Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 667, 18 April 1952, Page 24

Open Microphone

om a NEWS OF BROADCASTERS, ON AND OFF THE RECORD,

By

Swarf

USICIANS who develop a LV, fondness for an_ instrument for its musical character betore considering its portability must sometimes wonder about the wisdom of their choice -from the Welsh bard who would need

| a carrier to get him | to heaven (or to a broadcasting studio) to the sousaphone player who has to decide whetker his instrument is a pullover or a stepin. I don’t know if this sort of probiem has ever worried Walter Ginton, of

Punegin, who 1s a xylophonist. At any rate, this year he completes 25 years of broadcasting. It is quite likely that a number of performers started with radio earlier than Mr. Sinton, who first appeared in 1927 at the age of 15; but it is doubtful if there are many other New Zealand artists who have performed as regularly. from a studio in solo items for a quarter of a century. Listeners to 4YA on May 1 will hear Walter Sinton’s "Xylotrolics."

ONLY A RUMOUR

HERE was a rumour in New Zealand a while ago that Gillie Potter, "the comedian who was born at an early age and educated at Borstal and Dartmoor, although the governors of those institutions denied all knowledge of him," had died. It will be good news for

many that he is still to be seen on Saturday afternoons opening Church fetes, and that he retains

the self-imposed title of ‘"Bazaar-opener in Ordinary to the Diocese of Canterbury." Many years have passed since Mr. Potter. first amused radio audiences with his succinct comments on topical subjects, using as a mirror of events the life and habits of Hogsnorton. He has now begun a new series in the BBC’s Light Programme. , \

GRATEFUL COMEDIAN

_ FRANKIE HOWERD (you've heard him in Variety Bandbox) started his | dramatic career by failing to win a scholarship at the Royal Academy of

Dramatic Art. From then on he haunted theatrical offices and entered, though never with success, numerous talent quests. He got a few jobs, and says of

them, "I played in some of the roughest dumps imaginable. ‘Barns with the sides out and’ cows

coming on to the stage to dodge the snow. I’m humbly grateful for the experience." The theatrical paths — of Howerd and Marjorie Holmes (‘Miss Medworthy") have crossed many times since they first met at a seaside show in 1947. They came together again in Variety Bandbox 18 months ago, and it was then that Miss Medworthy, a distinctly odd and ebullient ‘character, was born.

THEATRE MEMORIES

PROBABLY few men in New Zealand are better fitted to talk about the famous people of the London stage

than Auckland’s Frank Broad. Before the last war listeners to 1ZB enjoyed his .series of

weekly. talks called Veteran of Variety; and the title was apt, for he himself is an old trouper. Frank Broad is now conducting another session of theatrical reminiscences once a month from 1ZB, under the title 7900 and All That, re- — ~-

calling the performances of ‘such people. as Eugene Stratton, Vesta Tilley, Albert Chevalier, Fred Karno, and so on. For illustrations he is using recordings of songs the old stars made famous. His next talk will be at 2.30 p.m. on April 20. e-* a a?

BARITONE ABROAD

-- [HREE _years ago the New Zealand baritone William Clothier took his voice abroad: for: further musical study. Writing the other day to a friend in Wellington he said he had just finished

a pantomime season at Lon-

don’s Palladium, and at the time of writing was on ‘a concert tour of Eastbourne, Bournemouth. and ..Scarborough. Later he would be_ singing

guest artist for a Sop Sor’ new production at the Windmill Theatre and would be in pantomime again at the end of this year. He had also been booked to broadcast in Henry Hall's guest night programme, Before leaving New Zealand, Clothier made a farewell tour of several NZBS stations.

| CPoosins a title for a variety show can produce an outsize in headaches. Here’s how ‘Ray's a Laugh" was born, painfully, as told by Ted Ray himself: "It was on a Christmas Eve in the course of an all-night drive fromahe Bristol to London. We had been at our wits’ end to find a good title for the series. People had suggested ‘‘Hoo-Ray for Fun," "‘Hip-Hoo-Ray," and that sort of thing. Sidney Smith, the producer and manager, who is an old friend of mine, was with me in the car and, when | told him how worried we were, he fell silent and then, after a few moments said, ‘What about Ray’s a Laugh?’ | said to him, ‘Sidney, you’re a genius; you’ve hit on. the perfect title!’ "’