Golden Age of Radio

Clifton Fadiman __became m.r. of Information Please in 1927, while in the midst of his active career as editor, book reviewer and critic. He still crack, his verbal whip over the expert, on this program on Wednesday nights at 10:30 EST on the Columbia network, but says that If ever a question of cheese comes up he will switch to the receiving end; fine cheeses and wines are a hobby of his and he might “stump the experts”.

Say Hello To- FRANK FOREST—whose tenor voice is heard tonight at 6, E.S.T., on the Double or Nothing program over MBS. He’s a Minnesota boy who studied in Europe and later won acclaim singing in European opera, making his debut at La Scala in Milan. You’ve seen him in the movies, “Champagne Waltz” and “I’ll Take Romance.” He’s a bachelor, likes blondes, stands 5 feet 11 inches, and has dark hair. 

ARLENE FRANCIS –who is the emcee on What’s My Name?, Saturdays, ABC, and Blind Date, Thursdays, ABC-TV was born in Boston, Mass., educated at the Finch School and made her first stage success in “Street Scene.” She made her air debut in 1933 and since then has been heard on many programs. Her husband is well-known actor and novelist, Martin Gabel; they have a son, Peter.

JANE FROMAN . . . an alluring, blue-eyed brunette, started out to be a newspaper reporter at the University of Missouri School of Journalism located in her home town of Columbia where her father was mayor and her mother a music teacher in a college. She studied first from her mother; then at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music where Powell Crosley, Jr., president of WLW, heard her sing at a party and signed her up. Later NBC and then CBS got her. Despite the fact that she stutters, Jane now sing’s on more commercial programs than any other girl soprano. And she’s making movie-shorts, too. Husband Don Ross, baritone, sings over CBS. 

SAY HELLO TO . . . AL GOODMAN —who is back on the air after too long an absence, directing the music for Fred Allen’s program on CBS tonight. Al used to be the late Flo Ziegfeld’s favorite musical comedy maestro, and broke into radio when Flo brought his shows to the air. Since then he’s led the orchestra for virtually every singing star in opera and concert. Al is short, stocky and genial. He manages to get along with only four or five hours of sleep and does most of his work at night. He was born in Russia, but fled from there when he was a boy, hidden in a load of vegetables in a cart. His family settled in Baltimore. 

Say Hello To- RICHARD GORDON—who plays “The Bishop” in tonight’s serial on NBC-Blue, The Bishop and the Gargoyle. Richard started his career in 1898 as a reporter and cartoonist for a Bridgeport, Conn., paper. In 1900 he switched to the stage, and began a long succession of increasingly important Broadway roles. In 1930 he joined NBC’s staff of actors, and won fame as Sherlock Holmes —but after a while he refused to play the part any longer for fear of being typed. He and his wife (she was his leading lady in 1905) live in Piermont, N.Y., in a home with a big basement where Richard pursues his hobby of carpentry.