Radio mirror (Nov 1937-Apr 1938)

RADIO MIRROR Wald left the job. Then the rotund writer took a leaf from Horace Greeley's notebook and went West. He wrote a couple of hit pictures for Warner Brothers. His pen was still fiery and he still enjoyed kidding crooners. Vallee's celluloid appearances have never clicked. So Warners wanted to be sure his next venture into filmland would be a surefire success. Why not, suggested one talkie tycoon, have some one who knew Vallee intimately write his next flicker? So Jerry Wald, author, was shipped on a fast plane to New York to confer with the star of his latest scenario, "The Great Crooner," — Rudv Vallee. ClNCE he was a tot of two — when ill— ^ ness almost robbed his body of life — Fred Lowery has walked in almost complete darkness. But he says, "I'm glad it happened." Fred may have but one-tenth vision in one eye — but he can produce three and four beautiful notes from his throat simultaneously. He is a whistler. But don't let that mislead you. He doesn't do bird imitations a la vaudeville. He's most emphatic about that. He performs a flute obbligato, or supplants the first violin in orchestra numbers, such as "Overture to William Tell" and "Liebestraum." When John Charles Thomas heard him for the first time he exclaimed, "It just can't be done!" As a singer, he knows that the throat isn't capable of producing a Facing the Music (Continued from page 7) number of notes at the same time. But Fred grins and does it . . . regularly on the air with Vincent Lopez' orchestra. When he was a boy, Fred was sent away to Blind Institute — away from his home in Palestine, Texas, the tiny town where he was born in 1909. One day Ernest Nichols, a famous whistler, gave a recital at the Institute. When he finished, one of the little girls informed him shyly that Fred could whistle, too. The old artist was amazed at the purity and beauty of the three and four simultaneous notes Fred could produce from his throat. Other whistlers produced multiple notes in their mouths but Nichols said there was a difference — as much difference as between the music produced by a Stradivarius and a mail order fiddle. He impressed the boy with the fact that he had a gift he must develop. When Fred was eighteen, Morton Downey, making a theater appearance, heard him and hastened to introduce himself. "You're wasting your time here. Go to New York." That was the final push of encouragement Fred needed. He rushed home, packed his bags and took the next train to Manhattan, fortified with several letters of introduction from Downey. After a few months in New York, Vincent Lopez annexed him as a featured soloist. He is a hobbyist, having an extremely fine collection of phonograph records, many out of print, therefore valuable. He roller skates and swims, goes to baseball games to get the thrill of being part of the crowd. He has learned to use a candid camera with precision, and cooks a tasty steak. OFF THE MUSIC RACK Mark Warnow's Blue Velvet program lures more fan mail than any other sustainer on CBS. Most of the mail comes as the result of the Tune Teasers, a feature of this program, during which Mark p!ays old tunes; asks listeners to guess the titles and promises to reveal them if the fans write . . . Bernie Cummins has at 'ast gotten himself a manager, after all these years of handling his own affairs. His manager's name is Mrs. Bernie Cummins, who, until six years ago, was Katherine Mahoney. Their wedding took place in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral and things were quite domestic until, noticing that Bernie took too much time away from his music for business details, she sold him the idea of becoming his manager . . . Mark Warnow has been appointed orchestra conductor of We, the People on CBS. . . . Ramona and Paul Whiteman are battling in the courts again over their contract — this time it is the New York Supreme Court ... A hotel in New York features "The Big Apple" as a dessert. Consists of an apple which has been peeled, boiled and filled with frozen fruits and whipped cream. . . . Chicago has its share of top-notch orchestras for the Fall season: Kay Kyser is at the Blackhawk; Freddy Martin and Ted Weems are at the Aragon and Trianon HER SMILE WON HIM I HEAR TOMMY BLAKE FEU HARD FOR YOU TON I6HT, HELEN. LIKE 1 HIM? HE'S AWFULLY NICE! BUT HE ONLY DANCED WITH ME ONCE.Pf.6! I THINK I KNOW WHY.HELEN...BUT IT'S HARD TO SAY IT! SOMETIMES YOUR BREATH.. .OH WHY DON'T YOU SEETHE DENTIST TOMORROW? — ~i r MY BREATH! WHY PE6. THAT CANT BE.. .BUT I'LL SEEDR.ELLIS N MISS WEST, TESTS PROVE THAT76% OF ALL PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 17 HAVE | BAD BREATH. AND TESTS ALSO PROVE THAT MOST BAD BREATH COMES FROM IMPROPERLY CLEANED TEETH. ADVISE COLGATE DENTAL CREAM BECAUSE...! 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