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THE
EVEREADY
JSook o/ RADIO STARS
*
* Presented with the Compliments of
EVEREADY RAYTHEON 4-PILLAR RADIO TUBES
A Product of
NATIONAL CARBON CO., INC. General Offices: 30 Ecsst 42nd Street, New Yorlc, N.Y. Branches: . ·. Chicago . ·. New Yorlc . ·. San Francisco
Unit of Union Ctrbide ~ .nd Urben Corporttlon
*
EvE READY ..
!Aoneer {the olir
~RE you d veterdn rddio fan? Does your memory go
~) bdck to the ddys - dnd nights-when the fdmily Sdt
dround d home-mdde crystdl set dnd took turns dt
• the hedd phones-listening edgerly to the mdgic
thdt cdme over the ether waves? If so there's no need to
dsk if you remember the Evereddy Hour. It WdS the event of
the week. It mdde T uesddys red-letter days.
Evereddy is no longer on the air. Other sponsors hdve
followed in its footsteps dnd hdve mdde notdble contributions
to the broddcdsting drt. New stdrs have risen to stdnd side by
side with performrrs of Evereddy fdme. But for seven years it
was Evereddy thdt set the pdce.
The first Evereddy progrdm wds broadcdst from Stdtion WEAF,
New York, on December 4, 1923. It WdS produced under
the first long-term commercidl contrdct ever signed by WEAF.
Such celebrities ds Edwin Mdrkhdm, Emma Dunn, Cissie
Loftus dnd Mdy Irwin were introduced through those edrliest
Evereddy broddcdsts. Classical music was alterndted with d
string quartet, minstrel shows dnd one-dct plays with Broadwdy
casts. The Ndtional (drbon Compdny, sponsors of the Eveready
Hour, were bredking a new trai l-developing the vast possi
bilities of rddio entertainment.
One: of Eve:re:cidy' s most importcint contributions wcis the; first continuity progrcim. It put on such me:morcible: hours cis Red Christicinse:n's e;xpe;rie;nce;s on Gcilcipcigos lsldnd-the:
typiccil fcimily "listening in"- cind ci drcimcitizcition of Ednci Ferber's "Show Bocit" when the: book wcis fir~t published.
A group of notable: cirtists came; into rcidio prominence; through the; Eveready Hour. Among them we;re; Wilfred
Glenn, Betsy Ayres, Virginici Re:ci, Chcirles Harrison, Theodore; We:bb,lionel Atwill, Ncit Shilkre:t, Max Jcicobs, Wendell Heil!, Vaughn de: Lecith, Carson Robinson and others.
Grcihcim McName;e cind Phillips Cdrlin did some; of their very fi~st announcing on Eveready programs.
Soon the; territory reached by WEAF wcis too limited for the; needs of the Eveready Hour. Traveling bands of Eveready
cirtists toured the country, producing local Eve:recidy progrdms
from numerous stcitions. Wendell Hall, with his "It ain't goin' to rciin no mo'," wcis ci stcir member of this troupe;.
Fincilly the sponsors of the Eveready Hour persuaded the
American Telephone & Telegraph Compc3ny, then owners of
WEAF, to arrange a hook-up of neighboring stations by land
wire. ~nd chain broddcasting was born ! The first of all chain broddcdsts WdS dn Evereddy progrdm.
To enumerate all the; famous guest artists who graced the; 377 consecutive Eveready Hours would require pc3ges. They include such famous names as John Drew, Julia Marlowe;, D. W. Griffith, "Trader" Horn, Irvin S. Cobb, Otis Skinner, Commdnder Byrd:
From the beginning, the National Carbon Compdny has led the; world in the mdnufdcture of radio batteries. Today, in
millions of homes beyond the light-wires, Eveready Laye:rbilt "B" Batteries and Air Cell "A" Bdtteries furnish the power
for clecir rcidio reception.
Eveready Rciytheon 4-Pil I cir Tubes come to you with the: relicible backing of one of the greatest ndmes in rddio . You would expect them to be the best tubes built, dnd your expectdtion is justified.
The: National Carbon Compc3ny wishes you the; greate.st possible pleasure in listening to your radio, and dS an did to your enjoyment it presents you with this Book of Radio Stem. The book fecitures d representative list of toddy's radio head
liners-leading stars of many different progrdms. While you listen to your specia l favorites, see them dS well. Their ldtest photogrdphs are included here-to~ther with interesting
biographicdl notes concerning them.
Behind the Scenes of [J?_adto
RADIO STUDIO would be a marvelous place to commit a murder. It's as nearly sound-proof as a room can be-thickly pddded walls-extra heavy doors with pddded frames-no windows. But dS far as we know, the only crimes perpetrated in studios
to date have been make-believe. The reason for all this pddding and sound-proofing is to prevent reverberation of sound waves which would otherwise confuse the sounds trdnsmitted from the microphones. The studio Aoors and walls are built to deaden all vibration from musical instruments without giving a dead quality to the sound. And in addition, sound-absorption material is used inside the studio. Tracks in the ceiling provide transit facilities for moving hanging microphones to any desired location.
At the great broadcasting stations, studios of many varying sizes are used. Some of them are no larg.er than an ordinary living-room. Others, like the Times Square Studio; of N. B. C., are actual theaters, with hundreds of seats for spectators, and a full-sized stage for the performance.
Each studio has an adjoining control room. A thick plateglass window permits the director and engineer and anyone else in the control room to see all that goes on in the studio. During a performance, the only conversation is conducted in sign language. In rehearsal, the director talks through a microphone and his voice is projected into the studio by a loudspeaker over the control room window. By switching the con
tact, the director can, in turn, hedr what the actors are sdying.
Srudio Control Room of Columbict Broctdectsting System showing pctrt of Broctdcosting Studio in the bctckground
* One of the studios of Ncttionctl Broodcctsting Compctny
A section of the 111<1ster control roo111 of Columbi.s Brodde.ssting Syste111
THE CONTROL ROOM- how it governs your reception.
