Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1936)

Friday, October 30, 1936 MOTION PICTURJt DAILY Warner Radio Move Seen as Network Step (Continued from page 1) that the availability of Warner talent for outside programs on other networks will be curtailed. I On Sept. 29 Motion Picture Daily exclusively reported that the Warners were seriously contemplating the development of a new national _ network in competition with National Broadcasting, Columbia Broadcasting and Mutual, the latter of which assumes nationwide proportions beginning Dec. 29, when the Don Lee network on the West Coast becomes part of the hookup. The nucleus of the Warner radio chain is the Transcontinental Radio System, which, in turn, is being developed by John Clark, former general manager of Station WLW, Cincinnati. He is reported to be in California now, but whether or not he is devoting his time to crystallization of the Warner air enterprise could not be ascertained yesterday. Station KMPC, Los Angeles, and KFXM, San Bernardino, which the coast despatch declares are now tied in with KFWB, are independent outlets with no current national tie-in. Air Cuts Child Patronage Albany, Oct. 29.— M. A. Silver, zone manager for Warner theatres in ; New York state, in a bulletin directed to managers under his jurisdiction, urges that they take immediate steps to increase child attendance. _ He points out that in his opinion children are losing the film-going habit, which he attributes in large measure to the competition of the radio. Wall Street Board Maintains Gain Net High Low Close Change Columbia 38% 38 38% Columbia, pfd. . . 45J4 45% 45% + % Consolidated 4% 4% 4% + Vs Consolidated, pfd. 18*4 18% 18%, + % Eastman 172 171% 171% — -% Gen. T. Equip... 27% 27% 27% + Vs Loew's, Inc 5754 56% 56%, Paramount 17% 16% 17% +1 Paramount 1 pfd. 125 119 125 +7% Paramount 2 pfd.. 16 15% 15% + Vs Pathe Film 7% 7% 7% — Vs RKO 7% 7% 7% +Vs 20th Century-Fox. 33% 33% 33% + % 20th Century, pfd. 41% 40% 41% +1 Universal, pfd. ..102 101% 101*4 Warner Bros. ...15 14% 15 + % Warner, pfd 62 61% 62 +1 Fractional Curb Rises Net High Low Close Change Grand National . . 3% 3% 3% + Vs Sentry Safety ... Vs Vs % Sonotone 2 1% 2 Technicolor 23 22% 22% — % Trans-Lux 4 3% 4 + % RKO, Warner Bonds Up Net High Low Close Change Loew's 6s '41 ww deb rights 99 99 99 Paramount B'way 3s '55 64% 64% 64% — % Paramount Pict. 6s '55 98% 98 98% — % RKO 6s '41 pp.. 92% 92 92% +1% Warner Bros. 6s '39 wd 96% 9654 96% + % (Quotations at close of Oct. 29) Claudette Colbert Signed For Camel Caravan Nov. 1 7 The affinity of interest between radio and films continues. Claudette Colbert has been signed for a guest appearance on the Rupert Hughes' Camel Caravan program Nov. 17, thereby marking her first air stint since last July when she appeared with Walter Huston in a condensation of "The Barker" on the Lux program. Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone will do their postponed "Elizabeth, the Queen" skit on the same program Nov. 10, thereby killing off reports that difficulties had developed between the M-G-M players and their radio sponsors. Francia White's Tuesday night's stint for the Caravan will mark her last guest appearance of the season. Henceforth, she will be heard only on the Nelson Eddy "Open House" series, on which she is a regular performer. Miss White's contract with Vick's, sponsors of "Open House," limits her to six guest shots, five of which have been taken up. The Camel Caravan programs are on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 10:30 P.M. E. S. T. over CBS. NBC Festivities Set Gen. James G. Harbord, chairman of the board; David Sarnoff, president of RCA ; and Lenox R. Lohr, NBC president, will officially welcome the 25 foreign broadcasting executives now here for NBC's 10th anniversary celebration, at the Rockefeller Center Club, next Thursday morning. The reception will be followed by a luncheon in the Rainbow Room. All told, an 11 -day program of receptions and entertainment has been arranged for the visiting dignitaries. A tour of Rockefeller Center and a visit to a broadcast will fill in Thursday afternoon. An informal dinner, to be followed by a tour of the theatrical district, visits to the Empire State Bldg., a Harlem tour, and an other broadcast will conclude the day's events. The following 10 days will be taken up by a reception by Mayor LaGuardia; additional broadcasts and dinners, a television demonstration, trips to Princeton and West Point, Niagara Falls and Washington, at which point they will be entertained by Federal Communications Commission officials — at a dinner on Armistice Day. Attendance at the final NBC 'Round the World Anniversary broadcast on Sunday, Nov. 15, will bring to an end the program of entertainment. Eddie's Mystery: Linda Hayes Eddie Cantor and the CBS publicity departments have attempted to keep secret the identity of a new "mystery" singer, who will be introduced "cold" to