Page Eight

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

On Stage, Screen and Radio Jews Hold
Many Places as Topflight Performers

Friday, April 12, 1946

Oboler's work has tended to be
more of the straight entertain-
ment type. This Chicago-born
writer broke in with Mutual and
has been sponsored commer-
cially, whereas Corwin has been a
Columbia product exclusively.
Oboler is a master of pithy, pow-
erful drama, but he prefers the
conventional approach, rather
than relying on poetry and mu-
sic for his punch. In him, too,
gush the rich springs of demo-
cratic impulse, an important fac-
tor in any appraisal of his work.
Ezra Stone is an example of
a one-man show. When he left
the Aldrich Family to go into the
Army, that program practically
collapsed. Stone's croaking, hoarse
voice, his adolescent impersona-
tion, his unfailing sense of boyish
humor established him as one of
the very best actors in the busi-
ness at the age of 21. But Stone
had always been precocious. Be-
fore he had reached his majority,
he was a successful actor and
producer on Broadway.
While one of the tremendous
figures on stage and screen, Dan-
ny Kaye has not been able to
master the radio as he has the
other fields. This is due to the
fact that his facial expressions
and manipulations of his hands

and body are useless to radio.
Hence he must depend on straight
humor or singing some of the fan-
tastically funny songs his wife,
Sylvia Fine, writes for him. Dan-
ny knocked around for many years
on the "borcht circuit" and trav-
eling all over the world before
he got his big chance on Broad-
way. He was cast as a photog-
rapher in Moss Hart's "Lady in
the Dark" and stole the show
from Gertrude Lawrence. After
that there was no stopping him.
Among the chanteuses, Dinah
Shore, Eddie Cantor's discovery,
rates near the top. Unlike the
other stars born in or near New
York, she hails from Chattanooga,
Tenn. While a student at Vander-
bilt University, she came north in
1940 to try her hand at singing
and made the rounds of the dif-
ferent studios. In the short space
of six years Elbe has climbed to
the peak in her field and has been
a particular favorite of the GIs.
Incidentally, her first name, Di-
nah, was recently acquired. She
was originally Frances Rose, but
radio executives suggested that
she change it to something with
more "zing."

