Montana labor news., 1935-11-07
Vaudeville AT Fox
Theatre Next Sunday



Many people in Butte as we'll as mil
lions throughout the entire United
States have been listening to Major
Bowes' new idea of ~broadcasting pro-
grams, over the NBC network, each
Sunday evening from New York City.
Major Bowes' programs consist Of
amateurs from New York and other
large Eastern Cities and we think all
will agree that some very clever talent
is secured from these amateurs.
Major Bowes sits in the NBC broad
casting station, in New York City, dur
ing the times these programs are on
the air with a large gong suspended in
front Of him. When an act goes on
and the Major decides it is not go
ing over, Cs not coming up to the
required standard of entertainment to.
please the millions Of ~listeners), he
immediately sounds the gong, usually
within a few seconds after the act
starts, and that act is through right
now" The next act comes n
The best performers are picked by
the public and these, as reward, are
placed together to form a vaudeville
sho W which IS then sent on the road
to play at various theatres throughout
the country. Major Bowes already has
six of units on the road.
We are reliably informed that one
of his units played at the Orpheum
theatre in San Francisco recently, mat
inees and night shows for a full week,
and that that large theatre could not
accommodate the crowds at any perfor-
nance.
Major Bowes, born in San Francisco,
started life as a ~calling-card entrepre-
neur; and got into the theatre through
managing his late wife, Margaret Ill
lington, dramatic star.
In March, 1884, then Managing Dir
ector of station WIN, New York, the
kindly voiced, fatherly impresairio of
the air = already known for his Fam
lily Hour" ~broadcasts = inaugurated a
program devoted to amateurs. By last
March the program had attained nat
ional enthusiasm. Commercially spon-
lsored, it was taken over by NBC. As
a Sunday amateur hour, it climbed rap
idly to the top of the heap Of Radio
attractions. Last week, Major Bowes,
the theatrical weekly Variety announc-
ed, had become the No. ! money man
of show business.
Bowes' estimated weekly income runs
in the neighborhood Of $4,000. As
Managing Director OF the Capitol thea
tire, on Broadway, he is said to receive
an additional $500 weekly.
From the stuffy control room, throu-
gh a large pane Of glass; writes Hub
ert Kelly, in the American magazine,
"I saw fifty amateurs sitting one night
like pupils in a schoolroom. They
were all st%ony-faced, dazed, pale. Their
eyes were awed, but, behind the fright,
glowed hope, and courage, and a song.
At last their chance had come.
yet, strange as it may seem, the
odds against these amateurs clicking
on Broadway are said to be 100000 to
49,
81 want to know something about
each of my performers before he goes
on the air confesses Major Bowes in
Radio Mirror, and to do that l must
go through laborious effort, real druid
gerry"
Once a thin mar with heavy must
ache led a French poodle to the
"Mike." Major Bowes raised his eye
brows. Could this be the limit-bring-
ing a dog to the studio?
"Sing?' he asked the man.
"The dog does" growled the pood-
les owner. 81 don't"
We suggest that the picked talent
from Major Bowes' thousands OF anna
teurs should offer Butte some real en-
tertainment, and we congratulate the
management Of the Fox theatre for
booking this attraction.