Golden Age of Radio

ON THE AIR TODAY: ZaSu Pitts , playing the role of Aunt Mamie in the CBS serial, Big Sister , at 11:30 A.M., E.S.T. (rebroadcast at 11:00 A.M., Pacific Time), sponsored by Rinso. That wistful little lady in Columbia’s Studio Four, eyeing the microphone so distrustfully, is ZaSu Pitts, who Eric Von Stroheim always insisted was the finest dramatic actress in America. She has been in the movies since 1917, and never has appeared on the screen, even in a small role, without bringing a delighted murmur from audiences. She is utterly without temperament or stuffiness, and has a heart as big as Radio City. She hasn’t given up movie work for radio , by any means. But she isn’t under contract to any one studio in Hollywood , and when the opportunity came along to spend a few months in New York and act in Big Sister it sort of appealed to her, she says. Asked if she has any movie plans for the future, ZaSu doesn’t commit herself. “I’m hoping,” she says. “I’ve been hoping for twent

MORE THAN A CROONER SINATRA USES WORDS AS WELL AS MUSIC IN TOLERANCE BATTLE THERE are people who think FrankSinatra should climb down off his soapbox and stick to swooning the bobbysoxers. Intolerance, they will inform you, is a hot potato which has no business being kicked around as a publicity stunt by a radio crooner. But let all such skeptics be advised the Frankie Boy’s pitch for racial and religious understanding is the furthest thing from a publicity promotion. In fact, any good press agent would have counseled Frank that he’s putting his career in jeopardy to mention tolerance either pro or con. But Frank isn’t particularly concerned over the threat to his Hooper rating or box office appeal as a result of his campaign against discrimination. He plans to go right on beating the drums for tolerance and if his career crashes as a result, well, let it crash. The public got its first inkling that Frankie Boy’s emotions ran deeper than casting a romantic spe

SAY HELLO TO . . . ALBERT WARNER – CBS ’s Washington reporter, whom you’ll hear this afternoon at 6:05, and whenever there’s important news from the nation’s capital. Warner was born in Brooklyn, and was editor of his school papers both in high school and at Amherst, from which he graduated in 1924 . He’s been a successful newspaperman ever since, and has covered all presidential campaigns since 1928 . He gave up newspaper work early in 1939 to join CBS. By unanimous election, he’s president of the Radio Correspondents Association in Washington; and he’s a close friend of many important personalities in both parties.

Say Hello To- Jack Fraser—NBC announcer who’s heard frequently on The Gospel Singer and other programs. Jack comes from Lawrence, Mass., and studied in the University of Maine and later at Brown, emerging from his classrooms with a Ph.D. degree in English. He was always enthusiastic about music, and his fine baritone voice led him to occasional radio work while he was still in college. After graduation he joined the staff of a New York station, and came to NBC in 1936. He particularly likes to announce sports and news events, and is interested in all sport, both as an observer and a participant. In college he went in for all of them, but when he never got beyond being an “also-ran,” he became a cheer-leader instead.

Charles Webster -better known as “Chuck”, is heard on The Abbott Mysteries and on Official Detective , both over the MBS. Born and raised in Pittshurgh, he had years of experience with stock companies all over the Untied States before he tried radio—back in Pittsburgh. Next came six years at a Detroit station, with his own program, Know Your America. In 1945 he moved with his wife and children, to New York .

She Lives with a Liar … Marian—Molly McGee—Jordan Has Managed to Have an Ideal Home Life with Jim—Fiber—Jordan, Even If He Never Catches Mice With the Use of Falling Mercury Jim and Marian appear below as their youngsters know them—out of character—and, right, Molly caught in one of her frequent moments of wonder over Fibber’s latest tall story By Randall Lewis Milligan Fibber McGee looks innocent enough, doesn’t he? But then there’s no telling when he’ll pull the tallest story no far in-wanted. At right, Fibber and Molly display the leading characters in the travelling marionette show that bears their famous narrow. Before we start Calling anyone names, let the truth do it. Last January 1 the Burlington Liars’ club of Wisconsin, which yearly promotes the international Olympics for liars, awarded the World’s Championship title to none other than Fibber McGee. In spite of the cries of professionalism that were hurled in Fibber’s direction by disgruntled amateurs, he won

Alan Reed ALAN REED, who plays the role of Pasquale on Life With Luigi (CBS, Sundays, at 10 P.M., EDT), has done spots on virtually every radio program in New York and Hollywood, including a dozen or more daytime serials. His best known roles have been Falstaff Openshaw, poet, on the Fred Allen Show , Clancy the cop on Duffy’s Tavern and Mr. Weamish on the Baby Snooks Show. Today his voice is heard in twenty-twwo dialects on almost all of major shows. Alan Reed was born in New York and started his preparations for the theater during grammar school days when, as Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice.”  he caught his beard in the stage door. Quick thinking made him play it that way ever since. After extracting as much humor as he could from prep school. Reed moved his 210 pounds to Columbia University, where he became the intercollegiate broad-jumping champion wrestler and writer of college plays, just to prove that a brawny arm could swing a delicate pen Reed considere