Inside the control room sits the program engineer-a man whose work is as important as that of the actors or musicicms. His ever-watchful eye is on a di•I which indicates each increase or decrease of sound. If the Auttering needle should pass a certa in mark, the sound would blast on your receiver. If the music of an accompanying orchestra begins to drown out the voice of a singer, the engineer instantly regulates the microphone, picking up the instrumental sounds so that its volume is lessened. He can raise or lower the volume of any of the various groups in action during a program, or emphasize the bcm or the treble by his control o.f the microphones.
The master control room of a broadcasting system is the real heart of the network. Here the engineer5 hook up the various stations in the chdin. A control board dbout seven feet high and twenty feet long stretches down the room. Dials and plugs dot its surface. As mdny as ninety stations at one time can b~ united throush this master control board.
_)Ii N the following pages you will find
) * pictures of R~dio Announcers and Radio
//. Stars, accompanied by brief char-acter
sketches. Naturally, it is i~possible to include
all of radio 's personalities in a single book.
There are some so well known and so frequently
pictured that it is unnecessary to show them
here. What we have attempted is to gather a
representative group, familiar to most radio
listeners, and to convey their human attributes,
so that they may seem more real to you as they
come over the air.
We are indebted to the National Broadcast
ing Company and the Columbia Broadcasting
Syst~m for their contributions of data and
pictures for this book.
A FEW WELL KNOWN
* *
TED HUSING-They hc!Ve to tune the mike up for this .see sports .snnouncer, for he spe.sks very sohly-but how he spe.sks! When " footboll g.sme or " hockey m.stch gets hot, he puts on speed but you he.sr every word. And his record is better th.sn 400 " minute.
Born in Deming, N. M., Ted moved to New York in his youth, .snd is " typic.sl Goth.smite. He likes striped shirts .snd double-bre.ssted vests. Ted knows his stuff in .sll sports, but -would rother bro.sdcost footboll thon onything else. In school-d"YS in New York, he st.srred in bosketb.sll, b.sseb.11, boxing .snd footb.sll, ond for two str.sight ye.srs w.ss .sll-scholostic footb.sll center of the metropolis.
GRAHAM McNAMEE-Nobody needs .sn introduction to Gr.sh.sm-f'lot even the Prince of W.sles. He's covered just obout every event of import.snce from Notionol Conventions to Avi.stors' Welcomes. And he's os much .st home slinging puns with Ed Wynn .ss he is sh.sking h.snds with the Oueen of Rum.sni.s. It wouldn't be " World's Series without him to .snnounce it .snd o new heovyweight chompion c.sn't be crowned unless Gr.sh.sm is there.
How did he get th.st w.sy? Oddly enough he st.srted out to be 4 pi.snist. He only tried r4dio .ss " tempor.sry job to keep the wolf from the door. Thot w.ss ten yeors ogo, 4nd he's never h.sd time since to bre.sk .sw.sy. If he'd ~t.syed in the business of pounding the keys, the ch.snces ore he would never h.sve received tons of Fon m.sil-or h.sd b.sbies n.smed for him.
MILTON J. CROSS-ls one of the few successful New Yorkers who were born in New York. He w.ss born in thot city thirty-three ye.srs .sgo. He m4de his r.sdio debut from W JZ, when th.st st.stion w.ss loc.sted on the roof of the Westinghouse f.sctory ot Nework.
Though Cross won the rodio medol for diction in 1929, he did not receive the octuol medol until eight months .sherwords. The song, "Slumber On," is limited to his use. Cross is m.srried--to Lilliom Fowler, who wos orgonist ot the First Presbyterion Church on Fifth Avenue where he md her. They hove o d.sugh~r, Lilli.sn, who is now just five ye.srs old.
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A FEW WELL KNOWN
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JAMES WALLINGTON-Was born in Rochester, New York. He attended Auburn Theological Seminary but decided he was not meant for the ministry. He also tried medicine, but gave it up and decided to major in English and music.
His first assignment was with WGY, to which he went answering a call for a radio mechanic when it was an announcer that was w4nttd. He took the job as announcer. During the Byrd expedition to Little America he announced the programs broadcast to the Byrd party. One of his most treasured possessions is a letter from . Admiral Byrd congratulating him on his marriage.
DAVID ROSS-You'd never guess, when you thrill to the
cultured, beautifully modulated tones of this famous announcer,
that his first commercial use of his voice was bellowing
" Yuxtry! " over a bundle of newspapers in New York traffic.
David Ross has come far since his poverty-stricken boyhood.
He is at heart a poet, a tremendous reader, a thinker. He has
one of the most sensitive and charming personalities in radio,
and a voice that goes with it. His favorite program now is
announcing the opening poem in "Arabesque," one of the
oldest sustaining programs on the air.
HARRY V ON ZELL -Was born July 11, 1906,in Indianapolis, Indiana, and catapulted into radio (to use his own expression) in one of the strangest fashions on record. Harry was taken to a Californi11 radio studio one day apparently to hear a broadcast. But it was really an audition. Harry's name was called out, and there was nothing to do but-sing!
His ch4nce for national f11111e came When Paul Whiteman went on the air. From 250 applicants to fill the shoes of Ted Husing, Harry was chosen. Von Zell was married in 1925 and has 11 son, Kenneth Harry, aged 3.
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WELL KN OWN
* .* *
JACK PEARL-"The Modern Baron Munchause:n." If you've; he:ud his weird tales, you know he: deserves the: tide. Because; he: made: it an amusing art instead of a vice:, he: gets paid for telling whoppers.
Jack got his first taste: of Broadway in the; stock room of the: Shapiro Publishing Company. Finally, offered $12.00 11 week to appear in a Gus Edwards chorus containing Walter Winchell, Georgie Jessel, Eddie Cantor, Eddie: Buzzell and the; Duncan Sisters, Jack held out for $15.00 and didn't get it! Played stock, vaudeville:, 11nd burlesque; until the; Shube:rts signed him.
Jack is not superstitious. He's just careful. That's why he: carries untold lucky pieces, a chunk of wood in e;ve;ry pocket and has personal ly collected the; world's largest and most varied collection of stray needles, hdirpins, safety pins and common, ordindry, every-day pins.
• •
RUTH ETIING-was born in David City, Nebraska . After graduating from her home-town high school she: went to Chicago to study fashion design at the; Academy of Fine; Arts. She: still designs and makes most of her own clothes.
