Valentine Dyall

'The Man in Black'

Henry Hall

Jack Jackson

answers to nostalgia questions #1

1. Who did the BBC consider to be the first true 'disc jockey'?

Christopher stone. His signature tune was 'Among my souvenirs'

2. Name the ventriloquist's dummy who had a show of his own.

Archie Andrews. The vent was Peter Brough. Odd to think that a ventriloquist act - an act that surely is a visual thing - could have succeeded for many years on radio! Max Bygraves was among several stars helping out the programme, which was called 'Educating Archie'. Brough made a fatal mistake by appearing on TV, where he was seen by all to be unable to keep his mouth still when 'speaking' for Archie!

3. Who had a 'Bumper Fun Book'?

Robert Morton or Moreton(?). Morton was successful for some years in the early fifties and appeared regularly on shows such as Worker's Playtime. Sadly, his humour dated and, no longer seen as funny, with despair and depression getting the better of him, he committed suicide.

4. Who wrote 'Journey into Space'?

Charles Chilton. He also wrote 'Riders of the Range', a radio cowboy series that found its way into the Eagle comic.

5. Who was the Man in Black?

Valentine Dyall. His sonorous, menacing voice added enormously to the chilling tales he read.

6. Which radio station used a gong as its call sign?

Radio Luxembourg. Bong! This is Radio Luxembourg on 208 metres, medium wave...

7. What does ITMA stand for?

Its that man again. A very popular entertainment show in the forties with many oft-repeated catchphrases such as 'Can I do you now, sir?' and 'Don't forget the diver...' among others.

8. Who starred in ITMA?

Tommy Handley

9. Which famous American bandleader broadcast on the BBC during the war?

Captain - later Major - Glenn Miller. He brought his wonderful AEF/AAF orchestra to play in war-torn Britain and the continent and was lost to us in late 1944 when the Norseman plane he was a passenger in disappeared crossing the channel. So began a legend which continues to this day, judging by the websites that claim a strange variety of fates for the bandleader.

10. What program was Wilfred Pickles most noted for?

A good actor and wartime radio newsreader, Pickles was best known for 'Have a Go', a rather homely but certainly popular audience-participation show that he took around Britain. My father appeared as a competitor on it once, during his spell with the ARP (Air Raid Patrol). Some claim to fame! Barney Colehan helped out at first, although Pickles later got the assistance of his wife, Mabel. "Give 'em the money, Mabel."

11. The signature tune 'Devil's Gallop' (or 'Galop' in musical terms) was used for which radio serial?

Dick Barton, Special Agent. A cult quarter-hour cliffhanger of a show, broadcast in the early weekday evenings, with an omnibus edition at the weekend. Ran from 1946 to 1951 (thanks to Norman for the correction) before being replaced by The Archers, which was initially an insipid show designed primarily to be an information source for farmers. Both totally different serials were scripted by Edward J. Mason and Geoffrey Webb!

12. Who wrote the Paul Temple detective plays?

Francis Durbridge.

13. What was the name of the music used as a signature tune for Paul Temple?

Coronation Scot (a delightful evocation of a steam-powered railway journey).

14. Who was the handlebar - moustached star of Take It From Here?

Jimmy Edwards, along with Dick Bentley and Joy Nichols. Nichols left to be replaced by Alma Cogan (for the songs) and June Whitfield (for the talk).

15. Which show 'stopped the mighty roar of London's traffic'?

In Town Tonight, one of many radio shows that subsequently found their way onto TV.

16. Name the main two presenters of Radio Luxembourg in the forties and early fifties.

Peter Madren and Pete (later Peter) Murray. The station broadcast from the little principality of Luxembourg, overcoming the BBC monopoly. One of the first British-content commercial radio stations.

17. What was the number of the policeman played by Brian Reece?

PC 49, also the name of the series. Made into a so-so film later, again starring Reece. Also a strip in Eagle comic. Alan Stranks created the bumbling policeman.

18. Who promised to make us pots of money with his money magnet?

Horace Batchelor, advertising his foolproof 'infra-draw' pools plan on Luxembourg

19. What children's series did S.G. Hulme-Beaman write?

Toytown, as featured in Children's Hour. Larry the lamb would bleat 'Mister ma-a-a-yor' and comments would be heard from Larry's friend, the gutteral and Germanic Dennis the Dachsund.

20. Jack Jackson had a very successful career as a disc jockey, but what instrument did he play in his pre-war dance band days? And what was his signature tune?

Trumpet, and 'Carnival' by Harry James.

21. Who scripted the Goon Shows - and who assisted him occasionally?

Spike Milligan, with aid from Eric Sykes. For a number of years they had offices within the same building.

