Dick Beals, OTR Star, R.I.P.

Today was the sad passing of another star of the Golden Age of Radio and television, Richard "Dick" Beals.

Not being the best at writing about these things I will leave it to the experts like Mark Evanier who posted this brief but good obituary on Mr. Beals

Mr. Beals was famous for portraying young boys on the radio and in cartoon due to his youthful voice and never going through puberty.  He and Walter Tetley were the most called upon voice actors when a young boy was needed but so was a professional actor with the perfect voice.  Mr. Beals most famously portrayed Speedy the Alza Seltzer mascot in the 50s and 60s.

Thanks to my friend and OTR podcast master Buck Benny we have both Walter Tetley as Leroy and Dick Beals guesting as little Ronnie on the Great Gildersleeve radio show from September 23rd 1953.


 Also, from Buck Benny's Podcast the first regularly schedule episode of Gunsmoke "Billy The Kid" which featured Dick Beals as a young William Bonny aka Billy the Kid,

 Cartoon Brew highlights Mr. Beals work in cartoons and commercials in the 50s and 60s

NY Times Bestseller List (NonFiction) May 20th 2012

Here are the Top Ten books on the New York Times Non Fiction Bestseller list for the week ending May 20th 2012.

10 - Manhunt - Peter L. Bergen   (Debut)
9  -  Killing Lincoln - Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard   (32 weeks on list)
8  -  The Presidents Club - Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy   (3 weeks)
7  -  Imagine - Jonah Lehrer   (7 weeks)
6  -  Drift - Rachel Maddow   (6 weeks)
5  -  The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg   (10 weeks)
4  -  Prague Winter - Madeleine Albright
3  -  Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake - Anna Quindlen
2  -  My Cross To Bear - Gregg Allman  (Debut)
1  -  The Passage of Power - Robert A. Caro
(Debut)
From 1958 tht)rough the Kennedy assassination; the fourth volume of 
"The Years of Lyndon Johnson"

NY Times Bestseller List (Fiction) May 20th 2012

Here are the Top Ten novels on the NY Times Bestseller list for the week ending May 20th 2012

10 - The  Shoemaker's Wife - Adriana Trigiani   (5 weeks on list)
9  -  Unnatural Acts - Stuart Woods  (3 weeks)
8  -  The Lost Years - Mary Higgins Clark   (5 weeks)
7  -  Guilty Wives - James Patterson   (6 weeks)
6  -  Lullaby - Robert B. Parker  (Debut)
5  -  The Witness - Nora Roberts   (3 weeks)
4  -  Calico Joe - John Grisham   (4 weeks)
3  -  The Innocent - David Baldacci   (3 weeks)
2  -  The Wind Through The Keyhole - Stephen King  (2 weeks)
1  -  Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris
(Debut)
The telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse investigates a murder that has more to do with her than she imagines

Donna Summer - Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart History ( 1976 - 1999 )

Jack Benny's 20th TV Anniversary

A classic in every sense of the word was Jack Benny and in 1970 he celebrated his 20th anniversary in television with lots of friends.  Here we get to see Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, Rochester, Frank Nelson, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra,Red Skelton,Dean Martin and others.

A pure slice or radio and television history.

 Many Thanks to my friend and Jack Benny expert Buck Benny and his podcast.

New York Times Bestseller List(Fiction) May 13th 2012

Here are the Top Ten bestselling novels on the New York Times Bestseller list for Fiction for the week ending May 13th 2012
(click the title to go to Amazon to purchase or read more)

10 - Sacre Bleu - Christopher Moore   (4 weeks on list)
9  -  The Shoemaker's Wife - Adriana Trigiani   (4 weeks)
8  -  Unnatural Acts - Stuart Woods  (2 weeks)
7  -  The Lost Years - Mary Higgins Clark   (4 weeks)
6  -  Guilty Wives - James Patterson   (5 weeks)
5  -  Crystal Gardens - Amanda Quick  (Debut)
4  -  The Witness - Nora Roberts   (2 weeks)
3  -  Calico Joe - John Grisham   (3 weeks)
2  -  The Innocent - David Baldacci  (2 weeks)
(Last week at #1)
1  -  The Wind Through The Keyhole - Stephen King
(debut)

Gunsmoke - Season 3

The 3rd season of Gunsmoke  on television,(1957-58), was the first of 4 straight seasons that it ranked as the #1 show in Prime time.

Here is the first episode of Season 3, Crack Up.  This episode featured long time radio star and frequent radio Gunsmoke guest star John Dehner, here he plays a gunman on the edge of insanity.

Season 3 episode 1

aired September 14th 1957

George "Goober" Lindsey 1929-2012

In tribute to the late George "Goober" Lindsey who passed early Sunday May 6th 2012

From Season 5  episode 17 "Goober Takes a Car Apart"
Originally aired January 11 1965

Bee Gees - Billboard Hot 100 singles chart History ( 1966 - 1997 )

Billboard Hot 100 - Top 50 Singles (5/5/2012)

Kentucky Derby Flashback - 1992

20 years ago Lil E Tee ran away from the field coming down the home stretch to take the 118th running of the Kentucky Derby.

In a huge upset the bay colt held off challenges by favorite Arazi, Casual Lies and Dance Floor to win a slow race at 2:03:04.