Answer Man - Hitler's Phone Number

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Answer Man - Hitler's Phone Number
Date: April 1, 2026
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Episode Theme: A classic "Answer Man" segment from the Golden Age of Radio, in which the erudite Answer Man (Albert Mitchell) provides factual, rapid-fire responses to a fascinating array of audience questions, ranging from the quirky (Hitler’s phone number) to the scientifically precise (the weight of a hydrogen molecule). The episode captures the spirit of a pre-television era when families gathered around the radio for both education and entertainment.

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Main Theme & Purpose

The episode’s purpose is to present a nostalgic and lively selection of listener-submitted questions and answers, showcasing both odd curiosities and practical knowledge as delivered by the expert “Answer Man.” The show entertains and informs, demonstrating how, in a bygone era, radio was a trusted source of both wisdom and wonder.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Factual Oddities and Historic Details

• Hitler’s Telephone Number

  • Question: “Does the British Who's Who still list Hitler's telephone number?”
  • Answer: “Oh, yes. Berlin, 116191.”
  • (00:48)
  • Memorable Quote:
    • “Oh, yes. Berlin, 116191.” – Answer Man (00:53)

• The Cross of Malta vs. the George Cross

  • Question: “Who is entitled to wear the Cross of Malta?”
  • Insight: There is no ‘Cross of Malta’; the Maltese Cross is worn by Knights of Malta. The George Cross was awarded to the island of Malta, and "no one in particular wears this award; it is shared by every man, woman, and child of Malta."
  • (01:55)
  • Quote:
    • “No one in particular wears this award, but it's shared in common by every man, woman and child of Malta who together withstood the ordeal.” – Answer Man (02:17)

2. Science & Nature

• Criminal Forensics (Hair Analysis)

  • Question: What can be determined from a single strand of hair?
  • Answer: "The approximate age, sometimes the race and sex, and the part of the body." (01:07)

• Gobi Desert Water Sources

  • Question: Is there any water in the Gobi Desert?
  • Answer: "Yes, though rains are infrequent, water is in some places quite plentiful. There are several lakes." (01:21)

• Weight of a Hydrogen Molecule

  • Question: Precisely, what is the weight?
  • Answer: "No one knows exactly... we can estimate the weight of a molecule of hydrogen at 2016, 10 octillionths of a gram." (01:36)

3. American Culture & Curiosities

• Grimm's Fairy Tales Authors

  • Question: Were these the only works by the Grimm brothers?
  • Answer: "Oh, no. The Grimm brothers were quite active writers," founding the chair of Germanic Languages and Archaeology at Göttingen. (02:31)

• Horse Racing Records

  • Longest Odds: Wishing Ring paid 941 to 1 (02:59)
  • Shortest Odds: Man O War, 1 to 100, twice
  • Biggest Daily Double: 1939, paid out $10,772.40 for a $2 ticket

• Barber Shop Law

  • Question: When were barbershops required to close at 1pm on Sundays?
  • Answer: 1st June 1895 in NYC and Saratoga, elsewhere closed all day. (03:34)

4. Fun & Unusual Facts

• Mudskipper Fish

  • Quote: “The mudskipper...is so called because when the tide goes out, this fish leaves the water and goes skipping about over the mud flats chasing insects.” (03:52 – 04:29)

• Trombone "Cracking"

  • Meaning: "That the notes were broken and not fully on pitch?" (05:06)

• Origin of "Potter's Field"

  • Answer: The term traces to Judas using his silver to buy land for pottery and burial, but “this explanation is not too well authenticated.” (05:12)

5. History & Technology

• Battle of Bunker Hill

  • Fact: British fired from the hip, Americans sighted muskets. (05:38)

• Death Valley Scotty Special – Engine Change

  • Memorable Story: Changing train engines without stopping, using a "flying switch." (05:56 – 06:37)
  • Quote:
    • “If we didn't make it in 30 seconds, we came close to it, but we changed engines without the train stopping...” – Correspondent (06:09)

• Yankee Stadium Grass

  • Answer: “A mixture of Kentucky blue, fancy red top and domestic Y.” (07:02)

