Our History
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- I've been asked many times over the years about
my interest in and the collecting of old time radio programs. Here is a little background history of my
involvement with collecting and saving programs from the "golden age of
radio." As time permits, additional information may be added.
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- I remember listening to "live" radio
near the beginning of the end of this pop culture we loved and listened to
as television started it's climb for popularity. I recall the
excitement of the opening musical moments of The Lone Ranger before new
productions ended on 09/03/54. Although radio, as we knew it, still
had a little less than ten years left, many programs started leaving the air
in greater numbers each year until finally virtually nothing was left on
that tuning dial by 1962.
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- My personal interest started in the mid to late
1960's to collect copies of these programs. Very little was available
at that time for the early collectors and it was hard to find good sources
with credible information about these programs. You could purchase a
few 33 rpm LP's with a couple of broadcasts per album and there were several
small organizations and clubs that had formed with lending libraries, but
the variety and audio quality available varied greatly.
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- I lived out of the country for awhile in the
early to mid 1970's and that made it all but impossible to continue the
search for and collecting of programs for a time. After my return the
search for sources now reached a fever pitch.
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- The largest break I had at this time was an
article that appeared on the front page of the Saturday 10/09/76 edition of
the Arkansas Democrat featuring an old time radio collector named Ted
Davenport. I contacted him and was invited over to see his
collection. He offered me advise on collecting and shared with me
several publications that listed collectors around the country that were
willing to share and trade their programs. But the most important
thing he offered was the ability to copy each and every one of the
broadcasts in his collection. Two conditions though. One, as my
collection increased in size that I would allow him to trade with me for
programs he would be interested in, and two, to help anyone else that would
need aid in starting their collections. That started a friendship that has
continued to this day and we're still sharing broadcasts. All either
one of us has to do is pick up the telephone, or email, and the requests are
moving between us immediately. Both of our collections continue to
grow.
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- A little over a year later I moved to St. Louis,
MO. My sources and trading contacts had increased tremendously and the
collection continued to grow. It wasn't long before the word started
getting out about the programs I had gathered together and I started
appearing on a few St. Louis radio broadcasts talking about radio broadcast
history. During these broadcasts I provided audio moments from these
old time radio programs to share with the listening audience.
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- For the next several years, Audio Classics
catalogs started making it into collectors hands, I made additional radio
appearances, print interviews and was ask to put together a short series of
radio specials covering examples from the golden years of radio.
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- Audio Classics finally began it's own radio
series from St. Louis on 01/09/83 and continued for a number of years with a
growing audience. From time to time I would spotlight particular
programs with live interviews with such personalities as Jim Jordan (Fibber
McGee), Parley Baer (Chester on Gunsmoke), Raymond Edward Johnson (Inner
Sanctum Mysteries), Frank Nelson (The Jack Benny Show, Lux Radio Theater),
etc.
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- As the programs popularity increased with the
listening audience, so did its time slot length. Starting out as a 60
minute program, it grew to 90 minutes, then a two hour program and
eventually to three hours per show. I also produced several other
shorter versions of the program for morning drive time (Wireless Warehouse)
and special one hour shows (The Inner Ear).
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- More interviews followed. I appeared
several times on St. Louis' KXOK with Ron Elz (of Johnny Rabbit fame), and I
was heard over Chicago's WBBM on Chuck Shaden's "Those Were The
Days" broadcast talking about my involvement with The Lone Ranger
programs. I was also asked to speak before the Toast
Masters Of St. Louis.
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- The Ford Times, McDonnell Douglas Air Scoop, and
interviews in several newspapers both big and small. St. Louis Globe
Democrat (09/25/84), Naborhood Link News (06/26/85), The New York Times
(06/01/97), etc.
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- During this period of time, I also found myself
teaching a class at Meramac Community College about the golden days of
radio. Old time radio is truly my first love.
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- One of St. Louis' leading personalities on KMOX
(CBS) was Jack Carney. Just about everybody passing through the St.
