Inside facts of stage and screen (June 21, 1930)

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE NINE REYNOLDS HOUR STARTS ON NBC SAN FRANCISCO, June 19.— One of the highest priced radio broadcasts ever sold comes on the air this week from the San Fran- cisco studios of NBC when the Reynolds Tobacco Co. puts its Camel Pleasure Hour onto the ether waves. An impressive list of more than SO local NBC artists will take part in the initial program, includ- ing a 35-piece orchestra, a glee club of eight male voices besides three soloists, a feminine harmony trio and a piano team. Included in the group are Betty Kelly, Myron Niesley, Irving Ken- nedy, Mynard Jones, the Coquettes, Cecil Underwood, Peggy Chapman, Oscar Young and Dell Perry, Ed- son Gilham and others. BERENEICE TO WED Bereneice Cox, program arranger for KGER, Long Beach, has left radioland for a new job, that of wifehood. She is to be married on June 22 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Long Beach, to Paul Law- son, a young business man of Los Angeles. Her successor has not yet been announced. BARITONE SIGNED Radio Program Reviews SAN FRANCISCO, June 19.— Kenneth Rundquist, baritone with Harriett French and orchestra at Leighton’s Cafeteria, has been added to the Shell Happy Time program every Tuesday morning over NBC. SNAPPY RETORT Overhead in the KFI elevator: First Blues Singer: “Did you see the mail I got on that act Fifty letters, no less.” Second Blues Singer: “Yeh—I wish I could afford $1 worth, of stamps every tim e I sing.” POETRY CONTEST CROSS-SECTIONING RADIOLAND THUMBNAIL REVIEWS SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed June 11) KGO (9:55 p. m.)—Olympians, male vocal group, Mynard Jones directing, doing “Phoebe.” Excel- lent. KPO (10 p. m.)—Joe Wright and orchestra remote-controlling from Silver Slipper Cafe in a pro- gram of pop dance tunes. Nita Mitchell vocalizing “Cottage For Sale,” and good. Don Thompson announcing. KROW (10:18 p. m.) — Elmer Keaton at a toneless organ doing “Moon Is Low.” Announcer ask- ing for requests in a breathy voice. KFRC (10:21 p. m.)—Pat Frayne, sports ed. of Call-Bulletin, post- mortemizing the Sharkey-Schmel- ing fracas from New York. Inter- esting to the many fans. KTAB (10:24 p. m.)—Alice Blue in an organ recital. Nice, but closing number rather long. Sam Hayes announcing. KLX (10:30 p. m.)—Night base- ball from Sacramento by telegraphic description. Big thing hereabouts, this night baseball. Hurts other programs on at this time; doesn’t do the theatres any good, either. Candy bar plug. KROW (10:32 p. m.)—Awful. A faltering soprano, a halting piano— spells what? Develops into a har- mony team, and it’s worse. Then the orchestra in “Stein Song” and maybe the previous harmony was not so bad after all. KYA (10:36 p. m.)—Geo. Nick- son tenoring Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” and nice voice. Instrumental trio. KGGC (10:40 p. m.)—Records. KFRC (10:50 p. m.)—Val Va- lente’s music from Roof Garden Cafe. Good dance program. Stu- dio intermissions by Hazel Warner singing and Eleanor Allen organ- ing. BOCK. San Francisco Radio Notes LACEY TO RUN KYA IN CHANGE Anthony Euwer, who reads poetry and philosophy over KHJ, has started a contest for poets. Old title wr iters are not b arred. fourth for rko George Archainbaud has been assigned to direct Rex Beach’s “The Silver Horde.” This makes the fourth directorial assignment at RKO for Archainbaud. Featured in “The Silver Horde” are Joel McCrea, Louis Wolheim, Evelyn Brant and Raymond Hatton. IN “FRENCH KISSES” In addition to Monty Collins and Bobby Agnew, who are co-featured in “French Kisses,” new Educa- tional-Tuxedo talking comedy, Bet- ty Boyd, recent Wampas Baby Star, is seen in the leading femi- nine role as a French artist’s model. KLINE GUEST STAR Brady Kline is appearing as guest artist with the Savoy Play- ers, San Diego, beginning last week. He is being featured in “Civilian Clothes” and “The Ban- dit.” Leatrice Joy will appear with the same group beginning June 30 in “Love In a Mist.” CROSS-SECTIONING RADIOLAND THUMBNAIL REVIEWS No wonder bridge is such a popular game. Of 12 programs listened to not half of them were worth the effort of turning the dials. Here they are: KFRC — 7:15 p. m. — Ballad Crooners over Columbia chain from KHJ, Los Angeles. Ray Paige’s orchestra. Organ with tenor. One of the best of the night. KPO — 7:40 p. m. — Jess Nor- man’s North Americans playing “11:30 Saturday Night.” Original arrangements and another man or two would help this group a lot. Wonder why a station the size of KPO stints on orchestral man power when for a little more money it might have a _ musical unit the size of other stations KYA—7:47 p. m. —1640 Boys. Tommy Munroe singing “Cheer Up” in nice voice. Harry Bechtel announcing, plugging used _ cars. Bob Allen banging the ivories in lusty, original style. KLX—7:54 p. m.