Variety (Apr 1949)

,. Wofaeatlay, April 6, 194,^ 33 NATIONAL BARN DANCE with Bob Atch«r, Captain Stubby : "and Buccanneew, IMu Belle & . 4sotty, B«di» Btan«har4, Tiny , ItokM, Janle an« Connlej Billy Bulley, Froducer: BU> Nelson ' ttireotor: Georfc Bixver , Sg^Mlns.: Sat. 9 p.m, (CST) «n.S-ABC, from Chicaeo (Lambert tc Feasley) "Barn Dance" Is the same type iif" hillbilly show that has been running knee-deep in corn since the early days of radio. Half-hour introduced via the ABC network reveals no change from the songs- and-gags routine that has been Jetting the rural trade since its '^Bob Atcher sings "I'm Bringing You a Big Bouquet of Hoses"; Captain Stubby and Buccanneers, tipgpeye, the Sailor Man"; com- nletc' with falsetto insert; Lulu Belle and Scotty, "I'd Rather Live By the Side of Koad"; Red Blanch- ard. "Faraway Places"; Tiny . Stokes, "Tennessee Tears"; Barn Dance band, "Cruising Down the River" and Janie and Connie, "Down by the Station." Band starts and winds up show with square dance music. Spon- sor plugs are heavily salted be-r tween numbers, stressing friendly dealer service. cjs^s Hillbilly singers are competently i nasal, and applaud each other s numbers. Cowbell clanging in background gives true .flavor. Band supports well. TALK YOUR WAY OUT OF IT With Peter Donald, audience par- ticipants; announcer, Richard Stark Writers: Michael Morris, Bernle Gould Producer-director: Morris 30 Mins.; Mon.-Wed.-Fri., 3 p.m. QUAKER OATS CO. ABC, from New York (LoRoclie & Go.) A novel audience transcribed ! midable Sunday night- lineup, 'with participation show is "Talk Your, O & H now back in their original Way Out of It." Emceed by comic environment after a two-year hitch Peter Donald, the layout calls for I on NBC. ■ contestants to extricate themselves 1 Precm program (3) in the 6:30 ::Followu|t Comment i: CtJS, which originally 'showcased "Ozzie and Harriet" into one of the top-situation com'edlos on t\ic spec- trum, has brightened its ,now for- THIS IS PARIS With Maurice Chevalier, Yves Montand,, Claude Dauphin, Mar- jorie Dunton« Gaumont Lanvtn, Line Renaud, Paul Baron orch Producer: Ray Morgan Writer: Sam Pierce Director: Bill Robson 30 Mins.; Thurs., 10 pM. (EST) CO-OP WOR-Mutual MARTIN AND LEWIS SHOW With Dean Martin and Jerry Levis. Flo McMlchael, Dielt Stabile orch; Bob Hope, fuest Writers: Norman Su1Uvan> Dicic McKnirht, Ray Allen, Chep Kas* tellaw, Leon Fry ', Director: Robert Redd^ - 30 Mins., Sun., 6:30 p.m. Sustaining ' NBC, from Hollywood . , ' Dean Martin and .Teri-y Lewis, after one of the biggest, buildups ever given a pair bf newcomers to from embarrassing situations. Their ability in accomplishing this^ is determined by five judges culled from the studio audience. Awards are $25 and a box of Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour. On initial show Wednesday (30), the "stage" for some four dilemmas was set by announcer Richard Stark. Sample jams included a wife on the spot due to her hus- band having seen her at a wrest- ling match via television and a matron accused by a delicatessen proprietor of attempting to make off with two pounds of butter. Problems generated ample levity and dialers undoubtedly took a fair amount of vicarious delight in the participants' squirmings. Airer is considerably helped by the witti- cisms of Donald as well as by Stark's neat, buildin . (L. W. Hartman) There's nothing wrong with; "This Is Paris" that a few more ' , songs by Maurice Chevalier can't „ ,..;,,■„ is„tj cure. Considering that this is «ie radio comedy field, ptemierted Chevalier's show, built specially | tlieir NBC shovs' last Sunday (3)* for his distinctive stylized talcnts.i Program is in the 6:30 time va- in his first bigtime radio showcase 1 cated by "Ozzie and Harriet," who slanted for U. S. audiences, his ! arfc now their competition, having brace of songs for an elapsed run-! moved oVer to the 6:30 period on ning lime of approximately five i CBS. »^ll*JSw^£JI./'l.tt!!!?ie*' ■■ The JJartin and Lewis duo, who stnctly short rations. have been pyramided into one of This Is the \videly r, heralded the top hitery acts in slibw bizw weekly series of shows being tape-1 represent a major NBC "a«ie jn the recorded in Paris ^nd originating | hole" in the web's bid to counter in the Cafe de la Paix, which Mu-1 Columbians current Sunday: night; tual IS selling ^fpr co-op sponsor-1 supremacy. But, on the basis of • „ T 1 T .