Radio and television mirror (May-Oct 1940)

i^» •M y\ M /^/ 'v cJ>H ,~ /"., »->. iw ■i^ ■ A defense of radio and an answer to critics who perliaps do not Icnow all that is taking place behind the scenes RECENTLY a group of well intentioned women gathered in Westchester County ■ — the suburb to which so many New Yorkers flee every night from the stress and strain of work in Manhattan. The object of their meeting was to demand from broadcasters better day-time radio programs. Existing broadcasts, they stated, were not even good enough to be worth tuning in. As an interested bystander, I rise in rebuttal. The obvious retort, "if you don't like the program, turn it off," I'm sure has already been made. But why not a more constructive viewpoint? Granted that there are programs broadcast during the day that strain your credulity and your patience, there are many more which provide you with pleasant escape from the routine of your work. And still more important, the calibre of almost all these programs, good or bad, is rapidly improving. That is what I am most anxious to point out to these ladies of Westchester. There has been for some time now, a concerted effort among the heads of radio to provide better listening for the daytime. That means better writing of the scripts and even better acting — though I have long felt that the performers already work minor miracles in making themselves, in the short span of fifteen minutes, seem like real people with whom you can share happiness and joy. There is a program which began a short time ago that has caught the attention of many radio executives, as well as an astonishingly large audience. Yet I feel quite sure that three years ago this program would never have found a sponsor. It would have been dismissed as "too high toned." Against the Storm isn't at all, but it does recognize people as human beings with problems that aren't so completely different from the ones we might face. Hilltop House is another program' that — partly because of the acting, partly because of the superior writing, is easily believable. It has its share — perhaps too much at times — of melodrama, but in between there are real people, faced with real drama. Two other broadcasts come to mind, both written by the sarne woman: Pepper Young's Family and When a Girl Marries. These show careful work and an understanding, sympathetic author. (Incidentally, the two charming children of this writer, Elaine Sterne Carrington, have begun a department for our junior readers in this issue.) In other words, perhaps a few years ago there might have been a really crying need for such a reform movement as the women of Westchester are attempting. I guess it never does any real harm to find fault as they have done, even if the justification is arguable. There is still, and I hope always will be, room for improvement. The important thing is that the radio industry realizes it. How do you feel about it? Have you become a devotee yet of the Carlton E. Morse adventure thriller, I Love a Mystery? You haven't really lived until you've tried to imitate the announcer's way of trilling off the name of this program. For mie, it's happily taken the place of Heigh-Yo Silver and the rest. These broadcasts, with their outlandish adventures, have caught your fancy so much that they are some of the most popular on the air. On April 4th, the program switched from five times a week for fifteen minutes to once a week for half an hour. It is now heard on the NBC red network at 8:30 Eastern Daylight Saving Time. I hope I like it. as well once every seven days but I'm afraid I won't. There's something about that particular kind of program which requires daily broadcasting to keep my interest keyed up. Presented in its new form, it becomes to me just another half hour program. I hope I'm wrong and that you like it as well in its new form. Look for us again next month, won't you? We'll be all dressed up in a cover of Helen Trent, as played by Virginia Clark — all in attractive natural colors, so that every one of you who listens to this program will know exactly how your heroine really looks. —FRED R. SAMMIS RADIO AND TELEVISION MIBROK