What's on the air (Mar-June 1931)

Page 6 WHAT'S ON THE AIR June, 1931 F. Chase Taylor and Wilbur Budd Hulick, respectively. Those who heard this act over WGR and WKBW, Buffalo, during the past eight months predict that it will become one of the most popular on the air. "The Colonel and Bud" will be heard over the network every evening but Fridays, from 8:45 to 9 o'clock, E. D. S. T. Their "ad lib" programs embrace everything from astonishing imitations of prehistoric monsters, soul-stirring dramas and sword dances to the crooning of popular songs. Kate Smith, popular vaudeville and musicalcomedy star recently signed by Columbia, will replace Morton Downey on the latter's five-timesweekly schedule of fifteen-minute programs, which he is abandoning for the new Camel Quarter-hour Series, beginning June 1. Kate Smith was born in Washington, D. C, and was graduated from the public schools there. Her early interests were divided between singing and the study of medicine, with her family believing the latter a more dignified and worthy calling. The lure of the footlights was stronger than their prejudices, however, and in 192 5 Kate made her debut in the Capitol's Keith Theatre. Eddie Dowling heard her performance and forthwith engaged her for "Honeymoon Lane." Followed, within the next five years, successful engagements with "Hit the Deck" and George White's "Flying High." She recently played a week's engagement at the Capi,tol Theatre in New York with such success that she was re-engaged for eight additional weeks. Henry Burbig, pioneer radio comedian, returned to the air in a new series of sustaining programs over CBS Saturday, May 23, at 8:15 p. m., E. D. S. T. In his new series Burbig is assisted by Nat Brusiloff and his jazz band. Each of the presentations last fifteen minutes. Although Burbig presents his sketches in the usual Jewish dialect style which has made him a familiar figure in the broadcasting world, he also introduces variations and a new idea he has developed in connection with his burlesques of the old fables. Sg A series of interviews with radio celebrities, to be known as "Meet the Artist," will be broadcast over the Columbia network every Thursday at 5:45 p. M., E. D. S. T. Morton Downey, tenor, was the guest on the premier broadcast May 28. He was interviewed by Bob Taplinger, Columbia writer, who will conduct the feature each week. AS WE GO TO PRESS THE Women's Radio Review is an afternoon daily series which combines entertainment and information of interest to women. Since its inauguration over an NBC-WEAF network on May 4, it has brought before the microphone several noted leaders among women. Presented every day except Saturday and Sunday, it offers an hour of novelty music interspersed with special features on fashions, home entertaining, interior decoration and other matters of women's interest. These informative features are presented by especially selected experts. All matters pertaining to food and its allied subjects are in charge of Mrs. Sarah Jordan. Elaine Page tells listeners about fashions in dress and beauty styles. Jean Harvey has been assigned to the subject of home decorating, housekeeping and similar matters. Mrs. Claudine MacDonald, whose experience includes direction of exclusive women's clubs, social settlement work, the stage, the microphone and housekeeping, is director of the entire series. Vincent Lopez, the aristocrat of orchestra directors, with an orchestra of musicians picked for their versatility, together with vocal soloists, entertains the listeners of the Women's Radio Review with popular American dance melodies, Oriental music, compositions from Latin America, concert music and salon arrangements. The vocalists include Ruth Ann Watson, contralto; Leslie Joy, baritone; Richard Maxwell, tenor, and Ted Jewett, who serves as master of ceremonies. Prominent women who have appeared on this program include Mrs. Harold I. Pratt, a leader in the Garden Club of America; Rose O'Neil, artist and noted as illustrator of the kewpies for various national magazines and newspapers; Mrs. Lewis Slade, vice-chairman of the New York League of Women Voters; Mrs. Eve Garrette Grady, the American woman who was expelled from Russia for writing a joke about Dictator Stalin, and Virginia Dale, short-story writer and former dramatic critic. Elizabeth Arden, one of the world's foremost authorities on the subject of beauty and its care, is heard each Thursday afternoon on this program. Margy, the steno, walked into Mr. Harrison's office at the Pearly Dew Rice Company on a recent Saturday, asked where she could hang her hat, and got a job without the O. K. of Miss Blake, office manager. That began a series of adventures for Margy which NBC is presenting each Saturday at 7:30 