XMAS MERRY-GO-ROUND

Radio Record, 9 December 1938, Page 16

XMAS MERRY-GO-ROUND

FILMS STAGE SPORT RADIO

Xmas Radio From NBS

=m MAN Y people run a little wild at Christmas, same in a polite way of speaking. Which means simply that this is the one season of the year when the service ean break out of the straitjacket of fixed programming of regular features and thoroughly enjoy itself. During Christmas and New Year, from Friday, December 23,'to Tuesday, January 3, listeners will find that from all stations they may hear light popular features, many of which have not been broadcast before. The serial presentations, however, will-be heard on their usual nights, since it is desired. that the continuity should not in any way be broken. The days are gone, alas, when young and old could hear and see the popular pantomimes of the stage. Radio, however, does its best to fill the gap. So 3YA on Christmas Eve and 1YA on New Year’s Eve will broadcast ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.’’? This is presented by a east of overseas a _ artists and reintroduees all the old favourites of the and the NBS is going to do the

past. Drama will be well to the fore during the festive season, and the NBS will give some of the outstanding presentations on Sunday night. On Christmas Day, SYA will present a play written by the New Zealand writer, Graeme-Holder, entitled ‘‘Four Looked Down.’’ ee. ee

Humorist P. G. Wodehouse and his humour are known to everyouru alu ve January 1, at 9 p.m., 1YA will broadeast the play entitled ‘¢Semi-Detached’’ -a radio adaption of Wodehouse’s novel ‘‘Sam the Sudden.’’ Other dramatic features will be: ‘‘Mrs. Grundy Comes to Tea,"’ a radio comedy written by L. du Garde Peach; ‘‘The Marriage has been Disarranged’’; and ‘‘Diary for 1936.’ The ‘‘Diary for 1936’ will be heard from 4YA on Sunday, January 1. T+ consists of the chronicle of the outstanding events of the year in the history

eer TNR NTC of the British Empire, including the deatf of King George the Fifth, the abdication of Edward the Highth, and the accession of George the Sixth. Usual church relays will be given, and at 7.30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 3YL will relay from the Christchurch Anglican Cathedral the carol service. Station 4YA will pregent carol singers from the studio at 9.5 p.m., and 3YA at 11 p.m. . _ Several noted overseas artists will be on the air over Christmas. Australian baritone Clement Williams will give variety sessions, classical and popular. Viola Morris and Victoria Anderson, English vocalists, will be heard in their unique and original offerings which were very much sought after during their last tour. Then from all stations, the popular New Zealand soprano, Julie Werry, will broadcast songs with a wide appeal. Paul Schramm, Viennese pianist, will be heard in a recital at 2VYA on Christmas night. The same evening 3YA will begin the series "Memories of the Ballet"-on this occasion "The Swan Lake Ballet," music by Tschaikowsky. This is an imaginary broadcast of the actual ballet and recreates the atmosphere of the theatre during the ballet season, From 1YA the same evening, listeners may. hear excerpts from Wagner’s opera, "Parsifal." The ‘history of hymns is surrounded by romance.. On Sunday, January -1, Station 4YA broadcasts a dramatisation of the instances leading up to the writing of

"Onward Christian Soldiers, Dy arms >} -~weapel Gould, a Canadian gift recording. The special recorded presentations are ‘varied. On Christmas Eve from. 2YA and on New Year’s Eve from AYA the NBS has scheduled the popular revue, ""Who’s Hooper?" This BBC recording features the famous actor and comedian, W. H. Berry. From England we pass to America. On Monday, December 26, at 9.30, 2YA will present a feature presentation introducing Rosario Bourdon and his Concert Orchestra. Among musical items of note over Christmas is the first performance of the complete Dr. Faustus, the "Triumph and Damnation," written. by noted English musician SL eee ne er Andersen Tyrer. Mr.. Tyrer, now in New Zeaoe. got

land, will present this sympnonic pocm 0h 2s orchestra, chorus and narrator, himself conducting, from 2YA on December 22. The performance will be rebroadcast by 4YA. Outstanding radio talkers on Christmas topics wili be Miss Nelle Scanlan from LYA on December 19 and from 3YA on December 13, a lighthouse keeper, Mr. R. B. Cooper, from 2YA on December 19, and a soldier, Major F, H. Lampen, from 1YA on December 12 and from 4YA on December 20. Dance fans will not be forgotten, of course, over the Xmas season. Special programmes will be presented for them from all stations. Beginning at 9.20 on New Yeats Eve, 2YA will relay from the Majestic Cabaret a programme by Sammy Lee and his Americanadians. This will give the atmosphere of the ballroom on a festive evening and small house parties will be able to feel that they are taking part in the festivities. This programme will be re-broadcast by 3YA Christchurch.

