On Mar 10, 12:28*pm, (David Kaye) wrote:
wrote:
but nothing on the airwaves anymore? *not even
worldwide airwaves?

Oldtime radio has a very very very limited audience. *I remember a station in
Portland that used to run this stuff and the Arbitrons looked really strange. *
The audience was nearly 100% male, ages 12 to 17 and 60+ with nothing in the
middle. *This was in the pre-Internet days, so I suspect the 12-17 age group
has dropped off and the 60+ has now become 90+. *Seriously. *

LIstening to this stuff it just doesn't hold up. *

Same thing with silent movies. *I was going to go to the Balboa Theater's 85th
anniversary party last Sunday night in San Francisco, but I saw there was some
obscure Rudolph Valentino silent movie on the bill. *I realized that I really
hate silent films. *Now that we have sound and better production techniques,
and better acting for that matter, the stuff is really rank. *

Well, oldtime radio is like that. *Some things like the old Jack Benny shows
hold up, and Fred Allen does a little, but Jack Armstrong is garbage, even
Burns and Allen did not wear well. *Gunsmoke comes out pretty well, tho..

I disagree with your take on silents. Watch a silent Keaton or a
Lloyd comedy, and they hold up REALLY well. These guys are not
considered timeless masters for nothing. "Sunrise" is clearly one of
the greatest films ever made...magnificent acting and a fable-story
that leaves the viewer exultant at the end. There are plenty
more...and they rely on stories and character instead of fluff, just
like the best of today;s films. Not all are great, but let's face it
- neither is 96% of the junk that comes from Hollywood now either.

Bruce Jensen