Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

4 MOTION P1CTUR1 RADIO DAILY RADIO Thursday, January 7, 1937 1st NBC-WPA Stage Unit Is Set in Phila. The first film theatre stage variety unit, developed out of the talent used on the Professional Parade, new Federal Theatre Project-NBC radio program, has been booked for Fay's Theater, in Philadelphia, for a full week beginning Jan. 15, it was learned yesterday. The booking was handled by Rubey Cowen, of the NBC Artists' Bureau, which cooperated in the development of the radio program and is in complete charge of all stage bookings on the theatre units. The stage variety bills, which are planned to run approximately one hour each, were an intended outgrowth of the radio program, which features professional talent which is unemployed, and makes a point in its announcements of asking radio audiences to urge local theatres to initiate stage shows in conjunction with films. It was indicated that other deals for the first stage unit are now in negotiation, and the conclusion of a deal for a booking of the unit in a Broadway theatre late in January is expected momentarily. Thus far only one stage unit has been developed from the radio talent available, but it is anticipated that additional units will go into work shortly, to some extent dependent upon the success of the initial group. Phil Lord, Foran, Et Al Short Shots : Phil Lord's "Gangbusters" series begins a year's renewal Jan. 13 . . . Nick Foran of the screen will be Jack Oakie's guest next Tuesday . . . Mr. Harrison Eustis, founder of the "Seeing Eye" and Gretta Palmer, writer, have been signed for appearances on the "Magazine of the Air" program of Jan. 11 . . . Sir Josiah Stamp, director of the Bank of England, will be heard in a short wave talk over CBS Jan. 10, and on the same day, same network, Lois Wilson makes her debut on the program, "Your Unseen Friend" . . . Walter Huston's stint on Kate Smith's program Jan. 14 will be a scene from "Othello," in which he opened in New York last night . . . Leonard Exum, an Atwater Kent audition winner in the south, will be the featured guest on the Jan. 12 "Listen to This" program over the Mutual network . . . The N. Y. Herald-Tribune-WOR news program inaugurates Jan. 9 at 10:15 A. M. . . . Iowa's gubernatorial inaugural ceremonies and the inaugural ball following will be broadcast over KRNT and WMT Jan. 14 . . . Ed Curtin of NBC's press division bedded with grippe. . . . Fred Astaire will revive several scenes from his musical comedy success "Bandwagon," on his Jan. 9 program. . . . Bert Gordon, the "Mad Russian," will guest appear on Frank Parker's Woodbury program this Sunday and may remain permanently if he clicks. . . . Mel Aranson this week takes over the comedy script-writing assignment for Judy, Annie and Zeke on this same program. . . . Grete Steuckgold, Helen Mack and Lawson Little have been set for Bing Crosby's program tomorrow night. . . . Lee Wiley will return to the Camel "Caravan" as featured guest Jan. 17. . . . Floyd Gibbons' "Speedshow" guest Jan. 16 will be Edith Lorand, concert violinist. . . . CBS will broadcast the annual luncheon of the Women's National Republican Clubs Jan. 16. . . . John Charles Thomas will guest sing on the Ford "Sunday Evening Hour" Jan. 17, and on this same date Victor Kolar will replace Jose Iturbi as conductor of the symphony. Iturbi, however, will return to the "Sunday Evening Hour" the following week. . . . Lenore Ulrich and Olga Baclanova have been signed at Ted Hammerstein's "Music Hall of the Air" series for Jan. 12. . . . Phil Baker goes to Miami for two weeks late in February. Russ Morgan's orchestra will fill in for the two weeks. . . . And Anne Jamison, recovering from an operation, returns to "Hollywood Hotel" Jan. 22. JOHN DOWD, publicity and advertising head for the RKO circuit, this afternoon will wed Muriel Gerson at the Little Church Around the Corner. The bride and bridegroom will then head for a Bermuda honeymoon. • Sidney Samuelson was operated on yesterday at the Sydenham Hospital and was reported doing nicely last night. He will be discharged tomorrow. • Edward Schnitzer, Republic district manager, left at midnight last night for Boston where he will spend three days. Norman Louden, president of Sound City Studios, London left for Hollywood yesterday afternoon to look for talent. Louis B. Mayer and Howard Strickling will arrive this morning from Hollywood on the 20th Century. • Charles Koerner, RKO New England theatre division head, will return to Boston tonight. • ■ Stan True returned from Scranton last night. Actors Move Against Fiddler's Broadcasts Hollywood, Jan. 6. — -Screen Actors' Guild, though its attorney, Lawrence Beilenson, will file a demand with the F.C.C. to revoke the license of local station KFI, charging circulation of slanderous and libelous misinformation over the air because of alleged remarks concerning the Guild broadcast by Jimmy Fidler on his weekly program. No action as yet will be taken against NBC, for which KFI is the local outlet. The