Radio fan-fare, combining radio digest (June-Oct 1933)

June * SLIPPING HOKUM FOR GUM CHEWERS— The last few times we listened to Wrigley's "Myrt and Marge" program over Columbia, it seemed more than a little sour. (We understand the show will be off the air soon, perhaps before you read this.) At best, the program is only ten-twenty-thirty melodrama with all the old hokum laid on thick. While we don't object to either melodrama or hokum, our tough old heartstrings feel nary a tug unless the stuff is pretty well put over. It may be unfair to pan "Myrt and Marge" now, however, because of Myrt's recent automobile accident in which she had her jaw broken. Ordinarily you know, Myrt writes the sketch and after her accident something had to be done pronto to save the show. The only out seemed to be to have her disappear until she recovered from her injuries. Other writers were called in and they created a mystery around the idea that Myrt had been abducted. Even before we learned of the accident, the mystery didn't quite jell with us, but the boys deserve credit for pulling a bad situation as far out of the fire as they have. The program certainly needs Myrt's pen and personality, though, and we hope she'll be back on the job soon. If she decides to go in for any humor in the future, she might do well to get advice from a professional humorist. ALWAYS THE SAME-For months the Robert Burns program over Columbia's hookup has been one of the five most popular on the air. George Burns and Gracie Allen, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, and the tenors, Phil Regan and Carmen Lombardo, make up an array of talent that is hard to beat for week-after-week entertainment. But the show has started to slip now, regardless of what the statistics prove, if anything. In the first place, the program has no surprises and the monotony is becoming more evident. The music is still about as good as any on the air, but, unfortunately, most listeners don't tune in for the music. The singing, while not so good as Guy's orchestra, is still acceptable. The comedy is the same as at first, neither funnier nor flatter. So what ? Well — so even the most hardened radio fan can take the same thing only just so long, no matter how good it is. We've been told that Gracie Allen's Dumb Dora character is a perfect humorous type because she reminds every male listener of his sister-in-law, and every female listener of her husband's folks. It certainly is true that we all like to laugh at other people's dumbness, but not forever. Perhaps Gracie and George could van their routine if they relied less on gags and more on humorous situations which they, and other players, acted out. As it is, these comics never do anything but tell each other what happens. This form of humor is not so convincing as it would be if they took the parts of characters in a situation. To carry out a suggestion of this kind they would have to change their style of comedy somewhat, but if (Continued on bage 6, left hand column) H« JACK PEARL built a lovable char acter t BURNS AND ALLEN They need a studio audience and a new routine t ED WYNN This fine comedian is staying too long . . . # GRIPPING hundred years old! Well, if the gags they air were all that old, they might seem new again, but in this agency, and others, the mistake is made of taking jokes (and why do they always pick the worst ones?) out of books and magazines only a few years old. We may not be elephants, but we don't forget bad jokes so quickly as all that. There should be a law ! If the humor, however, in Vallee's show is sometimes sour, that "dramatized" commercial is akaays sour. Dr. Lee's straight announcement, whether you believe it or not, is easy to take, but the little advertising drayma in the same program is as insulting (even to the moron) as the phony-sounding testimonials which the agency doing the Fleischmann advertising has used widely, not only for Fleischmann but for many of its other clients. It looks as if the radio public is in for plenty of this actedout guff before long, as the advertising business will run this idea into the ground just as quickly as it does every other fairly new idea. "The Rise of The Goldbergs" and "Amos 'n' Andy" are doing the same thing now, even going so far as to have wee kiddies stop playing house long enough to plug the product . . . which makes these little dramatic gems even more sickening, if possible. After giving vent to so much spleen, we'll return to Mr. Vallee and his fine shows just to remark that it does us a world of good to see him so close to the top once more, in spite of all the wise Broadway boys who have "known" again and again that he was all washed up. Much of the bad publicity he has had may have been his own fault, but there's no doubt that plenty of it was handed to him with malicious intent. Rudy, we maintain, couldn't keep jumping the obstacles put in his way if he didn't have lots of stuff. So there ! PEARL, TOO— Lucky Strike's comic, Jack Pearl, who helps National meet its overhead, is more than holding his own, in spite of gags enfeebled by the ravages of the years. (And speaking of bum gags : The radio world is Pearl's oyster, and he's the oyster's Pearl. Ha, ha,ha. Get it?) The boys who hire Jack have always known how to put on a well paced program that holds attention, but they have never been particularly considerate, until recently, of the listeners in giving their commercial announcements. Lucky Strike's plugs have been quite long-winded. They have claimed every conceivable advantage for the product. And they have been shouted out in a cocksure manner that must have rasped on the ears of many listeners — and perhaps suggested harshness rather than mildness in the cigarette. But. a month or two ago, a great light apparently burst upon the makers of Lucky Strike. They became almost reticent, limiting their radio advertising per program to three commercials of only twenty seconds cacli ! This new policy amazeth us. It certainly is a break for the listeners, and should build good will. (Continued on page 6, right hand column)