Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1936)

MOTION PICTURE Thursday, December 31, 1936 RADIO DAILY RADIO On the Air Last Night NBC Schedules 6 New Shows Next Month; Two Tomorrow Mutual Salute Returned Tuesday night Mutual played Alphonse to Don Lee's Gaston by saluting the west coast chain in a program which fused the two networks into a coast-to-coast chain — the nation's third. Last night the Golden Gate web reversed the AlphonseGaston roles by returning the salute. Californians long have boasted that they can double in spades anything offered or accomplished by effete easterners. Maybe it is the result of this insidious propaganda but, at any rate, last night's proceedings possessed a sparkle and snap that was sadly lacking in the Tuesday salute from the east. It was good to hear again the voice of Conrad Nagle, erstwhile screen star who for some time past has been a Don Lee m. c. Now that he is again in the national spotlight this reviewer predicts that Nagle will soon become one of the most popular figures in radio. The speeches, too, last night were briefer than those of Tuesday. Speakers included Fred Weber, general manager of Mutual, and Tom Lee, president of the Don Lee network. Wisely, they confined their talks to a minimum and left the microphones open to the entertainers. A galaxy of screen stars were on hand to offer their felicitations — Hugh Herbert, Mae Clarke, George Jessel, Ella Logan, Ann Sothern, Mary Brian, Ann Shirley and many others. The stars were more ornamental than useful (all they did was say a few words) but their presence seemed to give the program a lift. David Broeckman's orchestra again gave evidence that it is probably the best musical aggregation in radio. If there are any finer we haven't heard them yet. Another highlight was the dramatization of "John Mead's Woman," starring portly Edward Arnold who gave an excellent account of himself. Numerous other features included a microphone tour of San Francisco's Chinese telephone exchange and a brief offering of native music from KGMB, Mutual's Honolulu station. Banner 4th CBS Radio Theatre CBS has leased the John Golden and will officially take over the house Jan. 2 for the special salute broadcast dedicated to CBS stations KNX, Hollywood, and KSFO, San Francisco. The lease is believed to be for a period of one year. The new addition gives CBS a total of four playhouses — the Hammerstein, Avon, Hudson, and the Golden. Reinhardt on "Magic Key" Max Reinhardt, stage and screen producer will head the RCA "Magic Key" program this Sunday in a talk based on his forthcoming presentation of "The Eternal Road." Others who will appear on the program with Reinhardt include Ezio Pinza, Le Petit Mirscha, 10-year-old singer whose voice will be short waved from Italy ; Ania Dorfmann, "Fats" Waller and "Doc" Rockwell. Six new programs are scheduled to bow in over NBC networks during the month of January. Friday night, Jan. 1, the new Ford program, "Universal Rhythm," featuring Rex Chandler and a 42-piece orchestra inaugurate the parade over the Blue. The time is 9 P. M. Also on Friday will be heard the new "Twin Star" revue with Helen Broderick, Victor Moore and Buddy Rogers' orchestra. The National Bisquit Co. is sponsoring. The time is 9 P. M. over the Red. The following evening at 9 :30 P. M., Joe Cook and a host of guest artists begin a new series for Shell Petroleum over the Red. Elsie Hitz and Nick Dawson in a script series entitled "Follow the Moon," begin a five-time a week program, Mondays through Fridays, for Woodbury-Jergens, Jan. 4. The program will be heard over the Red from 4:30 to 4:45 P. M. The Betty Moore "Triangle Club," sponsored by the Benjamin Moore Co., begins Jan. 7 and will be heard at 11 :30 A. M. over the Red. The final premiere for the month takes place Jan. 22 when Pontiac presents a series entitled "College Campus." The program will be heard weekly from 10:30 to 11 P. M. over the Red network. All programs listed above are E.S.T. Wrigley Planning Change According to a reliable source from Chicago, it is reported that the Wrigley-sponsored "Poetic Melodies" and "Mortimer Gooch" programs will be dropped from the Pacific coast rebroadcasts and replaced with a serial based on Clarence Budington Kelland's "Scattergood Baines Adventures" stories. The program, it is understood, will feature the title character in new stories especially written for the microphone. The report states that the new program will get under way Jan. 11. "Poetic Melodies" is broadcast Mondays through Thursdays from 7 to 7:15 P. M., E.S.T. "Mortimer Gooch" is heard Fridays at the same time. The program is carried over 45 CBS network stations, and is rebroadcast to the Pacific coast daily at 11 P.M., E.S.T. If the new setup materializes, it will mark the first time a rebroadcast program will differ from that of the regular broadcast. O'Brien, Crosby's Guest Pat O'Brien and the "Foursome Famous Quartet," last seen in "Born to Dance," will be Bing Crosby's New Years' Eve guests on the Kraft "Music Hall" series. Tracy, Bruce and Farmer Spencer Tracy, Virginia Bruce and Frances Farmer will be heard in a microphone-treated version of the film, "Men in White" on the Lux Radio Theatre program, Jan. 