The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-19
IN LOVE? YES, WITH RADIO
Goal Set High by Jessica D1ugonette
BY ISRAEL KLEIN
NFA Service Writer

Jessica Dragonette, or she had TO get
up on a stand.
But once set properly before her,
the mike becomes the medium by
which little, goIden-haired, smiling
Jessica transfers her personality into
the privacy of the radio listeners
| home.
For Jessica Dragonette, lyric So
prano of the National Broadcasting
Company, has a more personal, more
intimate feeling toward her listeners,
however distant they may be, than
she would toward visible audience
just across the footlightS.
Il feel so much more at home and
at ease when I am singing over the
air." says this little bright-eyed girl
of hardly 20, who has won national
renown among rdaio fans. Il love
it. 1t gives me the impression Of
singing in each of the many homes
where my voice is tuned in, so that 1
have feeling of being one of the
family, rather than singing to them
from a distance.
Singing Serious Task
I'm fact, when I sing to the mi
crophone, am so engrossed in the
work that would not notice you
if you passed directly in front of
me. 1t becomes so intimate and
personal to me-
Even more than being intimate
and personal, to Miss Dragonette
singing on the air is a mighty Sc
rious task, one that she has &C
cepted as her sole life work.
II do not sing from script. I
memorize everything, words and
music" she says. '"Then I can ap-
ply myself entirely to the task and
I can put everything out of my
mind but the singing"
She goes far beyond even this.
For, appearing as soloist in the
Philco hour, or the cities Service
hour, or in any of the operate pro-
grams, she studies her part inten-
sively and works herself into the
mood in which she believes the
character she is to sing was intend
ed originally to portray.
Then, feeling all the emotions of
her part, she goes on the air with
her selection.
Speaks Foreign Languages
She reads and speaks French and
Spanish, and is continuing her
training in these languages. Fic-1
ton doesn't impress her, but she
reads biographies voraciously, while
poetry and the drama interest her
equally well.
Barrie is her favorite dramatist,
Emil Ludwig her favorite biographer
and Carl Sandburg her poet.
Miss Dragonette comes from
French and Italian. parentage and
was born in Calcutta, India. At the
age of 6 she was brought to the
United States, and from childhood
was educated in a convent school in
New Jersey.
When Max Reinhardt brought
1.-THE Miracle" to New York a little
less than five years ago he cast her
in the only solo part 1 the pro-
duction-the angels voice. She never
appeared on the Ftage, but her voice
Immediately struck the fancy of the
music critics.
Quits the Stage
Later Miss Dragonette played
Kathie in 1.-The Student Prince"
and in 1926 was the ingenue in
1.-The Grand Street FollieS." That
was all the stage for her. She took
up radio work soon after and
doesn't want to leave it.
Radio is young" she explains.
"I am young. I hope to develop
with this new art and become out
standing in it."
Her hopes are fast being fulfilled.
Her fan mail proves it. Hundreds
of letters come to her weekly, and
she personally answers every one
that requires answering.
She autographs her own photo
craps, no matter how many there
are to do. and she spends two days
a week answering her mail-all by
hand.
Inspiration for Poems
Busy as she is, preparing an av-
erage of four radio appearances a
week and devoting two days for fan
mail. Miss Dragonette finds time
for books. for horseback riding, for
an occasional swim IN the Atlantic
for dancing and her poetry.
And is she in love? Small, stand
ing only five feet one and half
inches high, dainty and petite.
weighing only a little over 100
pounds, she throws her oval golden
locked head over to one side, and
casts that sly, attractive glance with
what she calls her plaid" eyes,
that ought to have attracted some
one to her by this time. Is she in
love? Well
I'm always in love-with love
and everything that's lovely" is her
COY and diplomatic response.
And there's no way to make her
admit NOR than that.
~ mr. nFVUEtATFn