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Radio Digest, Chicago, October 27, 1923.

Robert A. Munn In addition to being an announcer at station

WGR, Buffalo, Mr. Munn, who is an accomplished

musician, is frequently heard as organist from that station,

and he could also present an excellent program

of baritone solos if he desired. He is the lone bachelor of the

WGR, but doesn‘t look at all worried about it.

(...) Radio Broadcast, Garden City, N. Y., July 1924

& The „Wave From Lake Erie“ He rolls in from

WJAX, the Union Trust Company‘s station in Cleveland.

In private life, the „wave“ is E. G. Johnson. He has

a deep bass voice which, it is reported, knocks ‘em dead

all the way from Atlantic City to the Mississippi

and from Nova Scotia to Cuba.

(...) Radio Broadcast, Garden City, N. Y., March 1923

& Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin say

a few words into the „mike“ at the premiere of Modern Times.

(...) Modern Screen, May 1936

& A Family Party Some boys get the radio fever

when very young.

(...) Radio Broadcast, Garden City, N. Y., Sept. 1922, detail


Did I talk sense to that thing?“

Editorial content. „Charlie Chaplin .Acts‘

      Comedy King Afraid When First On Air

      Famous Film Actor Puts Humor into Talk for Ether Audience

      Imitates Jazz Band

      Quails before Microphone That Takes Message

      to Thousands but Recovers Confidence

      Newark, N. J. – Some one long ago said something to the

effect that if he could write the songs of a nation he would

not care who wrote its laws.“ (...)

      „Chaplin Imitates A Jazz Band – Not

      ,Quite An Ordeal,‘ Says Broadcaster Chaplin

      Comedian Puts One Over on Fans in Address at WOR –

      His First Radio Talk“ (...)

      „With the comic film he has girdled the globe and with

Radio here recently he, for the first time in his career,

hurled his humor through the ether. Even the Radio waves

curled in delight as they eagerly hurried onward

to bring fun to eager thousands.

      Charlie Fears Ordeal

      The man who, as a juggler and make believe drunkard,

faced critical audiences; the man who afterward appeared on the

silver screen before millions, the man whose vocation

as actor and director required unusual poise, was visibly

agitated as he made ready in the studio of Station

WOR to speak into the microphone.

      It was not without much patience and diplomacy that the

famed mimic was finally induced to face what he termed

,that funny little thing.‘ It was one thing to ,cut didoes‘ before

a camera; it was another, a far more exacting thing,

to talk through a ,dojigger‘ of metal to an unseen audience

miles away.

      Chaplin approached the microphone gingerly. ,This is quite

an ordeal, you know,‘ he volunteered to J. M. Barnett,

director of WOR. ,You have to use your imagination so much.‘

As if a Chapin would find it hard to imagine!

      Can‘t Remake Broadcast

      ,You can face the camera,‘ the noted comedian continued,

,knowing that if you make a mistake, if you slip up, you

can try again; you can make over the picture. But think of all

the thousands of people but there in the world hanging

onto every word I say.‘ Charlie mopped his brow and grimaced

in the way that has thrown millions into uproarious

laughter. ,I don‘t know what to say; I haven‘t prepared a speech,‘

he said pitiably.

      Chaplin paced the studio. This was indeed a dilemma.

Now if it were only a picture, that would have been not nearly

so hard. But this was a Radio, something different;

something that couldn‘t be ,made over,‘ nor corrected after

its voice had vibrated through the void.

      Is Introduced to Listeners

      The man whom kings delight to honor perspired.

From his finely tailored coat he extracted a kerchief which he

pressed to his brow and hands. Nervously he glanced

at the microphone. Silently he appealed to his companions

to ,get me out o‘ this.‘

      Then the jaw whose laxity is buffoonery has convulsed

myriads suddenly set. And Chaplin sat him down

to the microphone. He gulped; he shuffled his feet (this time

well clad); he buttoned and unbuttoned his coat.

But he sat. There came to his aid Alfred J. McCosker,

a newspaper man of New York City, who calmly

told the world that someone of whom they had probably heard,

someone whom they had undoubtedly seen often,

would speak to them – ,none other than Charlie Chaplin

himself, in person.‘    

      His First Time Before Microphone

      The poor little, rich little man squirmed. He, like those

around him, could see hundreds of thousands of men

and women and boys and girls, the mighty and the lowly, grin

and then grin again. ,Charlie Chaplin – think of it!‘

Why, the night itself seemed to hesitate, to anticipate!

      Chaplin braced himself, opened his mouth,

shut it, opened it again then – ,This is the first time I have

spoken over the Radio,‘ he said tremulously. When

he saw that the microphone was safe, wouldn‘t bite nor talk

back to him, Charlie went on. ,It is, to me, ghastly

to think of you out there in your homes with Tom, Dick,

Katherine, Harry and the baby all gathered around,

and me here by this funny little thing perforated with holes

(the thing, not I), my knees trembling, my hands

tightly clasped.‘ And Charlie smirked.

      ,Imitated‘ Full Jazz Band

      ,I feel like the young actor whose only line was, ,There

is a man downstairs who calls himself Solomon Isaacs.‘

As the young actor was pushed onto the stage he managed

to splutter something that sounded like Si-mol-ix.‘

The greatest of ‘em all turned in his chair and nodded first

inquiringly, then confidently.

      ,Now I‘m beginning to get a little confidence,‘ Chaplin

continued. ,So I‘m going to give you a few imitations.

First, I‘ll imitate a violin.‘ Then there floated onto the air the

strains of the stringed instrument. It was a real violin,

no imitation. But Charlie didn‘t play it. It was played by one

of the artists who compose the staff of Station WOR.

,Next, I‘ll imitate a saxophone,‘ continued Chaplin. Surely

enough, the drone and moan of brass went to the

ears of throngs. ,Now, all of you – listen to the jazz band.‘

No imitations were these. But the trickery of the

comedian tickled almost the whole country.

      Shakes Fist at ,Mike‘

      Charlie‘s ,act‘ neared its end. ,When you have nothing

else to do,‘ he concluded, ,go to see my new picture,

which I directed – A Woman of Paris.‘ That was all. One

could see the look of regret on the faces of the vast

audience in the great outside. But they had heard the voice

of Chaplin and that was enough. They would long

remember it.

      As Charlie left the studio he asked anxiously: ,Did

I talk sense to that thing?‘ Then he shook his fist

at the microphone, grinned the grin that has earned him

a fortune, and went on his way.

      But before he passed personally out of the lives of

those in the studio and station. Chaplin declared

enthusiastically that he owned a Radio set and that he

listened in often to the program.“

      More about WOR see Motion Picture News.

      March 1, 1924.


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