"Lost" I LOVE A MYSTERY Found!

Carlton E. Morse

A few years ago at the Friends of Old Time Radio Convention in Newark, New Jersey, a good friend of mine, Brendan Faulkner, told a story that intrigued me. "Back around 1970, a film club that I belonged to in New York City was screening all three of the Columbia I Love A Mystery films," he recalled, "plus the (at that time) unaired TV movie of I Love A Mystery (with Ida Lupino). One of the fellows that ran the club was Chris Steinbrunner, a noted film and mystery historian, who told me that he had tried to arrange for an I Love A Mystery pilot made by ZIV as a special treat. I forget now why this didn't happen. Until he mentioned this pilot to me, I never knew it existed." Until Brendan told this to me, I never knew this existed, either.

Unfortunately there was no way to get any more information since Chris  passed away a number of years ago. If my memory serves me correctly, the details are more intriguing. If I recall accurately, Chris had acquired a copy but apologized in person to the fan club. It seems someone broke into his house and stole the only print of the 25-minute TV pilot. It was never screened and the fans spent the night watching all three Columbia pictures and the Batman-camp-style made-for-TV pilot movie with Ida Lupino.

Flash forward a couple years. Browsing the Ziv-TV archives with the assistance of John Ruklick, I mentioned the unsold pilot to John and asked him to copy whatever he finds about I Love A Mystery, provided there is something. Everything was filed away alphabetically and following I Led Three Lives was nothing. But persistence pays off because looking over everything, following the letter Z was one file all by itself. It was labeled, "I Love A Mystery." ZIV really did produce a pilot of the same name! Sadly, the shooting script was not available in the archive. And imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the proposed series was not based on the I Love A Mystery radio program, created and written by Carlton E. Morse. It was nothing more than an anthology of mystery stories.

There is a shining light at the end of the tunnel. Recently, Brendan came across an oddity on eBay and brought it to my attention. "On eBay a good while ago there was a fellow selling a letter that was from Dick Powell (representing Four Star) looking into the rights to the show," he explained. "The weird thing was that the actual reproduction of the letter was not coming up. It was a picture of something else. I emailed the seller and asked exactly what the letter entailed and explained that the reason I was asking was because a photo of a different item was coming up. He answered that he would correct the error, but he never did. He just took the listing off. I contacted him again about this letter but he never got back to me." This comes as no surprise to me. In 1961, Broadcasting magazine reported that Four Star had secured the television rights to The Adventures of Sam Spade, another popular radio mystery, and that filming has recently been completed with Peter Falk in the title role. To date, neither the Sam Spade or the I Love A Mystery pilots produced by Four Star have surfaced for collectors and fans of the program. That is, if ILAM was truly produced by Four Star.

So for all you die-hards who are curious to look over the production paperwork, the following might be of interest so I am reprinting them below (with some explanation).

Inter-office memo dated September 12, 1955

Inter-office memos like this one often reveal juicy details of what was going on behind the scenes. While pursuing the Warner Brothers television files, for example, I discovered that Ty Hardin (Bronco) was showing up at the set not knowing his lines and this was pre-empting production. It seems a number of directors had complained and the inter-office memo revealed the studio heads' various options at how to approach the actor.

  

Another inter-office memo between executives at NBC (East Coast and West Coast) asked that each other keep tabs on a certain radio celebrity because, as they mildly put it, "is one of the slickest operators we have." Seems when the show was making the move from one coast to another, they wanted to make sure he wasn't going to try pulling off the same stunts he already accomplished. 

A recent trip to the Library of Congress with my good friend Neal Ellis revealed an inter-office memo about Ed Wynn being reprimanded for leaving cigarette butts in the studio! This inter-office memo also reveals the official name of the company, Ziv Television Programs, Inc., evident by the letterhead. The memo was also carbon copied to William Castle, the director, so he was made aware that Sidney Blackmer's participation had to be limited to one day (which meant no retakes or staggering behind in production).

Operation Sheet

For those who are not aware, television production from the fifties and sixties did not extensively credit every person involved. Unless they were a member of a union or guild, in which their contracts stipulate on-screen credit, or they played a major part of production, the crew (regular or irregular) were not usually credited on the screen.

Operation sheets were drafted for every television production, revealing who exactly was involved with the production. The first assistant cameraman (Dave Curlin), the assistant prop man (Robert Murdock), the electricians (Charles Stockwell, Charles Hanger, Harold Kraus, Richard Brightmier and E. Newbaur), and the recorder (Ken Corson) were among the handful of people who were never credited during the closing credits.

I do want to apologize in advance for the scans. Most of the production sheets were on legal paper, not letter. My scanner is not long enough to scan them in their entirety, so I was forced to cut off the bottom inch or two of each scan.

Hence, "Operation Sheet" (with the caption below it) is missing some of the details such as gaffer (Joe Wharton), set labor (Sol Inverso) and construction chief (Dee Bolhius). It should also be noted that production sheets were not always accurate when it came to the spelling of cast and crew. So if you ever consult such sheets for your write-up, I suggest you double check the spelling of the names. Sometimes this can be very difficult when the last name is spelled two different ways in the closing credits of the same series (I've come across that before)!

The first sheet reveals, as you can see, the exact days of filming. In this case, September 15, 16 and 17, 1955. While the name of the series is I Love A Mystery, the name of the actual drama is "I Owe You." Obviously, the next episode would have had a different title (such as.... "The Case of the Queer Poison). You might have also observed the type of film they used, 35mm, which was standard in TV production.

Also note that the episode was filmed in black and white. This is a clear indication that the pilot was not filmed in color. Way too many times I have read where a program or specific episode was supposed to be in color and those ignorant of the facts, hurt themselves by not buying a commercial DVD when they believe there is a better print elsewhere. For years I had a copy of a television pilot for The Phantom, with Lon Chaney Jr. and Paulette Goddard, in black and white. Boy, was I surprised when someone turned up a 16mm print in color!

For ZIV Television, this can be confusing. All of The Cisco Kid television episodes were filmed in color. Yet, black and white prints exist in collector circles. For I Led Three Lives, which ran three seasons, only season two was filmed in color. This confuses fans who "believe" that all three seasons were shot in color.

For Science Fiction Theatre, Ziv shot the first season in color and the second season in black and white. Why? Because enough stations renewed the series for a second season, but not enough to warrant the additional expense, so Ziv agreed with producer Ivan Tors that he could have a second season if he was willing to have the series filmed in black an white. Tors agreed. So the belief that every episode of any particular series was shot solely in one format needs not apply. (Heck, remember F-Troop? The first season was shot in black and white and the second season was shot in color.)

The last Operation Sheet reveals how many extras and standins were available during filming, and exactly which day or days each actor was needed for filming. Most of us know that television episodes are never filmed in sequential order. Scene 24 can be filmed before Scene 3, to accommodate for the actors' schedules. 

