🎸♥
9:02pm
Austin Rich:
David The Splatter, and Imaginos! Lovely to see you Digital Salon. And Webhamster Henry! Hooray!
Get ready for some Mid-Century Gems!
🎸♥
9:03pm
Austin Rich:
I did a little re-constructing with our stories tonight, to try and make them as much like they were originally heard, back in 1942. Hopefully it sounds pretty good! The originals weren't so bad sounding, to begin with.
Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy starred in the original film, with Myrna Loy in the Rita Hayworth role.
🎸♥
9:09pm
Austin Rich:
The character of Jim Lane is an airplane daredevil, who flies for a show that offers Airplane Shows for spectators, which was a very popular things to go in see in the 30's. While the details of this story are not precisely true, people like Jim Lane really did fly planes like this, and most of them were daredevils and fearless... and celebrities in their own right.
9:11pm
asheville jon:
Howdy folks, sorry i'm late, had to watch the end of the phils game.
and no singing tonight? 🥺
🎸♥
9:12pm
Austin Rich:
An Educated Woman! The character of Anne apparently finished college, which was not as common as it is now, in 1938. Women made up about 40% of all college grads in 1938, where they make up about 60% of college grads in 2026.
🎸♥
9:13pm
Austin Rich:
Reversed expectations: SHE like's baseball, and HE'S bored by it. (See, it's 1938, so that bit was a "comedy" moment.)
🎸♥
9:15pm
Austin Rich:
Modern girl: she has a sweetheart, but is more than happy to go on a date with a man she just met that day, and is more than happy to tell this stranger that she really enjoyed the date, too.
Sorry, I don't think there is this week! But we'll be running a Dick Powell musical soon, with a few songs in it.
🎸♥
9:17pm
Austin Rich:
Anne's "sweetheart" Joe is dim apparently. He doesn't understand her "fancy" talk, and is happy to tune it out when he doesn't understand.
🎸♥
9:19pm
Austin Rich:
"He's the best friend I have in the world, and he's no good."
Ooof. Not much of a friend, is he?
🎸♥
9:20pm
Austin Rich:
"You're gonna be sorry for this."
There's a scene in there you shouldn't see if you have to pee.
🎸♥
9:25pm
David The Splatter:
I heard police sirens, I thought it was part of the show. Nope, they're going down my street.
🎸♥
9:25pm
Austin Rich:
While I can't really find anything to support this, I'm fairly sure that this movie was the basis for some of the details in the Rocketeer comic book. Cliff Secord - The Rocketeer - works as a test pilot, and works for a company that puts on airplane shows. Cliff is also a reckless, short-sighted character, and the primary sub-plot of the original Rocketeer comic is about Cliff trying to woo his girlfriend / wife to be. A lot of the beats from this movie turn up in that comic.
I've read a fair amount about the artist that wrote / drew The Rocketeer - Dave Stevens - who often did meticulous research for each issue of The Rocketeer, and would often delay publication of new issues, so he could make sure every part of his comic was historically accurate. I suspect he knew this movie well, but I can't substantiate it specifically.
🎸♥
9:31pm
Austin Rich:
While I know the comic very well, I haven't seen The Rocketeer movie since it was in theaters, and while I loved it quite a bit, I just don't remember the film as well. I've been meaning to re-watch it, but it's not always easy to find Disney movies.
🎸♥
9:33pm
Austin Rich:
Listening to Jim drunkenly talk about "The Sky" as if it were another woman sounds too much like other men I've had to overhear at bars. Yikes...
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9:34pm
Austin Rich:
Ooof. That line about wanting to be slapped too... yikes.
🎸♥
9:35pm
Austin Rich:
"Even the handkerchief is blown."
🎸♥
9:37pm
David The Splatter:
Getting drowsy, gonna wrap up my night but keep DRT going while I do it.