] NCBS Will Present... a

(HRISTMAS is the season of gaiety and informality and radio listeners need no telling that these twin virtues are a large part of the make-up of the New Zealand Commercial Broadcasting Service. This year the NCBS will step into its second Christmas season with fitting joyousness and variety. The programmes for the festive week will keep most of the features that won popularity last year, and since Christmas Day falls this year on a Sunday, the problem of providing a high-class programme will be simplified by the inclusion and elaboration of the best-liked. features of the carefully-prepared Sunday programmes. All stations will open at 6 a.m. and continue until 8 a.m. with specially. chosen Christmas music and carols, and Santa Claus sessions for children, the latter at slightly varying times, the hour being fixed for 1ZB at 7 a.m. a ee, eh a. San

At 8 a.m. the rst Navional tidy Vi Viku Mey. will be occupied with the broadcasting of Christmas greetings to listeners from the heads of the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, a representative of the non-episcopal churches, and representatives of the R.S.A. organisations, some of whom will reeall Chrietmases of the war years. Uncle Tom’s Chil-

dren’s Choir will also be heard and, at 8.30, the four main ZB stations wil simultaneously broadeast ‘‘Hymns of All Churches,’? widely-listened to undenominational sessions from the world’s leading choirs. At 8.45 a.m. _27B and 3 ZB have scheduled weather reports and news for motorists and holiday makers, and a radio Santa Claus will end his travels in Dunedin at 4ZB. Second major national relay of the day,

at 9 am., will be taken up with UTIs mas greetings from the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and the Controller of the NCBS, Mr. C. G. Serimgeour. At 9.30, 2ZB will have a session dedicated to Empire residents in New Zealand, with speakers heading English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, Canadian and Australian organisations in the Dominion. At 10 a.m. bandsmen will come into the picture in a short Christmas presentation, and at 10.15, invalids will hear the welcome -yoices of the Service’s hospital sessionists. "The Country Church of Hollywood" will take listeners into a warmly human reli‘gious atmosphere at 11 a.m. and from then on until 2 p.m. each station will feature individual programmes designed to suit their special needs. These include "A Symphony of Nature," and a Christmas request session from 4ZB at 11.30. _ he third major national. relay will open at 2 p.m. with salutations to New Zealand from the Mayor of Wellington, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, to whom responses will be made by the Mayors of Auckland, Christchurch, . Dunedin and Palmerston North. At 2.20, 2ZB will broadcast thirty minutes of excerpts from "The Messiah." All stations have scheduled attractive travelogues from 3 p.m., under titles such as "Christmas In Many Lands" (4ZB) and "Round the World at Christmas" (3ZB). Highlights at 4 p.m. include "Yes, Madam!" from 2ZB. ‘This is an amrsing

thirty-minute comedy, written and produced by Jack Waller, noted London proawcer, 7 with lyrics by Weston and Lee. Te Ari Pitama will cali South Island Maoris from 3ZB. From 5 p.m. till midnight the attractions will again be varied. They will incorporate ail the best Sunday features from all the ZB stations, including "Thrills From Great Operas" at 7.45 p.m., "red and Maggie Bverybody" from al! stations at 7 -o.m. and also at 8pm. "The Man In The Street," a special national broadcast, ‘will

be in keeping with the season. Dickens is always associated with Christmas. Who does not remember the immortal Christmas party of "Pickwick Papers," the fulminations of Scrooge, the pathetic picture of Tiny Tim? Of all authors, Dickens has done most to make Christmas the great British tradition that it is. There will be a Dickens presentation from 1ZB at 9 p.m. and "A Tale of Two Cities" will conclude a popular run at 4ZB at 9.15. From then on till midnight, programmes will be given over to lighter offerings, and will include, at all stations, several attractions still under consideration. This apples also to the remainder of the week’s programmes, details of which are now being settled. There is mention of a Christmas pantomime. Station engineers are planning landlines to points of interest for surprise relays on the eve of Christmas and the New Year, guest artists ave being arranged, and, altogether, the week’s programmes promise to fully maintain the ZB reputation for variety and joyousness at this time of the year.

