Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

MOTION PICTURE 10 RADIO DAILY RADIO Wednesday, January 6, 1937 National Poll Grades Benny As Radio Top {Continued from page 1) on in various quarters, it was hardly thought that the simon-pures had fallen into such disfavor. Helen Hayes, whose delightful "Bambi" series stands high among network script shows, placed fourth in the all-around championship division. Separated by not more than the digits represented in a hand follow the names of Bob Burns, Eddie Cantor, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The name of Benny blanketed the poll like a London fog. Aside from winning the all-around championship honors, he was voted the best individual comedian on the air, while the Jello program on which he stars far outranked "Town Hall Tonight," its nearest competitor. Benny received 66 per cent of the votes as the year's best comedian. Fred Allen was far behind with 20 per cent. Bob Burns and Eddie Cantor are the remaining winners in this division. Jello, Best Comedy Series The Jello program ambled off easily with the best comedy series award. "Town Hall Tonight" provided the chief competition in this division, but was 30 per cent weaker than the Benny opus. The Campbell Soup zanies, Burns and Allen, and the Minute Tapioca program starring Stoopnagle and Budd, round out the four divisional leaders. The Fame poll provided two divisions which are found in no other poll. Radio editors were asked to determine the most effective film programs heard on the air during the year, and to name the motion picture players whose work they deemed best suited to the microphone. In the first category, the Lux Radio Theatre was voted most outstanding, although "Hollywood Hotel" ranked a very close second. Next in order, although far weaker than the first two in tabulated strength, are the Packard program starring Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall series, the CBS Radio Theatre and Jimmy Fidler's "Hollywood Gossip" program. Crosby, Powell Film Leaders Bing Crosby and Dick Powell provided the chief competition as the film stars most favored by the radio critics, with Bing a winner by a sparse two votes. Charles Butterworth made a surprisingly strong showing in view of the fact that his current program is his first consistent radio series. The frozen-faced screen comic placed third, close behind the leaders. Helen Hayes, Fred Astaire, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, Edward Everett Horton and Wallace Beery are next in order. Nelson Eddy, whose radio reputa tion earned him his first chance in films, was a surprising victor over Bing Crosby as the year's outstanding male vocalist. The blond baritone garnered 27 more votes than Crosby, a remarkable showing considering that his CBS program for Vick's is but a half-hour session, as compared with Bing's full-hour program. Further, Crosby's program is usually studded with a galaxy of important guest stars, a decided advantage, while Eddy practically always has to depend on his own vocal efforts to hold listeners' attention. Jessica Dragonette, who recently ended an eight-year stay on the Cities Service Concerts, accomplished the expected by winning the accolade in the women's singing division. The remarkable Jessica has accomplished this feat in the past with monotonous regularity ;. Miss Dragonette amassed more than twice the number of votes cast for Lily Pons, her nearest rival. Miss Pons in turn was hard-pressed by Frances Langford, who settled into third position. Burns and Allen Comedy Lead In view of Jack Benny's triple honors, one would suppose that the team of Benny and Mary Livingstone would win or make a strong showing in the comedy team division. However, Benny and his wife, placed fifth as a team. Burns and Allen won the award after a spirited competition provided by Stoopnagle and Budd. Amos 'n' Andy were a poor third, with Fibber McGee and Molly rating fourth place honors. The Cantor-Parkyakarkus, Allen-Hoffa and BakerBeetle-Bottle combination were far down in the rankings. The most exciting competition in the entire survey of editors' likes and dislikes was provided in the network announcers' division. The