Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1940)

8 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, May 7, 194(1 Senator Demands FCC Radio Report Washington, May 6. — Charging that repeatedly over a period of 18 months F.C.C. officials have promised to submit their report on radio monopoly "within 60 days," Senator Charles W. Tobey of New Hampshire today demanded that the commission transmit its report to Congress immediately. Tobey pointed out that in November, 1938, and in June and November, 1939, the commission promised the House Appropriations Committee the report would be forthcoming. He declared in letters to all F.C.C. members, "these assurances would seem to be nothing but a mockery." Off the Antenna TWELVE national network shows will exploit 20th CenturyFox's "Lillian Russell" and additional tieups are under way. NBC, CBS and Mutual will carry the programs. Tomorrow evening, Fred Waring will feature over NBC the 50th anniversary of Miss Russell's singing a song over a telephone. On Friday, "Waltz Time" will dramatize several of Miss Russell's songs over NBC. On Saturday, "Gay Nineties Revue" will have Weber & Fields as guests over CBS with more Russell tunes. The. outstanding feature will be a Kate Smith broadcast over CBS on May 17, and there will be coverage by separate networks on the dual premiere at Pittsburgh and Clinton, la., on May 15. Other tieups include "American Album," May 12, NBC; "We, the People," May 14, CBS; Kay Kyser, May 15, NBC; "Model Minstrel," May 20, CBS; and "Homespun Music," May 20, Mutual. • • • Personalities: Dennis James and Rod Mitchell have been added to the WNEW announcing staff. . . . Monroe Upton, writer for the Al Pearce series and Magdalena Madragon, Mexican newspaper woman, have been married. . . . Anton Leader has been named director of production, and Raymond G. Siueeney, in charge of continuity, at WMCA. . . . Kay Kyscr's "College of Musical Knozvledge" will originate from Hollywood beginning May 15. . . . Jimmy Scri'bner, impersonator , writer, producer and sound-effects man on "Johnson Family" over Mutual takes his first vacation in five years this Friday. • • • With the Stations: Renewals accounted for 79 per cent of WOR's business during 1939, an increase of two per cent since 1938 and an increase of 22 per cent since 1935. Two sponsors have used WOR for 14 years, eight others for 12, one for 11, three for eight, seven for seven, six for six and 25 for five years. . . . NBC will entertain a party of Congressmen with their wives and children on May 23. A special one-hour broadcast and television program is planned in honor of the 300 guests. Park Cities Broadcasting Corp. of Dallas has filed an application for a construction permit with the F.C.C. for a 500-watt station to operate on 940 k.c. • • • A special program of sound effects not possible over amplitude modulation stations is planned by W2XMN, Edwin H. Armstrong's FM station. The program is for the benefit of a meeting of radio retailers in Brooklyn. . . . WKBB, Dubuque, Iowa, will join NBC as a supplementary station to the NBC-Blue web tomorrow, to become the 187th affiliate. The station is operated by Sanders Bros, on 1,500 k.c. with 250 watts, full time. Basic rate is $80 per evening hour. . . . fTo prevent cessation of broadcasting in the event of power failure, WOR will alter its antenna at Carteret, N. J., shortly. Instead of using one feedline for power, two feedlines will be used. In the event one fails, the signal will not stop, although it will go out with decreased strength. • • • Programs: Knox Gelatine will sponsor "Friendship Circle" over WEAF, Mondays through Fridays at 12 noon, beginning next Monday. .... "Grand Central Station" over CBS will switch from 10 P. M. to 9:30 P. M., starting May 31. . . . Gillette Safety Razor Co. will sponsor Elmer Davis in a five-minute news period over 89 CBS stations at 8:55 P. M. on Fridays and Sundays. He is on with a sustaining program during the rest of the week. . . . "Toby's Corntussel News," a new comedy series, started yesterday over WHN. It will be heard Mondays through Fridays at 9 :30 P. M. .... Greenwich Savings Bank has renewed its contract for another year's participation sponsorship on the "Uncle Don" program. The bank has been one of the program's sponsors for nine consecutive years. . . . WNEW will launch its "Cradle of Fame" series, in conjunction with Pic, on Saturday at 11 P. M. with Bea Wain, Barry Wood, Dinah Shore, Joan Edwards, Nan Wynn, and Arthur Kent. All the performers, now well-known on network shows, had their start on WNEW. FCC Reports Soon On Television Status Washington, May 6. — A decision on commercialization of television will be forthcoming within two or three weeks, F.C.C. officials indicated here today. They refused