Evening star., 1935-12-22

4AlC P~ACADpNAASJ SN NN~~
three years, the fact that the barbst
Of wit hurled so glibly at one another
are invariably blunted free of real
rancor, and the recollection that the
two have appeared on the stage
together, all lend to the suspicion that
= their real purpose is no airing OF
peeves or enmities. Their feud might
aptly be called battle of gags" and
its real purpose is nothing more than
entertainment.
Theirs is one of the strangeSt
friendships in theatrical history, using
the radio vehicle chiefly to carry on
a pseudo-rivalry based on personal
lied quips. AS buildup it has been
sufficiently amusing, added to their
both repeatedly renewed contracts on
the radio. Bernie is one of radios
Oldest timers, having had various
sponsors for many years and new
one only recently. Winchells Sunday
night flashes were renewed by the
same sponsor only this month for
yet another year, his fifth, on the air.
And now, according to inside
reports from New York as yet un-
published, the two of them are going
to be co-starred in a motion picture.
It's title probably will be Love and
Kisses"
THEIR multitudinous other engage
u ments may make it impossible Tor
them to arrange their schedules for
the shooting of the film. But they
have been approached with the idea,
that is definite, and 1t is hard to be-
lieye that the lure of Hollywood's S
ready cash will be resisted by even
such big-name and big-money enter
tainers as Broadway's newspaper and
air -columning Man About Town" and
Chicago's band-leading "Old Maestro" i"
Returning to their broadcaSting
feud, which some radio fans have
actually taken so seriously that they
have written bitter letters reviling
both Winchell and Bernie, according
to their partisanship, it all began
back in 1882 when Bernie tuned in
dance program on which Winchen was
guest star. Bernie Immediately
wired to Winchell: Just heard your
broadcast with orchestra. 1t was ter
rife. Can get you both $4,000 or S6,-
900 for the orchestra alone"
In his next broadcast Winchell took
occasion to refer to the telegram as
coming from "the old mousetrap," a
phrase that has stuck ever since, and,
after reading it. said to his audience:
'"They tell me Bernie is at the College
Inn in Chicago. That's funny. En-
tering the studio tonight, saw an
empty taxi pull up and Bernie walked
out
THUS inauspiciously, and not so very
humorously, the whole thing
started. Walter Winchells Mr.. and
Mrs. America took up the feud, threat
ening to refuse to buy the products
sponsoring either of the two if the
one didn't stop insulting" the other
But the exchanges of gags got more
laughs than kicks and it went on
apace. Enough of them have been
hurled back and forth over the air to
fill sizable book, and some day
some one will probably publish it.
One of the best exchanges of wires
between the two was built on the
Dionne quintuplet story. Bernie wired:
els it true that maternity hospitals
are using your files to solicit business.
Look out or you'll be in jam like
Mrs. Dionne."
Winchell wired back: Don't get the
last joke if any. Have I been scooped?
What kind of a jam is Mrs. Dionne
in"
The reply: "Quints jam, stupid.
What do you mean have you been
ecooped. Would that be neWs?"
"A ND so it has gone on for three to
four years. Last March the two
appeared in the same vaudeville act,
carrying on their badinage and
eventually lapsing into an exchange
Of ditties a la Gallagher and Shean.
1t went over big with the audience,
which would indicate that their pros
pective movie may prove just as big
a hit as Lee Tracy'S performance of
BLESSED Event" an unusually good
comedy dramatization of Walter Win