She: got her start by dancing in the; chorus of one of the: Chicago night-dubs to help pay her tuition. Later she: took to singing. Her singing of one of the many songs identified with her-"T en Cents 11 Dance "-may be considered partly responsible for the: reforms since made in the public dance hdlls of New York. Before; this, little was known of the plight of the " tctxi ·ddncer." Ruth has appectred in four editions of the "Follies" and with Ed Wynn in "Simple: Simon." She sings over the: radio, on the stage; and screen, and makes bestseller phonogr4ph records.
•
WELL KN 0 W N.
J
RUDY VALLEE-Need we S-'Y more? The figure of the m"tinee idol is -'PP-'rently gone from the st.,ge, but Rudy's popul.,rity seems to be reviving himon the r.,dio.
Rudy's ""me is not re.,lly Rudy. It's Hubert Prior V.,llee. As ., kid, Rudy yeuned to pl.,y the 5"xophone. His idol W-'S Rudy Wiedoft f.,mous 5"xo-phonist. Hence the Rudy. '
He W-'S born in Westbrook, M.,ine. He <1tte nded the Uni~ersity of M<line <1nd <1lso Y <1le, where he studied l<1w. Recently he put himself under the tutel<Jge of De<Jn Gle<1son Archer <1t the Suffolk U.w School. This brown-h<Jired, retiring l<Jd h<1s 4 wise he<1d on his shoulders <Jnd, who knows? Some d<Jy we may have a crooning lawyer.
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!l?_adio c:ftars • •
LOWELL THOMAS--h<Js cr<1mmed more living into forty ye<1rs of life th<Jn <1ny m<1n on e<1rth. He w<1s born in Cripple Creek, Color<1do, <1nd stuted life <JS <1 gold miner when he w<1s eleven. He worked his w<1y through college, he.,ded two expeditions to the sub-Arctic, <1nd bec<1me <1 lecturer-<111 before he w<1s twenty-five. He w<1s <1ssigned by the President to record the: history of the World W<Jr, <Jnd with notebook <1nd c<1mer4 he visited every b<1ttlefront. He discovered T. E. L<1wrence, the mysterious white le<1der of the Ar<1bs, <Jnd w<1s <1n eye-witness of the Germ<1n Revolution.
Mr. Thom<Js h<Js lectured on L<1wrence <1nd Allenby 4,000 times to more th<Jn 4,000,000 listeners. He h<1s found time to write 17 books. He beg<1n bro<Jdc<1sting in 1930, <1nd is prob<1bly the best-known comment<1tor on world events.
•
WELL KN 0 W. N
GROUCHO dnd CHICO MARX-How ., tedm ds funny ds this h.,lf of the Four M.,nc Brothers kept out of rddio so long is d mystery. Probdbly they've
dlwdys been too busy Cdvorting in their f.,mous Stdge dnd screen shows. Fi
Mlly, in the Fdll of 1932, Groucho brought his box-shdped moustdche, dnd Chico his pednut-vender hdt befor~ the microphone dS " Flywheel, Shyster dnd Flywheel , Attorneys dt L.,w:"
The ldst time these two dppedred together dS d duo WdS during the Wdr,
when they performed for the soldiers in trdinin9 cdmps. Groucho's moustdche is nothing but burnt cork (he wore one mdde of redl hdir once, dnd set it dfire with" cigdr). But there's no f.,ke dbout Chico's piono-ploying.
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!l?_adio dtars . ' .
MYRT AND MARGE-or Myrtl~ V.,il dnd ddu9hter Donnd . In privdte life, Myrt is the wife of George Ddmerel , tdmous dS the Prince, during the long run of Frdnz Leh.,r's opercttd "The Merry Widow." Myrt's romdnce
wds ., bdckstdge .,ff.,ir-ds most of her life hds been. Once she tried chicken
fdrmin9, with redl estdte dS d side-line. But the crdsh cdme-dnd redl estdte vdlues went.
So did Myrt--she went to P. K. Wrigley with the ided dnd script for d
rddio pro9rdm. Her ided dnd script were dCcepted dnd Myrt dnd . her ddughter-now known dS Mdrge--soon edged into rddio populdrity. Myrt hds
., boy, George, Jr. , 14 yem old, enrolled dt., C.,lifornid Militdry Ac.,demy.
•
WELL KN OWN
~--·
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"Oh, Mrs. Bloo-um!" Mrs. Bloom's c11lle:r is none other th11n Gertrude: Berg, young orlgin11tor of the widely icnown "RISE OF THE GOLDBERGS," 11nd 11s we:ll, post-gr11du11te: student 11t Columbi11 University, short-story writer, voc11list 11nd p11inte:r.
The: pre:se:nt J11ke Goldberg is J11mes R. W11ters, f11mous Jewish di11lect comedi11n of Pot11sh 11nd Perlmutter renown. S11mmy, the boy, is Alfred Corn, 11nd Rosie: is RoSdlyn Silber-both gr11du11te:s of the NBC Children's hour, bro11dc11st every Sund11y morning.
The rise: of the Goldbergs , h11s been truly r11pid. Beginning their pro9r11m November 10, 1929, the "Goldbe:rgs" h11ve risen to 9re11t heights of popul1uity. They find their 9reotest ond mo5t cnth1,15i115tit oudiente omon9 li5te11cll who 11ppreci11te genuine: hum11n interest in their progr11ms.
[J?_aJio dtars • •
When the moon ... Hello, Everybody, this is KATE SMITHI ... Twe:ntythre:e: ye11rs 11go, Greenville:, Vir9ini11, did not know th11t the: chubby little: b11by girl voicing the first few notes of her c11re:e:r would one d11y be one of the n11tion's most popul11r r11dio entert11iners.
During the: W 11r, when K11te: w11s only 11, she 11ppe11re:d 11t tr11ining c11mps, with pig-t11ils still down her b11ck, 11nd s11ng for the: doughboys. Ex-Spe11ke:r Longworth 11nd Presidents Wilson 11nd H11rding were: 11lso e:nte:rt11ine:d by he:r. K11te: h11s been chosen the: 11ir' s f11vorite wom11n singer 11nd re:ce:ive:d the: gre11te:st m11rgin of votes recorded in the: voting for the 11ll-Ame:ric11n r11dio te:11m. She: broke: records 11t the: P1!l11ce The11tre in New York with 11n 11-we:e:k run. She: is 11 tireless worker 11nd if it weren't for he:r splendid physical vita lity might long before this have suffered 11 breakdown.
