Radio Articles

John Harrington, popular KWK announcer and sports commentator who grew up with radio in St. Louis, has left the Mound City to go with station WGN, Chicago.

Harrington’s move to Chicago was like his sports broadcasts, swift and unexpected. The former announcer entered radio in September of 1929. At that time he didn’t have the slightest desire to enter the game but visited the KWK studios with a hankering to see the transmitter. They wouldn’t let Harrington in unless he had some business with the studio so John promptly asked for a job – more to see the station than anything else. He was given an audition and hired, and has been with radio station KWK since then until last Thursday night.

Though Harrington entered radio through an accident more than anything else, his early training suited him for an announcer’s spot in front of the “mike.” He had exercises in voice culture and oratory at the Kirkwood High School and the University of Arkansas down Fayetteville way.

Some of the assignments that stand out in Harrington’s memory are helping in the broadcast of the last two World’s Series in St. Louis.

He has interviewed such notables as Jerome “Dizzy” Dean, the most eccentric of all modern ball players, Sammy West, the leading hitter in the American League, and other notables in the sport world. He introduced Floyd Gibbons to St. Louis radio audiences on his two visits here and is christened by some the “Gibbons” of the Central States on account of his rapid fire reviews.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment, 6/3/1933)

Without benefit of ballyhoo, Marvin Mueller’s Treasure Chest…Fridays at 6 p.m. on KMOX has become one of the most popular programs on the air…proving again that an entertaining program makes its own friends…Marvin does a number of grand impersonations during each program, including Montgomery Mouse, bosom friend of the famous Mickey Mouse, which may account for the program appealing to children and grown-ups alike.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 8/26/1933).

A few months ago the Little Theatre Group were busily engaged in rehearsing for the big pageant, the “Trial of Joan of Arc,” special artists was coming from the East to take part. The expenses were mounting high – every effort must be put forth to attract a big crowd and so they immediately decided upon an advertising campaign.

It was decided to use radio as one of the publicity features, and someone hit upon the happy idea of presenting scenes from the “Trial of St. Joan” over Radio Station WIL. It was very successful and the excerpts proved very popular. It also introduced to the WIL listening audience a voice whose clearness, distinction and quality has won a place on WIL’s staff. The owner of this pleasing voice is none other than John Francis Eschen, known as Frank Eschen.

Mark Twain, through his writing, made Hannibal, Missouri widely known. We trust that Frank Eschen, who comes from the same little town, will add to its fame. After jumping about the country for a number of years pursuing an elusive education in a number of different institutions for that express purpose, he finally landed in the University of Missouri – tarried a while and stepped forth armed with a sheepskin – “Bachelor of Journalism.”

Ventured into the world of the theatre (whose main road leads to radio) in which he created the role of Warden Brady in Martin Flavin’s “The Criminal Code,” appeared in “Saturday’s Children,” “He Who Gets Slapped,” “Trial of Joan of Arc” and others.

Frank’s first radio experience was gained as announcer over Station KFRU in Columbia, Missouri. Through diligent work he has become a “Bachelor” of Radio and has renounced his earlier loves, the theatre and newspaperdom.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 9/3/1933).

Dixie’s Representative Now A CBS Featured Singer

If she hadn’t decided to write a song, she might just be Irene Beasley, school teacher, instead of radio’s “Long, tall gal from Dixie.”

Miss Beasley, heard each week over KMOX, is the star of the Peters Shoe program which is broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays. She is also the Old Dutch girl which is heard every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning at 7:45.

Irene was born in the small town of White Haven, Tennessee and received her early schooling in Amarillo, Texas, afterwards going to Sweet Briar College in Virginia to become a teacher in a small Mississippi school.

She was accustomed to music in her home and had vaguely longed for a career in music, but was too busy earning a living to make the attempt. While teaching, she wrote and published a ballad, “If I Could Just Stop Dreaming.”

She sang it several times over a small station in order to stimulate sales, and this broadcasting gave her a start, opening the path to work in St. Louis over KMOX, the Voice of St. Louis, as staff artist. Her radio work gave her the opportunity to meet a representative of a recording company, who gave her a try-out., and from this try-out came a contract for recording in New York.

While in New York in April 1929, Dale Wimbrow, Dixie’s only representative on the CBS staff at the time, used his influence to introduce her to the radio network, with which she has since been a popular artist.

Although she tried at first to develop a northern accent, she found that the great charm of her singing lay in a natural talent for interpreting the music of the South. Now she not only sings but writes as well the continuity for her own programs of plantation music.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 11/21/31).

“Seven Years Before The Mike” would be the title of an article that would best describe George Wood’s experience in radio; Seven years of radio service as announcer, publicity director, program director, continuity writer and singer. It was in 1923 that he first felt the pangs of “mike fright,” reading news bulletins and weather reports on the station owned by the newspaper with which he served as a reporter.

Since that time “Mike” and George have been very close friends. When he severed connections with the newspaper it was to go to California and enter the radio business.

