Origins of Quiet Please

On this blog we take a look at the origins of Quiet Please one of old time radios best kept secrets. You might be asking yourself this, “If we know about it how could be a secret?” That is an amazing story on its own.

What was Quiet Please?

Quiet, please! was an old-time radio fantasy and horror program created by Wyllis Cooper and Earnest Chappel. It was first broadcast in 1947 by the Mutual Broadcasting System and its last episode ran on June 25, 1949, on ABC. A total of 106 shows were broadcast, with few repeats. The bad news was only 12 shows survived. At least, that was everyone thought. A fan of the program heard a rumor in 1980 that Chappel’s widow found a box of discs under her bed. He went to the widow and they turned out to be original transcriptions of the show. Since then a total of 89 episodes have been recovered. The only downside is that the sound quality fluctuates a lot. During the golden age of radio, stations would reuse these discs and over time the quality would become rough. In some cases, you can even hear remnants of old recordings on them. Even so, it was an amazing discovery for OTR horror.

What About the Creators of Quiet Please?

The writer and director was Wyllis Cooper. He was the same genius who created the super-series Lights Out years before. He left that show to Arch Olober, who went on to become famous with the series. Copper got lost for a time, until in 1947 he returned to his radio roots to produce Quiet Please.

Earnest Chappel was the host and main character for Quiet Please productions. The cast was usually just one or two other people. The sound effects were minimal and the music was just an organ or piano. However, the results were stunning. Chappel would tell his tales in first person, usually in flashback. He was the perfect choice for the weekly lead. There was nothing special about his voice, he didn’t exaggerate or project like many other actors of the time did. In fact, that’s one of the notable differences about this series. Nobody sounds like they are acting at all. They sound like regular people caught up in very unusual or terrifying situations. Cooper insisted on this and he proved what could be done on a small budget.

Cooper and Chappel did what they did without big bucks or big name actors. Instead, all they had was the imagination of one person and the acting talent the other. Cooper and Chappell created works of astonishing originality and the shows were well written.

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this week we premier a new series to the show called, Five Minute Mysteries. Also, it wouldn’t be right to talk about Quiet Please and not have one of their amazing programs. Also, we have a strange connection to talk about. Please tune in and find out all about it. You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

May 19, 2016 – Debra Yates – Woman of Many Names (RAS245)
May 26, 2016 – Pat Novak Returns (RAS246)
June 02,2016 – Some People Don’t Die (RAS247)
June 09,2016 – Who Was Richard Diamond (RAS248)
June 16,2016 – (RAS249)
June 23,2016 – The Horror Express (RAS250)
June 30,2016 – (RAS251)

True and False with Jack Webb

On Ron’s Amazing Stories the Blog we will look at the life of Jack Webb. I thought that since this week’s podcast features Pat Novak, we should learn about the man who played him. So, I have created some true and false statements about Mr. Webb and you get to play along. Don’t peek ahead to the answers!

Q1: He was born as Jackson Lee Webb in Sure Foot, Alabama?

False: John Randolph Webb was born in Santa Monica, California, to Margaret Smith and Samuel Chester Webb. His father left home before he was born and Webb would never know him.

Q2: Jack Webb smoked three packs of cigarettes day even though he had asthma?

True: Webb suffered from acute asthma from age six until adulthood, somewhat surprising for a man whose cigarette intake reached three packs a day at its peak. Not unexpected he died from a massive heart attack on December 23, 1982 at only 62-years-old.

Q3: It was his love of movies that brought him to make Dragnet?

True: Webb’s greatest love was movies, and his dream was to direct them. He began in radio, first as a disc jockey then as host of a comedy show (Believe It or Not!), finally as “Pat Novak, Private Eye”, his first true success. A small role in the film nor classic He Walked by Night (1948) led to the creation of Dragnet. During production, Webb befriended a LAPD police consultant assigned to the film and became fascinated with the cases he told. Jack successfully pitched the idea of a radio series to NBC using stories drawn from actual LAPD files. Dragnet first aired over NBC radio on June 3, 1949 and then came to TV on December 16, 1951.

Q4: Jack Webb was responsible for an increase in EMT/paramedics graduations.

True: In 1971 Webb’s production company Mark VII Limited Launched Emergency! This was a spin-off from his other TV series Adam-12. The show focused on Station 51 Rescue Squad. One of Los Angeles’s first paramedic units. The show inspired thousands of kids to become EMT/paramedics for generations, perhaps Webb’s greatest legacy.

Well there you have a bit about Jack Webb. He was truly an exceptional person and everything he did, he did well. He left a legacy of television programs that probably will never be equaled. He helped mold television as we see it today. Thank-you Jack!

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this time we we have the one-liner King of Detectives, Pat Novak. If you like scripts that sting, don’t miss this one. Also, we have a strange story sent in by a listener from Bradbury, County Durham, England. So, tune this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

May 05, 2016 – The Night Beat (RAS244)
May 12, 2016 – RAS Replay of Episode #200.
May 19, 2016 – Debra Yates – Woman of Many Names (RAS245)
May 26, 2016 – John St. John (RAS246)
June 02,2016 – (RAS247)

Spotlight – Debra Yates

On the blog this week we throw the spotlight on Debra Yates. She is the author of the new book called, Woman of Many Names. She was raised in Mansfield Ohio and currently lives in St. Petersburg, Fl. One day a cousin called her and told her about a historical marker in Tennessee. This led Debra on an adventure of a life time, the discovery of her family history.

