Friday I will begin releasing a distribution to members of this
group who sign up for it. Because it was purchased from a
dealer, only dues-paying members of The Radio Enthusiasts of Puget
Sound can receive it. It is the largest and possibly most important
collection that I have released so far. It has 76 episodes, all in
wav. format so the sound quality is very good.
If you want this collection, as well as all the other material
that I release from the REPS Online Library for the full year of
your membership. you will have until Friday morning to join
REPS. To do so, follow these steps; (1) Type "Radio
Enthusiasts of Puget Sound" into your search field; (2) click on
the link to the website that appears at the top of the page; (3)
Hover on "Get Involved" at the top of the page that appears; (4)
click on "Become a Member" in the menu that appears; then pay using
PayPal or a credit card. After you join, please email a copy
of the receipt that you will receive almost immediately in your
Inbox to Jsecord@... and to me (lmaupin@...) so
we can get you up and running.
Because there are so many episodes I will spread the distro over
a number of days, depending how many join.
I. Introduction
This is the longest distro I have released this year, and
probably will be the most important one to collectors so far.
Here are a few facts about it:
1. All the files are in wav format and are of superior sound
quality.
2. Many of the series are lesser known and many of the
episodes are rare, some difficult if not impossible to obtain
elsewhere. If a series is not in the OTRR Library, not in
David Goldin's Index, not in Vintage Radio Logs and not in John
Dunning's On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio,
then I think most collectors would be comfortable in defining it as
very rare.
3. Several of the shows are not even from series, but are
unique special broadcasts, such as "The Brookhaven, Mississippi
Water Carnival Coverage" and "The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity
Program." One is an Audition tape ("Phil Crisp for Hess Shoe
Stores").
4. Several are daytime series, which I recently noted that a
collector remarked are under-represented among surviving OTR
series. Our day begins with two early morning talk, news,
weather, and musical programs (musical variety) that help us wake
up with our first cup of coffee, they being Dude Martin's
Sunrise Roundup and Morning in Maryland. We
also have two episodes of Matinee With Bob and Ray (the
"matinee" tips us off that they were aired in the afternoon), one
of Dorothy Dix (morning or afternoon according to
internal evidence but no exact time available), and one of
Arthur Godfrey Time, not rare but a daytime staple).
Finally, two episodes of Young Dr. Malone, our only soap
opera.
5. Also included are several scientific series that are much
more interesting to listen to than one might think (for example,
one reports on a huge, unanticipated volcanic explosion and another
on biochemical mutants of bacteria and another on population
changes in the animal world); two religious programs (Hymns From
Home and The Baptist Hour); a few visits to the
eorld of stage, screen and romance (Four Story Theater, Sunsweet
Surprise Theatre, Here's To Romance and Lux Radio Theater); two
classical music presentations ("Philadelphia Orchestra" and
Great Moments in Music); two news broadcasts ("Drew Pearson"
and "Elmer Peterson and the News"); two sitcoms, a legal drama, a
detective show and a popular juvenile series.
II. List of Episodes
1. FDR Memorial: "Network Broadcast Segments" (April
15, 1945)
JACK ARMSTRONG, THE ALL-AMERICAN BOY: Jack Armstrong.
The All-American Boy. In On the Air: The Encyclopedia
of Old-Time Radio (p.352), John Dunning describes the
genre as "juvenile adventure serial." He notes that "from
August 31, 1942 until August 29, 1947" the program was aired "on
the Blue Network of ABC as 15-minute continuations weekdays at 5:30
for Wheaties." The dates of all three episodes in this
collection fall within that time frame:
1. "The Hidden City of Death Valley" (June 4,
1945). Recorded from Chicago as part of The Funny Paper
Theater, presented by "your Chicago Sunday
Tribune."
2. "The Trial of the Silencer" (September
4, 1945). Sponsored by Wheaties, "Breakfast of
Champions."
3. "The Trial of the Silencer" (September 6,
1945). Premium offer of the Wheaties Library of
Sports.
Phil Crist: "Audition For Hess Shoe Stores" (July 19,
1945)
Showstoppers: "Abbott&Costello" (February 20,
1946)
Lux Radio Theater: "One More Tomorrow" (June 8, 1947).
Rehearsal.
Mr. President: "Ulysses S. Grant" (July 24, 1947)
Arthur Godfrey Time (Friday, November 28, 1947):
Sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes, and opens with Arthur singing
"In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia." A guest at last
night's Thanksgiving party approached Arthur and said "It's dull
here. Let's go home." Arthur replied "I can't. I'm the
host!" Jeanette Davis sings "Sit Right Down and Write Myself
a Letter." A listener has written suggesting that Arthur try
comedy sometime. After her final song of the day Arthur bids
Jeanette farewell on her trip to Chicago and says "See you Monday."
