Variety (Dec 1946)

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36 RADIO Wednesday, December 4, 1945 Radio Reviews Continued from page 30 i and I'll tell you what to do." Pro- gram is sponsoi-ed three mornings a week by Union and carried as a house job the other two days. It's a sV )rt coin gamble by the client 3hd it might catch on in the tear duct league. Even if it doesn't, the medi-? cine'men won't be out much wamr pum. ■ Helm. GRAND MARQUEE With Olan Soule.' Beryl Vauffhan, Hope Summers. Joe Anthony, Don Gallag^hcr; George Stone, an- nouncer: music: Emil Soderstrom, Joseph Galliccliio Writer: Joe Grcnzeback Director: Norman Felton 30 Mins., Sundays, 3:30 p.m. CST Sustaining WMAQ-NBC, Chicago When a group Of talent, ejcpert in acting, directing and music, works together to produce a finished prod^ uct, it is unfortunate that the efforts ■ should be spoiled by a mediocre book. On 'this stanza, Nov. 24, story, "East is East" was strictly of soap opera stature without even the bene- fit of some of the teasing suspense ■elements used in the soapers. For- tunately.'the story changes with each program. ■ The book was a big town boy and couiitry girl romance combination.; The dialogue and the easily flowing continuity were well developed, but the interest pull was nil, the story uninspired. Ignoring the story, the program was a skillful radio product. Olan Soule and Beryl Vaughan are both experts in,, radio acting, possessing an ease and tone inflection that can serve as an excellent criterion for some of our other ftctors. The rest of the cast orovided, capable support. The music filled an effective transi- tion between the scenes, and the sound effects polished the progra;rn with convincing background to em- phasize the action. Anyone interested in studying exr perl technique could have found much in this program, but anyone jlist looking for some entertainment would be more inclined to turn else* .where. . . .. ■ LIGHT OF THE WORLD With rhiiip Clark; Eleanoj- Phelps; narrator, Bret Morrison; an- nouncer, Jim Fleming Producer-Dlreptor: Basil Loughranc 15 Mins.; Mon. through Fri., 3:45 p.m. GENERAL MILLS AVNBC-NBC, N. Y. (Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sfliiiple) A voice heard eerily through a ghost fllterimike announces "Light of the Wofld," the Bible's, gift to soap opera. After several months absence from the air, this show re- turns,with the purpose of starting all over again with the "day to day story of the Bible." At least its preem effort had Adam and Eve dis- cussing then-current affairs while Cain and Abel were off in the hills somewhere. Narrator Bret Morrison piously intones that the speech has been changed to modern patois In order to make things more under- standable tor listeners. The record shows that this pro- gram, adapted from script by the late Kay Seymour, will sell, in spite of the sometimes mawkish moulding to the soaper formula. In the opener, for instance, the first husband and wife took up the entire 15 minutes in bickering about whether or«not they should tell their offspring anout the good old days in the Garden of Eden. When the program ended they hadn't decided and the kids hadn t come home. The question of taste has never been a burning subject with the soaper scripters because there is none, as a rule. However, "Light" producers were careful not to step too far out of line, engaging the advisory services of a Catholic, a Protestant and a Jewish clergyman to guide them on interpretation. The pitch is still pretty obviously to the femme trade, with Adam pictured- as a crochety, irritable husband, con- tinually blaming Eve for eating the forbidden fruit, while Eve is por- trayed as a gentle, understanding wife. After airing, on and'off, since 1940, "Light's"' decision to start over again augurs ill for the housewife waiting to see how things turn out. The Bible is a pretty long book. . Tomm. deceased has sent, her a bon-bon loaded with potassium cyanide, via a trained crow, He also i-uns a jewel- snulggling racket. Story winds up in a welter of gunfire. Since most of the Crime Club se- lections, in their original form, are regular novels, their adaptation to radio poses a problem of cutting that was not met too well in the opener. On several occasions there was slight confusion as to the passage of time. Show on the whole had nice thesping and direction, plus suspense as to the identity of the murderer, which are, after all, the principal in- gredients. , Mutual has a winner in the mur- der formula and, like a, good gambler, evidently intends to play it to the hilt. To»Jii7i. Stations Fear Featherbedding Continued from page !!9 ; This lad is really on the ball and it looks as if he is going to drive a long one. \^ed men are al- ways ""on the ball" and they hit all prospects hard and often. WEED AXIT CO.MPAX^' RAtlO $UTiOII REPKESENTATIVES NtK Virk vltstM • CkicHi • MiMi Ritrtit • Sal FntKittt • HillnnMi CRIME CLUB ("Death Blew Out the Match") With Maurice Wells, Elaine Kent, Staats Cotsworth, Sidney Smith/ Joe Latham, Brad Barker, Joe di Santis; announcer, Frank Mc- Carthy Writer: Stedman Coles froducer^Director: Roger Bower 30 Mins.; Monday, 8 p.m. Sustaining WOR-MUtuai, N. Y. Like 'em or not, mystery programs make good radio entertainment, as Mutual