Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY RADIO New Shows on the Air ► Radio Personals i Thursday, September 29, 1938 World System On Disc Shows Has 31 Units The World Transcription System, a sppfMl hookup of stations to carry tiMkribed programs, will be launched this week. Three more stations have just been added to make a total of 31. The new affiliates are WGST, Atlan 1 ta; KLRA, Little Rock, and WRVA, Richmond. The network is striving for a network of 75 stations. Effective immediately, World has appointed Campbell-Ewald & Co. as | its advertisng agency. M. A. Hollingshead, formerly radio director for Campbell-Ewald, has joined World as account executive on the World Transcription System account. A. J. Kendrick, World vice-president formerly in charge of Chicago studios, j has taken up quarters here to head operations. World is now setting up an organization to handle Transcription System operations. A sales staff will be divided into two groups, a market sales staff and a creative selling staff. Also being set up are merchandising, market and publicity staffs. N.A.B. Discusses Winter Activities (Continued from page 1) alysis of the returns, not all of which have yet been received, no conclusions were reached. Officials of the N.A.B. said that the coming months will be exceedingly important to the broadcasting industry, because of the fact that most of the state legislatures will meet this winter and the further fact that one Ascap case is already before the U. S. Supreme Court and at least one more may be presented in the near future. Kostelanetz Has Show Andre Kostelanetz, who has been off the air since he left the CBS Chesterfield program last spring, has evolved a new show and will audition it on Saturday for the Coca Cola Co. in a CBS Playhouse. Coca Cola's last network show was on CBS last season, and was known as the "Song Shop." Miller to Discuss Radio Neville Miller, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, is one of four speakers who will discuss radio's effect on public opinion on Lyman Bryson's "The People's Platform" over CBS Oct. 2 from 7 to 7:30 P. M. Filming Radio Paramount News and News of the Day yesterday dispatched crews to the CBS and NBC headquarters here to film the activities of the special events departments of those networks in covering the international war situation. "We, the People" "We, the People" returned to its third season on the air Tuesday under the sponsorship of Sanka Coffee. The program had variety, pace, was solidly produced, and presented a cast of non-professionals from widely divergent fields, ranging from a doctor who 15 years ago introduced insulin as a treatment for diabetes, to a lady tattooer from New York's Bowery. The curtain was fittingly enough touched off by 87-year-old Daniel Frohman, dean of theatrical producers. Vojta Benes, brother of the president of Czechoslovakia, spoke in defense of his nation's stand; "Milly, the Ace of the Bowery," elucidated upon the tattooing business ; Mrs. Franklin Pierce McCall, wife of the Florida kidnapper, without entering a defense for her husband, told why he had become a kidnapper and Slim and Slam, writers of "Flat Foot Floogie." Gabriel Heatter again was at the show's helm. "We, the People" is presented Tuesdays at 9 P.M. over CBS. Radio, Press Lauded For Work in Crisis Washington, Sept. 28. — Radio and the press of America were lauded yesterday by Neville Miller, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, for their comprehensive reporting and news coverage of the war crisis. The American people, Mr. Miller declared, are the "most highly informed people in the world" as a result of the press and radio coverage. "Whatever direction public opinion here is taking is based upon complete knowledge of the facts," said Mr. Miller. "In furnishing information from all quarters, the press and radio of this country are living up to their highest ideals of service in a democracy." Hill and CBS Are Sued A libel suit asking $250,000 damages was filed against Edwin C. Hill, radio commentator, CBS and the American Tobacco Co, in N. Y. Supreme Court yesterday by Moses Polakoff. He charged that Mr. Hill, in a broadcast over WABC advertising Lucky Strike cigarettes on Aug. 12, 1937, commented on the trial of "Lucky" Luciano and his conviction, and characterized the attorneys representing Luciano as "crooked lawyers." Mr. Polakoff was one of the attorneys. To Discuss Radio, Films Atlanta, Sept. 27. — Use of radio and the films in simplifying instruction will be studied here during a three-day convention of the Southern AudioVisual Conference beginning Nov. 10. Among speakers scheduled are : John W. Studebaker, U. S. Commissioner of Education ; Dr. Henry Rowland Angell, educational director of NBC ; Margaret Harrison, author of "Education in the Classrooms," and Neville Miller, president of the National Association of Broadcasters. "Bob Hope Show" Bob Hope's new show for Pepsodent was inaugurated from Hollywood Tuesday night. A hit