HELLO FROM HOLLYWOOD
Sir,-Your correspondent "Dismayed Listener" has brought to light a matter that badly needs attention when he complains about Hello from Hollywood. The CBS has done many fine things, but it was a bad break to place such a low opinion on its listeners’ intelligence and powers of perception. It was bad enough to have Craig Crawford’s recorded presentations solemnly announced as: a direct rebroadcast from Sydney, and I-suppose no terrific harm is done by including Steffani’s Silver Songsters as the "T.O.T. Songsters" in an allegedly all New Zealand production, but. the very bold "scoop" publicity given this, their latest piece of faking, leaves one aghast. It was advertised with many fanfares as a series of programmes specially recorded in Hollywood by the C. P. McGregor studios, and arranged by the CBS executive on a recent visit there, What a sad flop it proved from the first broadcast, for the enterprising executive had obviously brought back a bundle of the latest in ordinary dance records, which, with the assistance of effect recordings to supply- applause and crowd noises and a compére who could talk through his nose, sold a pup to the dear dumb public. Or did it? The CBS sold the pup to itself, for to dmyone who has ever heard a real American commentator on the job, "Fred Jason" is beyond doubt a "phoney." In addition, any suggestion of a "live" broadcast is completely killed by the fact that the crowd effects give an excellent impression of a busy suburban tearoom, but are not ‘remotely like a crowded ballroom "among whom I can see Paulette Goddard, Betty Grable, and Claudette Colbert." Fortunately, the tinkling teacups have recently been silenced during musical numbers, which gives Hello from Hollywood some merit as a recital of records not yet available here. One might have a sneaking admiration for an occasional bit of mild deception, skilfully executed, but this is glaring, clumsy, and surely quite unnecessary.
EXASPERATED LISTENER
(Christchurch).
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19420320.2.10.4
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 143, 20 March 1942, Page 4
Word count
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329HELLO FROM HOLLYWOOD New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 143, 20 March 1942, Page 4
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