Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A TELEPHONE VISIT WITH STAN FREBERG
NEXT REPS MEETING NOV 3rd

Stan Freberg was the last comedian to have his own regular weekly network radio show.

The Stan Freberg Show


The Stan Freberg show was sustained by CBS. It went on the air from Hollywood in July 1957 but for just 15 short weeks. During that time some of the best humor and biting satire ever heard on radio was featured. The show featured routines which became classic and many were released on records by Capitol.

Regulars on the show included:
Daws Butler
June Foray
Peter Leeds
Peggy Taylor.
The show aired in the Sunday night at 7pm time slot, that had been long occupied by the very popular Jack Benny program. Unfortunately, the Freberg show failed to attract a sponsor after Freberg decided he did not want to be associated with the tobacco companies that had sponsored Benny. In lieu of actual commercials, Freberg mocked advertising by touting such products as "Puffed Grass" ("It's good for Bossie, it's good for me and you!"), "Food" ("Put some food in your tummy-tum-tum!"), and himself ("Stan Freberg—the foaming comedian! Bobba-bobba-bom-bom-bom"), a parody of the well-known Ajax cleanser commercial.
It's not a surprise that he later extended his talents to the world of advertising, with actual commercials for both radio and T.V.
Freberg will also always be known as the man who actually pioneered the now-booming field of comedy recording. For it was the tremendous success of such Frebergian funnies as St. George and the Dragonet,The Yellow Rose of Texas, and the controversial Yuletide classic Green Chri$tma$ that launched the genre.
Stan is a very interesting and talented personality that we recently had the pleasure of meeting. On the second half of episode number 58 of the REPS Podcast, John and Larry Gassman interview Stan Freberg. It's an enjoyable visit with the comedy legend that you will not want to miss. You will also want to check out the episode number 59 of the REPS Podcast where we feature classic radio broadcasts where Stan made appearances. First, it's the The Jack Benny show then followed by The Phil Harris & Alice Faye show. It's all part of Same Time Same Station as heard on the REPS Podcast.

These two episodes of the REPS Podcast are a great start to launch the REPS salute to the great Stan Freberg.
At the next REPS meeting, You will want to join us Saturday Nov 3rd from 2-4pm as we continue our salute as we hookup with Stan live via telephone and we'll open it up for questions from the audience. So if you are in the Seattle area, Saturday, November 3rd at 2pm, join us at the next REPS meeting as we speak with the legendary Stan Freberg.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Transcontinental Terror - New Audio Productions for Halloween!

This Halloween, for the third year in a row, six audio theater companies from around the world are teaming up to present a full evening of original audio horror! “Transcontinental Terror: An Express Train to Audio Horror” will feature masterful productions by contemporary audio theater’s most exciting, inventive production companies — companies spanning half the globe. The programs will stream online at www.transcontinentalterror.com, beginning at 4:00pm PDT and running until 10:00PM PDT. The six production companies involved in the project are:
The Wireless Theatre Company from London, England;
Electric Vicuna Productions from Halifax, Nova Scotia;
FinalRune Productions from Portland, Maine;
Aural Stage Studios from Buffalo, New York;
Chatterbox Audio Theater from Memphis, Tennessee;
Icebox Radio Theater from International Falls, Minnesota;
and 19 Nocturne Boulevard from Seattle, Washington.
The numerous accolades earned by this group include Gold Ogle and Mark Time Awards, and features in numerous local and national papers including the Guardian and The Wall Street Journal.
The event is timed to celebrate October, which is National Audio Theater Month. “Since Orson Welles’ legendary War of the Worlds broadcast, Halloween has held a special place for audio drama,” says Fred Greenhalgh, Producer of FinalRune Productions. “It’s a time of year when people are open to experiencing the macabre, and no medium scares better than audio. There’s something primal about it.” That primal quality will be exploited by these spine-tingling shows, the result of a months-long collaboration among the groups. Some of the shows will be recorded, using state-of-the-art production methods, field recording, and actors from across the globe. Others will be performed live in the studio with manual sound effects, just as in the Golden Age of Radio Drama. The evening’s content promises to be intense, so listener discretion is advised. For more information on the show itself, each participating group, scheduling, and more, visit www.transcontinentalterror.com.

Martin Grams: Halloween, Hollywood Style

Martin Grams: Halloween, Hollywood Style: I love Halloween. The time of year when the seasons change, the leaves change colors and an excuse to watch the good ol' horror films with ...

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Martin Grams: Science Fiction of the Fifties

Martin Grams: Science Fiction of the Fifties: Earlier this year, 20th Century Fox theatrically released a magnificent movie titled, Prometheus . Fans of the Alien movies obviously spo...

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Martin Grams: A History of the Hollywood Canteen

Martin Grams: A History of the Hollywood Canteen: The Hollywood Canteen book The Hollywood Canteen was the jewel in the crown of World War II Hollywood. From 1942 to 1945, over three mil...