CBS.
The Man Called X: "Checkmate in Tahiti" (November 30,
1947)
Sunsweet Surprise Theatre: "Time In Memorium" (November
30, 1947). [4:36]. 8:25am. CBS. Sponsored by The
Sunsweet Growers ("Sunsweet Tenderized Prunes and Sunsweet Prune
Juice"). Introduction: "8:25, curtain time." The series
"brings you true drama, drama from real life."
On Stage America: "Guest, Paul Winchell" (December 1,
1947)
Fred Waring: "Salute To Walt Disney" (December 5,
1947). Dunning (pp.269-70) calls this a "musical variety"
that was heard on this date "on NBC Monday at 10:30 for General
Electric."
Opie Cates: "Star Witness For the Defense" (December
14, 1947)
You Bet Your Life: "Outtake, Incomplete Show" (January
20, 1948). Dunning (p.732) lists the genre as "comedy-quiz"
and notes that during this time it aired Mondays at 8:30 on ABC for
Elgin-American.
Dude Martin's Sunrise Roundup (February 11, 1948):
According to the host, this program was aired from 6:15-6:45am
weekday mornings on KGO-San Francisco. In this, possibly the
only surviving episode of the series, we hear "This is Dude Martin
speakin', and here comes your Sunrise Roundup. Thirty minutes
loaded with Western music, a little bit of weather, a smiddlin' of
news, the correct time and anything else we can think of." At
6:20 he invites listeners to pour themselves "a nice friendly cup
of coffee" and look over the news with him. The weather
report achieves flights of poetry with the beautiful place names
such as the Bay area, "the fresh, northwesterly winds [soaring]
through the passes of the Sierra Nevadas," all along the coast, and
the Sacramento and San Joachin Valleys.
Eddy Howard (March 28, 1948):"The Shaefer Parade."
Introduction: "Here it comes! 'The Shaefer Parade' starring Eddie
Howard. On behalf of Shaefer news everywhere...The
W.A.Shaefer Pen Company....invites you to join us for a colorful
procession of popular melodies by the man behind the songs and his
band of the year, Eddie Howard."
18. The Baptist Hour (June 6, 1948)
19. Drew Pearson: "Live From Washington, D.C."
(October 30, 1948). End clipped. Sponsored by Lee
Hats. Commercials for The Adventurer state, "While it looks
like a regulation felt hat, it is so incredibly light you scarcely
know you have it on." The price is ten dollars.
Summary: Next Tuesday the 1948 presidential election will be
held. Tonight's news is from London, Vienna, San Francisco,
Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Detroit, New York and
Moscow. The proposed expansion of NATO is being debated, as
is the formation of a Scandanavian Defense Pact. Pearson
predicts that Strom Thurmond, the Dixiecrat candidate, will win
South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama.
20. "Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Program" (October 30,
1948): Live from Minneapolis, Minnesota [Part 2 only].
21. Dorothy Dix (January 10, 1949): "Every day at
this time you are invited to listen to Dorothy Dix, the world's
foremost confidante, whose great understanding of everyone's
problems will help you open the door to a happier life." The
program was carried on ABC, internal evidence suggesting that it
was probably heard five days every week in either the morning or
afternoon because it has a promo for Kay Kaiser's College of
Musical Knowledge which it states will be heard "later
today." The episode is 15 minutes in length and sponsored by
Sealtest Milk. It may be rare. There is no entry in
Vintage Radio Logs and the fact that three episodes (not this one)
are summarized in David Goldin's Index does not mean those are in
circulation. I found no entry in the OTRR Library, and the
series is not mentioned in Dunning's On the Air. It is
entertaining, and has the unique old-time radio aura. Dorothy
reads a letter from a young woman who is "going about" with a
married man who happens to be her boss. Their relationship is
dramatized.
22. The Baptist Hour (May 9, 1949)
23. "Brookhaven, Mississippi Water Carnival Coverage" (July 7,
1949). WJMB air check.
MORNING IN MARYLAND: A weekday program aired on station WFBR
in Baltimore, Maryland in 1949 and 1950. It is structured
very much like Sundial with Arthur Godfrey a decade
earlier, consisting almost entirely of humor, birthday greetings to
listeners, weather reports, recorded music and commercials.
The two episodes in this collection, which are wav files and of
almost perfect sound quality, seem to be the only which have
survived. The program is not in the OTRR Library, or David
Goldin's Index, or Vintage Radio Logs or John Dunning's On the
Air:
1. Morning in Maryland (September 29, 1949): "This
is the Thursday, September 29th edition of Morning in Maryland."
