Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

ER > and That Nearly 3,000 prisoners in Leavenworth prison listen to "Myrt and Marg*" five nights a week, according to the warden. They even asked for some pictures to be shown through a projection machine at Amusement Hall, while the prison band plays the theme song, "Poor Butterfly." Theo Karle, Columbia tenor, once had occasion to buy apparel from a merchant in Torino. Italy. He entered the costumer's and began to converse with the attendant in Italian. They made such poor progress that finally the attendant inquired is Karle was a German. "No," the singer replied in Italian, 'Tm an American." "Why didn't you say so." came back the other, in perfect English. "I was a bartender in New York for five years." • Leonard Hayton always plays the piano accompaniment for Bing Crosby on his nightly programs. He replaces the regular pianist during the vocal numbers. His association with Bing date back to the time when Crosby was with the Rhythm Boys and Hayton was pianist for Paul Whiteman. • The Don Lee chain now boasts two more stations, just added to the former eleven. Arizonans may now hear Don Lee programs by tuning in KOY. Phoenix, while KERN. Bakersfield. plugs in as the second new mem Who's your favorite dance band leader? Some surprising results were obtained in a contest held by a New York paper, in which Guy Lombardo took the embroidered short cake. Gus Arnheim, as popular as he is on the Coast, was vanquished in his own yard by the leader of the Royal Canadians, Lombardo's aggregation. Sound technicians often reproduce the drone of an airplane by a motor-driven fan and the sustained tone of a studio organ. Those who like Alexander Gray, singing favorite of the film-, can now hear him over stations of the NBC chain every Monday night between 7:30 and 7:45. Nat Shilkret's famous band shares honors with Alex. Madame Sylvia, on the Friday G. E. Circle, once sold lumber for a living. • Art Jarrett, Columbia tenor, has an odd superstition which concerns a guitar pick. For years he has carried with him a treasured mother-of-pearl pick, and if he forgets to transfer it when he changes clothes, he's uneasy until he can get home and retrieve it. Bing recently got a letter from the Spokane Chamber of Commerce, congratulating him for his new Paramount contract. The letter was four and a half feet long and three feet wide. Postage came to $4.05. Monthly Bernie joke. Ben asked a friend of his, who was departing, to send him an autographed photograph of himself when he got home. Next week Ben received the picture, with the following inscription: "To the esteemed old maestro. Please note the supreme triumph of photography over biology. David Ross." Stretching across thousands of miles of ocean, the National Broadcasting Company now includes Hawaii as part of its great audience. tSation KGU, of Honolulu, was reeently inaugurated into the NBC network, and will pick up programs heretofore only heard on the mainland. We'll be listening for Walt Winchell's "0. K., Hawaii." Pancho Villa, Mexican revolutioni-t. ifl godfather to Rewa Reyes, NBC singer. Among the Christmas presents received by Kate Smith was a huge crate of clams, scallops and oysters, sent by a Maine fisherman. We received in the mail the other day a little flat article, that according to its manufacturers, was a "microphone," selling for only one dollar. Convinced that its rightful place was in the waste basket, we gave it a try on our set, just for the fun of it, and darned if it didn't work well! Our voice came through as loud and as clearly as an announcer's. Somebody can have a lot of fun with those things, for only a dollar. Phil Cook runs up and down stairs in the New York NBC building every day. It's the only exercise he gets, and people who want to talk to him often have to run along, too. Sort of running conversation. 'Young people of America. I appeal to you RADIO DOINGS Page Twenty-nii