Evening star., 1937-02-28

some as the early stages OF 2 widespre
presarios to wonder whether this
coast-to-coast backslapping may not
turn from 'feud" into ''phewd."
The two flight projectors of gags
and wisecracks have built their thinly
disguised rhetorical slapS from a pass
ing chuckle into Nationwide battle
of the century in the space Of few
weeks as their gag writers burned up
typewriters far into the night. But
Jack Benny's February q program
gave the first signs of let-up when
the gelatin hawker," thus described
by Fred Allen, had very little to say
about the "toothpaste peddler." 1t
was an obvious let-doWn from the
high-preSSure exchanges that Jack had
been offering up to that time in his
best whitening style.
This let-down may have been the
calm before the storm, however, be-
cause Hollywood gossips had been say
ing that Jack might hop plane and
crash the gates of Town Hall To-
night" one of these Wednesday nights.
Credence was given this rumor by the
announcement that Mary Livingstone,
Jacks Mrs, would be in the East until
nid-March.
THE public's capacity to swallow
press agent and showmanship
stunts is tremendous, show people say,
but there is a noticeable wondering
how long listeners will enjoy a feud
that is described as a build-up for
Benny and Allen motion pictures. 1t
is recalled that after several years of
sniping at each other, Walter Winchell,
Broadway columniSt, and Ben Bernie,
orchestra maestro, got themselves
booked in the Palace Theater, New
York, and now they are reaping the
hoped-for reward of joint movie
which goth Century is filming. 1t will
be titled Wake Up and Live"
That Benny and Allen have the
same idea up theif sleeves is rumored
IN radio circles. Benny has appeared
with some success in several movies.
Allen, on the other hand, takes such
an active part in preparing his Town
Hall Tonight" programs on N. B. C..
Red that he has heSitated to attempt
feature movie despite repeated offers
from Hollywood. Complicating this
choice, however, is the friendship of
Mary Livingstone and Fred's wife,
Portland Hoffa, who is said to wish
they could be in Hollywood together.
To date Fred has stuck to his beloved
Broadway, but he may not be able
to hold out forever against the juicy
contracts that FINLAND is ready to
offer.
As MOST listeners know, the Benny
Allen battle started last Christmas
week when l0-year-old Stuart Canin
played the flying finger Schubert vio-
lin solo The Bee" after which Fred
casually ad-libbed a few darts at
Jacks occasional f1ddling. He prompt
ly forgot the matter, It's said, until
Jack came back the next Sunday,
January 3. with the claim that he
also had played The Bee at the age
Of 10.
Then the gag-writers for these
famous comedian started turning on
the heat. One rumor around Holly
wood was that Benny sent one of his
writer's eastward to help Allen frame
fancy slams. The pressure got so high
that the feud just about dominated
the Benny programs and played
prominent part in Town Hall To-
night" An interesting sidelight is
found in the fact that the same ad-
vertising agency produces the two
programs, an agency that has been
signing up many of the ranking funny
men of radio.
PAGER to pick up a few crumbs.
other performers have tried to
horn in ON the battle of the kilocycles.
Oracle Allen has referred to the feud
q number of times. Phil Baker in his
February 21 program made some re-
marks about Jack Allen and Fred
Benny and offered to play THE Bee"
on his accordion. Meredith Wilson.
N B. c. conductor on the est Coast,
tried to show Benny how to play THE
Bee" but only got Jack mad" Ben
Bernie did guest appearance on a
recent Benny program and Jack will
return the compliment March 2.
Eddie Cantor also has been attempting
to get into the ring. While others
have been trying to make it battle
royal. the two principals have managed
81 far to keep their fight to themselves.
Perhaps the indications of let
down on Benny'S February 81 pro-
gram was inspired by few sage tips
from Ben Bernie, whose feud with
Winchell has gone on for years. Or
perhaps it was based on public re-
action, like letter which appeared
in a recent issue of New York news
paper. The writer of the letter al
luded to the feud as IAN intolerable
and insufferable nuisance" and sug-
gested that the networks instruct
these offenders to cut out this sense
less back scratching" because I'VE are
all getting sick to death of it." But
Jack can sit back and show his critics