The Washington times., 1926-09-20
VICT OR EIGHT
ON THE AIR

Several years ago-and then some
IA theatrical business man un-
folded q great scheme for entertain.
ment. He intended to produce
Uncle Toms Cabin" with two
Uncle Toms! And q chorus of Top.
sies!! The theory being that II one
Uncle Tom and one Topsy were hits,
q mob Of sem would be a WOW!
Late motion picture business
man worked out a complete system
to prevent stars capitalizing their
names. He invented list of names
that were stock designations Of lead
ing women and leading men In his
employ. Then he copyrighted the
list. The first star who felt that
he or she wasn't getting what was
coming to him or her and tried to
get more-would simply be shown
the gate and another person put in
the next picture 70 act under the
same name! Think Of the money
that would save producers and how
effectively Il would eliminate the
pernicious star evil. What the pub.
lie would think Of It never entered
into the calculations OF either OF
these geniuses.
You'll Be forced to admit that both
of these were great schemes-and
mere examples Of scientific man
agements as we'd as economics, car
ried out to the nth degree. But
neither Of them worked very well.
In fact, I never heard Of either Of
sen being actually put into practice
although both were honestly and
very enthusiastically proposed.
THESE TYPES IN
RAnTn nTIcTN5ucN
Perhaps you'll wonder what all
this has to do with radio programs.
Nothing much. except that both OF
same type OF mind, are In the radio
broadcasting business now! And
that Is the principal thing learned
IN four days in New York attending
the Radio Worlds Fair!
There II stiIl another type-fhe
highly successful and carefully
trained corporation executive
coupled with the research scientist,
both supported and urged on In
their efforts by unlimited resources
az represented by such great COR
pOrations a. the General Electric
Company, the Westinghouse Eleoa
trio and Manufacturing Company,
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company ct al.
EARNEST WORKER rs
CLINICAL MUSICIAN
Then there Is yet q third type
the scholarly, musical Manchu who
seeks to educate the public.
These ascetic pedants are earn
the world Of its letters Of jazz
and raise. the public's musical
taste to the point where Il can
take intellectual note OF chamber
music. involved symphonies based
on three or four tones. and plano
concert0s. They are scientists, too.
only they don3 know1.tE
They are clinical musicians who
carefully strip the melody and ro-
nance and thrill from q compost
ton ana painStakfngly exhibit the
articulated skeleton OF its structure,
pointing out the elastic qualities Of
the backbone due to its segmental
structure. the strain resisting woil-
ders OF its pelvic arch, and the
marvellous freedom Of its bali and
socket joints!
Those-dear Iisteners-represent
most of what is operating the radio
industry at the present time. The
psychology Of program building,
the thrill of drama, the song or
throb Of the spoken drama, the
sheer beauty Of q tone poem, the
glory and color OF q majestic must.
cal epic-are not for them, They
know nothing of creating an atmos-
phere In the minds Of their listen
ers for a great effort and then
after the masterpiece, soothing them
INTO the sense of having a finished
evening Of erfarfafrnnenf-in nea.