Corey's Ramblings

Monday, December 4, 2017

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas - Day 4: Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby (1942)

Celebrating the holidays this year by highlighting a different Christmas episodes from Old Time Radio by showcasing a program a day (well, I will try). I expect to have some repeats, but also some new shows featured as well. If you have Sirius XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#148). Or you can see my previous OTR Christmas entries (or drop to the bottom of this message).

So I decided to stick with the variety show them and (for that matter), stick with the long-running Kraft Music Hall. Rather than Al Jolson, lets head back five years earlier and showcase an episode featuring the great Bing Crosby as he spread Christmas cheer back during the wartime year of 1942.

Santa paying a visit in 2000!

The Kraft Music Hall made its debut on the NBC radio network in 1933 and would be a staple in their entertainment lineup for around 17 years. They used this variety show to sell all the Kraft Food products, especially their cheeses and Velveeta. From the Wikipedia article, there were very careful in this show to have the announcers make the commercials for the Kraft products, not the stars. This could be a distinct difference between Kraft Music Hall and others that used the stars to hawk the goods.

On December 24th, 1942, the Kraft Music Hall was hosted by Bing Crosby in an hour-long special for the holidays. Joining Bing was Fay Bainter, Janet Blair, Jack Carson and Andrew Tombes. They were joined by announcer Ken Carpenter, John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, The Music Maids and The Charioteers. The program opens with Bing Crosby singing Adeste Fideles in Latin and English. We know this beautiful carol as "Come All Ye Faithful."

Jack Carson was talking fondly about his days in retail sales - and their new store where they only sell items that cannot be acquired during the war. At one point, Jack Carson tells a customer "I hope you don't see anything you like - but if you do, I am sure we don't have it." While played for laughs, it is interesting to see how people put up with shortages that were commonplace during World War II. This show features the standard fare of comedy and music to get people ready for Christmas. Bing also sings the contemporary hit "Why Don't You Fall in Love with Me?"

One of the nice parts of the show was Fay Bainter reading the famous letter from the New York Sun back in 1887 too see if there was indeed a Santa Claus. The great editorial by Francis P. Church has been shared over and over again since. Thanks to the Newseum, we have the text of the letter. They had her on the shows in year's past, but it is great to hear that wonderful reading of Church's editorial - found here:

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O’HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

In the second half, there is a dramatic...well comic telling of Santa getting readying for his long night of work. The interesting twist is that Santa has kids...and they are 'helping' him get prepared to give gifts to everyone - especially the movie stars that are on his travels. For more Bing, see my earlier blog posting on other Christmas episodes he recorded. I hope you enjoy this wonderful episode from 75 years ago.

Kraft Music Hall (December 24, 1942)

Here are some links to programs relating to Kraft Music Hall:

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2017) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2016)

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2015) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2014)

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas - Day 3: Kraft Music Hall with a Melancholy Santa (1947)

Celebrating the holidays this year by highlighting a different Christmas episodes from Old Time Radio by showcasing a program a day (well, I will try). I expect to have some repeats, but also some new shows featured as well. If you have Sirius XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#148). Or you can see my previous OTR Christmas entries (or drop to the bottom of this message).

I want to showcase a number of holiday specials on musical or variety programs this year. There might be no better way to start than with the Kraft Music Hall's Christmas show on December 25th, 1947. In all my blog entries, I have never showcased this great long-standing series that aired over NBC from 1933 through 1949 and featured the likes of Bing Crosby, Nelson Eddy, and the one hosting this featured episode - Al Jolson. But I was not drawn to the episode for Jolson or their primary guest (Boris Karloff), but for the great pianist and wit - Oscar Levant.

Squirrels on a Snowy Winter's Day at the University of Michigan (February 4, 2015) - He was drawn to the giant peanut from Planters - a division of Kraft Foods.

The Kraft Music Hall made its debut on the NBC radio network in 1933 and would be a staple in their entertainment lineup for around 17 years. They used this variety show to sell all the Kraft Food products, especially their cheeses and Velveeta. From the Wikipedia article, there were very careful in this show to have the announcers make the commercials for the Kraft products, not the stars. This could be a distinct difference between Kraft Music Hall and others that used the stars to hawk the goods,

On December 25th, 1947, the Kraft Music Hall was hosted by Al Jolson with his sidekick, the great Oscar Levant. In the first part of the half hour show, the content was mostly Al singing and Oscar playing the piano - with jokes and ads in between. Al Jolson starts with "Is it True What They Say About Dixie?" and later sings "Melancholy Baby" Jolson also complained that while opening Christmas gifts this morning, he did not notice anything from Oscar under the tree! Oscar quipped that Al no only owns everything he needs - but also all the stores. Later on, Al would joke that Santa writes to him!

