 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2005 : Issue 249
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  RE: Notary Sojac                      [ "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed] ]
  More on Notary Sojac                  [ "Arthur Emerson" <milart@[removed] ]
  Smokey Stover                         [ "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
  Re: cataloging audio files            [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
  KNX Radio Home Bye-Bye Stuff          [ Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed] ]
  Peter Lorre book                      [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Captain Midnight                      [ "Jerry Bechtel" <jerrybechtel@jalc. ]
  Non-Skelly Captain Midnight Shows In  [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
  Harry Foster Welch                    [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
  WBAI 's Golden Age of Radio now stre  [ mschmid@[removed] ]
  Re: Who's On the Stretch?             [ "Ivan G. Shreve, Jr." <iscreve@comc ]
  British radio heroes                  [ "Mike Hobart" <zines50@[removed]; ]
  Who's On the Stretch@[removed]    [ BH <radiobill@[removed]; ]
  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ charlie@[removed] ]
  8-17 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Fred De Cordova                       [ Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@earthlin ]

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:58:13 -0400
From: "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  RE: Notary Sojac

Notary Sojack
<snip>
was a character in the old "The Little King" comic strips of the time.

Wasn't the comic strip "Smokey Stover"?

I remember "Smokey Stover" very well, with all its strange chairs and two
wheeled vehicles. I also remember "Notary Sojac" from that strip, but not as
a character. It was always a sign hanging on a wall, or something a character
said, or written on the side of a vehicle, or like that. I never could find
out what it means. Does anyone on the list have an idea?

Thanx,

 B. Ray

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:50:55 -0400
From: "Arthur Emerson" <milart@[removed];
To: "Time Radio Old" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  More on Notary Sojac
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

A number of our readers identified the home of "Notary Sojac" as the Chicago
Tribune-New York Daily News Sunday feature comic strip, "Smokey Stover", by
Bill Holman - a man who loved "word [lay" during the over four decades that
this strip thrived.

As to "Notary Sojac" himself, Holman wrote that this was his phonetic
rendering of the Gaelic "Nodlaig Soghach" - "Merry Christmas"!

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:52:01 -0400
From: "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Smokey Stover

I confess to mixing up "The Little King" and "Smokey Stover" when I was
mentioning Notary Sojack.  Hardly anyone remembers either comic strip
anymore, but Chris Berman of ESPN is keeping Smokey alive by nicknaming
Baltimore Ravens place-kicker Matt Stover "Smokey".  And my kids don't get
it!

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 13:44:43 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: cataloging audio files

  To the gentleman who was cataloging a great number of sound files, I
thought the shareware application MPFreaker might be of interest. You
can download a free but limited version at
[removed] I have no idea
how this works or if it only works with commercial recordings and
whether commercially released OTR recordings would be included, or if
it might also access the national database I mentioned earlier which
is developed in a wikkipedia sort of fashion. But apparently it works
with mp3's, whereas the similar function built into iTunes only, I
believe, works with audio files and, I presume, mp4's, iTunes' native
format. Also, the iTunes version requires you import the song into
iTunes first. I know this would have been a great boon to me a couple
of years ago when I was assisting with a local radio show. Here is
the description from the site above

"Imagine a program which automatically fills in missing information
in your music library. MPFreaker searches the internet to find out
what album that song belongs to, the year that song was released,
what genre that album belongs to, track numbers, even album cover
artwork -- and automatically adds this information directly into your
song files, in seconds.

"By using industry standard methods, you can see and access the new
information MPFreaker adds in any audio player which recognizes these
standard information "tags", including iTunes and the iPod. Artwork
added by MPFreaker shows on the iPod Photo's "Now Playing" screen!"

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:05:44 -0400
From: Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  KNX Radio Home Bye-Bye Stuff

Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed]; writes in the
Digest on the Subject:  KNX Radio Home Bye-Bye

Having spent a lot of my teen age years in and around
the  Columbia Square complex during the forties I
reminisce.

