Behind the Mike


1h 8m 1937

Brief Synopsis

In this The "NEW" Universal presentation, high-tempered New York radio producer George Hayes (William Gargan) quarrels with Cyrus Wittles (William B. Davidson), sponsor of the Crunchie Munchie Hour, and loses his job. He hears that station WBAM in Valley Falls needs a new manager and heads there. Stumbling into the wrong station, WVOX, he meets Jane Arledge (Judith Barrett), program manager for local town-magnate, Harry Fox (Charles Brokaw.) She directs him to WBAM and he finds it is a collection of junk in an abandoned stable. Humiliated, he boasts to Jane that he will put the old station on its feet again. He sends for his announcer friend, Tiny Martin (Don Wilson), after convincing station-owner Pete Jones (Spencer Charters) that Martin can give valuable aid in reviving the station. Merchants fear to use WBAM, although they despise Fox and his crony, Mayor Applegate (Ferris Taylor), who is up for re-election. Learning that the merchants are holding a secret meeting, George uses a ruse to broadcast their suspicions about Fox and Applegate. They repudiate the statements, but George prepares another strong blast against them for a later broadcast. This angers Janes, who believes the attacks on her boss are unjustified and she tells George he should return to New York. While George waits for his train, Jane learns that Fox and Applegate have connived to loot the town treasury and, with Martin, she rushes to WBAM and adds her own evidence to the charges prepared previously by George and reads them over the air.

Film Details

Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Sep 26, 1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Universal Pictures Co.
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures Co.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 8m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels

Synopsis

George Hayes, a pugnacious radio producer in New York, is fired when he belts Cyrus Wittles, sponsor of the "Crunchie-Munchie Hour," during a rehearsal. He leaves the city for a job as manager of WBAM, a Valley Falls radio station, but mistakenly wanders into WVOX, where he meets Jane Arledge, an attractive and sharp-tongued program manager. The station is owned by local magnate Harry Fox. Jane leads George to WBAM, which is housed in an abandoned stable. Its one employee is a youth named Tommy Astor. Boasting to Jane that he will have WBAM on its feet in a week, George elicits the help of his friend, Tiny Martin, a New York radio announcer. Although the town's merchants are skeptical about WBAM's prospects, they are anxious to contravene the efforts of Fox, who controls corrupt Mayor Applegate, who is up for re-election. George then listens in on a secret meeting of the merchants regarding the election and broadcasts their suspicions of Fox and Applegate, causing them to repudiate the broadcast. When George threatens to repeat the broadcast, he angers Jane, who believes the accusations against Fox are unfounded, and she and Tiny persuade George to return to New York. While George waits for his train, Jane learns that Fox and Applegate are scheming to embezzle funds from the town and that Fox has bought WBAM to stop George. With Tiny's help, Jane rushes to WBAM and reads George's indictment of Fox and Applegate, adding her newfound evidence against them. George hears the broadcast and, fearing for Jane's safety, tries to stop her, but Jane and Tiny resist him. The exposé prompts the townspeople to run Fox and Applegate out of town. George realizes Jane loves him and promises never to lose his temper again. Wittles then wires George, asking him to return to his old job, and he and Jane leave for New York. George quickly slips back into his old temper, but is curtailed by Jane's kind reproach.

Film Details

Genre
Comedy
Release Date
Sep 26, 1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Universal Pictures Co.
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures Co.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 8m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

A. Dorian Otvos, Lester Cole and Gay Stevens are listed in the Universal Production Cost files at the USC Cinema-Television Library under continuity, and Otvos and Cole are listed in the initial Hollywood Reporter production chart as screenwriters. Tentative writing credits in Screen Achievements Bulletin list Otvos, Cole, Stevens, Barry Trivers and Lou Brock as contributing writers. The exact nature of their contributions is not known. In the copyright records, a typed-in credit for Richard Wormser was marked for deletion.