Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

6 RADIO DAILY Wednesday. March 24. 1937 commenTS On Current Programs John Nesbitt Reasons for the high popularity of "Passing Parade" in the west, and why it is catching on fast in the east, become more evident with each new offering by John Nesbitt over the NBC-Red network at 7:45 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. This fellow Nesbitt has a good faculty for taking well-known personages and events and giving them a fresh interest. Monday night's personality highlights were Victor McLaglen, who has had a colorful career as soldier, fighter and movie star, and Gabriel D'Annunzio, Italy's poet, soldier and great lover. An item on the men who make spring fashions also was sandwiched in. But it was the McLaglen and D'Annunzio sketches that stood out, chiefly because of Nesbitt's brisk dramatic handling. Lux Theater •'Death Takes a Holiday," put on by Lux Theater of the Air over C B S on Monday night, did not carry illusion and conviction in its air version, despite a good cast including Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Kay Johnson, Arthur Byron, Gene Lockhart, Blanche Sweet and others. As fantasy, it lacked the effectiveness of the visual version, wherein the important character of Death enjoyed the advantage of costume and makeup that distinguished it at all times from the other characters. In the air version, however, the dependence on sound alone nullified the important visual requisite that gave the drama its full force. Nash Speedshow Grace Moore, making her debut as the star of the Nash Speedshow over the CBS network on Saturday at 9 p.m., gave the program an upward push with her vocal excellence. Vincent Lopez continues to provide the musical background in his polished style, while Floyd Gibbons remains at the announcing helm. The Gibbons type of announcing sounded a bit discordant for a singer of the Grace Moore type, but otherwise the program was a pronounced hit. C orn Belt Sport WMT, Cedar Rapids-Waterloo, member of the Iowa web. has signed a contract with an Iowa farmer who will measure the growth of his corn day by day to the fraction of an inch and report his findings to the station where each day's results will be aired. Same farmer reported the growth of his corn last season for a local sheet, but WMT beat them to the draw for this year and signed the com checker upper. Much local interest has been built around this stunt in the past, with pool hall boys following the growth of the corn as closely as the ponies. "MASON AND DIXON" Sustaining WMCA-Intercity Network, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 10:4511 a.m. GENIAL PROGRAM OF HOMELY MUSICAL AND POETIC MATERIAL. For a little genteel entertainment along about the middle of the morning, this program put on by a couple of genial southern gentlemen does all right. One of the boys, Bob Mason, is a vocalist and violinist with a flare for ballads, hymns and poetical recitations. The other member of the duet, George Dixon, accompanies. Dixon is an author-composer and writes an original poem for each broadcast, besides preparing continuity. The program holds to keynotes of cheer and inspiration, calculated to help housewives keep in good humor while doing their morning chores. "WE ARE NOT ALONE" Sustaining NBC-Blue Network, March 22, 9:30-10 p.m. FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL ADAPTATION OF NEW JAMES HILTON NOVEL. Though the result was not as successful as might have been expected from a new novel by the author of "Lost Horizon," the airing of "We Are Not Alone" as adapted by Welbourn Kelley was a worthwhile effort. Story is about a middle-aged English doctor who has a tragic romance with an injured German dancing girl. Good characterizations marked the radio version, although some of the tense drama and tender sentiment suffered by the condensation into a half-hour of space. According of additional time to such dramatizations would vastly enhance their entertainment values on the air. Ave Maria Players in "THE PASSION PLAY" Sustaining WMCA-Intercity Network 6:30-7 Sundays and 8:15-8:45 a.m. daily through March 28. EASTER WORSHIP DISK SERIES WITH EXCELLENT CAST AND MUSICAL BACKGROUND. These of eight consecutive daily broadcasts, recorded by Brinckerhoff with Donald Peterson as producing director, not only make a fitting series for Easter observance, but an un usually good cast of players was recruited for acting personnel. Among them are Lee Patrick, Helen Spring, John Wheeler, Eddie Marr, Wilmer Walter. William Crimmins, James LaCurto. Roslyn Silber, Winnifred Tommey, James Marr, Erik Walz. Helene Dumas, Linda Carlon, Fred Baron. Rena Craig, Billy Redfield, Jean Thompson. John Parrish, Perry King and Stanley Whitman. Initial program went on last Sunday and the series ends next Sunday. The