11/3/2008 11:34:20 AM

Bob Bailey may be my favorite radio personality. He is one of the few I love to hear over and over, even reruns. Yes, a week without Bob is almost as bad as "dead air."

Bogie Austin

11/4/2008 4:17:30 AM

Greg,

I agree wholeheartedly with Bogie AND Rosemary...Johnny Dollar and Gunsmoke are both 'must-hear' programs! I get all giddy when I print out the schedule and see either of these fine shows. And, to Rosemary's point, the sci-fi shows are among my favorites, as well. Keep up the GREAT work!!

Chris Rhodes

11/5/2008 4:28:48 AM

Oh, Greg, I really tried not to get political except about Gracie and if I slipped, it really was neither malicious nor intentional (I'm not known for my sublety) and I apologize to you and any blogger who was upset. Thank you for being so gracious about my error, Greg - I really appreciate that. And oh, how I've enjoyed GRACIE! And not to be political, I'm just glad the real election is over. That's all on that subject.
Really enjoyed "The Scarlet Plague" and "The 10th Planet," both of which I've heard a gazillion times. Joseph Cotton could read the phone book and I'd be GLUED.
Oh, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting the schedules so early in the week AND for having a show for Veterans Day. Just as an FYI: Nov. 10 is the Marine Corps birthday --- I'd better know that --- my paternal grandfather and 5 of my uncles were Marines! My paternal grandfather and grandmother, my Navy uncle, my uncle-in-law (my aunt's husband) and my aunt and one of my Marine uncles are all buried at Arlington. Semper Fi, Greg! (By the way, my dad, my maternal grandparents and I were all in the NAVY so when Dec. 6 -- the army-NAVY game --- guess who I'm rooting for -- is on, could you play "Johnny Quinn, USN," starring Olivia de Haviland? It's also the day before PEARL HARBOR day which is what Johnny Quinn is about).

Rosemary

11/6/2008 4:21:29 AM

Greg,

I see next week you have "Shop around the Corner" on Screen Directors - 9/20/40. Jimmy Stewart (My all time favorite actor) did a movie called "The Little Shop Cround the Corner". Is this the one that will be done and if so is Jimmy going be be in it?

Thanks,

Bob

Bob

11/6/2008 5:19:42 AM

Hi, Bob!

If you check www.radiogoldindex.com, you probably can get the answer to your question. I'd do it for you but it's 10 PM and I've been up since 5 AM so I'm tired. It's a neat site anyway so I think you'll have more fun exploring it! Happy Trails!

Rosemary

11/6/2008 11:21:58 AM

greg
bob bailey is truely i think the best johhny dollar
I love the golen age of radio im to young to got to hear it i wish greg wish you had more shows good job

Robert

Robert

11/6/2008 4:26:32 PM

THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT...

WHAT???? GRACIE DIDN'T WIN????

I'M SHOCKED!!!!!

Seriously, Greg, thank you SO much for airing those Gracie For President shows! I enjoyed the a LOT. You can air them any time as far as I'm concerned.

And I agree with Robert --- Bob Bailey really is the best Johnny Dollar, just as my beloved Orson is the best Shadow and my other beloved, William Conrad, is the best Matt Dillon.

Rosemary

11/6/2008 8:29:20 PM

I would agree with Rosemary on Matt Dillon. The original is often times the best and that is the case. I got hooked on Gunsmoke on 164 just because of the music at first. I loved the opening and closing themes, as well as the intros and outros from the commericals. Once I started listening to the actual show, I realized how much I liked it. Shortly after that I tried watching the Gunsmoke reruns on TV Land and by and large they are God awful. I don't know if it is because there is no Chester, but the spirit of the radio show is not there in the TV show. I wonder if a station carried the early years with Chester if it would be more like the radio show, I have never seen any of those episodes. TV Land only seems to carry the show from 1966-1974 or so.

Matt Pelc

11/7/2008 1:01:22 AM

Hi, Matt - thank you for your agreement RE: Bill Conrad as Matt Dillon. I hear, sadly, he didn't get the TV role either because of his weight or he wasn't attractive enough. Maybe Greg can let us know the truth. I hope I'm wrong. I have nothing against Jim Arness; I just think Bill Conrad would have been perfect on TV. Sadly, Mr. Conrad got very heavy as he aged - just watch "Cannon" and "Jake & the Fat Man" and you'll see what I mean. But his voice remained as deep, resonant and as strong as ever. Maybe that's why he was so good on radio.
You know what the Bill Conrad/TV Gunsmoke story reminds me of? Well, Agnes Moorehead played Mrs. Stevens in all 7 renditions of "Sorry, Wrong Number" yet when they went to make the movie, Barbara Standwyck got the part. Agnes was offered a supporting role (how insulting) but she rightly turned it town. She was the one who MADE that role and yet Hollywood wanted a "name." The same thing happened with Julie Andrews and "My Fair Lady." She should have played the role in the 1964 movie but Audrey Hepburn was burning the screen with various wonderful roles - from the princess in "Roman Holiday" -- her 1st role and her 1st Oscar - to Gabrielle van der Maal/Sr. Luke in "The Nun's Story" and Sabrina Fairchild in "Sabrina." So it happens a lot that stars who should have gotten the role are often overlooked in favor of "names." It's too bad.

Rosemary

11/7/2008 2:54:57 AM

Rosemary,

Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.

Bob

Bob

11/7/2008 3:26:43 PM

Conrad was never considered for the TV Dillon. In addition to being heavyset, he was also on the short side. As a film and television director, I'm sure Conrad himself agreed it simply was not feasible to have him repeat his radio role on television.

As for BULLETS OR BALLOTS, I loved the casting of Otto Kruger as Al Krueger. Frankly, I thought he was much more suited for the part than Barton MacLane was in the picture.

Ray Faiola

11/8/2008 1:46:38 AM

Hello Folks..
I see my link to the Pictures was deleted..why would that be an offense?..

Tim Lones

11/8/2008 2:14:24 AM

Hey folks. I got to go the the Friends of Old Time Radio convetion a few weeks ago. I was going to post some of my pictures here but thought it would take too much space. I put it on my own blog. There are a few pictures and a few videos i took that you might find very enjoyable, amateurish tho the recording may be.
Let me know if you want any more info on who was there etc. I wasn't sure of what interest there would be so I didn't put a whole lot of detail.
my blog is at www.christ-web.com/sorahl/blog.html/blog.html
Regards
John

John B

11/8/2008 11:46:18 AM

plus it is Greg Bell's Blog he can choose to include or remove anything he wants!

john

11/8/2008 1:05:49 PM

John...
I understand that completely I have my own blog..I realize Greg has the right to do what he wants..No problem at all..And it was actually a very good reason..I respect that..

Tim Lones

11/8/2008 10:06:34 PM

I wasn't jumping on you... at all, sorry if it seemed like I was.

John B