"SETH PARKER."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1935, Page 5

"SETH PARKER."

RADIO ENTERTAINER. HIS ADVENTURES AT SEA. ROMANTIC YOTJNG MAN. Phillips Lord, owner of the schooner Seth Parker, which sent out an S.O.S. call to H.M.A.S. Australia, is—or was— an enormously popular radio entertainer in the United States. Only 32 years old, he is said to have made over a million dollars by his broadcasting, but lately he and his sjup have been the centre of much discussion, gossip and criticism. One American paper, "iiadioland," claims to have dug the kernel of

truth from the bewildering tangle of gossip and fiction concerning him and the cruise of the ship. The good ship Seth Parker, states "Radioland," nearly foundered on the rocks of vicious rumour and distorted fact which have lain in the wake of its trip around the world. These rumours have attacked Phillips Lord's character, have given groundless reasons for the withdrawal of his sponsor, and have declared that a break impended between Lord and the National Broadcasting Company of New York. "Lovable Old American." Phillips Lord was the creator of Sato Parker, a lovable old American, who delighted millions of radio listeners. JJe set out on his romantic round-the-world cruise in an endeavour to win back tll*3 adulation of 4,000,000 radio fans. Hundreds of letters have come to the National Broadcasting Company pathetically demanding to know if old Seih Parker was not what he pretended to be. The reports had it that as soon as Lord emerged from the character of the 72-year-old Seth Parker he bemme his 32-year-old self. Drinking parties aboard the ship, trouble with the cre>v, and clashes with authorities were a lew of the things alleged against him. The present cruise started after Lord had made his first million dollars from radio. Old Seth Parker sudden : y doffed his ancient cutaway, shaved off his whiskers, donned a natty uniform, and sailed away, leaving his radio followers in silence. Perhaps this wis what hie 4,000,000 fans first objected to. They were hurt. Then came the breath of scandal, which confused them an 1 sent protests pouring into New York. They were disturbed when young.Phillips' Lord stepped out of his old-fash-ioned Yankee character and became himself, a normal, gregarious, young modern with tastes of liis own and a life of liis own which had little to do with Seth Parker. "It's the old story," sighed one N.B.C. executive, "of the artist's private life and that side which he shows to the public." In this cas:, however, the story has more drama, colour, hjiman striving and mistakes than is usual in such conflicts. Sudden Rise to Fame. Lord's background may have had a good deal to do with it. He was born the son of a poor Congregational minister in Connecticut, and after graduating in 1025 lie tried business, ech'vii' teaching and writing, but failed in till

of them. Meanwhile, he had married 'and become the father of two children. In order to keep his family from going hungry he went to work in a coniec tioner's, and it was while here that lie heard a radio broadcast of a sketch that was a "take-off" on New England life. He wrote a protest to the station concerned, and was told that if he could do any better he should go ahead. He did. He recalled the Sunday hy>mn meetings in the home of his father, and he wrote a radio sketch of his boyhood memories in Connecticut and Maine. He was put on the air and proved popular from the start. Later, the N.B.C. took him over, and he started on the way to his. first million dollars. Lord was and is an incurable romanticist, and has young ideas ae to what the world contains. In 1023 he start: 1 talking of his plan to get a ship, sail around the world, and check up on -ill ; the tales he had believed as a boy. He wanted to find the East Indian tree that kills a maiden once a year by crushing her in its crotch, the buried ruby that means death to anyone who tries to get it. pirate gold in the Caribbean. s?a serpents in the South Seas . . . Mandelay . . . Bali . . . Tahiti . . . Callar>. His Ancient Schooner. Lord purchased a four-masted schooner of ancient construction, rechristened it the Seth Parker, and' laid plans for a two-year voyage around the world. Because of the Seth Parker reputation and wide publicity given to the trip, supply and equipment firms tumbled over one another for the privilege . of stocking young Lord's romantic schooner. It is reported that he received £20,000 in supplies and equipment gratis for the publicity the firms concerned would receive in return. Also, the N.B.C. installed a £2400 onekilowatt short-wave 'broadcasting set. Bad luck and ugly rumour dogged Lord from the start. The. Seth Parker had hardly cleared Portland when shore whispers told of an alleged gay farewell party given on the last night during which a bibulous State legislator tried to "belay the microphone with a bottle of rum." The ship sailed down the Atlantic coast to Florida, where Lord broadcast special programmes. The character of the broadcast was to be salty, the programmes to emphasise the romanticism of the hardy sea trip. On the heels of the Portland rumour came charge* that the crew was "inade[quate," the boat "uninsured," and tne

engines "faulty." Furthermore, Captain Lord was accused of not sharing the homely life of the sailors but of putting up at de luxe hotels when the boat reached port and spending his time revelling. Criticism was also levelled at him because' he brought a quartet of trained negro singers from New York and is alleged to have tried to "palm them off" ae natives of the southern ports he touched. Drifting in the Caribbean. There are many versions of what happened after the Seth Parker said farewell to the United States at Miami and headed seaward towards the Great Adventure. A cloak of mystery seems to have enshrouded the whole affair. Carl Pryor, a motion picture operator in the West Indies and an aide to Lord, brought back one story. He admits' his embitterment towards Lord. "After we left Miami," said Pryor, "we took on supplies at Bimini and dropped off two of the three young women singers aboard, the third remaining as a stewardess. Then our engines started acting up, and we drifted for two weeks in the Caribbean, finally reaching the tiny island of Inaqua, in the Bahamas At first they would not let us land in our speed boat because it was British territory. Then Lord encountered trouble with a pilot over fees for bringing the schooner in. "Our next stop was off the north coast of Haiti. Here there was real trouble. When we pulled anchor we also pulled up a South Atlantic communications cable, doing damage estimated at 75,000 dollars. . . In Port au Prince, while we were making movies, a night flare exploded, seriously 'burning two of the ship's crew and two native girls. Then the cook became exasperated with j general conditions, and in the middle of I a meal jumped overboard and started swimming for the shore. Then the crew mutinied." "All is Forgiven." In Jamaica it was announced that the N.B.C. would stand loyally behind its artist. An official said that if Lord erred it was in judgment. He was voung and full of ideas and inexperience He probably got a little too cockV with British officials and the American consular authorities in the West Indies. He could take it, however, and would learn his lesson. In'conclusion, "Kndioland" states that the N.B.C.'s attitude is one of "Come home, all is forgiven."