This comment gets at one of the real horrors of being married / in love with someone: even under GOOD circumstances, when people are not reckless daredevils, there is still a certain amount of bracing yourself for the worst possible outcomes, hoping that it never happens, but still having to be aware of the possibility...
The original film is a Howard Hawks movie. I wonder if the dialog is "snappier" in the film? I've been trying to track this movie down, now that I know the radio version pretty well.
When Wednesday's storm trapped me in Princeton, I whiled away at this special screening of a 1939 drama about pilots. It's said to be Rita Hayworth's first major film role. princetongardentheatre.org...
🎸♥
9:50pm
Austin Rich:
Another comic book that I used to love - Green Lantern - is about a Test Pilot, and often has a subplot about the pilot trying to woo his girlfriend. Though that's about the only similarity between this film and the comic.
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9:54pm
Austin Rich:
"Four years old, and he's starting to think about girls..."
🎸♥
9:55pm
Webhamster Henry:
Usually they step in the spotlight to sell a little Lux soap!
♥
9:56pm
das ubuibi:
Just got back from our walk along the shoreline...
Someone probably took them home sometime in the 90's. I wouldn't be surprised if they show up at an estate sale someday...
♥
10:06pm
das ubuibi:
The rocketeer comic was one of the best from Pacific comics then they went tails up, Then the collection on eclipse which went tails up and finally on to Comico which got like 1 issue out before folding....
🎸♥
10:06pm
Webhamster Henry:
haha 18MPG as a selling point during the Gas Crisis
🎸♥
10:07pm
Austin Rich:
I have a soft spot for CBS Radio. The "Dimestore" radio chime is a re-arranged version of the original CBS Chime.
Incredibly, I've never read Dave Stevens' "The Rocketeer".
I wonder if Bettie Page ever saw it! When Disney made the movie they played it safe by changing the character's name from Betty to Jenny, and it seems no effort was made to have Jennifer Connelly resemble Bettie Page.
There's a good collection of all the issues somewhere, that isn't too costly when you find it in the wild. But there's also new Rocketeer stuff being published by IDW, that is... shall we say, okay.
I do recommend the comic, the Stevens ones, I mean. The art is VERY good, and it's a great little read, even if it feels like "Part 1" of a larger story that is never completed. But it works so well that you don't mind.
I see it started as a back-up feature in Mike Grell's "Starslayer". I doubt any movie will be based on THAT!
🎸♥
10:21pm
Austin Rich:
There's something about all these little jingles that I get a little nostalgic for. I can't even count the number of artists I've talked to who had to do a little time, writing jingles for a variety of reason. I usually imagine the person writing them desperately paying their water bill later...
🎸♥
10:22pm
Webhamster Henry:
NW Federal Savings was a big CBSRMT sponsor (at least in the Chicago market)
Do you know if I have the "story" part of this show at the right speed? I'm tryin to get a reference for what the right "speed" for these shows should be. (Some archives are "slightly" slower than others, and I'm not sure which speed is correct.
🎸♥
10:25pm
Webhamster Henry:
I love jingles ! here's my collection of ad demo reels I got from my father in my youth. jhhl.net...
Some of the commercials were from a "slower" tape, then. But knowing the "story" parts are probably right, I can extrapolate out, and speed-sync stuff to that in the future. I find a few CBSRMT shows at the wrong speed here and there. Not always, but some.
(And by "wrong speed" I mean "a fraction slower," but enough to make it noticable.) I've found a lot of old radio shows at the wrong speed, but you can often use a song to figure out what the right speed was. But I don't really know the cues in this show as well.)
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10:34pm
Austin Rich:
Arnold is voiced by Gordon Heath (I think). But he sounds a little like Paul Frees...
🎸♥
10:36pm
Webhamster Henry:
True Value Hardware was also a big sponsor.
