Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Radio's Most Lovable Kids by Bettv Sheldon Helen Troy and Johnnie Patrick, a Pair of Real Kids Themselves, Have Woven All of the Clean, Wholesomeness of Carefree Youth Into "Cecil and Sally," Bringing Laughs To Old and Young Alike "C ECIL and Sally in person!" Thousands of NBC listeners who now hear this famous pair on the NBC-KPO network, stretching up and down the Pacific Coast, wonder just what Cecil and Sally are in like in person. "Well. Helen is pretty much like Sally," says tall Johnny Patrick, smiling down at the diminutive Helen Troy, whose add. fascinating mouth curls at the corners while she lisps, "Oh. Thee-thul! in Sally s very best manner. As a matter of fact, this engaging young couple who symbolize immortal youth so perfectly that their fans range from school children of ten and twelve to staid gran'mas of seventy, look just about as you imagine Cecil and Sally ought to look. They constitute one radio duo for whom "personal appearance"' would not mean disillusionment for admirers, as many a one does. But there are no such appearances in store for Cecil and Sally fans. Ever since Johnny and Helen put on an impromptu program to "fill in" an emergency vacancy at the broadcasting studio where they were both working, flesh-and-blood views of the pair have been taboo. So here's the next-best thing — a close-up of each of them. Johnny Patrick really believes Helen isn't so unlike Sally, that lovable, lisping little girl who is said to devolve much of her attraction from the fact that she symbolizes for many a middle-aged listener his own first sweetheart. One of the Sally-like traits Helen possesses is that she is decidedly frank, and says just what she thinks at the time. Another is her ambition — which Sally-ing probably will always keep her too busy to realize — to play character parts on the stage. "The more horrible she would look, the better she would like it," explains Johnny, with brotherly straightforwardness. "She loves ham acting and amateur plays — the worse the acting, the more she enjoys it. Well. now. isn't that Sally-like?" Sally plays the piano — so does Helen, and Helen sings beautifully as well. Her favorite method of relaxing is to sit down at the piano and run over dozens of songs. She writes music now and then, is too shv ever to show it to anvone. but characteristically her ambition is to write "a real hit." Helen likes to drive, and finds it restful. She doesn't ride horseback, but has been planning to take it up for years. Some year, she says, she'll carry out her threat. Carmel is her favorite resort. She loves to swim, preferably in cold ocean water! Plays bridge, and is a good player. Like Sally, she is "moderately domestic' 'in her tastes, but those who know her attest sbe's a good cook, and adores babies and children. She hates to waste time. Once in a while she is a trifle late for rehearsals, but Johnnv never has worried yet. for she is reliable as day and night and never has missed a program yet. Once she had such a sore throat that she didn't talk at all except for the fifteen minutes she was on the air. Rehearsal was silent as the grave, but the performance was letter-perfect. Johnny writes Helen out of the script once in while, and when she comes back to work, she dmits. Sallyishly. it was nice to listen in. but a ot nicer to be in! Johnny (take it from Helen I is first, last and always an artist, possessing both the good and bad qualities known to that profession. "He has a bad temper, but he always regrets it." says Helen serenely. "He doesn't keep an even keel so far as moods are concerned : Johnny is always extremely happv and congenial, or very low and — well, when he gets like that — watch out!" Johnny sketches, caricatures, has a nice singing voice, and writes. He does not confine his writing to Cecil and Sally episodes, but short humorous sketches and several novels and plays have emanated from his active typewriter. His chief ambition is to become a playwright, and he prefers to work at night, many times getting up after several hours in bed. to write. Johnny writes the Cecil and Sally skits during the day-time, at home alone. He keeps several weeks ahead on the episodes, but once produced a whole sketch forty-five minutes before going on the air. when one of the characters suddenly developed throat-trouble. Johnny wrote a new episode in thirty-five minutes flat, rehearsed it for ten minutes, and was ready to go on the air at the usual (Turn to Page 32) RADIO DOINGS Page Eleven