•
WELL· KNOWN
When JULIA SANDERSON and FRANK CRUMIT settled down in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, as Mr. and Mrs. Frank Crumit, they named their cottage Dunrovin '. But listening to the radio one day, Frank got the idea that ci lot of rovin ' could be ciccom
. plished over the ciir without the inconvenience of luggcige. So todciy Frcink and Julici cire one of radio's most populcir pairs. ,..,... . .
Frcink weights 209 pounds, is 6 feet tcill. Julici was born in Springfield, MciSSC1chuse:tts, but went to school in Philcidelphici because her father, Albert Sackett, played stock compciny roles in the Ouaker City. Both have won dis tinction on the stcige cind left it only because they wcinted to quit "rovin' "and become ordinary mcirried folks. But fame just naturally tags after ;ome people!
* i:I *
!J?.adio c:ftars
Bong ... Bong ... Bong ... THE ENO CRIME CLUBI Here is that famous group that regularly becomes immersed in the most hair-raising adventure-of crime, political intrigue, clever detective work, mystery.
The well-known private detective or Scotland Y cird inspector who in~aricibly bafAes the attempt to over-ride justice or murder the heroine, is the only American
• •
born member of the regular cast of Eno Crime Club. He is Edward Reese, Johns-Hopkins graduate, world-traveler, collector of rarely bound books, widely experienced actor. He played opposite Fay Bainter in the famous "East is West." Was also South Atlantic 220-yard indoor swimming champion. A versatile fellow, what?
•
WELL KN OWN
* ti *
JANE FROMAN-Christened Ellen Jane, back in St. Louis in 1907. Slim, dark and vivacious. Went to the University ot Missouri and set out to be a journalist, but happened to sing "St. Louis Blues" at a party in Cincinnati, and was promptly signed to a contract by Crosley of WL W. Now croons the blues from the NBC Chicago studios.
Jane designs her own clothes and is one of the most beautifully dressed women in radio. Her favorite recreations are golf and humming tunes to the bears in Lincoln Park Zoo. Every morning she strolls along the Lake shore and through Lincoln Park for four or five miles. She says that she felt a little frightened when she first appeared before the " mike" and that she sang as loud as she could. But dfter d yedr of broddcdsting, she hds developed d Mturdl technique.
* ~ *
{l?_adio c:ftars • •
Portrait of a Very Popular Young Man-none other than BING CROSBY. For your information, Bing is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, has blue eyes, brown hair.
Bing attended college at Gonzaga, in Seattle. He started singing while still in school. Tried clerking in a law office, but an offer came from a booking office and Bing promptly gave up jurisprudence for trouping.
Maybe you remember him as one of Paul White;man's Rhythm Boys. His right name is Harry L.-but his favorite childhood sport being cowboys and Ind ians, he got his present nick-name from "bing, bing, binging" redskins from morning till night. He reods oil his fon moil ond monoges to onswer 11 good bit of it.
•
WELL KN OWN
RUSS COLUMBO-"Valenti no of the Air"-started as a mere infant to play the violin. He worked so hard, under a stern Teutonic teacher, that at fourteen he was playing solos at the Imperial Theater in San Francisco. When the big family (Russ has eleven brothers and sisters) moved to Los Angeles, he continued this career. But already the mellow magic of his baritone voice was attracting attention . His singing at various hotels won him a place in talking pictures. He opened his own club-the Club Pyramid, in Los Angeles. Then radio called him east, and you know the rest. ·
Russ is tall, dark and h1mdsome, 24 and single. His hobby is opera . In his
private collection is every operatic work ever recorded.
!l?_adio dtars • •
JESSICA DRAGONETTE- When this lovely little lady turned her back on a blossoming stage career, six years ago, and went to stand before a cold ly unresponsive " mike," her friends told her she was crazy. But a legion of radio listeners have been grateful for that decision.
Jessica was born in Calcutta, India, and educated in a convent at Lakewood, N . J. She sang the angel solo in "The M iracle," and made a huge hit as Kathie in "The Student Prince." Then N.B.C. persuaded her to become leading lady in a radio light opera company. At first the silent studio chilled and frightened her. But she: found a warm-hearted audience: of millions eager for
her songs, and stayed on the air to become one of Radio's great successes.
•
Which would YOU 7f qf}obbo/ .Ladder
IMAGINE sitting on top of a ladder, like this! Even if the base were firmly fixed to the Aoor, you would feel insecure. With all your weight on the top
most rung, a little push, a little jar, even• sli,ht vibration in the room, would make you sway and tremble like a tree-top in a breeze. Your position would depend on only two supports, the two legs of the ladder. You would find it dif~cu'lt--yes, practically impossible-to keep from moving back and forth .
But sitting in a chair ... well, that's a different matterl There, you are braced. Four stront supports uphold your weight. You are as safely anchored as a rock. No jar or jolt, no vibration in the room, will get you out of place. The four strong legs of the chair beneath your weight are a sure guarantee of fixed, immovable security.
THERE are more than thirty elements in every radio tube, no matter what the make-tiny pieces of
wire and delicate bits of metal. When the tube is made, these fragile elements are properly adjusted at the plant, placed in just the rigbt position to provide the clear, sweet tone-reception that your set was made to give. But will they stay that way? Unless they do, unless these fragile elements remain in perfect adjustment, your set cannot perform the way it should. Eveready Raytheon 4-pillar tubes come to you exactly as they leave the laboratory. Four strong pillars keep the elements in place, maintaining the
' hair-line accuracy with which they were
rather c.fit on ? • • •
ora do/id eJuur I ,
t
'
assembled. And because of their unique construction, they will stay that way throughout their life.
Bumps and jolts of shipment, heavy vibrations caused by the dynamic speaker, knocks and jars as the set is moved or touched-the slight mishaps that ruin ordinary tubes leave Eveready Raytheons unaffected.
