 Radio's own show, Behind the Mic. Radio, with a switch of a dial, radio brings you tragedy, comedy, entertainment, information, education, a whole world at your command. Ah, but there are stories behind radio. Stories behind your favorite programs and favorite personalities and radio people you never hear of. Stories as amusing, dramatic and as interesting as any make-believe stories you hear on the air. And that's what we give you. Yes, sir, the human interest, the glamour, the tragedy, the comedy and information that are behind the mic. And now presenting a man whose name has been a symbol of the best in radio since the beginning of broadcasting, Graham McNamee. Thank you, Gilbert Martin and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the radio audience. This afternoon behind the mic shows you how a director maintains cordial relations with temperamental stars. As told by one of radio's best directors, Diana Bourbon. We bring you the sound effect of the week, anecdotes of the early days of radio, as told by one of radio's pioneer engineers, Raymond Guy. We salute a program you love that featured the star piano team of V. Lawnhurst and Muriel Pollock. We answer letters from listeners, and finally we bring you an unusual human interest story involving radio actor Wano Hernandez and Voodoo. One of NBC's pioneer engineers is Raymond Guy, who was on the original WJZ staff 21 years ago and is now NBC's radio facilities engineer. Ray is going to tell us about some of the things that made broadcasting difficult in the early days of radio. Ray, one of the things that made early radio difficult for you engineers was the type of mic you had to use, wasn't it? That's right, Graham, and we have used what seemed like some rather peculiar microphones compared with the finished products that we have today. What sort of mic did you use at WJZ back in the early 20s? Strangest it may seem, the best we had was a cone loudspeaker hooked up backwards. It looked like a soup plate and was much more fragile. Well, it does make the broadcast sound much different than our microphone does today. We have one of those old soup plates hooked up here, and we're going to let our listeners judge for themselves. Suppose we have the orchestra play a few bars of music on the regular mic, and then have them play a few bars on the loudspeaker mic. Okay, let's do. Go ahead, Ernie Watson, on the regular mic, old-fashioned loudspeaker mic. What about those old carbon mics, Ray? Well, we used that type at WJZ after the loudspeaker mic. It was different than most types in that it had a paper diaphragm. Well, how'd that sound over the air? Well, by a curious coincidence, we have an old carbon mic hooked up here in the studio. Complete accident. Yes. We're going to let our listeners hear the difference between a broadcast on our present-day microphone and what they used to hear in the very early days of radio. Well, let's try a speaking voice this time. First on our present-day mic. Don't forget that if your community does not have daylight saving time, behind the mic will be heard next week, one hour earlier. Very well done. And now on our old carbon mic. Don't forget that if your community does not have daylight saving time, behind the mic will be heard next week, one hour earlier. Well, some amusing things happened in those early days, didn't they, Ray? Yes, they did indeed. When WJZ was in Newark, our studio was not only in the Westinghouse factory, but it was right next to the alley where all the trucks drove in. I remember, Ray. And, of course, men were working out in that alley also. Of course, our studio was not soundproofed in those early days, and sometimes you'd hear over the air a program that sounded something like this. But I think the funniest thing I can remember happening in those early days was when, during a dramatic scene, a foraging alley cat jumped in through the window, and, of course, we tried to chase him out. Every sound we made went over the air, and it sounded something like this. And this is the finish? You're going to leave me? Yes. Oh, if you could only hear my heart speak to you. There he goes. Get him. It's no use. You've tried too often. You can't rebuild on the ashes of a dead love. That's good boy. Yes, there's nothing more to say except... Yes, indeed. Radio was a wonderful thing in those days. Yes, yes, it was. It certainly was. And thank you for the information and those amusing anecdotes, Ray. Very well. Sound Effect of the Week. From time to time behind the mic presents some unusual sound effect and tells exactly how it was done. Just to show you again to what lengths NBC's sound department goes in order to please its listeners, recently on the Star Spangled Theater program, a sound effect of a Roman galley erode by slaves chained to the oars was needed. This effect is as heard inside the galley. Now, most of the sound effects department had never heard a Roman galley in action, as I understand they haven't been used very recently, but look what trouble they went through to give you what they thought a Roman galley sounded like. They took a squeaking door. Two squeak boxes, which are leather devices giving forth various squeaks. These squeaks are the sounds of the oars in the fold pin. A chain windlass, which consists of a chain on a roller. When the roller is turned, it throws the chain against the two rollers, causing a rhythmical clanking, thusly. And a loose chain, which sounds exactly like a loose chain. These make the sound of the manacles on the slaves as they roll, the sound of a gavel hitting a wooden block, as the slave master marked the tempo of the oarsmen. Our sound geniuses, or genii, put them all together and made a recording of them, and presto, a Roman galley complete with slaves, manacles, and oars, being rode as heard from the inside of the galley. They've got to be to hold a job in competition with the so-called stronger sex. Here's one of the best of these directors. For a long time she directed the camel playhouse, and for a time produced as well as directed Hollywood Hotel. She's even been in charge of a top-notch comedy program, and right now she's directing two daytime serials, Martha Webster, and the story of Bess Johnson. Here she is, Diana Bourbon. Diana, you've directed and worked with a number of very prominent motion picture and radio stars, haven't you? Yes, Graham, I have, especially on the Campbell Playhouse and the Hollywood Hotel. Well, I'm sure that every radio listener at some time or another has wondered how difficult these stars are to work with or to handle. Well, most of them aren't difficult at all. Yeah, but some of them are, well, just a touch temperamental. I'd be the last to deny it. Yes, as a director, how do you handle these people so they'll be happy and won't walk out on the program? Oh, one way is to try and fool them into thinking that you do know your job. Even the most temperamental movie star usually comes to a radio rehearsal scared to death about how he's going to sound on the air. That's half the trouble. You see, radio isn't his medium, so he's afraid of it. Well, as a director, you've studied your script beforehand. You have changes in mind that will improve it. But if you're wise, you don't suggest them until you're in rehearsal. Then maybe you pretend you just thought of them on the spur of the moment. Like most of the great radio ad-libs. The idea, you see, is to look competent. Once the star thinks you know your job, it's plain sailing. But to be right about any suggestion you make, all the confidence is gone for good. Well, how about temperament? Well, when a star is really temperamental, you can usually tell by instinct when the blow-up is coming. Oh, like this. Darling, I'm desperately in love with you. Diana, that line isn't me. The matter of fact, this whole script isn't me. To be perfectly honest with you, you should take this script and give it back to the audience. Giving a rotten performance, that's all. For a man who's capable of doing the things you do on the screen, it's the worst rehearsal I ever listened to. You aren't putting as much effort into acting as you'd put into whacking a golf ball. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Diana, this... Oh, well, I'm sorry. All right. Let's try it again. And for Pete's sake, this time act. Will you? I got your idea, Diana. When you feel a blow-up is going to come on, you just blow up ahead of them, huh? That's right. Beat them to the punch. Throw a worse scene than they thought of, you know? They realize they can't top it, so they calm down and get to work. Well, do you handle all temperaments like this? Heaven forbid. With some people, it's absolutely fatal to argue. The more you argue with them, the more stubborn they get. So you handle them quite differently. As in this case. I can't give you up. I simply can't. You mustn't ask me to... Diana, that line is bad. Absolutely right. But it isn't just that line. The whole script is bad. You're still right, darling. I absolutely agree with you. The script isn't right. Unfortunately, we're stuck with it. We're going on the air tonight, so what can we do? Look. Just turn in a good performance in spite of it, will you? If you do it as only you can, everybody will rave about your acting and forget about the script, huh? Come on. Let's do it again. Give it all you've got. All right. I'll do the best I can. I can't give you up. I simply can't. You mustn't ask me to. All right, dear. I'll carry along with you. Well, Diana, are all comedians difficult to handle? Generally speaking, no. Of course, some of them have idiosyncrasies. Oh, a two-dollar word, that one. Right. For instance, there was one comic I worked with who did a lot of his own writing. He simply couldn't stand to have one of his lines touched immediately after he'd written it. Well, what'd you do in that case? Kept him writing several weeks ahead. After he'd finished a script, he'd hand it in and say... Diana, I think this is the best one I've done so far. Every gag is a belly land. Looks like a darn good script to me. Good. It's great. Well, then I'd carefully mark out the gags that didn't seem so very hot in a few weeks later. Well, let's start rehearsal. Just a second. Before we begin, there are a couple of gags here that don't seem quite as funny to me as some of the others. How may I sound to you? Look, these right here. Where? Oh, those. Hey, they ever get in. Take them out. I'll give you some others. See? Simple. But if I'd suggested taking those gags out when they first were written, it would have been so much better. Well, Diana, all I can say is that anybody who can be a radio director working with high-priced stars should be in our diplomatic corps. Thank you so much for your information and for a most unusual interview. Thank you, Diana. Audities in radio. Presenting odd little true behind-the-mic stories that help make radio sometimes amusing, sometimes exasperating, but always interesting to the people in it. This week's audities. Some time ago on the crime doctor program, a sound effect failed to come off as it should have and led to an amusing incident. In this scene, the hero gun in hand was being backed against a wall by an assailant. Don't come closer. Don't come any closer. Don't come a step closer or I'll shoot. All right, you have qualitative more to shoot you right now. Shooting is too good for you. I'm going to stab you instead. Ah! By the sound of the sound man committing suicide. I believe that radio has a tradition of which it can well be proud. A tradition of good programs that linger fondly in our memory. So each week we bring you a star or a part of a program you used to hear, a program you love. This afternoon behind the mic salutes two real personalities as we reunite for the first time V Lawnhurst and Muriel Pollock, one of radio's most famous two piano teams. Oh, I can remember it way back in the first years of radio they used to come out of the studio two little kids in pinafores and pig jails. They appeared on many programs, both sustaining and commercial, from 1930 to 1938. V Lawnhurst and Muriel Pollock will first play Frenesy. They're just as good and a whole lot better than ever. Thank you girls, thanks a lot. So often, grand play. It's from listeners. Each week we invite the listeners to behind the mic to write us about radio. And almost every week the questions we consider to be of most general interest we have answered on the air. This afternoon's questions will be answered by behind the mic in the person of our announcer, Gilbert Martin. Marjorie Meyer of Staten Island, New York wants to know when you write to a personality on the radio does he or she receive his own fan mail or does the station keep it? The address to radio personalities addressed in care of a radio station are almost always forwarded to the personalities themselves or to the radio agency in charge of their programs. Now on the latter case the mail is generally re-forwarded from the agency. Robert Mallory of San Francisco, California asks what is the name of the musical introduction by which you open and close your program? Ah, the musical introduction of behind the mic is an original composition of our orchestra leader, Ernie Watson who incidentally we may proudly say the reputation of being one of the best composers and arrangers in radio and he quaintly calls it opening theme. The same listener asked this question when the Mr. District Attorney program begins a man's voice says and it shall be the duty of the district attorney. The voice seems to echo as if in a large hall. How is this echo effect produced? Well, the echo effect is produced by the use of what is known as an echo chamber and this is done as follows The voice is carried from the studio electrically into a hard surface room which causes the voice to re-verberate like an echo. It is then picked up that is the voice, not the room by a microphone within the room and is carried back to the studio where it goes out over the air. Ralph Solomon of St. Louis, Missouri asks if I'm not at home but my telephone is answered by the maid can I win that pot of gold? Ah, yes if the phone is answered by anyone the pot of gold goes to the person in whose name the phone is listed, not the maid. Sis Hirsch of Plainfield New Jersey writes in to ask who plays the leading role in Big Sister? Alice Frost whose contract incidentally has just been renewed her 21st renewal in five years of starring on this program Thank you Gilbert Martin she's one of the finest radio actors of the Negro race, his one Ohernandez he's also a mighty fine director and a writer too he directed and acted the title role of the famous John Henry dramas on the air Juano brings us a highly dramatic story about one of his broadcasts take the microphone Juano Hernandez Thank you Graham McNamee a couple of years ago I appeared on the Rudy Valley hour in a dramatization called voodoo voodoo? yes true voodoo is actually a religion and is not a thing of evil as many believe but rather it strives to do good well what was the dramatization about Juano? well it took place in the swamp land of the south and it was about a man whose girls' affections had started to wonder in order to bind her to him for the rest of her life he conjured her mind there was a very effective scene in the dramatization in which I was the man supposedly using the charm power of black magic after the broadcast was over a Negro woman in the studio audience from the West Indies sent a card to me and asked if she could speak to me and I agreed Mr. Hernandez I'm in a very serious situation mentally and I feel that you can help me a great deal in what way? well I listened very carefully to your voodoo drama this evening you wrote it did you not? yes I knew that was not written by an ordinary radio writer but by somebody who was versed in voodoo but I can't talk to you here will you please make an appointment to see me at my hotel? I wouldn't ask you unless I was in great trouble and I felt that you could help me well Wano did you make an appointment to see her? yes I did it was such an unusual request I felt I couldn't very well refuse I went to her hotel apartment she told me that she was a concert pianist and that for some time she had been interested in the occult sciences and she really was in trouble you see Mr. Hernandez through the help of these teachers I've advanced to the point where I have little belief that I exist in the flesh and often I have the most wonderful visions beautiful stretches of desert with very colored palm trees loveless cities and strange people that seem to be not of this earth even but these experiences last only a short time and they're followed by several days of physical exhaustion and mental depression during which I feel as if I want to run in front of every passing bus and kill myself go on please and that's not the worst of it I've delved so deeply into the occult that for the past few months I feel I'm possessed by a horrible demon he's wrapped himself completely around me it's a humpback creature with no visible features although he has a head whatever he tells me to do I feel I have to obey well how can I help you? when I heard you on the radio program I knew you were a master of voodoo not a master please a student but go on in my present condition I feel that only a master of voodoo would have the power over this demon who possesses my every thought well what did you do Wano? well I knew that in her condition she was almost a psychiatric case realizing that she had confidence in me I decided to fall in with her suggestion that I help her before doing anything I tried to convince her that when you have extra sensory experiences such as the hallucinations that she had deliberately sought you must pay for them thus her nervous depression and her imagined demon but that wasn't enough she had faith in the powers of voodoo so I wrote her a mantra or voodoo prayer which I had collected during my research in voodooism I said to her here take this and whenever you feel that demon mastering you read the mantra and I'm trying to help you read it to me evil powers are in the earth I am full of their visitations my body and my spirit labor with confusion but hear me all the earth hear me all flesh and all spirits the infinite mind is not the author of confusion but a peace peace in bone peace in flesh peace in spirit and peace in mind such is my heritage and henceforth no power shall deny me this a student of the master gives his aid to this purpose the student's doctrine is pure all evil powers henceforth depart from me now and forever so commands goodbye and did this help her here are some actual excerpts from letters I received from her within the space of two months you're so very kind to help me I do thank you I'd be wonderfully grateful for a permanent healing shortly afterwards she wrote this I'm frantic and without funds and rent money half of the time all because of the sickening annoyance and lack of sleep later she wrote it's my style and then after about six weeks had passed the last two days are really better instead of passionately wishing every bus would put me out of my body I've been thinking of my piano you see as I said she was a concert pianist her last letter said I'm alright now only tired isn't it wonderful to have the spring again by spring she meant the recovery of her mental equilibrium she's alright now I don't think she'll ever try to delve into the occult again Wano I think that's not only a remarkable example of the powers of mental suggestion but it shows as well what a radio performer can be called upon to do thank you Wano Hernandez thank you next week behind the mic shows you how a radio dramatization of a jailbreak was written and produced at the same time the event was taking place a remarkable human infrastructure a story involving a $1,000 prize winner and a recent prize contest a winner who really needed that money and we salute another program you love and we bring you more of the glamour the comedy and the tragedy that are found behind the mic remember next week if your community does not have daylight saving time behind the mic will be heard an hour earlier this is Graham McNamie speaking good afternoon all behind the mic is written by Mort Lewis original music composed and conducted by Ernie Watts and this program was heard in Canada via the networks of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and this is the Blue Network of the National Broadcasting Company