Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-01-02

when the postwar period has gottel
under way. Fluorescent tuning TO
postwar radio receivers has been an
nounced by electronic research
engineers.
The tuning, which can be accom-
plished while the radio is silent, Il
made possible by glass screen
coated with fiuorescent material
AS the screen is bombarded b,
streams Of electrons, radio station,
pass before the eyes In the form O
glowing peaks rising from valley,
Of radio silence.
Thus, while one station Is sharpl,
tuned. and appears as q sharp in.
verted v on the screen, other sta,
tons Of nearby wave lengths ar,
also visible. It's ability to bring al
of the stations In q 100 ilocycl,
band before the eyes at one tim,
has the same relationship to dia
tuning that a fishnet has to singl,
ish hook. The device is known
technically as cathode ray oscil.
lograph, employing the cathode ray
tube which is the heart of modern
television.
Now don't rush out and star
looking for f1uorescent tuning re.
ceiver, for they can't be had by
the public during the war emer.
gency. They are being used by
United States and Allied govern.
ments to monitor the airlanes ane
detect any efforts at illegal radio
transmission. Panoramic receivers
which embodied fluorescent tuning
were ready for general distribution
to radio operators, flyers and shir
owners just before Pearl Harbor
but postwar models will reflect many
refinements resulting from mari
time, military and aerial applica-
tons.
The radio serial is looked upon
as something as new as radio itself
by the millions Of listeners through
out the country. Actually, it's an
cestry Is long and honorable. Back
in the Middle Ages, in France
Spain, Italy and other countries, a
form Of rapid-fire sketch was de-
veloped. It was from this that
modern vaudeville and the SOAP
opera stemmed. Since there were
no newspapers and no radio in
those days, the actors presented
sketches based on reports of con-
temporary events, often in ballad
form.
In Spain and the Latin American
countries these fashioned skits
survive in their purest form. Be-
cause OF newspaper censorship and
small circulation, current events are
satirized on the stage of the the
aters between romantic songs and
dramatic skits. Cuban and Mexican
theaters present little farces based
on domestic politics, with the prin-
cipal actors wearing masks to avoid
possible prosecution by the au-
thorities.
Until quite recently, the sketch
survived as the one-act curtain
raiser" that used to be an obligatory
appetizer to the main fare of heavy
drama on the best stages of New
York and London. John and Maggie
Field, American vaudeville head
liners of 1873, brought back the
dramatic sketch to this country.
In 1896, dramatic sketches had be-
come the most popular part of
standard vaudeville, and these acts
formed vaudeville's backbone up to
the late. '20's.
Until the alleged death of vaude-
vile most stars of the legitimate
stage played at least one or two
weeks in dramatic sketches, while
many Of them played season routes.
Radio simply has taken page from
the book of vaudeville and repopu-
larized the dramatic sketch which
Is the soap opera Of today.
It's a Fact:
Garry Moore, zany of the Dur
ante-Moore program, is related to
Winston Churchill and to John
Hansen, president of the first Con-
tinental Congress.
Groucho Marx broke into show
business as a female impersonator
in the LIE Roy Trio.
Paul Lavalle, maestro of Lower
Basin Street and the Stradivari Or
chestra, is also a turret lathe oper-
ator in a war plant.
Ed Pawley, recruited from films
for the airlines, had never played
anything but villains until he be-
came a radio actor.
Minnie Pearl, who does comical
monologues on Grand Ole Opry, was
a member of Ward-Belmont Col
lege's famed Shakespearean Society
In her undergraduate days.
Jack Haley started as song
plugger at $24 a week.
The National Barn Dance, Oldest
radio program on the air, has not
missed a single Saturday night in
all its years of broadcasting.
OF Mikes and Men. Danny
Seymour's college track training will
stand the announcer in good stead
on the return of Duffy's to NYC next
month. b. :. Dan will have to nego-
tiate the distance between the
Duffy's show, which he will have to
announce, and the Mystery Theater
an assignment which he will retain
in / minute and 10 seconds fiat
If you heard doorbell disturbing
the Kate Smith Speaks broadcast
recently, it was just neighbor drop
ping In, just to return borrowed
2-cent stamp. . Kate lives IN a
large NYC apartment house and has
given strict instructions to the serv-
ice staff to allow no one up between
IL and 1915, when she and Ted
Collins are on the air with the COM
mentary show. However, no one
anticipated the friendly and consci-
entious neighbor. Mary Gordon
who plays Mrs. Emmett" on Those
We Love, has a character role in
u II BUKpee'1