Golden Age of Radio

ON THE AIR TONIGHT: Helen Hayes , starring in a different half-hour play each week, on CBS at 8:00, E.S.T., rebroadcast to the West Coast at 7:30, P.S.T, and sponsored by Lipton’s Tea. Unless you’re a fanatical devotee of Charlie McCarthy (or unless you live in the Pacific Time Zone, where Helen and Charlie aren’t on at the same time), you couldn’t do better than to tune Helen Hayes in tonight. Most radio acting is good, but hers is magnificent. You’d never guess than Helen was one of America’s greatest actresses if you watched her rehearsing her radio shows. She loves radio, but is quite willing to admit that other people know more about it than she does. No displays of temperament ever go on at a Hayes rehearsal, and afterwards, when the script has to be cut so it won’t run overtime (it always does have to be cut, too), Helen goes home and lets other people wield the blue pencils. “ I’d only get in their hair,” she explains. Besides acting on the air, Helen is starring

Bernard Herrmann __brilliant young symphonic conductor who returned from a recent tour of England to CBS’s Invitation To Music, heard Wednesday nights at 11:30 EST. part of composer-conductor Herrmann’s time in England was spent in the Bronte country, where he made notes for his forthcoming opera based on Emily Bronte’s masterpiece, “Wuthering Heights”.

Hedda Hopper __ wearing the creation by Hattie Carnegie which was inspired by the March of Dimes . But it really all began when a little Quaker girl (Hedda) saw a great Barrymore (Ethel) play in Captain Jinks. For Hedda decided then and there to become an actress. She ran away from hom, went from acting to reporting for CBS. The Quaker bonnet evolved into a series of the gayest, maddest hats in Hollywood.

Say Hello To – BURL IVES —who is heard with his “gittar” frequently over CBS, and regularly Saturday mornings on his own Coffee Club program. He comes to radio after years of touring the United States on foot or by any other handy means of transportation, collecting American folk-songs. He’s been a rover ever since, two months before finishing college, he decided he didn’t want to graduate and be a football coach. Although he loved football he loved singing and wandering around more. So he left, taking all the money he had—fifteen dollars—his guitar, and an extra pair of slacks. Singing in hotels or taverns, he made enough to live on, and that was all he wanted. He has settled down in New York now, but maybe not for long.

Ginger Jones __trained in dramatics at the Goodman Theater, Chicago, and was very active in radio until, in 1944, she gave it up to work for the Stage Door Canteen and to supervise and m.c. variety shows for the American Theater Wing. Now, returned to the air, she is Jane Browning on NBC’s Right to Happiness, 3:45 P.M., weekdays. She’s married to radio actor Les Damon and they have bought a New Jersey Farm.

Peggy Lee __who has been singing lately on The Electric Hour and Rhapsody in Rhythm, is a “musician’s singer.” Johnny Johnston discovered her in Fargo, N.D.; Will Osborne heard her and offered her a job; Buddy Clark persuaded Benny Goodman to audition her. Benny  signed her and she married his guitarist. Dave Barbour. Together they wrote “It’s a Good Day” and “I Don’t Know Enough About You.”

Laura Leslie -born nineteen years ago in Finks-burgh. Mary land, pop. 300, she grew up singing; had a weekly sponsored spot on WBAL while attending high school in Baltimore and got another sponsor on WFBR for a graduation present. She went to Los Angeles for some club bookings; tired of West Coast night life; came home and auditioned for Sammy Kaye when he was appearing at a Baltimore theater. So he signed her.