Some stories behind OTR

Podcasts about the War of the Worlds broadcast, the real Lone Ranger and the real Sherlock Holmes!  I've found and listened to these and give them my full approval.  I think you will enjoy these.

From the Stuff You Missed in History Class folks:

Orson Welles and the War of the Worlds

Who Was the Real Lone Ranger?

Who Was the Real Sherlock Holmes?

80 years ago this week: The Lone Ranger

There's a nice article in yesterday's Detroit Fress Press newspaper about The Lone Ranger and the fact that it began 80 years ago this week (the article states on the 31st of January but experts tell me it was actually January 30th.)

Brace Beemer as the Lone Ranger photo

Very rare maskless Brace Beemer

Lone Ranger "Victory Corps"

Leroy listens to a Lone Ranger facsimilie

(((HEAR)))

Brace Beemer = super role model

Stuff I'd buy if I was a millionaire [#51] Lone Ranger Pedometer

The Masked Man, 1938

I will never understand why the mask of the Lone Ranger was this way during the show's beginning!

Kemosabee

Jim Beshires: an audio interview about Westerns

Jim Beshires is the founder and president of the Old Time Radio Researchers organization, easily the finest OTR group around, in my opinion.

Jim is one of the nicest people I have met in the OTR hobby.  He lives close to me and I find him to be just like a friendly neighbor, even though I have never met him in person.

He and I have formed a friendship and he has been kind enough to answer some questions (via audio) in what can only be called a very unique interview.

This interview focuses on one of Jim's favorite subjects, the Western.  He's consented to do other interviews like this in the future and so I'm sure he won't be a stranger to you on this blog anymore.


OTR BUFFET: Jim, thank you for joining me and doing the interview.  I am glad we could finally do this interview, albeit it will be in a most unconvential way.

Jim Beshire's answer::




OTR BUFFET: I know that Westerns are one of your favorite type of old-time radio programs. Could you tell us about when you first began listening to Westerns and which shows?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Let's start with Gunsmoke. It seems that Gunsmoke is the King of Westerns by default - even though there are many good radio Westerns. Tell me what you think of when you think of Gunsmoke?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Gunsmoke had adult themes and really wasn't meant for children but you know children listened to it. Did you listen to it during the series run?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Between Parley Baer as Chester and Howard McNear as Doc, which character did you like better and which actor do you think was a better one (throughout their radio careers) Baer or McNear?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Are there any episodes that stand out for you as being special Gunsmoke episodes?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: How would you rate the Gunsmoke radio series against the TV series?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Moving on to Have Gun, Will Travel. What is your opinion of John Dehner as a radio actor?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Compare Dehner to William Conrad...

Jim Beshire's answer::


OTR BUFFET: Luke Slaughter of Tombstone is an underrated show. What are your thoughts on the show in general?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: There are the so-called "Kiddie Westerns." Would you talk about your favorite ones?

Jim Beshire's answer::



OTR BUFFET: Jim, thank you so much for doing this interview with me. I truly learned a lot and enjoyed your answers. I promise you, when we get together again to do another interview, it will be about science fiction!

Jim Beshire::





©Jimbo 2010/2011

The Lone Ranger: Ice fisherman

Don't ask; Don't tell - Part II

Don't ask; Don't tell

1947

The Lone Ranger: How it all began

Interesting photo dump/April 5th

Hanley Stafford, no doubt wondering what Baby Snooks is up to...

Is that the WEIRD mask?

Lum and Abner!

Claire Trevor and Edward G. Robinson - stars on 1938's Big Town

Were they "together" or not?

Cloud of dust

Morning Walk: Stuff "Boston Blackie" thinks about [#01]

My friend "Boston Blackie" seems to be a bit like me in that he is preoccupied with old-time radio a lot. He may not listen to it all the time but he thinks about it all the time - something I certainly find myself doing more and more.

He's agreed to occasionally share those thoughts with us. Here's the first installment of "Morning Walk."


What Is So Charming About Old Time Radio?

I asked this question to myself on my morning walk.  The first thing that came to my mind is the sex content, or lack of it.  Well, not really lack of it, but, just simplified.  We get a daily dose of more raw sex in our daily tv shows and the movies we might go and see.  But, in old time radio we get kisses.  Yes, kisses.  I really get a kick of the Cisco Kid who often kisses the young maiden at the close of the show.  That is it, a kiss.  No jumping in the bed and you know what after that.  But, the Cisco Kid kiss is just as moving.  Other ways OTR handles sex is by ‘Stuff Pat Novak says'.  He describes the young gals he meets with descriptions of their shapes and color of the hair and whatever.  No bed jumping, though.  Same goes for the other detectives.  Philip Marlowe is what I call the ‘Great Describer.’  He paints the pictures of sunset, sunrises, ocean waves and the young ladies.  But, that is far as it gets.  We know these detectives have interest in sex, but, at best, the hint of something that might happen and we never find out. 

Another charm of old time radio is the way violence is handled.  Only on occasion are things blown up.  But nothing like the tv show Hawaii Five-O where things get blasted regularly and rely on shock value.  Not so for OTR.  Oh, our beloved detectives get hit on the head over and over and over again.  They wake up, say it hurts and move on.  I hate to think of the concussions they suffered and quality of life they suffer in later years.  But, it is not done for shock value.  TV seems to try to out-do each other to the extent of violence they can show.  Bodies are carved up and shown to the viewer.  OTR just has detectives hit in the head.  Yes people are shot, but, they just drop.  Violent, yes.  But, at the same time not shocking.  They are shot but not for shock value.  Even then, how many people did the Lone Ranger ever blast to their death?  I do not think it was many.  You can go to bed after listening to any of these shows and not have nightmares as you might get from watching Criminal Minds. 

Somewhat related to the charm of OTR is the word ‘gay.’  Every night I hear someone mentioning gay.  Gay was not what it means today.  I do not need to tell you what today's definition is.  Back during the time of OTR, gay was used routinely for those that are happy.  I believe My Favorite Husband used the word for every opening of the show.  The gay couple.  Yes, the gay couple.  Isn’t that charming???  Now, you would raise an eyebrow.  (By the way, I have nothing against ‘so called gay couples’ as known today.  But, just pointing out it is kind of charming to see how often that work was used in otr shows. ) 

©Jimbo 2010/2011

And speaking of the Lone Ranger...

Tiny review: The Lone Ranger

"Here's what we'll do.  I'll stay here and you, my Indian friend, will go to town."

The Lone Ranger was a juvenile Western series that lasted more than 21 years on the air.

It's formula was almost always the same: a plot of some evil kind was being hatched by some henchmen; the Lone Ranger and Tonto would get wind of it.  The Ranger would send Tonto into town to spy or to pick up some useful information.  When Tonto didn't return, the Ranger would worry or suspect something drastic had happened to Tonto.  The Ranger would find out where the crooks were hiding, free Tonto and they both would mop up the bad guys - and sometimes the sheriff (who had suspected the Lone Ranger was a bad guy because he wore a mask) would help with the rescue and then apologize, embarrassed.  This happened on at least three-quarters of the shows.

For a better review, just listen to Bill Cosby: