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

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1930 INSIDE FACTS OF STAGE AND SCREEN PAGE NINE NEW RADIO GAG IN HOLLYWOOD Pickups and Viewpoints WHY DOES RADIO DO IT? When the motion pictures went in for music and sing- ing it engaged some of the best musical directors, who knew voices and their limitations, and artists were engaged because of their fitness for a part. . The radio has had more miking experience, but it still commits unpardonable crimes with voices. The other night we heard a sickly tenor sing the prmia. donna s aria from “Mile. Modiste.” The idea of a man singing this song at ail is repulsive, but to hear it badly done is an abomination There seems to be too little attention paid to the vocal fit- ness of the singer for the song. The staff singers of the first string stations know their stuff and rarely, if ever, oft end. but the extras who slip onto a program, possibly thiust on by some sponsor or edged in by a friend who aims to sat- isfy a misplaced ambition, are the ones who induce listeners to turn the dial pronto. There are enough good voices available so that no song needs be sung poorly or out of character. Sacrifice a song, but never a singer. MORGAN ANALYZES RADIO NEED By RAY R. MORGAN The radio audience wants to laugh And yet, the rarest thing on the air is an artist who can get the laughs. Because this ability rare, it is highly paid. If you can do it, radio will make a fortune ^Technique of getting radio laughs is totally different from stage technique. Chic Sale was funny on the stage, but he wasnt funny “on the air.” Radio listeners couldn’t see his rube make-up, his facial expressions, or the ohter Chic Sale “props” that helped put his ac over on the stage. ... , , Dozens of radio “comic” acts are submitted each week. Studios listen to them. Occasionally they try one on the air. Most are dis- mal failures, simply because they are not funny. Radio audiences want to be entertained. And, yet, good entertain- ment on the air is rare enough to cause comment when an excep- tional program does come over. . . Here are some of the reasons why radio entertainers sometimes miss fire: .... . , If a number is played over the radio m the same tempo; as played in the drawing room or theatre, it seems slow when heard over the loud speaker. To sound “normal,” radio numbers must have the tempo stepped up appreciably. , ... Voices with tremolo quality sound good ordinarily, but radio has a tendency to accentuate tremolo, and makes some voices with this quality unattractive. . . , . „. t Sound effects over the radio are difficult to achieve. The rustle oi a piece of paper sounds like the roar of Niagara Falls, but to get a sound effect to simulate, over the air, the rustle of paper, that s another matter, and it hasn’t been solved yet. Radio continuities of today are making use of sound effects to help the dramatic action, because limitations of music and dialogue alone are obvious. The script may call for three seconds of time given the sound of footsteps and squeaking shoes, or the sound of a Spanish dancer pirouetting on a tabletop. If the sound effects are realistic and lifelike, they contribute greatly to the program. However, if they do not ring true, the effect is ludicrous, and the entire program may become laughing stock. Radio offers the artist a new medium, the opportunity of playing before audiences larger than , that of the combined theatres of the world. It offers pleasant, remunerative work, and a real opportunity for pedsonal fame and publicity. The radio field is crowded with mediocrities. It boasts many genuine celebrities. The gates are wide open for artists who will in a few years be as famous on the air as Barrymore, Pickford or Marilyn Miller are on the stage or screen. GAGE PICKWICK FEATURE BOSS Frank Gage of KTM has been promoted from program director to feature director for all three stations operated by the Pickwick Broadcasting Corporation. Gage will have charge of such features as the Ranch Hour, the Pepper Box Revue, Frankie and Johnnie, and other novelties. Glenhall Taylor, manager of KTM, will assume the duties of program director for that station. He will be assisted by Don Allen. DUKE ELLINGTON BACK TO PALACE With completion of sequences with Duke Ellington and his fa- mous “Cotton Club” orchestra, in the Amos and Andy picture for RKO, Irving Mills, owner and general manager of the band, has completed arrangements for a re- turn engagement at the Palace Theatre in New York, opening September sixth. The last appearance of Ell- ington and his orchestra at the Palace, was six weeks ago, and because of their popularity, were held over another week. HAM STARTS WORK Lloyd Hamilton started on his second Hamilton production under the direction of William Good- rich yesterday at Educational stu- dios. WE. 6171 TAKES BEACH HOUSE Clif Cheleau, former manager of the Alexander Theatre, Glendale, is managing the Fox, Long Beach. Harry Vernon is Master of Cere mony at the house. TITLE DECIDED Charlotte Greenwood’s first pro- duction for Educational - Christie has been titled “Love Your Neigh- bor.” This original story by Hale Hamilton was directed by William Watson, and includes in its cast, Wilfred Lucas, Dot Farley, and Henry Roquemine. W. B. GETS “CHANCES” Warner Brothers have secured the screen rights to “Chances,” a new work from the pen of A Hamilton Gibbs GENE Fire in a moving picture studio almost destroyed part of the plant where the first “takes” of the new series of “shorts” being made by Horse Fly and His Wranglers, feature entertainers of KNX, Hol- lywood, were being kept. For- tunately the cowboys’ films were saved along with others. * * * For the year ended July, 1930, the Rev. Ethel Duncan of KNX received a total of 1,050,053 letters from her listeners. To handle the flood of mail, the Rev. Duncan employs eight young women. She gives advice to inquirers. * * * “Lem Berger,” nee Loyal Un- derwood, presides over the des- tinies of the new Thursday eve- ning program at KNX, entitled Laf-O-Grafs.” * * * The innocent sport in this half hour is to shoot the leading char- acter at the conclusion of each of the five or six episodes which make up the broadcast. “Lem Berger” practices daily with a .45. * * * Aware of the advances in studio construction being made _ in the moving-talking picture industry, KNX, Hollywood, located on the Paramount Pictures lot, is having its main studios revamped to con- form to the latest discoveries in accoustics. * * * Glen Dale, popular tenor of KNX, Hollywood, has left the station temporarily to go to New York, where he has been cast for a leading role in the “Greenwich Village Follies,” to be staged in September. * * * Ralph L. Rogers, creator of the “Mr. and Mrs.” type of radio pro gram and numerous other copy righted broadcasts, was a visitor at the studios of KNX, Holly wood. KNX was the first station to broadcast a “Mr. and Mrs” pro- gram, and Rogers, who resides in Boston, found much to recall of his famous characters’ past life when he talked with Eddie Al- bright and Georgia Fifield, who have enacted the skits since KNX started them, five years ago. IN “SILVER HORDE” William Davidson and Purnell Pratt are additions to the cast in the RKO Radio Pictures produc- tion of Rex Beach’s “The Silver Horde,” which George Archain- baud is directing. Others are Eve- lyn Brent, Louis Wolheim, Joel McCrea, Raymond Hatton, Jean Arthur, Gavin Gordon and Blanche Sweet PEPPER BOX, KTAB SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed Aug. 13) Pepper Box, conceived and staged by Helen O’Neill, is near- ing the six month mark as a Wednesday night feature over this Pickwick station. Two hours of entertainment includes a variety of offerings, ranging from piano solos to sketches—and too much of the latter is just what’s the matter with the program. Bob Roberts handles the two hours in a pleas- ing, forceful and free from custom style. Opened by Sunny Cohan singing “Little Red School House” backed by Helen O’Neill and ensemble— piano a bit too loud over rest of orchestra — Lou Emmel singing “Wonderful Girl Friend of Mine.” Then into “Chili Peppers” with instrumental offering. Earl Turner, directing vocal ensemble in excel- lent number—orchestra, directed by Walter Rudolph, doing “Cheer Up and Smile.” “Seeing New York Through a Megaphone,” an oral trip around tihe city conducted by Sam Hayes, was atmospheric enough but. not quite convincing or entertaining and considerably in need of the shears. Sunny Cohan chanting “A Little Smile,” okay. Dinty Doyle, radio editor of the Oakland Post Enquirer, in interesting history of natives who have made (good in the big cities—cleverly done and good. Half hour minstrel show next. Vocal opening pretty lengthy, Harry McKnight tenoring “Silver Threads Among the Gold,” in. nice