Inside facts of stage and screen (August 30, 1930)

PAGE EIGHT INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1930 REVIEWS COMMENT RADIOL AJVD CHATTER NEWS Behind The ‘Mike’ With The Microphone Club By JACK PARKER The local radio stars are preparing for the annual radio show at the Ambassador Auditorium next month and it looks as if the boys and girls are to be the center of attraction this year. A good man is to be behind the mike as program direc- tor and official announcer, our friend Glenn Dolberg of KHJ, and a better man for the job would be hard to find. * * * It seems that we made a blunder last week when we let it be known in this department that Don Wilson was engaged to someone, I did hot know who, but we found out much to our dismay that Mr. Wilson had been married for the last four years. We hope that the publicity given the matter will not start a battle in the Wilson home; in fact, I will explain in person to Mrs. Wilson if Don says the word. * * * The Four Sailors, a harmony foursome that made the fans spend many nickels last Wednesday night on the Microphone Club Frolic in calling for requests, will be back with us this week on the same program. _ The boys have toured in vaudeville for many years and are favorites from coast to coast. * * * Have you tuned in the Packard Twins on KFI? The team is made up of our dear friend Polly Grant Hall and Weldronov. This piano team have become fast favorites on KFI and KECA and will be featured each week. * * * The following list of popular songs were requested by the fans during the week for the Mike Club Frolic. The songs are listed according to the number of requests: “Dancnig With Tears in my Eyes” (Witmark). “Moonlight on the Colorado” (Shapiro-Bernsteni). ‘Bye-Bye Blues” (IrvingBerlin). “Confession That I Love You” (Berlin). “Tonight” (Cross). “Deep in Your,Heart” (Shapiro-Bernstein). “Just a Little Closer” (Robbins). * * * A team that will be hard to beat is June Parker (no relation to the writer) and Nell Larson of KHJ. They work well together and with Junes voice and Nell’s organ and piano work, you have great entertainment. * * * KFW_B is a station that is on the upgrade with the fans. .This station in the past has put out some very ordinary programs, but now they seem to have turned over a new leaf and some great pro- grams have been released in the past month or two. One of the chief attractions, I think, is Vernon Rickard, the former Chicago tenor * * * In this department we try to give notice to the most de- serving artists and radio stations. We admit that we may have a favorite or two, but we will give every one a break * * * The Microphone Club will have their own candidate for queen of the Radio World’s Fair to be held in New York City. The young lady to be entered will be announced next week on the frolic and in this department. * * * Emily Hardy, radio and concert singer, formerly of this city and now of KPO at San Francisco, has been entered for the post of Radio Queen of the Radio World’s Fair from the Frisco station. Good luck, Emily. * * * “The Life of a Radio Singer” is the title of a book soon to be published in Chicago by Allen Foster, formerly of a St. Louis radio station. * * * Dr. John S. Davis of the Glendale Sanitarium in Glendale Calif has been appointed medical director for the Microphone Club of America. Dr. Davis has been the personal physician for many motion picture stars, writers and radio favorites * * * 0T- TI i?T R ^ DI0 SHOW edition of inside facts will soon BE ON THE PRESS, AND WE ADVISE ALL WHO WANT SPACE IN THIS SPECIAL edition to call the writer AND HE WILL CALL ON YOU TO MAKE THE PROPER AR- RANGEMENTS FOR YOUR ADVERTISEMENT. * * * Alice Allert, secretary to Carl Lamont, local BIG SHOT in the sheet music game, will be heard on the Mike Club Frolic this week Alice is. much liked by the artists that depend on the publishers to get up in the new songs and Alice has a big smile for everyone, no matter how. worn out she may be after the long hot days that all have experienced this summer. BEN BOLT HERE BOB MURPHY famed monologist, told me that he got enough material out of the first three issues of my monthly comedy * serv- ice, THE COMEDIAN, to pay his year’s subscription. Perhaps the fact that each issue contains James Madi- son’s newest monologues, gags, etc., may have some- thing to do with it. THE COMEDIAN is small but good. No. 3 is now