Variety (December 1925)

RADIO VARIETY MIIE OU) STUFF -OADIOPLDGS Every Night's Alike on the Air t «Kot much to dlBtlngulBh the -enlng'i prosram" Is getting to be , jUndlng lead for those occasional ., reviews. Switching from a HlwA-end to a Monday night for the • JTt'a watch before tho radio re- Jjlver finds that premise Just as ^'jjaybe on Mondays WHN is even bit more brash In its plug ing and Insistence to phone the captain at fhe-FrlvoUty club for a reservation, Imt that may be explained, too, that jfi the beginning of the week nnd V T G. muBt hit his superlative blah on all six from the start. But for the rest. WKAF remains tho good old standby, although WJZ Monday night tooK the honors the Itrly part. Tha evening utarted with a bed- lun of tangled, jangled airs, com- priaing Yiddi-sh songa as part of tlie Pathe'8 special hour of Its Jewish recording artists (WIIN) wliicli dashed with the tinkly vibraphone axpertly handled by Joe Green via WJ3 as part of the Landay IJcvel- tn' hour, on top of which Vvo Lawnhurst and Muriol Pollock ■oloed and duetted planologa from WEAF. After some line tunmg something vaa extracted from tlic holocaust of sound waves, but somehow th:it Bilxture of Semitic Jar.z, keyboard and vibraphone music created a dash unusually r.erce. After that ft became more tolerable. The Landay hour was an Intelli- (cnt layout, switching from Green's ioloa to quartet harmony to saxo- phone virtuosity -oy Andy Sinella. . Bis reed solo came through clearly ^and smartly. The Roscland dance orchestra (Fletcher Henderson) dished out its Wual Monday night assirjiiment of lyncopatlon from WHN, followed by the Guardian Entertainers pliip;a;ini; the Guardian taxicab. WKNY had an interesting "Kvolution of Jazz" number from its Hotel Roosevelt retreat, an instrumental treatise not entirely orlBinal, having been done before in concert. A dance band on WNTC was following by I^eo Lynch, tenor. Park Avenua Popularity Followed the crack Larry Siry or- chestra from the Hotel Ambassador rill through WJZ. This band is dance-inspiring. Its "lift" and after- beat syncopation moves to steppin;; »nd is the direct whyfore of its popularity with the I'ark avenue •et. WJZ's sister station, WJV, was •llent Monday nignt. Miss Lawnhursfs program wjis split up into two so.'lions. An Egyptian travelog by Hector Fuller preceded her and a MetropolitTn Life Insurance Co. noalth talk fol- jowed. The Atlaritlc & Pacific Tea Co.8 Gypsy Ensemble niU-d another hour via \VEA1.\ and the WKAI'^ J^rand Opera Co. offered "La Forzu oel Destlno" to precede the Ben »ernie Jazz windup. But, with all "^advertising. \VEAF has the good •race to desist on liie plugging and wox ^''*' obviousness of it all. 1^^ r '^"^ * '■"'"o set talk by «ugo Gernsback. ealtor of the "Ka- a»o News," which oporate.s the sta- r^' , "^'^" ^'^^'^ Cooper's "Music h« lu ^" ^^^ continued, followed Z,^ ' musical topics, a little too S«in,,°^'''« «'^""' J'^'^a, but ex- plained by Charles I). Isaacsons ^nchant for that sort of thing, ^icson is program director of Soloist-Accompaniat he" ^'U'^'^^" lulls WLWL was D^nu*°" *"'' o"- Anne Wolcotl, a c^i, • T^ ^''"'^ ^- St"H. the latter In «nnS i^" "^ ""« ^o'^'*-' wore heard ""alchos and to good effect. Miss ''No Classical Nor Operatic"—Sunday Sunday night as Major Bowes of the Capitol (pictures). New York, opened tho usual Sun- day evening hour with "The Capltcd Family." the Major started the radio period, say- ing: "Major Bowes speaking from the Capitol. "Little Family, I want to say there will bo nothing classical nor operatic this evening." REPLAYING OF LONDON PROGRAMS NEXT WINTER INSIDE STUFF On Music Prediction Made by Gov't Offi- cial—Two Attempts Already Made Washington, Dec. 1. Vast improvement and the exten- sion of international broadcasting is predicted during the next year by v. B. Carson, Commissioner of Navigation, in his annual report. Covering the Improvements al- ready noted the Commissioner, who Is In charge of radio work under the direction of Mr. Hoover, states that service from the forcijjn broadcast- ing station."