Evening star., 1937-06-13

Tor musical act under his own mar
laughs from the audience. He started
concentrating on the humor side of
the show, introduced some jokes. and
developed into one of the fastest
talking comedians OF the stage.
A straight man, without tricks or
dialects, Stanley self-styles himself
as a comic Lee Tracy" Like Ted
Lewis, Ken Murray, Oswald and Joe
Penner, his trade mark is battered
hat. In the seven years Stanley has
used the gray felt hat which he wears,
he has wet it. folded it. and pressed
it with books. upon which he then
set. The creases in the brim are
unique.
During his vaudeville days, three Of
Stanley's songs became popular tunes
Crying for You" Hours and
Every Little Thing" With the ad-
vent of radio, he attracted enough
attention on popular West Coast
program to be called East for a guest
spot on the Vallee hour,-the only
unknown comedian in five years to
be called for repeat performances
on the broadcast He played guest
spots on Kate Smiths show, Al Jol-
sons program and the West Coast
California hour, and wrote, pro-
duced and presided as master of cere-
monies on Chicago variety program
followed Beatrice Lille on a New
York show In addition to several
movie shorts Stanley made at War
ner Bros, he was dialogue direc-
tor on Venus Makes Trouble" for
Columbia. a Jimmy Dunn picture.
Stanley was playing In a theater IN
Honolulu when Eddie Cantor was
vacationing there Their acquain-
tance was renewed again in Holly
wood The banjo-eyed comedian in
vited Stanley to do several guest spots
for him, and his assignment on the
Cantor Summer show resulted.
Evid sports fan, Stanley was junior
doubles champion for two consecutive
years in Philadelphia, played end on
the foot ball team. pitched on the base
ball team, and was a member Of the
track team at Temple University.
ERED ALIENS young protege,
baritone Jimmy Blair has been
signed to share the vocal limelight
with Trudy Wood on the new Johnny
Green modern music programs which
replace the AStaire-ButterWO series.
Blair, who Will celebrate his 2lst
birthday anniversary next week,
gained national recognition when he
won first prize on a Fred Allen We'd
nesday night talent parade early in
February. 1t was only after he had
appeared on the program that he re-
Vealed that his grandfather had given
Fred a job in the Boston Public Library
when the comedian was youngster
A native Of Boston. Jimmy boasts a
distinguished New England ancestry.
John Hancock and MaSSa chuSetts' re-
vered Gov WlnsloW were among his
forebears. The young man began sing
ing in church choirs at an early age.
While living in Meriden. Conn, Phil
lips H. Lord, then school teacher,
urged him to think Of music as his
lfe's profession. In 1884 a friend was
instrumental in getting young Blair a
job as vocalist with a small dance or
CheStra. After a year of that, during
which he worked days as Office boy in
a roller-bearing factory, he entered
and won an amateur contest. AS a
result, offers poured in from all over
New England and he accepted a posi-
ton as master Of ceremonies at a lead
ing Boston night club. Last Summer,
N. B. C.s station in the Massa chusetts
capital put him under contract.
During visit to New York a few
months ago. Jimmy dropped in at
a music publishing house to try out
some new numbers. Scrappy Lam
bert, N. B. c. tenor and member of
the Town Hall Quartet, overheard
him, and arranged for his appear
ance with Allen Since his success
with the lanky Yankee he has been
heard with Carl Hoff's Orchestra.
r OBERT ST. F. HURLEIGH. erst-
while local theater executive and
publicist and later affiliated with
VOLS announcing staff, has en-
sconced himself in the favor of Bal
timore audiences through his handling
Of news broadcasts with the result
that he has been signed at higher
figure by WFBR, N. B. C. red net
work outlet in that city.
FILA LOGAN, whose Scotch brogue
has endeared her to radio. stage
and screen audiences. has followed
the royal road to stardon. She had
reached brilliant theatrical heights by
the time she was II. When she vas
Is, royalty summoned her with COM
mand performances. Two years later
she was dancing with the Duke OF
Windsor, then the Prince OF Wales,
and King George VI, then Prince
George.
An amazing inherent talent for imi-
tating famous stars Of her day brought
Ella her first recognition. She
toured across the continent. scoring