Vol. 6. No. 48 IN THIS ISSUE A D I O 18, 1937 WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER CURTIS MITCHELL L ANNENBERG Editor UBLISHER Smash Features It Can Only Happen Here Civic broadcast of the week! by KEN W. PURDY 3 Star Is Born Attend the Lux Premiere! by HAROLD R. HIGGINS 5 Happy Listening Have You Been Radio Robbed? Advice to radio buyers by WILLIAM GAVIN 10 ACTS of God, we should have claims itself "Headquarters for Radio warned our readers, are beyond Facts." And all the time we had thought Personalities the control of editors. We refer our Mr. Fairfax was the headquarters. Harry von Zell specifically to the broadcast of CBS boasts it has the answers to practi- He Knew What He Wanted the Louis -Farr fight for the world cham- cally everything, even such questions as: by MARY WATKINS REEVES 4 on Clark Dennis pionship which we listed for a Thursday How many programs have been We applaud him! 19 and which a rainstorm postponed to a the air 600 times or more? Paul Whiteman Whiteman rides again! 24 Monday, and to Shaw's "Methuselah" How do the listening habits of coLege "Buck" which we listed for a triumphal network students compare with those of the aver- production on a Monday and which has age audience? News and Views been postponed until goodness knows What percent of the homes in Aus- into a Stories of the Week's when. After working ourselves tralia have radio sets? Big Broadcasts 8 lather, beating our breasts and telling all Showdown How much did the audience spend to Hollywood and sundry that these were broadcasts by EVANS PLUMMER 12 listen in 1936? Airialto Lowdown worth whole minutes of your precious by WILSON BROWN 13 Our Mr. Fairfax Who Knows All is time, things like that have to happen. Music of the Masters day even natives of 17 Unless times get better we're going to piqued. On a clear by CARLETON SMITH Alaska can see his pout. So he is chal- Short Waves change astrologers. 18 CBS to answer his list of ques- by CHARLES A. MORRISON In all seriousness, we apologize. In lenging but here they the future when you read of opulent tions. They're rather silly have been on Pictorial Features shows being prepared for your ears, are: How many programs the air one time or more? How do the please tincture your hopes for a fine pro- The Photo Week students com- 6 gram with the slight doubt that some- listening habits of college Stars making news! pare with those of human beings? What Sail the Sound thing might-just barely might, mind Melton 20 percent of the radios in Australia have -With James you, happen. This nettlesome spat with Asked for Them- was the audience You such ominous forces of nature as storm homes? And how spent And Here They Are after it had finished its 1936 listening? Eight of radio's "400" 22 clouds and George Bernard Shaw has Men At Work taught us a lesson. The NBC Minstrels! 26 Which reminds us of a peppery talk A contest a reader would like to sug- we heard the other evening from a gen- Departments gest is one for small stations-a prize to tleman who insisted that Americans are -by Stations 15 be offered to the station thinking up a becoming mental grasshoppers, all be- Stories of Near Radio Guide's X -Word Puzzle 16 name other than "The Musical Clock" cause of radio. Men once listened for Voice of the Listener 16 for a program between 7 and 8 a.m. thoughts, he said. Now they listen for Short -Wave Programs 18 x I I laughs, and we're all bound for hellfire Contests on the Air 41 The Columbia Broadcasting System and perdition unless we change our has the knack of producing both thought - ways. As a matter of fact, he made a Programs provoking programs and writing thought - small speech which might be titled: 12 27 provoking advertisements in behalf of "How to Be Happy Though Listening Sunday, September Monday, September 13 29 to a Radio Speech." More about it, we its own services. We've just received an Tuesday, September 14 32 impudent pamphlet in which CBS pro- promise, next week. Wednesday, September 15 34 Thursday, September 16 37 Friday, September 17 39 Saturday, September 18 42 Cover by Charles E. Rubino 18, 1937. Published by ltegal It tnnn Crrno ITrude Dlark Registered U. S. ('at. Office). Volunw V1. Number 48. Week Ending September matter at the Post Office, ('h1 - Press, Inc. Iasurd meekly. Itslitti tang, 731 l'lynmuth Court, Chicago. Illinois. Entered as second class Illinois. February 21, 1932, under Art of March 3. 1879. Authorized by Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, as second-class Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, Circulation and Business Offices, 731 Plymouth Court, norther. Copyright. 