seems to have discovered. Latest addition to the Mutual stable of whodunits is,this show, adapting Crime Club stories to a half-hour radio format, and while it offers little new or unusual, the series pa- rades nicely paced, well-polished murder across the air. Preem effort was "Death Blew Out 'the Match," in which a small Massa- chusetts resort island becomes in- volved with smugglers and the mur- ,der of somebody's wife. After the hero (Treasury Department agent) and 'the heroine (dead gal's rival) are both duly suspicioned of poison- ing the wife by the local selectman, it turns out that the husband of the SCRAMBY AMBY With Ray Shannon, emcee; Judy Lang, Scramby Amby Swing- phony; announcer. Jay Jackson Writer: Ray Shannon Producer-Director: Don-Frederick 30 Mins.; Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. Sustaining • WOR-Mutual This, as might be gathered from the title, is another audience-par- ticipation venture used by a net- work to fill a sustaining h£ilf"hour. In its eastern premiere, after mid- west and Coast airings, "Scramby Amby" is a passable program, above the general average of aud-partici- pation sustainers, largely: because it doesn't employ any of the current zany gimmicks used on other shows. Its appeal lies in the fact that the living room listeners can actually participate instead ol trying to guess what the studio audience is laughing at. With Ray Shannon guiding pro- ceedings, quizees are given a word to unscramble, with the help of three hints—one musical, one daffy, and finally the dictionary'definition of the unscrambled word. Prizes start at $12 and decrea^ $4 each hint. Home audience will probably get a kick out of getting a crack at the stoppers themselves, after hav- ing to . rely upon emcee, play-by- plays in most of last summer's aud- participation horrors. Ray Shannon fills the usual role of the ever-happy, all's-well-'with- the-world- emcee competently. Judy Lang gets in an occasional song with the hints, but is definitely no threat to Dinah Shore. Maybe she had a cold. The Scramby Amby Swing- phony evidently plays without ar- rangements and stiolts pretty much to Dixieland styling. Pace of the show is all right ton this format. Jay Jackson was a bright light in the annoimcer spot. Tomm. ^Foilowup Comment I ♦ ♦♦♦♦ t t i* I ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦'»^>-♦•«■ J Elmer Davis sent one of those dry darts for which he's become known over the air the other night. In clos- ing out his news commentary of Nov. 26 Davis sa^d: VXhe Moscow radio gives us a bit of news tonight. It is that the United States is and al- ways has been a dictatorship^—a two party dictatorship^' Of course," mono- toned Davis, "this is one more party than run? the dictatorship in Mos- cow." » Out in Hollywood, while thou- sands in New York mourned the death of former Mayor James J. Walker, a group of showpeople got together to pay their own tribute to their late friend. The Warner Bros, outlets on the Coast, KFWB, gave its facilities for a 15-minute airing of. this l.eartfiilt commemora- tion, and New York's WMCA Carried the show platteries last Saturday night (30), With George Jessel as emcee, the show was a sincere, warm dedica- tion to a friend. Eddie Cantor sang "Sidewallcs of New York," and Dick Haymes gave with Walker's own "Will You Love M^ in December." Rabbi Edgar Magnon delivered the brief sermon. But the deepest senti- ments came from Jessel himself, who took a veiled swipe "at those who threw stones while he lived, and tossed flowers when he was gone.". dividuals or corporations. Judge Walter J. Labuy. of the Chicago federal district court, yesterday (2), dismissed criminal information charges against James C Petrillo, president of the American Federa- tion o£ Musicians on grounds that the statute violates the Constitution. Judge Labuy specifically said, "the court finds it necessary to hold that the statute involved in the applica-« tion here sought to be made violates the Fifth Amendment because , of indcftniteness and uncertainty in the deflnition'of a criminal oifense; vio- lates the First Amendment by its restriction upon freedom of speech by peaceful picketing; violates the Fifth and Thirteenth Amendment by its restriction upon employment of labor; and violates the Fifth Amend- ment by an arbitrary classification as between femployers and employ- ees and as to other communication industries. " "Whether or not the objectives sought to be attained by this statute are or are not economic evils which should be restrained or suppressed are questions not within the province; of this court. This court does not hold that Congress is powerless to act or that the declared objectives of this law are beyond the reach of federal legislative control. The only question before the court is the Con- stitutional aspect of this statute as is was written by Congress. On this question the court is of the opinion that this statute- is unconstitutionat for the reasons above stated." Cites Menace to Musicians ; Judge Labuy pointed out that the Statute discrintinates'' $peciAcally against the Musicians Union: "This statute could be used to deprive the members of the Musicians Union of the right to quit work collectively as a means of enforcing their demands with reference to