Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-14

Radio listeners, in their continuing
war with broadcasting, faced one
of radios secret weapons just week
ago tonight. Many Of them re-
manned mistaken, no doubt, but
there were others who were CLASSY
eyed for three days at what they
heard. Broadcasters, it seemed,
either want to drive people dotty
or turn them back to stereoscoplc
slides for their living room diversion.
The weapon, unleashed on one
of Jimmy Fiddler's two programs
(WMAL, Sunday, 10:30, was the
singing commercial to end all sing
ing commercials, though it undoubt-
edly won't do it. AS nearly as we
could catch the words, it went some
thing like this:
Don't be half safe, don't be half
safe, don't be ha-a-alf safe. Use
Arid to be sure, use A-a-r-rid to be
su-u-re."
This was sung impressively to the
melody of THE Song of the Volga
Boatmen." Volga boatmen probably
had the high, gamey odor of so many
unwashed goats, of course, but that
is not enough of joke on an adver-
Using agency to make this sort OF
thing welcome in our loudspeaker.
We hope, for his own sake, that
Ezra Adams of Clinton, Iowa, was
not listening to the radio last Sun
day night. Mr.. Adams is the man
who is reported to have become SO
irked with a soap opera that he
rammed his fist through the family
radio and then smashed it to
pulp with hammer. This new ver-
sion of THE Song Of the Volga
Boatmen" would have finished him.
** x
Henry (Here's) Morgan CWMAL,
Wednesday, 1920 PM had not
been back from his vacation for two
minutes last week before he was
swapping at the hand that feeds
him. Il had a miserable summer,
he told his audience at the opening
of his show. "Of course, I had
portable radio to listen to. mad
a miserable summer"
This verbal custard pie in radios
teeth was more direct than his usual
approach to radio, but he probably
was merely declaring himself at the
start of the season. Having won
quite a reputation as a satirlst OF
radio, which is, of course, a sitting
duck for any word marksman, Mr..
Morgan was merely serving fair
warning that his mood hasn I
changed. The summer did not
soften him, nor the lazy days on
the beach fill him with charity
toward the pompous or the foolish.
On his first return appearance
Mr.. Morgan turned his satire tell
ingly toward the BIC, authorizes
on international affairs and radio
commentators who know all the
answers. He also brought along, as
his first guest star, Abe Burrows,
another man of like temper, who
wittilv pokes fun and some things
that need poking. Mr.. Morgan, IN
cidentally, is one of very few radio
comedians not taking great chance
bv sharing his air with Mr.. Bur
rows. Some of the boys couldn I
get away with that. 1t is good TO
have Henry back.
X X X X
Program notes: -,
Frank Sinatra returned to his old
home, your Hit Parade tWRC,
Saturday, 9 PM, week ago last
night and he seems to have Jared
the show out of its old loud-fast-
and-on-the-beat mood. It's much
easier listening. Frankie seemed to
be in excellent voice, too, and since
he has developed friendly and IN
formal master-o f-ceremonies man
ner. the Hit Parade" Is now much
better listening than it has been IN
a long time. Mr.. Sinatra is assisted
by Doris Day, the Ken Lane Chorus
and Alex Stordahl's Orchestra, all
of whom supplement him ably.
The production of "One Sunday
Afternoon" by the Theater Guild on
the Air (WMAL, Sunday, $50 PM
returned the show auspiciously.
Jimmy Stewart ably proved himself
an actor who can act with his voice
alone and Haila Stoddard lent him
excellent support. This is another