Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-19
British method of radio
1 production, particularly in
reference to dramatic tech

reference to dramaClc Cecn-
u niuue, will have it's first real
! influence on American radio pro-
grams Tuesday night when the
National BroadcaSting Co. sends
over its coast-to-coaSt network a
condensed version of George Ber-
nard Shaw'S drama, How He LIED
to Her Husband"
The play will be directed by
Cecil Lewis, former manager OF
programs of the British Broad
casting Corporation, who has
come to the United States at the
invitation Of Merlin H. Ayles--
worth, president of the National
Broadcasting Co., to advise his
production staff on the technique
of broadcasting dramas in Eng
land. Lewis, incidentally, has the
exclusive rights to produce radio
adaptations of ShaW'S plays
through American broadcasting
outlets, and How He Lied to Her
Husband" is to be the first OF a
series of such productions.
Learn from British.
"Mr. Lewis visit to America is a
part of the National BroadcaStlng
Co.'S plan to obtain the advice
and counsel of the best minds in
radio and the world of enter
tainment," said Mr.. AyleSworth.
Heretofore we have been almost
too busy to study the methods de-
veloped by the British broadcast
erS. We believe, however, that
they have learned many things
we have yet to discover and that
they can teach us much. We, In
turn, hope to impart to them some
of the technique developed indie
pendently in American broadcast
| ing studios. 1t is part OF our pol
icy to foster this international
exchange of knowledge. We have
already done so in regard to our
Short-wave transmission and re-
ception of programs between this
country and Europe"
Lewis, who recently arrived
from London, will spend several
months in the New York head
quarters of the National Broad
casting Co., studying American
methods of broadcasting. In the
productions he will direct will be
a number of original plays writ
ten by himself.
According to Lewis, the British
and American method of radio
production differs widely in sew
eral respects. In the United
States, he said, the time schedule
seems to govern broadcaSting
whereas in England it isn't so i'm
portant. cover there, If a play
runs an hour and 10 minutes 1t
doesn't matter" he explained
But in America, where you plan
and make contracts for programs
months in advance, the radio pro-
duction seemingly is limited to
not more than an hour on the
air, and 1t must be timed to f1t
the schedule"
Use Various Studios.
Another difference pointed out
by Lewis is that in the United
States actors, orchestra, ensem-
bleS and sound effects are con-
centrated in one studio, while IN
England four or five studios are
used frequently. I'm England,
he said, factors will be in one
studio, q mob in another, an or
cheStra in a third, a choir in the
fourth and sound effects in the
fifth. The director or producer OF
the program never sees what is
going on in these studios. In
stead, he sits in a remote cubby-
hole. earphoneS strapped to his
head, and, working at a compli-
Gated control panel, blends the
sound output of the various stu
dos into an Ineligible pattern.
I marvel at the ability of the
American actors to work with an
orchestra playing in the same
room and with other noises that
would upset the British radio
theSpianS."
| ~ &*
Machine Makes Sound.
The Columbia Broadcasting SyS-
tenn has just acquired for its key
station, WABC, in New York, an
automatic Sound-effectS machine,
by which, by means Of pulling
ropes and pushing buttons, more
than 80 different sounds can be
produced, which range from the
mighty roar of thunder and lions
to motor boat whistles and ferry
boat sirens.
The machine is housed in a
cabinet about the size of mod
ern phoncgraph. It does not,
however, do away with the sound
effects man, though it makes his
life easier.
| y