MELINDA LEIGHTON PAGE 2 RADIO LIFE FEBRUARY 15, 1942 The Ear Inspires the Pen Mrs.MelvinWolf,905NorthOleander mand of stage technique. By this time COMING Street, Compton, Calif. his eyes ought to be used to the glare Sirs:You missed some good spookof the footlights so that people back stories if you have never heard "Theof the first few rows don't look like OUT OF Devil's Scrapbook" or "Witches' Tales." "dark spooks." In case Mrs. Jacobs hasn't heard it, If an emcee envisions "dark spooks" the another good program of the same or-in the audience, he will be afraid a der is "The Hermit's Cave." and his work will suffer.If he sees a (itis comforting for editors to know people-upstairs as well as downstairs ETHER a that gracious readers stand ready to sup- -then his heart will go out to them a ply our shortcomings in the question -and - and his acting will be classed with answer department. We would have With BERNIE SMITH known what totell Mrs. Jacobs. but a the work of the great. a break-doum of the staff reveals that none (Well, folks, this looks like the ninth _o_o_ sQ_Q_9(Ltscutusci00009cistool of usis addicted to spook stories.We inning and all the bases full. if someone tumble for "bewitching" vocalovelies and can just bat out one more letter on Art bewildering comedians). Baker. we'll say the score's a tie. Other- A little girl I know, just12 years wise we'll call the game for time). old, is learning some ofthe facts of * life. She's not learning themall from Charles W. Kimball, 2307 Reservoir Street, * her mother, either; some ofthem she's Los Angeles. Mrs. M. Hunsinger, 1817 North Avenue 55, learning from her radioloudspeaker! Sirs:Answering Radio Life reader Los Angeles. Reared in a good home and taughtwho bats for Art Baker in replying to Sirs:I enjoy Radio Life very much the distinctions between rightandthe plaint of ticket holders 'to"All but wonder why you do not print radio wrong, this littlegirl was consider-Aboard" who were shooed into thelogs earlier than 8 a. m. Do the pro- ably shocked by what she heard on a balcony,it happens that these par-grams come on an hour earlier with recent Bob Hope program.I do notticular tickets were press tickets.So daylight saving time? I simply present the itis fair to assume that the holders (Periodically Radio Lifeprintslogs argue the case. got as good a break as that given to for the wee small hours.It is suggested facts, herewith. the average comer. that readers clip and save for interim This littlegirl,in high dudgeon, reference. With advent of daylight sat, - Radio Life reader recommends: "To tagtime, radio programs were pushed told me all about it. make sure of a seat downstairs, why ahead one hour to conform to the clock. "I was listening to Bob Hope to- So Burns and Allen, whom you have night," she said, "and he had somenot be there early enough?"This been hearing Tuesday at 6 p. in. come on joke about a sky writer in an air-particular squawk came from guests now when the clock says 6 p. m.) plane writing 'Hello' up in the sky. who were at the door when it opened. And Bob Hope said an anti-aircraftAfter being shooed into the balcony, gun shot out the '0'at the end ofthey saw plenty people ushered to Mrs. A. Hime, 151 North Hoover Street, Los Isn't that awful?" seats downstairs. Glad to hear Baker Angeles. 'Hello.' has changed the system and that it Sirs: One of your columnists thinks is now "first come, first served." (and hopes) that "the day of the quiz Well, the gag itself, as such, isn't Art Baker isn't a novice at facingprogram is drawing to a close." Thou- really up to the usual Hope standard,an audience and the enthusiasm withsands of us will be greatly disap- I'll admit. But the point I'm tryingwhich feminine fans spring to his de-pointed if that happens, for quiz pro- to make Is that kids nowadays savvyfense whenever and however heis grams are entertaining and often edu- a lot more than we give them creditcriticised bears testimony to his com- cational. Facts which we have forgot- for.And allpersons who use the ten (or never knew) are revived in microphone should be made to see, our minds.Too, the quiz programs and see clearly, that their responsi- CURRENTLY: have toa great extent supplanted those awful, nerve-racking jazz pro- bility is one that weighs heavily. EAR INSPIRES PEN This Page Gentlemenoftheairlanes,once grams. If we lose all of our quiz pro- COMING OUT OF ETHER - This Page grams, will the air be filled with blar- againIappeal to your good sense. ing noise again, or just what will re- Clean up your stuff now, while there RADIO WEST, NATIONAL 3 stillis time! place such programs? * NEW SHOWS, TI ME CHANGES 5 Tom Breneman's "Breakfast AtSALUTE TO HORACE HEI DT 6 Sardi's" broadcast seems to be the SHORT WAVE LISTENING POST 6 answer to the morning serial problem. By Earl G. De