After the nice response to my first trip delving into the hundreds of tapes in my basement, I'm going to try and make this a monthly excursion. Today's visit, like the first one more of a random sampling than a "best of", features a nice demo reel for an advertising agency, featuring their male talent, including some big names, then an audio letter from family members vacationing in Los Angeles to family members abroad.
First up, the Demo Reel from Cunningham and Associates, Los Angeles. In most cases, the performer is presented for about a minute, usually with one or two ads. There are several men here whose names are unknown to me, but here and there a truly big name pops up (Ted Cassidy?! Carroll O'Connor!? Jack Narz?!?).
Here are the files, with the names of the performers you will hear (apologies to those whose names I may have misspelled), separated into six segments of about four minutes each:
Part One: Sheldon Allman, Ernie Anderson, John Anderson, Lloyd Bachner (MP3)
Part Two: Larry Burrell, Howard Caine, John Carradine, Ted Cassidy (MP3)
Part Three: Reege Cordick, James Daley, Danny Dark, Roy Druschal (MP3)
Part Four: John Erwin, Peter Gerrold, James Gregory, Ralph James (MP3)
Part Five: Tim McEntire, Jack Narz, Carroll O’Connor, Steve Pendleton (MP3)
Part Six: Bill Shallart, Rod Serling, Chill Wills (MP3)
The second tape I've selected for today is one of those "Audio Letters" which used to be so common, from the late 50's through the '70's on reel tape, and on cassettes for years after that. In today's tape, several relatives, led my "mama and papa" send a tape to someone living in England (as I recall, anyway - it's only mentioned once, and it's been weeks since I digitized this tape), with complete reports on several sightseeing trips and activities in southern California.
There are some interesting and fun moments here, for people who like this sort of thing. And if you do like this sort of thing, let me know, as I have a lot more of these audio letters. I also have several more ad tapes and demo reels.
Part one of this family letter is just over 30 minutes long. The conclusion is around six minutes long.
From Mama and Papa 1962 - Part One (MP3)
It that thar Ernie Anderson, of Part One, a.k.a. Ghoulardi?
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Posted by: Tor H Tor | April 19, 2010 at 08:30 AM
I love these kind of things. Total slice of life. A time capsule. You can picture these people just sitting there recording it. Thanks.
Posted by: Kielbasage | April 19, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Yup, that must be Ghoulardi. Also, it's Lloyd Bochner, with an 'O'. He always had a killer voice. It's nice that people are grooving on these old reels. Gosh there must be a lot of stuff like this moldering out there. Good to have some of it archived!
Posted by: Mindwrecker | April 19, 2010 at 04:21 PM
"Bill Schallart" is almost certainly "Bill Schallert," who played Patty Duke's dad on 'The Patty Duke Show' and to this day shills for insurance on television.
Posted by: Stu | April 19, 2010 at 05:02 PM
Thanks. This is great. A little clarification of terms. Cunningham & Assoc. (formerly CED) is an "actor's agency" for commercials (they represent actors and take 10%) they aren't an ad agency.
This tape must be over 35 years old. Rod Serling died in 1975 and John Carradine in 1988. I worked with some of these people in the late 70's and into the 80's and 90's. John Anderson, who died in 1992 and I helped build a small non profit theatre in an office space on Seward St. in 1978. William Schallert was president of the Screen Actor's Guild from '79 to '81.
Have you got any more?
Posted by: Topangapan | April 20, 2010 at 09:15 AM
My gosh, but that commercial reel is extraordinary! What a treasure for us rather peculiar freestyle DJs. As a collector myself of 'audio letters' I haven't yet gotten to them, but as I absorb the ad spots I just can't get through too many at a time- they are just too darned hilarious---my sides hurt!!
Also- thanks Topangapan for the extra info--these type of comments are so helpful!
Posted by: Mindwrecker | April 20, 2010 at 01:18 PM
Judging by the radio spot for Antonioni's "Blowup" (!) These reels (or at least THAT reel) are from 1966 - onward.
Posted by: Mindwrecker | April 23, 2010 at 09:56 AM
I guess the John Erwin spot reel doesn't include his most commercial voice because it was on television. He was Morris the Cat.
Posted by: Yowp | May 27, 2010 at 11:17 AM
Rege Cordic was a morning radio personality from Pittsburgh's KDKA. In 1965 he moved to KNX, Los Angeles, to replace Bob Crane. (Crane had quit his radio gig to do "Hogan's Heroes.")
Cordic was only marginally successful at KNX, which switched to an all-news format in 1968. He instead built up a career as a character actor (you can see him doing a lot of bit parts in '60s and '70s TV shows) and as a voice-over artist for radio commercials and cartoons.
More here: http://www.regecordic.com/
Posted by: Jason T. | July 16, 2010 at 05:11 PM