The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-03-30
DOUG AND PALS
MAKE RADIO
HISTORY

G0nefa1 static nlamOuVcreO ms
forces i'm such q smashing, crash.
ing way last evening that all
sectors Of the loud speaker front
were completely blanketed. Some
highpOwer stations were tuneable
i'm the early and middle evening,
but not with any certainty and
with little comfort to the ear
drums. Bits of cracking, mutt
tering noise appeared Mt times
even in local brOadcasts.
It is now up to some enterpris-
ing motor car, chewing gum, soup
OR soap manufacturer to load a
symphony orchestra into q dirigible,
and have it broadcast concert and
play accompaniments for opera
stars circling about it in airplanes
on a nonstop flight across the
Continent! There isn't much else
left for the producers Of radio en-
tertainment to do-after last nights
cross-country exhibition of movie
stars and jazz music in the inter-
est of the new car Dodge Brothers
are using newspapers to advertise
so extensively this morning.
Statistically inclined persons can
figure out for themselves just how
MANY tens of millions Of people
listened to Douglas Fairbanks con-
vert himself into a cheer leader to
lead the nation in repeating what
most Republicans and Democrats
alike are thinking about the worst
thing that can happen t. them
being the best thing, etc. Such
persons can also estimate the en-
tertainment value of Norma Tai
madge's views on fashions, Dolores
Del Rios vocal accomplishments,
David Wark Griffith's ideas on
brotherly love, Charlie Chaplin's
ability as monologuist and Jack
Barrymore's tendency to breath
to the microphone.
ADVERTISING MAN
REAL STAR OF SHOW
AS for us-our topper is DOTTED
to the fertile mind of the unnamed
advertising genius who conceived
the idea Of crowding an hour OF
loud speaker delivery with stunts
by the most outstanding stars in
movieland. from Hollywood, to the
accompaniment of Paul Whiteman's
Band, playing in New York, with
a few very well chosen and well de-
livered words from e. G. Wilmer,
Dodge Brothers executive. in De-
troit.
We've never owned a Dodge car
and cannot speak from personal
experience Of it's achievements. But
for a number Of years we've mar
yelled at the striking genius OF the
Dodge advertising man ana last
nights super-something was OF a
piece with all he has done hereto
fore. He was the real star Of the
EMg show that hooked UP more
broadcasting stations and probably
had more eager listeners than any
program yet hurled through the
atmosphere. Doug and his pals
may have made radio history last
night, but the recipe they used was
the work Of the ad man!
There were other things to hear.
The United States Marine Band
gave an excellent account or itself
and introduced a baritone horn
player as soloist and not q singer,
as we had mistakenly deduced from
the advance program. The Pepco
Orchestra made itself very melod-
ious with quite a bit Of well-played
music and the Hoover experts en-
tertained as usual. Nickolai Orloff,
Russian pianist, performed with
vim and vigor during the Ampico
affair from WIZ in the only outside
program we could hear with COM
fort because of the static.
The Smith Brothers sang their
seasons swan song in the late
hours to an audience that has lis
tened to them with pleasure for
several seasons and hopes they will
return to the microphone in the fall
after a well.earned vacation. These
boys are real radio entertainers
who can not well be spared FROM
the weekly loud speaker deliveries.