There is nothing mysterious principle employed is simplicity itself, and older than the pyramids of Egypt. Applied to radio tubes, however, it has set new standards of reception. Thousands Qf Eveready Raytheon tubes, picked at random from the stocks of dealers and tested in direct comparison with other makes, have proved the value of this application. Because of their patented 4-pillar construction, which no other tube can use, Eveready Raytheons invariably show the high-est degree of product uniformity and operating characteristics.
Put one in each socket of your set, and note the astonishing improvement in reception.
in this unique .construction. The engineering
IMUADY RAYTHION' CONSTaucnoN
Standing fou.......-re lilie the le9s of e chair, the riCJid pillan keep the elements in piece.
ORDINARY TUU CONSTRUCTION
With only two supports beneath their night, . the fragile elerneftts can sway and jo99le out of line.
WELL
Good e:ve:nin', folks, this is SINGIN' SAM-or Hmy foinke:I, to ge:t behind the: sce:ne:s. A ve:te:ran in the: show-business, Sam was born in Danville:, Kentucky. He: le:ft high school to learn a trade, but soon abandoned this and joined a minstrel show, with which he was fe:ature:d, at 17, as the: "boy basso."
He made his debut about two years ago over a Cincinnati station, in a program advertising a friend's lawn-mowe:r business. As a result of the: program, the company got more: orders than it could fill, and another sponsor e:ngage:d him to continue: ove:r the air. He spends little time: in re:he:arsals,
· and transposes a song at si ght--for few are: written low e:nou gh for his voice. Yet he: has ne:ve:r take:n a music lesson and cannot play the: piano, in spite: of the: fact that he: once worked in a piano factory.
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• •
BURNS AND ALLEN-George: and Gracie-or, if you will, Mr. and Mrs . George: Burns. Whe:n the:se: now widely known comedians we:nt on the: air, George:, who wrote: the: act, answered Gracie:' s questions, always giving wh~t he: thought a funny retort. But, as he: explains, the: people: laughed at Gracie: s questions and didn't e:ve:n crack a smile: at his answers. So the:y de:cide:d to re:ve:rse: the: operation . Now Gracie: doe:s the: answering.
"Now that you're: going in for acting," says George:, "l suppose: Ruth Chatterton will have: to look to he:r laurels."
"But I don't want to be: a comedian," re:plie:s Gracie: . "A comedian?" "Of course, aren't Laurels and Hardy comedians?" "All right, Guy!"
•
WELL KNOWN
MORTON DOWNEY, the: silve:r-voice:d tenor, w<1s born in W<1llingford, Connecticut, <1nd <1t the: <1ge: of three: w<1s <1lre:<1dy displ<1ying those: voc<1I qu<1litie:s for which he: is now f<1mous . He: once <1tte:nde:d donke:y-e:ngine:s in <'I fre:ight-y<1rd, <1nd l<1te:r sold phonogr<1phs <1t <1 s<1l<1ry of $15 <1 we:e:k-of which he: got $8. Not m<1ny ye:<1rs l<1te:r his own records were: best se:lle:rs!
He: is m<1rrie:d to B<1rb<1r<1 Be:nne:tt. When he: first s<1ng over the: r<1dio, from his own Club Delmonico, he: m<1de: <'I tremendous hit. St<1ge: <1ppe:<1r<1nce:s brought him $5000 weekly. Tod<1y he: is prob<1bly the: big~st individu<1I money-m<1ker in r<1dio. In 1919 he: s<1ng with P<1ul White:m.sn <1nd m<1de: se:ve:r.sl Europe:<1n trips with the: King of J<1zz. He: held d French horn for e:ffe:ct, <1nd people thought he "s<1ng quite well for " musici<1n." ,
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[J?_aJW cftars • •
ETHELYN HO LT-Ste:nogr<1phe:r de: luxe:, .ss <1ny ste:nogr<1phe:r should be: who w<1s born in Brookline:, M<1ss. 1908 w<1s the: d<1te:, to be: ex<1ct. And who wouldn't w<1nt to be: in the: shoes of Me:ye:r Mizznick-"Me:ye:r the: Buye:r"othe:rwise: H<1rry Hershfield? For Ethelyn Holt is none other th<1n Mollie:, the: ch<1rming secre:t.sry of thi!; comic clo<1k-<1nd-suit ch<1r<1cte:r.
You h<1ve: e:ye:s, so we: don't hc!Ve: to tell you th<1t Ethelyn is one: of those: <1lluring blondes. But it t<1ke:s more: th<1n th<1t to succe:e:d on the: <1ir. And Ethelyn h<1s wh<1t it t<1ke:s. To be: e:ve:n more: specific, she: w<1s e:duc<1te:d <'It Miss Ch<1mbe:rs School <1nd Emerson College:. In 1924, she: joined the: Civic Repertory The:<1te:r <1nd, <1fte:r th<1t, got he:rse:lf more st<1ge: <1nd movie: experience_. She: is continu<1lly pe:ste:re:d by .sdvertisers, who w<1nt her to pose for them.
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WELL .KNOWN
BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURYStrdp on your de:grdvitdtor belts, throw your imdgindtion into high-speed dnd go skyrocketing through spdce: for 500 ye:drs into the: future:. Thdt sounds hdrd to do. But d twist of your rddio didl to Buck Rogers dnd you' re: there:.
Mdtthe:w Crowley, who pldys Buck Rogers, brings to the: dir stdge: e:xpe:rie:nce: of mdny ye:drs, hdving pldye:d in "Broddwdy,"
"The: Front Pdge:," with Alice: Brddy in "Lddie:s of the: Jury," "Oh Promise: Me: " dnd others.
In the: pdrt of Buck Rogers, the: Wdr ve:te:rdn who is gdsse:d for 500 ye:drs
and dWdkes to a new world, he is making the hit of his Cdreer.
[J{_adio dtars
* tr *
GUY LOMBARDO once: got $15 .00 d pe:rforl'Tldnce: for his orche:strd. Thdt WdS in the: e:drly ddyS when, with his brothers, C,rmdn, Liebert dnd Victor, his orche:strd· Wds-well, just dnother ddnce: orchestrd. But Guy rebelled dgdinst "hot )dzz," sedrche:d dbout for d rhythm of his own, dnd found it. Try to ge:t Guy Lombdrdo dnd his Roydl Cdnddidns for $15.00 d pe:rtormdnce: now!