1937. by ltigal Press, Advertising Offices. lilraOt, Illinois. llencort Scanner, Vire -President; Curtis Mitchell, Vice -President; Ed 7.ilt', Circulation Manager. Los Angeles. Calif., and 731 Plymouth 551 I'itlh Anone. Nun Sark. N. V'.; San Francisco. Calif.; Western l'aride Itldg.. manuscript, should be accompanied by stamped. self-addressed envelope for return. 'Pen rents per Court. Chicago. Illinois_ Unsolicited six months, in the Stales. Subscription rata; in the V. S. and possessions and countries of the Pan-American Postal Union: ropy United by mimes order. $2.50; one Feat. $4.01/ Sobsci ini inn rates in foreign countries six months. $5.90; one sear, $8.911. Remit postal express 'nones order, ni check tir:triri to order of linon. (;ctnr. ('urrency sent at subscriber's risk. n 2 Radio Guide Week Ending September 18, 1937 IT CAS ONLY HAPPEN HERE IN AMERICA ALONE CAN MEN DISCUSS THE CONSTITUTION THE WAY THEY'LL DISCUSS IT ON THE AIR THIS WEEK BY KEN W. PURDY WHEN in the course of human yer, deep student, will air his views events it becomes necessary over the NBC -Blue network. On Fri- for one people to dissolve the day, September 17, Senator Arthur H. political bonds which have connected Vandenberg of Michigan, one of the them with another . leaders in the constitutional fight "We., the people of the United States, against President Roosevelt's Supreme in order to form a more perfect union, Court plan during the just -adjourned establish justice, insure domestic tran- session of Congress, will be on the air quility, provide for the common de- for 45 minutes over the Mutual net- -Wide World fense . work. And, a few hours later that One of the quotations above is taken same day, the President himself will President Franklin D. Roosevelt: Friday night he'll tell what he feels from the Preamble to the Constitution address the nation-over NBC -Blue, should be done to the Constitution to adapt it to our modern needs of the United States; the other is from Columbia, and the Mutual Broadcast- the opening sentence of the De- ing System Coast -to -Coast networks! and Borah, the Constitution will be the claration What is the Constitution, anyway? of Liberty. For guessing When those three broadcasts are over, sole subject; President Roosevelt has Actually, it's merely the basic set of which is which, there are no prizes the air around the Constitution should not announced the subject -matter of laws upon which the government whatsoever, but of you may find the ef- be a great deal more clear! this, his first major speech since the this country is founded. It's a docu- fort enlightening. And if you are Mr. For all three of these men are ac- adjournment of Congress. But while ment drawn Average up by delegates chosen Citizen, you have only a 50-50 credited experts on the subject. All he will, of course, discuss other phases for the purpose, who met in Philadel- chance of being able to make the cor- three have devoted their lives to politi- of the state of the union, you may be phia on May 14, 1787, and argued, rect choice. (The second quotation is cal endeavor, all three have attained sure that in the main his talk will deal fought, debated and compromised until from the Constitution.) to high If that was eminence, and of all three it with the Constitution. To him, and to on September 17 they were able to re- your guess, you may go to the head of may be said that they are not mere everyone else in Washington, it is the port to George Washington that their the class. If it wasn't-you may be politicians, but statesmen. one issue that must be squarely faced labor was done. inclined to say, "Well, what of it?" In the case of Senators Vandenberg and fought through without delay. And it was an impressive labor. Nothing at all-except that you've Said the great proved British Statesman Glad- your right to membership in stone, "As the British Constitution is the great army of citizens of these the most United subtle organism which has States who consider it their proceeded from progressive history, so privilege to argue fiercely over some- the American thing Constitution is the most they know nothing about: the wonderful work ever struck off at a Constitution of the United States of given time by the brain and purpose America. Today, you can't toss a stone of man." That's high praise, indeed. on Main Street without hitting a man who's pining away for a chance to pin BUT, if the Constitution is such an you to the wall by your lapels and pour forth his amazingly perfect document, what's own private interpreta- all the tion of constitutional rights.