Daily Production Sheets are commonly found for each and every television episode. Since the entire production was filmed in a studio and not on location, the first sheet (dated Wednesday, September 14, 1955) reveals the exterior of the roadside diner was constructed inside. The word "format" on the top right and the narrator, Paul Kelley, used for the opening voice over narration, means that production on this evening was for the title sequence, which would have been used for each and every episode of the series.

Recognizing the emerging importance of television, in 1950 Ziv signed a five-year $100,000 lease with California Studios in Hollywood to produce television programming. By 1952 Ziv Television Programs Inc. had nine series available for syndication including Sports Album and Yesterday’s Newsreel as well The Cisco Kid, Boston Blackie, The Unexpected, The Living Book, and Story Theatre. 

Ziv also offered a package of feature films reportedly leased from distributor Budd Rogers, and a cartoon package leased from Walter Lantz. Realizing that the company was truly in the television production business, Ziv purchased American National Studios (formerly Eagle- Lion Pathé Studio) on Santa Monica Boulevard in late December 1954 for a reported $1.7 million. I mention this because you'll notice that American National Studio was listed on the Daily Production Sheet.

Howard Duff and Maria Riva carried most of the scenes on I Love A Mystery, as evident not only because they were among the cast for all three days of production, but the only actors required for the first day of filming.

Notice how the studio kept track of when the actors appeared for hair and makeup, how long their lunch breaks are, and number of film produced including "negative waste."

Keeping tabs of how much film was put into the can, by the day, was very important. This let the studio know if they were falling behind or ahead on schedule. 

On the final Daily Production Sheet, you'll notice the notation that the camera crew was dismissed at 6 p.m., but sound continued until 6:15. That means one of the actors, Dennis King Jr. (as you can see on the "Time In Studio") was providing his voice for an audio recording to be played on the program (the voice on the other end of the telephone).

Such notations are not uncommon and often reveal who tore their pants on the set, when a battery backup went dead while filming on location, and other factors that explained why a brief delay in production.

Ziv dominated the field. Of the six distributor categories in Billboard’s fourth annual TV film service awards, ZIV-TV won first place in four and was second in one. As far as the poll was concerned, ZIV-TV in 1955 (the same year this pilot was made) maintained its leadership in TV film syndication. The company’s status in the Billboard polls remained constant through most of the 1950s in the same manner.

No one knows why I Love A Mystery never sold. Historians only speculate that the title of the program might have been a conflict with the Carlton E. Morse program, but that is only speculation. “Most of our shows were not offered to the network,” Ziv recalled to interviewer Irv Broughton. “A program like Sea Hunt, for example, was turned down by the network. We showed it to each of the networks, showed them the pilot. They liked the pilot, but they figured—and each one seemed to be of the same opinion—‘Well, what do you do the second week and what do you do the third week—you’ve done it all the first week.’ Well, of course, they were wrong; we produced it year after year.”

The Cast Sheet reveals which actors played what fictitious roles, the name of the actors' agents, and phone numbers for both actors and agents. The Breakdown sheets reveal which scenes in the script were filmed (in which order), and props used on the set. 

While most major film studios operated five days a week, ZIV Television worked six days a week excluding Sundays—unusual for television production during the fifties. “Filmmaking was fun, but it was also hard to be a Latter-day Saint and work in the picture business during Hollywood’s heyday,” recalled director Henry Kesler. “The system itself worked to make it difficult to observe church teachings.”

“The folks at ZIV were more concerned with budget than our creative talents,” recalled director Leon Benson for a trade column in the early seventies. “I often felt the pressures when something went wrong. They passed around an internal memo one afternoon reminding those of us underpaid that each television production was to be completed within two shooting days. The next day a power outage put us a full hour behind schedule one morning and I was sweating every minute we waited for the power to return to the set.”

Howard Duff, by the way, had worked with Ziv Television before. In March of 1955, six months prior to filming this pilot, Duff made a guest appearance for Science Fiction Theatre. The episode was titled "Sound of Murder." During a top-secret conclave of scientists in Washington, one of the group, Dr. Kerwin, receives a phone message from his superior, Dr. Tom Mathews (Duff), to meet him in a certain hotel room. 

Kerwin is later discovered murdered, and key papers concerning a top-secret project are missing. Mathews is arrested both because of the phone call and more importantly because he had disappeared for six hours that evening, deliberately losing an FBI agent assigned to guard him. Tom’s only explanation is that he went for a walk. But the ensuing Justice Department investigation turns up a number of phone calls which Mathews allegedly made to the other scientists on the project, in each case requesting secret information. Mathews is indicted, regardless of how much he claims innocence. His case seems hopeless, until Mathews and a scientist friend mathematically figures out how the phone calls were made, and how not only his voice was duplicated, but also his knowledge of the workings of the project, through the use of an intricate instrument called a “Sound Synthesizer,” used to replicate another man’s voice and calculates an answer to a question by the recipient. By this means they trap the real murderer and traitor.

 

What you will find below the Breakdown Sheets are the Standard Contracts for each and every actor who appeared in the pilot. Like the Operation Sheets and the Daily Production Reports, I did not scan the very bottom of each contract, because the actors' social security numbers were listed and for obvious reasons, I do not feel that providing such social security numbers would be appropriate.

In closing, while I found a copy of the unaired I Love A Mystery pilot, it is in the original 35mm format and I have no means of having it transferred to DVD. There is (as described above) proof that there is at least one 16mm master available in collector hands.

Update August 8, 2014: This blog post was originally published in July of 2011 and a private collector read it and discovered what they had was a Holy Grail for TV and OTR fans. He since contacted me and a few days ago the 16mm print arrived at my front door, courtesy of UPS. Working on having it transferred to DVD and with luck, it will be screened at this year's Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in September. 

The Road to Woodstock, August 1969

Here's a fun bit of trivia. Name as many musicians as you can that performed at Woodstock in 1969. If you want to make it more challenging, try to do this without naming a musician or group that did not attend Woodstock. Small hint: The Rolling Stones and The Beatles did not perform at Woodstock.

For three days in August 1969, half a million music lovers happily braved torrential rains, endured lack of food and clean water, and grooved to the cosmic blues of the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin, danced all night to the funky soul of Sly and the Family Stone and witnessed the birth of a new band called Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

This weekend marks the 45th Anniversary of what many consider the greatest rock concerts in American history. Such cultural movements are impossible to duplicate. Thankfully we have the DVDs and much of the festival can be revisited in the living room. To be fair, the music of the late sixties is not everyone's cup of tea. But if Joe Cocker, The Who, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, and Arlo Guthrie is your cup of tea, this concert is essential for any fan. The entire concert was captured on film and Warner Bros. shrewdly purchased the footage for a theatrical release in 1970. But that movie, 184 minutes in length, never featured performances from Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, or Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. A number of years ago the movie was re-edited to 225 minutes in length and rectified that problem -- as well as additional musical performances of Jimi Hendrix.

