Golden Age of Radio

Introducing JOHN TILLMAN AT FRANK DAILEY’S Meadowbrook last summer, a young ex-GI named John Tillman earned himself the moniker of “Dream Scream,” delightedly bestowed on him by the bobbysoxers who found his looks and his emceeing irresistible. In a way, Tillman found this very satisfying, certainly a change from having “Sergeant!” screamed at him for three years. Matinee at Meadowbrook is still on the air, beamed for GI’s still overseas. We ordinary citizens hear John as m.c. of Danny O’Neil’s Singing in the Morning (daily 9:15 A.M., EST, CBS) and as the smooth-voiced announcer of The Stradivari Orchestra (Sundays, CBS, 2:30 P.M., EST). John was born in Clio, Alabama, during the first World War. He became a professional performer while he was still attending Barbour County High School. At the age of sixteen, he became a staff announcer and singer on Station WAFG in Dothan, Alabama. His mother accompanied him on the organ for his singing program. After he was graduated fro...

DOUBLY AIR-MINDED Playing the flying secret agent, Joyce Ryan, in Mutual’s Captain Midnight for the past five years has had a marked effect on Marilou Neumayer’s private life. The daily dialogue dealing with flying led to a real life interest in airplanes and what makes them run. Now Marilou, with sixty flying hours to her credit and her pilot’s license won, would rather fly than eat. Of course, her radio commitments keep her pretty busy. In addition to Captain Midnight , Marilou is also heard as the sultry siren, Stella Curtis—and here’s a piece of type casting, as far as looks as concerned—in the CBS and NBC Ma Perkins show. She’s featured on several other Chicago shows, like First Nighter, Freedom of Opportunity. Undecided as to whether it would be singing or acting as a career, Marilou went to Chicago in 1940 to try her luck in radio there. Her luck, it turned out, was exceptionally good. In two short months of knocking on doors, Marilou won the audition for the par...