Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Page Eighteen RADIO DOINGS March, 1931 (Continued from Preceding Page) Jose. Nevada's own. Perhaps you have heard him — now a silvery-haired old gentleman — sing "Silver Threads Among the Gold." But those days arc history now, the gold which mounted into billions, and which enriched the port of San Francisco and established the fortunes of many of the leading families of the West, suddenly disappeared as mysteriously as it came, and Virginia City became a deserted village — a ghost town — a name. The adventurous inhabitants moved on and Dick Jose with them — he singing his sweet melodies in almost every county of the world. Nevada sat back for a few years to figure it all out — then came the famous divorce law which again drew the eyes of the world to the romantic Silver-State. And it grew and it grew. Disillusioned partners in wedlock came by the hundreds to get "unlocked." Many of them eschewed a yearly stay in Paris, for three months of typical Western living in Reno. The distinguished, the wealthy, the learned, all came to this gay little city to "take the cure" as divorce is facetiously called there. Great musicians, journalists, statesmen, social leaders, financial wizards, or their wives (most often their wives) came with misgiving only to grow to love the free and easy spirit of the old West which seems to have found a last frontier in this region. Dude Ranches, estates, lodges for hunting, winter sports, yacht clubs, gambling casinos, racing tracks, and Night Clubs, grew rapidly around Reno and Lake Tahoe under pressure; the distinguished visitors must be entertained. And for this purpose, Ted White was imported, actually imported, from the famous "Little Club of the Orient" in Shanghai, China, to which he had gone from New York City. Going to Reno was like going home to him; for at "The Willows," where the ritz is put on most heavily, Ted encountered old friends from New York almost nightly. But the atmospheres of 1890 and 1930 had a decided difference — as different as the music of these periods. The sentimentality of Gold-boom days had become the heavy romanticism of an age of freedom. Ted sang songs which mixed love and laughter— songs which amused, songs which quieted and rested, or pulsed with romance and passion; and occasionally, when one of the old timers appeared, some of the old songs which they loved, some of the songs which their beloved Dick Jose had sung to them. Millionaires, actresses, gamblers, novelists, social leaders, senators, governors, pioneers, they all came to know Ted White and to love him for himself as well as for the melodies which he sang to suit their moods. Since Ted has been singing from the Los Angeles Studios of the Columbia Chain, he receives word almost daily that some of these Nevada friends have heard his songs of the night before. As one person's letter expressed it — "I wonder if you realize, Ted, that practically the entire town of Reno is listening for you each night now that our local Station KOH has become part of the Columbia System." Tom Brer "Warning! . . . Unless you deliver to my radio set every Tuesday night your Memory Lane program, I will KILL every NBC program on my set and will hang crepe on the dial where KGO comes in . . . Now TarT that oil' . . . Yours truly, Ray D. O'Phan, alias Thomas H. Krebs, San Carlos." In such violent words did one listener express his outrage at the threatened discontinuance of the Memory Lane program. 9,808 other persons bombarded the studios of the National Broadcasting Company with similar protests. Results? The Memory Lane program, on the air for four The Keepe years, is re-instated a SPONSORED program of the first water. The new time is 8:1? to 8:4") every Tuesday night over KGO, KHQ. KOMO, KGW, KFI, KFSD and KTAR. Who says the public can't get what they want over the air? The eleven-to-twelve hour on Sundays is put to excellent purposes over at the 24-hour station, KGFJ. At a time when the dial is concerned mostly with broadcasting of church services, KGFJ gives the music lover a concert program of orchestral classics. Bill Sharpies Fans Please Note — KNX has cornered the popular Bill Sharpies and his gang for an unlimited engagement and you may hear them every morning from 7:00 to 8:00 over the Hollywood stations (What a lot of telephone calls this is going to spare our telephone girl!) Raymond Paige's classic, "Vignettes in Symphony," has been shifted to Thursday evenings from 9:30 until 10:00. It is now available to the entire Coast chain of the Don Lee system. Don't make the fatal mistake of missing any of these programs. (We think they are the finest offerings of their type on the air today.) To Joe Venutti of Paul Whiteman's band goes the credit for introducing a new arrangement of instruments to form a novelty quintet, featuring piano, baritone saxophone, violin, guitar and string bass. Aaron Gonzales modeled his organization after this idea and now has one of the most unique orchestras on the coast. KMPC presents Aaron Gonzales and his Novelty Quintet every Saturday from 9:30 to 10:00 p. m. on the Junior Chamber of Commerce program. A series of twelve weekly concerts featuring artists of the Metropolitan and Chicago Opera Companies and a 32-piece symphony orchestra composed of members of the New York Philharmonic will be inaugurated over the Columbia network on March 2nd. The new programs will present a different internationally known opera star as guest artist each week. KHJ, KOIN, KOL, KFPY and KDYL will bring this program to the west coast. And now you Doubters and Skeptics! Here is positive proof that the Little Pig of Pig 'n' Whistle fame is NOT a myth. We have always been able to visualize him perfectly, but we have met some who didn't believe there was a Little Pig at all. Anyway, Harry Jackson. I'cpcr >f the Pi vividly by Pig V Wh flesh or no Get .;, ha the ability to mak ler and indulgent conversatio at we really don't care wheth acquainted with Harry Jack the the air every night from 6:00 to 6:30 over KFW1 you'll be as concerned over the Little Pig as we are. Little Pig live so •very night at the lere's a pig in the rganization on