The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1942-08-28

life1ike quality is people life
itself" She has travelled about
looking for interesting places anc
colorful characters, frequently dis
guising her identity. She is reg
istered at an East Side Woman's
Club as Tillie Berger. She often
has gone to night court in search
of material.
The naturalness of the program
may also be attributed in part to
the realistic sound effects. 1t has
been said that the easiest sound
effects job in radio is that assign
ed to the sound-effects man on
1.-THE Goldbergs" program. Wit
Messing a broadcast proves that
this is no mere publicity-agent's
exaggeration. The script calls for
Molly to use a sewing machine.
Use one she does. She starts it
and stops it and grunts and signs
as she eXerts each effort-with as
realistic result as can, be OBJ
tanned. The script calls for Molly
to use the telephone. She does
use one. Sammy actually does
open and slam. door at the ap-
propriate moments. And there
are tales to the effect that when
Rosie is supposed to do the dishes,
she really does them; when eggs
are supposed to be fried, they are
fried, and eaten by the cast as
well. 1--WE live our parts" Mrs.
Berga explains. I'm that way we
hope to be more convincing to our
audience"
An added touch of natural
ness" is the slight Yiddish dialect
which marks the speech of the
principal characters. Mrs. Berg
feels that it adds color and COM
edy." Remarking that she is
very sensitive" about the impress
sion made on non-Jewish listeners
by the use of dialect, she asserts,
IF I thought that it was harmful
l wouldn't continue it. The show
has always been in good taste.
The characters and their dialect
are never burlesqued, never the
atrical-and that's why we've
lasted as long as we have"
The manner in which Mrs. Berg
switches from her ordinarily ex-
cellent English to the accented
diction of Molly is astounding.
When you have heard her speak at
great length in her normal man.
ner to all and sundry, the "Yoo-
hoo, is anybody ?" which
opens the broadcast seems spec
tacular achievement.
Because of the lifelike situa-
lions and characters, the realistic
production of sound effects and
the really fine acting, facial and
physical as well as vocal, watch
ing a Goldberg" broadcast is al
most like watching a play. Mrs.
Berg emotes as though a movie
camera were trained on her-with
the result that the members of the
cast as well as the occasional
spectators have a wonderful time.
Mrs. Berg is not alone in her
talented Characterization. With
out a good supporting cast, the
desired effect would be lost; and
Mrs. Berg not only has a Compel
ent supporting cast but a cast
which has literally grown along
with the program. James Waters
a Jake" Alfred Ryder a s
Sammy" and Rosalyn SLIDER as
Rosie" have been with the pro-
gram since it came on the air. It
is interesting to note that when
both Alfred and his characterize
ton of Sammy reached the age of
ID, Bar Mitzvah was performed
over the radio.
Il make it a point to work in
Jewish ceremonies and holidays"
says Mrs. Berg. She points out
proudly that about nine years ago
Jan Peerce sang 'KOl Nidre" at
the YOm Kippur eve broadcast.
THAT was before he got into the