Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

March, 1946 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE • ing talent for the show. He contacts the stars’ agents, arranges the dates on which they will appear, and their salaries. His job i s fraught with last-minute changes. If a star is taken ill, or has to go out of town, either for personal reasons or on location for a picture, he has to scout around and come up with some one else, sometimes on only a few days’ notice. He also has to know which stars enjoy radio work, which avoid radio appearances, and what prices to offer various personalities for a oneshot radio job. If a particular program has two male comedians and one male dramatic actor lined up, a female singing star will be wanted to balance the show. After allocating the salaries of the two comedians and dramatic star, the program’s budget for guests might have only, say, $1000 left, so he has to know who are the female singing stars who may command $1000, and no more, for a radio appearance. At this weekly conference, ideas are kicked around for a script in which to fit the talents of the guests. The ordinary radio show is built entirely around one personality or one guest star. When it comes to building a new show each week around several guests, each of whom is known for his particular and unique talents, it becomes a task for experienced hands. Of course, they must keep in mind what the public has requested the stars to do. A format is agreed upon, on the basis of which the two staff writers turn out a “skeleton” script. The script is then turned over to a couple of writers who provide the gags and heighten the comedy. If one of the Request Performance guests is a topnotch radio comedian, like Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Jack Carson, Gary Moore, or Red Skelton, his own writers are usually hired for this job of “gagging up” the script. The script now comes back to the same group which evolved the idea for it originally, for their approval or suggestions for further revision and polish. Changes are frequently made in a script up to the very afternoon of the day it is broadcast. Occasionally a star has some good suggestions to offer, or Bill Robson, the director, may think up some good bit of business or sound effects during rehearsals. The first rehearsal of each show takes place the night before it is broadcast, in a conference room at CBS Studios in Hollywood. It starts with a round-the-table reading of the script, then adjourns to a studio where they go through the script once or twice more, this time with music, sound effects, and the commercials. There is a final dress rehearsal the next day, Sunday, an hour before the show goes on the air. Copies of the mimeographed script go to actors, orchestra leader, sound effects man, announcer, director. Ward Wheelock agency. Masquers Club, sponsor (Campbell’s Soups), A. & S. Lyons agency, engineers, and the trio which sings the commercial, A transcription is made of every broadcast. During the following week, those connected with the program can listen to it and decide what are the weak spots, what things to avoid in the future, and what parts of the program seemed to go over especially well with the studio audience. Obviously, there is more to it than “meets the ear” when you listen to Request Performance. 11 Annotated Bibliography on the MOVIES 'WHAT SHALL WE READ about the MOVIES?" A Guide to the Many Books about Motion Pictures — Their History, Science, Industry, Art, Future. By WILLIAM LEWIN, Ph. D. Chairman, Department of English, Weequahic High School, Newark, New Jersey 25c a Copy Free With Two-Year Subscriptions to "Film & Radio Guide."