🎸♥
10:38pm
Austin Rich:
If there's anything I learned in college, with regards to history, it's that things are always way more nuanced than anything we've "absorbed" culturally. That Arnold was a "traitor" is certainly a simplified version of his story, and I can only imagine what actually happened. Considering that almost everyone in the US at the time of this story were all from "somewhere else" and the country itself was barely a country yet, the idea of who, exactly, was a "traitor" is probably more of a semantic point.
♥
10:50pm
David Shortell:
There was a news report yesterday about the upcoming "Classic Radio Network".
It's a joint venture by YUSA Red, SPERDVAC (the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy), REPS (the Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound) and ACB (the American Council of the Blind).
I don't want to paste an entire article, but it can be looked up.
🎸♥
10:57pm
Austin Rich:
There's a tiny "chirp" that you will hear during some of the transitions during this news segment.
🎸♥
10:58pm
Austin Rich:
I think that "chirp" is an audio-cue for a machine to switch from one source to another. I could be wrong, but that's my guess.
Listener comments!
: Good Hello.
Imaginos: Ahoy
David The Splatter: Good evening once again. It's a fine evening for a radio broadcast in the Digital Salon.
Austin Rich: Sorry for the pause there at the top. We were have a small spot of connectivity issues... but I think we're good, now.
How are you?
Webhamster Henry: A little CBS RMT in memorium : CBS Radio.
Austin Rich: David The Splatter, and Imaginos! Lovely to see you Digital Salon. And Webhamster Henry! Hooray!
Get ready for some Mid-Century Gems!
Austin Rich: I did a little re-constructing with our stories tonight, to try and make them as much like they were originally heard, back in 1942. Hopefully it sounds pretty good! The originals weren't so bad sounding, to begin with.
Austin Rich:
↳ Song: ""Test Pilot"" by "Lux Radio Theater"
Here's more information about the original film "Test Pilot," which came out in 1938:en.wikipedia.org...
Austin Rich:
↳ Song: ""Test Pilot"" by "Lux Radio Theater"
Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy starred in the original film, with Myrna Loy in the Rita Hayworth role.Austin Rich: The character of Jim Lane is an airplane daredevil, who flies for a show that offers Airplane Shows for spectators, which was a very popular things to go in see in the 30's. While the details of this story are not precisely true, people like Jim Lane really did fly planes like this, and most of them were daredevils and fearless... and celebrities in their own right.
Webhamster Henry: For more test pilotry: see The Right Stuff
asheville jon: Howdy folks, sorry i'm late, had to watch the end of the phils game.
and no singing tonight? 🥺
Austin Rich: An Educated Woman! The character of Anne apparently finished college, which was not as common as it is now, in 1938. Women made up about 40% of all college grads in 1938, where they make up about 60% of college grads in 2026.
Austin Rich: Reversed expectations: SHE like's baseball, and HE'S bored by it. (See, it's 1938, so that bit was a "comedy" moment.)
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @9:10
A good movie, but is too long in my opinion.Austin Rich: Modern girl: she has a sweetheart, but is more than happy to go on a date with a man she just met that day, and is more than happy to tell this stranger that she really enjoyed the date, too.
Austin Rich:
↳ asheville jon @9:11
Sorry, I don't think there is this week! But we'll be running a Dick Powell musical soon, with a few songs in it.Austin Rich: Anne's "sweetheart" Joe is dim apparently. He doesn't understand her "fancy" talk, and is happy to tune it out when he doesn't understand.
Austin Rich: "He's the best friend I have in the world, and he's no good."
Ooof. Not much of a friend, is he?
Austin Rich: "You're gonna be sorry for this."
For some reason, that line makes me cry.
Webhamster Henry:
↳ Austin Rich @9:14
There's a scene in there you shouldn't see if you have to pee.David The Splatter: I heard police sirens, I thought it was part of the show. Nope, they're going down my street.
Austin Rich: While I can't really find anything to support this, I'm fairly sure that this movie was the basis for some of the details in the Rocketeer comic book. Cliff Secord - The Rocketeer - works as a test pilot, and works for a company that puts on airplane shows. Cliff is also a reckless, short-sighted character, and the primary sub-plot of the original Rocketeer comic is about Cliff trying to woo his girlfriend / wife to be. A lot of the beats from this movie turn up in that comic.