complaint is based on Fidler's assertion that the Guild planned to call a strike of 5,000 members here in April and also that Jean Muir, a Guild member had talked her way out of the film business in a recent speech at a union meeting. Ken Thomson, executive secretary of the Guild, today stated that his organization had warned Fidler regarding his air remarks a year ago and that the broadcaster tempered his statements but had become careless recently, probably because he believed that Luden's, his sponsor, was sufficiently powerful to prevent intervention. News Expansion in Portland Portand, Ore., Jan. 6. — Stations KGW and KEX will expand their air news service, it was stated by W. Carey Jennings, manager. Extra writers have been added to the staff and teletypes have been installed. The project will feature women's programs. Baldwin Goes Reviewer Omaha, Jan. 6. — Bill Baldwin, WOW announcer, is reviewing the shows at the Paramount, Orpheum and Omaha theatres in a five minute shot six times a week by arrangement with Tri-State Theatres which operate these houses. NATE J. BLUMBERG, Herman Gluckman, Benny Rubin and Block and Sully will entrain for the coast this afternoon. • William Brown Meloney, coauthor with Rose Franken, of "Beloved Enemy," is about to have another novel published. The latest, "Rush to the Sun," has been placed with Farrar and Rinehart by Jacques Chambrun. • A-Mike Vogel, chairman of the Managers' Round Table of Motion Picture Herald, is back from Scranton where he talked to the Comerford managers on advertising and exploitation. • Louis Frisch, Mickey Scott and Perry Jacobs will sail today on the Empress of Australia for a cruise. • The Picker Brothers tonight will tender their mother a birthday party at the Versailles. • William A. Scully, Loew's district manager, is in Washington and is due back tomorrow. • Joe Hornstein yesterday returned from a two-week trip to Havana. • Dwight Deere Wiman is aboard the eastbound Europa. Last Night On the Air Lillie Show Clicks Beatrice Lillie returned to the microphone last night in a series of her own as "The Honest Working Girl." It was pleasure* not work, to listen in. Setting aside all doubt that her type of humor isn't adaptable to the airways, Bee handled her lines with a style and zest undeniably her own. A blueblooded working girl, Bee is hired as a secretary by the social climbing S. Pierpont Duffys who are anxious to crash society's blue book. Instead, through the efforts of bungling Bee, the unfortunate Duffys soon find themselves without even so much as a listing in the telephone book. This is brought about when Miss Lillie turns a coming out party into a clambake by selling the invitations to steamfitters instead of mailing them to the elite. So much for the plot. As for the star's song number, "Honey, My Dove," it was delivered in typical Lillie fashion with the aid of the "White Way Serenaders." Al Rickey's orchestra was tunefully efficient. Not that it detracted from the entertainment, but here's one thing that puzzled us. Although the program listing has been changed from "Revue de Paree" to "Broadway Merry-GoRound," all the orchestral and choral selections were distinctly French in flavor. "Broadway Merry-Go-Round" is presented weekly at 8 P. M., E.S.T., over the NBC-Blue network. Sterling Products sponsors for Dr. Lyons Tooth Powder. Banner Two Programs Renewed Two important network programs were renewed for additional periods yesterday. The Knox Gelatine Co., Inc., through the Federal Advertising Agency, extended the contracts of Ed East and Ralph Dumpke, the "Quality Twins," for 13 weeks. Additionally, Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co., through Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborne renewed Jack Pearl for a similar term. Nabors Loses Hair Houston, Jan. 6. — Radio announcers, asserts Ted Nabors of KTRH, are fair targets for anybody's pop guns these days, but even so he is still staggering from the "shot" given by a high school girl New Year's Eve night. It seemed the young woman was on a "scavenger hunt," a sport in which couples go on outlandish errands and must return to the party with proof of their performances. She insisted she was commissioned to take back a hair from Nabors' mustache. Tweezers were brought into play, and the girl left with the treasure carefully wrapped in tissue paper and tied with Christmas tinsel. Powell Either Way With the Dick PowellWarner Bros. "Hollywood Hotel" situation wide open, here is the latest to make the rounds: That the "Do You Want to Be an Actor?" program, the Warner TransAmerican feature which recently replaced the "GoodWill Court" will be abandoned as soon as its 13-week contract expires and that a new program, placed also through Warners TransAmerican and headed by Dick Powell, will replace itIndications yesterday were that the successor to Powell on "Hollywood Hotel" has narrowed down to Tony Martin, Lanny Ross, Phil Regan and Fred MacMurray. It is understood that a decision will be made today. i Purely Personal >