Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1939)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY . RADIO Canada Nazi Talk Over CKAC Leads To Action by CBC Montreal, Jan. 5.— On orders from Ottawa, station CKAC here has forwarded to Gladstone Murray, head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., a copy of the New Year's Day address by Karl Dannenberg, feuhrer of the Nazi party for eastern Canada and acting German Consul. Station officials admit the speech had not been read by them before presentation. The corporation is to decide on whether the rules governing broadcasting have been infringed. Dannenberg's speech, addressed to compatriots here, lauded Hitler. It has evoked criticism from listeners and other consuls are said to be planning diplomatic representation to Ottawa. One CKAC official explains the time on the air was offered free to Dannenberg along with nine other local consuls as an annual gesture of the station. It was also said speeches were not read by the station due lack of interpreters and expectations that speakers would be diplomatic. Dannenberg admits leadership of party but claims he spoke in the capacity of consul and not feuhrer. Samuel Paley Gets 26,000 CBS Shares Washington, Jan. 5. — Exchange by Samuel Paley, Philadelphia, director, of 26,000 Columbia Broadcasting System Class B voting trust certificates for an equal volume of Class B stock in November was reported today by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report showed also that Jacob Paley, Los Angeles, director, in October had made a similar exchange of 33,362 voting trust certificates for stock. Other transactions in CBS securities included the disposition by Prescott S. Bush, New York, director, of 10 shares of Class A stock held through Brown Bros. Harriman and four shares held through an investment corporation, and of nine shares of Class B held through Brown Bros. Harriman and four shares held through an investment corporation. Leon Levy, Philadelphia, director, reported the disposition by gift of 118 shares of Class B stock, reducing his holdings to 44,412 shares. WCKY Shifts Fosdick Cincinati, Jan. 5.— Inability to air Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick's "National Vespers" because of other commercial commitments from 4 to 4:30 P.M., Sundays, WCKY, "operating in the public interest," will broadcast the transcription of the program at 6 :30 P.M., on Sundays. Burgling Record Cincinnati, Jan. 5. — Dewey Long, who came here from Charlotte, N. C, three months aaro, as general manager of WSAI, has had his home visited by burglars six times within that period. He claims this is a record. ► Radio Personals < NAN WYNN has been booked into the Chicago Theatre, Chicago, for an unlimited period and will be off the CBS airways for the length of the engagement. . . . Jean Hersholt will be guest of honor at a party Tuesday given by Mrs. Elaine Sterne Carrington, radio author. . . . Jeno Bartel's orchestra from the Hotel Lexington will be carried by WHN, beginning Sunday. . . . Ireene Wicker will lecture before the script writing course of Columbia University next Tuesday. . . . John Fitzgerald, CBS director of sports, became a Benedict immediately after the start of the new year. . . . Elsie Janis will guest appear in the RCA "Magic Key" on Sunday. + Celebrate 10th Year Of 'School' on WLW Cincinnati, Jan. 5.— The tenth anniversary of the "Nation's School of the Air," originating at WLW and fed to a coast-to-coast Mutual hookup daily, will be celebrated with a special broadcast at 12:15 P. M. Saturday. B. H. Darrow, educational director of WBEN, Buffalo, who set up the first broadcast for the parent "Ohio School of the Air," will speak from Buffalo. John W. Bricker, Governorelect of Ohio, one of the early teachers on the program, will be heard from WBEN, Columbus, while Joseph Reis, educational director, and William Dow Boutwell, director of the Radio Workshop, will participate from -the local station. Drake on Coast to Sign for Gulf Show Hollywood, Jan. 5. — Colonel J. Frank Drake, president of the Gulf Oil Co., arrived today to put the final signature on agreement under which Screen Actors' Guild members would participate in the Gulf sponsored show on CBS, and disclosed that if the contract is carried through the threeyear option period, the Motion Picture Relief Fund would get a total of $1,300,000. SAG and other film organizations participating in the program are offering talent gratis in order that the relief fund which cares for film needy and aged might build a home and hospital with sponsor-paid money. F other Lanphier Barred from Air {Continued from page 1) the air, Father Lanphier was restore in the religious series sponsored by the Radio League of St. Michael aftei he agreed that his broadcasting activities could only be resumed on condition that he confine himself to item of ecclesiastical nature, avoiding politics and controversial series in economics. Last Sunday Father Lanphier intervened actively in the municipal campaign in Toronto thereby infringing the Broadcasting Act of 19.36. In view of the violation, Father Lanphier was suspended from broadcasting. FCC Calendar Washington, Jan. 