Austin Rich:
↳ David The Splatter @9:25
Interesting! What a strange texture to the show.Austin Rich:
↳ Austin Rich @9:25
More information about The Rocketeer comic:en.wikipedia.org...
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @9:21
I wish there were more intermissions in long movies. Anything north of 90 minutes and I need a pee break somewhere.Imaginos: Getting sleepy. Been up a while
Austin Rich:
↳ Imaginos @9:27
Sleep well, Imaginos!Imaginos:
↳ Austin Rich @9:27
Thank youWebhamster Henry: BEETLEBAUM!
Austin Rich:
↳ Austin Rich @9:25
I've read a fair amount about the artist that wrote / drew The Rocketeer - Dave Stevens - who often did meticulous research for each issue of The Rocketeer, and would often delay publication of new issues, so he could make sure every part of his comic was historically accurate. I suspect he knew this movie well, but I can't substantiate it specifically.Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @9:29
Ha!Austin Rich: While I know the comic very well, I haven't seen The Rocketeer movie since it was in theaters, and while I loved it quite a bit, I just don't remember the film as well. I've been meaning to re-watch it, but it's not always easy to find Disney movies.
Austin Rich: Listening to Jim drunkenly talk about "The Sky" as if it were another woman sounds too much like other men I've had to overhear at bars. Yikes...
Austin Rich: Ooof. That line about wanting to be slapped too... yikes.
Austin Rich: "Even the handkerchief is blown."
David The Splatter: Getting drowsy, gonna wrap up my night but keep DRT going while I do it.
Thanks, Austin, catch you again soon.
Austin Rich: "What a surprise."
I can only imagine what she's thinking about, when he suggests drinking again...
Austin Rich:
↳ David The Splatter @9:37
Sleep well, David!Austin Rich: "What's fun about waiting for someone to die?"
Austin Rich:
↳ Austin Rich @9:39
This comment gets at one of the real horrors of being married / in love with someone: even under GOOD circumstances, when people are not reckless daredevils, there is still a certain amount of bracing yourself for the worst possible outcomes, hoping that it never happens, but still having to be aware of the possibility...Webhamster Henry: Special flight effects on the radio...
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @9:43
Mr. Foley's special contribution to the show.Austin Rich: Peanuts and Champagne? Yikes...
Austin Rich: I always liked the idea of having a nickname like, "Kansas."
Austin Rich:
↳ Song: ""Test Pilot"" by "Lux Radio Theater"
The original film is a Howard Hawks movie. I wonder if the dialog is "snappier" in the film? I've been trying to track this movie down, now that I know the radio version pretty well.David Shortell:
↳ Austin Rich @9:07
When Wednesday's storm trapped me in Princeton, I whiled away at this special screening of a 1939 drama about pilots. It's said to be Rita Hayworth's first major film role.princetongardentheatre.org...
Austin Rich:
↳ David Shortell @9:49
Oh, interesting! I should try and see that.Austin Rich: Another comic book that I used to love - Green Lantern - is about a Test Pilot, and often has a subplot about the pilot trying to woo his girlfriend. Though that's about the only similarity between this film and the comic.
Austin Rich: "Four years old, and he's starting to think about girls..."
Webhamster Henry: Usually they step in the spotlight to sell a little Lux soap!
das ubuibi: Just got back from our walk along the shoreline...
David Shortell:
↳ Austin Rich @9:49
Hawks directed and wrote the story.Webhamster Henry: hmm! I'm really used to E.G. Marshall's voice by now!
Austin Rich:
↳ das ubuibi @9:56
das! Always great to see you in the Digital Salon.Austin Rich:
↳ David Shortell @10:01
I should probably watch it, sooner rather than later. Hawks is usually really good.Webhamster Henry: I wonder if there are master CBSRMT recordings in the archives of the defunct CBS Radio Network.
