Radio stars (Oct 1934-Sept 1935)

They Starved for Their Start. But They're Going Strong Now. And Romance is Blossoming A tice BY MARY JACOBS T last their great moment had arrived ! Grace Bradt, Eddie Alhert, and Herbert N.— "That Terrific Trio," as they modestly termed themselves, were actually going on the air. For fifteen minutes! It had been worth the night after night pracin the hottest place in the world, the boiler room of the Paramount Theatre in Minneapolis, where Eddie reigned as assistant manager. It had been worth pounding on the wheezy old asthmatic piano, after Grace sold millinery all day long. They were on the air ! Thousands would hear them. They'd make good, of course they would! They'd be big-shot radio stars! So they went to the studio. Dark, handsome Herbert chewing nervously at the end of his cigar ; slender, pretty Grace with her face rosy and hot. And blonde, grinning, devil-may-care Eddie Albert, with that strained look around the eyes. All of them saying: "Oh, we'll be terrific, we'll slay them! We'd better order our Rolls Royce now! This radio racket, why it's nothing at all! We're fine! We'll get over swell!" "We had no idea of timing numbers," Grace told me. "We had prepared three numbers, and we sang them. Then it seemed there still was part of our fifteen minutes left. Some man in the studio played a victrola record. Still there seemed to be more time. 'You've got to sing another number,' the announcer whispered to us." So what do you think they did? They sang their first number over again ! They didn't get the job. That's how Grace and Eddie Albert, The Honeymooners, whose gay banter and sweet songs delight you four mornings a week, began on the air. But don't dare to think they were. daunted by their failure ! Had they been, they never would be where they are today. Grace would be married to Herbert, and Eddie would be managing a theatre at forty dollars a week. Now, although Grace and Eddie plan matrimony today, at that time neither was interested in the other. Grace had an understanding with Herbert, and Eddie was in love with a girl named Rose. How did "That Terrific Trio" get together? Grace came home from college with a prize for singing. Herbert, just out of college, hadn't been able to find a job. "Let's try to organize an act. Maybe we can get singing jobs on the stage and in radio," Grace suggested. But wherever they went everyone told them that they 44 1 couldn't use a duet. Trios were all the rage four years ago. So Herbert got in touch with Eddie and the trio was born. Within a month after their fiasco, back they came for another chance. This time they made the grade on a flour program in Minneapolis. When they actually managed to draw pay, they felt they were wasting their talents there. So they got Papa Bradt, who was in the automobile business, to give them a second-hand Ford. Then they pocketed a week's pay, forty-five dollars, and started out on the road to auditions, heartache and fame. To St. Louis, to Nashville, to Louisville, they rode in their chariot, stopping at each city for an audition. To Cincinnati they finally came. And there they were offered one hundred and fifty dollars a week for their trio. For almost two years they stayed on there, on fifty dollars a week apiece. And then Eddie and Herb started to quarrel. Herb, stolid, respectable, couldn't stand the light-hearted, gay, irresponsible Eddie. Besides, Herb had tired of their nomad existence. He wanted to marry Grace right away and settle down. And he wanted to go into the business side of radio. Eddie preferred to keep on singing. In fact, he considered going out solo, on his own. And poor Grace didn't know what to do. Her duty lay with her sweetheart, Herb — but she wanted to develop as an artist, too. One day things came to a head. "I was terribly cross that morning," Eddie confessed, "just aching for a fight. I had received a letter from my girl back home, saying she had tired of an absentee sweetheart, and was going to marry someone else." "I'm getting out of here," Herb said. "I'm sick of this trio business. I want a steady job, one that has roots. Gracie, are you coming with me?" Grace looked at Herb. He was strutting up and down like a big business executive, a fat cigar in his mouth. Suddenly something caught at Gracie's throat. Was this Together they build up each skit for the air. "Grace and I agree on everything," says Eddie.