Evening star., 1935-12-22
By Dorothy MattiSOn.

~ LlQe LraQlIlOnS, LnlS Is J[le |
a time for all the radio critics !
4 n to settle down to the type
writer and pound out personal pre-
dictions about what's going to hap |
pen on the airlanS during the COM
ing year. It's risky business a
business that's likely to leave your face
pretty red if you check up and see
how your predictions really turn out. !
And this years even more risky !
than usual, now that radio is def
nitely on the verge Of the radical
developments that television would
be sure to bringS
So maybe 1t would be Just as we'll
to write a few letters to radios
Santa Claus andI ask his aid in full
filling a listeners wishes for the
new year in radio instead of
gazing into the rtdio crystal for 1886.
But, just in passing, it's impossible to
yield the privilege Of hazarding a
few guesses for the future. So here
goes-Paul Whlteman's new show
will forge to leab position among the
Sunday night shows. And that, of
course, implies that the amateur hour
formula will have run its course in
the public favor. Helen Hayes will
renounce the serial plan of her pres
ent broadcasts.s Richard Crooks will
get some air dates that won't con-
fine him 70 al recital of hackneyed
songs. Igor Gprin'S name will come
to be as well Known as James Mel
tons is now. He's striding right along
in that direction right now, with a
new contract to star on the Burns
and Allen Programs beginning in
February, and a motion picture
booking in LAS Thousands Cheer"
not to mention a guest-star engage
ment with Grace Moore on Monday,
in addition to his regular programs.
4 DDITIONAL propecies see Bob
Burns name as much a household
word as that of any comedian now
starred on the networks; Alexander
Woollcott getting plenty of new offers;
Kay Weber rating big build-up when
Bing Crosby takes over the Music Hall
show; Buck Rogers back on the air
for a different outfit; Rube Goldberg
going in for straight comedy without
the aid of his current stooge; the
Sunday N. B. c. motor concerts featur-
ing fewer nightingales from Holly
wood.
Not in the light of prophecy, but
! Just because it's the trend Of the
times, 1886 also will build some big
names among the radio script writers
and the networks will grow con-
sciertious about spending more money
on good material to match the big
sums they pay for top-notch talent.
At the same time, you'll see more and
more biggies of radio taking their
places on stage and screen d. which
| is, OF course, only natural now that
radio goes right along developing big
| name stars of its own.
WERE right in the mood to sit
W down and pen a fearful letter to
Santa with tears of hilarity,
/ Just remembering that English come
dams contribution to last Sundays
! Magic Eye of r. c. A. bilD ask
ing him to find a place in the old
Christmas stocking for a contract
bringing Reginald Gardiner to the
mike once a week during the coming
year. Mr.. Claus probably would make
another hit with the listeners if he
could see f:t to have Cyril Smith air
some more of his ballads of English
! nonsense.
Another letter addressed Dear
Santa Claus" would ask for a soft
pedal on Margaret Santry's over
guShy chatter about the 400 on the
c. B. S. tea-time program. And if
radios Santa Claus plans to bring
any more Barrie to the air, it would
be nice if he wouldn't change Barrie's
writings too much in adapting them
to radio. 1t is also to be hoped that
Santa will see that the present
symphonic diet isn't cut down
that the Boston and Philadelphia
| orchestras will broadcast again next
season, along with the New York
Philharmonic and the two Sunday
night motor magnates' concerts which
now have the radio listener faring
better than Carnegie Hall ticket
holder.
That o'clock musical comedy
revue bill over N. B. C.s network has
the right idea in serving up musical
show. There's very little talk and
lots of music. No time is wasted in
giving the soloists a big puff before
they do their stint. The show evi-
IDENTIFY proceeds on the theory that
you'll find out whether they are good
or not and they are, all five of them
not to mention the excellent male
quartet and girls trio. Last Sundays
presentation of THE Merry Widow"
turned out to be the best of the air
versions of this operetta and
there have been plenty Of them
RROADCASTERS, as well as critics,
~ are taking time of for back
ward glance over the years big
events. The Associated Press will air
Headlines Of 1885," dramatizing the
years most spectacular news stories,
over an N. B. C. hook-up at 10:30 pm.
Tuesday.
Which reminds that radio itself has
seen a lot of spectacular things in
the year just closing E. among them
a eli