Evening star., 1943-05-23

cordial expression thickly across his
face and begun to illuminate. IF
you can answer the question "How
many teeth has a duckbilled platy-
pus, and why?" my sponsors are
prepared to present you, at no cost
whatever, five tons of our rich, mel
low smoking tobacco and half of the
Treasury Department in War
Bonds"
That, or something similar to it,
can happen to you. The radio pro-
gram, People Are Funny" (WRC-
NBC), makes this agitation to peace
in the home entirely possible-if
gratifyingly improbable, as far as
concerns the odds against the aver
age listener.
Although the show has been chat
tering along for several months, its
innovation Of carrying the product
actually into the street and into the
home remains as racy now as on
the day of its introduction. It is
feature which sets People Are
Funny" apart from run-of-mine
radio productions dealing in ques-
tions and answers. Without it, the
show would be just so many more
uncomfortable people stammering
partly incoherent replies to the
writings of exuberant masters of
ceremonies.
More, however, could be done with
the idea-however presumptious it
may be for an outsider to tinker
with the pristine beauty of the
original.
Take the case, for example, of
this particular program, which is,
as you may have suspected, MAIN
tanned by a cigarette tobacco firm.
Although this departments fiber has
never been set a-tingle by the alarm
which an II am Sir Walter Raleigh"
greeting occasions, it is reasonable
to expect that the fellow looks like
most people who knock on front
doors. If so, the sponsors are guilty
of a certain lack of aggressiveness
and color Their emissary, in all
| justice to precedent, should be clad
in strict accordance with the Eliza
bethan era: The knee-breeches,
buckled-shoe, silken hose and doub-
let. He should. moreover, announce
himself in ringing tones of dignity as
he brushes, grand-homme fashion.
f1eck of dust from his frilled COL
lar, and draws deeply from a long
stemmed pipe chockful with the
smooth, slow-burning mixture his
company officially recognizes.
And rather than leave the matter
of prize awarding to such stereo-
/ typed channels as the mail or ex-
press, this company's representative
might be prepared to deliver in per-
son. In, say, a Drinks armored car
disguised as a sedan chair and
heralded by an octet of sturdy
eunchS.
Nor should other sponsors sit
lackadaisically by while Sir Walter
Raleigh moves from house to house
collecting all the glory. The borax
outfit could employ its 20-mule
team, the tub-cleaning abrasive
could have its little Dutch maids
scampering down the avenues in
search of people to give prizes to, the
soap manufacturers send their hire
lings about in constant cloud of
lather. The sole initial requirement
is a quiz program or some related
medium for giving things away.
\ X X
Listeners to symphonic music will
be elated to learn that some one is
finally bucking the ancient theory
that music lovers can absorb only
light" music during summertime.
1t is the New York Philharmonic
which has decided to recognize that
Beethoven suits the temperament in
July as well as the artificially heated
season. Starting today. the Phil
harmonic inaugurates at 52-week
series of Sunday concerts, same time,
same place (WTOP-CBS)-a notable
precedent to set on the occasion of