Remembering Radio: An Oral History of Old-Time Radio

by David S. Siegel

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

PART INTERVIEWS

CHAPTER 1: PARKER FENNELLY
"TITUS MOODY" ON THE FRED ALLEN SHOW,
WITH WIFE, CATHERINE

CHAPTER 2: JOAN MERRILL
VOCALIST ON THE EDGAR BERGEN PROGRAM

CHAPTER 3: WARD BYRON
PRODUCER OF MUSICAL PROGRAMS

CHAPTER 4: FRANK NELSON & VEOLA VONN
FRANK, COMEDIAN ON THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM AND
VEOLA, ACTRESS ON VARIOUS PROGRAMS

CHAPTER 5: HILDEGARDE
CHANTEUSE, THE RALEIGH ROOM

CHAPTER 6: MIRIAM WOLFF
ACTRESS ON THE WITCH'S TALE AND LET'S PRETEND

CHAPTER 7: DOROTHEA COLE
WIDOW OF WRITER AND ACTOR ALONZO DEEN COLE

CHAPTER 8: ROBERT VAN DEVENTER
PANELIST ON TWENTY QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 9: MARY SMALL
VOCALIST ON LITTLE MISS BAB-O'S SURPRISE PARTY

CHAPTER 10: ANNE DEMARCO
VOCALIST AND ONE OF FIVE OF THE DEMARCO SISTERS

CHAPTER 11: JANET CANTOR GARI
DAUGHTER OF EDDIE CANTOR

CHAPTER 12: PAT HOSLEY
ACTRESS ON MANY PROGRAMS

CHAPTER 13: SANDRA MICHAEL
CREATOR AND WRITER OF AGAINST THE STORM
AND LONE JOURNEY

CHAPTER 14: PEGGY MOYLAN
VOCALIST AND ONE OF THE MOYLAN SISTERS ON THE HORN
AND HARDART CHILDREN'S HOUR

PART RESOURCE GUIDE TO THE ORAL HISTORY
OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: LIST OF ORAL HISTORIES

Genres: History

420 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2010

Reviews

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

The work author David Siegel has done to preserve the memories of the players of Old Time Radio is admirable. This book contains 14 transcribed talks with important people who are no longer around, so his efforts saved some of their precious memories. He also includes a section that lists interviews conducted by other historians including Chuck Schaden whose archive of audio interviews on Speaking of Radio is indispensable.

Siegel's reverence for and knowledge about radio shows impresses most of his subjects and they often talk about how they would like to hear their shows again. In the case of Hildegarde, unfortunately she disposed of the transcription disks she received from the studio to clear space. Although film history has its own troubles with preservation, radio history is more niche and less regulated, so the survival rate is sometimes incredibly bad.

Miriam Wolff said of the OtR conventions, “The fans are just— you come away with an ego that is not to be believed. It lasts for the next five years.” The author says, “Well I’m delighted to hear that because without the folks who played in radio, it would really not be much of a convention.” Unfortunately I think that’s why so many of them have folded.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 'Remembering Radio: An Oral History of Old Time Radio', David Siegel has shared a fascinating glimpse into the world of radio shows from the "Golden Age" of radio, an era generally considered to run from the late-1920s to the mid-1950s, although 1962 brought the end of both 'Suspense' and 'Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar', both of which had begun in the 1940s. The interviewees share valuable memories of their experiences, permitting a greater understanding of how radio programs were run, both on stage, and behind the scenes. It is strictly on the merit of his subjects and their most interesting stories that I finished the book: as a reviewer on Amazon also stated, I feel the book could have benefitted from better editing and the removal of some elements of the taped interviews. I will go a step further and say that the book would have been significantly better if Mr. Siegel had removed all of his dialogue, except where absolutely necessary in order to provide clarity. I felt that he frequently asked questions about what his subject had just told him, to the point of my feeling annoyed and wishing one of his subjects would say, "Why don't you just listen to what I say so I don't have to repeat myself!" Between his annoying habit of seemingly thinking more about his next question than actually listening to the answer to the current one, and his interjections, which often appeared to be failed attempts to finish sentences for someone, he made the book far less enjoyable to read than it might have been. Also, there were times when he seemed to be more interested in who his subjects may have worked with than he was in his subjects, themselves. There were several times when I felt badly for his interviewees. Overall, I found him to be a rather curious blend of two traits which rarely go hand-in-hand: rudeness and fawning. I would have given the book a five-star rating, had he inserted less of himself into it. As it is presented, I give it four stars solely for the content provided by his subjects, for, had his subjects not been so interesting, it would have been two stars, at best.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good idea, poor execution. Many of the guests are interesting, but the interviews often seem to revolve around another project the author is working on, an old time radio convention or just random flattery. There is a technique to interviewing and to transcribing interviews. Neither is in evidence in this volume. Still it is worth reading for fans of old time radio.