The 40th Anniversary DVD set of Woodstock (1969-1970).

In June of 2009, a remastered 40th Anniversary edition was released on both Blu-ray and DVD. The 40th Anniversary edition is available as both a two-disc "Special Edition" and a three-disc "Ultimate Collector’s Edition." The film was newly remastered and provided a new 5.1 audio mix. Two extra hours of rare performance footage features 18 new performances as never before seen from 13 groups, including Joan Baez, Country Joe McDonald, Santana, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Joe Cocker and five (Paul Butterfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Grateful Dead, Johnny Winter and Mountain) who played at Woodstock but never appeared in any film version. This is the essential "must-see" version.

Even if you are not a fan of watching music documentaries, Michael Lang's book, The Road to Woodstock, provides a back-stage pass to the inner working of the festival. From winning over the agents, promoters, the townspeople, fleets of volunteers, construction of the stage, medical supplies needed for young kids who took too many drugs, the design of the poster, which musicians turned down the offer to perform and how much each group got paid... it's all here. In the back of the book, there is a complete list of every performer and every song performed on stage -- possibly in the order of their appearance on stage. (Not sure how accurate the list is. There are other lists in other reference books and they conflict.)

The book even has memories and recollections from performers such as Richie Havens, Alex Del Zoppo, John Sebastian, Fred Herrera, Country Joe McDonald, Carlos Santana, Paul Kantner, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia, Peter Townshend, Roger Daltry, Leo Lyons, Joe Cocker, David Crosby, Graham Nash and more. There's even a reprint of a map of the festival.

Joe Cocker at Woodstock

Having watched the documentary half a dozen times over the past 20 years, I found the book an excellent way to educate myself. Now I know who the people are I see in the documentary speaking on the stage, the folks interviewed on camera and what some of the announcements coming over the loud speakers really meant. 

Michael Lang was the man responsible for making Woodstock happen so it seems only fitting to hear it in his own words. Would you rather read a biography about a Hollywood actor or read their autobiography and hear the story in their own words? That's why I bought this book. (The only mistake I caught was crediting Credence Clearwater Revival's Stu Cook on drums and Doug Clifford on bass. Should be the other way around.)

Despite the terrible weather (rain storm and lots of mud), insane crowds (roads were blocked with a serious traffic jam for three days), lack of food, medical services and sanitation, it all came off without any crime at all. No stabbings, no rape, no theft. It truly was three days of peace and love. If you plan to go to the beach this summer and looking for a book to read -- this New York Times bestseller is recommended.

Duffy's Tavern: The "Lost" Radio Episodes

Early radio broadcasting required fine-tuning -- and not the kind that came from dial twitching. Case in point: June 26, 1931. NBC presented “The Fearful Seven,” the tale of Merton Moth and his noiseless glider, Michael Mosquito -- brief glimpses into the home lives of Fanny Fly, Frankie Flea, Grand Roach and their friends. The NBC offering was promised to be a comedy, and ensured newspaper columnists that the comedy element would predominate the production. There was nothing funny with the story, and radio, had it not already established itself as a medium of music, news, prayer and commentary, might have been doomed as a result of disastrous broadcasts such as this. If radio audiences wanted authentic laughter from a weekly, half-hour program, what they needed was Ed Gardner. It would not be until ten years later that Duffy’s Tavern would usher in a new form of comedy entertainment.

As the genially sarcastic, ever-hopeful con man Archie -- who never had a last name, even as Duffy himself was never seen -- he defined the cynical second-generation Irishman at the outer fringe of New York’s social order. The program fast developed a following that crossed social, economic and geographical boundaries. Duffy’s Tavern ranked with Fred Allen’s program as broad an appeal as the goofiest slapstick comedies on the air.

Archie was the pivot of the establishment, but he was not alone there. Always on hand were the absent proprietor’s gabby, man-hungry daughter, known simply as Miss Duffy, who spoke in pure Brooklynese, and the waiter Eddie, a shrewd black menial who obeyed with “Yazzuh” but always got the better of his boss in their verbal exchanges. Habitués included Clifton Finnegan (who did not appear on the program until season two), a moron with occasional flashes of brilliance whose every line began with “Duhhh,” and radio veteran Colonel Stoopnagle, the orotund inventor of such useful devices as the 10-foot pole, “for guys who wouldn’t touch with one,” and the gun with two barrels, one to shoot ducks with and the other, which didn’t work, to not shoot other hunters with.

Crackpot O’Toole, forger and poet who wrote mostly bum check and sonnets “in pure cubic centimeter,” was another Duffy’s regular. Not heard but often discussed was Two-Top Gruskin, a two-headed baseball player whose value to his team was that he could watch first and third at the same time. Two-Top (whose real name was Athos and Porthos Gruskin) once went to a masquerade ball as a pair of bookends and won the affections of a pretty girl because he was a tall blond and brunette. “There was just something different about him,” she explained. Officer Clancy made frequent visits, usually threatening to close the place for some petty violation, ever thwarted by Archie’s logical argument: “You can’t close us up. We aint’ got a license.”

Archie wasn’t otherwise so successful with his unceasing efforts to con or exploit his guests. When smooth-talking Slippery McGuire, seeking to beat his bar tab, suggested to Archie how he can make a fortune by patenting electricity, Archie pays him $10 to register the patent. After coughing up another $3 to print stock certificates and $5 more to include DC along with AC, he believes himself the King of Kilowatts, even though Eddie is doubtful (“I always connected you more with natural gas”). The plans falls through when Archie learns that Benjamin Franklin had beaten him to the patent, but Slippery launches him on a new career by informing him that Franklin had carelessly forgotten to take one out on the kite.

The long-running radio program moved production to Puerto Rico in 1949 to take advantage of a tax exemption the island gave to new industries, although the Third Avenue setting remained the same. But the stellar guests who had once regularly visited Duffy’s didn’t care to travel so far for a broadcast, and the program’s ratings fell precipitously.

Duffy’s Tavern was the brain child of Ed Gardner, a former executive for an advertising agency, later responsible for such radio programs as Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not and The Joe Penner Show. The radio comedy retained a popularity large enough to spawn a stage play (1948), a major motion picture (1945) and a short-run television program (1952) plus two experimental pilots (1947 and 1949).

The success of Duffy’s Tavern was dependent on the gag writers for the program. The first two seasons consisted of three writers: Mac Benoff, Parke Levy and Abe Burrows. Having read every radio script, this author can verify that the funniest scripts are definitely the earliest broadcasts. But the program was doomed when Burrows and the other writers were unable to create enough scenarios to keep the program fresh. By late 1942, they had already begun recycling their plot devices: Archie tries to sell fake jewelry to Finnegan; Archie writes a pageant about American history; and the plot most often used… Archie entertains Mrs. Cornelia Piddleton (occasionally spelled “Pittleton” depending on which scripts you consult) and her Lord Byron Ladies’ Literary Society and, after losing his guest speaker, attempts to pawn off Finnegan as the celebrated presenter. The program's saving grace began with the third season, when Duffy's Tavern made the move to Hollywood and celebrities began making guest appearances. Archie and the cast were able to poke fun of the celebrities as they did in the first season. (The move to Puerto Rico in 1949 didn't help any, and proved a disaster, ultimately forcing NBC to make the decision to axe the program for good.)