—Gal singing “If I Can’t Have You.” Singing voice fair but when she did her own announcing it was just too bad. Seems that all KLX an- nouncers have a habit of coughing into the mike KROW—7:58 p. m.—A Charles W. Hamp student doing Charles W. Hamp’s stuff, copying every syllable, every lingering expression, every mannerism. “Fifteen Min- utes of La-a-z-z-e-e-e Sen-ti-men- ta-a-al-i-ty” he calls it. And—coin- cidence of coincidences—he’s plug- ging White Cross Tooth Paste; not Dr. Strasska’s. In my coun- try they hang guys for stealing. KGO — 8:04 p. m. — Fiddler sounding like he was practicing the scales. Announcer, however, said it was “a sprightly minuet.” One of those everlasting numbers that always seem just about to end and then start again with renewed vigor. KROW—8:20 p. m.—Back again at this Oakland station. Just in time to catch Dr. Forrester him- self. Doctor on his “Efappiness Hour” interlards each musical num- ber with a health talk. In this one the doc quotes a letter he received in the mail. Writer says her son used to have convulsions every eight horns. After being under the doctor’s care he now has convul- sions only every 24 hours. “If you have anything the mat- ter with you, whether it be convul- sions, brain trouble, cramps, dis- ease of any kind, send us a sample of your blood and we will cure you. And now Miss Ruth White will sing ‘Let Me Call You Sweet- heart,’ by request of Minnie, Sara and Angeline.” KTAB—8:35 p. m.—Walter Ru- dolph’s orchestra on “Pepper Box” hour. Cotton Bond singing “Pat On the Back.” Not his type of number. Jimmy Conlin and Myr- tle Glass from Golden Gate with a few wheezes and songs. KFRC—8:45 p. m.-Mahlon Merrick’s excellent dance band playing original and clever arrange- ments of “What Is This Thing Called Love?” “Sweet Sue,” “Bag- dad,” and “Blue Is the Night.” An- nouncing done in pleasant manner while orchestra segued each num- ber. KGO—9:00 p. m.—“Nights in Spain.” Orchestra with Virginia Treadwell, contralto. Orchestra good. KFWI—9:17 p. m.—Male har- mony team. Nasal. Evident they have been hanging around music stores listening to pop recordings for ideas. Woman singing “Where Golden Daffodils Grow.” Less col- oratura effects would have been much, much better. KYA—9:30 p. m.—Clem Ken- nedy in piano solo, “Silhouette.” Very good. KGGC—9:35 p. m — Recordings. BOCK. SAN FRANCISCO, June 19.— National Broadcasting Co. pulled a cute one when the National Electric Light Association opened its convention here this week. Company piped Amos ’n’ Andy directly to the Civic Auditorium from the Chicago NBC studio where the b. f. pair did an espe- cially prepared act to open the meet. The act was not broadcast. M. H. Aylesworth, NBC presi- dent, introduced the favorites. * * * A smart young racketeer got away with over $2000 from local business firms this week when he offered them broadcasting periods over KFWI at ridiculously low prices, providing payment was spot cash. A number of companies fell for it. Now KFWI is after him on several forgery accounts, and the firms are hot for him on grand theft charges. He used the names Frank Carter, Frank Clark and Frank Gans. ♦ * * Lem ’n’ Lafe, KFRC blackface act, have returned from Holly- wood where they took screen tests for several of the major studios. * * * NBC, according to reports, has let out a number of its staff mem- bers, including vocalists, announc- ers and musicians. * * * Work is nearly completed which will allow two studios at KJBS to be opened so as to form one large studio, permitting a large band or group of artists to work together. Executive offices also have been enlarged. * * * With a new manager at the helm and the new transmitter expected to start functioning this month, several changes in personnel are expected at KYA. * * * We missed Edna Fischer’s ex- cellent piano playing over the Jamboree Monday night. That s one feature too