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

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 31, 13 January 1939, Page 11

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

TALK BY MR. H.. G. WELLS

VENT of most striking personal magnitude in radio of recent weeks was the re-broadeast by the NBS from Australia of an H. G.

Wels taik. Parallel that leaps .to the mind is the broadeast of

George Bernard Shaw some years ago in New Zealand. The great Wells spoke on ‘‘ Fiction About the Future,’’ a poor subject on which to play the searehlight of his brain from the average listener’s point of view. I don’t know who. chose it, Wells himself or the ABC. Its, appeal, however, was extremely limited. Personally I missed nothing, but there must have been thousands who were really not interested in what actually amounted to a writer’s explanation of his craft, though ecountless numbers must have thrilled to the thought that this was the: voice of the man who wrote ‘"Kipps’?- and the ‘‘Time Machine."’? The subjects of his future talks sound much more promising.

LLc ULI 1pliiuD HINTS To ThE YOUNG ONES

Just about the bitterest pill the modern -school-child strikes when back -at school after the holidays is the set essay on "How I Spent tak Mhnlatemac. Unlidavea " Station

tte il 8ZB earned: the thanks of listeners when Mac, Syd. Farmer (from the proeramme depart-

ment) and Sally explained in very simple, but graphic words, how this lesson could be a _ winner. These three members of 3ZB staif could each remember spending Christmas many thousands of miles from Christchurch and their descriptions took in the whole globe. For instance Mac (Lionel MecGoverne) told about Christmas. when he was with the Air Force in Iraq; Sally (Miss. Millicent Jennings) described . an embarkation camp in Antwerp, and Sydney Farmer gave New Zealand Ausiralians a thrill with his talk about Christmas at Mullum Creek-a banana plantation in Queensland. Mac and Sally are old hands at the microphone, but Syd. Farmer is a comparative newcomer. He talked blithely about aborigines, Chinese, Italians, Kanakas, Japanese and Greeks, and wound up with the remark that surgically leeches were good but very unpleasant in the Australian bush. Farmer. mentioned, too, that the Australian bat has a smell all its own. He did not include the name of Bradman; neither did he talk about the Sydney Harbour Bridge. .

WAS SLIGHT BUT AMUSING

Baldly described as ‘a radio comedy," a little play "A Marriage Has Been Disarranged" provided 30 minutes’ of unusual entartoinment from 4VYA during the

Christmas _ holiday . period. Story concerned a young man who. had the an he a oe a 7 nate

CAaAMOCo Va ove ting away for a world cruise just about the same time’as he had arranged to marry. He wanted to make the tour, so he at once set about to do his utmost to cause a rift between himself and his wife-to-be, so that he could have an*excuse for -walking out on her ‘and leaving her for.a year. tt was purely and simply a lot of nonsense, and, considered -coldly aiterwards, not remarkably cleverly done,- but it did succeed in being

amusing-and there are plenty of more pretentious productions that fall a long way short of achieving that result. This really brings up the old question: What does constitute radio entertainment?

QUESTION OF ETHICS

"Concert Hall of the Air" is a feature which has been running for a good time now from 2ZB, and I am always impressed by the catholic and representative choice

of records. I "must confess there is one point about the’ session which annoys me a little, though I

am at a loss to know how it could be presented without it. The point I am referring to is the interpolation by the announcer of descriptive material designed to give the listener the impression that he is actually hearing a relay from a concert hall. Thus, during the session I heard recently, 2ZB’s announcer praitled away something after this fashion: "What a reception the huge crowd gives to Fritz Kreisler

as he stands there with his Stradivarius under. his arm (sound of prolonged applause). The chandeliers are slowly dimming; he.is about to play ‘Song of India.’" And then, when the record has finished, "Time will not permit him to play an encore, but he will be with us again in our Concert Hall of the Air." Again, a little later, Paul Whiteman is introduced to us, "Looking as sartorial as ever." The whole idea of the session is excellent, but the deception, though quite innocent, is ethically unsound, and leaves a (very) slightly unpleasant impression. But, as I confessed before, I don’t know how the session could be presented without it, and I have no constructive suggestions to offer. I enjoyed every one of the records presented, Dusolina Giannini singing "One Fine Day" from "Butterfiy,’ Kreisler playing "Song of India," Jack Buchanan singing "You Must Say ‘Yes’ to Mr. Brown," and Paul Whiteman’s concert orchestra playing Cole Porter’s "Night and Day." ,