6. Legal & Institutional Oddities

• Patrolman Authority
  • Fact: “When a special patrolman is on duty, his authority is the same as a regular patrolman, except that the special patrolman cannot serve a summons.” (07:07)

7. Military & War

• Japan vs. Russia over Manchuria

  • Summary: They fought an undeclared war with over 2,000 armed clashes from 1931 for a decade. (08:52–09:40)

• V2 Rockets Altitude

  • Fact: “Man has gone about 14 miles above the earth in a balloon, but it's believed that the Nazis V2s went up 60 miles.” (11:49–11:54)

8. American Pastimes

• Unassisted Triple Plays in Baseball

  • Fact: Seven have occurred since 1900, with full details provided for each. (12:05–13:01)

• First Allied Soldier in 1944 France

  • Fact: Captain Frank Lilliman of Syracuse, first to jump from the lead plane. (13:11)

9. Science Trivia

• Size of a Clock's Minute Hand Travel in a Year

  • Answer: “A little over two and a half miles.” (10:35)

• First Railroad in France

  • Fact: The line between Saint Etienne and Andre Zieux, opened in stages between 1827 and 1832 with horse-drawn carriages; steam added in 1844. (14:01–14:14)

10. Memorable Listener Quotes & Expert Answers

• “No one knows exactly, and very likely no one will know in our lifetime, for there is no known method of weighing a single molecule.” – Answer Man (01:36)
• “The mudskipper...able to live out of water without difficulty for several days.” – Answer Man (04:29)

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “Does the British Who's Who still list Hitler's telephone number? Oh, yes. Berlin, 116191.” (00:48–00:53)
• “No one in particular wears this award, but it's shared in common by every man, woman and child of Malta…” (02:13–02:17)
• “The longest odds on a winning horse were paid by wishing ring 941 to 1.” (02:59)
• “Man has gone about 14 miles above the earth in a balloon, but it's believed that the Nazis V2s went up 60 miles.” (11:54)
• “After the deceased jockey had been weighed, the race was declared official and the bookies paid off at closing odds of 5 to 1.” (10:04)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |--------|-------------------------------------------------| | 00:48 | Hitler's telephone number | | 01:07 | Forensics – Hair analysis | | 01:21 | Water in the Gobi Desert | | 01:36 | Weight of hydrogen molecule | | 02:59 | Horse racing – biggest wins/losses | | 03:34 | Barbershop closing laws | | 05:38 | Bunker Hill – firing style | | 06:03 | Death Valley Scotty engine change | | 07:02 | Yankee Stadium grass species | | 08:52 | Japan-Russia conflict over Manchuria | | 10:04 | Jockey death and official race result | | 11:49 | Nazi V2 rockets altitude | | 12:05 | Unassisted triple plays in baseball | | 13:11 | First Allied soldier to land in France (1944) | | 14:01 | First railroad in France |

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Tone and Original Language

The Answer Man’s tone is assured, slightly formal, and brisk—peppered with expertise and occasional gentle humor. Listener questions range from earnest to oddball, reflecting a genuine curiosity about the world. The language is precise, not condescending, with an intent to inform as quickly and directly as possible.

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Closing

This "Answer Man" episode offered a whirlwind tour of mid-century trivia, scientific fact, and historic lore, creating a charming snapshot of public curiosity and expert knowledge before the age of Google. For fans of historical radio or anyone interested in the moving, whimsical questions of a past era, it’s a time-capsule worth opening.

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Transcript

[A]

Hey, I'm Josh Spiegel, host of the podcast Lunatic in the Newsroom. If you enjoy journalism that drifts into mild panic, wild overthinking, and a guaranteed nervous breakdown, Lunatic in the Newsroom is for you. It's news like you've never heard before. The only newsroom with a panic button. You'll laugh, you'll cry and gasp in horror as the show spirals completely out of control. It's not just news, it's emotionally unstable. Lunatic in the Newsroom. Listen.

[B]

Today's Light presents Albert Mitchell's program, the Answer Man. And here he is, the Answer Man.

[C]

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Now, if you'll read the first question. Certainly.

[B]

A West Orange, New Jersey, man asks,

[C]

does the British who's who still list Hitler's telephone number? Oh, yes. Berlin, 116191.

