Happy Birthday William Conrad

Yesterday September 27th  would have been the 93rd birthday for all around great actor William Conrad.  Known mostly to the tv generation as Cannon or The Fatman on "Jake and The Fatman", his last regular series on television.  But for a large number of people old and young he is and always will be "Marshall Matt Dillon" of Gunsmoke.   The radio version of Gunsmoke, the first "adult" western on radio aired on CBS radio from 1952 to 1961.  This cemented his legendary status as a radio/western icon...many people still think he should have been given the tv role of Matt Dillion but he said it wasnt for him and James Arness was a good choice.   William Conrad also gained fame as the narrator on "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959-1964) and also narrator on "The Fugitive" (1963-1967).   Known for his powerful baritone he was also the voice/narrator for the radio classic "Escape" (1947-1954).

So celebrate with the Old Time Radio community with these examples of his great work.

thanks to Buck Benny and hit Jack Benny OTR Podcast for these episodes of Gunsmoke

NY Times Bestseller List - Fiction (09/22/203)

New York Times Bestseller List 

Hardback Fiction

Week Ending September 22nd 2013

10 - Mistress - James Patterson and David Ellis
(5 weeks on list)

9  -  How The Light Gets In - Louise Penny
(2 weeks on list) (1 week at #1)

8  -  MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood
(Debut)
In the concluding volume of an apocalyptic trilogy, survivors of a man-made plague await the final showdown.

7  -  And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini
(16 weeks on list)

6  -  Dark Lycan - Christine Feehan
(Debut)
Tatijana of Dragonseekers encounters Fenris Dalka, who has returned to the Carpathian mountains.

5  -  Inferno - Dan Brown
(17 weeks on list)

4  -  Styxx - Sherrilyn Kenyon 
(Debut)
Acheron and Styxx, his often-estranged brother, must learn to trust each other in this Dark-Hunter novel.

3  -  The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
(8 weeks on list)

2  -  The Mayan Secrets - Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry
(Debut)
Sam and Remi Fargo, a husband and wife treasure hunting team, discover a Mayan codex.

1  -  Never Go Back - Lee Child
(DEBUT)
Jack Reacher is thrown into jail on trumped up charges.

NY Times Bestseller List - NonFiction (09/22/2013)

New York Times Bestseller List

Hardback Non Fiction

Week Ending September 22nd  2013

10 - Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
(145 weeks on list)

9  -  The Duck Commander Family - Willie and Korie Robertson w/Mark Schlabach
(23 weeks on list)

8  -  Lawrence In Arabia - Scott Anderson
(5 weeks on list)

7  -  This Town - Mark Leibovich
(8 weeks on list)

6  -  Salinger - David Shields and Shane Salerno
(Debut)
An oral history of the writer, a companion volume to the recently released documentary.

5  -  Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell
(26 weeks on list)

4  -  Zealot - Reza Aslan
(8 weeks on list)

3  -  Happy, Happy, Happy - Phil Robertson w/Mark Schlabach
(18 weeks on list)

2  -  The Liberty Amendments - Mark Levin
(4 weeks on list)  (3 weeks at #1)

1  -  Si - Cology 1 - Si Robertson w/Mark Schlabach
(DEBUT)
Phil's youngest brother, retired from the Army, works in the Duck Commander workshop.

Emmy Awards 1971

From May 9th 1971, the 23rd Annual Emmy Awards and radio and tv legends Jack Benny and Lucille Ball handout the Emmys for Outstanding Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy.

The nominees for Actor:
Ed Asner as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)
Michael Constantine as Seymour Kaufman on Room 222 (ABC)
Gale Gordon as Harrison Carter on Here's Lucy (CBS)

The nominees for Actress:
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)
Agnes Moorehead as Endora on Bewitched  (ABC)
Karen Valentine as Alice Johnson on Room 222  (ABC)

Flashback - Billboard Top 60 Country Songs 11/18/1978

I know its not close to November but I really enjoy these postings.  Check out his youtube page.

Billboard Hot Country Chart

Top 60 Songs

Week Ending November 18th 1978

NY Times Bestseller List Fiction 09/15/2013

New York Times Bestseller List

Hardcover Fiction

Week Ending September 15th 2013

10 - The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon
(2 weeks on list)
A young clairvoyant discovers her power in a dystopian England in 2059; the first pick of the "Today" show book club.

9  -  Night Film - Marisha Pessl
(2 weeks on list)
Investigators pursue a master horror film auteur after his daughter is found dead.

8  -  Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
(65 weeks on list)

7  -  Bones of the Lost - Kathy Reichs
(Debut)
The investigation of a hit and run leads the forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan into the world of human trafficking;  16th novel in the series behind the show "Bones".

6  -  The Whole Enchilada - Diane Mott Davidson
(Debut)
Someone is stalking the caterer and sleuth Goldy Shhulz.