? will greatly enhance the progr.'ims olYcred the listencrs- in. He stales that two attempts have already boon made to robroad- cast programs from London, adding that "undoubtedly this will be one of the broadcasting features of ne-1 winter." Omiiting any reference to the re- cent radio conference held here in Washington Mr. Carson points out that on June 30, 1925, there were 15,111 licensed amateur stations as compared with 15,5'.5 the previous year. The number of Class B sta- tions Incrensed during the year from 6! to 0^, while during the same period the Cl.nss A stations jumped from 378 to 4CS. It cost the Government $205,238 to handle the licensing of these sta- tions as well as all Inspection work incident thereto. Some 62 men were employed as a field force through- out the year. CHARLES BAER Bass Player, Aasistant Leader and Librarian of James G. Dimmick's Sunnybrook Orchestra, che current dance sensation at the Cinderella Ballroom, New York City. Mr. Baer is a capable musician, and an alumnus of tho. world-fa- mous Dana Musical Institute of Warren, Ohio. His extraordinary personality is matched by his un- usual studious knowledge of musical history which particularly n.ualifies him for the post of librarian. Chinese Using Phonograph The Chinese Restaurant Association of New Kntiland lias become Interested in Brunswick's new I'aiia'iap.' machine (phonorrr.iph) as a moans for reducing expenses through eliminating tho 6m:ill dance or- chestras. The Panatrope, by moans of lis pradJaliun, o.an 1111 a large auditorium with Its volume and the Chinouc restaurant owners have bouOU 18 of the machines fA)r their llo.'-.trm pl.M-es nlnne. tMnre tlien, II. lO.rerson Yorke, the Brunswick's eastern exploltatlnn cliicf, who In- tero«ted the Beantown chop suey men, has also gone after the New York Chinese syndicates for similar puriioses. Dane* Cspyrighted The unusual of copyrighting a d.^nce is the case of Darlo (Dario and Pegr.y) at the Beaux Arts. The team does an unusual tango, the music of which is original and copyriprhtod by the team, as well nt the ■tei>a and routines that go with the music. Frank Snowdon's Sudden Death Frank Snowden, connected with Variety's Los Angeles office, dropped dead at his home Nov. 19. He had been at tiie oJTice in the afternoon without complaint. Suffering from heart disease, he almost instantly passed away. For eight years the deceased had been the coast repre- sentative for Shapiro-Bernstein. He had been with Variety for about a year. A widow (former professional) and child survive. They are without means. ONLY BIG TOWN STILL ONE NIGHT Chicago Radio-Silent on Mondays—WTR Falls In HORSE STORY INFRINGEMENT Los Angeles, Dec. 1. One more ch.arge of plagiari.sm has been filed against a movie pro- du'cr. Vingle E. Roe Lawton has filed suit In the United States District Court asking for .an accounting oi profits, $:;o,000 damages and a re- straining order against Hal Roach, who, she clilms, poached upon her works for the sosnarios ot "Black Cyclone" and "King of the Wild Horses." Miss Lawton Is understood to have written stories In wlilch horses were the principal characters. Be- cause of tlii«'. she c!,''irrR th:it P.oa'-h took h<'r stories and used them without her consent or knowledg<'. Chicago, Dec. 1. Chicago la radio-atilled. Monday nights, making It the only big city In the country wholly silent on that day of each week. Of the 28 radio stations. In town WTR was the final one to fall Into line for a quiet Monday night. The habitual listeners-in are worrying over how they will waste Mondays hereafter. It'a a break for the theatres—maybe. RADIO AND PADLOCKS MttY XMAS PRESENT Send "VARIETY" to Friends for One Year Single subscription, $7 ^nada and Foreign, $8 acan'<& Day :. • - SILVER BELL BANJOS & ^^^Catalog^JuudiU ^Ht: BACON BANJO CO, Inc GROTOW, conn; Tommy Dowd en the Air The Tommy Dowd Comic Opera Co. took the air via WKAF, Nov. 29, as the feature of tho Capitol