Having distinguished them- first made his distinguished mark year contract that supposedly
selves for almost half a century in the press. But Winchell is a calls for a cool million dollars.
on the American stage and in the powerful figure—has been called (Winchell is variously estimated
movies, it is only natural for the one of the two most powerful to receive $5,000 for a weekly
columnists in the world. A plug 15-minute newscast, while Heat-
gifted Jewish entertainers to
make their mark in the world of by him on the radio can make ter is on the air six days a
radio. That they have done so any unknown book a best seller; week.) Heatter dabbles in senti-
a blast against appeasers and fas- mentality, in wrenching a tear
with astounding success is appar-
cists brings investigations and from a taudry situation, in the
ent by the merest glance at the
radio programs of your daily probes; he has been a constant appeal that is typical of the sen-
thorn in the side of demagogues sational tabloid press. He has
newspaper.
of the Bilbo-Rankin type. He never gone out on a limb, as
If it's sheer entertainment you
spurred the trials of Christian Winchell and William S. Gailmor,
want—comedy—you can tune in
Fronters, subversive agents and Sidney Walton, Max Lerner and
on Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor,
anti-Semites by his public accu- Samuel Grafton, other distin-
Danny Kaye, Lew Parker, Fannie sations.
guished radio commentators, have.
Brice, George Burns and Allen,
The "education" of Walter
Corwin, like Winchell, has
Ezra Stone who is Henry of the
Winchell has been one of the found a tremendous public alive
Aldrich Family. If you prefer
amazing developments in radio. to and appreciative of serious
serious drama, there is none finer
When he first went on the air, messages. In his "Columbia Work-
than that which flows from the
his immediate concern was dis- shop" plays he has never failed
prolific pens of Norman Corwin
closing impending births or di- to lash out against bigots and
and Arch Oboler. If it's melo-
vorces; he delighted in nothing reactionaries. A poet as well as a
drama, the mystery, you dote on,
so much as scooping his rivals on dramatist, gifted with the talent
dial Ellery Queen (Mr. Queen is
Hollywood or Broadway chit-chat. of writing musically, Corwin has
really two people, cousins who
Gradually, however, he came to been writing weekly half-hour
collaborate in producing thrillers
see that his tremendous audience, dramas interspersed with special
starring this character). If it's
listed in the millions, carried a
music, there are Robert Merrill responsibility far greater than presentations. One of the latter
was "On a Note of Triumph,"
and Dinah Shore, Joan Edwards
that of disseminating idle gossip. written especially for V-E Day
and Sammy Kaye's orchestra. If
The turning point of his career and subsequently published in
you go in for news commentators,
came in his championing of the book form. It has been called an
Walter Winchell leads the parade
late President Roosevelt, and epic approximating the lyric mas-
with Gabriel Heatter trailing
from that stemmed his unmitigat- tery of Walt Whitman and Carl
Passover Greetings to All!
along. If it's variety, Information
ing warfare against the enemies Sandburg.
Please and Dave Elman's Radio of democracy.
Auction and Hobby Lobby fill the
Winchell was originally a hoof-
bill nicely. If it's sports, there's
er on the stage, which is a far
Bill Stern.
Passover Greetings to All!
cry from becoming a radioracle,
And all of this does not in-
Women's Apparel
clude venerable sturdies who crop to use one of his expressions.
Lately he has taken up the cud-
up often as guest stars—like the
Woodward Ave.
gels against Franco and Argen-
Marx Brothers, Milton Berle, Lou
Fine Cakes and Pastries
tina and if this country ever
Hi-Speed
Service
Station
BIRMINGHAM
Holtz, Oscar Levant, Henny
12028 Dexter
Youngman, Sophie Tucker, Willie takes drastic action against these
To. 8.6113
inheritors of Hitler's mantle, it
COMPLETE LINE OF
and Eugene Howard, Al Jolson,
will
be
largely
due
to
Winchell
Ben Bornstein
Sam Breisblatt
George Jesse], Paul Muni, Ed-
HI-SPEED PRODUCTS
and his unflagging war on the
ward G. Robinson, Mitzie Green, radio.
Jan Peerce, Richard Tucker, Mar-
12161 Dexter at Monterey
Gabriel Heatter is a poor con-
Passover Greetings to All!
tha Lipton, Joey Adams, George
trast. Standing by himself, he
Price, Benny Goodman, Ted Lew-
NOrthlawn 9846
Passover
Greetings
and
commands a large audience, as
•
is—and that's excluding the army
Best Wishes to All!
may be envisaged by a three-
of writers, directors and produc
4
ers, not including the executives,
INDUSTRIAL
such as David SarnofT, president
HOLIDAY GREETINGS
CASTINGS CO.
of Radio Corporation of America,
w h i c h controls the National
C. A. BRADY
Broadcasting Company.
It is difficult to sum up the
W. L MAYBERRY
1339 CLINTON ST.
achievements of this impressive
group in anything less than a vol-
8955 THADDEUS AVE.
CADILLAC 5941
ume, but one fact emerges from
COAL and COKE
MACHINERY
CO.
the mere scanning of their names:
all are top-flight artists, men and
17400 RYAN ROAD
women who have set a high stand-
6175 VERMONT
ard in entertainment and who
CH. 2133
TW. 2-3530
have been recognize,d for their
eminence. In many cases their ra-
9
dio work overlaps stage, screen
and operatic careers, but this is
Season's Greetings and
only natural.
Season's Greetings and
Best Wishes
Each year, awards are made
Best Wishes
for the outstanding programs in
different categories. And each
year it has been customary for
Jewish stars to emerge near if not
at the very top. Corwin, for
9435 PETERSON
VI. 2-0594
example, has been annually cited
for his magnificent dramas, In-
DEPENDABLE GENERAL
formation Please for its never-
CARTAGE
ending spontaneous humor, Win-
2002 FOURTH ST.
chell for his incisive condemna-
1525 FIFTH STREET
tion of fascist activities in Amer-
CADILLAC 1320
CADILLAC 3240
ica. These are a select few, but
a complete listing of the Jewish
stars reads like a Who's Who in
Radio.
SINCEREST PASSOVER GREETINGS!
Put several of these eminent
entertainers on one program and
it is a foregone conclusion that it
will be a smash hit. Such was the
case from the very beginning
8621 TWELFTH STREET
TYLER 4-9825
with Information Please. Clifton
Fadiman, the erudite master of
ceremonies, was teamed in 1938
6791 B. BIGHT MILE ROAD
with Franklin P. Adams and Os-
car Levant, making three Jews of
Phone SL. 7066
Base Line, Michigan
a combination of five. Levant has
since left the program, what with
a wealth of wagging bookwriting,
FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
movie acting and concert piano-
Floral Designs — Plants, Etc.
playing to do, but Fadiman and
Adams still remain.
8200-2nd Ave.
TRinity 1-8400
While the program is essen-
tially the same as when it began
nine years ago, it retains its pop-
ularity because of its perennial
bubbling wit, supplied principally
by Adams. Fadiman skillfully
guides the questioning along, and
the pace is even and swift.
Adams' recollection of poetry
and old songs never fails to as-
tound. He has become so valua-
ble to the program that it is ru-
mored he receives $800 for a sin-
gle half-hour participation.
Winchell is another phenome-
non of the air who, like Adams,

4

GREETINGS
from

DAVIDSON'S

Mayers Bakery

SAM STEWART

Sincere
GREETINGS

EXCELSIOR

BADER BROS.
BAG CO.

RYAN COAL
COMPANY

A Very Joyous Passover to All

•

CITY
MESSENGER
CO.

S. COHEN and A. LEVENBERG
WHOLESALE MEATS

WAGNER
BAKING CORP.

Mrs. Wagner's Pies

PASSOVER
GREETINGS

•

CREAM OF MICHIGAN CAFE, INC.

AETNA INDUSTRIES

ORIGINAL LITTLE
FLOWER SHOP

PASSOVER GREETINGS

•

PASSOVER GREETINGS

LURIE BROS.
WRIGLEY'S Serve-Self MARKETS
GENERAL OFFICES:

FELDMAN BROS.
WHOLESALE VEAL, LAMB

2472 Riopelle St.
CA. 1538

14381 LIVERNOIS

9

v.-

HOgarth 2105

JIi