Haven On the Cover The ladies go for it as enthusiastical- RADIO LIFELINES 7 RadioLife'sValentine cover ly as they have gone for the sob ser- girlis brunette - tressed, hazel- ials in past years. Tom even has taken BURNS SHOW COMES TO LIFE 8 the place of the cliff -hanging hero in By Evelyn Bigsby orbed Melinda Leighton of the the hearts of the fair sex.I know of CBS-KNX Bob Burns and Screen one old lady who is nuts about the JOHNNY ON THE SPOT 10 Guild stock companies. One of guy.And she knows many others By Johnny Whitehead Hollywood's most capable young GAGS OF THE WEEK 10 actresses, Melinda came to Co- who share her affection. lumbia Square two years ago as * RADIO'S BACHELOR GIRL 11 Gateway to Hollywood winner Personal Memo to all those grand By John Whitehead Linda Johnson from Oklahoma people who submitted ideas to sell CU FF-I DENTIALLY YOURS 12 City, Okla.She's also making Defense Bonds and Stamps via radio: By Torn Breneman current bid for film fame cis the I've turned them over to the proper CONSUMER'S CLUB 13 ingenue lead in Gene Autry's authorities and even now they are be- By Chef Milani Republic opus "A Cowboy Sere- ing considered for possible use. Each PRE -CASTS AND PRE -VIEWS 14 nade."Cover by Ted Allan. idea is g r at e f u 11 y acknowledged. You're a pretty nice bunch of guys. DAILY LOGS 16-28 1 029 West Washington Blvd.. Los Angeles. Phone RI.0202. Publisher, Carl M. RADIO LIFE ispublished weekly by Compton Printing Company. Editor Women's and Children's Affairs. Evelyn Bigsby; Rigsby; Editor, John F. Whitehead: Business Manager. Vinson Vaughan: Log Editor, Hal Julian:Culbreth Sucher. Phone FEderal 3154. Postpaid Subscrip- Art Director, Willard Merrill: Short Wave Editor, Earl De Haven: Advertising Representative,Manager. Single copies are2c.Unsolicited materialIs tions $2.00 per year of 52 issues. Advertising rates may be had on application to the Busishould ness be by Postal Money Order.Express Mosey Order, or sent' at sender's risk. Radio Life assumes no responsibility for same. All remittances Entire contents of this issue copyrighted, Check infavor of Radio Life. Currencyissentatsender'srisk.This issue is numbered Volume 4. No. 23. 1942. Reprinting in whole or part without permission strictly prohibited. Editorial Offices, 1.558 NorthVine street, Hollywood. Telephone HEmpstead 2025. Business and Advertising Offices, 1029 West Washington Boulevard. Los Angeles. TelephoneRichmond 5262. "NEWS MAGAZINE NO OTHER OF THE MAGAZINE LIKE IT AIRLANES" ij II PIA' IN AMERICA FEBRUARY 15, 1942 PAGE 3 RADIO: West* NationalInternational wagon for use in homes, on camping Radio Gives Again Benny's Barrels trips and picnics. Saturday.,Feb. 14,9:45p.m.is To Leo Durocher, manager of the Thisnew,streamlinedbarbecue launched a new program over all fourBrooklyn Dodger baseball team, thiswagon, which is nothing more than nation-wide networks. Titled "This Isweek went the following wire, and an old wine cask converted into a bar- War," it is radio's all-out contritAition we quote: becue barrel, calls for the use of oak toward dramatizing and interpfeting barkinsteadofbriquets.Baseball the wartime resources and activities "Would like option on all ball batsbats, according to Benny, are ideal for of the government to the American brokenby dem gorgeous bumsof the generating of smoke in these bar- people andtheentireworld. yours this season. Best personal re- The gards." becue barrels inasmuch as they are series was offered to the government made of hickory. by the broadcasting industry and The wire was signed by Benny Ru "gratefully accepted" by the same of- bin, radio farceur -baseball fan who "And to think I just gave away a ficials who have been "riding" the cavorts on more comedy shows than dozen broken bats three weeks before major networks for the past several any other comic in Hollywood. I started selling these barbecue months. wagons!" wailed Rubin. Benny, between rehearsals for Ran- From alengthylistof proposedsom Sherman's CBShow the other aft- titles and subjectmatter, "ThisIs Kay's 'Lucky' Fifth War" was selected as most suitableernoon, explained the reason for his Kay Kyser, the quip -pitching Old for the series. Norman Corwin, top- interest in broken bats. Professor of NBC-KFI's College of Mu- flight CBS writer -producer who did It seems that Benny is the salessical Knowledge, this week celebrates such a magnificent job on the "Billmanager of a company which manu-his fifth year as headman of the hour- of Rights" program, is directing thefactures a new type of barbecuelong Wednesday night show for Lucky series which will star outstanding ac- tors, actresses, and artists.With an anticipated outlet in 500 stations, this will mark the first time in radio his- tory that combined network facilities are employed simultaneouslyfor a broadcast series.