Who's who on the air (1932)

THE VOICE OF Broadway -By Louis Sobol. (With Ryhy Elmer Ri when he wi & Ardell the stai come alw; Police everyone tm of the seasoi local for $65 and since then The Chi Nat Goodwins. D; they never did in publi< permissibly risque. On the outskirts of SlLo^HKTie first time an electric light game joined a carnival, » fivwpointed star with many lights, each light being numbereif. and the winner getting a pound of Maxwell House coffee. . . . Spending three hours watching the wheel from a safe vantage point and writing down the numbers as they showed up. and discovering that they ran on a system, which even the owner didn’t know. . . . Winning S65 worth of coffee for $5 and being kicked out of the show grounds. My contract cancelled with Rube 3ernstein's Cuddling Cuties” because I did. Assisting J. C. Flippen in Ed Daley’s ’ Broadway Brevities” at $50 a week. Three weeks before the show closed discovering they were unable to get anybody else and they needed me for bits. I struck for a $50 raise, but settled for half. Later on the ’Co.” with J. C. Flippen & Co in vaudeville — being paid off in soft colors. That night at a local burlesque hotel, awakening Mr. Flippen by placing a ring-tailed monkey on his heaving chest. . . . Still a punk. Supporting Clark & McCullough in* Phil Goodman’s ’The Ramblers.” and writing in my own part— a ham actor crashing the movies. . Stopping the show at the out-of-town opening, but. at future performances, taking bows in the lobby at 11.15 p. m. Hired by Texas Guinan to open at the old 300 Club, but unable to pass the doorman at night to get in. Finally getting through and finding Guinan’s so crowded that when a woman fainted it took her an hour and a half to fall down. Singing ’Roll 'Em Girls. Roll 'Em.” a terrific parody in “Bunk of 1926 " about Peaches Browning and Daddy at the Broadhurst Theatre. The fright discovering them in the first row. only to have them take a bow at the end of the number! Traveling to Newark to a S15 club date and being stopped by Rufus Lc Maire to go into George Sweet’s part in "Betty Lee.” (George Sweet had gone into llal Skelly’s part, as Skelly probably wanted to be paid.) Playing role on hour's notice with club agent threatening to run me out of show business if I did. Singing a love duet with Madeline Cameron and discovering that in musical comedy the orchestra plays a pitch note till ready — but this punk started singing immediately on note — and with what results! With Genevieve Tobin. Oscar Shaw and Walter Catlett In "Dear Sir ” Getting $75 at end of first week instead of contracted $150 and being told contract had been bought from Allan Foster. Immediately resigning but forced to give a two weeks' notice. Telling Catlett about giving notice and he begging me to stay. Decide to do so. apologize, ami rescind notice — only to find show's notice on board. The Palace Theatre, where you are supposed to be in fast comIpany— and my surprise in finding all the women on the bill were 1 respectable. Playing a benefit at Saranac with Eddie Cantor as master of ceremonies, and Cantor promising me swell booking in New York. Later in New York, meeting Cantor on the street and saying. "Hello. Mr. Cantor, remember me — you told me to see you In town." and Cantor answering, "I’m seein you." Ben Bemle coming to New York with complete new set of men I In his orchestra after gambling with me or the golf links — and losing everything. With the Four Marx Brothers in "Ar Imal Crackers”— where If I there had been another brother, they could have done away with the I chorus. LOUIS SOBOL Famous columnist of the New York Eve¬ ning Journal, was born in New Haven, Conn., thirty-five years ago. Was commis¬ sioned a Second Lieutenant in the Motor Transport Corps during the war. Has been a newspaper man ever since. The only Broadway columnist with a mustache — doesn't wear spats, or cane, but has his nails manicured because it is the only chance he has to get some sleep. Writes his column between 4 and 6 in the after¬ noon — then does the rounds of Premieres and night clubs, reaching his home in Elm¬ hurst, L. I., in the wee small hours of the morning. Is married, and has a daughter.