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GECA876431 WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 13, 1934 ~=========:::::::::::::=::::::::== -0--::::::==::::'=:1 TELLS WHAT'S ON THE AIR - ANY TIME - DAY OR NIGHT Volu"," nt. Numlm 51 In This Issue: Benny Friedman Hurls Challenge at Football Broadcasting Spotlighting MINSTRELS Again, for Radio Block and Sully Tell How They Crashed Big Time Starting Page 14: Complete Radio Programs Those Crazy Kids By Lew C. Barrison These Up and Coming Stars of Radio Tried to Duck an Appearance Before the Microphone, Along with Joe Penner and Dick Powell. That Was Four Years Ago. Attend What They Have to Say Now! Je-"h(~ Block: "Let's take a E\"~ SuHy: "H'II be foo1ic;:h And, nf cour e, there ;, the m3tter of their "Big 6pending all that money" chance and go to Florida" Sho"," radio program, \\ hkh is ht:ard lWlce \\L"Ckly o\er the tran~ontim'ntJI Columbia Ilt't\\ork. After meetin~ and mingling \\ith the bla~ lab Ii hed tars of radio. 11'5 rdre.hlllg to come in conla,t he man 1ge r of the Stanlcy 1 heatcr, in Pitt hurJ,:h, \\ Ith the eagerly ll1thu iastlc team of Blfk:k and. ullv, , mmet! '\\ith rhou anJs of It.'tkr<l; from appreoatlve ddrc d the troupe of \ auJtVllhans a.. ~mhleJ \\ho still look "ith a\\e on the biG-time radio per~nali II lcnl'rs. Jt: 5e and I'\e \\erp jubilant. urel). th y T In his ol1ke. A Hollyv.ood dl :t\:tor '\\ould h.ne tie. • tost irnpre I"e, hov.e cr. is then puhlic de\CltIon re;J.)(lned the '\\oTld \\oulll be thear o}-slt'r hom thtn un. heen lei ghteJ \\llh his histrionJL as he pleaded. 'Lold aTfd thankfulness to Eddie Canlor and to Hud)' \ allec. .\lan}' offers poured in, hUl a Joker \\as att,lCheJ, cd, screamed <tIlJ ~blx'd. My turn he \\~S sarca tic, \\-ho ga\c them their first real radio opportunitic::>. to each offer. All demand d that they gi\e .an audi· jn::>ullin~, wheedling and proIanc, tion. I his they rl'lu ed tu do. ")011 simply can't turn me do\\n'" he (Outd. n <Xtoher of 1931 the future lonkt'd mi~hty dark and "It \\3 nOt pride that kept us from gi\inl( auditiun'!," -rhe th ater i:::. lu.;k \\ith air time, and I must gd a. I glum for Block and Sully. Vaudevillc had takl'll a said Je"~, "<IS He,lvcn kntl\\s we nel'ded the ,\-ork sh()\".. together.' terrili~ nose-di\e, aTHI whl're formerly therc had ~en de.per3tely. It was a dtTp-rooted CIlll\it:.tlon th.lt our lie pointed a fingcr at Joc Penner, "You're. a olle and two-year bookings at a thousand dollars a act W;.I\I1't J.:ilited for audItions-we simply hilt! to h:lVe pretty p:ouJ comeJian, Joe," he said, his tone plcadlll,g week. there were now two and lhree-week bookings at an audicnce reactinn. Ihe first and only auditiun we now. "\\'on't )OU he: a good fellow and I3ke an aIr cut-rate salaries. Radio uffered the only salvatiun C\"er g.1\"e ()('curreJ morc than len years ago, anll it turn toni$ht? I s\\('ar I'll ne\('r a k for another su,h but radio was mighty hard to era h. taught us a les50n. We florIX'd terrifically. and it co t fa\'or aA.:lln, just this on,e, eh. joe?". .. The book of proverbs tells us that it is always us many precious weeks ut' booking, In lieu ()f the joe Penner hrugged his hnulde,rs In re:',lgnJtl~ln. clarke t before the t1j\\n. ju"t \\hl'n Bhxk and ~ lilly audrlitln \l.C hef!f!eJ our pr~pective sponsor:i to call.:h "Oh. aU right' he ~ru\\led. "I II do It. but 1m tdhn.g had n j~ned them IH5 to an obscure fate, Kudy \ allee our .lei in a theater, but thl the) wouldn't do:" )'00 that the next manal'(er \\ho 3 ks me to take an air steppeJ into the picture \\llh a Iife·gi\'ing offer for an turn \\iII get a sock on the no e!" appearance (In his \'ariety Iiour. I(l("k and Sully made their next radio appearance in r ultingly the manager turned to the trim, youth 'I he night of the broalkast HUll}' gave Blcll:k Jnd B l'lorida a year and a half later, with bJdie Cantor. ful-looking chap ,landin~ heside Penner. "'1 hat me:ms Sully the thrill of their li\es when he inlrOlluced tht:m: I:dtlle