5. — Application for authority to change frequency from 1,370 to 630 kilocycles and increase power from 100 watts night, 250 watts day, to 1,000 watts, together with an increase in time from sharing to unlimited, has been asked of the Federal Communications Commission by KMAC, San Antonio. An application also was filed by KPLT, Paris, Tex., asking for change of time from day to unlimited. The commission will hold hearings Feb. 24 on the applications of the Suffolk Broadcasting Corp. for a 1,420kilocycle station at Suffolk, Va., and Presque Isle Broadcasting Co. for a 1,500-kilocycle station at Erie, Pa., both to operate with 100 watts power night, 250 watts day, and on March 10 hearings will be held on the applications of the Publix Bamford Theatres, Inc., for a 1,430-kilocycle, l,0!J0-watt station at Asheville, N. C, and WD AN, Danville, 111., for extension of time from day to unlimited with 100 watts night, 250 watts day. The commission has ordered that hearings be held on the broadcasting applications of the Spartanburg Advertising Co. for a new 1,370-kilocycle station at Spartanburg, S. C, with 100 watts night, 250 watts day ; Panama City Broadcasting Co. for a 1,200-kilocycle station at Panama City, Fla., with 100 watts night, 250 watts day ; WHDH, Boston, for extension of time from day to unlimited and increase of power from 1,000 to 5,000 watts ; WNAC, Boston, for increase of night power from 1,000 to 5,000 watts, and KFJZ, Fort Worth, for change of frequency from 1,370 to 930 kilocycles and increase of power from 100 watts night, 250 watts day, to 500 watts. Kirkman Renews Its 'Rhythms' Over WOR Kirkman & Son, through the N. W. Ayer agency, has renewed its program, "Restful Rhythms," on WOR. Program is heard three times weekly. New York Telephone Co. has renewed its participation in the Martha Deane WOR program, effective Jan. 6. Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn placed the contract. Hearth Trio on CBC Milton Hearth and Trio have been signed for a series of "Light Up and Listen" broadcasts to be heard over the entire Canadian Broadcasting Corp. network in transcription form. Programs are to be sponsored by the Imperial Tobacco Co. Connolly Joins CBS Tom D. Connolly, recently resigned as advertising manager of Abraham & Strauss, has joined the advertising and sales promotion department at CBS in an executive capacity. Victor Ratner is sales promotion chief. RCA Promotes Walker Frank Walker has been appointed manager of the RCA Victor and Bluebird Record department. Additionally, he will continue as manager of Victor's broadcast transcriptions activities. Friday, January 6, 193 anner LINES ONE of the toughest ordeals suf , fered by noted people who ari called to radio is the require a ment that they stand by while the atiiJ nouncer or commentator, in glor-pd terms, describes the accomplish^ a., and virtues of that dear, dear pursoi who is about to be introduced. Whicl leads to Elsa Lanchester's appearance on Sam Taylor's "Hollywood Sount Stage" on WHN the other evening/ Miss Lanchester listened intently as Sam praised her as an actress, an au thor, and a person. She listened unti her blushes got the better of her-^ then, as Sam continued, she whistled chuckled loudly, and heckled everytime Sam said something particularly nice about her. All of which went ovei the air. T CBS production department is peti-i Honing engineer MacDonald Nyehni to change his name. When an engi-i neer on duty is called by telephone he.< acknowledges his identity by giving, his surname, adding the number of the studio from which he is working. So it's quite confusing when Nyehn answers the telephone and announces: "Nyehn-2." or "Nyehn-10." V NBC's action in banning beer andl liquor advertising from its networfci is plainly a gesture intended to impress the F. C. C, for beer and! liquor accounts have not been able to buy NBC network time for ai number of years past — not since Ben Bernie quit broadcasting for Pabst. The action will not affect the beer business carried on single NBC stations, such as the Ruppert show. T Life's funnier moments are provided' Sundays shortly before the New York, Philharmonic broadcasts, when pro-; duction man Ralph Kaltenborn, commentator Deems Taylor and announcer Frank Gallop huddle on how tol pronounce the names of orchestral titles and composers whose works are to be featured in the forthcoming concert. Discussions sometimes become really hot before unanimity on pronunciation is reached. T Article on television in the current Liberty, bearing Major Lohr's by-line, represents the editorial ef-, fort of several of the lads in the press department and Chief Engineer Hanson. Liberty sent Lohr a check for $500 for the article, but he returned it with a request that it be donated to charity. T WQXR, grand little New York! station, doubled its sales of time in I 1938 over 1937, a reward the station! richlv deserves. When annoyed by banalities heard on networks and the local ^independent stations, dialing to WQXR is a restful experience. T For the third consecutive year onj the adversary of his death," WHN on Tuesday will pay tribute to the memory of "Roxy." John S. Young will be the M. C. — Jack Banner