5  -  And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini
(15 weeks on list)

4  -  Mistress - James Patterson and David Ellis
(4 weeks on list)

3  -  Inferno - Dan Brown
(16 weeks on list)

2  -  The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
(7 weeks on list)

1  -  How The Light Gets In - Louise Penny
(DEBUT)
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec seeks refuge in the tiny mountain village of Three Pines.

Billboard Top Ten Songs (09/14/2013)

Billboard Hot 100

Top Ten Songs

Week Ending September 14th 2013

Gunsmoke on Radio and Television (#2)

This time our Gunsmoke double feature consist of the episode "Gone Straight".  

I would be remiss if i didnt thank the podcast I listen too and who are so generous with their shows and time to allow me to use them on my blog.  The previous double feature radio show was courtesy
Bob Camardella and his Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Podcast.  This podcast features almost every radio program from the golden age of radio, even some that I had never heard of before.  Click the name of the podcast to check things out.

Today's double feature radio version is provided by my friend Buck Benny and his wonderful OTR podcast The Jack Benny Show OTR Podcast.   This of course features the entire season of the Jack Benny Show, from 60,65,70 and 75 years ago from, now, 2013.   He also features Phil Harris and Alice Faye, Fred Allen, Bing Crosby, Suspense and during this summer it has been adventure and rarely heard comedies.  He will throw in a few special surprise shows and loves feedback and suggestions.
Check him out by clicking the link in the title of the show.

Thank you for checking them out and for reading my little stress reliever blog.   Here we go!!!

Gone Straight

Season 1

originally aired on CBS radio August 22nd 1953

Gone Straight 

season 2

originally aired on CBS TV February 9th 1957

The Harness Racing Triple Crown

The Triple Crown for Trotters Harness racing kicked off at the beginning of August with the Yonkers Trot held at Yonkers Raceway in, well Yonkers, New York.  This is followed by the Hambletonian on the first Saturday in August.  This is held at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ.   The final leg of the triple crown is The Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile in Lexington, Ky on October 6th.

Here are the first 2 races in this year's Triple Crown (no winner of the Triple Crown this year)

The 59th Yonkers Trot 

(Winner - Dewycolorintheline)

The 87th Hambletonian

(Winner - Royalty For Life)

NY Times Bestseller List - Hardcover NonFiction

New York Times Bestseller List

Hardcover Non Fiction

Week Ending September 1st 2013

10 - These Few Precious Days - Christopher Andersen
(2 weeks on list)
The marriage of Jack and Jackie Kennedy, with emphasis on its final year.

9  -  Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls - David Sedaris
(17 weeks on list)

8  -  Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
(142 weeks on list)

7  -  Lawrence In Arabia - Scott Anderson
(2 weeks on list)
A history of the Arab revolt against the Turks in World War I focuses on T.E. Lawrence and other
international adventurers.

6  -  This Town - Mark Leibovich
(5 weeks on list)

5  -  Happy, Happy, Happy - Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach
(15 weeks on list)

4  -  Infiltrated - Jay W. Richards
(2nd week on list)
An argument that financial reformers have infiltrated American institutions and are waging war against free enterprise.

3  -  Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell
(23 weeks on list)

2  -  Zealot - Reza Aslan
(5 weeks on list)  (last week at #1)

1  -  Liberty Amendments - Mark Levin
(DEBUT)
The talk radio host and president of the Landmark Legal Foundation offers 11 proposals for returning to America's founding principles.

Gunsmoke on Radio and Television

Here we go with another double feature of Gunsmoke.

First up the radio broadcast of 

"How To Die For Nothing"

Season 2 Episode 6 (10/10/1953)

This episode was then used on TV 
Season 2
episode 31 
(06/23/1956)

New York Times Bestseller List - Fiction (08/25/2013)

NY Times Bestseller List

Top Ten Hardback Fiction

Week Ending August 25th 2013

10 - The Companions - R.A. Salvatore
(Debut)
Book 1 of a new fantasy series, The Sundering.

9  -  The Ocean At The End Of The Lane - Neil Gaiman
(8th week on the list)

8  -  The Last Witness - W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV
(Debut)
The Philadelphia homicide detective Matt Payne searches for a crucial witness who has gone into hiding;
A Badge of Honor novel.

7  -  The English Girl - Daniel Silva
(4th week on list)

6  -  Hotshot - Julie Garwood
(Debut)
Surrounded by enemies who want her to fail in the resort business, Peyton Lockhart calls on Finn MacBain, a childhood friend who once save her life and is now and FBI agent.

5  -  Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
(62nd week on list)

4  -  And The Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini
(12th week on list)

3  -  Inferno - Dan Brown
(13th week on list)

2  -  Mistress - James Patterson and David Ellis
(Debut)
When he begins to investigate a friend's mysterious death, a man discovers that she was leading a double life.

1  -  The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith 
(3rd consecutive week at #1) (4th week on list)
A detective probes a supermodel's suicide;  by J.K. Rowling writing pseudonymously.