Recorded and transcribed on WFBR-Baltimore. The program
begins at 8am with birthday greetings, a weather report, a
commercial for Kool Cigarettes and the song "Your Great Big
Beautiful Eyes." The hosts are two brothers, Jim and Phil
Crisp, who call themselves "The Cream Puffs" and engage in humorous
exchanges. One of the birthday greetings is for an
84-year-old woman who lives at the Snider Convalescent Center on
Hartford Road.
2. Morning in Maryland (March 22, 1950): This
episode was digitized on two different files, the second of which
is labeled "Mennen Shave Time" and identified as "Short
Segment." It begins at 7:15am with a commercial. Then
recordings of "It Isn't Fair" by Don Cornell and "I Don't Know
Whether To Laugh or Cry" by Jeanette Davis. Also birthday
greetings and a weather report.
The other file for March 22 is labeled "15-minute Segment" and
begins at 7:36am with a Colgate Toothpaste commercial and banter
between the Crisp brothers. "And so we conclude The Arnold
Bakery Hour for this morning, till Friday same time. Fifteen
minutes before eight o'clock, WFBR-Baltimore, Morning in
Maryland." Murine commercial
26. Your Hit Parade (September 16, 1950): John
Dunning (p.738) characterizes the series as "popular music" Between
April 26, 1947 and January 16, 1953 it was aired on NBC Saturdays
at 9pm.
27-28. Bob and Ray (June 11, 1951); (June 25,
1951): On page 99 Dunning writes the following: "Comedy and satire
1946-51. WHDH-Boston as Matinee with Bob and Ray. Various
days and times."
29. Meet Millie: "Uncle To Wed a Gold Digger"
(1950). An ethnic sitcom set in New York City. Vintage
Radio Logs lists five episodes, none of which are this one, and
provides some excellent background information about the series:
three of the shows were sustained by CBS, aired Tuesdays at
10:00-10:30pm and starred Audrey Totter, Bea Benaderet and William
Tracy. The other two had a slightly different cast and were
sponsored by Brylcreme.
30. Father Knows Best (October 1, 1953): "A
Date Mix-up with Leonard, Ralph and Betty" Dunning (p.243)
notes that the series is a "situation comedy" and that it aired
"Thursdays at 8:30 on NBC for General Foods" on this date.
31. Way Back Home: "Monday Broadcast" (December 21,
1953). "Wherever you are, this is that special music from way
back home. Come on along as Armed Forces Radio and
broadcasting stations all over the U.S.A. help to take you way back
home. Two sergeants from Kingsville, Texas would like to hear from
their home town radio station KINE." A young wife dedicates
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" to her husband stationed in
Okinawa. "WAC pfc Helen M. Bower, stationed in Germany,
should get a kick out of this report from Alliance, Ohio." It
begins with an air check from station WFAH-AM&FM.
32. Way Back Home: "Tuesday Broadcast" (December 22,
1953)
33. The Comic Weekly Man (July 19, 1955).
The series "aired from 1947 to 1954, and was [a series in which the
main character] read the Sunday Comics in a dramatic fashion,
complete with music and sound effects. Adults and children of
all ages would tune in to hear the show and enjoy the antics.
Strips included Blondie, Beatle Bailey, Hi and Lois as
well as many others." Source: Old-Time Radio Researchers Library on
the Internet Archive.
ADVENTURES IN RESEARCH
These programs "were produced in co-operation with the
Westinghouse Research Laboratories":
34. "Sir William's Rocket" (#0362)
35. "The Magic Keyboard" (#0363)
36. "The Spinning Barber": Set in England in 1756
(#0546)
37. "Alexander the Great": Not the Greek Emperor
(#0547)
38. American Heritage: "The Crusades." starring Sir
Cedric Hardwicke
39. American Heritage: "Joe College in the 13th
Century." The story of life in Medieval Universities.
BEHIND THE STORY
"From Hollywood, The Armed Services Radio Service presents ...
stories unusual but true, as narrated by your favorite storyteller
Marvin Miller":
40. "The Crypt of Knowledge" (#306)
41. "The First Train Robbery" (#340)
42. "The Wild Bunch" (#341)
43. "Blue Streak and the Ghost Horse of the Plains"
(#346)
44. "William Clark Quantrille": Set during The Civil War, and
dramatizes "the Guerilla raid which destroyed the town of Lawrence,
Kansas." (#347)
45. "The Cat With the Crimson Eyes": The story of "a pair of
priceless rubies that played an important role in the fate of men
and nations." (#348)
47. Eddie Condon. AFRS. "Gentlemen,
ladies! All you G.I. hot fans from Ketchikan to Calcutta,
it's time now to visit Eddie Condon's Jazz Band Ball by direct
rebroadcast, straight from the hallowed Town Hall on the Island of
Manhattan. Now your host for this jazz bash, Fred
Robbins."