practically ad(lpted them after this. He ~..:ame that you·1I ha\c to (hip in too, Dick." He smiled 'Tolks," he said, "in recalling the"e kids I ha\e to their f.tther cunfe. '\(Ir and ad\ i~or, and under his expert happilv. ~o 'way back to my college days al Yale. They \\ere ~uidance and tutelage they began a rapid radio ascent. Dick PO\\ell nodded ~Iumly. "Ok:ly, but what Joe pl':lying the I 'ew Ila\"eo Theater, and thc c;()ns of old BUI to return 10 the events leading up to the Florida says Aoes for me. too," he \\arneli. "No more radiO Eli \\l're gathered in the hal.:ony of the theater, pre trip ... reque~ts from nnw on." pnred to greet each act with the traditional razzbcrry. La:::.t winter Jesse and Eve were in New York A colle~e town theater is one of the toughest SPOIS in I:\}'ing ofT. They were discouraged, disgusted with life hc manaAcr rubbt:d his h:lntl~ in satisfaction as he the world for an actor. Ne\"erlhcle,~ Block and Sully :lIld .. how bu~iness. One Sunday night they snapped on T turned to Je e Block and Eve Sully. After" d:lY's came on, and at the conclusion of their act received the radio and listened to thc Chase and Sanborn broad· Nckeril)g with his ca.. t, he \\as .ucceetling in rounding the most terrific o\'ation~ in the hi,tory of the thl'.ater ca ... t, emanaling from the Hollywood Beach Ilotel in t'lgllher a radio, show. "You crazy kills won't turn from the audience, I think that the\ 're great come H()II~ wood, Florida, hldie Cantor finished hi:::. stint me dm\n now, \\111 you? i\o? 'I hat's s\\cll!" dians, and I'm sure you·1I agree \\ilh me after they and then came the magic words "guest ~tars!" Thu it \\'a that the tlUartet tlf Penner, Powl'II, fini~h their 3C"" "E\e'" Jc~...e's voice was aglow with excitement R1tJoCk and. ull\' mt'toreJ O'cr to the radio station in Block anti Sully lived up to RUlh"s expectatinnc;. and hope. "Cantor i.; usinJt gucst stars! Let':) take a Pin hurgh th;n- . ummt:r night in 1930, and faced the ror a \\eek after the brOJ.dca t Vallee's office ",as chan..:e and go to Florida. Maybe he'll give us a break." microphone for the first time in But Eve was the perennial their youthful lives. woman-cautious and \\orrying J(' c BI{Kk and Eve Sully about the money, "He hardly lau~hed a:-; they related the fore knows us, Jc. e," .. he said. "It'll 1(lIinl-; episodt· recently, "Were be roolish spending all that we terrible!" chuckled Jesse money for a trip that will prob l1Io~k. "You "'ce, what the ably p:et us no\\ here." m.ana~er doc n't know to this Jess-e's \ ihr.ant argument'i. \'Cry day is th':lt we all entcred howe\er, won the h.ltIle. and into a dcliherate cons-piracy to thl'''' packed their ba~.. forth\\ ith he a\\ ful. for vaudc\ ille \I.':IS in and flew to Horida. E\ldie its hc"da\· tht'n and \\e didn't k~lew them c.a U.1J1y, but in \ iew \\Jnt·"10 -be bothered \'With any ot the facl that he was lie per~ more reque ts for radio appe.ar ately in neeJ of rest, he :t~rced ances, Penner told hi, ll.attc t to allow them to make one gllest juke, Dick 5.1n/-t the oldc:!ot tUlles appearance. Their first ho.ld~ III an off-key monntO!lt', and we ca.;t was received kindly. so -\HI!. \\e Just repeated a few Eddie agreed to bring thl'lll back of Joe .\tiller's mo... t andcnt the following week. And aHain. whl't'/es." And ~till again! F\'e Sully hrokc into the I-our Rue ... t appearances in conn'r..ation in lones that were succe!'>~ioll thty made- -a record· almo"t pious. "If only we h;.I(.1 breaking achievement then. '1 he kno\\n \\hat would happen in radin f,\'orld sat up in earne t radin!" she murmured. "We'd af\d began to take note of Block ha\'e broken (lllr necks in an ef and Sully. fort to gi\'e the grandest per~ .'\leall\\hile, Jes"e and E\'e ~ormances (Jf our liH... ! Ju t had formed a ,@:reat 1:-fmd of think this occurred only four friend hip \\;th Fddie. Ida Can· years a~o. ·lo.lJy Joe Penner tor, and the kids. Eddie insisled and Dkk P,)\\e11 are sensations that they move from their on Ihe air.