and miss quality marred the opening production. Bob Hope, in our estimation one of the best comedy bets in radio, unfortunately was handicapped by a script which nowhere matched his talent, although at that, Bob left one with a pleasant memory. Jerry Colonna, Greek dialectician and a new foil for Hope, was a total loss. In our estimation, his routine possesses the worst qualities of George Givot's and Parkyakarkus'. Connie Bennett was the feature guest of the evening. Instead of presenting Miss Bennett in a dramatic skit, the producers of the show placed her opposite Mr. Hope and Mr. Colonna in a gag routine, which is rank programming in our estimation. Skinnay Ennis's band was adequate. The Bob Hope show is presented Tuesday at 10 P.M. on NBC. Banner Kennedy and Hawks In a Mennen Series John B. Kennedy and Bob Hawks have been engaged by the Mennen Co. for a new series of audience participation programs titled "People's Meeting of the Air," to start over a hookup of Mutual stations Oct. 9. The series will originate in the Mutual Playhouse in New York and will be broadcast Sundays from 3 :30 to 4 P. M., over WLW, WGN, WBAL, WAAB, WGR, WFIL and WCAE. WOR, New York, will broadcast the show on Mondays from 8 to 8 :30 P. M. from Oct. 10 until Dec. 18, and thereafter on Sundays at the same time as the network. Mutual's New York outlet cannot carry the show on Sundays until after the December date because it is already committed to broadcast football games at that time. The H. M. Kietewetter agencv nlarer the business. Editors vs. Publicists Editors and press agents will meet during Paul Wing's Energine "Spelling Bee" Oct. 2 over NBC. On the editors' team will be Paul Schoenstein, city editor of the JournalAmerican; Jimmy Powers, sports editor of the News; Fred Sammis, editor of Radio Mirror; George Ross, night club editor of the World-Telegram; a Broadway columnist as yet unselected, and William C. Park, makeup editor of Paramount News. The press agents will be represented by Dot Haas of Fanchon & Marco ; Sid Spier of Billy Rose's Casa Manana, and Ned Brown, Bob Neff, and George Oslin. Bierman on Air Again Minneapolis, Sept. 28. — For the fifth consecutive year, WCCO will present Bernie Bierman, Minnesota football coach, in a series of Sunday evening broadcasts sponsored by General Mills for Wheaties. Mr. Bierman will discuss the previous Saturday's football games during the series, and is to be interviewed by Charles Johnson, a newspaperman. GEORGE MATEYO of the WOR sales promotion department has been appointed to the faculty of New York University School of Commerce as marketing instructor. . ... , Lyn Murray, CBS maestro, has collaborated with Victor Selsman on a song titled "To a Little Boy," which has been published by Ager, Yellin & Bornstein. . . . Johnny Messner's orchestra has been booked into the New York Strand, starting Oct. 7. . . . Myron Selznick, Ltd., have just set a guest appearance for George Raft on the Vitalis "For Men Only" program Oct. 4. The deal was arranged by Herman Bernie. . . . John P. Medbury, script writer for Burns and Allen, is in town with the comedians. . . . Bob Ripley will conclude his air series Oct. 3, following which he will leave on a world tour. + San Francisco After a serious illness, which kept her off the airlanes for three years, KPO commentator Ann Holden has returned to "Women's Magazine of the Air" as a regular performer. . . . Announcer Paul Gates promoted to night program supervisor at NBC here. . . . Billy Cook, KYA juvenile actor, signed to long term contract by Paramount. . . . KRE, Berkeley, is planning to move its studios from uptown to the new transmitter building, on the eastbay waterfront. . . . Two dailies, Examiner and Chronicle, are using radio to ballyhoo special editions, with plugs on KFRC and KJBS. . . . Martha Meade, veteran Pacific radio home economist, has returned to KPO and the coast Red of NBC, under sponsorship of Sperry Flour Company. 'Movie Quiz' Now on KOL Seattle, Sept. 28. — -Theatre patrons who have questions about the "Movie Quiz" pictures or the quiz itself will have their queries answered by radio, beginning next week. Every Saturday Vic Gauntlett, advertising and publicity director for Hamrick-Evergreen theatres, will preside over a program to be called "Movie Quiz Questions." The program is being advertised on the screens of participating theatres, and also over the air by KOL, local unit of the Mutual-Don Lee network. Sally Is Censored Sally Rand, who plays "September Morn" behind a bubble, almost didn't make her scheduled appearance on the "For Men Only" program last night over NBC. Miss Rand submitted her script to NBC late yesterday and when network officials read it they refused to pass upon it. Finally they consented to permit her to appear if she would read a script prepared by the network. Following some temperament Miss Rand agreed. NBC obviously retained some recollection of what happened when Mae West was allowed to go on the air with an uncensored script.