The Register from Santa Ana, California • Page 29

4 rn rn Why RADIOS most famous SONG EAM By Helen Welshimer A BOUT six years ago radio fans said goodby to Olive Palmer and Paul Oliver, who for four years had been the most popular vocal team that sang through any microphone. They had scattered ballads in the name of romance, love and soap into millions of living rooms. The two stars gave up their radio names and resumed their Rea and Frank Munn. They remain two of the most celebrated voices on the air. They a team any more.

That ended half a year ago. They even appear on the same programs. most famous, long-lived musical twosome is ended. For a while, after dropping their pseudonyms. Miss Rea and Mr.

Munn were considered jointly by sponsors and did several programs together. Back in 1932, they were featured soloists on a program with Paul orchestra. Again in 1933 they were reunited in the Album of Familiar Music Programs. Today Virginia Rea is the star of the Saturday Rubinoff program, where she and Jan Peerce, her partner, a tenor, sing duets and solos. Considered by many to be the best soprano on the air, the radio star was slated for grand opera long ago by her admirers.

She studied abroad for it. She is famous for her records. She sings more grand opera arias than she does any other type of music. But she decided that she want to sing not for a the Metropolitan Opera House. pie seem to have a way of hitting it off together because of the peculiar interests which they share.

Artists find solace and matrimony with artists because of the bond of understanding which naturally springs up between them. "It all boils down to a question of temperament and character. I think if more people sat down md thought matters over, and calmly fold themselves they would find mates who had interests like their own, the whole matter of marriage would simplify itself. "My husband and I find countless hours of pleasure together in our music. I play the piano while he the Born in Louisville, Miss Rea was educated at Drake University, in Des Moines, la.

After graduation she studied music sn Europe, and she came back to America ready to sing, no thought of marriage in her dark head. She went back to the middlewest, to Des Moines; and there she learned that a New York producer. William Wade Henshaw. noted as a discoverer of talent, was planning a revival of more than 20 operas in New York Park theater. Miss Rea telephoned Mr.

Henshaw, distance. sorry, but there time to wait until you come on to New York for an audition," he said. I LOVE grand opera and use grand opera arias as my stock in she says. "I happen to like the music end of my work more than the dramatic end. Radio keeps me so absorbed that I time to think about grand opera.

I would be lost in any other field because belonged to the air so She has another reason, too, for not taking her lyric soprano voice and her musical scores to the audition department of the Metropolitan. She has been married in the last two years. The romance had a fee hie beginning back in the Olive Palmer days. Virginia Rea sang her roles regularly, and never once singled out any favorite young man for a special smile. Gustave a orchestra played for the hour, and in the group of melody makers was a young man, named Edgar Sittig, who played a mighty good cello.

Already he was famous in his own rignt. He and his father and sister comprise the Sittig Trio, a well-known trio that been popular for nearly 13 Hie star cellist and Miss Olive Palmer-Virginia Rea never gave each other a thought. The program ended. Then James Melton had a party on his yacht one week-end and invited Miss Rea and Sittig. "Of course you know each he said.

yes," they answered politely. like each other at Rea recalls. impressed with me. Virginia Rea, the Olive Palmer of bygone years, photographed as she puts over a song on the Rubinoff program. Virginia Rea and Frank Munn ended their long-familiar duets to go separate ways and take on bigger jobs -but they still get lonesome for the twosome days FI 1 both musicians are enthusiastic about marriages in which the husband and wife have the same career-interest.

can run along with a career, provided there is mutual understanding and common Miss Rea declares. my own is unique, for I was fortunate iii marrying a musician. My husband shares my weekly musical tasks and actually takes over the responsibility of Frank Munn, the former Paul Oliver, and Miss Rea as she looked as Olive Palmer. Below, her present partner, Jan Peerce. is very easy for married people cl dissimilar occupations to say that they get along very well with each other.

But I have noticed that little misunderstandings creep in, often just because the husband want Ins wife to keep on at the office or the wife can understand why business claims so much of lier time. Soon they are quarreling and the parting of the ways is only a question of time and individual dispositions. do not contend that wives should not seek careers of their own. Quite the contrary, but it takes a gre.it deal of level-headedness on the part of both husband and wife to risk dissimilar The biggest interest, at present, is her home, a recently-completed I 2-room country house, down in the Pocono Mountains, built in the early American style. It is made of native field stone and is just one bour and forty-five minutes from Broadway.

Mr. Sittig directs his rehearsing and she accompanies hun when he practices. I o- gether they collect old silver, and Dresden china. I hey are regular attendants at the church suppers, sewing bees and square dances, and they know their neigli- bors for miles around. would have hung up but she prevented him.

mind, sing tor you on the telephone." She gave a rendition of The Shadow hired! Come on at Mr. Henshaw told her. A transcontinental tour 1 and a European tour followed the operatic schedule. Miss Rea made phonograph recordings, and became known as the Brunswick girl because of the work she did for their recordings. Bhat was along about 1927.

Radio was beginning to improve. Since Miss records were so popular, someone suggested that her voice ought to carry well. She remembered the old telcphonc-song stunt. Radio was something new it had promise music was fun. She had an audition and won again.

Almost before she knew it she was being starred. For four years she was Olive Palmer, while Frank Munn was Paul Oliver. When the program signed oil the air for good, she turned oil the radio, and took her first vacation in five years. I wice she teamed up with brank Munn again. Not as the famous duet of the air but under their own names.

liie public remembered their voices. "Virginia Rea and Frank Munn," it would repeat the names after the announcer. The song would begin. "Oh Olive Palmer and Paul Oliver!" It would get the matter right in its own mind. CIX months ago Miss Rea left the Album of Familiar Music where she had freen singing with Munn for a long time.

He is still starring on the hour. She signed as an exclusive artist with the Rubinoff program. Now. on week-ends, she and her husband come into New York for rehearsals and the broadcast. When the show is ended they go home for another week, unless Mr.

Sittig He thought I was too particular about clothes because I brought along special for the boat. I looked too dressed-up to please him. I thought he was a little fresh. But we grew acquainted, began to see each other, and liked each other." So they were married. They kept it a secret for a year.

selecting many of my numbers for the air. He is also my keenest critic, exacting in every detail. "This common interest is, I believe, essential and without it I am afraid it is often difficult for professional people to make a go ot marriage. At least, I have seen several of my friends and acquaintances founder in rough waters, for the lack of common partnership. (Copyright, by EveryWeek Magazine) ALTHOUGH Miss Rea never had tile marriage versus career conflict, plenty of girls have, she says, judging by the letters which she receives.

"Many young girls write to ask if they should stay single or go on with their singing. Of course I answer adequately unless I know each individual case but I always say that care should be exercised when tire boy care for music. He is likely to tolerate it before the ceremony but as soon as the honeymoon is over he probably will make light of his bride's and there will be tears and harsh words. "I know of many happy marriages among writers, artists and musicians. People who have writing as a common vocation are often very well matched, I find.

Newspaper peo- a concert, when they come back again. Miss Rea is noted for her even disposition, contagious giggle, and refusal to worry about anything. She is always up at 7 o'clock, as never in her wiioie life had a dream about anything or anybody, doesn't care for night clubs and never misses the opera when site can help it. In fact, the popular soprano has no sign of temperament at all. he; directors say.

Frank Munn, who was the co-star of the team for so long, began us career as a soloist in a machine shop. In those days he believed he vvas going to be an automotive engineer. Fellow mechanics persuaded him that he had a voice so he began to study, to ung sn neighborhood concerts, and finally through the microphone. Just as Virginia Rea had been a successful radio star for a year under her own name before she stepped into the famous soap hour, so Munn had made his own name matter, too. But now tire famous team has divided.

I he two musicians who once believed that they could work together as a pair have discovered that they have been graduated into separate stellar roles. I hey are veterans ol the airwaves. going it alone, and a little lonesome once in a while for the old duet days. ''IllllillliillllllllllllfilllllltinilllllllllFlllllllllillllllRlllllilBlllllllllllillllliii.