The special guest on his show was Boris Karloff, who was playing Santa Claus in Al Jolson's dream from Christmas Eve. Karloff was annoyed that everyone recognizes him only as the sinister characters he plays in the movies. So he wanted to play Santa Claus so the kids do not run and scream when they see him. He is trying to be like Santa to change the way he is viewed by others. And yet, he cannot shake everyone's association with the macabre. Karloff even gave Oscar a violin for Christmas, because he has heard him play the piano a bit too often. So maybe he is more macabre than melancholy - but it is fun either way. This is a fun Christmas episode with three titans of the entertainment industry. I hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane.

Kraft Music Hall (December 25, 1947)

Here are some links to programs relating to Kraft Music Hall:

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2017) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2016)

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2015) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2014)

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas - Day 2: New World A Coming's Christmas Episode

For the fourth year, I am going to celebrate Christmas episodes from Old Time Radio by showcasing a program a day (well, I will try). I expect to have some repeats, but also some new shows featured as well. If you have Sirius XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#148). Or you can see my previous OTR Christmas entries (or drop to the bottom of this message).

I first highlighted this series earlier in the year when I focused on African Americans on Old Time Radio. It is a fascinating series called New World A Coming and it was broadcast over WMCA in New York City in the 1940s to showcase the contributions of that community in broader society. Over the last few episodes, we have heard representations of African American actors in service roles like valets and house-keepers. But thanks to this great series from Roi Ottley, we hear a different story over the radio in the 1940s to showcase the contributions of African Americans in all areas of society. As a personal reference, I remember always looking at the WMCA radio transmitter building near the New Jersey Turnpike on the Belleville Turnpike in the wetlands of Northern Jersey.

Visit to Central Park (New York City) - February 16 & 18, 2017

New World A Coming was a a ground breaking book by Roi Ottley in 1943. Ottley was a journalist who wrote for the Amsterdam News in the 1930s, where he gained a great understanding of the African American Community in New York, especially Harlem. He went to St. Bonaventure University before transferring to the University of Michigan where he studied journalism (Go Blue!) In 1943, Ottley wrote New World A-Coming, and provided an overview of life in Harlem from the 1920s and 30s. The book became a best seller and won the Peabody Award. The year after the book came out, WMCA in New York City produced a series with Ottley as the writer to share these stories to an even broader audience. The Amsterdam News would report the following story after the first episode aired:

"A New World" Holds Premier
S.W. Garlington, New York Amsterdam News (March 11, 1944), page 1

"With the sweeping fury of a resurrection - a new world is coming!" With this announcement last Sunday over WMCA the premier of the radio program "New World A-Coming" was introduced to the audience of the world's leading independent radio station. As the music started, one was reminded of "Mood Indigo," but instead it was "New World A-Coming," written by Duke Ellington for the series.

The program was both entertaining and informative. Even more, it did not pull punches in dramatizing injustices to the Negro and suggested a square deal on all fronts.
Canada Lee, famous actor, served as narrator, the student orchestra furnished the music and a host of actors relayed the various stories - bits of Americana one never seen in the daily press.

The City-Wide Citizens Community on Harlem sponsored the program - to run for 26 weeks - in hope of making democracy less of a dream and more of a reality. Columnist Dorothy Norman spoke for the committee. Roi Ottley, former Amsterdam-News staff writer and author of the best-selling NEW WORLD A-COMING, from which the series is based, also spoke.

Each Sunday, at 3:03 p. m., for the next 25 weeks. WMCA and the City-Wide Citizens Committee on Harlem and accompanying artists will present to the radio world a 27-minute program of entertainment and information, designed to reassure the fact that A NEW WORLD IS COMING.

On Christmas Eve in 1944, the episode that I am featuring was first aired. The episode shared a series of beautiful Christmas carols sung by Muriel Smith and the Boys Choir Of St. Phillips Church, including The First Noel, Hark the Herald Angel's Sing, Joy to the World and others. In between the songs, there were blunt commentaries by leaders of the African American community about the condition of this population, especially during war time. It is amazing to think about the progress we had made in the nearly 75 years since this episode aired. It is disheartening to think about the continued struggles that we continue to face. The commentaries were from Dr. Channing Tobias, Lester Granger, Roy Wilkins, and series creator Roi Ottley. Please enjoy this beautiful music and think about the progress we have yet to make in the States.