Louis area for years stopped and appeared on Jack's show. On Saturday
mornings, Jack Carney also produced a Saturday Morning Comedy show in which
he utilized bits and pieces of old radio comedy programs from his personal
collection. The program was very popular. Jack Carney died
suddenly on 11/27/84 at age 52. Some months later I was contacted by
Robert Hyland, Regional Vice President of CBS. Several telephone calls
and face to face meetings took place about the possibility of putting
together a program that I would host using programs from my
collection. I was offered a contract, I still have it, but for a
variety of reasons, I didn't exercise it at that time. I've thought
about that since, after all, KMOX is one of the most powerful 50,000 watt
clear channel stations in the country. The show would have been heard
over a large portion of the country.
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- In 1983 I was asked by Fran Striker, Jr. to participate
with the families 50th anniversary celebration of The Lone Ranger on radio
as the radio history representative in Arcade, NY over June 24th, 25th and
26th. The weekend was a
great success and one of the highlights was a live re-creation of the first
Lone Ranger radio script. This live re-creation was heard over WEBR on
Saturday 06/25/83 at 6:00 p.m. from the
site were many of the early scripts were written. Also that weekend I
interviewed John Barrett. During the early broadcasts from a number of
different stations that produced their own independent productions of the
scripts, before WXYZ took over control the of series, John Barrett played
The Lone Ranger on WEBR from early 1933 to November of 1934 in Buffalo, NY.
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- My next Lone Ranger event was from Mount Carmel,
IL the birth place of Brace Beemer. The Chamber of Commerce for Mount
Carmel put together a weekend (May 1, 2, 1993) celebrating The Lone Ranger
program and ending with a live broadcast of an original script from 03/29/54
#3309/2529 Burly Scott's Daughter. This original broadcast featured
the programs announcer, Fred Foy, in the title role when Brace Beemer
contracted laryngitis. For this special weekend, Fred Foy appeared
again on this live re-broadcast. A real thrill for me was helping with
the live sound effects under the supervision of master sound effects artist
Barney Beck. Also with us that weekend was Dick Beals.
- We were invited back by the Mount Carmel, IL
Chamber Of Commerce during the weekend activities of May 14 & 15,
2004. A memorial dedication to Brace Beemer united The Lone Ranger's
radio announcer Fred Foy, Brace Beemer's daughter Barb Daniel and myself
for the event.
- On October 8, 2011 I made my third visit to Mount
Carmel, IL in conjunction with the dedication of a new museum to Brace
Beemer and The Lone Ranger. Took part in the ceremonies with Bob
Daniel (Brace Beemer's grandson) and Sinclair Daniel (Brace Beemer's
son-in-law).
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- I have contributed articles to the following
publications with the earliest year noted:
- Collector's Corner (became contributing editor in May 1979 issue
#15)
- Bob Burnham's Technical Guide To Collecting Old Time Radio Programs
(1984)
- The Sounds Of Yesterday (1985)
- The Golden Days Of Radio & Television (1988)
- The Old Time Radio Digest (1988)
- Listening Guide Newsletter (1989)
- Issue # 2 12/85 - In Search Of The Lone Ranger by Terry
Salomonson
- Issue # 3 04/86 - Information And Help To The New
Collector
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- I have authored the following copyright radio
broadcast logs:
- The Lone Ranger (07/22/85) Revised
(05/06/2004)
- The Challenge Of The Yukon (10/17/88)
- The Green Hornet (04/16/90)
- Dragnet (10/06/91)
- The Great Gildersleeve (03/08/97)
- The Lum 'n' Abner log (03/08/97)
- Radio Western Broadcasts (09/15/98)
- Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (09/15/98)
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- I have provided master recordings of programs to
Radio Spirits for their product collections and for their national radio
program "When Radio Was."
- Master recordings were also provided to KNX - Los Angeles
for their nightly old time radio broadcasts, and master recordings for
Adventures In Cassettes for their product collections.
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- I am the recipient of the following awards:
- Received the Allan Rockford Award at the 14th Annual Friends Of Old Time Radio
Convention at Newark, NJ on October 21, 1989.
