Evening star., 1936-05-03

broadcasters are looking for right now.
Take the present situation in the
comedian on the air who wouldn' Il:
swap his present Crosley rating for a
sure-fire tip on the next school of
comedy destined to catch the listen
ers' fancy. (Situation, by the way, is
the term used to describe the type Of
humor in vogue with the dialers at
the moment-"situationc comedy being |
the sort Of comedy exemplified in the
shows Of Jack Benny, Fred Allen,
Burns and Allen and other top
notchers currently heard on the net
works.
"HAPPY anniversary" to Benny, by
the way-he celebrates the fourth |
anniversary of his debut on the air TO-
night. In the four years he has
climbed right to the top Of the heap
in radio-and phenomenally enough
has clung to his honors as first-ranking
comedian with no swelling Of the
Benny ego. He had one perfectly
grand chance to go temperamental
while he was in the process Of readying
last Sundays bill for the air. Speaking
Of situations, he had real situation
TO meet that time-and he met it: BY
an occasional reassuring word to
Pinch-hitting Announcer Pat Weaver,
who filled in for Don Wilson, absent
because Of the death Of his mother
BY having complete confidence that
Mary Livingstone could carry on with
her broadcast lines, even though
laryngitis prevented her getting down
to the studio for Sunday morning re-
hearsal. And-certainly no little stint
by jumping into the breach as aide
in building the material for the show
during the recent illness of his regular
script writer, Harry Conn. Inciden-
current series June 81, but he'll be
back In the Fall after another stay in
Hollywood to film The Big Broadcast
of 1927"
Benny. by the way. overrules the
old saw that "all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy" indeed. He
will, Of course, take the trouble to
point out that work like his is play,
too. But all the same, after Sunday
made up of rehearsals, two stage shows
and two broadcast performances-even
then he isn't ready to call it sea-
son-but instead plans to go right
on spinning his radio yarns clear
across the country as he makes his
way to Hollywood and another picture
engagement in June.
VIRGINIA VERRILL is back at the
microphone, warbling with Mark
Warnow's Orchestra in new c. B. S.
series Friday nights at Z -. the broad
casters will help you follow the ponies
all Summer, beginning with the Met
ropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park
May Is and carting the microphone
around the circuits right through the
climax Of the racing season Septem-
Der 26 Nor do they plan to neglect
other radio sports fans. Radio sports
reporters will be stationed at the scene
of every major sports event-from the
National Horse Show in Washington,
May to 9, right through the track,
swimming, tennis, golf and auto events
which punctuate the sports calendar
from now to the reopening Of the foot
ball season. The Olympics, naturally,
come under this broadcast schedule.
And so does the A. A. U. marathon
May 80 and the Golden Gloves finals
in London Tuesday.
WILLIAM MEEDER is responsible
for that new organ background
for Gus Haenschen's recently trans
ferred Lavender and Old Lace" show
on the N. B. C. hook-up but it's
girl over at WABC on the new Mon
day pm. series for which diminutive
Ann Leaf is at the console. {. She's
recruit from a small Los Angeles
movie house. Marguerite Padula,
N. B. C.'s newest solo star, who steps
out into a Wednesday Blue network
spot, also used to pound the ivories
in obscure movie houses. That was
back in the old home town-Worcester,
Mass.-before she and the broadcasters
found she had voice-and also before
she became the blond she is today.
There's good news in store for the
John Barclay fans. They can welcome
him back to the air as leader of CO.
lumbia's new Community Sing" pro-
gram next Sunday at 10:30 pm.
Vivian Della Chiesa has switched net
work affiliations and has signed up
with N. B. c. Morton Bowe rates
q new series on the same network Fri.
days at $50 pm. with the Twin City
Foursome and Lou Breeze Orchestra.
A LII the major networks are plotting
memorial broadcasts honoring
that radio pioneer Thomas A. Edison.
Carol Deis and Terri La Francon
team up for a romantic song series on
N. B. c. Thursdays, 11:15 am. =.
Helga Maria, Princess Loewenstein, ex-