Radio mirror (Nov 1934-Apr 1935)

When listeners object to something on the program, radio stars, guarding their popularity, pay attentionthat is, sometimes! By MORT LEWIS Illustrated by CARL PFEUFFER sin de< dec a. foil for Kate, Ted and the script writer (myself) hit upon the idea of a little girl character, Josephine, supposed to be a cousin of Kate's. Josephine was to possess all the mischievous and precocious qualities of a ventriloquist's dummy. She was (in the broadcast) to do amusingly naughty deeds about the studio and everybody on the program was to consider her a pest except Kate. Kate was to defend her as being a darling no matter what she did. We all waxed enthusiastic about Josephine and could envision her becoming associated with Kate Smith as completely as Joe Penner's duck is with him. Then Josephine went on the air. And the very first broadcast brought a telephoned message of protest from a representative of a midwe stern city's Parents-Teachers Association . . . against this "vicious" child! In complaining, the representative stated it was her belief that children listening in would imitate this little girl. In other words, Josephine, our brain child, born of innocent enthusiasm, was denounced as a bad home influence ! A trifle bloody, but unbowed, we toned down Josephine's mischievousness and she went on the air the following week. This time, Josephine inspired a letter from a woman who claimed she was high in child welfare circles. Her missive went on for pages, declaiming against Kate Smith, who sang for hospitals and charity, sponsoring as her cousin a "nasty" child. There were a few other similar protests from other sources. Josephine died a quick death. She was withdrawn from the program and given decent burial in the graveyard of deceased radio char STOP MAKING FUN OF US SPINSTERS, ED WYNN!" "Rain, Rain, Go Away," came over the airwaves from Lombardoland. But drought-maddened farmers called it a "mockery." It was a tough spot for Pat and Guy. MOLASSES AND JANUARY, YOU ENCOURAGE CRIME!' acters. Not only that, but Kate and her manager decided, temporarily, at least, to abandon comedy entirely as being too dangerous and possibly jeopardizing Kate's popularity. Kate as a comedienne was too complete a change in character to be acceptable to part of her audience and she decided to lean backwards in her efforts to avoid displeasing. Josephine and comedy became taboo at one and the same time. tf^OMEDY calls forth more taboos than any other type of radio entertainment. Somebody is always misunderstanding, it seems. It was unexpected criticism that not so long ago led to a taboo on the Fred Allen show. The script called for some fast repartee between Fred Allen, the comic, and Lennie Hayton, the orchestra leader, with Lennie represented as being a "hard boiled guy." Inasmuch as Lennie is far from being "hard boiled" a substitute, Lionel Stander, was hired to enact Lennie's role for him. In other words, as far as the listener could tell, Stander was Hayton. The following few days saw letters arriving from shocked fans everywhere, who inquired plaintively how Lennie Hayton, who played such delightfully sweet music, could possibly be such a "roughneck." One writer worked up a terrific lather and demanded that the "illiterate" Hayton be deprived of radio work and his place given to some "better educated" maestro. It was very funny, but Hayton refused to see the humor in it and there are no more "tough" characters bearing Lennie's name in the {Continued on page 87) 17