the Texaco audience Sunday at 8:30 P.M., E. S. T. Insofar as Motion Picture Daily is concerned, however, the youngster's identity is no longer a secret. She is Linda Hayes, a coast "blues" singer. Bringing "Paducah" Show East Irvin Cobb's "Paducah Plantation," aired from Hollywood in the interest of Oldsmobile, heads east next week to entertain the Oldsmobile dealers, who will meet in convention at the Commodore Hotel, Nov. 11. Part of the entertainment will be broadcast on the NBC Blue network, 9 to 9:30 P.M., E. S. T. Instead of heading back for the coast immediately, the "Paducah" troupe will remain in New York until the following Saturday for the regularly scheduled broadcast, heard on the NBC Red network, from 10 :30 to 11 :00 P.M., E. S. T. Thereafter, they return west. Dorothy Page and Clarence Muse, permanent features on the program, will accompany Cobb east. However, Procter, Gamble Net at Peak; Largest Single User of Radio Procter and Gamble's earnings for the third quarter were $6,629,564, the highest figure for the period in the history of the company. P. and G. is the largest single user of network and daytime broadcasting in the country. For the first 9 months of '36 the company spent $2,278,875 for time alone— all with National Broadcasting which carries its programs exclusively. The programs follow: Program Network Time (E.S.T.) Cap't Tim Healy Blue 9:45 to 10 A.M. Five Star Jones Blue 10:15 to 10:30 A.M. Pepper Young's Family Blue 10:30 to 10:45 A.M. Home, Sweet, Home Blue 11:15 to 11:30 A.M. Vic and Sade Red 11:30 to 11:45 A.M. The Gospel Singer Blue 11:45 to 12 Noon Pepper Young's Family Red 3 to 3:15 P.M. Ma Perkins Red 3:15 to 3:30 P.M. Vic and Sade Red 3:30 to 3:45 P.M. The O'Neills Red 3:45 to 4 P.M. Additionally, there is the Frank Parker-Ann Leaf program over WEAF, New York, and WMAQ, Chicago, on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 7:45 P.M. All programs, except the latter series, are broadcast five times weekly, Monday to Friday inclusive. Harry Jackson's band will be left behind. Chick Webb's orchestra will fill in the music for the Wednesday night special show, while Ray Sinatra's orchestra has been engaged for the Saturday program. Jane Frohman will guest sing on the second program. Myrt and Marge Again, Maybe Two veteran radioites, Jack Pearl and Ed Wynn, appear to be traveling along the comeback trail, with sponsored series about to begin. Now it appears likely that still another oncepopular air feature, Myrt and Marge, will be heard on the networks soon. The William Morris office, agents for the mother and daughter team, admit that several sponsors are angling for the services of the pair. Don Lee Men Leave His conference with the heads of the Mutual chain completed, Tom Lee, president of the Don Lee network, last night headed back to California. W. J. Gleason, W. J. Brown and Harold Peary, officials who accompanied Lee to New York, are now en route to Detroit for a conference with an unnamed auto manufacturer. May Pass Up California From Chicago comes word that Amos 'n' Andy, radio's famous blackface comics, may not broadcast from California this winter, as planned. Loop City reports have it that the boys weren't pleased with the cool reception they received in California last year and, as a consequence, are reluctant to return. Ameche to Sears-Roebuck Don Ameche, radio's "First Nighter," who scored in pictures, will be a guest on the Sears-Roebuck program some time in November. Ameche, now in Hollywood, will fly to Chicago for the engagement, which originates in the WBBM-CBS studios. Miss Latham to Warners Beverly Latham, for eight years editor of NBC's Chicago continuity department, resigned yesterday to accept the position of program director at Warners' Hollywood station, KFWB. Goodwin, Ballew, Et Al Short Shots: — Betty Goodwin, of NBC's local press division, has been advanced to the post of fashion editor .. . Robert Romaine and Parker Wilson, Chicago network players, will go to Hollywood at the invitation of Wesley Ruggles . . . Smith Bellew and Victor Young of Shell Chateau now vacationing because of the postponement of Saturday's broadcast — Ballew in Texas, his home state, and Young in San Francisco . . . Queena Mario of the Metropolitan Opera will be Floyd Gibbons' guest on the NashLafayette Speedshow Nov. 7 . . . Preceding her on the same show tomorrow night will be Bill Robinson . . . E. P. H. James, sales promotion manager of NBC, addresses the Cleveland Advertising Club tonight . . . Mitchell Benson, of WOR's announcing staff, has been promoted to production manager. Roger Lyons, formerly of WAAT, takes over Benson's announcing job . . Adele Ronson, NBC actress, weds Horace Hamilton Nahm this evening . . . Jesse Block and Eve Sully guest star on Benny Rubin's WOR program on Sunday . . . Herb Polesie, in charge of production of the Shell Chateau program in Hollywood, now visting the J. Walter Thompson, New York office.