p. m., E. D. T. Margy and her humanly funny experiences as a New York stenographer are created by a blonde young lady who knows the life herself. She is Elizabeth R. Todd, secretary to Burke Boyce, continuity editor of the NBC. The central characters of the comedy series are: Margy, played by Marcella Shields; Miss Blake, the office manager, played by Helene Handin, and the boss, Harrison, portrayed by Jack McBride. Thrilling episodes in the settlement of the old West are dramatized in a new broadcast series, "Red Goose Adventures," now being presented over fiftynine stations associated with CBS every Friday at 7:30 p. m., E. D. S. T. Primarily designed to appeal to the younger generation of listeners, the "Red Goose Adventures" give particular emphasis to historical accuracy. Extensive research has been made to uncover dramatic incidents of the Western pioneer days which hitherto have escaped attention. Even the incidental music is authentic of the period. After almost two years of absence from CBS, during which time they played in motion pictures and Hollywood supper clubs, George Olsen and his orchestra are now heard twice weekly — every Monday and Friday at 11:30 p. m. — over the nationwide Columbia network. This popular orchestra now is engaged at "Dells," a fashionable Chicago rendezvous. The biggest contract ever offered for a series of movie shorts has been signed by Floyd Gibbons, NBC broadcaster and former war correspondent. He will appear in a series of thirteen shorts, entitled "Floyd Gibbons' Supreme Thrills," to be produced by A. P. Waxman and Michael Mindlin ir association with the RKO-Van Beuren Corporation. The shorts will be produced in New York, starting immediately, so that the contract will not interfere with Gibbons' scheduled appearances over NBC networks. Gibbons has been featured at the Palace Theatre, the goal of all vaudeville troupers, and has appeared on lecture programs as well as before NBC microphones, but this marks his debut in the movies. The "Sweetheart Hour," which has been heard on Sunday evenings over CBS for the past three months, has been transferred to the 5:45 p. m. period on Tuesdays. Adele Vasa, Barbara Maurel, Ben Alley and Evan Evans form the quartet which shares the program with a concert orchestra. The summer series of General Electric broadcasts will continue each Saturday night to offer Floyd THE program-finding service of What's on the Air covers the hours from 4 p. m. to 1 a. m., E. D. T., or 3 to midnight, C. D. T., for every day in April. It is so simple as scarcely to need explanation. GUIDE TO PROGRAM SERVICE (pp. 18-31) How to Find the Program You Want When You Want It TO MAKE A LONGDISTANCE TEST (DX) There is but one thing to remember — programs preceded by figures or letters in squares are NBC programs; programs preceded by figures in circles or black letters a to k are Columbia programs; all other symbols refer to local programs. Suppose Sunday, June 7, about 3 o'clock, a new reader at Des Moines desired to select a program. He might best turn to pages 18 and 19, at the inner side of which the programs for June 7 are listed, and read over what is offered at 3 P. M., C. D. T. He would find [ll Dr. Cadman, [3] Williams' Oilomatics and (1) Cathedral Hour. Referring to the station list and watching the 3 o'clock channel, at Iowa stations he would find that Council Bluffs was carrying (1) the Cathedral Hour, as were Waterloo and Sioux City, and that Des Moines was offering [l] Dr. Cadman. To get [3] Williams' Oilomatics, however, he would have to go further afield. A quick glance up and down the 3 o'clock channel reveals that WREN, at Lawrence, Kan., is probably the nearest station carrying {}]; but WGN, at Chicago, also carries it, and WGN happens to have a clear channel and may be easier to get. At any rate, our new Des Moines reader is able, in a few seconds, to choose and find the most promising program. FOR IMPORTANT DAYTIME PROGRAMS SEE PAGE 16. Ascertain which of your local stations are broadcasting chain features at the moment. Tune in one of these and find out what number is being rendered. Then start your detector dial at either end of its arc and turn slowly. As soon as you hear the same number, note your dial setting and check back to the column showing wavelength (on page 34), thus ascertaining the approximate wavelength of the station you are receiving. To the left of this column you will find the call letters of stations on the wavelength of that station and those having approximately that wavelength. Reference to the schedule of programs applying to the time you are listening will show you which of these stations is broadcasting the program to which you are listening, and you can thus identify it without having to wait for call letters.