He first joined the staff of KGFJ, Los Angeles, and was heard also on programs from KFWB, Warner Brothers, and KMTR, Hollywood. The experience he gleaned in the Sunshine State fitted him for a position with KOIL. Wood takes his radio seriously and has announced practically every big news event handled by his station. He has introduced many celebrities of the stage and screen as announcer for Fox and RKO St. Louis Theatres and was one of the first announcers to personally interview Jack Dempsey before the microphone.

For the past four years his voice has been familiar to listeners in the Middle West from St. Louis. George Wood came to St. Louis from KOIL at Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he served as publicity director and announcer for that broadcaster. After one year at KWK he came to WIL, where he has officiated as chief announcer and program director the past two years. George Wood has the knack of making his voice fit any program from the so-called hillbilly program to the classical symphony.

(Originally published in Radio and Records 12/19/1931).

France Laux, chief sports announcer of KMOX, has had a brilliant and interesting career ever since his high school days. France’s accurate and interesting description of the baseball games over KMOX has won him the title of “The most listened-to announcer in St. Louis,” and the title is well earned, because when France steps before the microphone and begins to talk, the listener no longer becomes just a listener, for he is seeing the game through the observing eyes of France Laux, who knows baseball. It was Laux who described the World Series games two years ago and it was also Laux who described the World Series Games which were played here in St. Louis this year.

Laux was a former resident of Tulsa and was, three years ago, chief announcer of KVOO, “The Voice of Oklahoma.” He was born in Guthrie and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Laux of Bristow, Oklahoma and the brother of Rodger Laux of Wewoka, Oklahoma.

France Laux has been in the field of athletics ever since his childhood. Even when just a lad of seven or eight years old France was regarded by his playmates as a marvel, because he could throw a baseball farther than any of the rest of the boys in his neighborhood, and from that time on he has held honored positions in the field of sport. In his high school years France played halfback with the Bristow, Oklahoma High School team and was picked for two consecutive years by certain football authorities as the all-star halfback in the high school league of the State of Oklahoma. In high school France earned 16 letters for athletics. He starred in football, baseball, basketball and track, and during the summertime Laux played semi-professional baseball with various Oklahoma teams.

In 1917 when America entered the World War, Laux entered the Army the day after the last football game of the season and served overseas with the U.S. Army Air Service as sergeant in the 259th Aerial Pursuit Squadron for over a year. At the end of the war he returned home and spent the next two years playing semi-professional baseball and managing semi-professional baseball and basketball teams sponsored by the American Legion. In 1921, Laux entered the Oklahoma City College where he played end and earned a considerable record for his dashing end runs which oft times led his team to victory.

After his year at college, Laux was appointed baseball coach at the St. Joseph High School of Oklahoma City, which under his management won the championship of the Catholic League of Oklahoma. During the summer when school was not in session he acted as official scorer for the Oklahoma State League. During the next four years, Laux worked in various capacities in sports. In these years, France was a football referee, coach, manager of baseball and basketball teams and was the referee for the biggest high school football games in the state. Then came the opportunity for Laux to enter the sport field of radio broadcasting. This opportunity came in an unusual and dramatic manner.

The World Series game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees was to be broadcast by ticker over KVOO. Through some disagreement, the sports announcer of this station left the station without notice. Harry Hutchinson, manager of the station was panicky and wondered who he could employ to announce this important game, which would be played in less than an hour. There was only one man in the state who was familiar enough with baseball to do this difficult job; he was France Laux.

Hutchinson rushed to the telephone and tried to reach France by long distance but France had left his home and was somewhere in the downtown district of Bristow, which is 45 minutes from Tulsa. Hutchinson decided that only one thing could be done. He must drive to Bristow, find Laux and get him back to the studios in time for the game. Hutchinson left the studios at break neck speed and dashed madly over the streets looking for Laux. Finally, he spotted him sauntering down the street with bundles under his arm.

Laux had been shopping. “France,” he cried. “You’ve got to come with me and announce the World Series” “How long before the game starts?” inquired France. “My God, in 50 minutes,” cried Hutchinson, “and we’ve got 45 miles to go.” “Well, let’s get started,” Laux replied, and away they drove at a mile a minute speed. But luck was with them and they arrived at the studios with one and a half minutes to spare.

Right then and there began France’s radio career. France did such a splendid job announcing this game and received so many favorable comments from the listening audience that he was hired as the chief sport announcer at the station. In his two years stay at KVOO, he announced all baseball games and some of the biggest football games in the country, including games of the “Big Six” and the Missouri Valley Conference.

In the Spring of 1929, KMOX was in need of a sports announcer, one who could fittingly describe the big league games played in St. Louis and elsewhere. In looking over the country for such an announcer who could do this, the management heard of Laux. He was brought to St. Louis and given a trial which was so satisfactory that he was immediately hired, and since that time, Laux has been associated with KMOX. Now a veteran of the game, he is regarded as one of the best baseball announcers in the country.

(Originally published in Radio and Entertainment 12/19/1931).