the making of a new contract. All other employees of this country have the right to quit work collectively in order to use their bargaining power; they have the right to strike in order to enforce their demands. "Broadcasting station employees are placed in a class separate and apart from those of all other em- ployees in the United States. The statute does not apply to employees who are engaged in communication such as telephone or telegraph com- panies, but is definitely limited.in its application to broadctisting station employees and no others. As a re- sult, the broadcasting station em- ployees are singled out and held to a more rigid rule than any other employee. They have not the same rights and privileges as other 'em- ployees; They are penalized and prohibited in their contractual nego- tiations, while other employees en- joy the right which is denied them. A penalty which applies uniquely to broadcasting station employees and no others; a prohibition which re- la'tes solely to contract beween these same employees and no others;'an inhibition which defines lawful acts as unlawful when applied to these employees and no others cannot sur- vive the constitutional test. The segregation and classification plainly falls within the arbitrary group, of class legislation." Plan: Supreme Court Api^al U. S. Attorney J; Albert. Won, who did not actively participate in this case, said in conversation with the Department of Justice in Wash- ington, he was told that the case would be immediately appealed to the Supreme Court, because of the nature o£ the Constitution question involved. It would not be necessary to go to the Circuit Court of Ap- peals. Original suit was based on the violation of the Federal Lea act with the Government claiming that coercion was used to try and unnec- essarily force radio station WAAF to employ three additional platter turners last May. In reference to this, Judge Labuy deolaredj "Congress has plainly ■ stated in this statute that if a 11- censee can be persuaded by means which place no constraint or coer-■ cion upon the licensee then the acts of the parties and the results accomplished are not prohibited. It is legal and not prohibited by any law for the licensee to employ more persons than is needed, without any agreement with or,'in fact, against the desires of its employees or its representatives. The employment of more persons than are needed by the licensee is not condemned in this legislation; such act is not defined to be an evil which must be remedied; such . conduct is not denounced or proclaimed to be illegal in any sense through all the wording of the: stat" ute.. The only time it becomes a crihrte under this statute is wlien the employer refuses to agree. If an employee persists in trying to demonstrate his demand to other employees by means of a picket, it becomes a crime. But if the em- ployer agrees to hire 50 more em- ployees than are needed, it is not a criminal offense because of the de- cision of the employers." Attorney David Katz, represented the Chicago Federation of Musi- cians. Joseph Pad way, general coun- sel tor the AFL was not present, as he was in Washington appearing for John. L. Lewis. Woll took no part in the case :because his father, Matthew Woll,' is vicfe-president of the AFL. CBC "GeCi Dear^eat lots of Wbeatles this month—and tnakci your horo8ci»pe Come true!" Continued from page 2g decided to set up CBC back in 1936, this was done on the recommenda- tion of the Aird Commission, picked by both Conservatives and Liberals. The Aird report was unanimously adopted at the time. Now reaction is that, even if the Conservatives or even CCF get. into power, influence over CBC will merely go fo the new bosses. London Calling So wide has the reaction been to the Variety piece, that one paper from London got in touch with its Canadian correspondent to follow through. Meanwhile, the, story has created quite a stir up here, a lot of people asking' where Variety- got the report. What adds further fuel to the fire is the unusual way in which CBC has been set up. Theoretically, CBC is not responsible to the government but to Parliament as a whole. In actual fact, however, since Parlia- ment isn't able to effectively exer- cise its authority due to technical snags like not sitting throughout the year, and such as the government always having a majority on the Radio Committee, the Liberal ad- ministration exercises . the actual power over CBC while pleasantly avoiding the corresponding responsi- bility for such authority. One of the points in which Variety's story makes sense is said to be the attitude of the Conserva- tives. Strong believers in private enterprise. Conservative spokesmen have said that, though they do not want the government to go out of the radio business even when Lib- erals mo-ire out, they think that CBC should not be expanded to, the point where it lyill interfere with the operation of private radio business Actually, to sum up, Conservatives would like to blend the U,: S. and BBC systems, but they are against pushing CBC to the point where it becoraes a government monopoly. i Mutua's , A mRRIED , n SUNDAY 2 PM EST M|t.! LOU CLAVTON ONITSD REX.AI.L DntJG CO. Friday—ens—9:30 u.m., KST,,, M-O-M—"Xlll* Time for Kf<;i>»„ "It Happened In Broofc'ff „