New World A Coming Christmas Episode (December 24, 1944)

Here are some links to programs relating to Old Time Radio and New World A Coming:

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2017) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2016)

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2015) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2014)

Friday, December 1, 2017

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas - Day 1: Candy Matson's Christmas Episodes

For the fourth time this year, I am going to celebrate Christmas episodes from Old Time Radio by showcasing a program a day (well, I will try). I expect to have some repeats, but also some new shows featured as well. If you have Sirius XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#148). Or you can see my previous OTR Christmas entries (or drop to the bottom of this message).

I need to catch up a bit, so I am going to start out with a repeat from a short-lived series that I really enjoy. Here are actually two from Candy Matson. These are great fun and definitely worth a listen.

Mission San Jose (Freemont, California) - Sunday April 21, 2013

There are a number of series set in San Francisco on old time radio: Sam Spade; Pat Novak For Hire; Have Gun, will Travel, just to name a few. One that you need to add to that list is a West Coast series run by NBC called Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8209. Candy Matson was voiced by Natalie Masters, who was heard in the mid 1950s on the Fibber McGee and Molly show. Candy Matson was the brainchild of her husband, producer Monty Master. The Digital Deli article (see the link below) cited that they never quite found the national audience and she never became a household name. Maybe having a female lead of a detective series was ahead of the times. Maybe it was too smart or the references were made too much to San Francisco elements that few outside the city could get (also from Digital Deli article). In the Jack Frost episode listed below, there were three reference to Lefty O'Doul and the San Francisco Seals (of the Pacific Coast League).

And while there are only a handful of episodes that are with us, we do have two Christmas shows to share. I need to dig around a bit, but it is interesting that in these episodes, it always starts with the phone ring and Candy giving her phone number (YUkon 2-8209). It is just like the way that Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar would open week after week. They both started doing that in 1949. You know that imitation is the dearest form of flattery! Candy is constantly joined by Mallard (a police lieutenant played by Henry Leff) and Rembrandt (a photographer played by Jack Thomas) in the adventures. It is a great series that is very well written - shame we only have a few examples.

There are two Christmas themed episodes that are among the 14 or so recordings that survive. On December 19, 1949, the episode "Jack Frost" aired. It is the holidays and things are crazy at Department Store. Candy's dear friend Myra is the Advertising Director at the store and is in a crisis when Jack Frost is missing! Jack Frost, Santa's helper, is missing and Myra is in a pinch! Who will the kids share their Christmas wishes with??? Candy talks her friend Rembrandt to play Jack Frost, but then they discover a plot filled with jealousy...and MURDER!

Jack Frost (December 19, 1949)

I will write up a few entries later next year on the interest in the old California Missions in Old Time Radio. One of these episodes will be Candy Matson's holiday episode that first aired on December 18, 1950. Candy, Rembrandt and Mallard head to San Juan Bautista to take a break from the city. While in town, they pay a visit to the old Mission. And while meeting a Father at the Mission, they are alerted to a tragic suicide. But upon examining the body, they discovered that it was actually a case....or MURDER!

San Juan Bautista (December 18, 1950)

Here are some links to programs relating to Candy Matson:

Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2017) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2016)

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2015) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2014)

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Corey's Charleston Conference Sessions

148/365/3070 (November 6, 2016) - Wanda Enjoying the Charleston Conference Tote Bag

Here are my presentation slides for my sessions coming up at the Charleston Conference, November 6th through the 10th. Here is the full schedule - one of the best library conferences on this - or any other planet!

History Has Its Eyes on You: Lighthouses and Libraries Weathering Storms of Change - or is being the Public Good Good Enough?

Wednesday November 8, 2017 11:35am - 12:15pm

Citadel Green Room South, Embassy Suites Hotel 337 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403

Slides link: http://tinyurl.com/CHS17CSHistory

Also check out the Podcast that features this program: http://atgthepodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/atgthepodcast-038-corey-seeman-interview

NOTE: This is an adaptation of my keynote at the Great Lakes Resource Sharing Conference last June in Chicago.

