rand's esoteric otr

Safe at Home - Pgm 12

Here’s the last episode I have in my collection of the rather obscure public service series, “Safe at Home, syndicated by the Bureau of Health Education of the American Medical Association.

Program 12 looks at the dangers that lurk in common home cleaning materials and offers suggestions on properly storing and handling them.  The commentary is by Fred V. Hein, PhD, educational consultant of the Bureau.  The Roger Steele Trio plays music; the first tune is “It’s a Good Day”.  The announcer is Jack Sterling.  The show was directed by Martin Magner and written by Harriet H. Hester.

The show was transferred from an original sixteen inch vinyl WOR-Mutual transcription disc, matrix number 97718-12.

Safe at Home - Pgm 8

And now, another entry in the forgotten public service series “Safe at Home”, syndicated by the Bureau of Health Education of the American Medical Association.

Program 8 in the series looks at “Sharing Duties”; Fred V. Hein, PhD, educational consultant of the Bureau, and announcer Sterling discuss how husbands, wives, and children sharing responsibilities in the home contributes to the emotional life of the family.  As usual, music is provided by the Roger Steele Trio.

Our program was digitized from a 16” vinyl transcription from WOR-Mutual’s Recording Division.  The matrix number is 97718-8.

Safe at Home - Pgm 5

And now, another entry in the forgotten public service series “Safe at Home”, syndicated by the Bureau of Health Education of the American Medical Association.  Although the discs have handwritten dates in the late 50s from a local station, the program might have been recorded some years before that.

Program 5 in the series is titled “Safety in Toys”.  Fred V. Hein, PhD, educational consultant of the Bureau, and announcer Sterling discuss how toys that are chosen or given to children as “hand me downs” be age appropriate and safe for their stage of development.  The music is by the Riger Steele Trio.  The show was directed by Martin Magner and written by Harriet H. Hester.

The show was transferred from a beat up 16” vinyl transcription from WOR-Mutual’s Recording Division.  The matrix number is 97718-5.

 

Curtis Springer for Acidine - Pgm 5

And now the last episode I have in my collection of an obscure early 30s syndicated radio show featuring Curtis H. Springer, the “King of the Quacks”, with his advice on “the facts about life”.  You can read more about Springer in my first post on the series.

In program 5, Springer starts off his commentary talking about old family photographs, leading into his pitch for how fashions can be damaging to health.  The sponsor is Acidine and your announcer is Hal Dean.

Our mp3 was transferred direct from a translucent blue one-sided 16” celluloid Brunswick transcription, matrix number 9153.  The disc was pressed by Flexo, a manufacturer of promotional and radio-related discs made with experimental plastics in the early 1930s.  The series was recorded in Chicago.

Safe at Home - Pgm 1

Now we kick off a few episodes of another obscure public service series that I haven’t really been able to dig up much on.  “Safe at Home” was syndicated by the Bureau of Health Education of the American Medical Association.  A local station penned 1958 dates on the label, but I’m not sure when the series might have originally been distributed.

Program 1 in the series is “Care in the Kitchen” and consists of a little drama about a husband and wife with commentary by Fred V. Hein, PhD, educational consultant of the Bureau.  The Roger Steele Trio plays music; the first tune is “It’s All Right With Me”.  The announcer is Jack Sterling.  The show was directed by Martin Magner and written by Harriet H. Hester.

Our transfer is from a rather abused 16” vinyl transcription from WOR-Mutual’s Recording Division.  The matrix number is 97718-1.

 

Curtis Springer for Acidine - Pgm 4

Here’s another episode of an early series from “the King of the Quacks”, Curtis H. Springer.  You can read more about Springer and the series in my original post about the program.

In program 4, Springer answers a letter from a listener who has a spouse that isn’t supportive of their career and his commentary deals with people who “drag their feet” with no “ambition”.  The show is sponsored by Acidine, “nature’s acid reducer”.  The announcer is Hal Deen.  It was probably syndicated in 1934.

The program was transferred directly from an original single-sided translucent blue celluloid Brunswick transcription, matrix number 9152, manufactured by Flexo.  The “whooshing” sounds you hear in the recording are a result of these experimental plastic records distorting over the years.

Curtis Springer for Acidine - Pgm 3

Now we continue our run of the first five episodes of “Curtis Springer”, a daily fifteen minute show featuring commentary by the “King of Quacks” with his advice on the “facts about life”.  You can read more about Springer in my first post on the series.

In this episode talks about two “dizzy blondes” he overheard at a restaurant talking about doping up kids they were supposed to be babysitting when they went out for a hot night of dancing.  He didn’t intervene or report the conversation because he would be wasting his time trying to give advice to someone who doesn’t want it.  This syndicated series was sponsored by Acidine.