Regardless of what past encyclopedias report, the July 1940 broadcast of Forecast failed to gain the immediate attention of a sponsor. The network, hoping to sell a number of studio-created in-house programs without the need of an advertising agency, made arrangements for every broadcast of Forecast to be transcribed, in case the program could later be sampled by a potential sponsor. It wasn’t until months later that Forecast ultimately helped convince the Magazine Repeating Razor Company to sponsor the program, thanks to the efforts of the J.M. Mathes Advertising Agency (who knew that Magazine wanted to hock their product, Schick Razor, on the radio). In September of 1940, two transcription discs were cut from Forecast and executives at Mathes circulated one recording to potential sponsors, while retaining the duplicate as a master backup.

The initial contract between the sponsor and the network stipulated a 16-week sponsorship from March 1, 1941 to June 14, 1941, which was a bit unusual since most contracts with the network were placed on a 13-week schedule (13 times 4 equals 52). Since it was proven that listenership was at the lowest during what was generally considered vacation time, 13 weeks in the summer were usually dedicated to a different radio program, paid for by the same sponsor, but for a cheaper price.

Digital photo capture of a copyright card from the Library of Congress.

One of many copyright cards for Duffy's Tavern radio scripts.

© 2011, Library of Congress. Photo used with permission.

To attract new listeners, at the suggestion of the network, the first season featured at least one celebrity guest every week. Under the same contract, CBS had the option of approval when choosing the celebrities. Obviously, the network made sure that no celebrity appearing on Duffy’s Tavern would cross-promote a radio program presently heard over a competing network. Celebrities include Parks Johnson and Wally Butterwroth, hosts Vox Pop; Colonel Stoopnagle was the weekly host of Quixie-Doodles; both programs aired over CBS. At the time Paul Lukas, Hildegarde, Milton Berle and Orson Welles were making their guest appearances, they were not presently committed to a radio program on the rival networks. And for the broadcast of June 7, 1941, certainly a major influence by CBS, Ilka Chase, actress and novelist whose radio program, Luncheon at the Waldorf, recently concluded, paid a visit to the tavern. Her appearance on Duffy’s was designed to promote her new radio program, which premiered on June 6. The announcer, John Reed King*, closed the episode with the following mention: “Archie wants me to thank Ilka Chase for coming here tonight and to announce that he will be her guest next Friday night on her new program for Camel Cigarettes… Penthouse Party.”

* Footnote: John Reed King was the first announcer for the series, who welcomed the studio audience by explaining the evening’s proceedings, and performed the commercials. King was also emcee of CBS’ This is the Life and announcer of the Gay Nineties Revue.

The first season also introduced listeners to two regulars: Shirley Booth and Eddie Green. Miss Duffy, the proprietor’s daughter, liked almost every man who walked into the tavern, and she had a friend, Vera, who also liked men. This certainly added a female element to the program, opening the door to jokes about matrimony, romance, dating and other similar topics. “In matrimony you marry an armful and wind up with a roomful,” Archie once quipped. “It takes two to make a marriage -- a single girl and an anxious mother,” Miss Duffy explained. After Miss Duffy explained her cosmetic affairs to Archie, the bar keep turned to Eddie. “What with lipstick on their lips, rouge on their cheeks, mascara on their eyes, polish on their nails, and now paint on their legs, the dames sure take a shellacking.”

Shirley Booth was known primarily as a Broadway actress, who, up to the time Duffy’s Tavern premiered, won critical praise for her role of Ruth Sherwood in the 1940 production of My Sister Eileen. During her tenure on Duffy’s, the first three seasons, she received top billing at the opening of every broadcast, always billed as “the star of My Sister Eileen.” When Booth left the series in 1943, actresses playing the role of Miss Duffy never received such limelight, down-graded to simply name mention like the rest of the cast.

BOOTH: (to Ilka Chase) Your friends are always so classy, ain’t they? They’re all raconteuses, chanteuses, danseuses… it’s a wonder you never bring down any hippopotamotuses.

Eddie Green, who would later find greater fame as Stonewall, the fix-it-all lawyer on Amos n’ Andy, played Eddie the waiter, gripper-extraordinary at Duffy’s, an apprehensive citizen of Harlem, and was in real-life a well-known Negro comedian. He was also in the food business (ironically), and owned a chain of Harlem restaurants for a couple decades. Eddie was the equivalent of Jack Benny’s Rochester -- who often had the best come-back lines for his employer.

ARCHIE: With a dame like Elsa Maxwell coming here you think this tablecloth is high class enough?

EDDIE: Well, I tell you what you can do with it.

ARCHIE: What?

EDDIE: Tear one more hole in the corner and tell her it’s Italian lace.

The listening audience often dismissed reality because orchestras like John Kirby’s did not play in taverns like Duffy’s; and sooner or later it would occur to the listeners as odd that although Archie was a bartender, no one ever seemed to take a drink. But no one noticed it at the time, which said something about one of the most original and consistently entertaining of current programs. With the aid of John Kirby’s famed Negro band, the music somehow fit the Brooklyn Tavern. Kirby was alumnus of Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb bands, and even started his own in 1937 at New York’s Onyx Club. He was once married to actress Maxine Sullivan.

John Reed Kirby and his orchestra supplied the music for a full calendar year, until General Foods took up sponsorship. Kirby, like most orchestras that performed on the radio, spent a considerable amount of time performing for hotels. During the summer break between seasons, Kirby’s orchestra performed at the Ambassador East Hotel’s Pump Room. When he tenure on Duffy’s Tavern concluded, he returned to the Ambassador for a three-week engagement and then continued with a successful career in music.

In the premiere episode of the series, in an effort to introduce the weekly regulars to the radio audience, very little happens except to establish Miss Duffy and Eddie’s position at the tavern. Duffy wanting Archie to hire Irish tenors for musical accompaniment in the tavern, and visitor Colonel Stoopnagle, having heard the news, tries to get hired for the job. 

STOOPNAGLE: Well, I have one new thing here I’ve just invented.

ARCHIE: What is it Colonel? To me it looks just like a door.

STOOPNAGLE: It is a door. It’s a bathroom door that you don’t have to wait outside of because it opens into a closet.

ARCHIE: Gee, Colonel – you certainly have a furtive mind. I wish you could invent an Irish tenor.

STOOPNAGLE: Why, Archie?

ARCHIE: Well, Duffy says either I get an Irish Tenor or I’m fired.