When I  heard the news about the departure from the
Columbia Square CBS Studios building at 1621 Sunset
Boulevard, Hollywood, California by CBS I wondered if
the company's historical staff ever compiled a picture
record kept of all the displays and events that took
place in the open space that existed between the two
west and east oriented building wings of he 'Square.'
It was the perfect spot to set them up to attract the
boulevard traffic that past by.   I especially liked
the aviation themed items.  Remembered in particular
were the two static displays of a  Johnson Rocket
civilian aircraft designed for the returning fighter
pilots of WWII and for sure one of the fighter stars
of that era, the Lockheed P-38. I spent a lot of time
on the platform looking into the cockpit of that one.
Later in life I was to become acquainted with the two
test pilots, Tony LeVier and Herman 'Fish' Salmon that
helped develop the ship.  Almost any aircraft had
ample room available in which to be displayed.  Of
course there were as well other displays that used the
room, War bond sales, Blood drives, and the like.  I'm
assuming no there weren't any records kept.  Not many
companies have a historical staff to keep track. But
up in the top floor photo studio archives must be a
treasure trove of publicity photos of all associated
broadcast activities.

CAB

---
conradab@[removed] (Conrad A. Binyon)
Encino, CA
Home of the Stars who loved Ranches and Farms

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 16:32:52 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Peter Lorre book

Doug Berryhill mentioned the Peter Lorre book coming out next month:

Release Date: September 28, 2005
Format: Hard-bound
Illustrations: 76
Pages: 664 -- Including Appendix (Peter Lorre's Stage,
Film, Radio, and Television credits), Notes,
Bibliography, Interviews, and Index
ISBN: 0-8131-2360-7
Price: $[removed]

To see more about the book and pre-order a copy, check out:
[removed]

I myself have seen the rough draft of the Peter Lorre radio credits for the
last few years from Cheryl and I can state for certain that this is top
notch.  You WILL NOT find a more comprehensive list of Lorre's radio work
documented anywhere else.  If you admire Peter Lorre or more importantly,
want to know more information about his radio acting career, this is a must
have.

Martin Grams, Jr.

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 16:33:13 -0400
From: "Jerry Bechtel" <jerrybechtel@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Captain Midnight
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Does anyone know the actual Captain Midnight shows that are available to
the general public at this time? I can't seem to find any shows from
about 1945 to 1950. Have they all just dissappeared? Are they not yet in
public domain? Should I just quit looking for them? As an 7-8-9 year old
kid in rural Pennsylvania in the mid 1940's I used to listen to Captain
Midnight EVERY night! I'd just like to hear those same shows (by
Ovaltine) one more time! Do you think there is any chance of that?
Opinions and responses would be greatly appreciated! [removed]

Jerry

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 19:41:01 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Non-Skelly Captain Midnight Shows In
 Circulation

Jerry Bechtel asks,

Does anyone know the actual Captain Midnight shows that are available
to the general public at this time? I can't seem to find any shows from
about 1945 to 1950. Have they all just dissappeared? Are they not yet in
public domain? Should I just quit looking for them? As an 7-8-9 year old
kid in rural Pennsylvania in the mid 1940's I used to listen to Captain
Midnight EVERY night! I'd just like to hear those same shows (by
Ovaltine) one more time! Do you think there is any chance of that?
Opinions and responses would be greatly appreciated! [removed]

Some of the Ovaltine shows are appended to MP3 disks full of Skelly
adventures that are sold on eBay.  These include the "Man of Midnight"
1940 origin story and its immediate successor, "Two Submarines," various
World War II stories ("Fighting With The Commandoes," "Destruction of the
Nazi Submarine Base," "The Phantom Band," "Destruction From The Sky,"
three "Suicide Squadron" episodes, and "Prisoners of the Japs"), "Jewels
of the Queen of Sheba," "The Return of Ivan Shark," "The Stolen Star,"
and "Double Cross."  The first two Ovaltine episodes and "Jewels of the
Queen of Sheba" and "The Return of Ivan Shark" were released on Mark 56
Records in the 1970s.  Several of the World War II adventures were put on
7-inch floppy LPs, shorn of commercials, in a Longines Symphonette "Years
To Remember" nostalgia kit, and these, too, are in circulation.  I know
of no source that sells _only_ the Ovaltine-sponsored shows.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 21:20:35 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Harry Foster Welch

Ron Sayles listed an old friend of mine in the 8/16 death listing.

