Broadcasting (July - Dec 1940)

Hollywood Turns to Radio (Continued from page 20) WAVE DOESN'T TRY TO STRIKE OIL (Ky)' , „'t care much really ^^^^ programs ^strike" tl^e peoP»« ovrn ^"-r'tirfui^^^^Jt: of ^rr us to"-^ " vou llh-«5 Larketforyou. dren, a sustaining feature. That concern also owns film rights to "Interim", a one-act play which Tom O'Connell, Cleveland writer, wrote for the WHK Drama Laboratory last year. Leonard-Greene Productions recently made a deal with Columbia Pictures for the latter to release the first short subject in the Hobby Lobby series, which follows the pattern of the radio program by that title. In a deal worked out, Columbia will also screen and release the Ellery Queen mystery dramas to be produced by Larry Darmour. Manfred B. Lee and Frederick Dannay, co-authors, are in Hollywood writing the first screen version script of the detective stories. Times Square Productions has obtained film rights to The First Nighter, sponsored by Campana Sales Co. on CBS, and will make a series of featurettes based on the radio program. Boris Morros Productions, has taken a motion picture rights option on the weekly half-hour program. We, the People, sponsored by General Foods Corp., (Sanka coffee) on CBS. With Gabriel Heatter and Harry Von Zell featured, Morros plans to make a feature film under that title. Republic Productions has secured film rights to the name Melody Ranch, title of the weekly half -hour western series 1 K6W-KE Bill Mock and Don Kneass with Elsie Viets Jennings, chairman national A.A.U. women^s sivimming committee. The KGW-KEX conception of showmanship goes deeper than the "screwball school" of showmanship. It consists of bringing to KGW and KEX listeners colorful, complete and authoritative coverage of every event in which there is a genuine public interest. KGW and KEX showmanship is closely allied to salesmanship. That's just another reason why Portland's only newspaper owned and operated stations are your best bet in America's best radio market. A partial list from the KGW-KEX Special Events department during the summer includes: Annual Portland Rose Festival. Oregon Amateur Golf Championship. Pickup of season's most spectacular fire. Annual parade of Veterans of Foreign Wars from Corvallis, Oregon. Oregon National Guard maneuvers. Airport intervievi's with such celebrities as Bob Hope, Jerry Colonna, Anna Neagle, Sir Cedric Hardewicke, Stephen Early. Portland Yacht Club's annual sailing races on the Columbia River. Astoria Regatta and Salmon Derby. Junior American Legion Baseball Banquet from Hillsboro, Oregon. National A.A.U. Women's Outdoor Swimming and Diving Championships. £20 KC 5000 WATTS DAYS 1000 WAHS NIGHTS NBC RED RADIO STATIONS OF THE OREGONIAN PORTLAND •OREGON New York National Representatives-EDWARD RETRY & CO. INC. Chicago Detroit St. Louis San Francisco KEX 11S0 KG 5000 WAHS CONTINUOUS NBC BLUE Los Angeles featuring Gene Autry, singing cowboy and actor, sponsored by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. (Doublemint gum), on CBS. A motion picture has been written around that title. Besides Autry, other members of the radio show will be included in the film. Opry and Barn Dance Republic Studios recently started a second edition of the Hit Parade, but there will be no ties with American Tobacco Co. program on CBS, from which the film studio drew inspiration and talent for its first effort. The same studio has made two serials based on both the Lone Ranger and Dick Tracy radio programs. A third serial of each is now planned. Columbia Pictures also produced a feature length film based on those programs. The WSM-NBC Grand Ole Opry, a radio institution for 14 years was given a film version by Republic. The picture premiered in Nashville June 28. Practically all members of the radio program are featured in the film. WLS, Chicago, sold film rights to National Barn Dance, and also of the musical comedy serial. Hometown, to Republic Studios which made motion pictures built aro"und those radio shows. Republic also made a film based on the Red Rider adventures, and Drums of Fu Manchu. That studio is currently planning to film Superman, now that radio has made it a popular feature. 'Pot o' Gold' Too Horace Heidt's Pot o' Gold program, sponsored by Lewis-Howe Co. (Turns) on NBC-Red, will be made into a full-length feature picture by James Roosevelt Productions. After many delays, it was slated to go into production during the first week of September when Heidt came to Hollywood. Voco Prod'uctions, independent unit, has started producing a series of six feature films built around the Lum & Abner radio program. The first film, "Dreaming Out Loud", which features Chester Lauck and Norris Goff as Lum and Abner, comedy rural characters, has been completed. Most recent sponsor of Lum & Abner was General Foods Corp. (Postum), on CBS. Stephens-Lang Productions, is producing a series of feature films following the theme of the CBS Dr. Christian program, sponsored by Chesebrough Mfg. Co. (vaseline). Jean Hersholt, featured in the radio series, also plays Dr. Christian in the film versions, which are released through RKO. Pyramid Pictures, another independent unit, in early June bought for $100,000 rights to film a series of six full-length pictures featuring the radio storekeeper, Scattergood Baines, sponsored by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. on CBS. Deal was set with] Clarence Buddington Kelland, author, who will collaborate on the] movie scripts, with production I scheduled to start in early Septem-j ber. A New Technique There are other major productions under way, with titles and plots taken from radio. Film producers are now utilizing radio asl a regular dependable source of" screen material. One film executive recently emphasized that radio will soon bring about an entirely new dramatic technique in motion picture production. He also praised radio for departing from standard techniques, and stated that broad-* casting innovations warrant closer I inspection. For that reason the film industry will continue to take writers as producers, as well as story material and talent from radio. As for writers, there are many top-notchers in the films today who have been taken from radio. Some had tough sailing in their own field until they clicked with a clever radio program or two. Some were originally radio gag writers, others wrote dramatic scripts, and serials. Kay Van Riper, after several seasons of hard going on the local networks, finally clicked in pictures and is now one of the MGM ace writers, largely on the basis of he; "Andy Hardy" film scripts. At the same studio Albert Mann heimer has moved into the money after coming out of New York radio via the Good News program, sponsored by General Foods Corp. (Maxwell House coffee). He was recently placed under a studio term contract. Irv Brecher is another MGM writer who came from radio. Jerry Cady has developed into a prolific screen playwright, turning out picture material first for 20th Century Fox Studios and now with RKO Radio Pictures. Willis Cooper, writer on the NBC Lights Out series, has been with 20th CenturyFox, Universal Studios and Paramount. Others in Demand Irving Reis, now an RKO director, was for two years a film writer after he left CBS. Harry Tugent who came to the West Coast a few years ago with Fred Allen, remained. He went to 20th Century Fox as one of its top writers, and is now with Universal. Then there are Bill Morrow and Ed Beloin, who get a whack at film writing every time their radio employer, Jack Benny, checks in at Paramount for a picture assignment. They worked on the film, "Buck Benny Rides Again", and are currently writing for the Love Thy Neighbor picture, now being produced. Ken Englund is constantly in demand, with Paramount as his usual e J ^JJQ( ALONE!) lytrt. IOWA PLUS / DES MOINES .... 50,000 WATTS. CLEAR CHANNEL Page 74 • October 1, 1940 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising