The Washington times., 1936-04-24

VII SuuAoJ h1ShC uAS Ia WV SSSN
TWO FAVORITES
Here then are the two national
favorites Of the air waves in a
popularity test. Major BoWes
will be represented by proxy, or
with his beginner entertainers.
Rudy, in person, will have his
Connecticut Yankees playing for
a miniature revue.
It won't do to concede the vic
tory to the Vagabond Lover be-
cause he is an established mead
liner in musical comedy, pictures
and radio. In year Of trouping
the Bowes amateur units have
liked the trousers off Of great
Broadway names alleged to have
potent power at the box Office.
I think the tremendous appeal
Of these stage tyros is largely due
to the fact that vaudeville audi
ences are eager for new faces
and the kids tap well OF sym
pathy and encouragement that is
denied to the seasoned proteS-
sional. Whatever it is the box
office statements show the BoWes
fledgings attract better than aver
age business everywhere.
Appearing at the Earle Will pc:
Bill Santley This accordion is now
out of the pawn shop; The Eagles
Harmonica Quintet they make
harmonicas TALK: Bob Santley'
Rill's brother (who sings, he says,
better than Bing); Gloria Rlcn'
she tap dances on her toes; De
HAN and Kramer, marimba mar
wells: Anne Mahoney, society NO
linist: Boole Powell, the gentle
man from Virginia; Buelah Bel
ford, the new Jenny Lind; Parker
EVERY, talented imitator; Lorlng
Smith. the man with the gong.
TALENT IS FRESH
Mr.. Vallee is unique and dis
tinctive not only because he has
endured so long as a top 1ngnG
radio star but because no other
entertainer has profited quite as
much from headline publicity.
His matrimonial experiences were
front page stuff but left his
popularity unimpaired. George
white may have bounced a right
handler off the crooner's nose
but Mr.. Vallee had the last laugh
when scandals" had to fold up
after he left the cast. g.
Both Major BoweS and Mr.:
Vallee appreciate the value OF
fresh talent and new ideas on
their radio broadcaStS. When the
Vallee programs threatened to be-
come routine and stereotyped, the
maestro of the Connecticut Yam
KEGS injected vitality and renewed
interest into the Thursday night
proceedings by calling on guest
stars. Rudy still retained enough
time for himself to be the domi-
mating figure Of his radio hour.
The Major Bowes Capitol fam
lily broadcastS now sent every Sun
day are noted for dignity. good
taste and superior music. Some
say the Bowes poems are senti-
mental hokum, but test shows
that audiences like them. On Sun
day night With the java selling
hours he has been accused of being
paternalistic and eager for self
glory but none of the giant fig
ures in radio care to take Major
Bowes on as opposition at 8 p. m.
Rudy Vallee, think, has been
the most expertly handled enter
tainer in show business from the
publicity standpoint. In his early
days as a loud speaker star, Vallee
fan clubs were ready to take up
the cudgels for any critic or col
umnist who dared to intimate he
recognized a bit of shoddy in the
all wool. He had one fair cham
pion in Washington who heated
the typewriter every time her hero
was mentioned with other than
flowery phrases.
Rudy, himself, indited two long
letters to this department when
he felt that his cause was being
misrepresented. I liked the letters
and facilitated them into type
which did not, I suspect, cause the
crooner to shed salt tears.
Both Major Bowes and Rudy
Vallee are polite and gracious in
their public relations and no two
figures in the amusement world
ran co1Int more friends Vallee