<<11-27-1893 - Harry Foster Welch - d. 8-16-1973
actor: "Shell Show">>

Harry Welch was living in Scarsdale right next to my home town in a suburb
of NYC in the late 40's early 50s and was a regular customer at my Dad's
luncheonette.    He was famous for being one of the voices of Popeye and the
minute he was around any kids he broke into his Popeye voice.    One of the
nicest people around and much beloved by kids.  I recall how excited I was
when I saw him come in because that meant great fun was on the way.    I
assumed he was THE Popeye and it was only many years later that I learned he
wasn't.   However, he did the voice on a number of Popeye movies, uncredited
according to IMDB.  He also did corporate, convention work for the owners
and was the narrator and voice on many Popeye records, one of which I have.

He had a beautiful curvy blonde, early maturing daughter, Ruth,  who he
called Sweepea!     When she appeared at Scarsdale HS for her first day as a
freshman she created enough of a furor that the Westchester press covered
the story with a picture of her on the steps of the school surrounded by
adolescent boys.

For your records, Ron, he was born in Annapolis, MD.  Thanks for mentioning
him

-Irene

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 21:21:01 -0400
From: mschmid@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  WBAI 's Golden Age of Radio now streams

You can hear The Golden Age of Radio on demand for two weeks after each
broadcast at the new archive. Mass Bacwards featuring Jean Shepherd too!

[removed]

Here are the details regarding the three shows available now:

Sunday, July 31, 2005 7:00 pm
Tribute to Geraldine Fitzgerald SUSPENSE 10/07/43 "Philomel Cottage" by Agatha
Christie, with Orson Welles
The Shadow 75th Anniversary Tribute THE SHADOW 1/19/41 "The Shadow Challenged"
Starring Bill Johnstone and Frank Readick (Radio's second Shadow)
IT'S UP TO YOUTH -WOR Public Service program with kid panel 8/29/44 Permissive
Mother - Host: Bill Slater
Tribute to Hildegarde - dead at 99. (Raleigh) Radio Room #6 - AFRS 8/29/44
Starring Hildegarde, with George Jessell, Bill Stern, Clayton (Bud) Collyer, Ed
Herlihy

Sunday, August 07, 2005 7:00 pm
 Hiroshima Remembrance - War news from the end of WWII.
JOURGEN'S JOURNAL WITH WALTER WINCHELL 7/15/45
SINCLAIR HEADLINER WITH FRANK SINGISER 7/26/45
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (Part two of four)7/13/50 NBC Documentary starring Bob
Hope, Produced by Fred Friendly on the development of the Atomic Bomb
SUSPENSE 1/03/48 "The Black Curtain" by Cornell Woolrich First show in the
one-hour format - CBS. Host: Robert Montgomery, Producer/Director William Spier

Sunday, August 14, 2005 7:00 pm
 VJ DAY 60TH ANNIVERSARY - Vintage newscasts from the Day of Victory
8/13/45 Gabriel Heater - "Waiting For Surrender" 15"
8/14/45 Robert Trout in Cincinatti - "The War is Over" 6"
8/14/45 COLUMBIA PRESENTS CORWIN "14 August" Written, poduced and directed by
Norman Corwin, Starring Orson Welles - CBS 15"
8/14/45 NBC coverage of the end of the war, [removed] Kaltenborn and a host of other
NBC war correspondents around the world and the US - Ben Grauer in Times
Square, reports from LA, Guam, Chicago, Stockholm. 55"
also: HERE'S MORGAN 8/15/41 - Henry Morgan - WOR (15")

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 22:02:30 -0400
From: "Ivan G. Shreve, Jr." <iscreve@[removed];
To: "Old-Time Radio Digest (Plain Text Only)" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Who's On the Stretch?

