Evening star., 1934-07-03

its perfection as the devotion to
and-Out artists.
The morning after Miss Dell died in
an automobile crash, little Shirley was
on set working in another film. She
heard some one discussing the tragedy.
Since she had become quite attached
to the blond star, she began to cry.
And. glory be! the press-pumper
announces, it SO happened they were
about to take a sad scene in Shirley's
picture, so as she wept over the death
of charming friend, the camera re-
corded her grief!
There, ladies and gentlemen of the
public. is a lesson in good taste OF
course. the name Of ShirleyS new pic
ture also was advertised in the
pamphlet. We omit it.
You are a nationally known radio
star. making a first tour in vaude-
vile, This is the first performance
in the first city. Naturally you are
both jittery and expectantly hopeful
as curtain time approaches. Perhaps
every song will be smash hit. Or
the audience may frown and suggest.
silently. that you go back to the radio
mike; You sit in your dressing room
praying intermittently for a break. =.
SO what happens?
You miss your call On the screen.
at the end of the two introductory
acts, is flashed Gertrude NieSen.
radios exotic personality" But there
is no Gertrude. Happily the headline
act, a song and dance comedian. is
ready. He rushes into the breach.
You follow him, somewhat abashed
at the mix-up. determined to make
up for it by plugging harder at every
note.
his is a great help indeed mas
much as the sound control operator
seems to have decided he is tuning
up Mickey Mouse and the volume
from deep, husky voice is almost
deafening throughout the house. The
audience seems to like the singing.
but they wear a half-startled look as
strong blasts Of song roll out and
threaten to lift the toupes on bald
head row. If you back away from
the mike, you are singing to yourself
and the first IS rows. If you stand
close. there is that noise. 1t is very
encouraging
Such was the introduction Gertrude
Niesen, the warm-throated broadcast
ing star, had when she opened at the
Fox here Friday. At luncheon for
the press boys yesterday at the Will
lard. she described the horrors of her
initial appearance on a contemplated
l0-week tour. With one more bad
break. she said, she would have packed
her trunks and chucked the barn
stormlng :. or tried to- for doubt
less her watchful father. along
as business manager, would have
stopped it.
Well, the run-out never came. Cur
tain times were Strengthened out, the
| sound amplifier adjusted The act be-
came a new article We went back
yesterday to be reaSSured. Seems
remark We made about "lisping" of
songs was all wrong. 1t was a trick
of the out-of-focus mike There is
no trace in the air now. Miss Niesen
sings Heat Wave" ""Carioca, Temp
tation" and, for an encore. Smoke
Gets In Your Eyes" She also has a
cat named Smoky. No relation to
the song. 1t is a sort of burnt grey
Does not appear in the act. but
travels everywhere and comes to
luncheonS.
The SongStress did not volunteer q
great deal of information about her
self, except that she had been singing
year or two in vaudeville when an
agent suggested a radio test The
sponsors of a commercial at Columbia
wanted new feature. She tried out
number. Started to leave. They
said come back and sing another. She
did. Started to leave again. They
called for more. Then she did not get
that commercial. The studio gave her
contract instead
Today Miss NieSen was to send up
some children'S balloons or something
near the Monument Properly in
f1ated with some Of those hot notes
from Temptation. they should
reach the Stratosphere.
81" ET"S Try Again" the Diane
Wynward-C Brook film.
tomorrow instead of Friday at R-K-O-
Keiths. R. BP Jr.