YOUNG BOY AS AVIATOR

Had the privilege of previewing two new features which the NCBS is releasing over the four principal stations. First, and to my mind, the most interesting, was

"Howie "Wing," which is modestly described in publicity material as A

Saga of Aviation." The story, I gathered, is concerned with the adventures of a young lad-Howie Wing, to wit -and his endeavours to break into aviation. _ Most of the episodes deal with his life and training at the , famous Randolph Field flying school. Both the. voices and the technique employed are frankly American, but in the episodes I

heard there was so much excitement, "punch" and carefully sustained interest that I could not but be gripped. A feature of "Howie Wing" which will make it all the more interesting to air-minded New Zealanders is its instructional aspect. For instance, in one episode the youthful Mr. Wing, who is 5000 feet up in the air receiving dual instruction, makes a careless turn, and falls into a spin. Hard-boiled instructor, after dressing Mr. Wing down, then explains to him carefully how to pull the plane out of tie spin. Maybe not many listeners’ will ever be in a position to benefit from the knowledge imrrted, but it’s nice to know all the same. Altogether "Howie Wing" is a more than ordinarily interesting feature, and if my judgment isn’t sadly amiss, it should prove something of-a hit,

‘BARONESS STILL EXCITING

The other feature I heard was "The Elusive Pimpernel," radio dramatisation of Baroness Orczy’s famous tale. Heaven knows, the worthy Baroness wrote enough

aAUVeCULUuULoOo aAliu bloodran¢thunder to thrill the most blase small boy, and whoever adapted

"The HWiusive Pimpernel" has certainly retained the excitement. Atmosphere is heightened at the beginning of each instaiment by clamorous "atmospheric" music and by the Scarlet Pimpernel himself reciting, in the foppish, jnane voice of Sir Percy Blakeney, that well-known jingle "They seek him here, they seek him there." A highlight of the first instalment is the mysterious ezcape of two aristocrats, and some choice dialogue between two very worried officials, one of wlom exclaims. desperately and .dramatically, "Do you know what failure to recapture them means? Our heads, "arville, our heau.."’ In every way a very exciting serial.

BRIEF VISIT OF COMEDIENNE

Passing through Christchurch recently, Muriel Lee Petty, BBC comedienne, gave from 38YA’s microphone the most novel turn of the vear. She "did" the life of

a soprano, taking the progress from a baby singer to jazz; to musical com-

eay, to swing and finally to "G.O."-grand opera. Miss Petty then told the illustrated tale of the girl who married a tenor . who was. "recognised" through his bath-singing and ended her act with a brilliant excerpt from "Madame Butterfly." Spontaneity of this type is more than heartily welcomed.

THEY WROTE IT THEMSELVES

A word of praise goes to the author of the production "Puss in Boots," pantomime for children, presented from 12ZB. Lasting nearly an hour, "Puss In Boots" was,!

from ‘conception to production, the work of 1ZB’s staff. Book and lyrics

. were written by Arthur Collyns, editor of the "Children’s Magazine Of The Air," while the opening and closing chorusés-gems in their way of music lixely to appeal to children, were composed with a light, fanciful touch by Miss’ Pauline Rodgers of i1ZB’s programme staff. An accomplisked solo pianist, Miss Rodgers studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music. She has also composed all the incidental music for the popular Kim’s session on Sunday evenings; played accompaniments ‘for every type of broadcaster imaginable in the amateur trials; and in. the routine job has the. exacting. task of pleasing Auckland listeners by. choosing bright and cheery music for the breakfast session.