Hollywood (1937)

// SPEAKING TO YOU FROM HOLLYWOOD The film capital now becomes the radio capital — because pictures and radio use the same big names for the biggest shows — and radio increases Hollywood's income $15,000,000 a year! it HOLLYWOOD speaks to the world through 23 major air shows with nation-wide release being produced in the film capital every week. During every seven days the potential listening audience for these shows totals more than 600,000,000 persons. Within a year's time the name of Hollywood is publicized via these 23 radio shows alone to 31,200,000,000 persons. Hollywood has always thrived on publicity. Just a few years ago the sturdiest press agent would have had heart failure if he had had the faintest chance to get circulation like that for a star, a studio, or a picture. But now it happens automatically, as regularly as the hands of the electric clock go 'round the dial. And, Hollywood gets paid for this great job of publicizing Hollywood. An annual pay check totaling more than $15,000,000 goes to the radio stars, film stars, entertainers, actors, orchestras, announcers, writers, technicians and producers who put these 23 major radio shows on the air. The sponsors spend about $28,000,000 in addition for station time for these shov/s. Approximately 400 persons collect the bulk of this income, but during the past year approximately 4,000 men, women and children in Hollywood have received some of this money for their services or talent. FEW years ago radio headquarters were in New York. Now Hollywood has taken honors from Broadway. The reason is motion pictures and radio complement each other. Films use radio stars, and radio uses film stars. The picture business centers in Hollywood and can't be moved, so radio must move to Hollywood. That is what has happened. By January I, 1938, Hollywood fully expects to have at least 34 nation-wide radio broadcasts emanating from the film capital. Both the National and Columbia Broadcasting Systems 20 "A nose by any other name would be as red, especially since that punk, McCarthy, said it would be made of redwood," muttered W. C. Fields who is carrying on a feud with his little high-hat partner, Charlie McCarthy, over theweekly Chase and Sanborn hour By JEROME FARWELL are preparing for the future. Each is building magnificent new headquarters in the center of the film city, with enough ground space available to take care of television studios for the future. When 1938 comes around, Hollywood figures the national radio shows produced here will create an annual payroll of more than 25,000,000 dollars. Besides the national radio shows and the staffs of NBC, CBS and Mutual, there are more than 20 transcription and recording companies producing radio shows in wax for smaller stations throughout the world. Radio recordings are made in almost every foreign language, giving welcome employment to many foreign-born actors and actresses. Today nearly everyone working in the motion picture business in Hollywood is also catalogued in the calling lists of the radio business. When the telephone rings today in the home of an actor or actress, the call may be for either radio or pictures, and the calls for radio work are in creasing, because radio in Hollywood is having growing pains. Within a 30 mile radius of Hollywood are located 17 radio broadcasting stations, large and small. They sell everything from soup to nuts and religion, and get paid for it. All of these use news of Hollywood every day, and from these smaller stations come much of the talent for the major air shows. These radio stations alone issue weekly pay checks to more than 540 persons on their studio staffs. IN THE outposts of civilization men, women, and children hear the voices of famous men and women coming into their homes — and from Hollywood. Possessors of many of these voices are famous in films. Therefore radio listeners can best visualize these personalities from films as against those who work only on the air. And, liking them on the air, folks go see them as near in true life as they will ever see them — in films. The film stars are wise. They know today they must make radio appearances to meet the publicity competition which radio has created. Within the past two years nearly every famous film star has appeared on one of the major radio broadcasts. Some of the few who have never appeared include: Shirley Temple, Garbo, Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, and a few more. Nearly every other big name has worked before the mike, and for big money. Most of the big stars are frightened when they face the microphone. They know they must give a perfect performance, that if they make one mistake it cannot be recalled. There are no "re-takes" in radio. And that is why with very few exceptions, every film star has delivered a most creditable performance on the air. The roster of radio names is also a fairly representative roster of film names. Following are the major air shows with nation-wide release, emanating from Hollywood today, with the true names of