Evening star., 1937-02-07

scenes foibles and feuds of broad
casters-among the big nighttime
shows at least-seems to be Al Pearce,
whose gang came out Of the West to
rate a build-up to top-notch place
among the afternoon shows and who
has, this season, stepped into a fea-
tured evening spot in behalf OF that
Detroit motors magnate.
Metropolitan dialers may chant all
they like that the homey-down-to-
earth flavor is being overdone by Mr..
Pearce's gang, but there's much to be
said for a comedy show with some
comedy that can be understood by lay
dialers who don't follow all the ins
and outs of the Theatrical profession
and its next of kin-the show business
of radio.
INCIDENTALLY comedy lines penned
by the late David Freedman will go
on and on along the airlanes, these
posthumous programs being culled
from unused material in the Freedman
library, now owned by Trans-American
Broadcasting g. Television Corp, with
Mrs. Freedman being retained to carry
on the research work of her husband
in compiling comedy material.
It's high time those "Snow Village
Sketches should be acclaimed for
what they are, instead of what listen
ers who never dial that Saturday N.
B. C. show insist upon believing them
to be. Write it into the record-n you
aren't already in the know-that they
positively are not the usual, rural.
folksy dramas the title would lead you
to believe. They have genuine Amer
lean literary flavor, with some sound
bits of philosophy and commentary on
human nature the world over. Incl
dentally, Parker Fennelly of the "Vil-
lage" sketches has a permanent role
in the Helen Hayes radio shows, being
heard as Ephraim Peck these last few
weeks.
WITH all the controversy which
ragged among members of the
legal profession-not to mention that
among the listeners themselves-be-
fore the banning of the Good Will
Court" the advent Of that Radio
Clinic" would appear to be destined
for similar trouble if the medical pro-
fession tunes in Chief point Of diff
ferences between the two programs
seems to be that the latter will be
preoccupied with physical illness in
stead of mental disturbances-with
persons suffering from all manner Of
diseases from bronchitis to brain fe-
yer being recruited to recite their
symptoms on the so-called show.
Another husband and wife team
takes to radio with the premiere of
Gladys Swarthout's new series for
the ice men who sponsored Mary
Pickford on the air last season. Miss
Swarthout's husband, Frank Chap
man. will be the baritone star of the
series for which Robert Arnburster
has the orchestral assignment. The
show goes on Wednesdays at 10 pm.
On the N. B. c. Network, beginning
next week.
DIALERS, already hearing the
query. do You Want to Be An
Actor?" are about to parry another
question, do You Want to Be a
Writer?" via the loudspeaker It's
| Novelist Margaret Diddemer's idea
to be aired Wednesday at on N. B.
C.'s Blue Network-and will be ad-
dressed to every listener who feels Gas
what listener doesnt?) that he has
latent writing talent.
Walter Huston and Frank Morgan
are auditioning for stardom on some
regular radio program Jack
Bennys ex-scripter, Harry Conn. has
signed to do the Al Jolson shows,
which should be help. Meanwhile,
rehearsals of the Jolson programs
have been moved from studio t. AIS
home at Encino. in order that he and
Sid Silvers may be q bit nearer the
race track.
MATT CROWLEY Is in the "Myrt
and Marge" show for good. what
with Vinton Haworth staying on for
a moving engagement 1t looks
as If Joan Banks, 17-year-old actress
you've been hearing with Stoopnagle
and Budd, would fill the bill perma-
nently as the feminine star they've
been looking for Radio Row
won't be surprised If Herman Bing,
dialectician of the screen. gets the
former Parkyakarkus spot on the
Eddie Cantor show.
George Rector joins the regular radio