Evening star., 1943-09-19
F or Radio Listeners
By Ben Kabian.

It's is years since Frank Crumit
moved to "Dunrovin," his Long,
meadow, Mass, home outside
Springfield. He and Julia Sander
son, whom he had married the
year before, decided they'd had
enough of show business and were
willing to retire to the peace and
quiet OF country estate. In retro
spect, it seems almost prophetic that
his final song, before death last
week broke up one of radios out
standing husband and wife teams,
should have been Its So Peaceful
in the Country"
OF course the Crumits-Frank
and Julia-were not done rovin'
when they first moved out into the
country. Frank made weekly trips
to New York to make recordings
and an occasional broadcast, after
they departed Broadway. One day
he brought Julia to town for one of
his radio shows and she liked it
so much she teamed up with him
permanently. So they entertained
listeners with their singing and
chatting, and in 1888 added quiz
broadcasting.
Crumit's sudden death only sew
eral hours after broadcasting last
Monday afternoon caused a hasty
change in program plans, Irene
Beasley and Announcer Richard
Stark, closes friends of the couple,
stepping into the daily song spot
temporarily. Horace Heidi and his
bank took over the Saturday night
quiz spot. But decision on per-
fnanent setup has not yet been
made.
Radio listeners are not the only
ones who will miss the work of
the male member of the Frank and
Julia programs. AS head of Spring
fields USO, Frank ran six dances
q week for the servicemen. Julia
acted as his advisory board" in
these activities. Together they
rounded up sports equipment for
Uncle Sans boys.
X X X X
1t may not be the battle of the
century, but it's definitely the battle
of the crooners and it's sweeping
the country. Not since the days
Of the Russ Columbo- Bling Crosby
affair, has the country seen any
thing like 1t. 1t is the biggest
phenomenon in show business
today
: Unlike the Columbo- Crosby rum
pus, however, the present battle OF
the crooners is not limited to two
singers. 1t has at least seven names
already and, temporarily at least,
has moved to Hollywood where film
companies are outbidding one
another for contracts with the
swoonsingers.
frankie Sinatra, of course, has
the edge in the current battle. The
first few rounds are his without
a doubt, for he is soon to be seen
spotted prominently in the picture,
Higher and Higher" However,
Perry Como is not far behind him.
Perry, who was a barber until his
vocal cords attracted Ted Weems
and brought him job with the
latter's band, reports to Goth
Century-Fox for two flickers for
which he'll be paid $4,000.
Ray Eberle is Universal's white
hope. The former Glenn Miller
chanter is now on his own. Dick
Haynes has been signed for two
musicals a year for seven straight
years, and his younger brother Bob
has a picture contract. Paramount
has signed Johnnie Johnston, who
Is soon to co-star with Dorothy
Lamour, and Republic is backing
Larry Stewart, formerly with the
Ray Noble and Freddy Martin
bands. Altogether, it's quite a battle
royal that has been raging along
the Sinatrail!
\ X
INSIDE THE AIRSIDE -. A series
of 1896 special network programs
have been scheduled for the 81 days
of the Third War Loan drive, in ad-