The mp3 you’re listening to was transferred direct from a translucent blue one-sided 16” celluloid Brunswick transcription, matrix number 9151, pressed by Flexo, a manufacturer of promotional and radio-related discs made with experimental plastics in the early 1930s.

Again, I think these may be the only surviving radio programs by Springer from the 1930s.

Curtis H. Springer for Acidine - Pgm 2

Once again, after a long break on the blog, we pick up again with an early radio broadcast by medical quack Curtis H. Springer.  You can read more about him and the series in my first post in the series.

In program 2, Springer goes on rambling diatribe about gossip.  The show recorded in studios in Chicago and was sponsored by Acidine.  It was probably syndicated around 1934.  The announcer is identified in program 4 as Hal Dean.

Our mp3 was transferred from a translucent blue one-sided 16” celluloid transcription with a Brunswick label, matrix number 9150-1.  The disc was pressed by Flexo, which was producing various promotional and radio related discs from experimental plastics at the time.  The surface noise you hear is the result of the deforming of the plastics as it has aged.  These discs are rather unpleasant to work with - they have a strong smell of camphor.

Has anyone else run into any of these Flexo discs released by Brunswick?  I posted an early “Front Page Drama” some time ago with the same red Brunswick label, but pressed on thick heavy shellac.

I have the first five episodes in this series and will be posting the rest in coming weeks.  As far as I can tell, these are previously lost and uncirculated and probably the only broadcasts surviving from a man that was called the “King of Quacks”.

Curtis H. Springer for Acidine - Pgm 1

Curtis H. Springer was a unique American character.  The self-described "last of the old-time medicine men", Springer got his start working with Billy Sunday's evangelical outfit and, in the 1930s, toured around the country and gave lectures, presenting himself as a member of the "National Academy", the "Springer School of Humanism", the American College of Doctors and Surgeons and other organizations, asking for donations.

Working out of Chicago, Springer appeared on radio hawking various patent medicines.  He applied for airtime on WGN and the station contacted the American Medical Association to check out his credentials.  The AMA was appalled and produced a journal article on Springer, calling him the "King of Quacks".

In this post, we hear Program 1 of a series Springer appeared in hawking Acidine, "Nature's Normalizer for Acid Stomachs", for United Remedies.  It's one of five discs of the series I picked up in an auction a few months ago.  In the shows, Springer takes questions from listeners that mix a homespun philosophies about religion and healthful living with colorful stories about his own life and the people he's met in his travels.  In the first program of the series, Springer advises a listener about mortgaging their house to pay for their son's college education.  Springer, of course, comes down on the side of experience and drive, rather than a college education, to get ahead in life.  The commercial announcer is identified in program 4 as Hal Dean.

I've found a couple of listings for what I think is this program in "Radio Guide" and "Broadcasting" magazines from 1934, so that's the likely time frame they were originally heard.

Springer would go on to found the Zzyzx health spa in the Mojave Desert of California in 1944, continuing his syndicated radio programs.  In 1974, Federal authorities shut down Springer's operation, convicting him of squatting on Federal lands and making false claims about the health foods and remedies he sold.

Our program was transferred from an original single-sided translucent blue celluloid Brunswick transcription, matrix number 9149.  The disc was pressed by Flexo, which was producing various promotion and radio-related plastic and celluloid discs.  Unfortunately, the transcription, like many Flexo pressings has distorted over time, so it was a little difficult to play - you'll hear some noise and "swoosh" sounds from the aging plastic surface.

The show was previously lost and uncirculated.  I'll post the other discs I found from the series later - from what I can tell, these are the only surviving broadcasts by the "King of Quacks".

American Cancer Society - 1948 Fund Drive - Square Moon

Michael Utz recently donated another curious little disc to my collection, this one from the American Cancer Society's 1948 Fund Drive.

Cancer, along with mental illness, and several other health issues, used to be very taboo subjects - the disease could be so devastating that it wasn't something that was talked about in polite company.  This little drama "Square Moon", attempts to combat this attitude and the resulting fear and misinformation that can result. In the show, a man goes to his doc with a sore on his lip and deals with the prospect that he might have cancer by trying to find out as much about the disease as he can.  The description of cancer he reads in a book at the library makes it sound like the disease is a Communist invasion. Unintentional creepy moment in the program:  He visits a cancer research lab and the doc there offers him a cigarette to calm his nerves (and he thanks the doc for it on his way out of the lab). The show was recorded by the American Broadcasting Company Recording Division.  It was digitized from a vinyl American Cancer Society transcription, matrix number ABC 562 Thanks again Mike for this unusual show!