For hundreds of years, the United States has been protected by two venerable institutions. Lighthouses have served as a beacon on the shores to guide ships carrying both people and cargo to a safe harbor. Libraries have served as a beacon to guide people to books, magazines, journals, reference works, recordings and other media for enlightenment, education and enjoyment. Both lighthouses and libraries have enjoyed their status as 'public goods' with little question in regards to the rationale for funding and support. Since most ships have navigation systems and we have all library items on our smartphone (we do right???), questions are being asked about the future of these two beacons.
Change impacting both lighthouses and libraries are remarkably similar. With automation and electrification, lighthouses transitioned to low-maintenance entities and many have been turned into historical museums across the country. Libraries have seen tremendous changes as collections became increasingly electronic over the past two years. The value proposition libraries play on campuses has changed - along with their ability to support community members in the present and many years in the future. While 'what's past is prologue' helps set the scene, the reality laid before both is to adapt or 'wither away on the vine.'
In this presentation, we will look at the parallel paths taken by both lighthouses and libraries in fulfilling their self-mandated missions. To that end, we will look more closely at the meaning of a 'public good' and the demands that librarians have in supporting both current use and future use of collections as we balance between community needs and aspirations. How librarians (and lighthouse keepers) face the coming storm will have a tremendous impact on future generations of our community members.

What's Past Is Possible: Opportunities and Perspectives for Library Alumni Resources

Thursday November 9, 2017 11:35am - 12:15pm

Grand Ballroom 3, Gaillard Center 95 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Slides Link: http://tinyurl.com/CHS17CSAlumni

Presentation with Jo-Anne Hogan (MLIS, Publisher, Business for ProQuest)

When considering the theme "What's Past is Prologue," there might not be a better application than to think of former students at our colleges and universities. As they venture off into the role of campus alumni, their information needs become complicated when they lose access to the wealth of electronic resources that are available at most campuses. Having resources at hand while a student is wonderful, but the grim reality of having little available to them upon graduation can be a bit of a let down. A growing number of colleges and universities are offering alumni a suite of electronic resources that are either bundled as part of their existing package, negotiated or purchased separately. The value to the vendor may be as an additional revenue line or exposure to a larger population. This might be especially true in business where the need for information and news resources is ongoing. The value to the library may be as a connection to a mission of lifelong learning that can partner with other aspects of the school. Even in a time of tight resource budgets, this can be a good investment by the library.

Kresge Library Services (Michigan) and ProQuest are no strangers to alumni resources. Kresge Library Services (of the Ross School of Business) has long been providing resources to alumni and is featured as an key lifelong learning element of the school. ProQuest has provided a number of alumni packages to libraries over the years as well. In this presentation, we will hear from a library and a vendor in how they approach alumni researchers, resources and what opportunities they provide to these organizations.

Critical business collections: Examining key issues using a social justice lens

Wednesday November 8, 2017 3:30pm - 4:10pm

Cypress South, Courtyard Marriott Hotel 125 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Slides Link: http://tinyurl.com/CHS17CritBiz

Panel discussion with:

Heather Howard, Assistant Professor of Library Science & Business Information Specialist, Parrish Library of Management & Economics, Purdue University Libraries
Katherine Macy, Business Librarian, IUPUI
Corey Seeman, Director, Kresge Library Services, University of Michigan
Alyson Vaalar, Business Librarian, Texas A&M

All academic librarians perform a balancing act between the needs of patrons, licensing restrictions, and the missions of our libraries. As part of the work to develop our campus collections, academic business librarians work with both schools and commercial vendors to provide resources that our business students and faculty require. Business publishers charge academic customers pennies on the dollar for access, but are likely to seek protections for their intellectual content by placing usage restrictions that run counter to what librarians would prefer. This can cause difficulties for librarians in serving their unique populations. This also can run counter to the central principals of “Critical Librarianship”, which is based on a foundation of social justice, the belief that everyone deserves equal opportunities and basic economic, political, and social rights. Balancing the needs of the publishers and business school communities with the principals of critical librarianship is a great challenge for everyone who serves these communities. Business librarians from across the US will explore ways in which collections and critical librarianship collide. Topics to be covered include critical cataloging, the effects of database licenses on the intersection of theoretical academic work and practical business activities, challenges faced by public institutions supporting community entrepreneurs, and how the integration of critical pedagogy with information and data literacies can bring awareness to problems within current collections such as access to information, issues in data collection, and information creation. Through discussion, we hope to provide insight to ways in which libraries, as intermediaries between patrons and vendors, can help address these difficult problems.