Evening star., 1936-03-22
By Dorothy Matfison.

~ VEN Radio Row, to whom big
names are no novelty, fiut-
tered a bit over Sundays pa
IL rade Of stars organized by Kate
Smith and her sponsors. But it was
probably bigger night in the studio
than it was at the loudspeaker.
True, it takes good talent to make
good show. And Songbird Smith
was in the company Of excellent talent.
But all Of it filed by the microphone
so rapidly that little was heard from
any of the capable crew of entertain
ers. Meanwhile Columbia's expert
ment in Turing the pm. Sunday lis
teners away from N. B. c. remains
about the sincerest sort of fattery of
Maj. Bowes and his showmanship.
Outside of that it was Just about the
same show you used to be able to tune
in on the same hour on the same net
work on the same day of the week
under a different title, to be sure, the
old Columbia Revue" Whether or
not the show actually made the hoped
for inroads on the Bowes hour is not
yNb dPPdl Clls, dIiO oO CNCll Vic
casters are reserving judgment on the
bill before deciding whether or not to
make it a regular Sunday night fea-
ture.
WELCOME to Colonel Stoopnagle
w and Budd, who had the good
Judgment to return to the air as the
same irrepressible comics in which
the radio audience delighted a few
months ago. True, they have adopted
a new billing. but they make no pre-
tense of changing the type of comedy
at which they excel. Which raises
that ever debatable question Of
whether or not a comic can change
his style. The listeners by now must
be impatient of comedians who make
much ado about assuming a new role
and then inevitably come back
in their accustomed roles. Ed Wynn,
for instance, continues to be very
much Ed Wynn, DESPITE all that ad-
vance fanfare about his new guise as
"Gulliver, the Traveller"
A REAL pleasure to have Ernie
Hare of the old team of Jones
and Hare bob up on the radio scene
again, even if it was only a one-night
stand. But that should be an idea
for some enterprising sponsor. The
glad hand also goes out to David Ross,
too long absent, and now teamed with
Willard Robison's orchestra in the
new Tuesday WABC-C B. S. series
There's no element of surprise at
tendant upon announcement that Al
Jolson has sickened of radio again and
plans to depart after Saturday s
broadcast. But Vic Young's decision
to vacation, too, is a bit of news
and means that Texan Smith Ballew
will carry the dual role of master of
ceremonies and orchestra leader.
WOR'S "Cafe of the Red Dagger
w is busy shattering a radio prec-
edent or two ;. there's not woman
in the show and it's coupling warm
tunes by Enoch Lights Orchestra with
some highbrow music from Oyagurens
guitar, just by way of showing folk
that something other than swing
music can have charms, even for the
IL pm. listeners and speaking
of swing music. even Paul Whiteman
has made up his mind to add swing
group to his show.
Meanwhile WOR's organist, DR..
Charles Courboin. unperturbed by the
trends of the times, goes serenely on
as radios only organist who really
concerns. himself with the great music
written especially for that instrument.
PED-HAIRED EVE ARDEN and
~ radios policeman tenor, Phil
Regan, team up with Ken Murray in
filling the spot vacated by Lawrence
Tibbett on C. B. S. Regan used to
have a beat over in Brooklyn. Sas-
safras and Miss Arden will be the
Murray foils and Russ Morgan has
the musical assignment.
The keptics who busy themselves
with prophecies the amateur hours
are on the way out need to be re-
minded that Maj. Bowes has just
moved into his second year on the
same Sunday night spot and that
Summer will find him doing business
at the same old stand -. But there's
nothing so settled about the Saturday
Hit Parade" show which jumps to
the Columbia network May 2 to air
at 10 pm. Additions are going on
and on, even though Carl Hoff has
the spot at present, the latest to con-
fide ambitions for the assignment
being a brass band organized by those
ace trumpeters, Dave Klein and
Charlie Margolies.
MEANWHILE Jane Pickens is set
A'A Ting down as permanent Soloist
on N. B. C.-WEAF's Tuesday night oil
show Howard Stern relinquishes the
baton on his c. B. S. cosmetic show to
Ted Royal Joan and the Escorts
Quartet have rated regular N. B. c.
series out of the Chicago studios Of
N. B. c. :. She's Joan Drake, maga-
zine cover girl, who halls from Den
yer Lupe Velez is busy with re-
hearsals for Ben Bernie's Tuesday