LATEST SHORT WAVE NEWS ON PAGE 15 MP Vol. 5 WEEK ENDING MARCH 19, 1936 No. 44 MET OFFERS "LA BOHEME" OVER NBC West PointPoint Anniversay Aired Spring Fashion Grace Moore Sings MIRIAM HOPKINS Round the World Role of TO STAR IN LUX Celebration by Radio "Mimi" RADIO THEATRE Glamorous Miriam Hopkins, one of West Point men around the globe,. Radio's opera awoncewit.* be the screen's most vivid personalities,from the Academy to Russia, China, whisked to the Latinuarter Of 'Nil's will' be starredinthe Lux RadioAlaska, -Panama ansl the Philippines, to eavesdrop on a melSic romance of Theater production of "The Last ofwill take part in 4 world-wide cele- studentlife,on March14,when Mrs. Cheyney," over the nationwidebration of the 134th anniversary of NBC's combined WEAF-WJZ net- WABC-Columbia network, Monday,their alma mater ovr an NBC-WJZ worksbroadcasttheMetropolitan March 16,at 9:00 p. m.(E.S.T.).networkonSaturday,March14, Opera's presentation of Giacomo Puc- Thisisher second performance infrom 8:00 to 9:00 r. m. (E.S.T.). cini's "La Boheme."This Saturday the popular drama series.With John Their words ofgreetingwillbe operamatinee broadcastwillcom- Boles as her co-star, Miss Hopkins in-carriedtoWest Pcint banquets in mence atI :55 p. m. (E.S.T.) ., with augurated the Radio Theaterseriesmajor cities throughout the United the story of the opera related by Mil- lastseason when shedidaradioStates and many crier parts of the ton (:Toss, NBC announcer. adaptation of "Seventh Heaven." world.The glory of the Academy Written by Frederick Lonsdale, onewill be recalled in a dramatization of Those who knew Puccini point out ofEngland'spremierplaywrights,itshistory by Frank Wilson, of the that the musical vitality of this score "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" was firstNBC continuity staff, and songs of can be explained by the biographical producedonBroadwaywithInatheir school days will be sung and spontaneity with which he wrote "La Claire as the star and was one of Nor-played by the Cadet choir and the Boilea....Puccini, himself, had lived ma Shearer's most successful pictureWest Point band. the life portrayed in Murger's popular vehicles. The broadcast open in West novel, "La Vie Boheme," upon which The playtellsthestoryof Mrs. (Continued cal page 11) the librettoisbased. He, too, had Cheyney,aformershopgirl,who livedin an attic during his student yearned for luxury and accepted the days, had experienced the bitter-sweet offer of one Charles to take up rob-Has 22 Personalities! (Continued on page 11) bery of fashionables as a profession. With Charles as her butler, she poses as a wealthy widow and entertains the nobility.The women adore her and two lords are in love with her.The EDDIE DOWLING truth finally outs but members of the house -party turn Out to be a disreput- IS STAR OF NEW able set in comparison to Mrs. Chey- ney and the "butler." Miss Hopkins will be supported by NBC ELGIN REVUE adistinguishedcastofBroadway players. Eddie Dowling and Ray Dooley, Benny (;oodinan's celebrated swing or- chestra and Helen Ward, songstress, DE VALERA AND will be brought to the air each Tues- day, on Eddie Dowling's Elgin Revue, ALFRED E. SMITH which willmake isdebutover WCKY andanation-wideNBC- ON IRISH PROGRAM - WEAF network, on March17,at 10:00 p. m. (E.S.T.). The new series will be sponsored by the Elgin Na- Speeches by IrishmeninIreland tional Watch Company, sponsor of and America, and Irish music from Last week we printed a pic- the successful Elgin Campus Revue, Maxine Gray gives usE_ preview of Spring in this charmingthe ould sod and New York -harpture of James Scribner in make- over NBC networks, last Autumn. frock of canary yellow marquisette over a crepe slip patternedmusic, jigs, reels and old songs sungupasheappears beforethe Making their debut oppropriatelywith gay flowers.Her wa-m voice is one of the highlights ofby the St. Patrick's College chorus inmicrophone as one of twenty-two on St.Patrick's Day, Dowling and Maynooth-will be broadcastbycharacters in the 'Johnson Fam- "The Great American Tourist" series starring Phil Baker, Beetle,NBC as features of itsSt.Patrick's Dooley, who arc husband and wife, ily" heard over WLW, Mondays will supply the comedy high-jinks ofBottle, "Gunnel" Kemp's Band and the Seven G's over theDay programs on Tuesday, March 17. PresidentEamon DeValera,thethroughFridaysat6p. m. the new series.Famed as stage head-WABC-Columbia network every Sunday at 7:30 p. m. (E.S.T.). liners for years, Dowling and Dooley New York -bornheadoftheIrish(E.S.T.).This week we show are credited with having originatedMaxine's voice and good loess have won her contracts for a num-Free State,will take part, speakingyou Scribner as he appears in the modern heckling type of humor. ber of movie "shorts". (Continued on page 11) everyday life. 2 RADIO DIAL. WEEK ENDING MARCH 19, 1936 Weekly RADIO DIAL Miss Ponselle Performs Entered assecond-class matter July 29,1931,at the post officeatCincinnati Ohio, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Published every Friday by the Radio Dial Publishing Co. 22 East 12th St., Cincinnati, Ohio Six Months for $1. Single Cokes 5 cents RADIO DIAL brings you latest available programs and news of your favorite ntatirns and artists.All programs listed are correct up to press -time. hut are, of colds,. subject to later changes by networks and localstations. Telephone-CHerry 0710-0711 MARGARET MALONEY-Editor Station WKRC - March 11th. - The moguls directing the destinies of the British Broadcasting Corporation are faced with quite a problem, ac- Vol. V WEEK ENDING MARCH 19, 1936 No. 44cording to the London Post. There is a great dearth of capable comedians inEngland.As aresult plans for forthcoming variety shows arc being THE OLD HUMAN EQUATIONheld up and things are atquite a standstilluntil some A-1 mirth -pro- Probably because the idea has bad so much publicity intheutilityvokersarefound.Occasionally a field,there has been considerable interest recentlyina "yardstick" forlikely suspect is found, but then itis broadcasting :setting up definite program -service standards which allsta-discovered "that this material is quite tions nuist meet. unsuitablefor microphone purposes It is not merely an intriguing speculation. Something of the sort is flees-and that he declines to use material sary.When the number of available channels is limited, everybody whossritten for hint by one of the hired wants to cannot go into the business of broadcasting. There must be some-hack writers ....(the) stock radio way of separating the sheep from the goats.But putting principle intocomedians arc admirable and versa- practice is quite a different matter. We saw that demonstrated not long ago.tile, but obviously must he used spar- ingly in order not to chNaust their After much lively talk about the subject,agroup of radio people had appeal." a fling at devising a "yardstick" for broadcasting. All contributed their ideas * * of what the perfect station should do, and these were pooled in a neat table The time is thought not to be far allowing so many per cent for the air time given each main type of pro- distant when commercial broadcast- gram: symphonic, popular, news, educational, religious, etc. On paper, the ing will be an actuality in the British result was admirable.But as soon as the "yardstick" was used,it was Isles.As a whole, the listening public found that stations generally agreed to be poor, made a higher score thanis thoroughly fed up with the highly those generally agreed to be best. educational ether fare served them by difficulties Thisillustratesthebaffling radio "yardsticks" always en-B.B. C.The present commission's counter.Precise mathematical standards cannot be established for broad-tenure expires the end of this year, castingservice because thedifference between good and bad programsanditisanticipatedthata more cannot be reduced to figures. liberal -minded board willbe substi- That should be obvious. What is not so clear is that most of the dif-tuted. ferences between stations and programs are largely personal. Asitisnow, English "wireless" r 20.2garaVW . We like or dislike given features, not only because of their craftsman-addicts may tune to a powerful sta- Running' what is popularly known as the "gamut of emotions" ship and technique, but still more because of the individuals concerned. Wetionin Luxemborg thatisheavily say a certain radio preacher "speaks our language" and a certain singerweighted down with British sponsorsis Rosa Ponselle in this still movie caught by the candid camera "puts his heart into his songs," or a certain master of ceremonies "gets inwho offerentertainmentsimilartoduring one of her recent broadcasts. Miss Ponselle, now appear- our hair" and a certain announcer "rubs us the wrong way." What wethat heard in this country. Advertis- mean is that we are reacting to them, normally and inevitably, as people,ers have been quick to ascertain thating at the Metropolitan Opera, is sing_ng on the Chesterfield not merely speakers or musicians or entertainers. radio willsell the goods for them,series in place of Lily Pons who is filling concert engagements in and are anixous to be in a position to In other words, the people who face its microphones have a great deal Europe.With Andre Kos:elanetz' orchestra and chorus, Miss advertise in their own backyard. With to do with making or breaking a station's standing with listeners. The thing Ponselle :s heard over CBS eachWednesday at 9 p. m. (E.S.T.). we gropingly call personality or background isjust as decisive in broad-the merchants howling at them, the casting as in our other human relations.And, unfortunately, it cannot beradio directors are having difficulties aplenty trying to refute the argument measured, weighed; graphed.