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:04
Someone probably took them home sometime in the 90's. I wouldn't be surprised if they show up at an estate sale someday...das ubuibi: The rocketeer comic was one of the best from Pacific comics then they went tails up, Then the collection on eclipse which went tails up and finally on to Comico which got like 1 issue out before folding....
Webhamster Henry: haha 18MPG as a selling point during the Gas Crisis
Austin Rich: I have a soft spot for CBS Radio. The "Dimestore" radio chime is a re-arranged version of the original CBS Chime.
David Shortell:
↳ Austin Rich @9:31
Incredibly, I've never read Dave Stevens' "The Rocketeer".I wonder if Bettie Page ever saw it! When Disney made the movie they played it safe by changing the character's name from Betty to Jenny, and it seems no effort was made to have Jennifer Connelly resemble Bettie Page.
Austin Rich:
↳ das ubuibi @10:06
There's a good collection of all the issues somewhere, that isn't too costly when you find it in the wild. But there's also new Rocketeer stuff being published by IDW, that is... shall we say, okay.Austin Rich:
↳ David Shortell @10:07
Oh, interesting. It's been so long since I saw it, I sort of forgot that! I should really track it down.Webhamster Henry: Benedict Arnold for Memorial day...
das ubuibi: The IDW is a great collection & the post Stevens issues frankly suck
Austin Rich:
↳ David Shortell @10:07
I do recommend the comic, the Stevens ones, I mean. The art is VERY good, and it's a great little read, even if it feels like "Part 1" of a larger story that is never completed. But it works so well that you don't mind.Austin Rich:
↳ das ubuibi @10:09
Yes, that's polite.das ubuibi:
↳ David Shortell @10:07
Stevens supposedly showed Page the comic when they were both at a convention.Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:09
Yes! Sometimes you need to stoke the rebellion.Austin Rich:
↳ das ubuibi @10:11
Ha! I would love to have seen that. His drawings are so good, I can only imagine she liked it. But maybe I'm wrong...Austin Rich: "A Country Dance."
Oh my!
Webhamster Henry: collection:: idwpublishing.com... and (expensive) artist's ediition: idwpublishing.com...
David Shortell:
↳ Austin Rich @10:08
I guess IDW owns the character. Dave Stevens died in 2008.Austin Rich:
↳ Song: ""Test Pilot"" by "Lux Radio Theater"
Our First Feature originally aired on this date, 84 years ago.Austin Rich:
↳ Song: ""The Spy and the Traitor"" by "CBS Radio Mystery ...
Our second Feature originally aired on this date, 48 years ago.das ubuibi:
↳ Austin Rich @10:15
did you know that prior ???Webhamster Henry: 17 year old Lady Macbeth
Austin Rich:
↳ das ubuibi @10:15
Know what?asheville jon: Just saw that Sonny Rollins died. 😢
Austin Rich: 36 years passed between the air date of our first feature, and the air date of our second feature.
das ubuibi: do you usually recast on the same date as the original ??
Austin Rich:
↳ asheville jon @10:17
Oh no! That's sad news. And I just got some Sonny Rollins albums for sale at work.Austin Rich:
↳ das ubuibi @10:18
On holidays, yes. I call it my "Holi-day-and-Date" broadcasts.David Shortell:
↳ das ubuibi @10:06
I see it started as a back-up feature in Mike Grell's "Starslayer". I doubt any movie will be based on THAT!Austin Rich: There's something about all these little jingles that I get a little nostalgic for. I can't even count the number of artists I've talked to who had to do a little time, writing jingles for a variety of reason. I usually imagine the person writing them desperately paying their water bill later...
Webhamster Henry: NW Federal Savings was a big CBSRMT sponsor (at least in the Chicago market)
Austin Rich:
↳ David Shortell @10:21
I don't know "Starslayer," but I usually like Grell's stuff. I should look it up.David Shortell:
↳ Song: ""The Spy and the Traitor"" by "CBS Radio Mystery ...
