Radio-Hypnosis

If his demonstration on CBS's Hobby Lobby last week was as trustworthy as it looked, Howard Klein of Philadelphia is a man of alarming powers. He could theoretically hypnotize a large part of the entire U.S. audience at one fell coo.

Since a state of aggravated lethargy is technically a stage of hypnosis, many radio listeners might qualify as hypnotized, or nearly so, every evening. Boredom helps. Two years ago, such considerations scared the producers of Hobby Lobby (TIME, Aug. 28, 1939) into dropping amateur Hypnotist Klein from the program (then NBC) at the last moment. This wounded his feelings and he sued. But what, thought the producers, if the radio audience should go out like a light?

Last week Hobby Lobby, in its first show of the season, gave Hypnotist Klein a chance--not at radio listeners but at 14 volunteers from the studio audience. Speaking through a microphone to the 14 seated out of sight in a soundproof room, he put twelve to sleep at the count of 30. After this exhibition, he further demonstrated the hypnosis by a command to the twelve to join hands, enter the studio and there do as follows:

> Handed a lemon with the information that it was a peach, one subject bit in juicily and chewed with never a tremor.

> Another, told that his hand was numb, allowed his palm to be fingered by a match flame (see cut).

> Made rigid and stretched between two chairs, a particularly durable subject gave not an inch when Hypnotist Klein climbed on his stomach.

Of all this a running account was provided the radio audience by Hobby Lobby's master of ceremonies, Dave Elman. But the studio audience had more fun. After the show was off the air Hypnotist Klein told ten of the somnambulists they were 1) cold; they flailed with their arms; 2) plagued by mosquitoes; they slapped; 3) at the World Series; they rooted.

Mr. Klein is reckoned a great man at a party around Philadelphia. To Hobby Lobbyists last week he looked like the late Dr. Mesmer's star successor.

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