Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Hollywood Joining Divines In Air Series on Tolerance RADIO Six Station Permits Are Asked of F. C. C. Washington, March 1. — Receipt of six applications for the construction of new broadcasting stations was announced today by the F.C.C., as follows : John W. Haigis, Greenfield, Mass., 1,210 kilocycles, 250 watts, daytime only; Ocala Broadcasting Co., Ocala, Fla., 1,500 kilocycles, 100 watts at night and 250 watts during the day, unlimited time ; Florida West Coast Broadcasting Co., Clearwater, Fla., 1,300 kilocycles, 250 watts, unlimited time ; State Broadcasting Co., New Orleans, 1,370 kilocycles, 100 watts, unlimited time ; Glenn E. Webster, Decatur, 111, 1,290 kilocycles, 250 watts, daytime only, and Provo Broadcasting Co, Provo, Utah, 1,210 kilocycles, 100 watts, unlimited time. The commission also has received application from KCRC, Enid, Okla, for an increase of power from 250 to 500 watts, and from KSJS, Salina, Kan, for an increase in day power from 100 watts to 250 watts. Vic and Sade in New Spot Vic and Sade, broadcasting for Procter and Gamble, take on a new evening spot on the NBC-Blue network beginning tomorrow evening at 10 P. M, E.S.T. The contract is for 17 weeks. Additionally, Vic and Sade are beard from 11:30 to 11:45 A. M, E.S.T, and from 3 :30 to 3 :45 P. M, E.S.T, both on the Blue network. The new evening spot will supplement their present morning and afternoon periods, all for Procter and Gamble. World Signs More Stations The World Broadcasting Co. has signed CKPC, Brantford, Ontario ; WSGN, Burmingham, and stations comprising the South African Broadcasting Co. to receive its transcribed program service, effective immediately. The South African Broadcasting Co. maintains stations in Johannesbrug, Durban, Capetown and Grahamstown. Ralston Not to Renew Mix The Ralston Purina Co, sponsors of the current 5 to 5:15 P. M, E.S.T. Red network series starring Tom Mix, will not renew the program for an additional cycle, it became known yesterday. The final broadcast will be heard March 26. The Gardner Advertising agency handles the account. Doris Hare to Start Series Doris Hare, British comedienne, will begin a sustaining series of her own from 7:45 to 8 P. M, E.S.T. on the NBC-Red, beginning March 10. Miss Hare recently appeared on a Rudy Vallee broadcast. Borrows a Radio Idea 20th Century-Fox will borrow from radio's "Community Sing" idea in making its next feature picture. The tentative title is "Everybody Sing," which goes into production March 15 under the production wing of Sol M. Wurtzel. Leah Raye and Tony Martin will be featured. Pflugfelder Leaves for Coast Fred Pflugfelder, director of N. W. Ayer & Son's radio department, left for California yesterday, to look over the radio situation there and to discuss program ideas, Hollywood, March 1. — Albert B. Lasker, president of Lord and Thomas, acting in collaboration with the National Conference of Jews and Christians, is expected to release soon full details of a new series of 13 coast-tocoast programs, a half-hour each, over NBC some time next month. The series will feature leading divines of all faiths, and topflight actors and authors who will contribute their services in an effort to foster tolerance and combat lynching and other antisocial evils. NBC will contribute the time. Richard Carroll of Lord and Thomas' radio department in New York, is actively in charge of the program plans. It is understood that President Roosevelt and Professors Einstein and Conant have volunteered their services. Among those who may contribute their services to the series are : Dorothy Canfield, Edna Ferber, Booth Tarkington, John Erskine, Fannie Hurst, Rupert Hughes, Gene Fowler, Clifford Odets, Charles MacArthur, Preston Sturges, Bella and Sam Spewack, Gertrude Berg, Edgar Allan Woolf, Irving Berlin, Bayard Veiller, John Balderston, Frank R. Adams, Zoe Akins, Moss Hart, Cyril Hume, Albert Jennings, Frances Marion, Florence Ryerson, Ernest Vajda, P. G. Wodehouse, Phil Wylie, Charlie Chaplin, Eddie Cantor, Abbey Players, Alfred Lunt, Walter Connolly, Walter Hampden, Edward Everett Horton, Peter Lorre, George Arliss, George M. Cohan, Clark Gable, William Powell, Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper, Fredrii: March, James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Paul Muni, Bing Crosby, Fred MacMurray, Jeanette MacDonald, Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, Irene Dunne, Norma Shearer, Janet Gaynor, Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Al Jolson, Harold Lloyd. Oklahoma Paper and WKY to Make a Film Oklahoma City, March 1. — Arrangements have been made by the Standard Theatres Corp, the Daily Oklah oman, Station WKY and General Film Corp. to produce a feature here. The picture will be made with sound and will be a newspaper story titled "Deadline." Many of the scenes will be taken in the plant of the Daily Oklahoman, Radio personalities will be shown doing their daily tasks in station WKY. James DeCamp will direct, with J. Basil LeRoy supervising. Standard Theatres will show the film. Parkyakarkus with Jolson Parkyakarkus, erstwhile stooge on Eddie Cantor's program