Received the Stone/Waterman Award at the 15th
annual Old Time Radio & Nostalgia Convention at Cincinnati, OH on April 21,
2001
- Received the Parley E. Baer Award at the 20th
annual Old Time Radio & Nostalgia Convention at Cincinnati, OH on April
22, 2006
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- Received the Dave Warren Award at the 24th annual
Old Time Radio & Nostalgia Convention at
- Cincinnati, OH on May 9, 2010
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- Received the Ray Stanich Award at the 35th Annual
Friends Of Old Time Radio Convention at Newark, NJ on October 22, 2010
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- Parley E. Baer Award:
- I established the annual Parley E. Baer Award in
1997, with the permission of Parley Baer to use his name. Parley
handed out the first award personally.
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- Radio:
- Produced and hosted Audio Classics from St.
Louis, MO beginning 01/09/1983.
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- Interviewed by Chuck Schaden on "Those Were
The Days" - WBBM - Chicago
05/22/1993
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- Produced and hosted Audio Classics on Yesterday USA Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST
- (02/04/2007 to 06/27/2010)
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- Interviewed by Robert Siegel on NPR's All Things
Considered 01/14/08
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- Interviewed by Ron Elz on KMOX - CBS, St. Louis,
MO 04/10
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- Interviewed by Ron Elz on KMOX - CBS, St. Louis,
MO 01/16/2011
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- Produced and hosted Audio Classics on Radio Once
More
- Monday through Friday from Noon to
3:00 p.m. EST) (From 01/04/2010 to 11/16/10)
- (237 three hour programs produced of
which 225 aired)
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- Radio Recreations:
- May 1 - 2, 1993 Mount Carmel, IL live radio recreation of The Lone
Ranger
- Provided live sound effects, with Barney
Beck, during the
broadcast of The Lone Ranger script
- "Burly Scott's
Daughter" originally heard on radio 03/29/54
#3309/2529.
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- Friend Of Old Time Radio, Newark, NJ 10/23/2004
- I played the announcer / narrator for the
live recreation of The Green Hornet with professional
- actors Fred Foy, Elaine Hyman,
Paul Carnegie, and Hal Stone.
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- Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, Aberdeen, MD
09/20/2008
- I played a used rocket dealer in a X Minus
One re-creation before a live audience.
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- Presentations Given:
- Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, Aberdeen, MD 09/14 -
16/2006
- Presented a 1 hour talk on the history of
The Green Hornet and played an un-circulated
- broadcast for the audience
followed by a question and answer session.
- Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, Aberdeen, MD 09/13 -
15/2007
- Presented a 1 hour talk on the history of
The Lone Ranger and played an un-circulated
- broadcast for the audience
followed by a question and answer session.
- Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, Aberdeen, MD 08/ 27
- 29, 2009
- Presented a 1 hour talk on the history of
The Challenge Of The Yukon (Sgt. Preston)
- followed by a question and
answer session.
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- I have provided audio, and/or graphics, for the following projects:
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- Live Stage Productions:
- Stage Play Production of "Annie" (09/00/1985)
- Alpha Players - Florissant Center Theater (Missouri)
- (Vintage Radio Broadcast for sound effects)
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- Stage Play Production of "God Have Mercy On The June Bug" (06/21/2007)
- (Provided my voice for 5 news broadcast audio segments
for sound effects)
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- Stage Play Production of "Norma Jeane Enlightened" (03/20/2009)
- (Vintage Radio Broadcast for sound effects)
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- Stage Play Production of "Narragansett 1937" presented by
the Viking Theater Company (11/20/2013)
- (Provided my voice for 4 news broadcast audio segments
for sound effects)
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- Television:
- WGTE Toledo, OH (PBS): Toledo On The Air (Aired 1996)
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- Frontline: My Father, My Brother, and Me (Aired 02/03/2009)
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- Television movie:
