ad oGuideVol. III No. 17 LARGEST WEEKLY RADIO AUDIENCE IN AMERICA Week Ending Feb. 17, 1934 Midwestern Edition Sara Ann McCabe $10,000 CASH IN PRIZES FOR RADIO PUZZLE STARTING: WHAT RUDY VALLEE NEVER TOLD THEY LEAD DANCERS BUT CAN'T EVEN DANCE HAVE you been getting more enjoyment out of your radio orchestra and band leaders know how to dance. adept and was moved up with the brighter pupils. He dancing lately? You should. The band leaders This is so despite the fact that they spend their even- was "shown off" by his teacher for his amazing grace have been to school. Report cards coming in on ings watching others do it. in both fox-trot and waltz. them indicate that new lessons in tempo and rhythm Their excuse was that, what with theatrical, radio Phil Spitalny found the `waltz easy but had to do have been mastered. and night club appearances, they didn't have time to some homework on the fox -trot. It was not a school for baton waving that they learn. But blushing, finally, at their inability to do Once in a while the pupils threatened to get out attended. Mostly it was a long recess, with the band what they encouraged others to do, they formed a class of order by cocking a critical ear in the direction of leaders indulging in terpsichorean flings. In short, which Murray called "The Dance Band Leaders Danc- the small orchestra playing for their dancing lessons. tables were turned and a group of well known maestros ing Class." Several instructresses, expert in teaching Murray, however, anticipated their "talking back" by who play Piper to millions found themselves dancing beginners, were engaged to handle the group. detecting musical errors, and had engaged the best to a Piper. He was Arthur Murray, noted dance Leon Belasco quickly came to the head of the class. available musical unit. authority and teacher. He was one of the few familiar with fundamentals. Why did they form the class? 'Twas all for the School began recently when it was reyealed by a Masterfully overcoming the handicap of rotundity, good of their art. terpsichorean expert that only about five per cent of Jacques Renard, whose band has been featured on the "Our own dancing will guide us in melody selections Wednesday- Saturday Pontiac commercial early became and in discerning tempo and rhythm," contends Bel - asco. These leaders came to learn how to dance. (Left to right): Arthur Murray, celebrated dancing instructor, and Leon Belasco, Jacques Renard, and Phil Spitalny. The dancing partners of the leaders made Arthur Murray's lessons a pleasure. 5000 -to -1 YOU NEVER WILL TAKE THE AIR SO you have your heart set on a radio audition? "Learn who is the most reputable vocal teacher or station. If you have talent, you will get ahead. If Well, ydu may be successful, but the chances are coach in your city, or musical instructor if you are you haven't, you might just as well learn it at home. slight that you will "click." It's about a five - an instrumentalist, and go to him for an unbiased "And should you become a local 'sensation,' thousand -to -one chance, to be exact, if you take the opinion. If you have one or two defects in your tech- the networks will find you. Much of the big figures presented by Frank J. Black, NBC's general nique, he may be able to make suggestions. He will be talent in radio today started on unimportant stations. musical director. Black has heard fifteen thousand able to tell you whether you have a chance. If you do achieve success locally, then try for a major auditions personally. Out of that number, three were "Don't be ashamed to try out on a small or local audition. Bear in mind, though, that when you get it, successful. you will be heard by an audition board. Often one "And," says Black, "almost seventy-five per cent comment like 'nothing out of the ordinary' or 'not so of those who seek radio auditions never have had good as talent we have,' means defeat. You must have broadcasting experience. Yet scores of stage stars, Mr. M. L. Annenberg Elected something that will get those critics out of their chairs backed by years of dramatic and musical comedy ex- to shout, "Sign him up'!" perience, have to learn microphone technique when President of Radio Guide This NBC musical director knows. He has seen they are brought to radio. At a special meeting of the Board and heard. Yet even he cannot deny that there "If I were asked to specify rules for hopefuls in always have been, and always will be, Cin- ,radio, I would suggest the following: of Directors of Radio Guide, Inc., held derellas and good genii. Wand-wavers have beèn. known "First, realize 'that competition is markedly keen. to do wonders, sometimes in the guise of a sponsor who Unless you are certain that you are as good or better on Friday, February 2nd, Mr. M. L. is prejudiced in favor of someone's talents, or a friend than most of the artists you hear, it might be well not Annenberg was elected President of the who induces the powers- that -be to slip an audition to bother. And I do not mean that you should take ahead of the long schedule of waiting names. Again the advice of a friend or a neighbor who asks, 'Why company and Publisher of its weekly it may be a star who accidentally happens upon talent don't you go on the air? We hear a lot of singers who magazine, RADIO GUIDE. and makes its owner a protege. are not nearly so good as you.' Take heart. You may be that onel 2 WHAT RUDY VALLEE NEVER TOLD long time before, that by means of intercepted phone "After all, I don't blame the poor kid. I took her three By His Former Secretary calls recorded phonographically, he learned that Fay thousand miles away from her home to a strange city, entertained strange men, that she was unduly friendly left her alone night after night while I was working, The story of Rudy Vallee, often described as "the with Gary Leon, the handsome adagio dancer, that she and provided no substitutes. It's not her fault." crooner with ten trillion sweethearts," has been printed took long mysterious midnight rides in Central Rudy still would have been happy to make up. in every language having a literature. His most intimate Park. Then Rudy began to hear things. Ex- servants told affairs have become legends in both hemispheres. Librar- But Rudy had known all this and had been willing him their stories, neighbors tattled. well -meaning friends ies contain volumes about these intimacies, including a to forgive all this long before his west coast trip. His who previously had kept quiet began to talk. book from his own pen. Nevertheless, there remain love was so intense that he excused her by saying, He was told how Fay used to go out and employ many incidents and episodes of his life that have never a stooge to listen in on his Thursday night broadcasts been told. At this juncture of Rudy's affairs, while the and to report the exact program back to her, so that whole world looks on in divided astonishment and sym- she could discuss it intelligently with him later. pathy, these untold secrets of the radio idol assume He was told that at the time of their marriage especial interest. they received several thousand dollars worth of wed- are presented for the first time in ding gifts from admiring friends, but that none 111011"Herewithtint a series of stories, anecdotes and revela- of these gifts was shown to him; indeed, that ns from the notebook of one who must Fay had packed them up and shipped them to obvious reasons remain unidentified. her home in California without even acknowl- 0 one is better equipped than tins edging their receipt to the givers. or telling writer to tell all the facts.. Rudy about them. Slowly, as a result of such disclosures. AFTER a long and intimate connec- Rudy began to come to the opinion that tion in a confidential capacity with Fay never had cared for him, that she or- Rudy Vallee, pre- dating his rise to . iginally married him for the sole purpose international fame as of profiting by him. That decided Rudy. the Vagabond His love Lover, I am amazed now turned to loathing. to see that the Now daily press has published so few of the Rudy is going to fight -fight real facts about the man. for all he is worth, without gloves or hon- Hundreds of highly paid space writers eyed phrases or empty pretenses. Al- and maudlin sob -sisters have gone into though he loves his career next to life. Rudy's past with sharp -edged his rage is so great that he will sacrifice probes, at- even tempting to discover why this acknowl- his future if that will help him to edged idol of millions of American women achieve vindication -yes, and revenge. I suppose cannot make one woman -and that one the proper biographical his wife- happy. Those method of tracing the history of his writers might white -hot have found the answer to be remarkably burning romance with Fay simple, if they had not wasted Webb, whom undeniably he loved to ex- their time cess, up to the time that it off and and their undeniable talents searching for cooled some hidden abnormal psychological headed for the divorce courts where it background.