Stephen A. Kallis, [removed] Captain Midnight authority--issued forth
the folllowing:

Actually, that routine is preserved in the A&C film, The Noose Hangs High.
Abbott is trying to explain to Costello about racehorses, and mentions,
"He's a mudder."  Costello is confused by gender, and off they go.

Close, but no [removed] does the routine in that film with the great Leon
Errol.  A rundown of which can be found here at
[removed]#a454.

Ivan
--
Classic movies, television and old-time radio at Thrilling Days of
Yesteryear! [removed]

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:30:13 -0400
From: "Mike Hobart" <zines50@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  British radio heroes

BOOK AND MAGAZINE COLLECTOR is a monthly magazine published in London.  The
July issue (#257) featured an illustrated article "Heroes Of The Wireless:
David Ashford and Norman Wright track the nation's favourite adventurers
from wireless to printed page."

The article looks at the post-war BBC adventure serials that were so popular
they crossed over into the world of books and comics  (what we would call
"spin-offs" or "merchandising" these days).

The five series that were covered in the article were "Dick Barton", "Paul
Temple", "Riders of the Range", "[removed]" and "Journey Into Space."

The article concludes:  "Books,comics, cinema and television have all made
use of these radio heroes as ready-made popular material for their audiences
(and) helped to strengthen and reinforce their image with the public,
ensuring that these radio heroes join the pantheon of fictional immortals."

Sorry, the magazine doesn't seem to have a website (probably the last one
not to!).

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

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:30:53 -0400
From: BH <radiobill@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Who's On the Stretch@[removed]

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr. said:

Actually, that routine is preserved in the A&C film, The Noose Hangs
High.  Abbott is trying to explain to Costello about racehorses, and
mentions, "He's a mudder."  Costello is confused by gender, and off they
go.

They have another similar routine on film where Abbott gets a job in a
bakery. His job is making loaves of bread so his job description is 'lofer'.
He gets back to the apartment and attempts to explain his job as a lofer
to Costello.  Costello can't figure out how Abbott can get paid to loaf.
You can imagine where it goes from there. I think it is as good if not
better than the Who's On First.

Bill H.

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

Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 02:12:00 -0400
From: charlie@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

A weekly [removed]

For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over nine years, same time, same channel! Started by Lois Culver, widow
of actor Howard Culver, this is the place to be on Thursday night for
real-time OTR talk!

Our "regulars" include OTR actors, soundmen, collectors, listeners, and
others interested in enjoying OTR from points all over the world. Discussions
range from favorite shows to almost anything else under the sun (sometimes
it's hard for us to stay on-topic)...but even if it isn't always focused,
it's always a good time!

For more info, contact charlie@[removed]. We hope to see you there, this
week and every week!

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

Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 08:08:40 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  8-17 births/deaths

