Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Awe You Listenm ? [Continued from Page 27] half hour. He gave a condensed version of "The Merchant of Venice," taking eight parts himself. Later in a similar production he took thirteen parts. Some one wrote in and said "all the members of the cast were fine." In the same a letter saying "The lady (Ophelia) was splendid, but the bozo who took the part of Hamlet was terrible." Then came the Scrap Book. Tony had a volume over a foot high containing the selections he had clipped while in the hospital, and he made up the program simply by reading selections from this almost unlimited repertoire, interspersed with comments which he extemporized. Since than the Scrap Book has not changed in any essential particular. It has moved from Chicago to Cincinnati, and thence to New York, from which it now broadcasts over an extensive network. Immediatelv after it went on the air listeners developed the habit of writing in to Tony enclosing some piece of literature of which they were especially fond. Manv sent their own poems, and Tony has read on the air a large number of little masterpieces by unknown poets. He has read in all over a hundred thousand poems in his radio programs, but he has written only one. It is four lines in length, was intended for a children's program, and was never given on the air. Typical of Tony's philosophy, it runs: All men rate the same with me, The wise, the fool, the slave, the free; For no man on this earth does know What made him thus, another so. As a result of his continuous radio appearances over a number of years, Tony has been obliged to build up one scrap book after another. The one now in active commission is twenty-seven and a half inches thick, made up of single spaced typing on thin paper. In each month this year he has received fifteen thousand or more letters from the radio audience, and he holds the record among regular Columbia artists for fan mail over a series of programs. All manner of men, not to mention women and children, are included among Tony's correspondents. They range from five years old to a hundred. They ask his advice on stocks, marriage, divorce (though there are not so many of these) , religion, the care of dogs, the education of children, and every other conceivable subject, with a good many that are unconceivable. Tony's assertion that he is keeping his Scrap Book for everybody is amplv bome out. and he finds his experience among different classes of people in different kinds of jobs all over the country is of the greatest value to him now. In private life Tony is much as he is on the air. He is married to a daughter of the Wisconsin woods who shares his love for the country, and has a little girl ten years old. In his home life you have the clew to his attitude on many subjects as expressed on the air. He built himself a cottage on the shores of a lake in the woods: he built his own boat, and built the slip to which it is tied up. Among his personal characteristics may be mentioned the fact that he likes to buy new clothes but prefers to wear old ones: browses around old book stores and has collected some valuable old books: always acts before the microphone, standing within an inch of it for the personal touch, and drawing back five feet for a dramatic role; takes a pride in punctuality and has never been late to the studios for seven years: likes the idea of a non-denominational church and conducted one in Chicago with twenty nationalities and twenty-seven creeds represented in the congregation ; is still nervous when he steps before the microphone; sways to the rhythm of poetry when he is broadcasting it; derives most pleasure from letters he received from the blind; has had his Scrap Book transcribed into Braille; he is only thirty-nine, but is regarded by many listeners as a graybeard; drinks two pints of orange juice a day as a precaution against colds; reads in bed until two a. m. and always has a table full of books at his side: plays the fiddle, and has an oldfashioned organ at his home in the woods: knows only two organ tunes. "The Pilgrims' Chorus" and a piece of his own composition: is desperate to know what to do with the following articles sent in by listeners: rabbits' feet, mouse traps, alarm clocks, ear rings, tov airplanes, clothespins, a human skull, cactus plant*, watermelons, bear and deer hides, one share of stock valued at S.42 and a box of home made sausages. STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP. MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION. ETC.. REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AGUST 24, 1912, Of Radio Doings, published monthly, at Los Angeles, California. State of California, County of Los Angeles, ss. Before me, a Notary in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared Wallace M. Byam. who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the Publisher of the Radio Doings, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in Section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to-wit : 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are : Publisher— Wallace M. Byam, Los Angeles. Calif. Editor— Wallace M. Byam. Los Angeles, Calif. Managing Editor — Donald McDowell. Los Angeles, Calif. Business Manager — Wallace M. Byam, Los Angeles, Calif. 2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a firm, company, oi other unincorporated concern, its name and address, as well as those of each individual member, must be given.) Wallace M. Byam, 1220 Maple Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (If there are none, so state.) None. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given ; also that the said two paragraphs contains statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him. WALLACE M. BYAM, Publisher. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 13th day of October, 1931. (Seal) Henrietta B. Floyd. (My commission expires May 6, 1933.) RADIO DOINGS Page Forty-five