• u'.H'j'^«"i"^ ,.^'3?^?' on I the getaway show, NBC didn't dig About a year ago Jack Lcscoulie . the web's N. Y. flagship, WOR arc ! out from under as yet. Potentially, and Howard Lindsay did a swell l tjie French Touri.st Office and the ti,e boys have got it; there's still an early morning spiel, when the 6ars i ^';f.'Jp\,^j'Pi>i f^l^ tu^^ij}}^^^^!^^ ' open field in radio for a couple of are usually tired from dull disk-ride) ^ *' ^' l-^?^-^^ "Jf'l" * 11 A J _ • T Jioe). distinctive brands of zanyism. But jockey talk. And now again Les-1 The strictly bigtime produc- j bridging the gap from a nitery time-slot provided another top- flight show enlivened with a script 0^ Considerable charm, intelligence and high-level performances. The consistently high quality of this show has been inesciipable since its inception some, years ago,- Sunday's show contained the usual plot of Harriet outmaneuv- ering her none-too-bright hu.sband, but despite the same general na- ture of the show, there's a con- stantly fresh note, ■ coulie brought an interestinff and g of the sitiia- r^nformative' guest in Oscar Serlin tions. Success of the stanza also ^'^ WOR mike. Latter didn't ALEC TEMPLETON , Producer-announcer: Duncan Pir- ■■■■■ 'nie ■ ' Writers: Arch Kepner, Templeton 15 Mins., Fri. (1), 8:30 p.in. SustaininK * WQXR, N. Y. For its special April Fools' Day program this year, WQXR enlisted the services of Alec Templeton. The unpredictable piani.st-funster, not to be inhibited, turned the qUarter-liour into a regular missh- Inash, stabbing the station in the back with his pianistic-vocal im- pressions of WQXR on April Fools' Day. The kidding of its programs, its commercials, even its plugs for owner N. Y. Times, was really funny, and the best part of the pro- gram. Otherwise, the program was a hinges to a great extent upon the adroitness of the contestants. Those on the debut were hep go in for cheap blurbs for his show; not' a' mention once that matinees for "Life With Mother" tional accoutrements of "Paris" I visual assLst into a strictly audio bespeak the topflight talent pro-' medium still remains a big "but." wmT'■^/S^c'^^Sm^'^S K*'"'' 'r'''^."'''; The initial .script was built with ex-CBS'BiU Robson directing - . . .-f enough and one neatly worked in ! Y"""" **" Wednesdays and Satur-1 a plug for Aunt .leinima which | bankrolls in association with sister 1 He discussed many things of the i product, Quaker Oats. It's good I theatre. Some of Iris observations daytime stuft' lor the housewives. 1 were, "We have no theatre in Gilb. THE STORY OF CARDINAL MINDSZENTY ("Ave Maria Hour") With Raymond Edward Johnson, Richard Janaver; Francis De Sales, Robert: . Morgan, Tom Iloier, Ronald Long, Ethel Ever- ett, Ann Marie Gayer, Herbert Ratner, others. Producer-Director: Don Peterson Writer: Jean Eicks 30 Mins.; Sun. (3) (i:30 p.m. Sustaining WMCA, New York The Franci.scan Friars, on tlicir 'Ave Maria Hour" Sunday i3), pre- little too sedate and .arch; Temple- senled the "Story of Josef Cardinal ton must have been a little im- Mindszenty.' Stanza opened with pressed b.y the surroundings and didn't completely let himself go. But there was something for most fans of this Bert Lahr of the long- hair beat—in his spoofing of the Various phonograph speeds (78, 33Vf), 45); of various stars^(Crosby, Durante); of German lieder, etc. Templeton, who had to be in Den- ver Friday show.. (1), traiiscribcd the | Bro7i. TIPS TO WRITERS With Gorham Munson 15 Mins.; Fri., 8:45 p.m. Sustaining WEVD, N. Y. This airer is narrowly limited to aspiring professional writers for whom it will have some value. Gorham Munson knows how to teach the scribbling craft and in- cludes helpful hints on marketing copy. Among the promi.sing fea- tures is Munson's weekly inter- views with prominent literary agents' and editors who will keep dialers posted on new develop- ments and openings in the field. On his introductory program (1). Munson. started from scratch, ad- vising the hopefuls on the elemen- tary problems of a self-discipline. 