October 29, 2009
Here’s a rare treat with a Halloween theme - some music composed especially for the spooky season.
It’s a concert from the “Hollywood Bowl”, distributed as Program 78 in the series when it was broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Service. According to Jim Hiliker of Monterey, California on the OTR mailing list, KFI locally broadcast the Hollywood Bowl concerts in the 30s and 40s, so the show probably originated at KFI.
A Mario Lanza website dates this particular show to July 24, 1948. It’s “MGM Night”, so we hear various musicians and personalities under contract to the studio. The orchestra is conducted by Miklos Rozsa and we hear Mario Lanza, very early in his Hollywood career, and Kathryn Grayson doing the vocal duties. The program opens with the overture to the “Bartered Bride” and we hear works by Puccini and Victor Herbert.
The highlight of the show is “The Halloween Suite” composed by none other than actor Lionel Barrymore, who also provides narration for the piece. This “Time” magazine article from 1944, notes that Barrymore had composed hundreds of works in the since the turn of the century, a side of the famous actor not as well known as his work on the screen.
The show was transferred from an original undated AFRS vinyl transcription set and appears to be uncommon or uncirculated among old time radio enthusiasts.
updated 11.3.2009: Corrected spelling of “Miklos Rozsa”.
October 28, 2009
A few months back, we heard the first show in the series “Mercer Mcleod, The Man with the Story”, syndicated by NBC in the 1940s. In the show, talented actor Mercer Mcleod plays all the roles, except the females, which are played by the mysteriously billed “Rita”. All the shows have a supernatural theme, so that makes Halloween a good time to give another program in the series a spin.
Program 2 in the series is “Music Box from Hades”, concerning a man who finds a music box that can kill.
The show was transferred from vinyl NBC Orthacoustic Syndicated Program Series transcription, matrix ND5-MM-11445-5.
If you ever run into any transcriptions for this series, let me know - I really enjoy it and would like to add more to my collection beyond the single disc I have.
Here’s another lost/uncirculated episode in the Ziv syndicated drama series, “Your Movietown Radio Theatre”, dated by Goldin to circa 1947-48.
Program 19 is something of a mystery play, “Goodbye My Love” and stars Lurene Tuttle. Her character tells the story of her husband, an up and coming novelist, who receives a strange telegram from another writer, inviting him to collaborate on a new book. As usual, the opening announcements and commercials aren’t included, since these would be read by your local announcer.
The show was transferred from original ZIV vinyl transcription set, matrix numbers UR 174878 and UR 174879 AU1. The disc suffered water damage, obscuring the label, so there’s no photo and I’ve run the file through click reduction software to improve the sound of this rather scratched disc set.
updated 10.29.2009 - corrected spelling of “Lurene Tuttle”
It’s back to Centerville now and the adventures of the “American Family Robinson”, a syndicated mid 1930s serial paid for by the National Industrial Council (the National Association of Manufacturers) to influence public opinion about FDR’s economic policies.
Betty and Dick returned from their honeymoon last week. This week, in Program 43, they find Windy Bill camping out in their house. Will the young couple be able to get rid of their unwanted house guest so they can have some time alone?
The program was transferred from an original World Broadcasting acetate transcription, matrix number SS 8723-2.
Jimmy Powers continues narrating the life story of sports writer Grantland Rice this week. Episode GRS-6 is titled “Great Athletes - Past and Present” and we hear thoughts from Grantland Rice about the great “iron men” of sports and how they’ve become “specialists” in recent years.
The show was transferred from original RCA Thesaurus 12″ transcription, matrix number F7-MR-5074-1A.
October 23, 2009
The “Historical Dictionary of Amercian radio soap operas” by Jim Cox notes that “Five Star Matinee” was broadcast from December 31, 1956 through December 1958 and was placed on NBC’s daytime schedule after the magazine-style program “Weekday” went off the air. It was a drama anthology designed to appeal to daytime listeners, primarily women. According to a 2006 newsletter from the Old Time Radio Researcher’s Group, only around twenty episodes of the series survive, something not uncommon with late era old time radio broadcasts that were often recorded on tape that was reused or discarded. So, here on the blog, I’m offering up the only show I have in the series.
Program 43, as broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service and dated September 19, 1958 in the disc matrix, is a drama called “The Man is Always Right” by Sophie Kerr.
The show was transferred from an original AFRTS vinyl microgroove transcription.
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Hildegarde — randsesotericotr @ 8:47 pm
Hildegarde returns to the blog this week with another previously lost episode of her series “The Raleigh Room” originally broadcast on NBC.
In this post, we hear the episode of September 25, 1945 heard on the Armed Forces Radio Service as program 23 in the series, “Hildegarde”. Hildegarde starts off the show with her chipper version of “It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day”. Guests are comedian Willie Howard, Paulette Goddard and Harry Conover and one of his models, Marsha.
The show was transferred from an original AFRS vinyl transcription, matrix numbers HD5-MM-12784-1 and HD5-MM12785-1, probably pressed by RCA. Date is from the transcription matrix. The original disc has groove damage and has been sent through some click reduction software to improve the sound.
Note: This program contains racial stereotyping themes that may be offensive to some listeners.
Here’s the next to last excerpt of the CBS series “Pick and Pat” in my collection, drawn from a set of discs produced for the series producer, Frank Macmahon.
This is part two (of three parts) of an undated show from 1938. Pick and Pat’s routine is about appearing in court because one of the pair is accused of stealing chickens. The band plays “There’s a Far Away Look in Your Eyes” with a solo by Benny Krueger. Edward Roecker sings “Did Your Mother Come from Ireland?”.
The excerpt of this otherwise lost show was transferred from original WABC aircheck laquer recorded by Advertiser’s Recording Service, New York.
Now we return to Centerville for “American Family Robinson”, a serial drama on the life of a small town newspaper editor and his wacky family, sponsored by the National Industrial Council as part of their mid-1930s propaganda efforts to combat FDR’s New Deal economic policies.
This week, Luke and Mrs. Robinson rush to greet newlyweds betty and dick at the railroad station as their daughter and new son in law return from their honeymoon. Of course, this fun little comedic episode quickly turns into a conversation about how farmers don’t like socialism.
The show was transferred from an original World Broadcasters, Inc acetate transcription, matrix number SS 8722-2.
Jimmy Powers returns narrating “The Grantland Rice Story” in this program syndicated by RCA Thesaurus in the mid 1950s.
Program GRS-5 is titled “The Dempsey-Tunny Fights” and features and interview with Jack Dempsey, reflecting on his years in boxing and Grantland Rice.
The program was transferred from original RCA Thesaurus 12″ transcription, matrix number F7-MR-5060-1A.
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