Evening star., 1943-07-11
For Radio listener,
By J. ". Stebp.

:. Sfetb.
or Senate, I Immediately contact
the proponents and opponents Of
the particular piece Of legislation
and ask them to air their views on
the issue. My aim is to keep the
American Forum simultaneous with
the current congressional battles, or
If possible, even a bit in advance"
Once the topic OF the weeks
broadcast has been selected. Granik's
work has only just begun. There
are always more phone calls, more
interviews, more telegramming as
speakers are changed. and the final
list Of debaters arranged.
The forums tireless ingmaster
has to be keen diplomat, and has
to know every important Congress
man, and Government official.
Threading a firm, neutral passage
amid the, conflicting Washington
scene demands a sure knowledge not
only Of issues and events, but of the
idiosyncrasies of Washingtonians.
Crank knows, for instance, that Ger
tain Congressman will not appear on
the same platform with certain Of
their foes; that only. certain men
are best qualified to discuss certain
problems: that in many cases he
must consider congressional eti-
quette and seniority. "You have to
handle Congressman with kid
gloves" he signs.
The most embarrassing incident
he ever experienced was when a
team consisting of Senator and
two newspapermen debated a SINH
lar team Of three. Just before go
ing on the air, Senator A. won one
of the opposing journalists over to
his own point Of view. AS result,
when the program went on the air.
Senator B. found himself being asked
embarrassing questions by the man
who was supposed to be on his side!
Il had weeks of explaining to do to
that Senator" Crank recalls.
Nowadays, Crank reports, Gov
ernment people know the A-B-Cs of
microphone technique. The old Will
liam Jennings Bryan school of public
speaking with its booming and florid
oratory is dying. Once in while,
there used to be trouble persuading
a speaker to pare down his prepared
address from a half hour to or 6
minutes, but the script-cutting prob
lem doesn't come up very often now.
Even when Crank goes wearily to
bed. his American Forum" work
isn't over Frequently, some Senator
who is scheduled for that weeks
broadcast will call him up in the
middle of the night, read the speech
he has prepared for Sunday, and ask,
What do you think Of it?"
Mel Blanc, featured on the WTOP-
CHS Judy Canova program. is an
outstanding multi-voiced comedian
OF wide experience.
Blanc is a motion picture star who
doesn't get marquee billing He's
the mainstay of the Leon Schlosinger
cartoon studio where he has invent
ed voices for such notable cartoon
characters as "Porky Pig" "Daffy
Duck" and Bugs Bunny" He does
about IS per cent of the voice work
on Schlesinger cartoons and has
even had his voice dubbed in to form
a singing trio.
Blanc is famed for his "57 va
rieties OF voices" running the gamut
from humming bird to elephant.
He's a veteran of radio, too. He
started in 1927. in Portland, Greg,
where he sang comedy songs on the
"Hoot Owls" show. In his of mo-
ments he played violin and tube in
many of the Northwest's name
bands.
In 1882 Blanc went to San Fran
cisco, where he acted as master of
ceremonies on one of radios early
variety shows, Road Show" With
In two years ne was back in Port
land, where he wrote his own half
hour program six nights a, week.
This was a variety show In which
Blanc initiated all voices. In addi-
tion he wrote the script for the
Portland Breakfast Club show. Blanc
was working l6 hours a day, decided
1t was too much and went to Holly
wood in 1885.
He appeared on several local radio
stations doing as many as three or
four different voices on single pro-
gram. Blanc's big-time break came
when he won an addition at the
Schlesinger studios and invented a
unique voice for a new cartoon char
acter, "Porky Pig" This brought
him to the attention of the late Joe
Penner, with whom he was on the
air for three years, doing the duck
voice. He followed this by appear
ing on practically every big-tine
radio show in the country.
Blanc is married, has a 6-year-old
son, Noel, who is already trying to
initiate him. He was born May 80
1908, in San Francisco, Calf.
Secret ambition of John Nesbitt
story teller on MICS new Passing
Parade" series, is to own a Shake
spearean company. Nesbitt saves a
tenth of his salary each week, puts
it in a special fund for what he kid
dingly calls THE Bard" His friend;
think it's just gag, but Nesbitt
seriously plans to launch Shake.
spearean company of his own in his
later years.