11% suggested trying G. Bernard a brief scene in the Hungarian People's Court at the Cardinal's trial, then flashed back to events in the Primate's life. It told of his building a new school and church in a small town^ his im- prisonment in 1919 by the Bela Kun Communist government, his fight agHiii.st Nazism ending in his incarceration, and his release when the Red Aimy chased out the Germans. U ended with a brief scene at tlie 1949 trial, with the religious leader repeating, "I am sorry ... I regret ... I am guilty." In a brief concluding talk, Francis Cardinal Spellman de- clared (liat Mindszenty's confes- sion was extorted by torturing and drugging and that the lesson of his martyrdom is "rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." It was an America, we have show business." He opined that "theatre parties' benefits" were not: very good for shows becau.se they consisted of a segment of people who think, act and laugh' alike^ because of being the same type of people. A play to get best results must have a di- versified , audience; it must have one of the show's top assets, with the guesting of Yves Mont.ind. also marking . one of 'the high points of the first in the tran-^ scribed series. But, as: a Chevalier starrer, No. I .square. Same; for' that matterj- goes for Martin; : On, the vocals, the guy is tops, as he demonstrated : anew last Sunday, but it the voice bears a striking resemblance to Bing Crosby's, both in the .singing and banter divisions, there was an 1 in the 'This Is Paris" scries \ obvious lack of the Ciroa'ner's sure- practically lound the singer lost in ness. the shuttle. He was hidden midst a conglomerate . of descriptive word-picturcsi by .film actor Claude Dauphin, a song contrib by Line Renaud, billed as a "continental on a q & a gab on latest Parisian creations by Marjoric Dunton. the spontaneity of different types .song stylist,'' and particular accent of people to make it spark. He' spoke about how necessary it was to keep the show up to opening night .standards during a run; not just "dusting off" rehearsals, but act by act, tliorough rehearsals of every bit of business, etc. Actors (the ,best. (Of tJiem) lose' character and performance via milking laughs, kidding, ad libbinp, etc. He compared it to housekeeping—one must clean up things constantly to have a neat household. Serlin felt that television was feeling its .way .it present, and that eventually it must land in the hands of the people who know how, people of the theatre, radio " Chalk it up to/ a jcoviple- of nilV*;; ices working in ■ ■ a' new' inedium (ejiicept for some guest ishpts, as on. Bob Hope's show last week, wherei they hit ;a: Jbetter stride); but Sun- day's • show .Was Off ? ph timing, pace and- tempo. If it's axiomatic fashion' expert, TnTervVeVing"Gaii-i "'"'"S ''"■^''^ ingredient mont Lanvin, the stylist. Latter ^''^ sPai'l's even a weak script, sequence makes the show a natural "^cn small wonder that the for local department store bank- ■ P''eem show failed to get over. 'Oiling, with the show lending it- self to fashion promotion. But weighed as entertainment, it was all surplus trimming.. Che- valier's "Buttons and Bowij" finale It was particularly apparent when they stood up again.st Hope, who was returning the guest shot. A succession of Martin fluffs (ob-, viously "written in" .since the was decidtjflly worth sticking ! initial stanza Was transcribed an^ around for las a strictly-audio; at- '* '" traction the guy is still, dynamite):, but: five minutes,' bf Chevaliieir on a- 30-rainute show wdh'tv- fc^ep the custbmers tiined in^eyen' if there is a weekly succe.s.sion of euestars and pictures. He said, "This is a | measuring up to the Yves Montand country of toys" and at present ^.calibre. , ilose. . television is a toy, but it is bound | ■■.