dramatizations, as written and acted, carry a profound religious note. In connection with the broadcasts, an attractive 40-page illustrated souvenir program has been issued. It contains the text of each day's episode. "WILL WRIGHT, MCE PRESIDENT" Sustaining CBS Network, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-3:30 p.m. GOOD VARIETY PROGRAM WITH STAR TALENT LINEUP AND NICE VEIN OF HUMOR. With a fine array of talent, a brand of easy humor that is somewhat of a relief from the usually pounded out comedy, and good continuity, this new variety show is a welcome afternoon visitor. The program is amiably piloted by Will Wright, who announces Al Pearce's "Watch the Fun Go By" program and also appears in Phillips Lord's "Gang Busters". The "vice-president" tag is adopted by Wright in a nonsensical vein, as applied to a man who has nothing to do about things. Among departments of which he is v. p. for fun's sake are the "What Do You Know About That", the "Department of Pertinent Questions" (such as, should a husband account to his wife for the money he spends, with listeners invited to write in pro or con), "I See by the Papers" in which Zeb Wright of Gold Gulch participated, and "Department of Other People's Business", wherein a straight note was introduced in the person of Capt. Stein of the Missing Persons Bureau. Fine musical background for the program was provided by Freddie Rich's orchestra. Vocal soloists included, Ruth Carhart, who sang "Little Old Lady", and Jack Shannon in "May I Have the Next Romance With You". Coming Events Today: Columbia Broadcasting System stockholders' meeting, New York. March 31: Women's National Radio Committee annual awards luncheon, Hotel St. Regis, New York. April 6: Radio Corp. of America annual stockholders' meeting. April 9: Press Photographers' Ass'n of New York Eighth Annual Dance and Entertainment, Hotel Commodore, New York. April 26-28: Association of National Advertisers, semi-annual meeting, Hot Springs. April 29-May 1: 20th Anniversary Convention of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. May 2-9: National Music Week; David Sarnoff, chairman. May 3-5: Eighth annual institute for education by radio, Ohio State University, Columbus, 0. May 10-12: Institute of Radio Engineers Silver Anniversary Convention, New York. May 14-30: Syndicate Professionel des Industries Radioelectriques 14th Annual Salon, Palais Neo-Parnasse, Paris. May 15-18: Second Annual Congress of Colonial Broadcasting of National Federation of Radio Mfrs. of England, Paris. May 15-31: Radio and Television Fair, International Exposition Grounds, Paris. June 1-10: Radio-television exposition. Moscow. June 14: American Federation of Musicians' annual convention, Louisville, Ky. June 20-23: Advertising Federation of America's 33rd annual convention, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York. June 21-24: American Institute of Electrical Engineers' convention, Milwaukee. June 21-24: Summer Convention of the Canadian Electrical Convention, Banff, Alberta. New Biz on WFMD Frederick, Md. — "Leesburg Salute", a series of 2-3 p.m. Sunday commercials, has gone on the air at WFMD. Leesburg merchants are the sponsors, with Bob Longstreet, WFMD program director, handling the show. Schmidt Baking Co. of Baltimore next Monday starts a series of three weekly 15-minute transcriptions over WFMD. Crosley dealers in this vicinity will air a 6:30-7 a.m. show, thrice weekly, starting April 1. This program will be rebroadcast from WLW, Cincinnati. 3 -Way Easter Hookup WMBH, Joplin, Mo., has arranged a three-way hook-up for a broadcast of special Sunrise Easter Services in three nearby communities, the period being sponsored by the Empire District Electric Co.. purely as institutional advertising. Schedule includes a period of 6-7:30 Easter morning, with technicians and announcers present at the I three widely separated services. Descriptions of the scenes will be worked in by the announcers, but cooperation with local program directors has made it possible for the entire broadcast to be handled as one Easter program. 3 New Shows on WROL Knoxville — "Movie Calendar", new series sponsored by Chapman Drug Co., with a tieup involving passes for local movie theaters, opened last night on WROL. "Health Spot", educational featurette on behalf of Health Spot Shoe Store, started Sunday. Hub Department Store is sponsoring a rebroadcast of "Pleasant Valley J Frolic" from WLW, Cincinnati. Von Zell Clicks as Scribe Harry Von Zell stepped into the breach on Sunday and established a reputation for himself as a script writer. Jack Benny's inability to appear as guest artist on the Stoopnagle & Budd program left a hole in the broadcast which Von Zell volunteered to fill with a mystery script called "Murder in Honk Street." It clicked and the sequel will be presented on the March 28 broadcast.