Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

Friday, August 5, 1938 MOTION PICTURE DAILY RADIO B anner LINES AGAIN Jimmy Fidler needs to be reprimanded. Last Tuesday evening the commentator, who has earned a reputation for giving vent to thoughtless remarks, told his air audience something about the cooperative advertising campaign about "ra be started by the motion picture industry to stimulate the "sale" of pictures "to the public. The official slogan for the campaign, he explained, was to be "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment." Whereupon Mr. Fidler cynically added that the first letters of each word of the slogan spelled out the word "Maybe." A wisecrack is a wisecrack to Mr. Fidler, even though it tends to jeopardize a million dollar campaign by the very industry that supports him in fine style. T In the rush to get the story of the broadcast of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in under a deadline, we neglected to say something about the perfect production job turned in by Billy Bacher. We hasten to make up for the oversight. A 75-minute program, with cut-ins from New York, Chicago and Hollywood, with a cast as big and as great in name value as this one was, is at best an unwieldy affair, but "Alexander's Rag-time Band" moved with military precision, under Mr. Bacher's command. T Conditions must be getting really bad. Met Seamon Jacobs, the p.a.. outside the door of an NBC studio waiting for a client to emerge. Seamon does that to keep the rival p.a's from pouncing upon his client. T A new tenor will be introduced to the air over WMCA in a program sponsored by the Peter Doelger Brewing Co. He is Al Fairbanks, and he works for the brewing company as sales manager. — Jack Banner NLRB Gets St. Louis Row St. Louis, Aug. 4. — The only question of importance to be submitted for determination by the N.L.R.B. at a hearing to be held today on a petition by the American Federation of Radio Artists to certify it as collective bargaining agencv for singers, actors and announcers of" KSD, KWK, KMOX, WIL and WEW is whether the announcers should be included in the organization or be in a separate group for bargaining purposes. Managers of the stations say the announcers should form a separate unit and A.F.R.A. declares most of the announcers are now members of its organization. Agency Bids for Fischer Hollywood, Aug. 4. — George Fischer, whose program "Hollywood Whispers" is heard over Mutual, has made several electrical transcriptions for a local agency for a fall show. WHBL Opens New Studio Sheboygan. Wis., Aug. 4. — WHBL, local station, has opened a studio in Plymouth from where it is offering daily broadcasts. ► Radio Personals i VINCENTE GOMEZ, NBC guitarist, has been approached for engagements this fall in Mexico City by Emilio Ascarraga, Mexican radio magnate. . . . Alfred J. McCosker will sail tomorrow on the Conte di Savoia for Genoa. . . . Everett Mitchell begins an assignment as em cee on the Mutual "Voice of the Farm" program Aug. 15. . . . Jimmy Scribner back from Cincinnati. . . . Hilliar d Made Head Of Nebraska Ass'n Omaha, Aug. 4.— L. L. Hilliard, head of KGKY, Scotts Bluff, is the new president of the Nebraska Broadcasters' Association. John Gillin WOW general manager, is vice-president. Art Thomas, WJAG, Norfolk, has been re-elected secretary-treasurer. Randy Ryan, general manager of KMMJ, Clay Center, and W. I. DeBarron, head of KGNF, North Platte, have been added to the board of directors. Drops WCPO's Listings Cincinnati, Aug. 4. — The TimesStar, the only local paper not conducting a daily radio column, has discontinued listing programs over WCPO, but offerings of other stations still are shown. McCormick on Vacation W ashington, Aug. 4. — Chief announcer Stephen McCormick of Mutual's WOL is on vacation in Boston until the middle of August. WNYC's Director Is Summoned in Probe Morris S. Novick, director of New York City's WNYC, has been ordered to appear next Wednesday before the special investigating committee of the City Council with his records. The order for Mr. Novick's appearance was obtained from N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Peter Schmuck by Maurice Hellman, assistant to the committee. The summons is the latest action resulting from the petition by City Councilman Charles E. Keegan in the investigation of WNYC for permitting an allegedly Communistic broadcast to be aired. Martin Joins WCAE Pittsburgh, Aug. 4. — Robert Martin, baritone, formerly with the Midnight Flyers on WGN, Chicago, and several other stations in that city, has joined the WCAE staff here and is now being used as the featured vocalist on Earl Truxell's "Muted Music" program. Nancy Martin remains as featured vocalist with Truxell's other outfit on WCAE, the Airliners. O'Leary Joins Rambeau Chicago, Aug. 4. — George J. O'Leary has joined the Chicago sales staff of William G. Rambeau & Co., station representatives. For eight years, O'Leary was associated with Ruthrauff & Ryan. 