I've heard that Benedict got a bad rap. I read something about it in Gore Vidal's novel "Burr" years ago, but I forget the details.Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:22
Do you know if I have the "story" part of this show at the right speed? I'm tryin to get a reference for what the right "speed" for these shows should be. (Some archives are "slightly" slower than others, and I'm not sure which speed is correct.Webhamster Henry: I love jingles ! here's my collection of ad demo reels I got from my father in my youth. jhhl.net...
Webhamster Henry:
↳ Austin Rich @10:25
The speed cues I get are from the musical stings, which are always the same in thousands of shows!Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:25
I think you mentioned this before, but it slipped my mind! Very cool. I need to download these.Webhamster Henry: These sound pretty much OK. BTW, the library is heavily reliant on old Twilight Zone cues!
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:27
Oh! That's interesting.Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:27
Some of the commercials were from a "slower" tape, then. But knowing the "story" parts are probably right, I can extrapolate out, and speed-sync stuff to that in the future. I find a few CBSRMT shows at the wrong speed here and there. Not always, but some.Austin Rich:
↳ Austin Rich @10:29
(And by "wrong speed" I mean "a fraction slower," but enough to make it noticable.) I've found a lot of old radio shows at the wrong speed, but you can often use a song to figure out what the right speed was. But I don't really know the cues in this show as well.)Austin Rich: Arnold is voiced by Gordon Heath (I think). But he sounds a little like Paul Frees...
Webhamster Henry: True Value Hardware was also a big sponsor.
Austin Rich: If there's anything I learned in college, with regards to history, it's that things are always way more nuanced than anything we've "absorbed" culturally. That Arnold was a "traitor" is certainly a simplified version of his story, and I can only imagine what actually happened. Considering that almost everyone in the US at the time of this story were all from "somewhere else" and the country itself was barely a country yet, the idea of who, exactly, was a "traitor" is probably more of a semantic point.
Webhamster Henry: I especially like the PSAs ! the KIXI archives seem to have more of them - they sold less ad space! cbsrmt.thelongtrek.com...
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:38
Woah! There's probably an interesting story behind this archive.Webhamster Henry:
↳ Austin Rich @10:39
1974 election returns: cbsrmt.thelongtrek.com...Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:40
Nice!Austin Rich: That 30 Pieces of Silver comment is a Biblical reference, I do believe.
en.wikipedia.org...
Webhamster Henry:
↳ Austin Rich @10:39
Better KIXI link! cbsrmt.thelongtrek.com...Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:45
Very cool!Austin Rich: I guess I should have posted this sooner: more information about Benedict Arnold:
en.wikipedia.org...
David Shortell: There was a news report yesterday about the upcoming "Classic Radio Network".
It's a joint venture by YUSA Red, SPERDVAC (the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy), REPS (the Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound) and ACB (the American Council of the Blind).
I don't want to paste an entire article, but it can be looked up.
Austin Rich:
↳ David Shortell @10:50
Ooooo. I'll have to look that up. Thank you!Webhamster Henry: Heh it's the Old Philosopher!
Webhamster Henry: You can hear him in that archive of mine that I posted.
Webhamster Henry: I use Barkeeper's Friend!
asheville jon: Thanks Rich
Austin Rich:
↳ asheville jon @10:56
Thank you, Ashevile Jon! There will be more singing, soon.Hey, it's Ken Nordine!
Webhamster Henry: Sounds like Ken Nordine!
Austin Rich: There's a tiny "chirp" that you will hear during some of the transitions during this news segment.
Austin Rich: I think that "chirp" is an audio-cue for a machine to switch from one source to another. I could be wrong, but that's my guess.
Webhamster Henry: I love those chirps!
Austin Rich:
↳ Webhamster Henry @10:58
Me too!Austin Rich: Thanks everyone! See ya next time.