good to be left out. * * # Ted Berlin, perpetrator of pub- licity blurbs for KJBS, has re- turned 'from a vacation. * * * A new program, “The Quiet Road,” has been put on NBC. Jennings Pierce, Art Lindsay, Byron Mill's and George Nelson, members of the station’s announc- ing staff, are the group of Byway- men who appear in these presenta- tions. * * * William Harper has been added to KJBS as an operator. “AND DOUBLE CHECKS” Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby have been signed to compose the music for “Amos ’n’ Andy’s” first starring Radio picture, according to William LeBaron of RKO, who has been in Chicago for several days conferring with the famous black-face team. Melville Brown, who has been selected to direct “Check and Double Check,” which will be the title of the team’s pic- ture, also has been in Chicago making final arrangements prior to “Amos ’n’ Andy’s” departure for Hollywood. They will broadcast nightly from Hollywood while the picture is in production. HOKE ONE-REELER SAN FRANCISCO, June 19.— Pacific Broadcasting Corp., oper- ators of KYA, has named Louis Lacey manager of this independ- ent local station, succeeding Clair E. Morrison. Lacey formerly was with KHQ, Spokane, and prior to that with KSL, Salt Lake City. With Lacey heading _ the grow- ing radio company it is expected that there will be a number of changes in personnel and policy made. Already Liborius Haupt- mann, musical director, has left to take over the orchestra at Wag- non’s Embassy and no successor has yet been named. _ KYA inaugurates its new RCA transmitter some time this month. This feature will give the station added broadcasting power, a fea- ture that is aiding in lining up a number of ,new commercial ac- counts. NEW PLAY SET FOR MUSIC BOX “The Glory Declared,” a new play by Ralph Culver Bennett, will have its first presentation at the Music Box, Hollywood, on Monday, June 23. Religious theme has been used by Bennett as a basis for his play. In the cast are Robert E. Grif- fen, Fritzie Bullard, Iva Shepard, Nenette Vallon, Philip Morris, Ray Largay, Robert McWade, Jr., Stuart McFarland and the author. Walter B. Gilbert, former director for Henry Duffy, is staging the play. The engagement will be for two weeks only. O’NEILL REVIVAL SOON Pasadena Community Playhouse presents Eugene (/Neill's “Marco Millions” for a run beginning June 19. An extra elaborate production for the display of ancient Oriental babbitry is promised. Beatrice Prentice will be visiting star in the role of Princess Kukachin and Robert Young will be Marco Polo. Gilmor Brown directs and support cast includes Louis Courcil, Lisa Thomson, Laddie Knudson, Frank- lin Provox, Thomas Hurt and Eu- gart Yerian. NEW TAP CLASS There is at present such wide- spread interest among business men and women in tap dancing that Earle Wallace states that he will begin another class in tap dancing on Wednesday, June 18, at 7 p. m. for adult beginners. This will be the last tap class to start before the fall season, although private lessons will be given all summer. NEW YORK, June 19.— “ ’Twixt Love and Duty,” or “Lov- er to the End,” a one-reel hokey melo-drama in the fashion preva- lent in the early “Nineties,” is one of the just completed Vitaphone Varieties. Bryan Foy directed and Herman Ruby wrote the story. In the cast are Esther Howard, Edi- die Graham, Walter Percival, Rog- er Davis and seventy-five extras, SIGNED FOR VAUDE Reginald Werrenrath, concert baritone, has been signed by RKO to a vaude contract, by permission of National Broadcasting Co. VETERANS SERVE AGAIN More than 250 ex-service men, including 100 who served with the engineers, were used in the bat- tle scenes of “A Man From Wy- oming,” Gary Cooper’s current Paramount starring picture. They were recruited from the Legion and other ex-service organizations in Hollywood. DENVER, June 19. —George Barnes, former leading man at the Denham Theatre, is in the hospital recovering from a fracture of the leg, resulting from a fall. KJERULF’S VERSATILE HARPISTS EVERT and LOWRY oncers WITH GOING EAST—Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, to Chicago Thanks to Amy Cox, RKO and A1 Leichter, Hollywood Addre.s-In.ide Fact., Lo. Angele. ROGNAN and TRIGGER “THOSE TWO FALL NUTS” Featured in the Fanchon and Marco “Cadets Idea Loew’s State Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif., Week of June 19