STOOPNAGLE: My boy, never despair. I, Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle, am an Irish Tenor.

ARCHIE: But Duffy only likes Irish, Irish Tenors.

To prove his worth, Stoopnagle, with the assistance of the John Kirby orchestra, sings “Come Back to Ernie.” Stoopnagle fails to get the job, but his position on Duffy’s Tavern would, ten years later, become more influential than anyone predicted in 1941. Billboard magazine reviewed the series premiere:

“Duffy’s Tavern, one of the better program ideas showcased in Columbia’s Forecast series last summer, comes back with Ed Gardner and a sponsor. Gardner, a director of note on other radio programs, plays Archie, a harried bartender in Duffy’s Tavern. Archie is Duffy’s languid man-of-all work and is afflicted with a remarkable Hell’s Kitchen dialect completely devoid of grammar and full of engaging malapropisms. Duffy is a mythical figure, his influence being indirect but very substantial. His presence becomes known when he telephones Archie to squawk about the music and demand an Irish tenor. These conversations are one-way affairs. Archie answers to Duffy explaining everything. Program did not score as well as the original Forecast show, but was plenty good. Everything will depend upon script and how consistently Gardner can perform. Session as it stands is certainly a novel comedy set-up. Band is John Kirby’s, a restrained tho swingy orchestra. Series’ first guest was Colonel Stoopnagle, strictly terrific in a lunatic impersonation of an Irish tenor. Some of the plugs for Schick Razor were cleverly worked into the script.”

SEASON ONE

 March 1 to June 14, 1941

Columbia Broadcasting System

Sponsor: Magazine Repeating Razor Company

Day and Time: Saturday, 8:30 to 8:55 p.m., EST

Music: John Kirby’s Orchestra

Announcer: John Reed King

Series Regulars: Shirley Booth and Eddie Green

Episode #1 -- Broadcast Saturday, March 1, 1941
Guest: Col. Stoopnagle

Plot: Plot is described above.

Episode #2 -- Broadcast Saturday, March 8, 1941
Guest: Deems Taylor

Plot: Still seeking musical night life for the tavern, in reference to Duffy’s request last week, Archie tries to figure out where he can hire musicians until Deems Taylor happens to drop-by. Taylor kindly invites Archie and Miss Duffy to be his hosts tomorrow at the Philharmonic. When Archie explains the tavern needs a little musical addition, Taylor gets them a calypso singer. John Kirby’s Orchestra performs “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” during the intermission.

Memorable Lines

ARCHIE: Eddie… what is a calypso?

EDDIE: Why, er, that’s when the sun gets blotted out.

ARCHIE: Eddie, that’s an eclipso… you see that, Mr. Taylor, and he’s twice as smart as Duffy – and it’s three to one you didn’t know what a calypso was until you go on Information Please.

Episode #3 -- Broadcast Saturday, March 15, 1941
Guest: Orson Welles

Plot: Discussions about the bard and Francis Bacon are discussed on account that Orson Welles is dropping by. Welles happens to be in New York City to do a play called Native Son, written by Richard Wright, which Welles and John Houseman were producing. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Archie tries to get Welles to participate as the feature attraction for the tavern’s St. Patrick’s Day pig roast since it’s the kind of job for a ham actor. Joan Edwards, who would later become a semi-regular on the program, is the musical guest and sings “Do I Worry?”

Memorable Lines

BOOTH: Mr. Welles, you’re my idea of the perfect Shakespeare actor. I will never forget you in that picture, “Romeo and Juliet.”

WELLES: I was never in the picture, “Romeo and Juliet.”

SHIRLEY: You see, Archie… it was Norma Shearer.

Memorable Lines

ARCHIE: Well, you’re lookin’ great. How’s things in the drama?

WELLES: Well, Archie. My theatrical activities have been somewhat curtailed since my Hollywood peregrination.

ARCHIE: Oh, well, of course that’s up to the individual.

WELLES: Well, naturally.

ARCHIE: So you were in Hollywood, hah? They keep you busy out there?

WELLES: Well, kind of.

ARCHIE: What were you doing?

WELLES: Same old thing – writing, directing, producing, and acting.

ARCHIE: Boy, you sound like a one-man Preston Sturges…

Episode #4 -- Broadcast Saturday, March 22, 1941
Guest: Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

Plot: An income tax inspector arrives to look over the books while Archie attempts to lure Bill “Bojangles” Robinson to perform at Duffy’s under an exclusive contract. Distracted because of the audit, Archie ultimately makes an error. While entertaining a man in the tavern named Sherman, Archie is unaware that the new guest is a spy for the Stork Club, and without Archie being aware of it, Robinson signs an exclusive to the Club and promptly leaves for new pursuits. John Kirby and his Orchestra perform “Why Cry Baby?” and “Hot Time in the Old Town.”

Trivia, etc. The "spy" from the Stork Club named Sherman was in reference to Sherman Billingsley who owned the Stork Club. (Many thanks to Bob Burchett for pointing this out to me.)

Episode #5 -- Broadcast Saturday, March 29, 1941
Guests: Hildegarde and Arthur Treacher

Plot: Treacher is billed as “Hollywood’s favorite screen butler” and steals the limelight from the entire radio cast in this script. Treacher goes from a gentleman’s gentleman to a bum’s bum when he is hired by Archie to become his assistant, who in turn also answers the phone for Archie. Treacher’s dreams of how to improve the tavern do not work, however, and Archie is forced to reduce the overhead. Hildegarde, who received top billing above Treacher in the opening of the broadcast, is constrained to a few lines of dialogue and singing “Sweet Petite.”

Episode #6 -- Broadcast Saturday, April 5, 1941
Guests: Morton Downey and the Vox Pop Boys

Plot: Miss Duffy tries to convince the Vox Pop Boys (Parks Johnson and Wally Butterworth) to allow her to audition for their program, and she sings “You Walked By.” Morton Downey shows up and sings “Molly Malone.” Eddie gets mistaken as a contestant for the Vox Pop program. John Kirby and his Orchestra performs “Keep an Eye on Your Heart,” and “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies,” the latter of which he performed in the first broadcast of the series.

Memorable Lines

WALLY: Well, the first question is: When waiting on table should you serve from the left or from the right?

EDDIE: Well, that depends on which side of the customer is closest to the kitchen.

WALLY: Sorry, Eddie, you should always serve from the left.

EDDIE: From the left, eh?

WALLY: Yes.

EDDIE: Well, personally, I ain’t superstitious.

Episode #7 -- Broadcast Saturday, April 12, 1941
Guest: Arthur Murray

Plot: Dance expert Arthur Murray gives some of the tavern’s guests, including Miss Duffy, some dancing lessons and Larry Adler, the world-famous harmonica player (now appearing at the Roxy in New York City), performs three variations on a theme by Paganinni. Duffy, meanwhile, spends his time stuck in a phone booth at the tailor shop without any pants, and is unable to come to the tavern and meet Murray in person. Archie pays Francis McCabe five bucks for dancing lessons. In order for Sam the Tailor to accept Duffy’s check, he needs proof Duffy is who he says he is, so Archie has Adler perform a song live on the radio by request of “Sam the Tailor.”

