Frank Moulan Stage Vs Radio the SO S from Chinatown "Uncle Don" Carney Ca Roline Andrews ~ Mme
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Mareh 1930 0:: . oq" 0 .d ~- a ~ ".. ''\' In This Issue: Frank Moulan Stage vs Radio The SO S from Chinatown "Uncle Don" Carney Ca roline Andrews ~ Mme. Galli-Curci The Two Troupers A nd Other Features RADIO STARS from the Studios of DONALD MCGILL LUCIEN R UT;\IAN Baritoll e Tell or WOR- WEAF W'EAF- W OR A lIlcricall OPera Co 111 pa ll )' WALTER I{IESEWETTER 33 West 67th Street N ew York Telephone: T rafalgar 8063 BROWNIE PEE BLES J\[c :;::; u-So /)ra 110 Ca ll adiall Natio ll al ADELE VASA Railu'a),s MAR y SILVEIRA Coloratura Sojml/IO \VOR- WEAF L)'ric Coloratura Sopra ll o \\7 ABC-WEAF-WOR AlIlericall O J) cr(/ Co 111 /)(/ 1/), WOR-WABC AlIlericall OJ)('ra COll1jW Il )' America ll OJ)('rll Co 111 jWIl )' © Cl B 637!H; I2A()IU /' FOR q:'HE LlSq:'E 'NER Volume I Number 4 . March, 1930 CONTENTS On the Cover: Caroline Andrews . .. ... ... By Gaspano Ricca. Alma Kitchell .. ... .. (Photograph) 2 Trying To Be Funny Not As Much Fun as It Might Seem. By Frank M01dan 3 Frank Moulan ..... ...... ... .. (Photograph) A Gypsy Call ... .... ..... By Alice Remsen , Radio Gives Actress Greater Thrill Than Does Stage .. ... .... Georgia Backus 7 Cathedral of Underworld Sends SOS From Chinatown . .. ... By Allen Haglund 10 Trees Need Not Walk the Earth .. ........ '.' .... ... .. By David Ross 12 Radio Revives Public's Interest in Old-Time Minstrel Show . .... By Al Bernard 13 Don Carney is "Uncle" to More Than 300,000 Children . ... .... By DavM Casem 15 "Sponsori tis" .. An011. 16 At Home on the High " Cs". .... .... .... (Photograph) 17 Mr. Average Fan Answers Some of His Critics . .... ... By Average Fan 18 Sound Effects Made to Order for Radio Programs ......... ... By H erbert Devins 20 In Memoriam: A Tribute to Col. C. T. Davis. .. ... By Bertha Brainerd 23 Personalities-Pert and Pertinent . (Photogrtlph) 25 Interest in Grand Opera Fast Waning Says Mme. Galli Curci By Willie Perceval-M011-ger 26 Acting a New Side Line, Oscar Writes Girl Friend Margy . .. By P. H. W. Dixon 27 The Two Troupers Delve Into Dark Past . By Marcella Shields f5 H elene Hardin 29 Evening Stars Program an Interesting Experiment in Good Will By Donald Witb)'comb 31 Editorials 32 Soprano Modulator, Radio's Latest Wonder. By I. B. Hansom 33 Static from the Studios. .. 34 Listener's Forum 35 Rudy Vallee and Jessica Dragonette Lauded in Prize Letters . .. ... _ . 36 Ether Etchings 37 Program Notes 39 Lessons in Loveliness. ... ... By Nell Vi nick 41 Radio in the Home . By M rs. A. M. G01ldiss 42 Milady's Fashions .. .. By Marie Blizard 44 The Big Ten-Best Selling Popular Songs of the Month . .. 46 Bruce Gray, Editor Contributing Editors: Allen Haglpnd H. Raymond Preston Mrs. Julian Heath Walter H. Preston Willie Perceval-Monger K. Trenholm Published m onthly p~ RADIO REVUE, I NC:. Si..,< H a rrison St,reet , N ewT Yor k. N . Y ., T elephone: \\' a lker 2677·2678; Upt own Office : R?om 121~, H otel Kmck erbocker, 120 \\ est 4ath Street , N ew "1 ork, N. "1 ., H . R aymond P reston. President; B en ja m in F. R owland, Vlce.Preslde'?t ; \Valter H. Prest on, Secreta ry and Treasurer; George Q. B urkett, Advert ising M a nager. M a nuscripts an d photo. graphs sub!"ltted for pu b li~ a ti ? n must be accompanied by su fficient post age if their r eturn is desir ed. Adver tising rates will be gladly furl1lshed upon applica tIOn. Second Class En~r y P endn g at P os.t Offi,?e. Kew York , X . Y . Copyright, 1930, by R adio Revue, Inc. v Ail rights resen·ed. Pnnted III U. S. A . • Subscription Prices: United States, $ 2; Canada, $ 2.50; Foreign, $ 3; Single Copies, 25c '. 2 RADIO REVUE Rouses Early Morning Music Lovers Alma Kitchell, Who Sings So Sweetly on Sunday Morning ProgramsJ 8 to 9 T HIS charming NBC contra lto delights those who tune in on the NBC fold over a year ago. Early in her career she studied the Sunday SymphQllette with her rich renditions of only the to become a concert pianiste, but experts, upon hearing her beau best music. She was born in Superior, Michigan, and first studied tiful voice, urged her to turn to singing, proving that experts are a t the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and, la ter, under the often correct. She is also featured on Dr. Cadman's hour and d irection of her