IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S ...BROADCASTS...

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 23, 18 November 1938, Page 9

IN THE WAKE OF THE WEEK'S ...BROADCASTS...

SHOULD BE TOTALLY SCRATCHED

Radio has been the aecepted form of home entertainment in New Zealand for so long now that it can be said to be well past its infaney. Therefore, when. in 1938.

one hears a seratehed. or cracked reeord

clicking its way over the air, there is room for complaint. Station 38YA was the transgressor on November 7 when, at just on 11 p.m., a Clapham and Dwyer sketch developed an attack of the itch for the first hundred or so words. Obviously records bearing any fault should go into the dustbin ; when ‘‘aired’’ they take listeners back to the days when any old thing would do so long as it was a demonstration. of the wonders of wireless.

SHE IS ONE TO BE DISPATCHED

The programmes jproadcast by that enterprising little Wellington station 2¥D, have, in my opinion, a high entertainment value, but I would like to see the end of Rosalie and Her

Romances, 2&2 half hour feature which has been going I

aont KnOW BOW long. As the title suggests, it is concerned with the love affairs of a young woman-flapper would be a more correct term-by the name of Rosalie. And Rosalie, who, in my opinion, is typical of everything that is undesirable in the modern flapper, waltzes happily from love affair to love affair. Her life is a succession of vapid young Percys, Berties and Georges, galjants who help out their incoherent expressions of adoration with recordings of popular songs. It’s all rather pointless and the sooner Rosalie is knocked on the head and dispatched for good the better.

KE RECALLED MARTIAN SCARE IN US.

Until the last two years November 5 in Dunedin went by much as any other day. But in the last two years the day has become more important and bonfires, fireworks, and

more "beggars" are the rule. This year.one of the bigecst

yt chain of bonfires ever lighted in Dunedin dotted the hilis and vacant sites elsewhere. Station 4ZB, up to the minute as usual, carried out a descriptjon of these from the top of the Post Ofice, and the description was good enough to send me out- . gide on a tour of inspection, which was worth while. Commentator began "Dunedin’s on fire," then apparently recalling the American . Martian sensation, hastily added ‘or it seems to be, from here!" Relay carried a sensational note when two fire-engines howled past, the sensitive "mike" carrying the siren wails as far as the radio waves reached.

HE was GOOD OTHER WAYS

One may be & good radio announcer from one point of view, it seems, unsatisfactory from another, Last week I criticised the radio delivery of "The Toff" from 3ZB. This week

i Have to praise what he delivered. For listeners to 32ZB, although

warned that his forecast could not by any stretch of the imagination, be taken as gospel, were given some remarkable indications of form by The Toff. This expert, while obviously ~needing a great amount of training and experience to become a "radio announcer, "had them well taped" .and. listeners.who took, his words 2t their value did not go far wrong. eneennaier reine icecream ae ace

PIANIST OF "BALALAIKA"

Listened to Olga Krasnik’s piano recital from LYA on Sunday of last week and enjoyed it immensely. This little lady is the pianist with the J. ©. Williamson Company which has mavy-

ed "Balalaika’"’ and the "Desert Song" ta New Zealand audi-

ences during the last month or so. A pupil of Laurence Godfrey Smith, Sydney, Olga Krasnik showed herself to be equally at home playing Each arid Scarlatti, and in the more romantic numbers by modern Spanish composer Albeniz, This was a fair test of her versatility, for the numbers she played so well called for entirely different treatment. Although booked to give another 15minute recital from IYA, she will be unable to fulfil this engagement because the company leaves sooner than was intended.

WHAT aon I A CRAZE?

I wonder if as many people have gone mad trying to solve the riddie of what causes a particular tune to become a eraze, as in trying to solve the mystery of perpnetual motion.

