Radio Digest (May 1931-May 1932)

Li st e n e r was called 'the "Isle of Golden Dreams." Here is a honey and something that should be spread out. — R. A. Johnson, 400 Olive Street, Alhambra, Calif. HE'LL BE BACK SOON T QUITE agree with your correspondent ■*■ who states in her' letter that there is only one Rudy Vallee. Here are my best wishes for Rudy and all his loyal men, and I hope that Manny Lowy will soon be well again as we all miss him so much. — Mrs. Brown, 2205 Floriam Street, Montreal, Can. SOMETHING'S MISSING I AGREE with Mildred Curnow in the January issue about Russ Columbo and for that matter even about Bing Crosby. I can't see what there is to rave about in either of their programs. I have nothing against the men personally, in fact two months ago I had never heard of either one of them. I simply can't find that certain something in their work and that is all. — Marie Fuloux, Washington, D. C. ADMIRES SMITH BALLEW THIS is my first letter to you and I want to thank you for the recent article on Smith Ballew. Why not print more pictures and news about him. Where is there a voice clearer and sweeter than Smith's? His orchestra too is grand and one of the best I have ever heard on the air. I have been a reader of Radio Digest for a year and never fail to find something of interest in it. Keep it up, R. D. — Margaret Ames, 114 South 45th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. LIKES AUTOGRAPH PHOTO I HAVE received my first issue of Radio Digest on my new subscription and also the lovely autographed picture of Rudy Vallee, for which I thank you. I really did not expect so good a picture as most things of that kind are pretty cheap, but I was surprised, pleasantly, you may be sure, to see that Radio Digest keeps up its usual high standard and sends a really nice and also I imagine an expensive photo for its subscription. — Mae Ward, 2650 16th St., Philadelphia, Pa. FLOYD'S HEADLINING AGAIN JUST finished reading my copy of the January issue and as usual it is very interesting. I enjoyed the article written about Sousa and also the one on Stokowski and of course what Rudy had to say about his band and about the latest songs. Oh yes, and before I forget it, please give us more news about Floyd Gibbons. I see that a lot of folks think Mr. Vallee is a radio hog because Radio Digest and VOL print so much about him. That is because they are too stupid to see that the public demands such news and that is why you print it. Some people are certainly dumb when it comes to judging the why and where for of certain things. — Henry McNulcy, Pittsburgh, Pa. SALERNADERS OUT here in the Windy City there is a young singer whose baritone voice has been pleasing thousands of listeners for the last few years. His enviable reputation has been rightly earned for his voice possesses a rich vibrant quality that his fans have been quick to appreciate. I am referring of course to WGN's Italian Troubadour, Lawrence Salerno. If any of the Digest readers are Salerno fans let them come to the front and say so.— Salerno Serenader, 7321 South Shore Drive, Chicago, 111. WE'RE FIGHTING DELAY, NANCY JUST finished reading the January issue's VOL but I didn't like it so well. No matter how outstanding an artist may be you get tired of hearing about him. Why is it that Radio Digest always gets to the news stands so late? Up until last summer it came out at the right time but of late it has been dropping back and now we have to wait quite a while for it. Hope you plan to speed it up a little, but don't sacrifice any of your good features in so doing. — Nancy Sapton, 317 North Sargent St., Joplin, Mo. TOO LONG TO WAIT RECENTLY I saw in the papers that the call letters on radio stations would be announced every thirty minutes instead of every fifteen minutes as has been the custom in the past. Being a shut-in and a cripple suffering from muscular paralysis I find it hard in trying to DX on Saturday nights because of some of the local stations. With the thirty minute announcements I find that I will get less DX stations and that is not so good. I wish they would go back to the old svstem. — Irving Gross, 189 East 2nd Street, New York City. CALL FOR COLUMBO COHORTS T HAVE noticed the lovely way you ac■*■ cept the mail from your readers and am in hopes that my letter will be received in the same way. I have a favor to ask. Will you please publish as soon as possible the fact that I am trying to organize a club [or Russ Columbo and those who are interested can get in touch with me for further details. I have secured Mr. Columbo's consent.— Colette Magiota, 142o Gipsen Street, Far Rockaway, N. Y. S. S. FEATURED IN DECEMBER I HAVE just purchased the January issue of Radio Digest and have searched entirely through it for news of the Street Singer and narrv a word about him can 1 find. I'm disappointed. Won't you give us a large picture of him and a story taking in his musical hack ground witli all the trimmings. I enjoy his program so much and would like to see how he looks and read something of his early life especially his professional career. 1 think you have a wonderful magazine for radio fans and I wish you loads of luck. Hut that is my request and 1 am sticking to my gnus. \\ e want the Street Singer! Mary Jackson, Birmingham. Ala. 53 ALL STAR RADIO FEATURES I WAS greatly interested in the list of best attractions picked by various radio editors and printed in Radio Digest last month. However, there is a vast difference I find between the best as selected by the experts and the best selected by the so called common herd. There are a lot of programs and individual artists whom I know are big favorites with the fans and yet there is a possibility that their offerings are not exactly what the critics will flock to. I think that a selection of real stars should be left to the fans.— Bert Jacobs, 330 Huron Street, London, Ontario. POSTSCRIPT TO THE FOSTER POLL A/fR. JACOBS submits to VOL the ■* V-i. following nominees for first place in their respective fields from the listener's choice as compared to the choice registered by newspaper radio editors. Nominations are still open. Announcer, General Milton J. Cross Announcer, News Lowell Thomas Announcer, Sports Ted Husing Announcer, Ice Hockev Herb. Rutherford (CJGC) Orchestra, Light. .CBS (Deutsch or Sorey) Orchestra, Light, Symphony (Radio)... Roxy's ( Original ) String Ensemble XBC Slumber Hour Band U. S. Marines Dance Orchestra Guy Lombardo Conductor, Symphony (Radio) Walter Damrosch Conductor, Band Frankel Goldman Conductor, Light Orchestra Emory Deutsch Conductor, String Ensemble Ludwig Laurier Violinist Rubinoff Operatic Star Lily Pons „ ,. l lessica Dragonette Rad.o Soprano , -, ojs Ronnett Contralto Mary Hopple Tenor James Melton Baritone Elliott Shaw Mixed Quartette Enna Jettick Male Quartette The Revelers Crooner, Male Rudy Vallee Crooner, Female Alice Joy Comedy Team Sanderson-Crumit Dialogue Sketch The Goldbergs Variety Hour Colliers Quarter Hour Paris Night Life Religious Program Seth Parker Radio Personality "Roxy" Radio Station. Staff Talent WI.W. Cincinnati Organist Dr. Harvey Robb (CPRY) Other nominations will be considered. FROM "A SPORTING MOTHER" I SHOULD like to comment on the article in the January issue by Mrs. John S. Reilly, called "Sporting Mothers." 1 have been told that 1 am such a mother and my experience has been that it had plenty of disadvantages. What Mrs. Reilly says about the attitude towards tree climbing is excellent and something that is overneeded with our reckless children. But when a mother puts her own opinions, wishes and so forth into the hack ground, then to say that she is a good sport is the same as saving she is a boob or an easy mark. A sporting mother is a good excu-c for any laxness of conduct on the part of our sons and daughters in their teens. So after twenty years experience as a sporting mother my advice to mothers is tor them to he a little less sporting and hold the reins a little tighter. Your children will resnect you the more for it.— A Sporting M