CHRISTMAS FARE FOR PICTUREGOERS S usual the film companies are providing something special this ChristA mas in the way of screen fare. Here are some of the bigger attractions which will be released throughout the country during the next few weeks. One or two may already have been released. Universal are concentrating on one big picture, Deanna Durbin’s "That Certain Age." Seven copies of the film are in New Zealand. . R.K.O. are making Walt Disney’s "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" their big Christmas attraction. "Garefree" (Astaire-Rogers) and "Breaking the Ice" (Bobby Breen) will also be showing. Twentieth-Century-Fox are featuring that box office miracle Shirley Temple in her latest picture, "Little Miss Broadway." _ M.G.M. have "Love Finds Andy Hardy". (Mickey Rooney), "The Crowd Roars" (Robert Taylor); and "Three Loves Has Nancy" (Janet Gaynor). Warner’s have "It’s Love I’m After" (Leslie Howard, Bette Davis), "Swing Your Lady" (Humphrey Bogart); "Hollywood Hotel" (Dick Powell). Paramount have "Men With Wings" (Ray Milland, Fred MacMurray). and "if | Were King" (Ronald Colman, Frances Dee) ready for release. Columbia:-"Holiday" (Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn) will be showing ‘at larger provincial centres. Coming is "You Can’t Take it With You." United Artists:-"South Riding" (Ralph Richardson, Edna Best) is showing now, and "There Goes My Heart" (Frederic March) is on the way. British Empire Films:--"It’s In the Air" (George Formby) and "Dad and Dave Come to Town," "Our Fighting Navy" (Robert Douglas, H. B. Warner) and "Army Girl" (Madge Evans). Action Pictures:-"Stepping Toes" (Hazel Ascot, "England’s Shirley Temple") and "Vampire Bat" (Melvyn Douglas). "St, Martin’s Lane" (Charles Laughton) is also coming. Ee are a

Xmas Entertainment

Cont. from previous page.

The Stage At Xmas @ _-

Tae oid depression ery that the stage is dead, certainly can’t be dug up in this Year of Prosperity, 1938. Three of the biggest New Zealand cities will have revues as Christmas attractions, and there are indication of many big shows cross- | ing the Tasman early in the New Year. At His Majesty’s in Auckland, there will be a brand-new revue company headed by Will Mahoney, the popular comedian, © and Violet Carlson, the amazing little handful of vivacity who ‘delighted thousands of New Zealanders in ‘‘Balalaika’’ and "The Desert Song’’ recently. . Wellington is to have something super in the way of shows when the Hollywood Hotel Revue ovens at the Grand

Opera House. This company, which broke its journey from America to Australia a few months ago to play a successful three weeks’ season in Auckland, has lately been drawing packed houses to the Theatre Royal, Sydney. :

Dunedin is to have the famous magician, Nicola, at His Majesty’s ‘Theatre. Nicola, with an excellent supporting company, opened a New Zealand tour in Auckland a fortnight ago, and it looks as -if he will continue a triumphant New Zealand tour, to open in Dunedin in time for Christmas. Christchurch so far is the only big centre to be without a show -but something may eventuate yet. "New Zealanders who are crossing the Tasman for the Christmas holidays will find much to amuse them in the capital cities. Sydney ‘has the Covent Garden Russian Ballet Company at the Royal-the finest ballet company ever to visit this part of the world. ‘The ‘prin.cipals include Irina Baronova, David Lichine and Anton Dolin.-'

Sport For Everyone

‘THE Christmas and New Year holiday. period marks one continual | round of gaiety for sportsmen and sportswomen. Principal attraction for most will be the many race meetings staged throughout the Dominion. Feature item on the racing calendar ig the Auckland Racing Club’s summer meeting on December 26, 28 and January 2 and 3. In the southern. end of the North Island the Manawatu Racing Cliub’s cup meeting is spread over three days, opening on Saturday, December 24. There is racing also at New Plymouth and at Waipukurau. | | Principal South Island race meeting for Christmas will be the | Dunedin Club’s summer meeting at Wingatui, on December 26 and 27. The Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Stratford and Marton Racing Clubs follow on with two-day fixtures at the New Year. Wairarapa and

Hawke's Bay open on the Saturday and conclude on the Monday, while Marton and Stratford race on Monday and Tuesday, January 2 and 3. In the South Istand, the Waikouaiti and Wyndham Clubs stage their annual meetings on January 2, the Oamaru Club races on January 3, and the Southland Club on January 3 and 4; while West Coasters have the Greymouth Jockey Club which

races at Omoto on December 31 and January 4. There is a good schedule of trotting meetings for light harness enthusiasts. The Wairarapa, Ashburton and Gore Clubs will hold one-day meetings on Monday, December 26. The Westport Club opens | its meeting on the same day, and concludes on December 27; while, the Winton Ciub provides for Southlanders on December 31. The principal New Year attraction in the trotting world will be the Canterbury Park Ciub’s meeting at Addington on January 2 and 3. | ‘Followers of cricket will concentrate their interest on the Plunket _ Shield matches which begin in Wellington and Christchurch on Saturday, December 24. Wellington meet Otago on the Basin Reserve, Wellington; and Auckland play Canterbury at Lancaster Park, Christehurch. Each match is of four days’ duration. ; The Auckland team goes on to Dunedin to play Otago at Carisbrook, beginning on December 31; while Wellington travel to Christcharch to meet Canterbury, this game beginning on Friday, December 3 . Widespread interest will be taken in the New Zealand lawn tennis championships which open at Wilding Park, Christchurch, on December 31, and continue until January 7. These will be preceded by provincial tournaments staged by the Wellington and Canterbury agsociations at Miramar and Wilding Park respectively. .