Nearly every Sunday .for weeks past "The Lirht

house _ Shines Across the Bay" has been asked for in 4ZB’s request session. It’s not a bad number-umpteen hundred listeners can’t be wrong-yet

I fail entirely to see what it has about it ta demand such frequent repetition. It cannot be Conrad Veidt’s voice, for that is hardly a 100 per cent. winner; the sentiment, tune and words are all right, but no better than a thousand other songs one could name; the general presentation is really little more than fairish. Yet, there it is, it is a popular favourite beyond any argument, and I’d like to Inow just why. It is not by any means a new song. It first made its appearance several years ago in a talkie "F.P.I." and apparently did not create any sort of a sensation then, Well then, why now?

BAND SHOWS BIG _ ADVANCE

Some issues ago the "Record" had minor faults to find with a presentation, over 3YA, by the Ashburton Silver Band, This band has now improved out of sight, perhanc © showines

= ~ — once again that a little gentle and well-meant criticism is

thoroughly good for the soul. When the band was heard the other Monday evening, it was plain that its members were shaping better than they had ever done and the credit must go largely to the conductor, Lieut. W. H. Osborne, formerly conductor of the Timaru Municipal Band. Mr. Osborne is a stickler for precision of attack and release and is making an excellent fist of: this band which is centred exactly halfway between Christchurch and ett

HIS SONGS BREAK THE ICE

I rather imagine if a radio star | popularity poll were ever conducted in this country-and why.not? -Frank Crumit would be weil up; among the headliners. Frank’s| lively and al-!

ways tuneful numbers have a wide appeal; not hard to un-

aerstand. i115 songs are based on more or iess familiar incidents, every one has a complete story to tei. They aren’t just a pretty-pretty arrangement of words, almost meaningless. Crumit may not be a Tauber when it} comes to voice, but he puts his sengs across effectively, and other shortcomings are overlooked. Most of his songs are good fare for "stag" parties, also eminently suitable for any gathering seeking vocal enteriainment, for they have au ice-breaking swing. I have just heard, from 4ZM, a new record, "Nellie is the Nitwit of the Networks." Remarks hold good. Song on the reverse-I missed the title -is more serious, and I thought not up to standard. Maybe further acquaintance is needed.

"TAFFRAIL" HAS DONE BETTER

Listening to the NBS dramatic presentation "The Raider Hmden" from 2YA on November 9-the anniversary of the destruction of that damaging marauder of the sea-lI a a ae *

Was ifdlsliy Uisr appointed. Too much time was wasted on trivial details of!

"sighting a SID) which proved to be the good ship ‘Yacka Hicka,’ laden with mustard and cress, bound for Timbuctoo," and not enough time alloted to the obvious opportunities of telling of the more adventurous days of that raider. One bad slip made-unless my hearing tricked me-was a reference by a German, to "when the Emden got cur range’ instead of "When the Sydney, etc." It was unfortunate that so much time was taken in recounting the dozen and one ships met and destroyed, and the epic voyagé of the boats’ crews back to Germany had to be passed over in few words. "Taffrail" has done better!

KNOWS HOW TO USE VOICE

To say that O. L. Simmance, of Christchurch, who has introduced to 3YA some fascinating readings with music, "has a beautiful voice" is true. But more than that. He knows just how

to use it mM bringing out the fine points of the characters

he 18 Speaking about. This speaker is something of a "find." He has not been on the air very long but has already a large following of those who welcome the Spoken word, even if there is a-regular feast of music| on the same programme. May he be heard more often. |

IMITATED BUT NOT FLATTERED

If the poet was right and imitation is the sincerest form of flaitery, I doubt very much if Will Hay and his scholars, the originators of those delightful "Fourth Form at St Michael’s" re-

cords, would be so heavily flattered to hear the Australian imita-

tion "Fourth Form at St. Percy’s,’ now prominxent on 4YA’s Thursday night programme. The feature follows Will Hay’s original gift to humour too closely to be really appreciated by most listeners, But the quality of the performances falls miles below that given by Hay and company. Sheer impertinence, the strongest point of the "St. Percy’s" blitherings, is not humour, and the company, to my mind at any rate, is not capable of putting across with thé requisite 1atudralness ‘and skill such rare flashes of original humour