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The: soft le:gdto tempo which he hit upon hds mdde: his orchestrd one of Rddio's fdvorites . Guy is 29 ye:drs old dnd comes from London, Ontdrio. His chief pledsure, dt present, is towing Little Jdck Little: c!Jnd George Burns on dqUdpldnes behind his spe:ed-bodt. Guy directs his orchestrd with his
violin bow.
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WELL KN OWN
THE GLOOM-CHASERS-COLONEL STOOPNAGLE AND BUDD. The Colonel-re.,lly F. Ch.,se T .,ylor- resigned his position "s vice-president of " Buff.,lo stock broker.,ge firm to devote his entire time to r"dio, following the success of his .,nd Budd's comedy, "ct over WKBW "nd WMAK, Buff.,lo st.,tions. He c"n m"ke himself up to look ex.,ctly like Herbert Hoover, "nd his f.,vorite sport is going to fires.
Budd-or Wi lbur Budd Hulick-h.,s been" college football st.,r, s"xophone pl.,yer, orchestra le.,der, crooner, "nnouncer, continuity writer, r"dio production m.,n, "ctor, sod" clerk "nd commercial representative for a te legr11ph comp11ny. Budd is m11rried to W.,nd" Harte, vocalist, and recently assumed the responsibility of being a pap11 . The little Budd is a girl, 11nd her n11me is Anne Louise.
[J{_adW dtars • •
JANE VANCE-Mmmmmm!-you've he.,rd this young lady singing the blues wheA P.,ul Whitem.,n 's b.!nd pl11ys from the Biltmore c.,sc11des in New York. The surprise comes when she sings blues melodies in 11 deep contralto voice, so the blood tingles in your veins "nd your toes t"p the melody on the d"nce Aoor. J.,ne: h.,s blue eyes, w11vy golden h"ir, 11 pe.,ches .,nd cre"m complexion "nd 11 friendly smile. Now you know wh"t she looks like. The one you see in the picture, however, is not J.,ne's usu"I singing costume. It's one she we11rs in her leisure time in summer, orn.,menting one or another of the Long lsl.,nd be.,ches. Miss V 11nce stopped being ci co-ed when " Northwestern University committee selected her "s one of four girls to sing on Paul Whitemcm's College Night Progr.,m. Then she c11me Ecist to score in r11dio.
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WELL KNOWN
THE BOSWELL SISTERS-Born in Ne:w Orle:dns, thre:e:-qudrte:rs Fre:nch, dnd e:dch only d ye:dr se:pdrdte:d from the: othe:r-Mdrthd is elde:st, Connie ne:xt, dnd V e:t the: youngest-the Boswe:ll Siste:rs hdve: dlwdys done: e;ve;rything toge:ther.
As childre:n the;y pldye:d the: time:-honored trio of violin, ce:llo, dnd pidno. ldte:r the;y ldid dside: the: trdppings of ddsSicdlity-the St. Louis Blue:s repldce:d Brdhms, dnd Sdxophone:, bdnjo, dnd pidno re:pldce:d the: time:-honore:d trio. But the:se: we:re: still ldte:r to be: re:pldce:d by thre:e: ple:d.sing feminine voices-the incompdrdble instrume:nts on which the: Boswell Siste:rs ~dvt now won the:ir Wdy to rddio fdme:. The;y first broddcdst on the: Cdlifornid Melodies progrdm from Los Angeles, ove:r d ndtion-wide: hook-up.
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PAUL WHITEMAN-is the: only ledde:r of d mode:rn ddnce: orche:strd mentione:d in thdt fdmous re:d book, "Who's Who in Americd." The: son of the: 'supe:rvisor of music in the: public schools of Denver, Colorddo, dt the: dge of se:ve:nteen, Pdul wds chie:f viold pldyer in the: De:nve:r Symphony Orchestrd. In 191 S he: held the: sdme: position in the: World's Fdir Orche:strd dt Sdn Frdncisco.
During the: Wdr he WdS ledder of d Ndvy bdnd, dnd dfte:r the Armistice: returned to Sdn Frdncisco where he orgdnized his own orchestrd. White:mdn's orchestr.s WdS the: first to .sppe.sr be:fore: d microphone, in the: e:drly ddys of rddio. Whitemdn hds d son, Pdul, Jr., who, dt seven yecm of dge, wields d
fiddlt dnd givts promist of following in his d.,ddy's f4mous footste:ps.
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WELL KN OWN
JACK BENNY-Cm you im11gine J11ck Benny silent? He w11s once-just 11 v11udevi lle violinist, who never opened his mouth. Then c11me the W11r. J11ck, 11 gob in the Navy, w11s dr11fted to pl11y 11t 11 Seamen's Benefit Show. Appl11use c11me, but no contributions. So he laid down the fiddle and t11lked. The money c11me in, and the l11ughs. And he's been t11lking ever since.
As g11g-m11n, wisecr11cker, monologist, Jack bec11me 11 he11df iner. He broke into the "t11lkies" 11s master of ceremonies in the Hollywood Revue. And he might h11ve st11yed under the Klieg lights if he hadn't got married 11nd brought his bride e11st for 11 honeymoon. Before he'd been in New York 11 week, E11rl C11rroll h11d him in the V11nities. Thence it w11s only 11 step to the broadcasting studios. He m11kes frequent st11ge 11ppe11r11nces but likes r11dio best.
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!l?_adio dtars • •
JOLLY BILL •nd JANE-in person! JoUy Bill is re11lly Willi11m Steinke, 11 former newsp11per man 11nd cdrtoonist-the only mdn to mdke Coolidge laugh, which seems distinction enough, dlthough few people know it.
Most rddio listeners know him for his jolly broddcdsts with JANE-who is redlly ... but Jdne' s identity must remain 11 secret. She WdS selected from the WJZ Children's Progrdm because of her infectious giggle. J.me is just ten yedrs old and redlly giggles dt whdt Jolly Bill tells her, dnd when too much school is on her mind and she doesn't feel like giggling, Jolly Bill knows 11 particuldrly ticklish spot in her ribs1 which when touched brings the desired
giggle.
