The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-17

as conductor is rising fast and
high.
Listeners to the Blonde" airshow
probably think of Penny Singleton,
who plays the title role, as being in
real lige something like the fluffy,
slightly wacky character she por-
trays on the air.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth, however. Miss Singleton was
an established Broadway musical
comedy star who originally was
brought to Hollywood for dramatic
and singing roles.
Nor is she SLOUGH in the intel
lectual fields, either. Penny studied
Journalism at Columbia University
and still turns out children'S story
occasionally. She's handy at COM
posing poetry, too!
Shakspeare's famous query,
whats in a name?" gets an elo-
quent answer from two famous lad
les Of similar names, who answer in
unison: ''Confusion!"
They are Claire Niesen, dramatic
star Of CHS 1--WE Who Dream
heard Friday nights, and SongstresS
Gertrude Niesen. There's no diff
ference in the spelling of the name
but quite a difference in their pro-
LESSONS, despite the fact that both
are heard on the airwaveS. Claire
is a dramatic actress and because
of her unusual speaking voice Is
known as radios Dream Voice. Ger
trude is the sultry thrush not only
Of radio but also Of screen and stage;
she has been refrequent guest star
on "Stage Door Canteen" over CHS
and recently opened on Broadway
as star of Follow the Girls"
The Maxine Elliott theater in
New York has always held special
charm for Helen Menken, the noted
actress. It was at the Elliott Theater
that Miss Menken played the role
of MARY" in 1.-THE Infinite Shoe
black" which opened there in Feb
ruary, 1890, and was an instantane-
GUS hit. For several years the the
alter was closed but recently it was
reopened as a radio studio by CHS
and now houses the "Stage Door
Canteen" program on Friday nights.
The series is guided by the Radio
Division of the American Theater
Wing headed by Miss Menken-who
finds she has another hit on her
hands at the same theater.
Manhattan's teeming Grand Gen.
trail Station" from which stream
lined trains leave for all corners Of
the nation, has nothing on its
namesake, the popular CHS air
show which each Saturday at !
D. M, e. W. t., carries its east, and
incidentally its listeners, to all
points, north, east, south and west.
In six weeks Of stalking, radios
Grand Central Station" has al
ready had New York's bohemian
Greenwich Village, a thriving mid
western small town, an upstate sub
urban community, a south Pacific
isladn and a New England farm as
settings in which the story moves.
But always, the story begins, just
as the train "trip would, In The surg
ing atmosphere of Manhattan's vast
Grand Central Station"
Carefully selected stories, some
by authors of note in the magazine
field, others by outstanding new
writer's just launching literary
careers, are featured from week to
week for air adaptation. Coast to
coast fan mail response has ben in
creasing, evidence that shifting of
the featured broadcast from the
night schedule where 1t was heard
for SO many years, to daytime stag
ing, has been well received by list
eners in every section Of the coun-
try.
Outstanding stage personalities
such as Jeanne Cagney, Mady Chris
tians, Peggy Conklin and Virginia
Gilmore, have been cast in the
studio spotlight, with additional
featured players Of the same calibre
already contracted for starring roles
in programs to come. It is indeed a
case Of big-time nighttime pro-
gramming in the daytime, finding
eager and enthusiastic air audience
reception.
The vivid realism of Grand Cen
trail Station" hustle and hustle,
faithfully reproduced, brings the
colorful atmosphere Of the great
railroad terminal into play as part
Of the story to be heard. These plot
trends embrace gaiety, tragedy,
sophisatication, coincidence and
romance.
Consensus among critics on every
hand is that the newly designed
Grand Central Station" series has
a special appeal to as many differ
emit types Of radio fans as there are
types who actually pass through the
famous metropolitan depot which
gives the program its name.
Baseball season Is here, and
Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore.