PRIESTLEY SPEAKS

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 4

PRIESTLEY SPEAKS

MOUTHPIECE OF BRITAIN WIDE INTEREST IN AMERICA Time plays odd tricks in transatlantic broadcasting. Many thousands of listeners in the North American Continent who regularly listen to J. B. Priestley speaking in the 8.8.C.s series of talks, ‘ Britain Speaks,’ hear him at about 8.30 ip.m., a comfortable hour. But if they were in the 8.8.C.’s headquarters just before the broadcast, they would see Priestley, probably in carpet slippers, almost certainly smoking a pipe, glancing at his watch, and it would be nearly 1.30 a.m., British summer time. As the author of many best-selling novels, and a playwright of the greatest distinction, J. B. Priestley is an

outstanding figure in the British literary world, and he speaks to his American listeners with tho authentic voice of Britain. His birthplace, Bradford, lies beside the Pennine hills, the backbone of England, and he speaks with the slow, measured tones of all North Countrymen. He is a Yorkshireman—which, to an Englishman, means a man of sturdy, independent outlook. In his broadcasts he gives his own individual views of events as they occur. He attaches the utmost importance to his contributions to ‘ Britain

Speaks,’ and devotes considerable time and care to the writing of his scripts. He prepares the main part during the day of the broadcast, usually selecting some topical theme—which, in Britain to-day, must almost invariably mean some subject concerning the war. Priestley prefers to type out his script himself, and he brings it into the 8.8. C. headquarters during the evening, in time for him to hear the midnight news bulletin, so that if any fresh news item affects the subject of his talk he has time to amend his script before his broadcast. When he is at his house in the country, ho listens eagerly to every bulletin he can, but, lie says, in London he “ absorbs ” the news from friends, from chance-mot acquaintances. from people he passes in the streets. For J, B. Priestley, as listeners may well have deduced for themselves, is intensely interested in people. In the British Isles Priestley is famous ns a broadcaster for what he calls Ills “ talks, to the people,” given in the form of postscripts to the Sunday evening news bulletin. In those, ho sneaks as an ordinary citizen to the ordinary citizen about the everyday problems of life in war time. Priestley welcomes his talks in ‘ Britain Speaks ’ as a chance of talking to friends, for he knows the United States well. During the last four years ho has spent half his time on tint side of the Atlantic, and his lectures and broadcasts in the States have made him many friends.

Although Americans are popularly supposed in Great Britain to like “ red-hot ” topicality broadcasts, vividly presented, Priestley prefers to give plain comment, sneaking as if he were leaning bark in his armchair, nine in hand, talking to a circle of his own American friends.

Evidence showing that Priestley's broadcasts are creating widespread interest and attention among North American listeners is inline un. Hundreds of letters exurcssing who'ebearti’d approval are reaching the JJ.B.C.