Episode #8 -- Broadcast Saturday, April 19, 1941
Guest: Colonel Stoopnagle

Plot: Archie thinks the tavern needs a hostesses to help bring customers in, so Archie hereby calls to order the Board of Directors of Duffy’s Tavern, Limited, (limited, of course) consisting of Archie, Eddie and Miss Duffy. Stoopnagle, making an idiot’s delight in assuming the tavern is no longer around, decides to buy a band and a bar and call it a tavern – Duffy’s Tavern – “what a name!” When Stoop discovers that there is already such a place, he decides to sue them for plagiarism. This is the first episode to make reference to Clancy, the Cop. Joan Edwards returns to sing another song.

Memorable Lines

ARCHIE: Oh, Colonel Stoopnagle… how are you?

STOOPNAGLE: Shhh, I’m traveling incognito.

ARCHIE: Incognito, huh?

STOOPNAGLE: Yes, I don’t want to know that I’ve bee here… Don’t refer to me by name.

ARCHIE: What’ll I call you?

STOOPNAGLE: Colonel Stoopnagle.

ARCHIE: I wish I were an idiot so I could enjoy this conversation.

Episode #9 -- Broadcast Saturday, April 26, 1941
Guest: Tallulah Bankhead

Plot: Archie tries to teach Eddie the proper way to introduce a woman of Bankhead’s stature to the tavern, by adding class to the joint. Eddie even fixes up the table with wax bananas. Bankhead, however, won’t eat at the tavern when she learns that beer and pig knuckles are on the menu. Archie happens to be away for a moment when Bankhead arrives and when he returns, he mistakes her for a normal customer, and makes embarrassing remarks about the tavern while talking up the great Tallulah Bankhead – unaware she is standing in front of him the entire time. Bankhead closes the broadcast reciting a dramatic poem, “Abe Lincoln Walks at Midnight.” John Kirby’s orchestra performs “Arabian Nightmare.”

Trivia, etc. The poem Bankhead recites originated from Burton Egbert Stevenson’s The Home Book of Verse (1879).

Episode #10 -- Broadcast Saturday, May 3, 1941
Guest: Hildegarde and Maxie Rosenbloom

Plot: When Maxie Rosenbloom stops by the tavern, he accidentally crushes Miss Duffy’s hand because of his strength. Hildegarde stops by and the prize fighter finds her “vivacious.” Because Archie is in love with the singer, he gets jealous and makes an attempt to woo her after referring to her as “Mademoiselle Hildegarde, from the Savoy Plaza - the chanteuse.” Hildegarde gives Archie a prompt rejection and proves to Archie, who was in disagreement with Rosenbloom, that a big handsome mass of muscle is what women really want.

Memorable Lines

BOOTH: Why did you give up fighting to go on the radio?

MAXIE: Well, all the time when I was a fighter, my ambition was to talk on the radio, but, at the end of every fight, they gave the other guy the microphone and he would say, “Hello, mom, I’ll be right home.”

BOOTH: Well, why didn’t you say hello mom, I’ll be right home, too?

ARCHIE: What, in his condition?

Episode #11 -- Broadcast Saturday, May 10, 1941
Guest: Elsa Maxwell

Plot: To celebrate Duffy’s 25th anniversary, Archie hires Elsa Maxwell, social set worker, to give a party at the tavern. He attempts to impress Maxwell with suggestions on party games, but Miss Duffy insists on playing post office and spin the bottle. Duffy, meanwhile, is beaten with a baseball bat and unable to attend the tavern to celebrate. Jacques Fray and Mario Braggiotti, a famed piano duo who performed on radio as early as 1932, supplied musical entertainment using their two pianos.

Memorable Lines

ARCHIE: Oh, hello, Duffy. Congratulations on your twenty-fifth wedding. Mrs. Duffy kissed you how many times? No kiddin’, twenty-five?… Oh, with a baseball bat.

Episode #12 -- Broadcast Saturday, May 17, 1941
Guest: Milton Berle

Plot: Comedian Milton Berle pays a visit to the tavern, having grown up in the neighborhood and hasn’t seen the place since he was a kid. He is shocked to see how the condition of the tavern has worn down. Archie attempts to convince Berle to emcee a floor show, suggesting it would improve the tavern’s clientele. When Duffy is disillusioned, Berle relents and performs comedy monolog.

Memorable Lines

ARCHIE: Say, Duffy, guess who’s coming here tonight? Milton Berle. That little noisy kid who used to hang around here all the time. Milton Berle… Duffy, remember the kid who used to buy joke books, memorize the jokes and then say he made them up himself?… Well, that’s Milton. Sure’s he’s been in Hollywood… yeah, done pretty good, too. Yeah, I know you always said he was a smart kid. Remember -- he was the only kid on the block who could explain the funny papers to you.

Trivia, etc. Orson Welles was scheduled make a return to the program for May 17 broadcast, but he took ill on the West Coast and was unable to fly to New York, so Milton Berle substituted.

Episode #13 -- Broadcast Saturday, May 24, 1941
Guest: Paul Lukas

Plot: Paul Lukas, recent winner of the NY Drama Critics Award, stops by the tavern as a guest. Miss Duffy assumes Lukas won the Nobel prize. Archie proposes to singer Peg La Centra, after she performs “A Romantic Guy, I.” She is swept off her feet when she meets Paul Lukas and Archie’s chances drop to zero.

Episode #14 -- Broadcast Saturday, May 31, 1941
Guest: James J. Walker

Plot: James J. Walker, former mayor of New York City, is an old friend of Duffy’s and stops by to check out the tavern and the people working hard behind the counter. Duffy apparently used to be an old election district captain and helped Walker get 600 votes in the district. Walker has ulterior motives, however, when he explains to Archie that he is here to help save the relationship between Duffy and his wife. Miss Duffy mistakes Walker as the new bartender and gives him tips on how not to overflow the glasses, and how they all have fake bottoms. This is the first appearance of Crudface and Dugan, Archie’s lawyers.

Memorable Lines

DUGAN: Don’t answer that, Archie.

CRUDFACE: I object.

ARCHIE: Objection sustained.

DUGAN: Hey Crudface, what’s that sustained?

CRUDEFACE: That’s a radio program without a sponsor.

Trivia, etc. To publicize this episode, CBS issued the following press release:
    It is going to cost the proprietors of the establishment something extra to entertain the former Mayor. The dapper Jimmy sent a wire to Ed Gardner, who plays Archie, the host of the joint, which read: “Just bought a new pair of shoes; be sure tou have new sawdust on the floor of Duffy’s place when I get there.”
    “Duffy will probably get sore, but what are you going to do when a guy goes to the expense of new shoes,” lamented Archie. “Besides, that sawdust ain’t been changed since repeal.”