theatre's hour. Major Edwin Bowes Is presenting Dowd's unit, Dowd being of the Capitol theatre execu- tive staff. Because of padlocklngs and the like. WEAF la opposed to Installing direct wires In cafes, but Is follow- ing Boss Gorman into the Monte Carlo restaurant where the band opens Dec. 6. WEAF will run a wire into the cafe to pick up Gor- m;in"s syncopation. .With tho Lldo-Venlce padlocked, the Friday night hour from there has cre.ated confusion In the sta- tion, causing hasty bookings of sub- stitutes until a regular feature is secured. Wolcolt after soloing herself later accompanied the songslrcs?^. The S. S. Kniprcss of Scotland or- chestra performed from WJZ before the 10.30 jazz wlndup. A summary of news events furnished by tho New York "American" split up tho inusic features. Promiscuous with Night Cluba WHN was busy switching fmni ni^ht club to niylit club. Kach wa'< •■(he licsf and mn.st entcrt.-iliilng, etc.," in New York. Wh.it consis- K'licy: I'Viiin the luidtowii Frlv<>lll> to the Harlem Cnfton Club in thr •l.l.uk belt" the srinie bl.:rb was spilled to entice pros;ioctive t:ouvert , hargos. J;ick Denny from tho [''rivolily ^^l0^ve(l nn intcrosllng Iiiainl of s;. ncop.'i''""- " Bon P.oniic sooi-cd per usual from WIO.M-'. Pornio is now si'cond in liic i;v'nlng World's radio wipular-, ity contort. .-iltlUKigii I'or' mljig dls- •,-rst.'d with t|.o y: 'X in view of the ■laid-for ballots, but hH sty',e of ■olio iire.srnt:'! i<m may oxpliiin his ,.((< ii(.;>n^Mi;y or nr':'! iiernie ling HI) an oiitslde bankroll to com-. nete with the other self-buyers. Abfl. Exports Double Washington, Dec. 1. U.adio exports are holding up the entire electrical foreign trade of this country, which, If It were not for radio apparatus, would disclose a hig drop, according to preliminary figures obtained at the Department of Commerce. This covers the first nine months of the present year. A continued upward trend Is noted In the radio exports, with tho total for the nine months of 1925 practically doubling the exports of the same period In 1924. UCENSES BECOME RARE Washington, Dec. 1. I'ntil Congress enacts regulatory legislation on the radio situation, yccrotary of Commerce Hoover will I.-^sue no more broadcasting licen.ses, except on very rare occasions. Tills action, says the Secretary, became necessary due to the "trafllc jam In the air" that could not be straightened out, plus tho recom- nundatiun of the last national ra- dio conference to this effoct. Grange on the Radio ■ K.'l" (.iraiigo may bo for rovcuif only on the gridiron, but not so on the radio. The brlcktor* qu;irter- liaik m.Tkes his ether debut Doc. C, the snme day of his m'tropolit.m Iirofosclonal football bow, from WKAl'. (:rani,'e will talk on "The Golden Uule," through the WKAF chain, under the auspices of the Near Bast Helief. Romano'G«ta Dinner at Albany Phil Romano and liis orchestra at the Kenmore Hotel, An>any, N. T., ore the only Victor recording artists i.t the State outside of Now Y'ork City. The Associated Victor Dealers fif Albany havo made much of this, tendering Romano a dinner at the hotel to celebrate the release of the first Victor records. This la unusual puiilicity for a recording artist. * Bernie Switches to Brunswick Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roosevelt orohcslra become exclusive Bruns- wick recording artists with tho now year, switching from the Vocallon lists to the Brunswick label. The Vocallon Is also a r.riiiiHwick-Baike- CoUender product, formerly rotailin-; at 50c, but latterly restored to a 7Bc retail price. The Brunswick will feature Bernie as the outstanding New York representative. The company formerly concentrated on some nine bands, which halted Its plans for taking on new units, but Ray Miller and Bennle Krueger are now reported leaving Brunswick. I5crnie and Harry Archer's orches» tra from "Merry Merry" have been signed for featuring in the lists. Berlenbach as Model Paul Berlenbach, -for a pugilistic luminary. Is unusually retiring. His