■! : . : i « ^" ■ to be an adult medium. People I will alwa.ys want to see round ac-. FIVE MYSTERIES tors. Hollywood is a big machine j With Carl Caruso, emcee that "scares easily." he continued, i Producer-Director: Mcnde Brown .ndding that "going to the theatre" Writer: Gene Hurley should be an occa.sion; people 130 Mins.; Thurs. (31) 8 p.m. should say, "This is fun!'' I Participating Joe Laurie, Jr. i WOR, New York —^-r— • I "Five Mysteries" presents five Disk jockeys, etc.. wittinglv or I capsule whodunits, with a panel of otherwise, seem to be saluting the \ Sve experts called on to solve the ■ ' cases. Show has plenty to fasci^ defective yarn and ptizzle could have been edited) didn't kid. anyone, nor were they funny. Hope, of course, hopped on ttiem, but brother, there wasn't that Cros- by pickup. 1 The uproarious studio audience- reaction suggested time and again i to the home listener that the boys ' were getting their boffs from sup- 1 plementary stage business and their ' standard nitcry mimicry. That I could be awfully irritating to a dial twister who's still waiting for the i'payoff. : •■ On the basis of Sunday's per- ' formance, the show needs plenty of work. Rose; Cardinal. Brit TODAY'S RACES AT JAMAICA i With Fred Capo.ssela Writer: Caposscla ... . Producer: Raymond Katz 30 Mins.; Monj-thru-Sat., 6:30 p.m DAILY RACING FORM WMGM. N. Y. was one of the late disk company j prexy's pet projects . . . Danger of killing off the "South Pacific" mu- sic; almost every deejay has the idea of "previewing" the .score. : Was a time when publishers and/ or producers restricted public per- ■ formance of production numbers "HOMECOMING, 1949" With John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, others Writer: Walter Bernstein • Director: Iliman Brown 30 Mins.; Sun., 9-9:30 p.m. (3) Sustaining Mutual, from New York . "Homecoming, 1949," a single broadcast presented by the United success story, however^ of screen- .writer Nunnally 'Johnson's ri.se to the top of Hollywood's gold pile had the but apparently.no bans exist now , episode numbei: 4 "because it's . iSint^llv I ■ we . had a lady: killer a^riterion.' Vhls bangtail show « ill 1 RodgViTrHammerslein seeming^ I r??^f„'ls^a - • ' ... n -—«v.,i.«n^>A : .=> , Mifi,, t-of Af 1 ol. liiG snow. Laii Lvaruso is a cK"« .» "v 1 i —.,7^ - w ' . With t he init ial aircivof !Toclay\s ! haDOoned for a sp<; page"s^d.^?fra'n^rst"oUng'ev'en''^f «^ S^'-l^V..'^!..-! P^^'^ »ate '.score. In^'id in the middle of a .sentence. His obviously find _ -. . . among turf fans. Format has I'red Capcsscla, oflicial Uirf announcer ready audience ]Y jjgyg tl,p,„j.g]^es a nifty set of: , u u v. 11 same applies to the Cole ■ ^•»>™ e"'eee and should be able songs; Porter-"Kate" tunes . for several racing associations, giv-1 L^pez, vadio pioneer with dansa- =2 tt*'*''',.-""**?^^'**'?"**'^ *{?*"''^ ing on-the-scene descriptions of all pation. continues a click an Horatio Alger epie. Heriiu pjg,,t. Jamaica races transcribed, L„„(.|,eo„ v^rnh i,ope/ CONN. FORUM OF THE AIR With Ralph Delia Selva 30 Mins.. Sun., 1 p.m. " DePasqualc Restaurant WCCC, Hartford _ After struggling along for .some ■ SIX years over a varied assortment ot Connecticut stations, the "Con- necticut Forum of the Air" has nnally snared for itself a sponsor., De Pasquajie's Restaurant, from; ..Where .the cro.s.sftre p.ittcr discu.s-1 sions emanate, is footing the bill *or 52 weeks. Originating in Hart-, ford, program is net-fed to another j . five stations scattered throughout I the state. Smart direction and whip han- dling by Ralph Delia Selva make ! pnecs this program an interesting one. Bj.icf tie lines up and moderates his own show and does a radio-wise master- ful job of production. By inter- spersing a variety of voices and keeping conversations limited to- getlier with feeding leading ques- tions, .Delia Selva rounds out a (Continued on page 38) Good device in. one puzzler with his j which .stumped the.