Newsletter July 2024

Carl’s Corner

by Carl Amari

DUFFY’S TAVERN

by Carl Amari

DUFFY’S TAVERN was a radio situation comedy series first heard in 1940. The tavern itself was a flea-infested dive located on Third Avenue and 23rd Street in New York City, where the “elite meet to eat.” The co-creator and writer (Ed Gardner) played Archie, the manager of “Duffy’s Tavern”. His use and abuse of the English language was beyond anything heard on THE DAMON RUNYON THEATER and quickly became a favorite with New Yorkers everywhere.  Gardner was a theatrical veteran, whose wife (well-known stage and screen actress, Shirley Booth) appeared as Duffy’s man-hungry daughter Miss Duffy. When Booth left the series in 1943, the role was voiced by Florence Halop, Sandra Gould, Hazel Shermet and others. Duffy himself was never heard on the show, he was an absentee owner who left the daily operations to Archie. Regulars on the show included: Clifton Finnegan, the classic village idiot (played by Charlie Cantor), Eddie the waiter (played by Eddie Green) and Clancy the cop (played by Alan Reed). Archie was always trying to get rich quick and his harmless schemes often involved weekly guest stars like: Boris Karloff, Shelley Winters, Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball, Alan Ladd, Mickey Rooney, Vincent Price and Marlene Dietrich to name a few.  Some of radio’s sharpest comedy was penned for “Duffy’s Tavern” by top Broadway and TV veterans, including: Abe Burrows, Larry Marks, Larry Gelbart, and Dick Martin, but Ed Gardner was final script editor.  DUFFY’S TAVERN was broadcast live in New York until 1949, when Gardner moved the show offshore to Puerto Rico for tax advantages. The show’s popularity spawned a 1945 film and a 1954 TV series.  Years ago, when I licensed this series from Ed Gardner’s widow Simone Hegemann, she offered to sell me the apron worn by Gardner during each broadcast.  Over the years, the guest stars would sign the apron and by the end of the radio run, it had 100+ celebrity signatures on it (see picture below).  Because the signatures were fading away over time, Simone sewed over each signature with thread so that they could always be seen.  Unfortunately, I did not end up buying the apron, but I sure would have treasured it! 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CARL AMARI:  

BOLD VENTURE and BOSTON BLACKIE fans – THANK YOU – we saved both series! 

As most of you know, I have licensed the entire Frederic W. Ziv library of more than 10,000 original radio shows.  Mr. Ziv was one of radio’s premiere radio producers and syndicators.  

The Ziv library contains 41 different radio series including the entire runs of BOLD VENTURE, BOSTON BLACKIE, I WAS A COMMUNIST FOR THE FBI, PHILO VANCE, THE CISCO KID, MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, FAVORITE STORY and many more.  

Mr. Ziv preserved these radio shows on “unplayed” 16 inch transcription discs, which have been stored in a climate-controlled warehouse for more than 60 years.  If these episodes are not transferred, they will never be heard by the world.  

We launched two Kickstarter campaigns to raise the funds to transfer all 78 BOLD VENTURE and all 218 BOSTON BLACKIE radio shows.  Thanks mostly to YOU the HOLLYWOOD 360 listeners, we were successful in saving both of these series.  We already made the transfers for the 78 BOLD VENTURE shows and are in the process of making the transfers for all 218 BOSTON BLACKIE shows. 

If you were one of the 200+ Kickstarter pledgers for BOLD VENTURE you have your digital downloads or audio CDs by now.  If you pledged toward BOSTON BLACKIE you will receive your digital downloads or audio CDs as soon as we’ve completed the transfer of all 218 episodes, which we expect to be before June 2024.  

If you did NOT pledge and you’d like to receive the complete runs of BOLD VENTURE and BOSTON BLACKIE via digital download or audio CDs, call us at 815-900-7535 and speak to a live operator.  Because BOSTON BLACKIE is 218 episodes, we are offering a 3-pay option.

LEND ME YOUR EARS by Lisa Wolf
TOM SAWYER, Rush

RELEASED: 1981

Watch On YouTube

“I remember being disappointed in the studio, thinking we really didn’t capture the spirit of the song. We thought it was the worst song on the record at the time – but it all came together in the mix. Sometimes you don’t have the objectivity to know when you’re doing your best work.” ~ Frontman Geddy Lee

Rush, the rock trio consisting of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, emerged onto the music scene in the early 1970s. However, it was their 1981 release, “Tom Sawyer,” that catapulted them into the stratosphere of rock greatness.

Formed in Toronto in 1968, Rush underwent several lineup changes before solidifying into the trio that would define their sound. Drawing inspiration from diverse influences ranging from science fiction to philosophy, Rush’s music transcended traditional boundaries.

“Tom Sawyer” was born out of a collaboration between Neil Peart and lyricist Pye Dubois. Dubois presented the band with a poem titled “Louis the Lawyer,” which Peart reshaped into the iconic lyrics that would become synonymous with the song.

Its inclusion in films, television shows, and video games has solidified its status as a timeless classic. In the film “I Love You, Man,” the song is humorously referenced as Peter Klaven struggles to master its intricate bassline.

Watch On YouTube