husband, Cha rles Kitchell, in New York. She sings with the National Grand Opera Company, the Salon Singers c ame to radio by way of concert a n d oratorica l work, a nd joined and a number of other programs. MARCH, 1930 3 Trying ·to be FUNNY Not as Much FUN As It Might Seem I wasn't born funny. It was thrust on me. After a few appearances with the Young Apollo Club, a meeting was called to decide whether I should continue to sing. The upshot was that I was unani mously elect~d official come- dian of the group. If I had my choice of allY role, out of the 242 librettos I am supposed to know, I'd choose that of Jack Point, the HII1'ri1 &- Ewing strollin g jester in Gilbert alld Frank MOlllan Sulli l'an's "T he Y oe111el1 of Comedian, National Ligbt Opera the Guard". That role has Com pany, NBC. everything in it - comedy, philosophy, traged)'. By FRANK MOULAN OMETIMES it is fun to be funny. Always it is a that. The girls wore tights. Ah, the good old days! pleasure to be human. But to become reminiscent But, since Peggy Joyce has done her memoirs and we can S about the parts one has played in a lifetime behind probably expect a volume from Helen Mayes's baby al the footlights at first thought would seem to be a task not most any week, here goes. to be taken too lightly. First of all let me issue what the lawyers -call a dis Reminiscences, somehow, have always been associated in claimer in regard to certain questions asked by young my mind with old age. Why didn't they say "Well, old journalists. I was never starred in a production with timer, do us a bit of history about the stage of your day Jenny Lind. Neither was I that unsung celebrity who . .. the stage that is unknown to us moderns"? I could do carried Mrs. Whiffen on the stage at the tender age of six that, too, for I belong to that rapidly dwindling group of months-Mrs. Whiffen I mean. I may be an old-timer, veterans who saw the original production of "The Black but I never write letters to the papers begging for the re Crook". That was when I first wore long trousers. I turn of hoop-skirts. I still regard the abolition of short had to wear them in order to buy a ticket. A great show, skirts as the major catastrophe of 1929, regardless of the 4 RADIO REVUE nse to fame of that well known phrase " more margin." spent on the payroll of Henry Savage. Appearing alter nately in New York, Chicago and St. Louis, I sang III a First Contralto, Then Baritone different opera or operetta every week for the entire six years. T he fact that I was born is so obvious that it is scarcely I was very flattered when I was offered the chance to worth mentioning. The fact that I was actually born in sing the role of Figaro in "The Barber of Seville". Of New York may be considered news in some circles-that course, there was a stipulation. I had one week to learn is, if Greenwich Village can be considered New York. the role. It was months later before I learned that all In t hose days I was a contralto, but other available singers had turned down you can't beat biology, so it was in the same opportunity because they did evitable that I should develop into a not think a week's study was enough. baritone. This transition took place George Ade wrote "The Sultan of virtually over a week-end, much to the Sulu" and made immortal the line "It astonishment of all my associates. is no time for mirth or laughter, the Before my voice changed, my career cold, dark dawn of the morning after". had already started. When I was ten The line is usually credited to Lord years old I joined the Young Apollo Byron. I was in that show for two Club, a musical group that sang in years and enjoyed the rest, because Mr. t own halls and fire houses in communi Ade did not rewrite the production t ies inexpensively distant from New every week. York City. I also sang in choirs, among Some years later I thought I had dis them the boys' choir of Trinity chapel. covered an ideal job. Klaw . & Er Now is as good a time as any to con langer were producing American ver f ess that I wasn't born funny. It was sions of British pantomimes. "There", thrust upon me. After a few appear thought I, "is my chance to show them ances with the Young Apollo Club, a that a funny voice is not my only meeting was called to decide whether asset". I was mistaken. Pantomime Brother Moulan should continue to proved to be another word that didn't sing.