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WELL KN OWN
TED WEEMS and his orchestra. Ted Weems is the only orchestra leader in the Con· gressional Library's "Biographies of Great Men," where he's listed as Wilfred Theodore Weymes. Incidentally, that makes him d direct descendant of Angus Weymes, the inventor of the bagpipe. And, just to prove his heritage, Ted has invented two astounding musical appl iances-the goofus horn and the mellohorn.
When you listen to his scintillating music you might also like to know that Ted follows every fire engine that crosses his path, and that his chief ambition is to find just one piece of jazz that hasn't been stolen from at ledst fifty classicdl
compositions. He'll retire thtn.
!l?_adio dtars
JONES and HARE-Billy and Erniemaybe you still think of them as the Hctppiness Boys, or Heel and Toe, or some of their other program names. For this couple has been broctdcasting continuously since radio was d howling infdnt. Eleven yedrs on the air have only deepened the affection of radio fans for their voices, and their humor.
Billy and Ernie were born on the same day of the month. Their mothers' maiden
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ndmes were the same. They are the same height-the same weight-dnd now they' re even beginning to look alike. They'll never forget the strenuous night when their first program went on the air, in 1921, from the old m4keshift studio of WJZ, ~nd they hod tQ sing ond joke for ninety solid minutes!
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WELL KN OWN
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GEORGE OLSEN-who hos his own woy of directing his music. Poul Whitemon woves o long boton . Rubinoff ploys o violin. Rudy Vollee carries o soxophone. But George sits ori one side of the plotform and-grins!
George wos born in Portland, Oregon. His fother was head of a moving and storage firm. The first sight that greeted George's adolescent eyes was a huge sign onnouncing his father's business octivities: WHO MOVES THE WORLD? OLSEN, OF COURSE! George, Jr., grinned ot this ond perhaps took it os o sort of motto for his own life. But instead of juggling pionos in the moving business, George decided to jiggle them for himself. And hos
ht modt o suce(ss of it? You know tht onswe:r!
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[Radio . c:ftars • •
ETHEL SHUTT A-pronounced "Shut-tay" -in private life, Mrs. George
Olsen. Musieal comedy singer, motion picture actress, radio star, w ife, and mother. for not the leost of Ethel's -.;oried octivities is taking core of Charles,
five, ond George Olsen Jr., three.
The doy Ethel song her first song over the radio, she played 18 holes of golf, made o movie short, went to the dentist, and-get this-bought her husband a new suit of clothes. Thr.n, after the broadcost, she went out with George ond danced until 3 o 'clock in the morning. Thot's energy for you! listeners like the informal monner of her singing-as if she were standing up in the very
room and performing for them. But that's Ethel-a family girl!
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WELL KN OWN
EDWIN C. HILL was once referred to by a New York columnist as the best
dressed newspaper man in the Metropolis. His studio appearance: confirms
that opinion. During the winter, his favorite costume is the short black coat
with striped trousers. He has iron-grey hair and usually wears pince-nez
glasses attached with a black silk ribbon.
He has been in the newspaper business ever since his graduation from
the University of Indiana. He mdde the record of being the first cub reporter
on die New York Sun paid for space in less than four months of his employment.
He was born in Aurora, Indiana.
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{l?_ac/io c:ftars • •
ANDREA MARSH-This little Chicago girl-she's only seventeen-has been drawing the family to the loud speaker for several months. Her re;a I name is Audrey Marsh, but she changed it to distinguish her from another radio singer of similar name.
Andrea is a brunette:. She's been on the air less than a year, but already she's looked on as ii rising star. She's ii natural singer, too, dS none of her time has ever been spent on vocal trdining. At present, she's singing with Ted Weem's Orchestra. AndreC1°s hobbies ilre golf, horseback riding and swimming. And certainly those things can't harm her in Hollywood, because:-Shhh!-that's where :>he's heading! Wait c:i minute, boys! She goes around with MOTHER!
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WELL KNOWN
SISTERS OF THE SKILLET-Eddie East and Ralph Dumke-500 pounds of comedy on the hoof! This team has made a fortu ne and convulsed millions of listeners by kidding the " holdehold hinters. " . Maybe you've wondered where "My old home town" actually is. Well, the fact of the matter is, they were both born in Indiana .
Eddie comes from Bloomington-Ralph from South Bend. Yes, he went to Notre Dame. No, he didn 't play football-long. As he tells it, "Rockne saw me poke one of his star 5uards in the eye with my elbow one day-by accident, of course. And he decided the Irish team could get along without me. "
Big as they are, the boys simply won't diet. They' re one of the few comedy teams that improvises its programs during the broadcast.
{RadW dtars • •
The Old Maestro, ladies and gentlemen, the Old Maestro-BEN BERNIE, without the lads, bringi ng you greetings and salutations.
Ben, as a maestro of ceremonies, has a style ellll his own- but ellS an orchestrell leellder, he fo llows Olsen ellnd Vellllee in hellving his own WellY of leading the "boys." Ben cellrries his violin ellnd puffs on his cigu ellnd occasionally interrupts ell tenor solo with his fellmous baritone- but just to elldd ell touch of humor, lelldies ellnd gentlemen, just to elldd a touch of hu-mellh.
The well-known Bernie-Winchell feud is ellS hellrmless ells Ben's bcllritone. Both ue old timers-Bernie ellnd Winchell, lelldies and gentlemen, not the feud ellnd
the bu itone-and-well, boys will be boys.
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WELL KNOWN
FRED ALLEN, populdr stdge; stdr, who WdS
sture:d with Libby Holmdn dnd Cl ifton We:bb in the; " First little; Show," dnd ldte;r in
"Thre:e; 's d C.rowd," WdS born in Boston. He: be:gdn his cdre;e;r dS d juggle;r in Vdude:ville:, but ldte;r gdve; it up to juggle; " gdgs." He:
pldys the: sdx, the; bdnjo, dnd othe:r instrume;nts.
While: othe:r stdrs of the; stdge; took to rddio, Alle:n's thedtricd l work ke:pt him too occupie:d
for time; on the; dir. But now he:, too, hds tdke:n to the; microphone dnd brought to rddio his spe:cidl type; of c~me;dy. He: is mmied to Portldnd Hoffd-his
"stooge;" in the: show busine;ss dS we:lf dS on the; dir. He: write;s his own
mdteridl for his progrdms dnd persondlly supervise;s the; production of it.