voice; Lou Emmel in a dialect song, “Let It Alone.” Mhle voices doing “In tihe Evening by the Moonlight,” Jack Riley selling a chant with guitar, Walt Rudolph’s orchestra playing “Georgia.” Male voice excellent in “Bass Viol”; Lou Emmel vocalizing “On the Mississippi,” followed by John Teel singing “Little Gal” and nice. Orchestra then plays “Around the Corner.” Rupert Kempf in an entertain- ing Scotch character song. Here the program sagged considerably when a pair of lengthy sketches and a pair of classical tunes fol- lowed each other. Too much talk entirely. Could have been slashed in quarters with much better re- sults. J. L. Pattison in a detective agency skit, doing Jap, black face and tough characters. Terribly dry, most of it, and entirely too long. Then Madeline O’Brien so- pranoing “Chanson Provoncal,’ a bit heavy for this type of program but well done, nevertheless. Vocal ensemble in “Indian Dawn.” Chili Peppers should have been in here. Then Pattison and Lou Emmel in any army sketch, running more than 15 minutes, and so far as the writer is concerned, without a laugh. Chili Peppers and then Sunny Cohan singing “Some Rainy Afternoon,” closing with consid- erable dialogue. John Teel and Madeline O f Brien dueting on “So Beats My Heart,” Rupert Kempf in another Scotch character song, and finale. Best tonic for the Pepper Box is to make it more peppery by minimizing the talk, condensing it into more compact form and mak- ing it a lot funnier. An occasional instrumental solo would help a lot. Routining of numbers wants to be NAUGHTY RADIO AS LATEST GAG PEPS UP PARTY Hollywood, always on the alert for a new gag or gadget, has one. It’s a microphone, attachable to a radio set, and connected with a 20-foot cord. Handler, who should be a nifty monologist and a quick ad liber, gets into the next room with doors shut between. He depresses a button on the mike, to cut out the station and to cut himself in. Then he begins. He announces a forest fire sweeping down on the vicinity of a cabin belonging to someone at the party. He parodies some radio announcer, known to everyone in the room. He has the announcer tell a hot secret on somebody present, or.he may tell a risque story, shocking everyone that such things are put on the air. Man selling these things, here, not only acts as agent, but is hair trigger wit, who livens up big parties, when engaged by the host to slip some comedy into a radio program. His ad lib. helps sell the gadget. Everybody gets a laugh out of the gag, except the radio announcers. Some of them afraid they’ll get in had with their wives, if some- one doesn’t stop the guy. watched. Pepper Box is a neat program, that, by careful nurturing, can be built into a whale of a thing. Speed, that’s the thing. BOCK. PHILCO HOUR KFRC, SAN FRANCISCO (Reviewed August 22) Half-hour program arranged and presented by R. A. Brower of the Philco Radio Company, in co-oper- ation with the Paramount Theatre. Talent from the Paramount used to the mutual benefit of the theatre and Philco. Opened with song and announce- ment on the tone qualities of Phil- co. Ken Whitmer, Par. m. c., and orchestra in “I. O. U.” sounding nice over air. Ed Magill singing, “If I Had a Girl Like You,” with “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” interpolated. A bit loud and mixer had to cut down on it. Whitmer doing a trombone solo, “My Heart Stood Still.” Beauti- fully done and it came out of the set like a million dollars. Plug for Philco. Then George Dewey Washing- ton singing “Rich Man, Beggar, Pauper, King,” and great. Whit- mer and orchestra in “Little White Lies.” Philco plug. Benay Venuta chanting “Swing- in’ in a Hammock,” revealing a knowledge of mike technique. Magill, again, doing “On the Alamo”; plug for the Paramount, and then Washington singing “Dreary Night.” Announcer with a blurb about “just receiving a wire from Ruth Chatterton, star of ‘Anybody’s Woman’ at the Para- mount, and she says the program is coming in great on her Philco,” which is going a bit far in radio continuity. Walter Bunker at the mike. A nice program. DAVE KLIEGL BROS. LARGEST PACIFIC COAST STOCK WESTMORE 6 17 1 PINEAU & HOWSE THEATRICAL STAGE LIGHTING CO. ROAD SHOWS COMPLETELY EQUIPPED COMPLETE RENTAL DEPARTMENT WRITE FOR GELATINE SAMPLE BOOK 1347-49 W. WASHINGTON ST. LOS ANGELES, CALIF. FOOTLITES BORDERLITES SPOT LITES OLIVETTES PORTABLE SWITCHBOARDS DIMMERS GELATINE EFFECTS WESTMORE 6 17 1