- A Season For Miracles (Hallmark Christmas 1999)
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- Motion picture / television collection:
- DVD Criterion Collection Movie Release (11/2002)
- This special collection of Ernest Hemingway's The
Killers contains:
- The Killers (1946) the motion picture
starring Burt Lancaster & Ava Gardner
- The Killers (1964) the television
production starring Lee Marvin & Angie Dickinson
- The Killers (1949) the radio production
(which Audio Classics Archive provided):
- Screen Director's Playhouse of 06/05/49
# 22 The Killers
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- On camera interviews for the following productions:
- The Double Life Of Moe Berg
- FlashRock Films (2006)
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- For The Record: A Film By Leah Biel
- Biel Productions (2009)
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- I have conducted, in no particular order, both audio and/or video interviews with the following
people:
- Burgess Meredith, Parley Baer, Eve Arden, Arnold Stang, Walter B. Gibson,
Soupy Sales,
- Mandel Kramer, Grace Matthews, Gale Storm, Les Tremayne, John Archer,
Gwen Davies,
- Richard Osgood, Fred Foy, Richard Beals, Lee Allman, Rosa Rio, Bob
Hope, Sybil Trent,
- Raymond Edward Johnson, Frank Nelson, Veola Vonn, Jim Jordan, Joan Benny,
- Arthur Anderson, Willard Waterman, Louise
Erickson, Marylee
Robb, Kay Kyser,
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Shirley
Mitchell, Tom Dougall, Fred Flowerday, Ralph
Jewell, Ernie
Winstanley,
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Francis
H. Striker, Jr., Tony
Caminita, Louise Fletcher, Virginia Gregg, Alice Faye,
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Sam Edwards, Herb Ellis, Jeanette Nolan, Eleanore Tanin, Charles Michelson,
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Bob Hastings, Peg Lynch, Rosemary Rice, Jackson Beck, Ken Roberts, Dwight
Weist,
- Barney Beck, Hal Stone, Paul Carnegie,
Elaine Hyman, Ezra Stone, Eddie Carroll,
- Georgia Ellis, Harry Bartell, Ray
Kemper, Margaret Whiting, John Barrett, Shirley Russell,
- Lee Meriwether, Donna Douglas, Barbara Daniel, Janet Cantor, Paul
Peterson, Bill Owen,
- John Dunning, Jon Provost, Julie Adams, Ed Nelson, Lana Wood,
Fayard Nicholes,
- Anne Jeffreys, Joan Leslie, Kathy Carver, Ty Hardin, Don Stroud,
Dennis Miller,
- Sara Karloff, Karolyn Grimes, Harold Reid, Don Sherwood, John
Calvert, Richard Anderson,
- Noel Neill, Frankie Thomas, Jimmy Lyon, Beverly Garland, Jan
Merlin, Peggy Stewart,
- Richard Herd, Conrad Brooks, Cassandra "Elvira" (Mistress
Of Darkness) Peterson,
- Kevin McCarthy, Virginia Davis, Erin Gray, Annette Andre, Lassie
(She just barked her
- answers at me), John Rayburn, Betty Lynn, Edd "Kookie"
Byrnes, Larry Storch, Jay North,
- Margaret Kerry, Lucianna Paluzzi, Chuck Schaden, Leonard Maltin,
Lou Ferrigno,
- Celeste Holm, Johnny Whitaker, James Best, Clint Walker, Clayton
Moore, Will Hutchins,
- Billy Gray, Hugh O'Brien, Patty Duke, Davey Jones, Tony Dow, Lauren
Chapin, Shirley Jones
- Carlton E. Morse, Margot Stevenson, John Hart, Mason Adams, Court
Benson, Arthur Tracy,
- Bob Prescott, Ralph Bell, Ward Byron, Frank Bresee, Bill Lipton,
Arnold Moss, Kenny Delmar,
- Terry Ross, Alice Reinheart, Gertrude Warner, Lucille Fletcher, Lon
Clark, Fran Carlon,
- Joyce Randolph, Ray Erlenborn, Hildegarde, Jackie Kelk, Tyler
McVey, Lillian Buyeff,
- Bela Lugosi, Jr., George Ansbro, Art Gilmore, Elliott Reid, Joyce
Van Patten, David Parker,
- Marsha Hunt, Mark Goddard, Dawn Wells, Michael Constantine, Karen
Valentine, David Hedison,
- Jeff Connors
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- Current and future projects:
- Completed digital photography of Earle Graser home (Radio Lone
Ranger)
- Completed digital scan of Brace Beemer's personal scrape book collection
- Currently digitally restoring the entire Phil Harris - Alice Faye
broadcast collection
- Currently digitally restoring the entire The Lone Ranger collection
- Currently digitally restoring the entire The Green Hornet
collection
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- I have donated information or helped with the following publications:
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- Listed in the dedication section:
- On The Air: The Encyclopedia Of Old-Time Radio
- by John Dunning, 1998 Oxford
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- The Shadow: The History And Mystery Of The Radio Program, 1930 -
1954
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2011 OTR Publishing
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- Listed in the introduction:
- Have Gun, Will Travel
- by Martin Grams, Jr. & Les Rayburn, 2000 Kirby
Lithographic Co.