4. New Colgate Show Colgate-Palmolive-Peet has closed for a new program to succeed "Come On, Let's Sing" which will be heard for the last time on the air tonight Another One Another "salute" program is in the making. NBC has decided to put on a special show welcoming all new stations midnight Sunday over the Blue. No details have been set as yet. at 10 P.M., E.S.T., over CBS. The new series beginning Jan. 7 will be known as "True Adventures" and will star Floyd Gibbons and a dramatic cast in re-enactments of true life adventures. Two adventure episodes will be dramatized each week and a third will be narrated by Gibbons. The series will be broadcast in behalf of Colgate's ribbon dental and shave creams. Benton and Bowles is the agency. Hoppes in New Post William L. Hoppes joins the World Broadcasting System as station relations manager on Jan. 1, succeeding Stephen R. Rintoul who resigned recently. Hoppes, a West Pointer, has been associated with Western Electric and Erpi since 1928, in Europe as well as in the United States. He pioneered in the development of talking pictures. Thompson, Reilly, Et Al Short Shots : Kay Thompson is hospitalized after an operation. . . . Tim and Irene start production on their Educational short Jan. 11. . . . Mike Reilly, formerly of Reilly and Farley of "Music Goes 'Round and 'Round" fame, has been added to the WNEW Dance Parade schedule. . . . Mary Small's Monday and Friday NBC programs have been cancelled temporarily pending the recovery of the tiny singing star, now abed with the grippe. . . . Paul Whiteman plays the State Inaugural Ball in Texas, Jan. 21. . . . Amos 'n' Andy will broadcast from Palm Springs, Calif., for the winter. They head west on Jan. 2. . . . WBNX reports a gross inincrease in business for 1936 of 44^ per cent. In 1935 the station's billing was $113,605, as compared with $164,162 in 1936. . . . Arrangements for the President's Birthday Ball will be outlined by Carl Byoir, general director of the affair, in a talk to be broadcast over CBS on Jan. 2 at 6:15 P. M., E.S.T. . . . Sunday's "Vick's Open House" program will be the last to originate in Hollywood. Thereafter, Nelson Eddy and his company move East in a series of concert jumps. . . . Lois Wilson, of the screen, will make her debut on the "Your Unseen Friend" program over CBS Jan. 10. . . . Betty Jaynes, 15-yearold soloist, will guest on the Ford Sunday night series Jan. 10. . . . Remi Morosani, skiing expert, will be the guest this Saturday on Dr. Shirley W. Wynne's "All-American Boys and Girls Club" program over WMCA. . . . When Milton Berle opens at Loew's State Friday, he will receive $5,000 for the week, plus 50 per cent of the receipts over $35,000. Which is a tribute to radio, for, before coming to the air, Milton played the State for far less money. Engineers for 15-25 Super Power Spots (Continued from page 1) opened for general broadcasting; that the rules governing the allocation of frequencies be made flexible. The commission engineers are now of the opinion, it is reported, that by the use of modern engineering knowledge and equipment, interference would be prevented, as has long been feared by the commission. It is because of this fear that all requests for power increases to 500,000 watts have been turned down excepting in the Crosley-WLW instance. FWC Takes to Air; Programs Tuesdays San Francisco, Dec. 30. — Two Don Lee stations will air "Swingtime" at 8 P. M. on Tuesdays for Fox West Coast. The program will be conducted by Ed Lowry and probably will originate from KHJ, Los Angeles, since KFRC is unable to confirm the trailer announcements used by the local F. W. C. theatres today. It is understood that Fox West Coast will also use spot announcements over KSFO, new Columbia outlet here. Network Give Month's Bonus Omaha, Dec. 30.— A month's pay as a bonus, which came as a mailed surprise to their homes, was given as a holiday present by Central States Broadcasting Co., operating KOIL in Council Bluffs and Omaha, KFAB in Omaha and Lincoln and KFOR in Lincoln, to all its employees of more than a year's service. The total disbursed exceeded $10,000. Employees with less than a year's service received a proportionate amount. KOIL joins the Mutual System Wednesday. This station also gets NBC-Blue network programs. Melton 111; Date Cancelled Pittsburgh, Dec. 30. — Booked for a personal appearance at the Stanley this week in connection with his latest picture, "Sing Me A Love Song," James Melton's engagement was cancelled at the last-minute upon advice from New York that he had been stricken with the flu. Eleanor Holm and her husband. Art Jarrett, were hurriedly booked in no less than a day's notice to substitute for the tenor. Evangelist on Air Houston, Dec. 30. — Evangelist M. F. Ham, formerly of the team of Ham and Ramsey, has broadcast from KTRH daily from 9:45 to 10:25 A. M. for the past two months. Rev. Ham's gospel tent on a downtown block seats 7,000 and is packed twice daily. The radio station donates the time. Times-Star Asks License Cincinnati, Dec. 30. — The TimesStar, local afternoon daily, has applied to Federal Communications Commission for permit to construct a station to operate on 1,050 kilocycles, five kilowatts, unlimited hours.