Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

OF by Charles Turner entire West, and with his eye out for the possibility of making a more definite connection, Holden was in the right mood to receive a wire sent him by Naylor Rogers of KNX, asking if he would consider becoming a staff member of the Los Angeles station. And so he came south. Right here we shall leave Holden for a few seconds while we review the brief but meteoric career of his parner in comedy, the Hon. Archie. The Hon. Archie — to his bankers and wife none other than Reginald Sharland — was born in Essex, which we will recall as being located in England. Reg is a dyed in the wool, honest to goodness Britisher. Even his accent is on the up-and-up. There's nothing faked about that tall, blond young Apollo. He's the real thing. He doesn't have to "put on" over the air. The part comes to him naturally. Every little accent has a meaning of its own; every little syllable has a background of the green hills of Surrey. Reg, after the war, travelled far and wide. He played the stages of a hundred cities on a half dozen continents. His fine, steel-drawn figure, his clear eyes and charming looks combined with a natural talent for the theater made him excellent material for any production manager. There were several years spent in Australia. It was on that far flung shore he first turned thoughts and talents to the world of radio. For awhile he sang: he announced, he wrote continuity, he played in dramatic roles and did everything but clean the office. Then the siren-like call of Hollywood cried out and Reg's large and well formed ears took in the notes of the languid song. Sharland, like so many other fine Britishers, followed his eyes and ears and one fine day the dawn of California saw him decamping from the Southern Seas for the land of perpetual sunshine. Those first few months in Hollywood were hard ones. In time, however, Reg landed. Since those lean days of his ar Every day finds Holden and Sharland tustling with their continuities and gags for the evening's act. They take turns at the typewriter (one finger method) and both contribute ideas. Perfiaps you've notcied that the famous Holden mustache is no more. It have been shave off, yes mom! rival, he has played with Fox, United Artists, RKO and Universal. It was at a party, one of those Hollywood affairs you read about, that Eddie Holden and Reg Sharland first met. It was right after Holden had come to Los Angeles to put Frank Watanabe across. Someone, at this aforementioned party, introduced our two heroes to each other. Holden, as a jest, answered the introduction in his famous Jap dialect. Sharland was slightly shocked, but replied in his own broad English vernacular. Holden thought it was a gag and they continued their conversation. In no time at all everyone in the rom was roaring with laughter. All this time, Reg Sharland was unaware that he was being taken for a ride. However, it didn't take him long to see it was all in god fun. Like the sport he is, he continued talking — naturally. He couldn't have made a better foil for a comedy stunt if he had tried. Eddie Holden soon drew him into a corner and asked him about himself. Eddie explained about his act. He thought they might be able to get together and arrange a real program. Sharland, who was temporarily at leisure, agreed to give it a try. The next afternoon, Holden called Naylor Rogers at KNX on the 'phone, told him he had a real program and wanted a fifteen minute period to try it out. Rogers was already sold on Holden as Frank Watanabe. So he From the very go, the Holden-Sharland combination went over big. It was the start of a great idea. Since then seven months have elapsed. The story of those seven months is a book in itself. Holden and Sharland do something few other performers on the air would attempt. They write their own continuity and, furthermore, don't write it until four o'clock of the day they go on. They go on at seven. Eddie says there are several reasons for follwoing this schedule. First, the imprint is fresh in their minds. They don't have time to forget it. Secondly, it doesn't grow stale. They write it, and in an hour or so read it. Thus they are to maintain an actual interest, tl is a sort of abstract thing, interest. But it is essential if there is to be a real feeling behind any program of entertainment. The boys take turns at the tvpe[Turn to Page 39] Page Twenty-one P