preference for male associations Is known to his Intimates, the fighter caring nought for night life as recreation. He is a model for tempera- ment and unconsciously the Ideal for the W. C. T. U. If they went In for holding up pri/ofisliters as shining examples of all that la virtuous. Bcrlenbnch and Rudy Wlodoeft, the acknowledged premier saxophone soloist of the world, are pals and Berlenbach Is finding recreation in mastering the reed Instrument. Under WIedocft's tutelage, he is getting along quite well. Musiciana Laid Up Away From Homo During the current trip of Paul Whiteman, two of his men have teen confined to hospitals away from home. Kurt Dlterla was stricken with pneumonia at Tulsa, Okl.a., remaining in the hospital there until last week. Now he Is home and will join the orchestra for the New York concert. Sam Taylor while crossing the street In Enid, Okla., waa badly banged up by an auto. He is still In the Enid ho."»pltal and Is expected to be .able to sit up this week. Arthur Hand's Miami Beach Propoaition Arthur Hand and hia California Ramblers expect to open their elab- orate Miami Beach proiiosition tovvard New Y'ear's. It Is said joung Hand has the place on a long lease with a oubatantlal deposit for a high rental. The entire layout along the beach front will be enclosed and all a regularly constituted club, with two clubs In operation; one the members' and the other a supper club. On the beach will be space for 5,000 including bathers as well as visitors, with Hand's concession taking In all refreshment prlvileses. In and outside of tho club rooms. Families of members or their guests only will be admitted to the beach. Raymond Peck'a Come-Back—Percy Wenrich'a Hit It la noted among the music men th.it Raymond W. Peck appears to have done a real come-back with the book of "Castles In tho Air," a musical creating a sensation In Ciilcago show circles since opening at the Olympic out there last week. Feist's htis the music, with Percy Wen- rloh the composer. It sovinds from all of the notices as though Wenrich has a real musical hit In the show and an outstanding song, "Lantern of Ivove." When tho show opened the Chb'ago critics raved, but iiv their .Sunday resumes even wont beyond that. The m;ina;^crinl end seems to have about the same group that put over "Ihe Gorilla." Caesar as Coin-Giving President Irving Caesar has accepted the presidency of the IntiTnatlonal Film Arts Guild, and has put up some money to back It. The liba of the Guild Is to keep good jilctures alive. Kvery few weeks nn old picture is re- vived and given .a special showing at n Jiro.'ulway theatre. The first w«« "I'asslon," and It wns shown all d;iy .Sunday at the tSeorge .\I. Cohan Theatre. Goldman's Realty Tranaactiona Al and Jack Goldman pulled a niii;irt one in organizing the Lynbrook, L. I., Elks and then selling thcrn tiie Castillian Gardens as a new clubhouse. There is another Elks lodge at Freeport, I.,. I., further down Merrick road. The fJoldman broth<'r.3 disposed of their eight-year leas*-. to the Elks for $73,000, and bought the Hoffman Arms, also on Merrick ruml, the transaction Involving |1I)0,000. WBAL'a New Orchestra Baltimore, Dec. 1. An ad<litlon to the programs of WBAL. coiusisla of an orchestra under dire lion of Robert P, lul.i, brother of Fellco lula, oonduotor at the local Rivoll. It will be used for the broadc.'ist ing of dliini r coneorts Monfl.'iy and Thursday evt'tiings. Broadcasting Guild "Tho liiHiile of tlie Thoalro Guild will be broadcast Dec. 7. Theresa Helburn, executive di- rector of the Guild, will tn)k on this subject via WEAF. OLIVER NAYLOR Whose orrh«»tra l.i the fcittnrr dunrr aUnM-lloii at TMrwillx* ItnllrmMn, Ni'Uiirk, N. ,1.. Ill «n rtrlusitc VIrtor urtlHt. Th" N>yliirl|.ii ni.- Iiti';<> fi- voiiti'S with <l:in''e Ioviti «'V(r> whT^' Mr. N'nylor I* fi-n'urlnu ihf KOII- MINS-KN<;KI, ItiK Four. Ar.- Yon? "DREAMING OF TOMORROW "LONESOME" "LOOK WHO'S HERE" "FRESHIE" Publiihed br Robblns-Engel, Inc. IS,%a Krnnilwur Nrw York CUj {