Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

-MOM CHATTEL From the tinny tinkle of tableware and the raucous shouts of the diners in a cheap East Side restaurant to the applause and encore of millions . . . From tickling the ivories for amusement of the tawdry, to planning and directing the musical entertainment of nations . . . From meal-ticket days and "marriage on a dollar bill" to affluence and an exclusive Central Park home . . . that's the storv of Erno Rapee, general musical director of NBC. Here's the true story of how Pete Barlow happened to assume the part of "Axel," on the Jamboree. Pete was the drummer in the KFRC orchestra, and chanced to be playing golf with Harrison Holliway. During the course of the game. Barlow made a beautiful drive and approach, but had considerable difficulty in sinking his putt. In exasperation, he exclaimed, "May gudeness, I caneetta put dis crazy ting in da ho-ole!" Such genuine Swede dialect didn't go unnoticed by Holliway, who asked him to do a Swede talk on the air. He made an instant hit. Duke Ellington and his famous band were recent guest artists on a program over Los Angeles' newest station. KRKD. • Abe Lyman has a canarynamed "Lenny," that he takes with his band wherever they • "I'm tall, red-headed, was bo'n in No'th Ca'lina. but moved to Texas at a tender age. And believe it or not," says, Elvia Allman. favorite KHJ Comedienne, "that first birthday was well along in the twentieth centurv." • Anna Nettelman, KFWI soprano, has done opera with Mme. Margaret Matzenaur and has appeared in several recitals with Frederic Bittke. • Columbia shorts: When "singin' Sam" sang "Back in the Hills of Kentucky" recently, it was more than just another song for him; for it was at Danville, Ky., that Sam first saw the light of day . . . Phoebe Mackav, or "Mrs. Effie Watts" of Real Folks, really is English and knows whereof she speaks cockney . . . Buddy Wagner, like Bing, is an ex-law student . . . Nat Shilkret often works until dawn writing and arranging musical scores. One of Paul's best anecdotes is how, just as he his father started the Sunday morning service one day, he discovered that the regular organist hadn't arrived. He beckoned to son, Paul, and announced "We shall now sing "Nearer My God to Thee." When the time approached to sing another hymn, Father Carson ruffled the pages of the hymn book, as if it were hard to make a decision, and then finally announced, "Let us sing 'Jesus, Lover of My Soul'." • Ronald Graham, KFRC's popular baritone, has been spending his spare time away from the studio, in remodeling a spare room of his home into a most unusual music library and den. Ronald likes bright colors and has done all the painting himself, besides building his own cabinets to hold the more than a thousand pieces of sheet music and volumes of compositions that he owns. Edna O'Keefe, Ronald's wife, made the drapes for the room. • Georgie Jessel, of NBC, recalls the time he ind Eddie Cantor, when youngsters in Gus "Really, Mr. Glub, I'm afraid you're not half trying. The chickadee has more ivistfulness in its voice." Parker Fennelly's first job was behind the scda fountain in a Boston drug store. He now portrays one of the Stebbins boys in the NBC sketch. • There's a unique custom in the household of Dr. Laurance Cross, NBC speaker. Each of his children is permitted to appear on "Crosscuts of the Day' on his or her birthday. Little Barbara Cross celebrated her tenth birthday recently, in this manner, and it's Gilbert's turn next. • Catherine Bonness, at the KFI booking desk, announced the other day that she had a Greek grammar for sale. "Sell it to you for a dollar," she offered Don Wilson, "I need a finger wave." Don bought it, just to find out what word the Greeks had for "it". Columbia has bought the 50 per cent of its stock, heretofore held by the Paramount-Publix Corporation. This brings the ownership of CBS completely into the hands of William S. Palev, Columbia president. Paley bought Columbia in 1928, when it had only sixteen station outlets. The number has been increased almost six times in four Robert Olsen, popular KFRC singer, made his first personal appearance since he entered radio five years ago, when he appeared with the Blue Monday Jamboree gang in Stockton recently. • Jack Arnold, the lawyer in "Myrt and Marge," is Vinton Haworth, who has been in radio dramatics for several years. Used to announce for the "Three Doctors." • Virginia Karns, formerly of WMAC, New York, and WLW, Cincinnati, has joined the staff of KTM. • Welcome Lewis, that little blues balladist who weighs 97 pounds, locks her automobile door from the outside and closes the window from the inside when she drives home alone in her car from the studios to Yonkers, where she lives. Incidentally, Welcome Lewis is the only soloist today being featured on both NBC and Columbia networks. • The Sisters of the Skillet are being deluged with samples of biscuits, and are contemplating using some of them for golf balls this summer . . . Colonel Stoopnagle received a fullsized skeleton the other day from a medical student . . . Connie Boswell's canaries have hatched, and there are two canarettes peeping at the Boswell apartment. Lee Douglas, a new addition to the KTAB staff, has taken up the kodak hobby. If anyone wants snapshots of their favorite KTAB artists, just drop a line to Lee and he'll be tickled to death to have the chance of shooting some pictures. • Paul Carson, NBC organists, comes from a family of clergymen. He learned to play the organ at five — a small cottage reed affair, on which his mother painfully taught him to play two hymns — "Nearer My God to Thee," and "Jesus Lover of My Soul." Edward's show, thought a litle girl was getting too much applause for her violin-playing. When she took her next bow, they were on the stage beside her, each with a violin, to get their share of the applause. Ray Perkins, NBC humorist, finally landed in Sing Sing — but just for a personal appearance before a prison audience. No one walked out on him. Sylvia Froos, who made her Columbia debut recently, is only seventeen years old, but spent ten of them in vaudeville. • "Around the Network," NBC's new nightly series of programs from seven western cities, got off to a flying start with an organ concert and songs by John Wells, presented from San Diego March 20 at 10:30 p.m. Stations broadcasting "Around the Network" are KPO, KGA, KJR, KEX, KFSD, KOA, KSL, and KGIR. Page Twenty-six RADIO DOINGS