VERSATILE ART, DIALECT EXPERT, CAN
BE CHARACTER ACTOR OR MIMIC
ONE OF A KIND
ART CARNEY IS THE ONLY NETWORK
STAFF ACTOR
ART CARNEY is a young man with a
job that many a free-lance actor would give his eyeteeth and ten years of his
life to have. It is the only position of its kind existing in any of the four
large networks. Art is the only actor who is a regular salaried staff member of
the Columbia Broadcasting System.
As anyone who has gone through the
exhausting throes of becoming a radio artist can tell you, the hardest part of
attaining prominence is getting
established with the network producers. It is a long tale of auditioning,
getting interviews with producers and directors, and beating out a shoe leather
symphony between advertising agencies and network offices. After some small
encouragement, you spend all your time and ingenuity reminding the producers
that you exist and are available for a little work. When you are in demand
there is a vast amount of dashing about to be done to cover your assignments at
the networks. You worry about your publicity or lack of it. In some cases, an
expensive item in your budget is a publicity agent who gets a fat fee for
keeping your name in print.
That, in brief, is largely what
the radio artist faces as he strives for success. Only Art Carney of all the
legions of actors has succeeded in by-passing all that struggle.
Art has a seven year contact with
CBS which requires him to appear on any of the network’s sustaining programs
(that is, unsponsored shows) as he is needed. For this, he is paid a regular
weekly salary. In addition to this, his contract permits him to accept and be
reimbursed for any roles on CBS commercial shows as long as they do not
conflict with his assignments on sustainers. So he has not only the regular weekly
paycheck of which all actors dream, but also a chance to make extra money and
an assurance that he will be with enviable regularity on the radio.
How did he get this way? Well, the
secret of Art’s success lies in his versatility. First of all, he is a first
class mimic. His impersonations of Roosevelt, Willkie, Eisenhower, Fred Allen,
Winston Churchill are masterpieces. He can master a voice imitation in as brief
a space as half an hour. He actually had to do this once with a recording of
Elmer Davis’ voice for a role on “Report To The Nation.” Then, he is a
competent straight actor—from the beginning of his career—a natural for radio.
He is accomplished at dialects and character roles.
How does he do financially as
compared with free lance artists? Better than most of them, not quite as well
as the top-flight ones. But don’t forget this point—there are very few at the
top and even those few have no definite static income. After all, everyone has
slow weeks. Art can have a slow week and still bring home the bacon. If he does
a lot of commercial shows in a week, he says, “It’s just gravy for me.”
Art began his career in high
school. His excellent imitations merely amused his classmates but gave an elder
brother Jack, a radio producer, the idea that his young fellow was meant for
show business. Jack had him audition for Horace Heidt in 1937, soon after Art
was graduated from high school. He toured with the band for about four years
with his own comedy act. The next two year he spent in announcing for the “Pot
O’ Gold” program and acting in vaudeville and the theatre in and around New
York.
CBS gave Art his big break when he
was hired to do an imitation of Roosevelt’s voice on “Report To The Nation.” Following
this initial appearance, the CBS directors formed the habit of using him
regularly on various shows. One October day in 1943 the attractive seven year
contract was flashed before him and he wasted no time in signing it.
One of his frequent assignments
was on the program called “Man Behind The Gun.” Coincidentally, a man behind a
gun was just the role the Army had in mind for him too, and in January 1944 he
landed in the infantry. He returned to civilian life and his unique contract in
November of the following year.
“Columbia Workshop,” “School Of The Air,” and “Behind The Scenes at CBS” are a few of the sustainers which keep
Art busy. When not broadcasting he is making recordings which are put to good
use in his study of voices. Newsreels, movies, and radio shows are also used as
references to prefect the Carney impersonations.
Art is a fairly happy man. Only once
in a while (perhaps because all actors have roving souls) does he cast a mildly
envious eye at the fat roles that free lance actors can land by being available
to all four networks. At present, though, he’s content to be a familiar part of
the CBS scene and enjoy the rare security he has attained.
<WALTER VAUGHAN, ART CARNEY,
BUY REPP, CARL EASTMAN ON “REPORT TO THE NATION”>
Comments
Post a Comment