to comment, however, on the attack made last week by RCA in its briefs against Paramount's interest in the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories. However, there seemed to be an attitude that the motion picture discussion did not enter seriously into the controversy, particularly because RCA itself has an extensive film interest in RKO. It was said that the question would be settled on the basis of technical and engineering points rather than from the standpoint of interindustry competition. F. C. C. Names Taylor To Replace Dempsey Washington, May 6. — Appointment of Telford Taylor as general counsel to succeed William J. Dempsey was announced today by the F.C.C. Taylor goes to the commission from the Department of Justice, where he has been head of the Court of Claims section of the Claims Division. Prior to that he was senior attorney of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and for four years thereafter was associate counsel of the Senate Interstate Commerce sub-committee investigating railroads and railroad finance. RKO Asks Dismissal Of Caron Corp, Suit RKO yesterday asked N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Bernard Shientag to dismiss the suit for an injunction and damages brought against it by Caron Corp., perfume manufacturer. Justice Shientag reserved decision on this application and an alternative one for a jury trial of the suit. Caron claims that the film, "Primrose Path," disparaged its product. Caron recently lost a plea for a temporary writ. Quits Coast Theatre Los Banos, Cal ., May 6. — Don Logan, assistant manager of the El Rey Theatre, has resigned to join the promotion staff of KROW, Oakland. Plan New Antenna San Francisco, Mav 6. — Immediate construction of a $150,000 RCA vertical antenna for KGMB, Honolulu, plus extensive remodeling of studios, was announced here by Webley Edwards, general manager of Honolulu Broadcasting System, Ltd., which also operates KHBC, Hilo. Heads AGVA Branch Philadelphia, May 6. — Thomas Kelly, returning from Pittsburgh this week to resume his duties as executive secretary of the local A.G.V.A. branch, notified the membership that after May 11 they will not be permitted to work with any performers not holding A.G.V.A. cards. High Court to Studv 2 F.C.C. Decisions; Washington, May 6. — The U. S. Supreme Court today consented to review decisions of the District of Col' umbia Court of Appeals holding that ? the F.C.C: erred in refusing to ap-1 prove the assignment of Stations KSFO, San Francisco, from Associ-J ated Broadcasters to the Columbia"! Broadcasting System of California. Following the rejection of (Jjk1, Implication the two companies fil?^r eparate suits for review and the lower; court held, over the opposition of the. commission, that the case was of a type reviewable by the courts. The commission appealed on the ground that the lower court was without jurisdiction. Since the Supreme Court will hear but one more case this term, the J F.C.C. decisions will not be argued until next October or November. Drop 22 from Staff Of Frisco Stations San Francisco, May 6. — In a surprise economy move NBC Manager Al Nelson has dropped 22 from the KPO-KGO staff, including such western radio personalities as Edna Fischer, Kathryn Julye, K i 1 1 i e Thompson, Bill Holmes, Arthur Schwarzman and Marie Elbs. All received six weeks' dismissal pay. At the same time KPO newscaster Robert Andersen resigned to join the CBS-KSFO staff in the same capacity. Five Commentators At Ampa Thursday Four radio film commentators will be guest speakers at the Ampa luncheon meeting at Jack Dempsey's on Thursday in addition to David Lowe, president of the National Radio Film Commentators Circle. The four are Stella linger, WEAF ; Radie Harris, WOR; Sam Taylor, WHN, and Jack Mitchell, WBNX. A question period will follow their talks. The luncheon starts at 12 :45 P. M. Wisconsin Station Opens Ashland, Wis., May 6. — The Upper MichiganWisconsin Broadcasting Co., Inc., operator of station WJMS, Ironwood, Mich., has opened its new station, WATW here. Staff includes N. C. Ruddell, general manager ; Jack Hubbard, local manager ; Mrs. Ruth Wright, program director ; Warren Hites and Claude Pray, announcers ; R. L. Johnson, chief engineer ; John Pedri in charge of transmitting, assisted by Neal Lockwood, and Ralph Kobernat of the production staff. Sues on 'Information' Dan Golenpaul Associates, owners of "Information Please," filed suit in N. Y. Supreme Court yesterday against M. Lowenstein & Sons, Inc., and Aleo Mills, Inc., to restrain use of the name, "Information Please," as the trademark for cotton fabrics. Suit, which also asks an accounting and $20,000 damages, claims that the defendants are unfairly taking advantage of the popularity of the radio I program.