lads who sell the sponsors' products are clustered together like grapes on the vine, with Don Wilson heading the list by virtue of his one vote superiority over Harry Von Zell and Milton J. Cross, who are tied for second place honors. Knotted also are David Ross and Jimmy Wallington, who share third place. Ted Husing is fourth. The search to determine the networks' favorite commentators is in variably an easy one. It's almost always safe to assume that Boake Carter, Edwin C. Hill, Lowell Thomas, and H. V. Kaltenborn, take your pick, will provide the chief competition. In Fame's poll, the competition ran to form. Carter and Hill are the leaders, Thomas and Kaltenborn the runners-up. Paul Sullivan, commentator for WLW, powerful Crosley station in Cincinnati, was next, a few notches above Gabriel Heatter. The results of the poll follow : Open Champions Jack Benny Fred Allen Rudy Vallee Helen Hayes Eddie Cantor Bob Burns Bing Crosby Fred Astaire Jessica Dragonette President Roosevelt Lanny Ross Nelson Eddy Amos 'n' Andy Wallace Beery Lulu Belle Joan Blaine Major Bowes Hugh Conrad Richard Crooks Leslie Howard Andre Kostelanetz Phillips Lord Nino Martini John Nesbitt Robert Ripley Kate Smith Fred Waring Film Placers Bing Crosby Dick Powell Chas. Butterworth Fred Astaire Helen Hayes Edward Everett Horton Leslie Howard What Fame 's Poll Points In Current Trends in Taste Fame's first annual newspaper ballot for the radio champions of 1936 led to these conclusions: 1 — Situation comedy definitely has killed off all liking for the "he said, she said" type of humor. 2 — The amateur wave is ebbing so rapidly that it may shortly engulf even so distinguished a leader as Major Bowes, this year's "forgotten man" on the air. 3 — Lux Radio Theatre and "Hollywood Hotel" are the year's most outstanding radio-film outputs and the most effective film stars regularly heard on the air are Bing Crosby, Dick Powell, Charles Butterworth and Fred Astaire. 4 — The most popular male vocalists, with the possible exception of Frank Parker, are film personalities. These include Nelson Eddy, Bing Crosby, Nino Martini and Dick Powell. 5 — The best feminine voices, with one or two notable exceptions, are not picture personalities, strange as it may seem. The possible film exceptions are Frances Langford and Lily Pons, if the latter can be rightfully included as a film songstress. 6 — Radio is badly in need of new blood. Hardly a newcomer is represented in any of the 13 categories covered by Fame. 7 — Operatic and classical music is still highly popular on the networks. 8 — Quality of radio scripts still determines the worth of a dramatic program, as proved by the votes cast for "One Man's Family," Lux Radio Theatre, Helen Hayes' "Bambi," "The First Nighter" and "The March of Time." Most of the so-called "corny" script shows are not represented by statistics in the Fame poll, while the few that were mentioned place far down in the listings. Lionel Barrymore Wallace Beery Bob Burns Claudette Colbert Eddie Cantor Paul Muni Jack Benny Edward Arnold Bette Davis Irene Dunne Clark Gable Grace Moore Frank Morgan Lily Pons Norma Shearer James Cagney Nelson Eddy Patsy Kelly Francis Langford Conrad Nagel Jack Oakie Pat O'Brien Mary Astor Ethel Barrymore John Barrymore Joan Blondell George Brent Gary Cooper Joan Crawford Ralph Forbes Kay Francis Miriam Hopkins Walter Huston Boris Karloff Fred MacMurray Nino Martini Robert Montgomery Clarence Muse Edna Mae Oliver Martha Raye E. G. Robinson Chas. Ruggles Kate Smith Lawrence Tibbett Spencer Tracy Loretta Young Vocalists: Male Nelson Eddy Bing Crosby Frank Parker Nino Martini Richard Crooks Lanny Ross Lawrence Tibbett Kenny Baker John Charles Thomas Morton Downey James Melton Morton Bowe Stuart Churchill Frank Forrest Ross Graham Perry Komo Tony Martin Dick Powell Conrad Thibault Phil Regan Rudy Vallee Vocalists: Feminine Jessica Dragonette Lily Pons Francis Langford Kate Smith Lucille Manners Helen Jepson Francia White Margaret Speaks Gladys Swarthout Grace Moore Kay Thompson Virginia Rae Jane Frohman Hildegarde Ann Jamison Jane Pickens Marion Talley Lulu Belle Peggy Gardiner Vivian della Chiesa Bernice Claire Dolly Dawn (Continued following page)