Hodge-podging/Feb.23rd

Ricky Jordan?

I never really thought about it before now - and I'll bet you haven't either, but isn't Rocky Jordan kind of a knock-off of Rick in the film, Casablanca?  There is the  North Africa setting for both, the restaurant for both and while neither are detectives both are mixed up (on the side of the law) in the local crime scene and are friendly with the local police chief, yet are miles ahead of him.  There are also plenty of women for both.

The biggest difference between the two is World War II for Rick and post-war for Rocky.  Oh by the way:  RiCK and RoCKy...
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If you listen to Bill Stern's Sports Newreels (and if you don't, you are missing a lot of fun - even if you don't like sports) do you ever realize how often he says the following expression: "And believe it or not, he too was born on Christmas Day"...you'd be surprised.
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I had the opportunity in the last week to listen to Orson Welles' Lear commentaries that I wrote about some time ago.

After listening to them again I come away fascinated with Welles. I don't agree with his politics (I'd bet you that at least when he made these commentaries that he was a Socialist) but he's convincingly clever - and his wit and charm on the air cannot be denied.
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Speaking of great actors, I wouldn't say that House Jameson and Hanley Stafford are in the "best actor" category but after many listenings to both I am always impressed with their work.
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I've also been listening to a new series (for me) Vox Pop (Voice of the People) - a show where the average Joe on the street (or servicemen) were interviewed live. While I haven't noticed anything too unusual yet, it is interesting to hear non-actors before a live microphone (think of You Bet Your Life.)

I'll review the show after I listen to a few more episodes, but I wanted you to be aware of this incredible (and I do mean incredible) collection of Vox Pop images online.
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Joe Kelly, the quizmaster on the Quiz Kids prorgam, was selected to head Quiz Kids - not because of his brilliance but because of his lack of brilliance, so says the book On the Air. Kelly had been the host of National Barn Dance for years and was a third grade dropout.

Despite all that, he seems perfect for the show and I've always liked his work.
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Seriously doing all kinds of things behind the scenes and working 12-13 hours a day at it.  But it takes a while for research to pay off.

Right now I am in the process of sorting and posting almost 300 new OTR Advertisments and I hope you go there and look around and find something you like.   I enjoy digging through papers and finding an ad but there's a lot of work involved in it.  If you'd just go and look now and then and enjoy the ads, I'd be pleased for you to see them.   There are almost 700 different OTR show advertisements involved (not all are posted yet, though.)

Lear and the most intriguing 3½ minute interview ever!

There was a series of programs known as Lear that came out around the end of World War II.

They were, simply, a series of 15 minute commentaries from Orson Welles.

They are outstanding.  I mean that: outstanding.

I'll grant you, most of what he talks about in his commentaries is outdated; however, his words remain compelling, even when he is talking about the OPA or an atomic test on the Bikini Islands or inflation.

One of the files I found is a short, 3½ minute interview he did over the phone.  I'd love for you to listen to this interview and not find yourself "touched."  Never was anything so real and compelling on radio:



Download all of Lear:

Snippett Doris Miller's father interview
Lear 450923
The OPA is Dead
Bikini Atomic Test
OPA - one year extention
Affadavit of Issac Wood
The Peacemakers
To Be Born Free
Welles Film Banned
The Place Was Batesburg