Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
"Grallain
McNanee
Speaking:

| growing pains of a man child, wired
Julian Street, jr., who does the radio
adaptations, that he was delighted
with the show and with the boys por-
trayal of that scamp, Penrod.
The series seems not only to appeal
to adults, reminding them. as it must
OF their own antics and eScapades, but
the studios have been deluged by re-
quests from parents to put on the show
at an caller hour so that their children
can listen to it.
think Howard is just about as nat
urally funny without a script in his
hsnd as when he is in character.
Here's an instance of the kids abso-
lutte naturalneSs: heard one OF the
Oldest actors teasing him the other
night in the studio about his program
1t seems that Elizabeth Retnberg, a
noted soprano. was appearing at the
same time on WEAF, while "Penrod'
was on WIZ
How many people are going to listen
10 you, Howard, when Miss Rethberg Is
singing at the same time?" heard the
man say.
"Aw," said Merrill, 1T can screech
louder than her." bet he could, too, II
II came to that.
Markets Are TiresOme.
AT some time in his life every an
nouncer has to read the stock market
reports over the air-15 whole minutes
OF them--and if you don't think it's a
JOB, take the table Of stock prices from
your evening paper and read it aloud
10 your wife. 1t is one of the most
firing assignments any announcer could
get, but all of us have had to go through
with 1t at some time or another-all
that is, except John Young, who drew
the stock market reports the other day
Tor the first time in the two years he
has been on the networks.
He wasn't enthusiastic about the job
but Milton Cross and Alywyn Bach, who
probably have suffered under them more
than any two other men know, prom
Used to stand by in the STUDIOS and
help him out, especially as John wasn'i
sure he'd be able to recognize the alb
breviations. John began well, although
for the first few minutes he was plainly
nervous. A couple of engineers driftec
into the control both, where John could
see them through the plate-glass window
They smiled. John was sure they were
enjoying the fervor he was putting into
the reports. They laughed-and thai
wasn't so good. They laughed harder
and John looked more closely to hi;
pronunciations. They became hysteri.
cal, and John was sure there must bt
something ridiculous about his per
Torrance.
Then he heard a giggle over hi
shoulder and turned to find Cross anc
Bach accompanying him with appro.
pirate gestures, in chorus, as 1t were
John gave them his very best look OF
dignifled disapproval and they subsidized
He went on with his reading. Con.
solidated Gas, 109," he read, and looked
into the control booth to make sure
that nothing extraneous had gotten into
the mike. One of the engineers pound
ed his first on the table, and his lip:
formed the word sold" John gulpeo
and turned back to his report. on anc
on 1t went. Cross and Bach kept reach
ing over his shoulder and pointing Il
the wrong place in the script. Every
now and then one of them would whis-
per into his ear the name of some such
stock as Fried Mexican Jumping Beans
still going up"
Murder was imminent and it proba-
bly, would have been double. Finally
John got down to Radio Keith Orphe-
UNI, and just as he was about to name
the price Bach put his hand over hi'
mouth and in a deep bass that con.
trasted nightly with Johns tenor
doomed. "Twenty-nine and a half.
And that, in case you are interested, /.
the reason for that startling break il
John Young's voice, about which severa
persons wrote to the studios.