Radio revue (Dec 1929-Mar 1930)

26 RADIO REV U E 1Y/1TIC rccM the XtLDICX Leslie Joy is the jovial founder of the NBC Slumber Hour, a feature that is still going strong. But that is not the point of this joke, if any. Stuart Ayers was visiting Leslie, who lives in a little red school house in Connecticut. It is called "Sea View," but it is far from any sea. "Why do you call this place 'Sea View?' " said Stuart Ayers. "Because you get up on the roof to 'Sea View' can see it?" replied Leslie, just like that. * * * "Well," said Ray Knight, production department of NBC, "If you want to take a 'Trip to Mars,' why not plan-it?" The police lieutenant says the slayer will go free. sfc ^ ^ A new magazine, "Voice of Columbia," edited by E. Wood Gauss and intended for advertising agencies and those interested in broadcast advertising, made its debut with the October issue. It will be published monthly by the Columbia Broadcasting System. The latest Scotch joke came to light recently at the NBC studios, when an enthusiastic Scot telegraphed from Winnipeg, Man., congratulating the Company on securing the artistic services of Sir Harry Lauder. The telegram was sent collect! * * * Vic Irwin and his Hollywood orchestra returned to the air over WOR recently, when the popular Victor recording artist opened at the new Hollywood Restaurant, Broadway, between 48th and 49th Streets. He inaugurated his return with a new air signature, at present unnamed, written by Benny Davis and J. Fred. Coots. The radio public is being asked to title the air signature. Vic Irwin, since his last Manhattan appearance at the Hotel Manger, has been featured over the Publix Circuit and his band is a Roxy stage band. Last summer he played at the Woodmanston Inn. Evelyn De La Tour, heard each week in "Show Folks" skits over the Columbia Broadcasting System, has become convinced that truth is stranger than fiction. A few weeks ago she played the part of Marie Lavelle, one of the principal characters in a heart-interest story. After the broadcast a telephone call was received at Station WABC from some one who demanded that Marie Lavelle be summoned to the phone. The telephone op <^ erator informed the caller that there was no such party in the studio. After quite an argument -with the insistant fan, Evelyn De La Toui, who had been playing the part of Marie Lavelle, was asked to speak to the telephone caller. She did so, and was accused of being, not Evelyn De La Tour, but in reality a Marie Lavelle, who had left home some fifteen years ago to go upon the stage, and who had never been heard from since. The caller insisted that she recognized the voice and the name, and could not be fooled. The odd part of it all is that the name "Marie Lavelle" was strictly imaginative, and came from the mind of Dave Elman, the writer of the "Show Folks" sketches. ^ ^ ^ When the all-star special program was broadcast by the NBC for Commander Byrd and his Antarctic Expedition recently, Frank Luther, the wise-cracking tenor, announced that he was scheduled to sing a solo. "What will it be, Frank?" he was asked. "Byrd Songs at Eventide," was the reply. * * * Phil Maher of Station WABC, who has had many years of experience in every kind of show business, suggested the recent expose of stage hypnotism, which was the basis for an interesting radio dramatization. In addition to being the father of the idea, he wrote from memory the exact speeches of introduction which were used years ago by one of the best-known hypnotists in the theatrical game. * * * Alois Havrilla was so completely saturated with the subject matter of his program a few weeks ago that he inadvertently announced that the Mobiloil Hour would feature an "Oil" — Friml program. When Alois came out of the emergency hospital two weeks later — all the bandsmen had thrown their instruments at him — he said he felt much better, except for three broken ribs and a bad scalp wound. Lady Luck has visited Helen Nugent, leaving her card in the form of a prize winning automobile. While in Cleveland four or five months ago, Helen bought a raffle ticket at a church charity event. A telegram from her mother recently announced that she held the winning ticket and that the automobile would be delivered to her in New York. Miss Nugent is known in radio over the CBS system and co-stars with Ben Alley in various broadcasts. Franklyn Baur, "The Voice of Firestone" arrived at the NBC recently for his weekly broadcast in a brand new automobile with a specially designed body, which incorporated several of Franklyn's own ideas. The car was equipped with special white rubber tires — one guess is allowed for the name of their maker. * * * The latest authenticated evidence of economies practiced by the Scotch deals with a kilted gentleman, who purchased a second-hand radio set for thirtyfive shillings in the Old Coun( Continued from page 34)