Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

COLUMBO DISCOVERED By AMERICA! Franklin Anderson THE melodious voice of Russ Columbo, slender youth of Latin blood, won him a national reputation in three short months over NBC networks, and now he is to be featured in a dual role — orchestral leader and vocalist — over nation-wide networks of the National Broadcasting Company. Born in San Francisco of music-loving Italian parents, Russ skipped lightly from orchestra pits as a violinist into glamorous coast resorts and hostelries as vocalist, took a fling at Hollywood's movie lots, and from his own night club skidded to the dizzy heights of radio stardom. His newest role as orchestra leader and vocalist is a return to an old love. Columbo directed his own orchestras on the coast and sang for occasional broadcasts. Then along came Con Conrad, song writer, and induced the youthful singer to set off for Europe to try for a singing engagement. Columbo and Conrad have yet to see Europe together, all of which is a part of this story. No one could be more surprised with Columbo's quick success than Columbo himself. He is a quiet and modest youth, and still pinches himself to see if fame is really real or imaginarv. Tall and athletic. Columbo has liquid dark eyes and coal black hair, yet professes that he knows little of love itself. Once he wasted his thoughts in a San Francisco orchestra pit while enamoured of a dancer, never saying a solitary word to her ; but of late he has been reported as a companion of one of Flo Ziegfeld's glorified beauties. But this itself is not a story of love, though there is a romantic element. Columbo had a humble origin. His father, Nicholas, played a guitar as a youth in far-away Naples, and gave Russ parental consent to follow a musical career. When Russ speaks of his youth memories crowd his mind. The Columbo family had moved from San Francisco to the little town of Calistoga, California, and Russ used to take violin lessons from one Joseph Czech, a squat, brusque and belligerent German musician. Many an hour he spent in Czech's stuffy little parlor going through a program of little variation. "One — two — three — four! One — two — three — four!" Czech would bellow. "Ach! You must learn to play it so! Or, you will never be the great violinist. Now — play! One — two — three — four. Ach!" It was always so in those boyhood days. The slender youth frozen to his task — the teacher walking, walking! The boy dared not relax even for a minute lest he bring down the wrath of his master. When aroused by some heinous mistake, Joseph Czech would raise his hands above his head and wring them in a tempest of rage. But Czech, no matter how much he thundered, secretly treasured Columbo as his prize pupil. He thought he had talent, real talent — perhaps genius. And the old German master often stopped and chatted with Mrs. Columbo over a woden picket fence on the outskirts of the village. Their conversation inevitably ran something like this: "Good-day, Mrs. Columbo. You always are so busy ,yes? Veil, I think it would be fine if you would let me have dot boy Russell. P-s-s-t! He vill be a great violinist already yet! I have no boy and I vill take him to Chermany and give him the wonderful opportunity to be the world's greatest violinist." "No, no! Mr. Czech. That would be too wonderful but Russell is my baby! Remember that. I could not give him up, even to let him go back to the old country. You must forget it, please!" At thirteen, Columbo was playing difficult classical compositions. One day chance entered his life. He read in a newspaper that the Imperial Theater in San Francisco nedeed violinists, and straightaway he boarded a train for the Golden Gate city and secured an orchestra position. He first appeared in the fantastic "The Land of Make Believe," and was featured as a soloist in the prologue, and later at the Granada Theater, where Paul Ash was originally introduced. It was there that he fell in love with the dancer. It is no wonder that he left his violin at the theater the day of his final appearance. The months quickly went . . . the years also. Nicholas Columbo took his family to live in Los Angeles. As a good taxpayer, Pere Columbo sent his son Columbo to high school, the latter more or less distinguishing himself as "end" on the Glee Club, "tenor" on the football team and violinist in the school orchestra. It was just six years ago Page Ten RADIO DOINGS