Episode #15 -- Broadcast Saturday, June 7, 1941
Guest: Ilka Chase

Plot: Ilka Chase, actress and novelist, pays a visit to the tavern. Archie wants her to do for the tavern what she did at the Waldorf, and suggests calling the new radio program “Dinner at Duffy’s.” Such a stunt might keep the tavern open over the summer, but when the question of salary comes along, she says no dice. Chase adds: “Is this to be Dinner at Duffy’s or Supper at Sing Sing?” Chase leaves when the food is too rich at the tavern, having heard Archie explain what they serve, claiming she’s going back to the Waldorf for some good old-fashioned corned beef and cabbage.

Trivia, etc. In the beginning of this episode, Archie makes a mention that next week is the last night for Duffy’s Tavern, because Duffy plans to close the tavern for the summer. Chase’s former program, which was broadcast in the afternoon time slot, concluded just a couple weeks before her appearance on Duffy’s Tavern.

Episode #16 -- Broadcast Saturday, June 14, 1941
Guest: Miss June Nevin

Plot: Miss June Nevin of the Moore-McCormack Steamship Lines, the one that hires entertainers and bands for the boats that go to South America, is guest in this episode and when Archie finds out who is planning to pay a visit, not only does this prompt a Carmen Miranda joke, but he attempts to get Eddie Green “the singing waiter” to get booked for the coming season. Crudface and Dugan, Archie’s lawyers, show up towards the end of the broadcast and create a fiasco that messes up the entire affair.

Trivia, etc. At the conclusion of this episode, the announcer informs the radio audience that Duffy’s Tavern will return in the middle of September and to pay attention to local newspaper listings for details.

Shameless plug... The information contained above originates from my recent book about the history of Duffy's Tavern, published through Bear Manor Media.

From Radio to the Big Screen

My mail box wasn't large enough for the numerous books that arrived this past month. It's amazing that I find the time to read them all. Brief reviews follow but I would like to state for the record and in full disclosure that I know all of the authors, have communicated with them via e-mail, and the reviews below are not biased.

From Radio to the Big Screen book

FROM RADIO TO THE BIG SCREEN

by Hal Erickson

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to do a book about Hollywood movies that incorporated radio broadcasting as thematic material. There was a time when "American popular entertainment" referred only to radio and motion-pictures. With the coming of talking pictures, Hollywood cashed in on the success of big-time network radio by bringing several of the public's favorite broadcast personalities and programs to the screen. The results, though occasionally successful, often proved conclusively that some things are better heard than seen. Remember the silent W.C. Fields movie where the comedian put on a set of headphones on his radio and began following the verbal instructions with his morning exercise equipment? Today's audiences may not be aware of exactly what was going on in that scene. But then again, all motion-pcitures are topical as they capture the clothing, lingo, picturesque scenery and landscapes of a time gone by. Someone once wrote that motion-pictures defined fashion trends and popular music. So did network broadcasting.

Concentrating primarily on radio's Golden Age (1926-1962), this lively history discusses the cinematic efforts of airwave stars Rudy Vallee, Amos and Andy, Fred Allen, Joe Penner, Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny, Lum and Abner, Edgar berg and, and many more. Also analyzed are the movie versions of such radio series as The Shadow, Dr. Christian and The Life of Riley. But taking on such a monumental task is... well, monumental. For that reason, Hal Erickson briefly explains in the introduction of his book why he chose not to including motion-pictures that derived from British radio programs. So you won't see The Man in Black (1949) or Band Wagon (1958) documented here. The author chose to focus on movies based on radio properties, not published novels. So you won't read about Ellery Queen, The Falcon, The Thin Man, Mr. and Mrs. North or other similar properties. Eddie Cantor and Bob Hope, capable of separating their film and radio careers, are also excluded from this tome simply because they played different characters from their radio counterpart.

The book begins with The Vagabond Lover (1929) and pretty much concludes with Pete Kelly's Blues (1955). The introduction alone is a crash course in radio celebrities and their motion-pictures, ranging from the studio's block booking policies, radio-to-movie properties, how radio killed the novelty of the talkies, and numerous efforts the studios made to use radio as an advertising medium. I, for one, was quite pleased to see a write up about Kate Smith's Hello, Everybody! (1933), the Walter Winchell-Ben Burnie feud on Wake Up and Live (1937) and The Phantom of Crestwood (1932)... the latter a murder mystery with the solution withheld from the radio listeners so they would rush out to the theaters and watch the screen version with the thrilling conclusion. (I recently read the radio scripts which is why I was excited to see Hal went to the effort to include it in his book.)

If I had any complaint about this book, which I would describe as an "entertaining read," it is that the author used a few websites for reference. Cited in his bibliography, this turned me off for a moment because I have been a stubborn mule when it comes to using the internet as reference. I prefer to use the internet as a tool for reference... not as reference. But then again, this book is not a published reference guide used to document "beyond the facts," so to speak. It is an entertaining read. The kind you would find within the pages of Classic Images and other magazines and is worth the cover price. If you are a Hollywood film fan, this is the kind of book you want on your bookshelf.

Sold on Radio by Jim Cox

SOLD ON RADIO: ADVERTISERS IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF BROADCASTING

by Jim Cox

How was it that America would fund its nascent national radio services? Government control and a subscription-like model were both considered. Soon an advertising system emerged, leading radio into its golden age from the 1920s to the early 1960s. Anyone who has seen AMC's Mad Men knows what an advertising agency is. If you were a major company wanting to make the most of your advertising dollars, you went to an advertising agency. There, executives created a number of proposals that would best promote the product and the sponsor would sign on the bottom line.

Sold on Radio should be considered a text book requirement in media relations and the history of radio broadcasting. Divided into two parts, the first half studies the commercialization of network radio during its golden age. This includes the general history of radio advertising. From the advertising agencies, the ratings systems, general sales, research, photographic, traffic, station relations, program development, recordings, script library and all other facets of the medium, you'll discover just how commercial copywriters worked, the selection of the commercial spokesman, and the science behind the reasoning of product placement: i.e., Singing Sam and the Barbasol Man and The Chase and Sanborn Hour.

The second part of the book examines the major radio advertisers of the period, with profiles of 24 companies who maintained a strong presence on the airwaves. General Mills, Standard Brands, Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Lever Brothers, and Quaker Oats. The origin of the companies, their introduction to radio, the pacts they made with the networks, the programs they sponsored, and a sample of commercial copy promoting their products.

