Evening star., 1936-02-16
BY DOROTHY MATTISON.

FIEH the Dig Dulld-up Wnlcn
" every master of ceremonies
~ gives every performer who
n steps up to the microphone,
whatever the star does manage to do
in the way Of entertainment is apt to
prove a distinct anti-climax for the
listeners. A good show can be (and
often isl SO much touted that even
when it measures up to high stand
ards of showmanship the let-down
from the fine phrases of the m. c.
casts a shadow of disappointment for
the listeners.
That's why it's such comfort that
Sigmund Romberg has suddenly re-
nounced all that fun in the studio"
! business and settled down to putting
on a straight show without artiflcially
created atmosphere. 1t is probably
too much to hope that other programs
will follow Romberg's lead and content
themselves with playing the music
straight, with a simple announcement
of the name of the number and the
name of the singer-preSenting both
of them on their merits without dress
ing them up.
A LII these additions to find new
straight man for Ed Wynn had a
happy result, as you have probably
gathered after listening to the open
ing show last week.
Although the indirect channels
through which Graham McNamee
was approached failed to lure him
! from N. B. C. to serve as Wynns
/ foil, the bill is filled entirely ade-
/ quately by John S. Young, who did
resign from N B. c. to go over to
| Columbia for the Wynn series.
/ Curious that P B. A. Rolfe should
be back for the same sponsor with
whom he split because of differing
notions about musical arrangements
Tea at the Ritz" not only emerges
with a new title, Youth and
| Rhythm" but may also come out
| with plan to give up the afternoon
/ shows in favor of an evening spot :.
It's five years since Eddie Cantor
/ catapulted to big time radio as
Rudy Vallees guest star which
makes today the occasion for Vallee
and Rubinoff, alumnuS of the Cantor
/ show, to stray out of their regular
radio pastures to guest-star on the
/ COMICS show.
| Connie Gates has backed out of
/ that contract for the new Phil Spi-
talny show, so Maxine will come back
to Columbia to do the vocalizing job.
/ Those pretty SouthernerS. Three Little
! Words, and Arlene Francis also are
in the talent lineup which bows in
next Sunday at 6 pm.
T ACHRYMOSE HELEN MORGAN
- will be atop the piano for Paul
Whitemans show tonight =. Richard
Crooks returns to the N. B. c. S:3C
pm. concert tomorrow Ted Ham
merstein has signed up another
vaudevillisn, Maude Nugent. for hi
Monday show =. along with Irving
Caesar. who usually is content jus
with writing the lyrics without pre-
Senting them in person.
Morton Downey. all by himself, is
due to replace Odette Myrtil and Mil
ton Watson on the Evening in Paris
shows, beginning tomorrow :. radios
other Morton, Mr.. Bowe, is back or
the Romberg show after a rest ir
Nassau, following his bout with bron-
chitis those rumors that Charley
Cantor will take Phil Cooks c. B. S
hour keep flying about q. Ton
Curtin. who authored the 'Blacl
Chamber" stories. is reported to bt
readying the serial for a return Il
the air with William Powell play
ing the lead as he did in the movie:
=. the movie version of Fred Allen!
Town Hall" has been delayed agair
until Allen can get around to the job
On the heels Of plans for the or
ganization of announcers, don't b.
surprised if the big-time script writer
get themselves a guild -. plans arr
under way and luncheons are beint
held all over New York to get then
lined up.
T OU LITTLE has been holding cour
at Columbia Medical Center afte
a minor operation on his leg . tn
result of a little off-season foot bal
practice but he hasn't missed an
of his WOR club meetings, airing from