EXCURSIONS IN SCIENCE
Experts answer questions about all aspects of science mailed
in by listeners.
48. Excursions in Science: "Population Changes in the
Animal World" Described by science reporter Frank Singheiser
(#465).
49. Excursions in Science: "Rheumatic Disease"
(Frank Singheiser: #466).
50. Excursions in Science: "Biochemical Mutants of
Bacteria": Guest is Dr, Bernard D. Davis, Senior Scientist in
charge of the Tuberculosis Laboratory of the United States Public
Health Service. (#459).
51. Excursions in Science: "Notes About Eastman
House," a recently opened museum of photography in Rochester, New
York. (#060).
FOUR STORY THEATER
Host Leo Thomas Cleary describes this series as "stories to
touch your interest, your funnybone, perhaps your heart. Real
stories that could have happened to you."
52. "The Shopping Excursion": There like a little
gleam in the palm of her husband's hand was the largest diamond in
all the world.
53. "The Whole State of Texas": How could a high school boy
think of something so amazing that a city the size of Ft. Worth is
still talking about it years later?
54. Great Moments in Music: "The series presents
distinguished soloists, the chorus and orchestra in distinguished
selections from your favorite operas and operettas. This
evening Tosca by Puccini."
55. "Heard at Home: "How Should Parents Discipline Their
Children?" A rebroadcast of "The Northwestern University
Reviewing Stand," a discussion program heard in the United States
just recently."
56. Here's To Romance: "Here's a half-hour of
enjoyable music. Music easy to listen to. The grand old
show tunes from Broadway and Hollywood inspired by The Ray Bloch
Chorus." #011 (30 minutes).
57. Hollywood Radio Theater: "Out of the Great
God's Heart." Stories by the world's greatest authors" (30
minutes): This narrative, adapted from a romantic love story by
Stuart Gould, can also be described as a myth and is referred to
explicitly as a fairy tale by actress Gale Sondegaarde, who
introduces it and plays the leading role. Two young people
make a pact that if they ever lose their adoration for each other
they will part with no regrets. A magic ring plays a role in
the story's ending.
HYMNS FROM HOME: Old-time, Old-style hymns.
58. #0199: First hymn: "Saved, Saved, Saved"
59. #0200: First hymn: "Lead, Kindly Light"
60. Portrait of a City: "Syracuse, NY"
(#004). "The Armed Services Radio Service proudly presents a
study of America through its cities which have played an important
part in American progress down through the years."
SCIENCE MAGAZINE OF THE AIR: "Background information on the
news of the week from science laboratories throughout the
world.
61. #0438: The influence of weather, especially severe, on the
scheduling of "atom bomb" testing.
62. #0439: A news event from August 1, 1952 concerning the
witnessing of a tremendous volcanic eruption on the tiny,
uninhabited island of San Benedicto, a barren three-mile stretch of
land, by the crew of a tuna boat anchored some 300 miles off the
Mexican mainland
63. Woodmen of the World: "60th Anniversary
Program"
64. Woodmen of the World: "A Quest For Valor."
65th Anniversary Program.
YOU AND THE WORLD: With Dwight Cook. A series of
interviews with the leaders and the peoples of the Far East.
15 minutes each.
1. "Japan": Today's interview, held in the Katsu Hotel in
Tokyo, is with Frank Matsumoto, a member of the Japanese House of
Representatives from Hiroshima/
2. "Indian Planning Commission": Today's topic is the
5-Year-Plan to raise the living standard of the Indian
people. The interview is held in the Southeast Wing of the
President's House in New Delhi, "a huge yellow-red sandstone
building." It is in the office of Dr. Tauhit Singh, the
Deputy Secretary of the commission.
3. "Music of India": From Studio 13 of AIR, All-India
Radio in Broadcasting House on Parliament Street in New
Delhi. A group of "very carefully made selections of Indian
music."
4. "India:" Today is a summary of Mr. Cook's entire
visit. By tape recording from Old Delhi.
1. Young Doctor Malone: 10:30pm. At the
Three Oaks Medical Clinic, Jerry visits a troubled patient while
waiting for Ann's flight to arrive from New York after
midnight.
2. Young Doctor Malone: Ann counsels a headstrong
young man to delay his wedding until his father returns from out of
town. Today's recipe from sponsor Crisco is for coconut
custard pie.