[B]

Next, the Flushing, Long island listener inquires,

[C]

what can a scientific criminal laboratory determine

[B]

with regards to a criminal if their only clue is a single strand of

[C]

hair, the approximate age of the person, sometimes the race and sex, and also the part of the body the hair was taken from.

[B]

And the Brooklyn youngster asks, is there any water at all in the Gobi Desert in Asia?

[C]

Yes, Though rains are infrequent, water is in some places quite plentiful. There are several lakes in the Gobi Desert.

[B]

This question comes from a Hebron, Connecticut, man. Precisely what is the weight of one molecule of hydrogen?

[C]

No one knows exactly, and very likely no one will know in our lifetime, for there is no known method of weighing a single molecule. However, we can estimate the weight of a molecule of hydrogen at 2016, 10 octillionths of a gram. A listener of Denville, New Jersey, wants

[B]

to know who is entitled to wear the Cross of Malta.

[C]

There is no Cross of Malta, though there is, of course, the Maltese Cross, the emblem worn by the Knights of Malta. Perhaps you mean the George Cross awarded to the island of Malta for its courage and bravery under continuous aerial bombardment? No one in particular wears this award, but it's shared in common by every man, woman and child of Malta who together withstood the ordeal. Next, the Camp Kilman, New Jersey, soldier

[B]

inquires, why do they put bismuth into

[C]

aluminum tubing so the tubing will bend?

[B]

And the Meriknow, New York woman asks, were Grimm's Fairy Tales the only thing that author wrote?

[C]

Oh, no. The Grimm brothers were quite active writers and students and founded the chair of Germanic Languages and Archaeology at the University of Gottingen.

[B]

A hammer, Long island listener writes, I have three questions about the odds in horse racing. What were the longest odds ever, what were the shortest and what was the biggest daily double?

[C]

The longest odds on a winning horse were paid by wishing ring 941 to 1. The shortest and they were repeated twice were 1 to 100 on Man O War. The biggest daily double for a $2 ticket were made in 1939. $10,772.40 this note from a Bronx man reads, About 50 years ago there was

[B]

a law or ordinance forcing barbershops to

[C]

close at 1pm on Sundays. I would appreciate very much if you

[B]

can tell me when this law first became enforceable.

[C]

On the first day of June 1895, this law permitted barber shops to remain open until 1pm on Sundays in New York City and also Saratoga Springs, but in other parts of the state the shops were required to remain closed throughout the day.

[B]

A Rye, New York listener asks this

[C]

question Is there really a fish called a mud skipper? Yes. The mud skipper, or beet skipping goby, is common to the tropical coasts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is so called because when the tide goes out, this fish leaves the water and goes skipping about over the mud flats chasing insects. The front fins of the mudskipper are very strong and move back and forth like arms, enabling it to travel more rapidly on land than it can in the water. Indeed, fast enough over mud flats to easily out distance a man. Its respiratory organs are modified for breathing air, but its skin is so thick it prevents any evaporation. So mudskippers are able to live out of water without difficulty for several days. Next, the Springfield, New Jersey, schoolteacher inquires how much paper is used by the people of this country in a year. An average 300 pounds per person. And a man right from Montgomery, New

[B]

York, recently our band leader scolded a trombone player for queen cracking his horn. I didn't want to butt in and ask him what he meant, so I'm asking you instead. What did he mean when he said he was cracking his horn?

[C]

That the notes were broken and not fully on pitch?

[B]

A Staten island listener asked, why is

[C]

a place where they bury poor folk called a potter's field? Potter's fields supposedly owe their name to the fact that Judas invested the 30 pieces of silver he received for betraying Jesus in a potter's field where he intended to make pottery and was eventually buried in this field himself. However, this explanation is not too well authenticated.

[B]

A Plainfield, New Jersey, man writes, I've been told that at the Battle of

[C]

Bunker Hill, the soldiers fired from the hip Is this true? Not all of them. The British soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill fired from the hip. The Americans sighted their muskets. A man race from New York City.

