Evening star., 1937-08-01


of air dramatizations from the works
and, in short, what kind OF men and
women they are"
Dorothy Thompson should be able
to do just that in thorough and in
teresting way. In a decade OF report
ing the really big" stories of Europe,
she has interviewed practically every
important political ngure in the Old
World and since her return to this
country has developed an impressive
insight into the complexities OF the
domestic scene. That business of
meeting so many fascinating people"
in the newspaper business has been
exaggerated greatly, but not in the
case Of the feminine journalist who
just up and decided that she wanted
to be European correspondent after
dabbling in social service and adver-
tising, did free-lance reporting for
English newspapers, wrote the last
interview story Of Terence McSweeney,
who died in an Irish prison in a hunger
strike scored the coveted scoop" by
interviewing ex-Emperor Karl OF Aus
trla when he was attempting to re-
gain his lost throne
At one time she boarded a train in
Vienna attired in evening dress (no,
not the train) because she had re-
ceived "tip" on a brewing revolution
in Poland. Through strict censorship
OF the military authorities she snug
gled her story. first news OF the Pill
sudski coup. She has interviewed Hit
Ter and was expelled from Germany
when the Nazi regime began.
Her background of personal con-
facts should make for prompt ac-
ceptance as top-flight network COM
mentator.
r RAY NOBLE has been accustomed
to make his substantial living pv
waving little stick in front of a
group OF musicians, but he has been
signed for a motion picture role-as
an actor. Noble is one OF the sea-
sons broadcasting finds OF course
he was found some time ago because
OF the popular musical aggregation
which he headed In London, was
brought to this country, placed on the
networks. His music was enlisted as
support for George Burns and Oracle
Allen on their comedy show, and Noble
was given few lines in the scripts,
as are all band leaders on variety
shows using dialogue
Rays lines were of the straight
variety, Burns and Allen were getting
paid to draw the laughs, but the band
leader demonstrated an uncanny
faculty for making the most innocent
verbiage sound funny, or silly, or
something. Anyway, it came out of
the loudspeakerS as anything but
Straight Realizing that their straight
man had something Burns and Al
len accorded him increasing oppor-
tunlties in the field OF mirth provok-
ing. And now. R-K-O has signed him
to appear in cinema based upon the
P. G. Wodehouse novel. "A Dame in
Distress" wherein he will support Fred
Astaire and his funny associates Of
the air.
NEWS AND THINGS-Metro an
nounces that it will produce q
film version Of Philip H. Lords radio
show, Gang Busters" Lord has been
commissioned to supervise the prepa-
ration Of the scenario and production
OF the picture, which is to be full
feature length . Bob Hurleigh,
former VOL announcer and dabbler
in local show business generally,
phoned last Wednesday, declared
simply. This is July 28.' 1t meant
that the popular news commentator
OF WF'BR, Baltimore, and probably
the youngest in the business, was
completing a quarter century on this
mortal coil . . Walter Compton of
VOL has devised a new idea in news
presentation, combining last-minute
news, commentary and sound effects.
Madeline Ensign, who sees to it that
the Mutual stations programs get in
their proper places on the schedule.
confides that the idea has been
snapped up by a local sponsor and is
being auditioned by q Nation wide news
syndicate =. Bert Wheeler will take
Jack Haley's place on Show Boat Oc-
tober 8 Georgia Price comes back
to regular spot, this time on Mutual,
August g.. Eddie Dooley will be the
foot ball news man again this Fall
over Columbia, beginning September
l3 -" They say that Joe E. Brown is to
be heard before long as a rural char
acter in a new variety show
George Jessel has been signed for a
supporting role when the Al Jolson
show returns in the Fall
A new morning dramatic show, pre-
senting the romance and color OF a
large metropolitan hotel debuts on
N. B. c. red Wednesday Boake
Carter has decided to do all his broad
casting from home in the future after
special arrangements made on the
occasion of his recent illness convinced
hlm OF the desirability of airing from
MS domiclle -. Incidentally, the
new thrice weekly schedule for Car
ter was designed to permit him more
time In which to move around COL
lecting material for his talks. He now
has coast-to-coast hook-up, which
is something new. too Radio Joe
wants it known that guests are well
come to rally round and watch his
broadcasts, heard on Tuesday eve
nings over WMAL at $50 Flor
ence George, N. B. c. singer, has been
signed for pictures.