has been signed to replace Sid Silvers on Al Jolson's CBS program, beginning with tonight's program. The program is presented in behalf of Rinso and Lifebouy and is handled by Ruthrauff and Ryan. The Parkyakarkus contract is for 16-weeks, with options for two years, Mixed Records Recently Bob Ripley dramatized a story about grave robbers during a rehearsal for his "Bakers Broadcasts" program. The closing scene was the apprehension of the defilers, and called for crowd noises. Accordingly, a sound effect record of crowd noises was produced. The sketch reached its dramatic climax, and the crowd noise platter was set on the machine. Just as the graverobbers were being hanged, a voice in the crowd shouted above the rest: "Yeah, a touchdown!" It was a recording of an Army-Notre Dame football crowd. New Rate Schedules Worked Out at WINS A new schedule of rates, designed for limited budgets, goes into effect immediately at WINS. The new rates, marking a radical departure from the conventional time-selling methods now used by stations throughout the industry, offer program periods ranging from 50-word announcements to full hour presentations, in program periods of one, three, five, seven, eight, 10, 12, 15, 30 and 60 minutes each. The rates range from $125 per hour, one to 12 times, to $10 per 50-word announcement for a like number of times. Burt Squires, manager of WINS, evolved the new rate structure. Cowan Will Control Para. Talent on Air Hollywood, March 1. — Rubey Cowan, who arrives from New York about April 1, will act as a sort of oneman clearing house between Paramount and its star's radio activities. The former NBC executive is expected to clear all outside requests for additional radio appearances of Paramount players now appearing on the air including Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, Bob Burns, Burns and Allen, Martha Raye and Gladys Swarthout. A more consistent balance between film and broadcast engagements will be another of his jobs. Christoph to R. & R. Charles Christoph of the radio department at McCann-Erickson leaves the agency next week to assume charge of the day-time program department at Ruthrauff & Ryan. Christoph formerly was a member of the radio department at BlackettSample-Hummert. Roosevelt Party on WHN WHN, in addition to networks and independent stations previously noted, will carry President Roosevelt's address at the Victory Dinner in Washington this Thursday from 10:30 to 11 P. M. Tuesday, March 2, 1937 Rhode Island Going Under FCC Scrutiny Providence, March 1. — Broadcasting conditions in Rhode Island will be studied by an agent of the F. C. C. at hearings March 26 in Washington to decide on new applications for stations in Providence and Pawtucket. It is understood one petitioner is the Bay State Broadcasting Corp. The commission intends to determine whether or not additional service is necessary and, if so, where a new station should be located. Pepperell Sets Its First The Pepperell Co. will sponsor its first radio program over WSB, Atlanta, beginning March 4. Additionally, WSB will pipe the program to WRDW, Augusta. If the results are favorable, the Pepperell Co. may buy network time, according to Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, agency handling this account. The program will be aired Thursdays at 6:15 P. M. (Central time in Atlanta; eastern time in Augusta) and will feature Dr. Karl Reiland in inspirational talks. Arthur Pryor, radio director for the agency, is now in Atlanta to supervise the initial airing of the series. Files Copyright Suit Perry Bradford, as administrator of the estate of Eddie Stafford, filed a suit yesterday against the RCA Manufacturing Co. and the Southern Music Publishing Co. asking $15,000 damages and an injunction for infringement on copyright of the song, "He's in the Jail House Now." The complaint alleges that Stafford copyrighted this song in Nov. 1915, that Southern published it and RCA made phonograph records of it. Bamberger Sues Fur Company The Bamberger Broadcasting Service and L. Bamberger & Co. filed a suit yesterday against the WOR Fur Corp. for an accounting of profits and an injunction restraining the defendant from further use of the name WOR on the ground that it conflicts with the fur department maintained by L. Bamberger & Co. The defendant company was incorporated in March, 1934. "Unseen Friend" Renewed "Your Unseen Friend," heard Sundays at 5 P. M, E.S.T. on CBS, has been renewed for an additional 13 week period by its sponsors, the Personal Finance Co. Neff-Rogow is the agency. The program will undergo a change in broadcast some time in midApril. Edwards Show Starts Hollywood, March 1. — "Schooldays of the Air," long-heralded Gus Edwards show, made its debut tonight at 8:15 P.M., P.S.T. over KFWB. Eddie Dien and Stanley Kops, film writers, wrote it and Arthur Q. Bryan and Manning Ostroff produced under Edwards' supervision. Bert Fiske's orchestra furnished the music and prominent as an opener was Edwards' well-known song, "Schooldays." Camel Signs Film Names Hollywood, March 1. — George Jessel, Alice Faye and John Boles will follow each other on subsequent Tuesdays on the Camel show, beginning March 9.