The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-27
.ROrnping Around
the
Radio Dial

static ever thrown in front Of an
advancing army Of air waves
marred the seventh and final Of the
history making Victor presentations
which began New Year eve when
John Mccormack and Lucrezia Bori
thrilled the music.loying world with
their now famous recital.
The smooth baritone voice Of
Reinald Wcrrenrath, the vocal har'
mony of the Shannon Quartet and
the instrumental strains OF the
Victor Concert Orchestra were ali
drowned with disconcerting eff
cheney by the static barrage, which
for thoroughness and completeness
has never been equalIed by tbs
most highly trained artillery.
History will undoubtedly record
the series OF Victor concerts as the
most popular musical presentations
ever given up to the year 1926 A. p.
Certainly it was the most successful
feature Of the first five years Of
broadcasting, and had 4 larger audi
ence than any entertainment pro-
gram ever had before.
Made Limited Start.
Starting out with 4 few connected
stations, radiating from WEAlr,
New York, the list rapidly grew I'M
til with the final presentation last
night, about fifteen stations Werc
hooked together and the concert
was being broadcast as far west as
Davenport, Iowa, and was being
heard in every. State in the Union.
But the Victor presentations had
other results which In the end
may prove more far reaching and
important than the degree Of pop
uIarity achieved. It has enrolled
broadcasting among the list of great
national amusements. Of such Inn
port that it can no l0nger be ever
looked.
when the Bori.McC ornack re-
citaI so thrilled the world, It threw
81 bombshell into the camp Of the
professional entertainers, partfcu-
larly producers Of legitimate stage
productions. William a. Brady.
one Of the foremost theatrical pro-
ducers and long foe sof radio.
sounded the first alarm when hi,
declared to the press and the world
in general.
Here i am seated in a room
with group Of people and we are
enjoying free Of charge, a musical
program over the radio which I
can only describe as gorgeous.
ffs
the theater and pay money
That ShriII Cry.
That shrfIl, alarmed cry for help
was quickly taken up by other
producing magnates and theatrical
folk in general and meetings werc
hurriedly called 20 discuss the
dangerous situation. !" which threat
ened the very life Of the stage.
A council Of war was called Tor
January 26, by the Actors Equity
Association. On that date, Tor the
first time. in the history OF the
American fheater. an equity general
meeting was thrown open to repre-
senfatives of an the elements which
go into the making Of e theatrical
production to solve by united action
the problem confronting the thea
ter" chiefly radio. 81.
For three hours the leaders Of
the theatrical world discussed IN
stricken tones the inroads
radio was making and was liable to
make on the tneater. At last, It
was decided that IL actors talked or
sang over the radio and reproduced
any part Of the play in which they
were at that time playing, they
must be paid one-eightt Of a weeks
salary.
The spirit OF the meeting was ex-
pressed once more by Brady, who
said: 1.-THE theater, the, radio, the
disk are in a battle that may de-
stroy one, or the other of the three.
Let the Actors Equity provide in
their contracts that no actor or
actress shall furnish an entertain
ment for nothing process that
may prove in the long run your
own destruction"
The Victor program was con-
cluded last night without any new
word as to future concerts. It was
repeated that the Victor company
wants time to study the results of
this series/ before launching out on
another But from all appearances
1t seems certain that the Victor
artists will continue to appear over
the radio.
Let's just hope that next time
some arrangement viii be made so
that they can be heard from a local
station.
Women, famed for their lcqua.
cious talent. showed the men a
thing or two last night, when the
Radio Dinner" given at the Wom-
ems City Club, at which half
dozen women spoke, was kept with
in it's time limit and every sched-
uled feminine speaker had had her
word before the allotted time was up.
We have never yet seen a mems
radio dinner at which there were
several speakers which was able to
accomplish what the women did
last night. 1t was. by the way, one
Of the first women's banquets ever
to be broadcast.
Many of the short talks were bril-
liant, particularly that given by
Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt. as
sistant attorney general, who plead
ed for a respect Of all law.
The women have thing or two
to learn about broadcasting, how