ready— Price $1. Yearly subscription $10. For $2.50 will send the first 3. issues. For $12 will send the first 3 issues, and a full year beginning with No. 4. Money back if you say so. Send orders to the pub- lisher, WALTER LONDON P. O. Box 139, Vine St. Station Hollywood, Cal. Ben Bolt, eastern radio star, has joined the staff of the Master Ra- dio Productions in this city, headed by Jack Parker and Jack Mayo, Jr. The new firm will produce and direct radio productions for local as well as out-of-town radio sta- tions. Ben Bolt was formerly head of the Windy City Broadcasters, Inc., of Chicago. Rumors Heard About Closing Stations Here Rumors have been current this week that several local stations are to be discarded by the Fed- eral Radio Commission very soon. This part of California will be hard hit, according to the reports. Even now, some of the stations who have seen the writing-on-the- wall, are trying to get out from under by selling out. Radio Sparks By The Tattler This department seems to have become the subject of much won- dering WHO. Last week we pub- lished a bit about a certain radio star, who drank a little to much before going on the air, and I thing not less than 15 persons called up to say what they thought of us for publishing the story about them. They all took the article as a personal slam. JAMES, serve the ginger ale. * * * A well know radio star from the East told me last week that he had to pay quite a sum to get a job that he now holds at a local station. He has to pay so much each week to a certain wise boy to hold his job. We think, knowing that said star keeps his mother and the whole darn family, that said gent, who makes this young man fork over half of his pay each week, should be run out of town. * * * The publicity man of a local station called me on the phone to tell me that his station pays all their artists. We in return say to this young feller, PROVE IT— IF YOU CAN. * * * KEEP RADIO CLEAN—if you so-called artists, who depend on SMUT to put over your act, think that you will win fame that way, tune in the better class programs some time and you will find that the only way to make the grade is to keep your act CLEAN. We have tuned in three radio stations in the last week and found much J.o our disgust, that the en- tire act was littered wih jokes that as a rule are used only in joints found on MAIN STREET in Los Angeles. TEN DAY RULE PUT IN FORCE A new rule at KFI-KECA obli- gates all artists to submit pro- grams ten days in advance and stick to them in performance. Reason: too many newspaper brickbats for sudden changes, and not enough time for station exec l s to exercise a much-needed censor- ship for plugs, repetitious tactics and so forth. HERSHOLT IN EPIC Jean Hersholt will portray one of the important roles in Tiffany’s sound version of the old silent fire epic, “The Third Alarm,” directed by Emory Johnson. Others cast are Anita Louise, James Hall and Paul Hurst. John- son will direct the new version on a lavish scale as a “special.” STAGE AND SCREEN EMPLOYEES—LEARN JANE COWLE’S SYSTEM OF SUPER-SPEED WRITING IN 5 WEEKS A SHORT SHORT SHORTHAND—Easy to Learn—Easy to Pay This Ad Entitles You to a FREE Lesson PHONE FOR APPOINTMENT JANE COWLE SECRETARIAL STUDIOS 735 South Grand Avenue Phone TUcker 9186 Los Angeles San Francisco Radio Notes SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 28.— On September 8 KYA will begin aerial presentation of one of ra- dio’s favorite sketches, “Harper’s Corners,” which will be on the air each Monday night. * * * We’ve always thought Walter Bunker was one of the crack ra- dio announcers of the bay dis- trict. Now KFRC bursts out with the announcement that Bunker has been named chief announcer of that Don Lee station. Incidentally, Walt is a reformed actor. * * * Experiments are being made at KJBS with an electric piano pick- up which gives promise of de- veloping into a new type of mu- sical. instrument. Results so far obtained give a sound which is like a combination of harp and piano. Using the new pickup a pianist must be sharp and clean cut in his fingering, for the in- strument will detect an error in a glaring way, but entirely new effects are possible with a mu- sician who studies its tone. * * * Tommy Harris, latest addition to KFRC’s staff, is contributing some fine vocal work to that sta- tion’s ether wave offerings. He sings in a Jolsonesque manner and his chanting of “Poor Kid,” an independently published tune, is exceptionally good. * * * Harry Bechtel, KYA announcer and continuity writer, will leave soon to spend two weeks in his old stamping grounds in the Northwest. He was m. c. for some time at the Capitol in Van- couver and for more than two years was in stock there. * * * Arthur Garbett, educational di- rector for NBC’s Pacific division, has left for New York to attend a conference called by Dr. Frances E. Clark, chief of the educational department of RCA-Victor. Gar- bett will tell Dr. Clark’s staff of the Pacific division’s educational work and of how music apprecia- tion is taught in California schools with the aid of music. * * * Among NB Cists who have re- turned from vacations are Eva Garcia, director of the Rembrandt Trio, and Dorothy Dukes Dimm, ’cellist with the same organiza- tion. Grace Sanderson Michie, whose “Miniature Biographies” are an NBC feature, has just returned from a motor trip throughout the Northwest. One of Greta Gahler’s best pro- grams from KYA is the Orpheus Ensemble, on the air every Satur- day night from 10 to 11 p. m. FILM RECHRISTENED “Bojly and Soul,” current Tif- fany production, has been given back its former title of “Extrava- gance.” “Extravagance,” directed by Phil Rosen, has in the cast Lloyd Hughes, Owen Moore, June Col- lyer, Dorothy Christy, Jameson Thomas, Owen Lee, Robert Ag- new, Addie McPhail, Joan Stand- ing, Nella Walker, Martha Mat- tox and Arthur Hoyt in principal roles of A. P. Younger’s story. “EX-MISTRESS” FOR W. B. Ben Lyon and Mary Nolan will have the leading parts in “Ex- Mistress” soon to be filmed by Warner Brothers. Michael Curtiz has been as- signed the direction. IRENE RETURNS Irene St. Francis, night club en- tertainer, is back in town after a year’s absence in the East. While in Chicago, she dance at Col- lisimo’s. RADIO CELEBS LINE UP FOR ‘ETHER EXPO’ Radio artists are going for the annual Radio Show to be held at the Ambassador auditorium Sep- tember 1 to 6 like “nobody’s busi- ness.” The show has always had their support and this year more of them than ever are consenting to entertain. Artists from KFI, who will go over the air from the auditorium, are Zhay Clark, Jeanie Lang, Ar- thur Lang, Felipe Delgado, Jeanne Dunn, Helen Guest, Leila Isbell, and the Packard Concert Orches- tra with Lyon Moore directing. Stars from KHJ, who will lend their talents to the show are Charlie Wellman, Nell Larson, Ted White, Sammy Carr, Hale and Derry, Carl Omeron, Ira Hun- sacker, Gordon Berger, Robert Bradford, Pearle Hunter, Hulda Deitz, Claire Van Nostrand, Ray Writers, Harry James, Hunfredo, Kenneth Niles, Ebria Allman, Jane Parker, Wesley Tourtellotte, Her- bert Wildbach, Duci de Kerek- jarto, the KHJ Ensemble, and Raymond Page and his 35-piece orchestra. KMPC will send a well known gang of entertainers to the show with Hank, Zeke, Tallfeller, Ezra, Dave, and Lem, otherwise known as the Beverly Hillbillies, topping the list of such stars as Carl Nixon, Mary Alice Ross, the Just Kids Club, Dot Day, the Mac- Millan Troubadours, and Mark Cook and Benny Light. Other celebs of the ether have not been announced yet by the station publicity writers. KTM BOYS TO WHOOP IT UP KTM Ranch Boys are going to ride in the La Fiseta de Los An- geles parades September 4 and 5. They’re going to gallop down Broadway and Hill street in true cowboy fashion, proving for all time that they are not just studio ranch hands. Lena, the colored cook of the KTM Ranch, will ride in state in an ol spring wagon. PARKER AT KFI Jack Parker, for the past ten months a member of the KFI staff, has joined the Don Lee Broadcasting System. Jack will be heard on the Ballad Crooners program each Wednesday night. KTM REACHES FAR According to Glenhall Taylor, station manager, hardly a day passes that KTM doesn’t receive at least two or three fan letters from Australia or New Zealand. NEW RADIO SCHEDULE Starting this week, the “RKO Theatre of the Air” will be an NBC broadcasting feature two evenings, Tuesday and Friday, from 10:30 to 11 p. m., each week. TIFF SIGNS DOROTHY Dorothy Sebastian has been chosen to play opposite Rex Lease in the latter’s first western star- ring vehicle, “The Utah Kid,” for Tiffany. Frank Howard Clark wrote it and Richard Thorpe will direct. HAVE YOU HEARD BILLY VAN? At KFWB, Hollywood JOE CYNTHIA DOAKES and DOAKES in “SONGS AND JOKES” Broadcasting Over KFRC San Francisco