[B]

I happened to hear your broadcast some time ago about the change of engines

[C]

on the Death Valley Scotty special en

[B]

route from Los Angeles to Chicago. I was very interested because I helped

[C]

change engines on this run at Needles, California, the only place the change was made. If we didn't make it in 30

[B]

seconds, we came close to it, but we changed engines without the train stopping by means of a flying switch. The Special was slowed down, its engine cut off and run on a siding. The switch was thrown back the main line and the train kept moving slowly ahead on the main line track. Another engine was up ahead on the main line waiting for the train. The momentum of the train accomplished the coupling and the Special was off again without a stop being made. I think this was one of the

[C]

fastest changes of engines ever made, don't you? Indeed I do.

[B]

Next, the Brooklyn listener asks, how many different kinds of drugs does a druggist have in his drugstore?

[C]

The number varies, but the average druggist has anywhere from 800 to 1000 different chemicals in his drugstore.

[B]

A Bay Show Long island man acquires what kind of grass is used at the Yankee Stadium.

[C]

A mixture of Kentucky blue, fancy red top and domestic Y.

[B]

A New York City listener wants to know if there's any difference in authority between a regular patrolman of the police department and a special patrolman of the department.

[C]

When a special patrolman is on duty, his authority is the same as a regular patrolman, except that the special patrolman cannot serve a summons.

[B]

A Mount Kisco, New York man asks exactly what was the size of the Mayflower on which our ancestors came to this country?

[C]

We do not know definitely, but LC Hills, a man who spent many years studying the problem, believes The Mayflower measured about 6, 64ft along the keel and 90ft overall. It had a beam of 26ft and that its depth was 11ft from beam to the top of the keel. It is Mr. Hill's opinion that the Mayflower was a pot bellied merchantman with a capacity of approximately 180 tons.

[B]

This note from a Bronxwoman reads, I'm going to paint a mahogany stained chest of drawers to surprise my husband on his birthday.

[C]

I want to make the chest white

[B]

with some blue figures around the handles. Now here's my problem. In a booklet I read on painting, it said that mahogany stain bleeds through paint.

[C]

The booklet didn't explain this though. Can you? Yes. Bleeding means that when paint is applied over a mahogany stain, the stain runs through the paint, ruining the paint job. However, there's a way to overcome this bleeding and the Daytime Answer man will explain it for you tomorrow at 12:45. The daytime anthem program is broadcast over this station every day, Monday through Saturday at 12:45, just to help you women

[B]

with your day to day problems. Next, the Peekskill, New York, man writes,

[C]

Manchuria is so close to Russia.

[B]

I wonder, after Japan took Manchuria from China, didn't Japan and Russia have any trouble at all?

[C]

Oh, yes. After Japan took Manchuria From China in 1931, she and Russia waged an intermittent though undeclared war for 10 years, during which time more than 2,000 armed clashes occurred along the Russo Japanese border, which extends 2,300 miles from no Manhan on the Outer Mongolia Line to Chong Kufeng near vladivostok. Indeed, in 1939, tanks as well as air forces were employed in a clash at Nomanhan that lasted all summer, in which Japan called up 60,000 troops and lost 18,000 of them.

[B]

Here's a Manhattan high school student who inquires, how many forestry schools are there

[C]

in New York State? Just one, the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse, New York.

[B]

And a Brooklyn man. Right. Some years ago, a horse won a

[C]

race either as steeplechase or flat, carrying

[B]

a jockey who had died during the race.

[C]

Was this race declared official and did

[B]

the bookies pay off?

[C]

The race you refer to must be the second at Belmont on June 4, 1923, a steeplechase won by Sweet Kiss, with F. Hayes up. After the horse had crossed the finish line, Hayes fell from his mount dead. After the deceased jockey had been weighed, the race was declared official and the bookies paid off at closing odds of 5 to 1.

[B]

This question comes from a Downbrook, New Jersey, listener. How far would the tip of the minute hand of a clock travel in

[C]

a year if the minute hand was

[B]

three inches long, a little over two

[C]

and a half miles and West Englewood, New Jersey.

[B]

Listener Right. What does MC Stand for in the British Army Medical Corps, like in our army, or for a kind of entertainer like we have a nightclub?

[C]

Neither. The letters MC Stand for the Military Cross, which is awarded to captains, lieutenants and warrant officers in the English army and in the Indian and colonial forces?

