Golden Age of Radio

New Faces WILLIAM BENDIX has a special talent for looking dumb and “acting” smart. Took his movie initiation in 1941, and did his first leading part in “Wake Island” last year. Left: In role for Paramount’s “China.” Below:  “Records can be broken,” says Bill <BENDIX in a scene from “China,” with Loretta Young , star of film > —Paramount  Photo by Hai A. McAlpin                                                                    —Bruce Bailey Photo WILLIAM BENDIX First Job Was That of Batboy for New York Giant AS “SMACKSIE” from Brooklyn to his Leatherneck pals in “Wake Island,” Bill Bendix more than justified Paramount officials officials’ confidence in his ability as an actor. But first time Bendix faced a movie camera, he admits has was “panic stricken.” That was when M-G-M signed him for the role of tavern -keeper in “Woman of the Year.” He was on Broadway rehearsing for a new show at the time, and flew to Hollywood to make his picture bow. Recallin

C. B. Pills the Strings— Here’s How Lux Radio Theater Maintains Top Rating Year After Year LUCK and long shots play no part in the year-after-year success of “ Lux Radio Theater .” The consistently high quality of its productions is due in great measure to C . B. DeMille, wizard producer, with his million-dollar-star contacts in Hollywood and his uncanny ability to choose plays that are adaptable to the medium of radio entertainment. Furthermore, C. B. knows how to pick assistants—men like Charlie Forsyth, who handles all the sound-effects  heard on the show; George Wells, radio playwriter who does  the scripts. For every play from stage and screen must be “tailored” to fit radio technique. And Wells has been doing the job ever since the first airing nine years ago. Typical of the all-star casts Mr. DeMille picks for the show is the trio shown on these pages. Flawless performances given mean not only vision on the part of the producer and his helpers, but en