Evening star., 1937-03-07

in radio programs until next Fall be-
gins to make an easy chair by the
loudspeaker look attractive again.
You will, however. see little change
in the lineup of your favorite pro-
grams and personalities these next
13 weeks, but, by the time the end
of May rolls around, at least a par
tial shearing Of the talent and pay
roll will have been made in the COM
mercial radio lanes.
MEANWHILE, Jack Benny has
laid plans to sign off in early
June. That will probably be about
the same time Fred Allen also goes
into silence for the vacation time
scarcely vacation time for him, how
ever, if he listens to the call Holly
wood is sending out to him.
1t looks now as if Ken Murray and
Oswald and Marlyn Stuart will be
with us on the Summer kilocycles,
what with their contract for the cur
rent Burns and Allen sponsor being
made up for So weeks. to go into ef-
feet March 81, instead of next month,
as originally planned Murray will
leave for Hollywood Friday, to begin
work for Universal, with whom he has
just signed a five-year film contract.
His first venture will be "Mr. Broad
way" screen version of the incredible
but completely genuine Billy Rose and
his adventures.
p Ado ROW hears there's a chance
Kate Smiths "Bandwagon" will be
shorn for the Summer season to 80
minutes instead Of an hour-but cer-
tainly half of Kate Smith is better
than no Kate at all, used. as the
dialers are, to having to get along
during the vacation time without her.
There is talk also that the March of
Time will wind up April 8, having
done the job it was booked to do for
the sponsors new picture magazine.
Looking to the Fall season, that
Sunday night coffee merchant on the
N B. C. red network is being talked
Of as the next sponsor for Nelson
Eddy, moving that current Columbia
baritone into the broadcasting shoes
now occupied by Haven MacQuarrie
and his aspiring young actors. If
MacQuarrie signs of this month it
will be no surprise to Radio Row, and
the surprise element will also be miss
ing if the N. B. c. Spelling Bee"
should be moved into that Sunday
night spot to fill out between Spring
and the time Eddy would go to WORK
for his new sponsor next Fall.
CHOWS in the making also include
possible combination of the too
long silent Frank Crumit with Harry
Salter's orchestra and vocal group
John Boles as master of cere-
monies and soloist for an hour-long
radio show A possible Summer
time version Of the c. B. s. cigarette
show of Jack Oakie, but without the
highly-paid Oahe for the warm
weather season Changes In the
air also forecast Tony Martins sue
ceSSion to the master-of-ceremonies
role Of Fred McMurray for Holly
wood Hotel" although Martin IS
scheduled to continue with Burns and
Allen until they change sponsors and
to appear with Ken Murray for the
first four weeks of his new radio
show 1t looks as if Belle Baker
may get that long-deserved starring
spot on the air by being recruited
for the Henny Youngman variety bill
coming up for soap sponsor.
THERE'S good news for the dialers
= in the resumption Of Norman
Brokenshire's How do you do. ladies
and gentlemen, how do you do?" via
WOR-MBS these Sunday afternoons
with his amusing ab-libbing and COM
petent announcing. The dialers are,
by the way, doing very nicely, thank
you, on a number of counts-includ-
ing the return of Nellie Revell with
some more of her sparkling interviews
Tuesday for the N. B. c. red network
audience: the unbending of Lanny
Ross into a more human role in his
"Show Boat" Observation-Disclosures
to mention Carl Martins welcome ad-
dition to the too few sweet music
contributions currently on the air;
the presentation of topnotch dramatic
stars in topnotch dramatic sketches