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VIRGINIA REA hds only re;cently come into
he:r own-ds Virginid Re:d. For d long while: she: Sdng ove;r the; dir dS Olive; Pdlme;r.
Now she: is hedrd with Pdul White;mdn.
Miss Re:d, howe;ver, did stdrt dS Virgin id
Re:d-on the; first Mtion-wide; hook-up, the;
EVEREADY HOUR. She: wds bOrn in
Louisville:, Ke:ntucky, educdte:d in the: public
schools there, dnd mdtriculdted dt Drdke Uni
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versity, Des Moines. She hds studie:d in Europe, but is d true; ddughte:r of the:
South, spe:dking with d soft Southern decent dnd sporting lovely bldck hdir dnd
gdy blue eyes. Miss Red hds dn extensive repertoire of operdtic role:s, but her
favorite i$ Gild.! in " Rigoletto."
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* Sound Effects
RAY KELLY-One of the best-known producers of sounds imit4ting other sounds is R11y Kelly, $Ound effects engineer of N.B.C. Mr. Kelly, through perfectly h11rmless me11ns, is 11ble to produce over your r11dio the sound of 11 wild be11st cr11shing through the jungle in a mild ch11rge, or of a locomotive rushing· at gre11t speed through the night, while perhaps thunder booms and lightning crackles along the telegraph wires.
Kelly recently im1ented 11 one-m11h re1ilro11d for use in reproducing the v11rious sounds of 11 locomotive in 11ction over the 11ir. He spent hours in the Sunn'f'ide, Long Island yards of the Pennsylv11ni11 Railroad, lying ne11r moving trains, listening 11s cars P19ssed over jointed tracks, e11refully listening and memorizing the chugs and puffs of the locomotives, the cl ickety-click of the trucks on the tracks. The apparatus he developed out of th is experience is housed in 11 wooden box three feet square. From it, Kelly can rele11se 11t will most of the noises he11rd in r11ilroe1d operation.
how thefl are !lrodaeed ie <C!~
~N actual pistol shot in a broadcasting studio would
~j wreck hundreds of dollars worth of equipment. Yet, when dramas are enacted in which a pistol is fired ,
l the report of it must be heard. How to simulate ... this sound is one of the ·problems of" sound effects"-
an important matter in rad io-broadcasting. Through " sound effects" certain dramtttic situations apart
from the spoken parts of the actors, scenery, and incidenta l but nonetheless important happenings, like the closing of a door, are brought to the radio audience. They enable the radio audience to "see" through its ears.
When a wind and rain storm is needed, some one crumples a wad of tissue paper close to the microphone, while some one else cranks d wind-machine-a square box with d grating through which actual wind escapes, dnd some one hammers on d lcuge, tightly stretched square of sheep-skin, which produces the sound of thunder. If the occasion calls for heavy rain, d revolving cylinder, contd ining dried peas, is turned .
When you hear d train come into a stdtion, hidden from your
view is an air-pump, which supplies the hiss of airbrakes, a three-legged, iron implement, which is scraped across a sheet of resined glass, gives the sound of brakes squeaking,.and a phonograph record, on which is recorded the actual
puffing of an actual engine:, and sometimes its actual whistle.
The roar of a crowd at a footbal I game is achieved similarly, through the means of a phonograph record, recorded at a game.
A specially constructed e:le:ctric motor imitates the sound of a motor-truckpe.rhaps a bee:r-truck, trundling through the night, with revenue officers in pursuit of it. This same motor reproduces the sound of a motor-car.
Alarm clocks with bells deadened have been used to produce the sound of riveting machines.
When the dramatic action calls for a diver descending into dark, liquid depths, some one blows into a glass of water, through a soda-straw, to give the effect of air-bubbles
rising from the diver's helmet. - Volleys of applause, when the
scene is in a theater, are frequently the sound of slats being turned on a wheel
When someone, in whose fortunes you are vitally interested, leaves an imaginary room in an imaginary burst of anger, the sound of the slamming door comes from one of the sound effects crew, who, at just the right moment, slaps · shut the lid of a cigar box. Doors that close more subtly, as when a thief enters a
room at three o'clock in the morning, are actually doors, constructed in the studio. Windows, too, are generally real-although of course they have no wall attached to them. They are sheer frame.
A quickly smashed match box is the ghost of a dropped egg.
When some one walks up a Right of steps in your radio, in the studio a sound effects man is tramping on a desk, which he occasionally kicks to give the effect of a few steps missed by the supposed climber.
Almost since the birth of radio .,,_ drama, pro.duction men have experi
mented with sound ~Ffects. From the first one discovery has been outstanding-things are not usually
·what they sound. Generally, the actual · device fails to reproduce itself recognizably. Something else must be employed to make the sound more believable. It was purely by accident that the snapping of a spe:ctacle case was found to simulate almost perfectly a pistol shot. A padded board, struck by
a Rat stick, is also used. Airplane motors are simulated by the use of el~ctrically whirred straps that beat against drum· heads at varying speeds, ranging from the slow, uncertain sputter of warming motors to the high-pitched drone when the pi lot "gives it the gun."
The next time you hear a ship dipping its prow into gigantic waves that wash up over its deck with a shivering roar, try to picture a sound effects man rolling half a dozenmarblesorshelledpeas over the head of a bass drum.
Reasons wky ?Jou skouid Demand
lllN:I TA.ADE MARKS
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!. Uniform tuba-The opcrclting chclrclctcristics of Everccldy Rclythcon Tubes rcvccll cl high degree of uniformity. As cl result of the 4-pillar construction, the clmount of Vclriclncc between individucll tubes is considcrclbly less thcln in the case of any other make. There arc no wcclk tubes in a set of Eveready Rathcons.
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"'· Ouiclc hMlln9-Evcrudy R"ythcons hut up as quickly as any other make of tube-more rapidly than most.
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7. Low cost--Evcrudy Raythcons cost no more than ordinary tubes. Therefore, in view of their longer life, they arc the most economical tubes on the market.
* * * Prioted ;,, U . .S. A