- experts: was matinees I bringing back the cast tO; act out, earlier in the day. from the Hotel Taft iN. Y.) grill- the denouement. Thesping and Value of lliis program insofar as ; ,.oom. Kelly Rand and Francey i scripting were good, con.sidering results are concerned, of _ course^. Lgj^g ^.g 'his vocal .'lides, -and the strict limitations of time and Lopez apparently is not averse to giving ■ the; muSic piiblisherS, a , .s neclit-'ible since the track's final 'event usually goes to the po.st be- I'ore ,'):30. However. Capo.s.scla gives a good, factual account of every race in chronological order in ' which students of the turf will !■ revel.-- ■ i Capossela's deliver.v. although •inclined to be high pitched, w;as i marked by a rapid, clear enuncia: but will have to do some real Rhtening up to realize all its pos- sibilities. The guest experts didn't come off! as people, partly.becau.se they weren't introduced : at ' the opening. Partly - because five voices are hard to identify. 6^tiih,'anls't"f m^^^^^^^ Appeal, was a moderately fl?^''ai?ei'J^w^fe"n 'one Sri said i"r"n'r^^?rn"'r^;;!..'m?i}^^^^^ .She felt the wife was the murderer i^^^eX^VeStfo^TTs"- placed persons camp, taken to their new homeland in IsraM. Script lacked, pace and ihuch yaria? tion of inood,: but had ct few toijeH? ' ing moments w'hen the : young people finally arrive in Haifa and find a real place in the ^oimnurfity. GaWcld was honest and convinc- ing, though une\'en( as the Indom- table ■ yOung h ti-is band whose, chief i fuiietibri ' seeteecl t6 he to .re-; main cheerful,: while, Lllli Palmer, niahaged to be! tioth plausible and Vincent 1 draw out members of the panel. plot and fact that the giveaway clue must be somewhat obvious. quick airtime .showcase for new Those who crack each crime, get S;^Pi=*''Sf„^^J J,e m^^^^^ tunes ... On the subject of mati-, 100 Pocketbook mysteries. Bril. , S^,,^^hJ"P?'*'^T.fhinf w^"p n^^^^^ n»f. fi-niifs Rill m.ntpr does a con-' .number of doubles, were com- nee tiolits. Kill biaiei acts a ton , ! petently. pflayed. Himan Brown's pr6ductiott, iiieMing; the. potent .sislently bigtime job with his Luncheon at Sardi's sessions via WOR. Maxwell Shane, plugging his "City Across the River" (U) film, which he wrote, produced and tion that never became confused ^ directed, clicked unusually well on or hesitant. He eschews the ■ so-1 one session, making his .stint more called color and furbelows of other J than a trailer for an upcoming " ' " new film. Same: happened with turl'casteis to concentrate upon a' rundown of the field, a running dc- ,sfription of the actual race, fol- ■ lowed by the finish positions and Greta Keller marking her come- back to the States after, bistroirig in: St. : Moritjt.: Italy, her -hatiye Vienna and Paris, and now back in j _ , , .,., « ... interview with a veteran , the U. S. She mentioned Alec New York Univer.sily Radio Play- trainer was spotted laie in the Templeton and Stella Unger would ers, had promise as an adaptation profii am It afforded an interesting Yank-adapt a European play she i ot the _tamous J.rneSt^Hemin moincnl. but WPfc such comment, just acquired. Incidentally, Us spaced a bit earlier in the layout Shane seems one articulate pro- il would lend a better change-of- ducerwho's not afraid to get.be- pacc to the one-aftcr-another race fore a mike to plug _ his pic— i dc.scription,s. Plugs for Daily , Rac- .sounds like he's got a piece of the I ing Form are modest. Gilb. , profits. THE'KILI ERS With Earle Breeding. Raymond' backgrounds and bridges. Trent, Fred Smith. Marie Pe- was considerably helpful, quion, others Following the dramatization Produeer-Direct6r: Frank L. Mac-1 there was a three-minute explana- Intosh i tion by Morris Bothenherg, na- Writer: Macintosh i tional chairman of the UJA, of how .10 Mins.; Sat. (2) 5 ■p.m. ! the organization plans to .spend the Sustaining ! desired $250,000,000 to send dis- WGYNrFM, New York ; j placed persons to Israel this year. This broadcast, featuring the ■ \ Hobe. ^ story "The Killers." But amateur thesping of studes trying to play tough thugs laid an egg (or is it yegg?). The killers spoke slowly, having difficulty with their lines, or hammily. Group scenes failed to come oft', speeches were clipped in confusion, cues weren't picked up. Transitions dragged—foot- steps going upstairs were unneces- sarily long. But 'despite it all, the .suspense of the drama and Hem- ingway's realism came across. firiL