Radio mirror (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

theatres when they can have movie stars in their parlors — so that source is likely to be curtailed. In its ravenous talent hunt, radio has overlooked only one fertile field and that is — radio. What is more logical than for radio to develop stars in its own workshop? Yet apparently no one has had the foresight and patience to attempt such a program — except Alice Clements, wife of a Philadelphia advertising man. If she succeeds, she will be the Lincoln of radio, in pointing the way for the industry to free itself from slavish dependence on other branches of show business. Mrs. Clements has a notion that radio comedians, singers and dramatic artists can and should be trained from the cradle for their particular niche in the entertainment world. And if you've marvelled at the self-assurance and mikesense of the 'teen-aged youngsters on the American Pageant of Youth, you'll have to agree that the Clements experiment has been successful so far. These adolescent performers have had up to eight years' actual broadcasting experience under Mrs. Clements' tutelage, and some of them are almost ready to step into their own programs as full-fledged stars. The Pageant of Youth youngsters are graduates cum laude of the Horn and Hardart Children's Hours, which in turn date back to an infant-parking lot in a. Philadelphia store, where mothers checked their children while they shopped. Among the toys provided in the nursery was a tin mike, and the two and three-year old tikes went for it like their mothers went for the bargain counter. They boopboop-a-dooped all over the place. They regusted. They were so cute playing at being radio celebrities that the store switched the phoney microphone for a real one and actually broadcast the performances. Alice Clements happened to tune in and persuaded her husband to listen to the next broadcast. He brought it to the attention of his clients, the Automat people, and the kiddies were soon moved to a larger station under the sponsorship of Horn and Hardart. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Clements inaugurated another Children's Hour in New' York City for the same sponsors. Oodles of child wonders discovered through these two programs have gone on to other dramatic fields (the Nicolas Brothers, pickaninny dancers of "The Big Broadcast of 1936" and Ziegfeld Follies, Jeanne Dante of stage and movies, Eileen Barton whom you've heard on Cantor's program). But many of the clever youngsters outgrew the Children's Hours without being snapped up as potential movie or stage stars. Then Alice Clements realized it was time to organize the upper grades of her radio training school. She wrote some scripts for an "Opportunity Matinee" and her husband convinced another of his clients that the chance to get talent a previous sponsor had spent seven years developing was an Opportunity he couldn't pass up. To give other gifted youths a chance, the auditions were open to anyone within the age limits of sixteen to twenty. But nine of the thirteen regular performers chosen by the listeners to make up the present Pageant of Youth are former Horn and Hardart kiddies, which speaks well fOr Alice Clements' training and faith in them. She has given special attention to the training of comedians, since the supply of radio humor is so limited and the demand so great. She encourages mimicry in her proteges. She experiments with various teams until she hits on a combination of talents that supplement each other smoothly and click with the audience. She writes their comedy bits and coaches comedy songs. Mrs. Clements believes in letting the kids learn comedy technique by imitation when they are on the Children's Hour. Then by the time they are (Continued on page 11) FUTURE? HERE'S A UNIQUE PROGRAM WHICH ANSWERS THAT QUESTION 37