Radio Digest (June 1932-Mar 1933)

36 CHINA READS R. D. TAKING the opportunity to enter the enclosed order from one of our regular customers, Mr. Chung KooCheung, who is deeply interested in reading Radio Digest, we are herewith sending remittance of two dollars, which we think will be sufficient to cover the one-year period of the magazine. If your magazine is as good as suggested by the subscriber, certainly we will place you an order for retail purpose ; meantime we solicit subscription business from prospective buyers. But first of all, you may be able to send us one copy of Radio Digest as specimen purpose, otherwise our salesmen can only have the empty talk The International Book Company — Stanley Young, General Manager— 269 North Wing Hon Road, Canton, China. SCRAPBOOK CLIPS I HAVE been reading the Radio Digest for over three years, and think it is a wonderful book. Can get almost any station I want over my radio. Have a radio scrap book and have lots of the stars' and announcers' pictures in it. I was so glad to see Billie White's picture in the November issue — he and Morton Downey are great! I have never written to, or asked Radio Digest for a favor before. But, will you please have Myrt's, Marge's, Clarence's and Jack Arnold's pictures in real soon? (See page 19. The whole cast, so far as we can learn, has never had a picture made.) And give us, please, a good writeup on our own good station, WHAS, Louisville. Would like to see a little on Don Bestor's Orchestra — he and his boys are wonderful ! (Did you not see the December issue — page 18 f) Lots of luck to all the stars and announcers. — Eva Russell, 203 E. Madison Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. JUST "SNIP-SNIP"! I NOTICED in last month's magazine, a reader objected to your pictures of Rudy and his grin, so I thought, inasmuch as he has no other fault to find, perhaps he would like to know how to rid himself of that annoyance so that the Digest would be perfect for him. Take a scissors — suppose you know what a scissors is — and snip-snip, out comes Tuneful Topics — and Rudy and his grin. If perchance there is something on the opposite page which you want to keep, take library paste and smear over the pages, and press together. Simple, eh? I cannot imagine anyone being annoyed at a picture in a magazine. I cannot tolerate Paul Whiteman, Ted Weems, Jack Denny, Lopez, George Olson, Kate Smith, Amos 'n' Andy, and others, but do they bother me? Not much — it is too easy to turn pages and twist dials. So, I think if Mr. Moore would follow my directions, the kitchen mechanics could enjoy their "hams," and he could find happiness in his magazines, and poisoned prunes. We all have our favorites — I enjoy every Fleischman hour, never miss one. Ray Perkins is my favorite wit ; good old Jones and Hare ; Wayne King, the finest in the land ; Ward Wilson ; Jessica Dragonette; Major Bowes, and on and on. But, has that anything to do with what the other fellow enjoys? I should say not. Voice of the The Digest could print a picture of Winchell and even that would not make me angry. I would buy it just the same — two each month if they were published. I read it from "kiver" to "kiver." — Vera Reynolds, Margate City, New Jersey. SHE NO LIKE! T HAVE been reading Radio Digest for *■ the past few years and like it very much. I am also a Rudy Vallee fan and like to see nice letters about him in the Digest. However, of late, I have seen few. What is the matter with the R.V. fans? Are they not writing? A little more about Rudy, or rather about his new type of program ! For some people this new type of program may seem great, but for dyed-in-the-wool R.V. fans they are sometimes difficult. All we hear now are guest artists. If Rudy does not soon get back where he belongs, he will be ruined. A recent radio poll showed Rudy still to be very popular. The Fleischman program was one of the best programs on the air ; now it is really one of the worst. Its dramatic scenes are terrible ; its comedians are worse ; and, as for Rudy — well, it must be very difficult for him to have to introduce such guest artists. I heard Rudy and his Yankees from the Hotel Carter in Cleveland, Friday night, December 16, and they were fine! Such a relief from guest artists. Here's hoping to read Radio Digest for a great many more years and also hoping to listen to Rudy Vallee's programs for a El Thompson, featured singer over WDEL and WILM, Wilmington long time. — Mary E. Hanlon, 417 Kingsboro Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. HERE 'TIS, ADELA jV/TY FAVORITE program is Gene and ■*-*± Glenn. The reason may he, of course, because they are right here in Cleveland and we have more opportunity to see and hear them as they have a daily local feature each evening, besides their morning program. I have also seen them many times as they make personal appearances in theatres in this vicinity, and appear at many benefit performances. If any of your readers would like to write me for information concerning them, I am sure I could answer most questions, as I have a large scrap book of material on them, and love to write letters. (I hope I see this in VOL, as I have written before and never found my letters).— Miss Adela Dusek, 3259 West Fifty-second Street, Cleveland, Ohio. LOOKS LIKE EL BELOW F QUITE agree with our Northern ■*• "Listener," P.H., from Everett, Massachusetts. I have heard El Thompson from station WDEL and consider him a "radio find." Perhaps the Digest can find space for Mr. Thompson's photograph sometime in the near future. (Yes, indeed. See Marcella's column, page 35). — V.M.H., Norfolk, Virginia. EL OF WDEL IMAGINE my surprise when reading your -*• December issue from cover to cover, as I always do, to see a letter from one of your readers asking about a WDEL artist, El Thompson. P.H. was right! El Thompson is a real radio artist, with personality plus, yes, we will even use your term P.H.— he is a "find." For those of your readers who might be interested, I'll tell you something about this singer. El Thompson happened into our studios one day, as most "finds" do, and wanted to try his voice over the air. After an audition, which proved quite satisfactory to the program director of our station, he was scheduled once a week. And then the fun started ! The listening public heard him and how! The writer was besieged with telephone calls and letters asking who this stranger was. His debut was such a success that we backed him up with organ accompaniment, and put him on the air three times a week and there he is still, using a voice and style that commands attention from men as well as women listeners. This chap has had quite a bit of experience in the art of entertainment, having played in various musical shows, including "Student Prince," "Music in May," and many others. He has written and published many stories and songs, and has just re