22. Name the three ladies who starred opposite Tony Hancock in his famous 'Alf Hour series

Andree Melly, Moira Lister, Hattie Jaques

23. His band show was broadcast every Sunday dinnertime for many years, but who was he? And who was his male singer?

Billy Cotton. Alan Breeze provided vocal refrains!

24 What did Cyril Stapleton do?

He led the BBC show band

25. Jack Train, Anona Wynn, Norman Hackforth - in which radio show did these names appear regularly?

Twenty Questions. A sort of guessing game: "Animal, vegetable or mineral?" was the starting point.

26. Which Aussie comedian began his act by woefully declaring 'I'm only here for four minutes' (probably a reference to the four minute warning we were supposed to receive prior to a nuclear attack, although four minutes was about the length of time for a radio 'spot' on a half-hour variety show such as Worker's Playtime)

Bill Kerr, before finding fame of a sort in Hancock's Half Hour

27. Which archetypal cockney 'spiv' ended his comic turn by requesting the cage to be opened?

Arthur English. Vast tie with a scantily-clad lady depicted upon it, an extremely loud suit and a pencil moustache. His act consisted of non-stop high speed verbals!

28. Who had a 'guest night' variety show - with the accent on music - which we were often invited to?

Bandleader Henry Hall. Another well-known bandleader was Jack Payne. Both also appeared on TV in later years.

29. What or who were the 'Stargazers' and 'The Five Smith Brothers'?

Stargazers were a vocal group who sang popular ballads of the day. The Smith brothers were an all-male vocal harmony group who sang songs such as 'Bladon Races' (well, fair enough: they were 'Geordies')

30. What was Richard Murdoch's nickname? Can you name a radio show in which he starred?

Stinker Murdoch starred in Much Binding in the Marsh, alongside Sam Costa and the urbane Kenneth Horne. He also starred, much earlier, in Bandwagon, alongside Arthur Askey.

answers to nostalgia questions #2

1. Who wrote the Quatermass serials?

Nigel Kneale

2. I Which Saturday children's programme did Rolf Harris first appear?

Jigsaw

3. Q5, but who starred?

Spike Milligan

4. Which early Goon demonstrated 'silent explosions'?

Michael Bentine

5. From which location did the 1930s competitive Baird/EMI British TV transmissions originate?

Alexandra palace

6. Who often said 'Let's went', when talking to the character who's name formed the title of the 'fifties USA half-hour adventure series?

Leo Carrillo (The Cisco Kid. Cisco was played by Duncan Renaldo)

7. Why could the line whistle be heard on 405 line sets, but not on 625 line sets?

The whistle is caused by magnetostriction (rapid and minute vibrations of the line transformer laminations) and 405 line frequency produces a whistle by this means which is within the range of human hearing. At 625, it is above human range.

8. Fine bright sloping lines often appear on the screen of a 405 line receiver during breaks in transmissions. What causes these?

Line flyback - the scanning spot has to return in order to scan again

9. Why were turret tuners and band III converters fitted to TV sets in the fifties?

In order to receive ITV channels

10. Why are 625 aerials smaller than  405 ones?

625 line transmissions are at UHF (Ultra High Frequency), therefore the wavelength is much shorter than the VHF (Very High Frequency) band used for 405.

11. Who starred in 'The Range Rider' series?

Jack (later Jock) Mahoney, a stuntman turned actor

12. Name the lady with the penchant for big earrings who was a regular on the panel game 'What's My Line' - and while you are at it, name her husband.

It was the strikingly attractive Barbara Kelly. The broadcaster Bernard Braden was her husband.

13. 'I Married Joan.' Who did?

Jim Backus, in the early fifties comedy series. He co-starred with comedienne Joan Davis

14. 'Kingfish' and 'The league of the mystic knights of the sea'. What am are referring to?

Amos n' Andy show

15. McDonald Hobley, Mary Malcolm. What duty did they perform?

BBC TV Announcers in the early 1950s.

16. Who used the signature tune 'Stardust'?

Carroll Levis, with his 'Discoveries' show on both radio and TV.

17. Name the actor who played the first Doctor Who

William Hartnell

18. Who wrote the original theme for Doctor Who?

Ron Grainer with members of the now defunct BBC radiophonic workshop

19. Jay Silverheels - an unusual name, for sure - but what famous role did he play?

Tonto, in the Lone Ranger series. The ranger was played by Clayton Moore. Hi-o, Silver!

20. Who led the orchestra for 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium'?

Jack Parnell. He later acted as MD for the Muppet Shows. A superb and stylishly elegant drummer - little of the 'bash 'em hard and make lots of noise' approach - his long career in music took him from playing with Ted Heath and his Music through to being a member of the Great British Jazz Band in very recent times.