IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S BROADCASTS

Radio Record, 21 August 1936, Page 14

IN THE WAKE OF THE

WEEK'S BROADCASTS

YWnquenchable:Teresa! j*ROM backstage gossip drifting across the Tasman, it would seem that Gladys Moncrieff's broadcast of "Dorothy," the famous musical comedy that made Marie Tempest’s name at the Lyric nearly o0 years ago, may-be among her last for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Since her return from New Zealand six months ago, tthe everpopular Gladys has been broadcasting musical comedies from every city in the Commonwealth. But now, rumour saith, she is to return to the legitimate stage in Melbourne-and in none other than her role as Teresa, the dashing Maid of the Mountains! It would be ungallant to recall how many years it is since Gladys captivated New Zealand and Australia in this lovely musical comedy-but we'll be willing to applaud just as loudly should J. ©. Williamsons decide to bring the show over here. Impersonation ARRY HEMSLEY: never fails to catch an attentive ear in this person’s household when he is heard over the air in recordings, no matter how many times the recording has been heard before. When a child does something artistic which is usually the prerogative of ‘grown-ups he is called a wonder-child. But Hemsley, with his: perfectly natural imitations of the things a child does and the way it speaks, mightn’t like being called a wonder-man, but he’s certainly a smart feller. Which calls to mind the. news. that Arthur Hemsley igs due from Sydney on August 81 to open a..New Zealand broadcast tour. Comedy is his line, and he has been here before

with some Fuller shows and with the Humphrey-Bishop Company. Can’t tell you whether or not he’s a relative of Harry. Ten Days LISTENERS. to 4YA last Wednesday night (August 12) chewed their pencils and scratched their ears for the last ten items in the Dunedin station’s Music Lovers’ Competition, and Auckland’s last quota was completed on Monday night this week. After Tuesday of this week, 2YA’s schedule had -two more lots of ten items to puzzle listeners, and 8YA finishes its series of 60 on Saturday this week. Ten days’ grace is given for competitors to send in their .solutions to these musical puzzles after the night of the presentation of the last. ten numbers. from the respective centres. Entries should be sent to the station concerned. For a Change | REMINDS one of the early days of the talking films-all-singie, all-talkie-when a professional singer is billed for a broadcast talk. But Sydney de Vries has qualifications. Listen- . ers. to. 2YA last Friday night heard’ the Dutch baritone telling a few of his observations since he hag been in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney de Vries is very much a man of the

world, and an unusually interesting person to chat to. Command of languages, years of almost: continual travel, broad-mindedness, an acute observation and a big sense of humour are some of his qualifications, and

his talk revealed each of these. It’s not every broadcasting singer who can make a success of talking as well, but it is pleasing to be able to tune in to those who can. Bina Addy, the Indian mezzo-contralto, is another whose voice has been heard in speech as well’ as song from the national stations. , Mixture LASt week’s issue of the "Radio Record" contained a_ statement from Dave Howard concerning his mixture of serious music with comedy. It still beats Dave, except that he thinks that plenty of people who like serious music also like a spot of humour. Be that as it may, this English saxophonist-comedian got a great hand from the audience at Auckland’s revue show under the N.B.S. arrangements last week, and he really seemed more effective on the stage than With only a microphone in front of him. Dora Lindsay, the little Scots: woman, was another hit in the same show, Having been behind Auckland footlights only a short time ago with Long Tack Sam's Company... People

like a bit of character comedy, and they like jokes about Scots. Uncle Billy. ND. what could be more appropriate for the fellow who instigates and broadcasts .the "grown-up children’s hour" from 2YA? On-the Saturday night before last Will Bishop went ahead again with his hour of variety entertainment, helped by several other plotters whose main idea was to keep the public smiling for at least an hour during the week. With so many Visiting comedians and vocal artists one might be inclined to rush with generous handclaps for the new arrivals, but with all due deference to the ability of those newcomers, one cannot escape the fact that Will Bishop’s standard of entertainment

was set many years ago, and has never yet let the listener down. New voices are introduced in his shows regularly enough, and he is a New Zealander himself (by adoption) who is always. on the look-out for a new artist-not that he is dissatisfied with .the old ones, necessarily. But the said gentle-man-episcopal in name if not by na-ture-has found that not everybody after an audition is prepared to go ahead with their numbers. Summer or Winter, there is always the risk of cold feet. notwithstanding the inducement: suggested by the chance of a broadcast perform:nce,