'Dark Rapture' Interview Armand Denis and his wife, Leila Roosevelt, will be interviewed over the Mutual network Sunday on Benay Venuta's variety program, at 4 P.M., on their experiences in the Belgian Congo while filming "Dark Rapture," soon to be released by Universal. Television — Reade Says It V Er erl And McNeil Disagrees Television in its present state isn't worth a tinker's darn, in the opinion of Walter Reade. It has reached a stage of importance sufficient to cause apprehension to exhibitors, says R. A. McNeil. These varying observations were reported by the circuit heads on their arrival yesterday on the Conte di Savoia. Both investigated the possibilities of the audio vision medium while in London. "Joseph M. Schenck, with whom I went across, Mr. and Mrs. Darryl F. Zanuck and I attended a demonstration of television reception put on by Sir Albert Sterling, head of General Music Industries, which is marketing receiving sets," Mr. Reade related. "The reception was on a screen 24 by 24 — inches, not feet — and it was lousy. It was so bad Mrs. Zanuck w-anted to throw a brick at it. I wouldn't give a nickel for television." A contrasting picture was painted by Mr. McNeil, who is general manager of Golden State circuit of 76 theatres in northern California, with headquarters in San Francisco. "Television is everywhere around London and is an accepted development, although still in quite an experimental stage," he said. "They have television reception in the cafes and department stores and the Londoners seem to like it. The pictures are good. "The telecasting range, however, is limited. As long as television remains confined to a limited area, it will not hurt the theatres much. But if they develop it to a point where television will become available everywhere, I am fearful of what will happen to the exhibitors' business." Mr. Reade, who operates about 30 theatres in New York and New Jersey, said he investigated television for the possibilities of installing it ultimately in his circuit and also for the possibilities of marketing receiving sets here. He was on a vacation in Europe with his wife and daughter. Mr. McNeil's interest was in the effect it will have on theatre business. Sets can' be bought for $250 or $300, he said. The Californian, with his wife and daughter , Peggy, were gone four months, visiting England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Jugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Syria, Egypt and Palestine. William Wobber, brother of Herman Wobber, 20th Century-Fox distribution head, and his wife accompanied them as far as Rome. Commentators Under Watch Of New Deal By BERTRAM F. LINZ Washington, Aug. 4. — New Deal officials, said to be annoyed by the alleged one-sidedness of radio commentators, are keeping a close watch upon broadcasting activities, and conduct of the stations between now and the November elections may determine whether an effort will be made next year to revive the plan for a Government transmitter, it was learned today. The situation was disclosed when officials, in private conversations, charged that political pressure had been exerted on Tennessee broadcasters by the "wrong" political faction. A private survey of all news broadcasts is said to have been made at the instigation of high New Dealers to ascertain whether comment is biased, which is said in informed quarters to have disclosed no basis for charges of partiality. There has been no threat of forthright action against the broadcasters, but it has been pointed out that there are other ways of meeting the situation, such as the establishment of a Government station, the idea of which was in Secretary Ickes' mind when he arranged for commodious studios in the new Interior Department Building. Station Arguments Set for October 13 Washington, Aug. 4. — The Federal Communications Commission has set Oct. 13 for oral argument on the applications of the King-Trendle Broadcasting Corp. for a 1,010-kilocycle, 250-watt station at Grand Rapids, Mich. ; WRSP, Inc., for a 1,500-kilocycle station at Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., with 100 watts power night, 250 watts day; WSBT, South Bend, for change of frequency from 1,360 to 1,010 kilocycles, extension of time from sharing to unlimited and increase of power from 500 to 1,000 watts, and WNEW, New York, for increase of day power from 2,500 to 5,000 watts. WOV-WBIL Sign Three Two new 52 -week shows and a 26week renewal have been signed by the International Broadcasting Corp., operating WOV-WBIL in New York. S. A. Schonbrunn Co. is sponsoring a Sunday half-hour show on WOV; Gemma Oil has signed for three shows a week on WBIL; while Balbo Oil has renewed for six quarter-hours a week on WOV. Both the Balbo Oil and Schonbrunn Co. shows are being fed to WPEN, Philadelphia, another International Broadcasting station. Staff for Program Set The staff assembled to handle "Port of Missing Hits," new NBC series, includes the following: Robert Emmet Dolan, musical director ; Ginger Johnson, NBC contract; Bill Marshall, production ; Richard McDonough, script ; Charles Pease, engineer ; Jean Hamilton, announcer ; Joe Lilly, choral director. Musical arrangements are by Lang Van Cleve, Paul Sterrett and John Walker.