Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

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Thursday, February 18, 1937 RADIO DAILY 3 MORE TIME LATITUDE URGED FOR SCRIPTFRS There would be a distinct improvement in the quality of radio scripts if writers were given more time and latitude, it was stated yesterday by Georgia Backus, radio actress, writer and one-time Columbia executive, in a Radio Daily interview. She believes that the pressure under which they work hampers them and exhausts their inventive powers. Radio, with its present limitations, is the magazine not the theatre of the air, according to Miss Backus. She once believed it might have an art of its own, but now thinks it is merely pleasant entertainment. As a dramatic actress, she believes that audiences are out of place in radio theatres when a dramatic production is being aired. Reason being they seem to be more interested in mechanics of the broadcast than in the play, thus making the performers self-conscious. She states further it is her belief their true audience is the unseen listening one, which she says is intelligent and crtical. Miss Backus would like to see novels bought for radio before Hollywood grasps at them. She's convinced "Anthony Adverse" would have been bang-up radio material. Also the Dunsany plays, for which she has negotiated. She adds no one has agreed with her concerning the latter. "Singing Waiters" on CBS "Singing Waiters", long a feature of Los Angeles' Paris Inn Cafe, and who recently made their CBS debut, have been signed as a regular sustaining feature. Program will originate through the facilities of KNX, Hollywood, heard in the East at 5: 456 p.m. every Saturday. Outfit specializes in colorful operatic and choral arrangements. Leonard Kraft Joins NBC Leonard Kraft, formerly of the Crowell Publishing Co., is the newest member of the NBC sales staff in Radio City. The Netherland Indies tax on radio sets vary according to their number. Current yearly tax is $9.60 paid by an estimated 30.000 regular tuner-inners. Past year cost 18.000 listeners $12 apiece, while in 1934 listeners paid $14.40 to tune in to their favorite station. • • • Early this morning Mickey Alpert refused the "Youngman route" to fame via the Yacht Club. . . .He was offered the distinction of following Henny, who goes coast-to-coast for Super-Suds in a half-hour show with a band and stooges shortly (Youngman was hired after recording auditions). ....He opens at the Loew's State March 11 as m.c Belle Baker may be on the same bill. . . . A year ago, they wouldn't have him for nothing. . . . That's the value of radio prestige .... The contract signing between Joe Louis and Jim Braddock. for their bout in Chi this June, will be aired tomorrow afternoon via NBC-Blue .... Robert Lipson. CBS page boy, is the brother of the newly-discovered "Gibson Girl". . . .Roy Wilson of the Wilson. Powell & Hayward agency went to Chi for a few days. Business unaccounted for.... Paul Ash leaves the French Casino next week with Denny following and Rudolph Friml, Jr., coming in after two weeks .... "Castles of Romance", long an NBC sustainer with George Griffin and Alice Remsen, will be sponsored by an oil burner company after March 11.... Ada May, just back from a European tour, will take an initial crack at the radio business. • • • Tribute was paid a respected and efficient fellow-worker yesterday afternoon .... The various execs at CBS threiv a Dutch Treat farewell Party to Ralph Wonders at the Weylin. . . .The proceedings opened with Col. Stoopnagle and Budd presenting Ralph with a fishing rod after a short address. At the end of the line was a dead fish the Col. smuggled into the hotel. .. .Called upon to say something, Wonders cried and his voice cracked. .. .Mark Warnow offered to pay for the drinks as a toast to Wonders. .. .Budd yelled, "How many commercials you got, Mark?" . . . .Space does not permit the listing of the assemblage, so we'll just mention a few.... Fred Willis, ass't to Prexy Paley ; Ken Reime, CBS attorney; the entire sales, program and artist's bureau staffs attended. .. .Ralph leuves for Florida this afternoon for a rest. • • • Vic Knight leaves Ted Collins. Kate Smith and A & P show after next week .... It is a friendly departure. As reported. Knight will handle Phillips Lord shows .... Smith show encountering difficulties with "You Can't Take It With You," Broadway play, which is scheduled for next week .... Seems that the male lead is afraid of the mike and wants his understudy to sub .... Ben Alley, doing great comeback via WCAU, Philly, now has six airings a week for a finance company. . . .Leo Diston, song plugger at Chappell Music, handing out cigars. It's a boy .... Radio Row turned out big for the preview of Grace Moore's "When You're In Love" at the Music Hall the other dawning. . . .The howl was the mention of Irving Mills, Cab Calloway and Clarence Gaskill as the composers of "Minnie, the Moocher". which she did in Swing Time .... Charles H. Furey, formerly radio director for Moser & Cotins, now in the same spot with Artists Syndicate of America .... Benny Fields on the Phil Baker show from Florida Sunday. • • • Tip to small stations : ... John Reber, J. Walter Thompson, radio executive, tunes to all outlets, in the hope of discovering new talent. .. .Doris Sharp, the lovely CBS hostess, now doing a "Garbo" with smoked glasses after the bandage removal. .. .Margaret Livingston Whiteman will join Paul in Miami Hubbell Robinson, Young & Rubicum rudio man, out of office due to bad cold Jack Pearl and Cliff Hall return at 10 tonite from Cleveland via the United Airlines. SUIT OVER CONTRACT IS LOST BY RAMONA Plans of Ramona Davies, are slightly indefinite following the decision by Supreme Court Justice Joseph M. Callahan, who ruled that the Ramona contract with Paul Whiteman and the Artists Management Bureau, headed by Jack Lavin (Whiteman's manager) , has to stand, and denied her application for an injunction restraining the maestro from enforcing the contract calling for her exclusive services. Ramona's affidavits averred among other things that she received but $150 a week even though she might be sold for much higher amounts. Practically no defense was submitted by Julian T. Abeles, attorney for Whiteman, who pointed out that Ramona earned $17,000 net in 1935 and $13,000 in 1936 under the aegis of the Artists Management Bureau, also that Ramona is guaranteed $125 a week and that 20 per cent commission is collected only on her earnings (as booked through Whiteman) above $150 a week. Lesser amount for 1936 is indicated, according to Abeles, because Ramona refused to fulfill contracts. Meantime Ramona is contracted through Artists Syndicate of America to play at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel, also future commitments for the Paramount theater. Trial Board of Local 802, AFM, had deferred action on charges preferred by Whiteman until the courts passed on her suit. Offices of Noah L. Braunstein, attorney for Ramona, did not know yesterday whether an appeal would be taken to the Appellate Division. Ramona has also been booked to appear as guest artist on the Schaeffer beer, WOR program entitled "Nine O'clock Revue." Finding of Justice Callahan is as follows: "The contract entered into by the plaintiff may be enforced against her at law at any future renewal periods. It may also be enforced against the plaintiff in equity during the present renewal period. Even assuming, however, that the contract is not enforcible against the plaintiff in a suit in equity it does not follow that the plaintiff may come into equity for affirmative relief to aid her in violating the terms of a contract enforcible at law. The motion for temporary injunction is denied . . ." B bill 2 m 171 18 19 |20 21 22 23 I 25 ! 76 ' 27 I 28 29 30 February 18 Greetings from Radio Daily to Vivian Brown Jacques Fray Jimmy Durante