[B]

A note from a Hyde Park, New York, listener reads, with regard to navigation on the Niger river, how far up it can passenger carrying craft go? I've inquired at the American Museum of Natural History, but they don't know.

[C]

The latest available information I have at hand on the subject is the Nigeria Handbook of 1936. The lower Niger is navigable for steamers of up to 7ft draft from July

[B]

to October as far as Jebba, while

[C]

flat bottomed, mechanically propelled riverboats can go

[B]

as far as the mouth of the

[C]

Kaduna all year round. Improvements since 1936 may have bettered the Niger's navigability, however.

[B]

Next Here's a question from an Amityville

[C]

Long island man Isn't it true that

[B]

the Nazis V2 rockets have gone farther above the earth than man has ever

[C]

achieved in a balloon? Indeed it is. Man has gone about 14 miles above the earth in a balloon, but it's believed that the Nazis V2s went up 60 miles.

[B]

A Bedford Hills, N.Y. sports fan writes to settle a terrific argument, what is the total number of unassisted triple plays made in big time baseball since 1900?

[C]

7. According to the records of the Sporting News, six unassisted triple plays have been made in regular play in the major leagues and one in a World Series. They were Neil Ball of Cleveland Against Boston on July 19, 1909 George H. Burns of Boston against Cleveland, September 14, 1923 Ernest Padgett of the Braves against the Phillies in the second game on 10-6-23 Pittsburgh's Glenn Wright against the Cardinals, 5-7-25 the Cubs James Cooney against Pittsburgh in the first on 5-30-27 John Noon of Detroit against Cleveland the next day and Bill Wansgans of Cleveland against Brooklyn in the 1920 World Series.

[B]

Next, the Montauk Point, Long island listener writes, who was the first Allied soldier to set foot on France during our invasion of that country last year?

[C]

Captain Frank Lilliman of Syracuse, New York. He was the first man to jump from the lead plane of the parachute troop carriers that went in over France before the assault from the sea.

[B]

An oxening New York sports fan inquires, who holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive games played in the National League?

[C]

First baseman Gus sir, who played 822 consecutive games in the National League without missing a one, a metallic new Jersey

[B]

listener asks, which way does a tumble bug progress, frontwards or backwards?

[C]

When strolling frontwards when working and rolling

[B]

balls of food along backwards, a bronze man inquires, can officers in the United States army, now on inactive service, wear their uniforms?

[C]

Yes, but only on ceremonial occasions.

[B]

This question comes from a chaplain Connecticut listener, what was the first railroad in France?

[C]

The line between Saint Etienne and Andre Zieux, officially placed in service in May 1827, though it was not until October 1, 1828 that it was actually opened with horse drawn carriages, and not until March 1, 1832 that passengers were carried. Steam traction was introduced on this line in 1844.

[B]

A man writes in Mattiset, Long Island. Did Jimmy Walker Ever visit number 10 Downing street in London?

[C]

Yes, in September 1931, Jimmy Walker visited with Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald at 10 Downing Street. Afterwards, Walker said to American newsmen, I want a picture of that front door. It's very deceiving. It's the littlest door to the biggest house in England.

[B]

If you have a question you want answered, ask the Answer Man. Ask any question you wish and provided it's not of a personal nature and does not violate professional ethics, you will get the answer by mail and without charge. Send your question together with a stamped addressed envelope to the answerman wo New York 18. When the answerman returns to the air tomorrow evening at 7:15, he'll broadcast the answers to such questions as Can a male wasp sting you?

[C]

What's that?

[B]

Why does Saharazada tell so many stories? On which side of a river is the water higher?

[C]

Who were the first people to drink cocoa?

[B]

What American flowers bloom 10 months out of the year? And what's the diameter of a single strand of spider web? So join us again tomorrow evening at 7:15 for Albert Mitchell's program, the Answer Man. This program was presented by John Fomer Incorporated of Brooklyn, New York and Orange, New Jersey, makers of America's largest selling malt beer. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.

[C]

A transcription.

[B]

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[C]

30 to 50 seconds.

[B]

Today, get your family a supply of Lava Lava Lava soap.

[D]

Hi, this is Alex Canceroitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology I I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology Podcast. Wherever you get your podcasts.