The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-05
led wynn STARTING
HIS Third YEAR AS
RADIO fire CHIEF
Well.Known Fire Siren Over Ra.
do Tuesday Has Special
Significance

New York City, May 5.-When Ed
Wynn, radios Fire Chief, stepped to
the microphone in the giant studio at
Radio City for his broadcast over an
NBC network including KFYR Of
Bismarck Tuesday, April "a, the long
salute by the well-known fire siren
had special significance.
It was red letter" day for Wynn,
for he celebrated his second birthday
as the Fire Chief OF Radio. Later this
year he will have two more import
ant anniversaries-the 4eth Of his
birth and the 3lst Of his stage career.
More widely established as the Fire
Chief since his first broadcast on
April Is, 1892, than he was as the
Perfect Fool" in his preceding years
on the stage, the usping Fire Chief Of
the air still tells friends, with q gig
gle and shake Of the head. that he
Is quite bewildered over his radio
popularity and that he Just can't un-
derstand it.
Americas Fire Chief
That Wynn has grown very close
to the hearts Of the vast radio audi
ence, however, IS shown by his fan
mail, which has grown steadily In
volume. He Is today an outstanding
figure in the American scene. q be-
loved clown whose name Is on mil
lions Of lips every day In farmhouses
and backwoods hamlets where neither
he nor his stage characters have ever
been seen.
The mythical title OF Radios Fire
Chief" has been literally translated
by mayors Of cities all over the coun-
! try into a real honorary or deputy
fire chief with hat and badge. With
out question, Ed Wynn is a member
Of more fire departments than any
other person in the world. He car
ries in one huge case cards Of many
colors and sizes bearing the signatures
Of the great and near-great, and they
empower Wynn to exercise vast au-
thority in making arrests. putting out
fires, stopping trains, examining prize
fighters and, most intriguing Of all,
to inspect beauty parlors.
Broadcast During Tour
But II radio has greatly widened
Wynn's following, with 1t has come
additional work and lots Of It. Dur
ing his first year on the air, five
months Of the time was spent on the
road with his musical comedy. 1.-THE
Laugh Parade" and the Tuesday
night broadcast originated from the
theatre where his stage production
woS rlo viru IN u,os.l, ~ %ha hronA
casts outside New York the -four
horsemen" associated with the air
show-Graham McNamee, straight
man." Don Voorhees,, director Of the
Fire Chief band, Louis A. Witten. pro-
gram announcer, and George w. Vos
Of the sponsor company-traveled ap-
proximately 10000 miles, most Of them
by airplane.
Local charities benefited to the
extent OF thousands Of dollars
through nominal admissions to the
broadcastS out Of town, and Wynn
was given civic receptions in every
city. In almost every town. the may
or sponsored the charity radio show.
although the newspapers, society
leaders, welfare workers, and even
newsboys assisted the cause.
In his second year, Wynn took on
tour condensed version Of his mus
ical comedy, but instead Of broadcast
Ing from the stage Of the theatre, he
closed his show on Tuesday evenings
and journeyed to Radio City for the
air presentation.