Bill Stern—Teller of Tall Tales

Bill Stern—Teller of Tall Tales

SOME radio performers have a way of bringing violent reactions from their listeners. An outstanding example is Bill Stern, the sports commentator. At almost regular intervals someone trots into this department screaming, “Did you hear Bill Stern last night?” Anonymous voices appear on the telephone, reporting Bill Stern’s latest. What precipitates all this furor is Stern’s penchant for exaggeration.

Stern comes on the air at 9:30 p.m. Fridays with dramatizations of what are known as feature stories in newspaper parlance. There is a little song on the show, sort of a singing commercial, and one of the lines is: “Bill Stern has lots to say.” Stern certainly has. Not satisfied with a good feature story. Stern tries to make it better. He broadcast a story about a Wisconsin boy, who was learning to swim without hands or feet, only Stern made it “without arms or legs,” and made the boy out to be a good swimmer, which he wasn’t.

Stern strains, too, to drag in some sports connection with his stories. Spinning a yarn of the Wisconsin Peshugo fire, he related that it was caused by a cousin of Mrs. O’Leary, who hit a baseball into a barn and knocked over a lantern.

Among the all-time Stern classics was the story of the two New York high school track stars who were always running in dead heats and who started singing and dancing while working off a restaurant bill. Stern said these two were Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor. Durante himself labeled this story 100% fiction.

Another Sternwinder was the story of how an Irish cop broke up a fight between Harry Greb and Mickey Walker, and how they promised him a stage career if he would not arrest them. Stern said this Irish cop was Milwaukee’s Pat O’Brien, who has never worn the blue except in the movies.

Stern is an actor, if a bit on the hammy side, and he dramatizes his tales to the limit. He plays his voice like an organ and when he reaches his climaxes, he pulls out all the stops.

Some listeners really enjoy his programs and there are those who do not believe his stories but like his theatrics. The most sensible way to listen to Bill Stern is to sit back and chuckle at the very idea that anyone could tell such conviction. It’s much better than bursting a blood vessel

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Walter Winchell will start his fifteenth year of broadcasting next Sunday. Whatever may be one’s opinion of Winchell, it must be conceded that he has a tremendous radio audience. Winchell stands eight among all programs in the latest Hooper ratings, and many times has ranked higher than that.

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