The book also explores headliners as spokesmen, the change in format with electrical transcriptions and tape recordings, cowcatchers and hitchhikes, audience participation, contests, jingles, premiums, sound effects, testimonials, spot announcements and other factoids provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the commercials; the historical significance beyond the catchy jingles. After all, if it wasn't for the sponsors, radio broadcasting might not have been what it became. If there were five or six books to be considered essential reading if one wants to delve deeply into the history of old-time radio and understand the "whole picture," this is one of them.

The Quiz Kids by Martin A. Gardner

QUIZ KIDS: THE RADIO PROGRAM WITH THE SMARTEST CHILDREN IN AMERICA, 1940-1953

by Martin A. Gardner

If you never heard a recording of a typical, average episode of The Quiz Kids, you might want to seek one out. You might be surprised how smart those young folks were. Makes you wonder who provided their schooling. More than 100 episodes are known to exist in recorded form. I remember the Christmas episode of 1948 when they children were asked to say "Merry Christmas" in another language other than English. I could only name four and they quickly put me to shame.

It was more than a quiz program. The Quiz Kids was a national pop culture phenomenon. During World War II, they toured America and raised $120 million in war bonds. They were guests on Jack Benny's radio show for three consecutive weeks. Famous celebrities made guest appearances on the quiz program: Al Capp, Clifton Webb, Eddie Cantor, Lum and Abner, Walt Disney, Frankie Laine, Bing Crosby, Victor Borge, Jane Powell, Tito Guizar, Ralph Edwards, J. Edgar Hoover, Robert Preston, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, several U.S. Senators, The Lone Ranger, Father Flanagan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jack Dempsey, Kay Kyser, Dinah Shore, Gabby Hayes, Roy Rogers, Virginia Mayo, Dave Garroway, James Stewart, Ted Lyons, Gene Autry, Edmund O'Brien... and that's just a small selection! Yes, screen actress Vanessa Brown was originally a Quiz Kid.

This 312 page book covers the essentials from the origin of the program, what it took to qualify as a Quiz Kid, biographies about each of the children, the film shorts, incidents when the children were... well, children... practical jokes the kids pulled on the grownups, stories that went on beyond the scenes, the selection of questions for the children, the Showcase Train, their visit to the White House, collectible premiums, and a weekly episode guide listing the episode number, broadcast date and kids that appeared on rotation that week.

I could go on and on about the content of the book, emphasizing how comprehensive it is. But honestly, that would give away too much and the author went to a lot of hard work to surprise the readers. I will make this statement (and it's the first time in five or six years that I can honestly say this)... this is the kind of book I wish everyone would extensively research and produce when it comes to documenting an individual radio program. Far too many times people slap together inferior books based on notes they made while listening to extant recordings and/or compile from a small stack of newspaper and magazine articles. While beneficial to the hobby solely because there are no other books about the subject, those tomes only inspire others to outclass the prior effort. Martin A. Gardner clearly deserves an award for "Best Book of the Year" based on the finished product.

Newspapers in Transition by Jim Cox

NEWSPAPERS IN TRANSITION: AMERICAN DALIES CONFRONT THE DIGITAL AGE

by Jim Cox

Yeah, we know. Newspapers are becoming a dying breed. Blazing the paperless trail, Jim Cox wrote a 218 page argument that is bound to disappoint those who still prefer the printed page over digital. Early in 2013, the Associated Press reported that, of all things, cash registers in retail emporiums were beginning to be transferred to the recycling bins and landfills. Technology's latest implementations are suddenly allowing merchants to reconsider the demand for internet commerce. The brick and mortar stores at our local mall consist primarily of clothing and food -- two things you really cannot get over the internet during a time when impulse buying is regulated by discretionary money. The new gadgets are eliminating those pesky sheets of headline news that my grandfather swore was the best insulation for keeping frozen food frozen from the food store.

Not everyone is willing to embrace new technology... but let's face it. If that many people have dropped newspaper subscription for the internet, then the rest of the country will ultimately follow the lead... or spend their remaining time complaining about how thin their newspaper is getting and the rising cost of subscription. At least, that is the debate Jim Cox makes with Newspapers in Transition. Although the transition from paper to pixels hasn't occurred everywhere, it's happened in enough places to constitute a mounting trend. The current period may be viewed as one of transition. And before the pendulum swings any further in the direction of electronic transmission and the potential displacement of newspaper altogether, the hybrid interval of both extremes seem to co-exist... but for how long?

Jim explores the possibilities of a mixed bag of keyboard-originated communications and its prospective impact on the conventional newspaper in America. As technology continues to fabricate newer methods of conveying what people want to know in the Information Age, with each passing month there are more indications that we are reaching a few lofty summits from which it will be difficult to descend. Jim explores all areas ranging from getting what you pay for, an alternating landscape, supply and demand, how certain cities across the country have ceased producing newspapers altogether, families in distress, the multimedia facet, and a possible future in a digital age.

One thing is for certain: if you were curious to know more about our changing society regarding newspapers vs. the internet, you can place your bets that this book will stimulate conversation at the next summit. Do not weigh an opinion on either side and do not place your bets until you read this book. Too many people have opinions but very little take time to read up on the facts.

The Texas Rangers book

THE TEXAS RANGERS: TWO DECADES ON RADIO, FILM, TELEVISION AND STAGE

by Ryan Ellett and Kevin Coffey

The Texas Rangers were Country and Western artists during radio's golden age who debuted in 1932, entertaining America by radio, records, tours, motion pictures and television before finally disbanding in the 1950s. They appeared in ten Western films, hundreds of transcription recordings for radio, peaked popularity before World War II and went into steady decline afterwards. With few commercially released singles, the Texas Rangers were soon forgotten after their heyday (probably overshadowed by screen legends such as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry) except by the most devoted fans of the genre. This is the kind of book that geeks like me get into. Subject matter so specific and obsolete to today's mainstream audience that it leaves behind the burning question of whether or not this will be the most talked about book of the year. Will it sell a million copies? I doubt it. Will I ever need to turn to it as a major source of reference in the near future? I doubt it. Will I hear a few friends make condescending chuckles when I tell them about this book? I probably will. But their loss is our gain. And the 345 page book has something you won't find on a three-page website. Details.

The authors clearly shared a passion for the subject. And the detail level is the kind I expect in books that warrant permanent placement on my bookshelf. From the 1930s audition script, Smilin' Valley Dude Ranch, the Eb and Zeb discussions, the 1941 Kellogg transcription series, their participation with Hawk Larabee, Alan Ladd's Mayfair Productions and the 1938 Brush Creek Follies are documented as it pertains to sponsors, budgets, business dealings, radio networks for syndication, and other details that document the legacy of a once-popular country/western group that you probably heard dozens of times and never identified them as the same group.

The most important facet when describing a book of this nature is that it needed to be done. Even if College and University Libraries fail to take note of the importance of the book, or the mainstream public casually passes over the book in lieu of a recent blockbuster, The Texas Rangers has finally received their due and their legacy preserved for all time. And, after all, preserving their history is more important than any New York Times best seller.