The novel chronicles the life of Yates’ seventh-great-grandmother, Nancy Ward. This amazing Cherokee woman played a role in the Revolutionary War, had ties to Daniel Boone and traded letters with George Washington. The even more amazing part is that she is not in the history books, but her stories remain! She has been memorialized in Benton, Tennessee, by a federal historical marker. She was known to her people as Nanyehi, where she foretold one of the greatest American tragedies, the Trail of Tears. Nancy stands as a role model akin to that of Joan of Arc.

The late Elia Kazan, one of the most honored and influential directors of our time said that his biggest regret was that he didn’t make a movie about Nancy Ward.

Debra Yates book Woman of Many Names is not yet available, but has gone to the publisher. It should be available by the end of 2016.

This Week’s Podcast:

On the show this week we talk to Debra Yates and have a special episode of Gunsmoke. You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

April 14, 2016 – Sam Spade Week (RAS241)
April 21, 2016 – Interview with Pam Ferderbar (RAS242)
April 28, 2016 – Sciatica with Doctor Troy (RAS243)
May 05, 2016 – The Night Beat (RAS244)
May 12, 2016 – RAS Replay of Episode #200.
May 19, 2016 – Debra Yates – Woman Of Many Names (RAS245)
May 26, 2016 – (RAS246)

True and False with Jimmy Stewart

On the blog this time we will look at the true and false with Jimmy Stewart. I thought that since this week’s podcast features a story staring the man, we should learn about the man. So, I have created some true and false statements and you get to play along. Don’t peek ahead!

Question 1: Jimmy Stewart was a real general?

True: During the Vietnam War, he flew in a B-52 on a bombing mission to fulfill his duty with the Air Force Reserve. He finally retired from the Air Force on May 31, 1968 after 27 years of service and was subsequently promoted to Major General (two star general).

Question 2: Jimmy Stewart won medals during his service to our country?

True: He did indeed. The full list of military awards achieved by Stewart are: 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 4 Air Medals, 1 Army Commendation Medal, 1 Armed Forces Reserve Medal, 1 Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1 French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Amazing!

Question 3: Jimmy Stewart loved working with Orson Welles?

False: While the two did appear on several 50s, 60s and 70s TV shows they never worked on a large project together.

Question 4: Jimmy Stewart never won an Oscar?

False: How could you even think true! Stewart was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one for The Philadelphia Story (1940) and receiving an Academy Lifetime Achievement award. Stewart was named the third greatest male screen legend of the Golden Age Hollywood by the American Film Institute.

Question 5: Jimmy Stewart was a poet?

True: One of Stewart’s lesser-known talents was his homespun poetry. He once read a poem that he had written about his dog, entitled “Beau,” while on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. By the end of this reading, Carson’s eyes were welling with tears.

There you have it! Some fun facts about James Stewart the military man, actor and poet. Thanks for reading the blog and supporting Ron’s Amazing Stories.

This Week’s Podcast:

On this this week’s podcast we meet Dr. Troy and have a classic western staring Jiminy Stewart. You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

The Calendar:

April 07, 2016 – The Asimov Special (RAS240).
April 14, 2016 – Sam Spade Week (RAS241).
April 21, 2016 – Interview with Pam Ferderbar (RAS242).
April 28, 2016 – James Stewart (RAS243).
May 05, 16 – (RAS244)

Spotlight on Pamela Ferderbar

On this weeks, “Ron’s Amazing Stories – The Blog”, we throw the spotlight on Pamela Ferderbar. I had the pleasure to interview Pam for the podcast and all I can say is that you guys are in for a treat. It was a fun, funny and well charming too. Her approach to life is refreshing and will even make you giggle just bit.

Pamela Ferderbar Pam Ferderbar was born and raised in Wisconsin, the only child of two loving but quirky parents who fostered her creativity by setting a place at the table for Pam’s imaginary friend, Dokka. After graduating Marquette University with a B.S. in Journalism, Pam worked at Ferderbar Studios, the family advertising photography business where she honed her skills as a TV commercials director, and was paid to play with imaginary friends called actors.

In 1994, Ferderbar moved to Los Angeles where she directed commercials for Microsoft, Wells Fargo Bank, Bally’s, ITT and others, and in her spare time wrote screenplays such as Bob Dylan Stole My Wife, for which she is currently seeking financing for a Wisconsin-based production. In 1998 she wrote the novella Feng Shui and Charlotte Nightingale, sparking a bidding war for the movie rights. New Line Cinema purchased the rights in a record-breaking $800,000 deal, and a few months later all the executives on the project were fired and Pam’s movie was shelved. Classic #CharlotteMoment. As Charlotte would say, “It wasn’t my fault!”

Spotlight - Pam Ferderbar After completing a novel based on the novella Feng Shui and Charlotte Nightingale, Pam returned to Wisconsin in 2013. Pam’s father Tom Ferderbar, a student of the great Ansel Adams and a master photographer himself, tutors Pam in the art of photography. Pam is working on a second Charlotte Nightingale novel and a companion book with reader’s “Charlotte moments” complimented with illustrations and Pam’s own photographs. Pam and her friend Dokka continue to play.

Pam blogs for the Huffington Post. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, and the Coalition for Photographic Arts/Milwaukee where Pam serves as President and Exhibitions and Events Chair.

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this week we talk to Pam Ferderbar about her book Feng Shui and Charlotte Nightingale. Also on the show we have a short story written and read for us by Ashley Arsenal. It’s a true story! We end the program with something special you won’t want to miss. So please come listen!

You can listen to this podcast this Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on TuneIn Radio or listen on your radio Friday night at 8pm Eastern time. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.