What's on the air (Nov 1929-Feb 1931)

WHAT'S ON THE AIR Page 41 toward Petriefj HELENE CARL1N was singing at a football game when Chief Eskimo Harry Reser, of Clicquot fame, overheard her. He recognized her voice as peculiarly adapted to radio and arranged for an audition which resulted in her microphone debut as guest artist on the Clicquot Club Eskimo program. HOWARD PETRIE, one of NBC's more recent additions to its announcing staff, is perhaps the chain's tallest announcer, standing six feet four inches. Like most successful announcers, Petrie had distinguished himself in musical circles before coming to radio. NBC culled him from WB'A in Boston. ETHEL MERMAN, one of Broadway's favorites, now playing in "Girl Crazy," has learned her way over to 711 Fifth Avenue quite well of late. She has proved herself a popular guest artist. Recently Roxy's Gang program featured one of Roxy's discoveries, JOSE SANTIAGO, Filipino baritone. Santiago is the first native of the Philippines to have found success in operatic roles, in American musical circles at least. EDNA WALLACE HOPPER, for more than forty years one of the most spectacular actresses of the American and English stage, and who at the age of more than sixty looks like a girl of tucnty-tbrcc, may be heard each Tuesday and Friday afternoon at 2:30, E. S. T., from the NBC Times S<jitarc theatre s/ndio in a presentation of the now "Affiliated Super Features of the Air," felling American women the secrets of her youth. Miss Hopper has just returned from Paris, where within the last few months, despite bet age, the has mastered the extreme acrobatic technique of one of the most strenuous dances known — the Russian Ballet. She is shown above in one of the movements of the dance, photographed on hoard the "Homeric," when she returned from France with her dancing partner, Fernand Grip. Miss Hopper was introduced in her first broadcast by her theatrical manager, William Morris, who booked Miss Hopper over thirty years ago as the original star of the" "Florodora Girls." Ray Perkins, NBC's Old Topper, actually wears a high hat before the microphone. "Truly I Love You," theme song for Phil Spitalny's broadcasts over Station KYW, has been published and is available to the public. The longest single wire ever stretched to a network station by the Columbia Broadcasting System is that one extended to carry the chain's programs to Station WDSU, New Orleans. Among interesting recollections of Brooks and Ross, WLW harmony team, is the one of a certain smart London party at which the Prince of Wales sat by their piano for two hours, asking for favorite songs. This country, says Henry Burbig, whose epics in dialect are heard over the Columbia System, is not what it used to be — and never was. He bears the assertion out with this tale: Last winter he drove far into Connecticut in search of rabbits. Far out on a dirt road Henry and his shooting companion decided they had lost their way. They stopped a few minutes later at one of those lonely and bleak farmhouses that dot the New England hills and a quince-faced old man answered Mr. Burbig's knock. "Pardon me," the latter said, "but can you direct me to Litchfield?" "Hah?" the old man inquired. "I said, can you direct me to Litchfield?" "Hah?" Henry, irate by this time, turned to his companion, and, as he often does, relapsed into dialect. "Here I'm lust in de furrest and 'Hah?' he geeves me. So, am I crazy? Lcesten, kirro kent you hirring so good to-day or where is de whereabouts from Litchfield?" "I hearing O. K.," said the old man, suddenly animated. "So why you dunt tukking h'Eengleensh befurr'? You wanting to go to I itchfield, you should luking by de lafthand side from dc rud' a rad skulhousc." * Cullud Pas/or — Brcderen. we must do something to remedy dc status quo. "Brudder Jones, what .1111 dc status quo?" "D.u. my brudder. US de latin for de HK'ss wli.it we's in."