ENTER "MARY BROWN"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 98, 9 May 1941, Page 14

ENTER "MARY BROWN"

Little Old Lady With A Story To Tell

EW radio artists make their first appearance before the " microphone at the age of seventy-so few in fact, that when they do their appearance is an event for them as well as for listeners. Such an event is in store for listeners to 2YA next week when the National Broadcasting Service will present "Mary Brown," a little old lady of seventy summers, in a new serial feature entitled "At Eventide." And there’s a story behind her appearance. _ A long time ago the Production Department of the NBS conceived the idea of putting on the air a woman of seventy or so who would tell her life story to listeners. But there were difficulties. First of all they had to find the right person and she had to have a life story to tell that would be of interest. Moreover she had to be able to tell it herself in such a way that it would hold the attention of listeners-something like the feature "Wandering with the West Wind" which was so popular a little while ago,

She Just Walked In There the idea rested until one day she just walked into the studio. At least, ‘she had come about something else and while talking to Someone she happened to mention one or two interesting details about her life. Someone immediately thought "here is the little old lady we wanted," and rushed out to ring up Someone Else. Someone Else came rushing down the stairs and hastily conferred, with Someone and then they both conferred with "Mary Brown" for that’s what they had decided she should be called on the air. They explained to her their idea, Would she tell her life story on the air? "Of course I would," she replied, "I’ve nothing to be ashamed of-except a picture of two stags at bay which hangs on the wall of my sitting-room and nobody seems to like except me." But then she digressed a little and eventually decided that nobody would want to listen to her story. Someone and Someone Else assured her that people would want to hear it-they assured her again and again... and again. Eventually she agreed. f | Remembering a Long Life Thus was born At Eventide. That’s what the NBS decided to call " Mary

Brown’s" presentation, for they remembered that somewhere in their school poetry books they learnt that it was written of humankind that "at eventide they shall remember" and that is what they wanted Mary Brown to do-to remember all the joys and the sorrows of her long life and to tell as well something of the background of the times through which she had lived. Once they managed to get " Mary Brown" started she told her story just as they wanted it-and she told it better than they had hoped anyone couJd. Their triumph, they decided, would be the listeners’ pleasure, For, if nothing else, Mary Brown had an interesting story to tell. She was born in England on June 26th, 1870-she was born the very night that Wagner’s opera, "Die Walkure" was being performed for the first time in Munich. Charles Dickens had died just two weeks before’and de Lesseps hadBut it will be better to hear " Mary Brown" tell all this in her own way. You will hear the first part of her story from 2YA next Wednesday evening, May 14. Perhaps it will make you start remembering some of the things that have happened in your own life-it’s that kind of presentation.