Evening star., 1935-02-24

e. ~ IN
grams. The typical fan letter which
says in effect, Your program is won-
derful. Please send me whatever
you have to give away" doesn't get
more than q passing glance. But
let an indignant letter, written by
a person of apparent intelligence,
arrive in the Office Of :. sponsor and
1t Is taken mighty seriously.
AS many as dozen letters OF pro-
test on any one program will mean
that some one is going to catch un-
mitigated Hades. And If as many
as a thousand listeners ever get mad
enough to sit down aand tell the
sponsor about it, it's safe bet that
something will be done about the
program and it'll be done toute de
suite. (He knows French, too)
My personal feeling is that any per-
son who ventures to criticize radio
program without taking the time, the
trouble and a Scent stamp to make
that criticism to the one person who
can do something about it, ought to
keep his or her mouth shut.
Radio has become national in
stitution. Certainly the 100000 or
40,000,000 listeners should have a say
in what is offered in the way of pro-
grams. There is nothing to stop them
from having a say in programs un-
less they are too lazy to write and
address letter.
If this right of expression Of opin-
ion were really used, there might be
some changes on the air. Or perhaps
there wouldn't be any changes. Per-
haps radio listeners are as lacking in
taste and discrimination as some Of
our programs would indicate-per-
haps they are, but I for one do not
believe it.
And one more thought-if you don't
like program, or think any program
Is a bad influence, don't just dial it
out. Write letter to the sponsor
the man who pays the bill for the
program-and tell him. Also you
might mention that because you don't
like his program you intend to ignore
his product. And again believe me,
thatIl get more results than all the
speeches, resolutions and laws pro-
posed or submitted by the educational
and reform groups.
So how about 1t? Isn't there
a program that you think ought to
be of the air? Very well, go after
it. There are enough of you to dc
some very necessary exterminating Of
verminous programs.
X + X X
/ A DVERTISERS tell you that mega
"A tive advertising is no good anc
that the worst thing you can dc
is to mention the opposition. In
willing to agree for when Ben Berni'
recently said. If We aren't good
they'll tune in Bing"-and I was re.
minded that I did want to hear Mr.
| Crosby so I promptly switched from
Bernie to c. B. S. and Crosby
Sad thought. There is no place IL
radio for the eloquent pantomine O
Elizabeth Bergner's body Rather
think Jack Pearl as peter Pfeiffer'
will become more famous and vii
be better loved than he was as Baror
Munchausen. And Billy K. Well.
should share the applause, for it i
Wells who writes the sketches
Cheers. N. B. c. Is giving writers ali
| credits these days. A better day ha.
dawned-at least for the writers.
| **
, A FTER thinking 1t over I've decided
| IA the Duncan sisters, who were OF
Rudy. Vallee's program two week
! ago, ought to be back again. Thei
Adam and Eve song was very swell
! and I'd like to hear more like it :.
Wish Columbia would let George Hal
talk on the air-as we'll as conduc
a very good orchestra. For Hall grey
up on Broadway during the glamorou
days of Rectors, Bustanobys and Dia
mond Jim Brady and his anecdote
are worth hearing . I like the de
scription of certain young lady o
Jack Denny. She said, He look
like a little boy who is up to some
thing" This, despite the fact tina
Denny is really a sophisticate
Elsie Mae Gordon's clever satire ol
radio additions in Sunday Night
at Nine" at the Barbizon-Plaza i
very clever and worth seeing
And Billy Milton. who sings in tn
same show, ought to be clever OF
the air George Frame Brown
of Real Folks" fame has a five-a
week series starting soon Faitl
Baldwin, the writer, heard on a re
cent Sunday morning broadcast ha
a radio style that is pleasing ant
effective. She seems to be as mucl
at home at the microphone as Alex
ander Woollcott-and almost as anus
ing.
|
! 4 ND speaking of scripts, Hi Brown
"A who does "Peggy's Doctor" hold
record for something or other
The other day he finished the frs
draft Of his script on the train, re-
-