Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11
RADIO FAN FARE
The Sound-Ef fleets Man and
His Bag of Tricks - Nc.
Nance Lands a "Whale."
BY ALMA SUE SCARBERRY.

BY ALMA SUE SCARBERRY.
The most fascinating thing about a
broadcasting studio Is trying to ind
out how the sound-effects man makes
the lion roar, or the ocean kick up
its heels" or the fishes flap. As soon
as you ask a question some official win
solemnly say:
Here now! Don't you 20 out and
write this up. It skaters the fans
illusions. Let EN- think it's real"
Pifiel There amt no Santa Claus.
So here goes q little inside informa-
ton. But don't tell who told you.
Animal crashing through under
brush--Produced by the simple ex-
pedient of squeezing and cracking
together the straws Of plain old
fashioned broom!
Noise of airplane-Made by facing an
air stream against the microphone
through a rubber hose. incidentally,
you can't even hear it with your naked
made so loud in transmission that 1t
will completely drown the voice OF an
actor emoting nearby.
The sound of roaring fire is pro-
duced by water. Technique consists OF
placing the mike" above the drinking
fountain in the studio and turning the
engineers gain-control up to fun
volume.
Just like the cracking Of fire.
Sound of rain is produced by rub
bling excelsior against the closed large
end Of q megaphone while holding the
large end close to the mike.
A deluge of rain can be faxed py
pouring salt on waxed paper to suit
the taste.
N. Ray Kelly, sound expert OF the
National Broadcasting Co., has a COM
pletely fitted laboratory and thinkers au
day long like treat scientist, contrlvlng
one of the funniest sights 7 ever saw
in a studio was the bewilderment OF
Graham McNamee when he was acting
in q radio sketch one night.
A man suddenly thrust some wriIing
paper in his hand and told him to snake
it, He did so religiously-and looking
very puzzled.
He didn't know until it was all over
that he had played the leading role OF
q giant whale being landed by q bunch
Of fishermen.
The sound Of liquor being poured
from q decanter can be produced by
pouring said liquor from decanter. But
you can bet your bottom collar taint
liquor-it's water.
A lucky gal is Margaret g. Chamber
lain of the WABC staff. She left for
London last week on six weeks leave.
She'll vacation In various parts Of King
Georges kingdom.
Radio Home Makers Club Is getting
so much fan. mail it has had to open q
regular Office to handle 1t. That Is IDA
Bailey Aliens outfit. You now-Co-
lumbia hook-up.
She broadcasts AZ programs every
seven days and has brought In over g.
900 letters each week since the first Of
the year. The record Is 1,l29 In one
day.
We'll! Some Of these DAYS we're going
to get Snooty and ask some Of cheese
boys that are on once q week to see
the storage house they've leased to keep
their 10000 letters week In! Hoi
Hum!
Maybe they're certified public &C.
countants who were In q hurry when
they counted 10. Cynical? Just bit.
Incidentally, I'd rather visit Ida
Bailey Aliens studio than any other in
town.
Know why? Because she really cooks
right before the mike" as she talks.
And, If you look wistful enough, she
lets you partake Of the samples.
Little Olga Serbs leads the Parnassus
Trio and the melody three plays on 35
programs week. That's work! One
OF them Is q couple of hours before
most OF us have our morning coffee
Olga is pretty and sweet, too. Doesn't
look bit overworked.
We miss Uncle Bob Sherwood Of
Dixies Circus fame around the studio
these days. The 74-year-old veteran An
OF the air for the time being.
It's fun to walk up to him and look
him over-golf knickers and all--and
say In feigned surprise:
Uncle Bob! Didn't you forget some
thing?"
Then he shakes his white head and
grins.
"Yeahp Meaning my socks. I don't
wear 'em. Darn foolishness. The women
that started the no-stockings fad have
more brains than all you silk socks sis.
tiers put together. Just amt got the
nerve-like We have-to be comfort
able"
And Uncle Bob hasn't had a hat on
in rs years.
Mary Hopple, singer, who learned
music in the Pennsylvania schools as
most children learn to read and write,
finds New Yorks climate bad for her
sinus trouble-that Is, she did find it
bad until last weeks operation cured
the trouble. The young contralto went
under the knife without missing o sin
gle scheduled broadcast.
Station WFLA-WSUN Of Clearwater
and St Petersburg, Fla, has been added
to the N. B. G. network. This brings
the total number of permanent outlets
for that organization to IA, including
1 in Canada. The Florida station viii
begin taking network programs Thurs
day.
Today's Amos N Andy story has TO
do with q young couple who approached
the home Of minister to get married.
The hour was close to 2 o'clock, and
the minister hesitated when their wishes
were made known.
:, "I wonder If you'd mind waiting until
after Amos n Andy?" he asked, after
an instant's elaboration.
And they waited.
tCopyright, 1880, by North American News
paper Alliance.)
RADIO SIGNAL SYSTEM