| Show parrots mice make circus out of radio radi 0 Ani animals nials give headache to broadcasters but its all good fun by HOWARD NELSON released by western newspaper union EW YORK ordinarily NEW Ns speaking peaking the european war is more important than a singing ad mouse that was why without rc reflection on the hermins ver mins qualifications the national broadcasting company recently answered no to the following radiogram still interested in singing mice A sensational one in Nieu iven holland sings like a canary A white mouse to boot its only a few years since radio held its first singing 9 mouse contest more recently star performers from every available genera and species have been invited to appear lest mice gain a monopolistic grip on the microphone list of animal performers reads like the index of book chos who at the zoo everything from a boa constrictor st to a cucka burra bird public interest is responsible which is the same reason municipalities pali ties maintain zoos A headache to radio men but while the animal kingdom fascinates radio fans behind the scenes arrangements have been a succession of violent headaches to broadcasters the wire and letter correspondence relating to these arrangements range ments look like the legal briefs in a supreme court suit worry no I 1 is animal temperament if a comes into the studio minus microphone manners are we mice or men amy my friends au A 3 1 A em e 6 MW I 1 IN V N 1 A A GET BACK THERE AND SING rn in canine language the warning arning tr peggy mouse singing coach gives the roaring rodents auditioned the international contest of vermin virtuosi there ensues petting coaxing cajoling and perhaps a merry catch as catch can production men assigned to such programs have evola evolved ed their own technique learning the language of birds elephants and lions they well remember when horace the hippo made her radio debut with a snort from jinja africa john F royal vice president in charge of programs was crossing the atlantic when he heard from a fellow passenger how horace enjoyed the short wave music from new york every time a familiar melody was heard horace would move his four tons about the golf course at jinja making appreciative grunts royal decided to serenade horace with a special broadcast from radio city they chose jerome kerns the hippopotamus for this occasion she has an understudy canary birds are among radios most seasoned performers six years ago one sponsor signed up 7 W 1 7 P t I 1 e 91 will 4 Y 01 HERE TRY THIS the announcer gives gives suspicious squawkers squaw kers a whiff of the microphone in order to prevent mike fright during the talking parrot contest blue boy a virtuoso with a repertoire of songs it was the first bird according to amateur to sing tunes other than its natural al ones blue boy was considered so valuable that her sponsor engaged another canary as an understudy der study first heats in a new olympic canary tournament were broadcast in in december from san francisco where birds participated national and international contests are scheduled to follow A A director of NBC special events once thought a talking parrot contest would be fun for radio fans when parrot fanciers got wind of the plan their suggestions warnings comments and parrot ped idrees poured in en masse wrote one californian our parrot is basking in the sunshine ready willing and able sans bronchial and pneumonia monia germs to chatter guzzle whistle and snap at a cracker kindly send prize at once mabel up and died final auditions of the talking parrots were presided over by a group of speech authorities secretly was passing the buck he want to hear any more parrot talk he had received letters from local no 9 of the new england association of Parrot casters and from guys who signed themselves bob white H R U Perro quee ee etc then at the height of this parrot fever wrote to his special events men throughout the network dr W reed blair director of the bronx zoo has advised us there is decided danger in holding the contest at this time tropical parrots are susceptible to bronchial pneumonia etc etc we will therefore postpone the contest to the warmer month of may |
