Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Eastward, HOT Abe Lyman, Another Son of the Golden West, Heeds the Call of National Acclaim, and Leads His Band Into Wider Fields. IT seems to be catching, this business of young men coming out of the Far West to score sensational successes in the East in radio. Bing Crosby and Russ Columbo did it. And now it's Abe Lyman, whose Californians were featured for so many years in the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel, in Los Angeles. Abe Lyman is employing no halfway methods in his conquest of the radio listeners of the entire country and of theatre audiences in the East. On September 1 he began broadcasting over the basic network of the Columbia Broadcasting System three nights each week on a program sponsored by the makers of Phillips' Dental Magnesia. The immediate popularity of this presentation led the sponsors to add ten more stations to the network. A week later Lyman and his band, billed as "Movieland's Favorite Band," began a two-weeks' engagement at the Palace Theatre, in New York City, considered the ace vaudeville house of the world. Appearing on the bills with him were such sensational stars as Kate Smith, Lou Holtz and Jack Benny. The success of Lyman and his band during their vaudeville engagement at the Palace resulted in a contract with the Fox Theatre interests which will keep the California band playing for one year at the Fox-Brooklyn Theatre, where they opened on October 23. by Nelson Hesse And, just to top matters off, Lyman began broadcasting on a new series of programs on Sunday evening, November 15. This program, presented every Sunday from 7 to 7:30 p. m. P.S.T., is known as "Fanchon and Marco Present Edna Wallace Hopper's Varieties." In addition to Lyman and his Californians, headliners in Fox Theatres in the East are featured on each of the weekly broadcasts, which are presented over a coast-to-coast Columbia network. Just to round out his day's work. Abe and his band may go into the new restaurant in the new Earl Carroll Theatre, in New York, which soon is to open. Whatever spare time Lyman has will be spent in recording. Lyman and his band have effected a thorough conquest o fthe East. The newspaper columnists — both radio and theatrical — have been unanimous in praise of the band leader and his music. The personnel of the Lyman band is virtually the same as when it was heard on the Pacific Coast. Phil Neely and Skin Young still remain as featured vocalists along with Frank Sylvano. who recently won a radio voice contest in Chicago. Marvin Werner, a singer of the Crosby type, also is heard on each of the Lyman programs. On the opening night of his Phillips' program Lyman had as his guests Edward G. "Little Caesar" Robinson, Fifi D'Orsay and a host of other stars of stage and screen. More than 1000 telegrams poured into the studios of WABC, in New York, wishing the famous band leader good luck on his new venture. Lyman, when asked to explain his unusually rapid success, attributed it to his ability to adjust himself and his music to the likes of his audiences. For the radio he mixes his songs, presenting soft, sweet ballads as well as "hot numbers." For his stage engagements he uses more of the "hot" music, always, however, presenting a well-balanced program. In order that the Lyman organization might present all its radio programs while filling its theatre engagement, the Columbia Broadcasting System constructed a broadcasting studio in the Fox-Brooklyn Theatre. The programs are broadcast from there and are relayed by land wire to the WABC transmitter and thence to the network. Lyman is delighted that he has been afforded the opportunity of broadcasting on the new Edna Wallace Hopper program, for it means that his music will be carried to radio listeners in California, where he built up his organization and reputation. RADIO DOINGS Page Twenty-three