Rosaline Greene-Gracie Allen-Phil Stewart - for Hearing On.Ly
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• 10 The National Weekly Week Ending of Programs and June 8, 1935 Perso • ie$ ., E CAB 8 Volume IV Number 33 . /1 Frances Langford (See Page 4) Come to Hal ad Hotel -- Also Lanny Ross Rosaline Greene-Gracie Allen-Phil Stewart - For Hearing On.ly Phil Stewart, Ace An' nouncer, Went to Scoff and R~mained in a Radio Studio to Climb +0 Fame account for the resonance or the volume of his voice. While he is no weakling, no stunted, weazened individ ual, he obviously is not what his tones would indicate. Little wonder that he is perturbed about public re action to this forthcoming revelation. Phil really is more gravely concerned over the issue than most people could guess. Ever since he contracted to accompany King, he has had scouts out privately eavesdropping on studio audiences to note their comments, on both the imaginary Pi)il Stewart and the one that Nature actu ally created. The very first report which came to his ears was a remark made by a feminine auditor who was watching a Lady Esther broadcast for which Phil is the announcer four times weekly. ER comment was casual enough to anyone disinter H ested, but it caused Stewart more tremors than earthquake night in Tokio. "My," she said breezily, Phil as he looks on any of the "radio is certainly marvelous. Isn't it · 'Nonderful how numerous occa they can build those microphones to mak" a fellow like sions every week that's voice sound so impressive?" Slighdy mixed from when he "lends a grammatical standpoint, but with Ste'Nart her phras romance" to the ing was 'to matter of syntax. He was concerned only with its portent. Wayne King and It is a singular fact that Phil's voice is not in any other broadcasts way altered by the microphone. The IOnes in which he is heard across the nation are the identical ones in which he expresses himsel f in his office or in his living room. They come pretty close to supplying the evasive meaning of the adjective, dulcet. The m;;gnavox which supplies the magic is built right· into his chest. And this is the second crisis which Stewart has faced since he made his unusual debut in radio, an event worth recounting because of coincidence. By Harry Steele HI LE he still was just a vaudeville performer await W ing the renaissance of variety shows, he lived in a small apartment on Chicago's north SIde. Because of ~ HIL STEWART, since his inductIOn into radio will act as master of ceremonies for the shows which lack of funds with which to seek outside diversion. Phil scarcely six years ago, has created for himself the Waltz King will put on in various theaters. In short, found amusement in a small radio which he had ac an enviable position. He is counted among Phil is going to face his vast audience for the first time, quired on his travels. But his entertainment was balked I the ten leading announcers in ~he country, has and he is really worried. by a broadcasting station with studios in a hotel just ri se n from a posi tion with an obscure station From his copious mail Stewart knows that because across the street. It wasn't as particular as it is now to national fame-and now he faces a grave crisis. of his rich and sonorous voice his listeners picture him to stay within its own channel, and as a result, if Phil He is going to be the central figure in the struggle as a veritable Adonis, a throw-back to tne Hellenic male didn't' want to li sten to WCRW, he had the alternative between illusion and reality. For Phil is about to set stature immortaliLed in marble. In fact, Phil is not of of shutting off his receiving set. The station's programs forth on a tour of the country with Wayne King. He heroic proportion_so His physical particulars in no way bl anketed his dial. (Colltinued 011 Page 19) Gracie Allen's Nuts About Philosophy a WONDER I am philosophical. My family logical thing for somebody to scare him, so when my he said : "I think it would be very refreshing if you'd has been philosophical for years. My nephoo is uncle came in dressed '.up in a white sheet and yelling take a day off from being a little off," and I sa id: philosophical about his fathers, and his father "Boooo," he knew it was my uncle, so they had to take "George, that's si lly. If I took a day off, I'd still be is my missing brother, and I am philosophical him to the hospital to get over hiccoughs. off," and he said: "I'm afraid so." So the next evening I about both of them, and George is philosoph Another part of my philosophy is that ./ords speak when he came in I cried: "The top of the morning to ical about me. When my brother had been missing for louder than actions, because if actions spoke louder you, Colonel Dittenfest!" and George said: "Sure." The six months, my nephoo said: "Well, no news is good than words, then acrobats would talk too much, and since next day he sneaked in and yelled ri ght in my ear: news," and I said to George: "I am glad my brother all acrobats say is "allayoop," that goes to show there's "Who am I?" and I said: "Why, you're George Burns. is missing because familiarity breeds contempt," and something funny somewhere. Don't you think so? Don't be- si lly! And I'm Gracie Allen," and he sa id: George said : "That's putting it mildly," and I said: I also believe that you can't make a silk purse ou t "Ah, well Dittenfcst today and gone tomorrow, eh?" "George, that's sweet of you. Not everybody would be of a sow's ear, because a baby in the cradle knows that and I sai~l : "There you go, George, always kidding. I so sweet about a missing brother-in-law." ~k comes from cocoons. was just trying out my philosophy. But maybe I'd My philosophy is that it doesn't pay to be logical. I always say that variety is the spice of life, too. better not have a philosophy, don't you thinl< so?" and My family has been logical for years, and where did The reason so many married people get bored is because he said: "I think so, Gracie." it get them? Look what happened to my grandfather, they don't have enough surprises. So I thought I would So that's my new philosophy, that it's better not who is the most logical man in the world. He knew give George a change, last week. When he came home to have a philosophy. I think so too, don't you? that if anybody has hiccoughs and you scare them, I called out: "Good-day, Mr. McGillicuddy," and he they stop having hiccoughs. He was always scaring my said: "It's George-George! Who is this Nlr. McGilli Burns and Allen broadcast Wednesdays, mama to death after every Thangsgiving dinner. So cuddy?" and I said: "Why, George, you're M r. McGilli CBS-WABC, at 10 p. m. EDT (9 EST; 9 CDT; one time he got the hiccoughs, and he knew it was the cuddy! Don't you catch on? Isn't it refreshing?" and 8 CST; 7 MST; 6 PST). 2 6 Radio's Chameleon back in envelopes the size of a pre-war loaf of bread. By Howard Wilcox I just can't stand to fail at anything I tackle. If it isn't The First Leading Lady of good from the outset, or doesn't at least show immediate signs of promise, I drop it for once and forever. SONG writer once remarked that life is "But my hobby of collecting experiences can go on just a bowl of cherries. He was merely the Air, Rosaline Greene, in the meantime. And it can continue to be of con flirting with the topic, aCco'rding to Rosa siderable use right along. Since I am not yet prepared line Greene, dramatic actress of many im Has Pointed Her Entire to write, I put my knowledge of character to work on portant hours on the air. To her that's just the radio, which seems much the same thing. a very superficial remark, itKe saying that Life Toward ·One Goal "This fervent wish to become a novelist, I believe, there are only 400 people worth knowing has made me succeed as an actress. ill New York, as some other glib person once stated. "Into my characterizations on the air I have in Life to Rosaline Greene is a vast laboratory through jected the types I have met and studied in night courts, which she roams with a wide, scientific eye-peering in the Bowery, on New York's East Sicle. Where the down the barrel of a microscope to observe its flora and author gets material for books, I get it for the air and fauna, poking it with a stick to watch reactions, taking crystalize the characters in my mind in order to write it apart to see the works, and prodding her own emo about them later. Although I like all types, I prefer to tions with as colorful a variety of experiences as one do older people." can drum up in a vicarious world.