Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31

n folks besieging the studios
W NJ for a chance at microphone
v fame, it's rare to find a
singer who has become a
| soloist in spite of himself.
But that's what happened to Karl
Landt, the tenor of the Landt Trio.
Karl had never had aspirations to do
\ his stuff as a soloist. In fact, he has
been so deeply interested in helping
| build the trio into a first-class outfit
| that he hadn't bothered about any,
| thing else.
However, there was an advertiser who
wanted a tenor on his program. Half
the tenors on the list were trotted out,
/ one by one, and each sang his best for
the advertiser. There were all kinds OF
tenors in the lot, but none of them
/ suited
Finally a young man was sent out to
scour the studios to see If there weren't
some more tenors who had been over
looked. And along came Karl Landt.
| Just the man I'm looking forl" sang
i out the young man. Come along with
me and try out for the So-and-so pro-
| gram They want tenor sololst.
But I'm no soloist; I just sing III
the trio" Landt protested. Besides,
| don't want to be soloist."
Doesn't make any difference; We
need another tenor, and you're it.
Come along"
| And Karl was literally dragged into
the studio and pumped down in front
/ of a mike. Once there, he did his best
| and the advertiser was pleased. More
than that, he recognized him as one
of the young men to whom he has lis
| tened with so much pleasure mornings,
and signed him on the spot.
| AS a result of the new contract, Karl
also was given an opportunity to appear
\ as guest soloist on several important
| evening programs He still insists that
he doesn't like to sing solos before the
microphone, but imagine the health
| Ter income that seems headed his way
may change his mind Look for him
more and more in the next few months.
An out-of-town visitor was making a
| tour of New York studios. She was a
pompous old girl, and her guide was
! having a tough time with her. You
might have seen him reaching for a
| fire ak as he led her around.
At the end of program which she
was privileged to see, the woman step
ped up to young actor at the micro
phone, and began to give him some
advice.
young man, hope you'll pardon
me-" she said, but having done some
| local broadcasting in Texas, I feel I
should give you some advice on micro
stoop over that way; simply raise the
microphone to suit your height Then,
too, dropping your shoulders and max
ing gestures are quite unnecessary. In
fact, they distract your attention from
your script. Please forgive me, but
always like to help beginners"
The young man thanked her, and
| said he guessed he'd learn some day.
while the woman from Texas marched
from the studio beaming with the con-
seriousness of a good deed well done.
| But she didn't learn that the young
man whom she had "helped" was really
Phillips H. Lord, who is known from
coast to coast as Seth Parker and Uncle
Abe. The particular program was Sun
| day Night at Seth Parker's," and the
dropping shoulders and peculiar ges-
lures were only part of his characteri-
l cation of Seth
Lord. by the way, is one of those
| mike actors who like to put as much
| of themselves as possible into the
| part. Make him stand rigidly and he'd
| lose half his color. His partner in
| Uncle Abe and David" Arthur Allen,
is the same type-even more so, really
| Arthur plays every part to the hilt
| You can't crowd him at the mike, be-
cause he has to have lots of room for
his gestures His forehead is wrinkled,
and Arthur says 1t comes from getting
all het up over so many old mems roles
The casual observer always thinks Ar
thur is breaking every rule of mike
| technique, because he's always bobbing
| around AS a matter of fact, he is the
greatest expert in the use of distance
and volume in the studios.
- II
1t was a very rainy day, and little
Elizabeth Wragge, who is IL years old
and takes part in childrens programs.
hesitated about venturing out into the
| wet
Elizabeth had a part in a grown-up
program that day and she ought to be
| starting for the studio. Being a pro-
| fessional, she knew that nothing must
be allowed to keep her from getting
/ there. Still, 1t was pretty wet out and
| there wasn't taxicab in sight. There
never is on rainy day, of course,
but Elizabeth is just beginning to dis
cover that.
After waiting for several very precious
minutes Elizabeth was rescued by none
other than George Jessel, the come
dian, who took her in his car to the
studios. 1t was close shave, but John
Young once had closer one. He over