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- I Led 3 Lives: The True Story Of Herbert A. Philbrick's Television
Program
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2007 BearManor Media
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- The Twilight Zone: Unlocking The Door To A Television Classics
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2008 OTR Publishing, LLC
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- Car 54 Where Are You?
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2009 BearManor Media
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- The Time Tunnel
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2012 BearManor Media
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- Duffy's Tavern: A History Of Ed Gardner's Radio Program
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2014 BearManor Media
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- Listed in the acknowledgement, bibliography and/or preface sections of the following:
- A Pictorial History Of The Lone Ranger Book - Dave Holland March 1989
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- Handbook of Old-Time Radio: A comprehensive Guide to Golden Age Radio
- Listening and Collecting
- by Jon D. Swartz & Robert C. Reinehr, 1993 Scarecrow
Press
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- Lux Presents Hollywood: A Show-by-Show History of the Lux Radio
- Theatre and the Lux Video Theatre 1934 - 1957
- by Connie Billips & Arthur Pierce, 1995 McFarland
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- The Lone Ranger's Code Of The West:
- An action-packed adventure in values and ethics with the
legendary
- champion of justice. by Jim Lichtman, 1996
Scribbler's Ink
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- The History Of The Cavalcade Of America
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 1998 Morris Publishing
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- Radio Drama: American Programs, 1932 - 1962
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2000 McFarland
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- The Great Gildersleeve
- by Charles Stumpf & Ben Ohmart, 2002 BearManor Media
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- The Official Guide: Inner Sanctum Mysteries: Behind The Creaking Door
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2002 Morris Publishing
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- The Sounds Of Detection
- by Francis M. Nevins & Martin Grams, Jr., 2002 OTR
Publishing
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- Gang Busters
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2004 OTR Publishing
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- Suspense
- by Darryl Shelton, 2007 BearManor Media
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- Straight Arrow: The Definitive Radio Log And Resource Guide For
That
- Legendary Indian Figure On The Trail Of Justice
- by William H. Harper, 2007 BearManor Media
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- The Railroad Hour: A History Of The Radio Series
- by Gerald Wilson & Martin Grams, Jr.,
2007 BearManor Media
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- The Radio Adventures Of Sam Spade
- by Martin Grams, Jr., 2007 Kirby
Lithographic Company
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- Flights Of Fantasy: The Unauthorized But True Story Of Radio &
TV's Adventures Of Superman
- by Michael J. Hayde, 2009 BearManor Media
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- Hollywood Madonna Loretta Young
- by Bernard F. Dick, 2011 University Press
of Mississippi
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- Jimmy Stewart On The Air
- by Charles and Erna Reinhart, 2012
BearManor Media
- (Referenced as Audio Classics Archives)
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- Tuning In The Great Gildersleeve
- by Clair Schulz, 2013 McFarland
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- Authored the section on The Lone Ranger:
- Radio Rides The Range - A Reference Guide To Western Drama On The
Air, 1929 - 1967
- Edited by Jack French & David S. Siegel, 2014
McFarland & Company
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- Co-authored the following book:
- The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics, and
Television
- by Martin Grams, Jr. and Terry Salomonson, 2010
OTR Publishing
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Audio Classics® LLC Archive
Copyright © 1997-2012 Terry Salomonson
Home Page: http://www.audio-classics.com
Email: terryotr@earthlink.net
Last Updated: 04/27/15 07:37:41 PM