August 17th births

08-17-1888 - Monte Woolley- New York City, NY - d. 5-6-1963
actor: Edwin Montague "Magnificent Montague"
08-17-1893 - Mae West - Brooklyn, NY - d. 11-22-1980
actress: "Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show" (Famous Adam and Eve Skit)
08-17-1896 - Alms Lawton - Woolwich, England - d. 2-24-1982
actress: "I Love Adventure"; "NBC University Theatre"
08-17-1900 - Quincy Howe - Boston, MA - d. 2-19-1977
newscaster: "Quincy Howe: Comment"
08-17-1903 - Bob Evans - California - d. 3-21-1961
actor: "Sing It Again"
08-17-1904 - Ann Harding - Fort Sam Houston, TX - d. 9-1-1981
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Cavalcade of America"; "Hallmark Playhouse"
08-17-1905 - Frederick Ziv - Cincinnati, OH - d. 10-13-2001
producer: "Philo Vance"
08-17-1907 - Bernard Schoenfeld - d. 4-25-1990
writer: "Brave New World"; "This is Our Eneny"
08-17-1909 - Larry Clinton - Brooklyn, NY - d. 5-2-1985
bandleader: "Larry Clinton's Musical Sensations"; "Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou"
08-17-1913 - Guy Della-Cioppa - Philadelphia, PA - d. 1-17-2000
director: "An American in Russia"; "The Columbia Workshop"
08-17-1918 - Evelyn Ankers - Valparaiso, Chili - d. 8-28-1985
actress: Argentine Radio
08-17-1920 - Georgia Gibbs - Worchester, MA
singer: (Her Nibs) "Your Hit Parade"; "Camel Caravan"; "Philco Hall of Fame"
08-17-1920 - Maureen O'Hara - Millwall, Ireland
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
08-17-1921 - Donald Buka - Cleveland, OH
actor: Barney Mallory "Sparrow and the Hawk"
08-17-1922 - Jack Sperling - Trenton, NJ - d. 3-8-2004
drummer: Bands of Bunny Berrigan, Les Brown and others
08-17-1930 - Herve Bennett - Chicago, IL
panelist: "The Quiz Kids"
08-17-1943 - John Humphreys - Cardiff, Wales
presenter: "Nine O'Clock News"; "Today"

August 17th deaths

01-26-1927 - Billy Redfield - New York City, NY - d. 8-17-1976
actor: Grayling Dennis "Brighter Day"; Willie Piper "Tales of Willie Piper"
02-06-1888 - Bennett Kilpack - England - d. 8-17-1962
actor: Mr. Keen "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons"; "James Benson "David Harum"
03-29-1918 - Pearl Bailey - Newport News, VA - d. 8-17-1990
singer: "Kraft Music Hall "; "Tribute to Glenn Miller"
05-09-1895 - Richard Barthelmass - New York City, NY - d. 8-17-1963
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
05-17-1907 - Horace McMahon - South Norwalk, CT - d. 8-17-1971
actor: "Crime Does Not Pay"
05-25-1877 - Billy Murray - Philadelphia, PA - d. 8-17-1954
singer: "The National Barn Dance"
06-29-1901 - Ed Gardner - Astoria, NY - d. 8-17-1963
comedian: Archie "Duffy's Tavern"
07-24-1904 - Delmer Daves - San Francisco, CA - d. 8-17-1977
movie writer/director: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
07-26-1909 - Vivian Vance - Cherryvale, KS (Raised: Independence, KS) - d.
8-17-1979
actress: Ethel Mertz "I Love Lucy"
09-11-1908 - Elisebeth A. Heisch - Madison, WI - d. 8-17-2003
writer: "The Cinnamon Bear"
10-20-1913 - Barney Phillips - St. Louis, MO - d. 8-17-1982
actor: Ed Jacobs "Dragnet"; Somber Jones "Hawk Larabee"; "Gunsmoke"
12-02-1902 - Howard Koch - New York City, NY - d. 8-17-1995
writer: "War of the Worlds"
12-06-1896 - Ira Gershwin - New York City, NY - d. 8-17-1983
songwriter: "Lady in the Dark"; "Jolson Story"; "Barkleys of Broadway"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 11:29:19 -0400
From: Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Fred De Cordova

May I add to Sandy Singer's comment -

On the WebSite [removed], the 1959 Jack Benny Christmas program is
available for viewing, directed by Frederick De Cordova, producer of the
Tonight Show during the Carson era.

It is on record that Fred De Cordova also directed the Arthur Godfrey
programs for a time.  If anyone can expand on that information, I will
appreciate it.

His resume' could include a lot of other fascinating things as well.  He
passed away in 2001, just shy of 91 years old.
Unfortunately, Mr. De Cordova chose not to respond to my correspondence, sent
over several years well before his passing.  Too bad - he'd have been a great
source for material on Mr. Godfrey.

Quite a career.  If you'd like to see just how recent he was still involved
with Jack Benny and Johnny Carson, check him out on [removed]

Lee Munsick
That Godfrey Guy, who is looking forward to seeing lots of old and new
friends at FOTR.

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #249
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