Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

'Are we looking for anybody who can sing like Bing Crosby? IT seems that studio directors will stoop to anything to get desired effects. Bobby Brown (the bully), director of "Myrt and Marge," found in the script the other night a part that called for extreme nervousness on the part of Marge. Realizing that it is difficult to simulate nervousness, this conscienceless overseer called Marge over into a corner, and out of a clear sky proceeded to harangue her until he "got her goat." Afterwards, she came over to Brown. "I was never so nervous in my life," she complained. "Well." grinned Bob, "didn't the script call for that emotion?" Adele Vasa, of Columbia, is known to her audience as a soprano singer of classical music — yet she can play the accordion, harp, piano and violin. Really — you'd be surprised how versatile most of these radio artists really are. Mark Warnow, Columbia orchestra pilot, took his five-year old nephew, Charlie, to a football game recently. It was Charlie's first game, and he must have been profoundly impressed with the excitement, for Mark heard him utter his nightly prayer thus: "Bless papa! Bless mama! Bless Charlie! Rah! Rah! Rah!" I apologize. This is an old one on Don Ricardo, but maybe you haven't heard it. Telephone call: (Well modulated voice calling from the Biltmore Hotel) : "Oh, is this KFI? Can you tell me if Don Ricardo is for sale?" Mrs. Ricardo on phone later: "What, and you didn't call her back? How stupid!" Maybe you think it's easy to crash the portals of a radio studio payroll. Harrison Holliway, KFRC manager, reports that during the past four years 4000 individuals have tried out in more than 225 auditions. Out of this number a bare dozen have succeeded in joining the staff, among them being Robert Olsen, Hazel Warner, Norman Neilsen, Monroe Upton, Edna O'Keefe, and Ronald Graham. Edna Fischer, of KFRC, has invented a little contest of which C H A From This 3 she is very proud. She plays snatches of tunes, the titles of which make a brief story. The listener deciphers the tunes and guesses the story. The Three Co-Eds, Meredith Gregor, Marian Peck, and Theresa Aezer, who are one of the pioneer girls' trios in the country, are now heard over KHJ under their new name, "The Bluettes." By the time you read this, Russ Columbo will have stepped out of his role as a sustaining artist on NBC, and will be directing his own orchestra six nights a week. Russ is a "hot fiddler" of no mean ability. • Colonel Stoopnagle (Columbia) says he has a friend who calls his bootlegger "Circumstances" because he alters cases . . . Morton Downey, who appears on his broadcasts in evening clothes, due to his appearances at the Central Park Casino, apologizes for his formal attire by saying, "Pardon my working clothes." Rudy Vallee Clubs seem to be going strong. There are 30 of them now, scattered all over the country. "The depression is almost over," Ben Bernie, in all his profundity, informs the world. "If it isn't," the Old Maestro continues, "Mahatma Ghandi will be the world's best-dressed man." KELW still sticks to its unusual statement of last month that they will give the station away to some philanthropic soul who will assume the burden of paying the station's running expenses. Upon which, they declare, all commercial advertising will be thrown off the air. So far, however, no one has come forward to take advantage of the golden opportunity. • Ted Weems, of National, says he is a direct descendant of Mr. Angus Weems. inventor of the Scotch bagpipe. For a' Page Thirty RADIO DOINGS