Radio varieties (Sept 1940-June 1941)

legitimcrte experience in all phases of showmanship. "Writing, designing, directing and acting are all essential," he soys, "and a musical background is highlydesirable even in a dramatic director because many serials make constant use of incidental music. "It is probably obvious to say that a director should know dramatic literature of all nations and should know how to handle people. The importance of knowing one's actors may not be so apparent to listeners, but it is nevertheless true that a director often finds it burdensome to direct a person with whose personal background he is unfamiliar. When it comes to stardom, best results are obtained when director and star know each otner quite well." Ted MacMurray, whose small town background made his understanding of Vic and Sade especially fine and which now helps him in Li'l Abner, agrees with Papp that a good dramatic director should know every phase of show business. He adds that "every phase of life is the director's textbook." "While a director may draw upon his imagination in sequences with which he is totally unfamiliar by experience, Ted says, "he can do much to heighten suspense and achieve verisimilitude if he actually knows something about the particular bit of life he is trying to mirror. Writing experience is valuable because every good director is called upon from time to time to write a page or so of dialogue; travel is helpful in many ways and has been especially helpful to me in enabling me to recognize dialects. For instance when casting Li'l Abner we auditioned over a hundred men for the title role before finding one who had just the right dialect and who didn't confuse the hill-billy dialect with the Southern Negro accent." Turning to the bicgraphical, we found that Bean is a g.aduate of the University of Illinois. He started his radio career at WFBM in Indianapolis and came to WBBM in Chicago in 1930 and to WMBD in Peoria as program director for three years before joining the NBC Central Division staff in 1939. Papp was born in Chicago and educated at the University cf Chicago. He was trained professionally in violin and began his career by reading manuscripts for publishers in New York City. For a time, he taught public speaking. Later he became purchasing agent for a distributor of foreign films in America, casting director and play reader for a New York producer, and finally a free lance actor, director and producer for agencies. He joined NBC in 1939 and is married to Mary Pcrtton, beautiful NBC star who is heard as Marie Martel in Arnold Grimm's Daughter. NBC Prepares for Music Change K GREAT expansion of activity is seen around the NBC Central Division Music Library as NBC music officials prepare for January 1, the day when ASCAP music becomes unavailable for broadcasting. Several new employees hove been added to the music library staff, bringing the total number of employees in the library to 14, exclusive of two free-lance copyists who are called upon fairly regularly. Also, in anticipation of the change effective January 1, the physical equipment of the music library has been enlarged. A client's program service room, has been set up adjacent to the music library and already is being used to provide a ready consultation service on musical problems. Photostatic equipment, playback recording machines and on additional piano also have been acquired by the music library to expedite the work. The new setup is under the direction of Don Marcotte, NBC Central Division music supervisor. A check of the theme songs of programs originating in the NBC Chicago studios reveals that 18 commercial shows will not be affected by the ASCAP situation, while the themes of 21 will be changed. Among the programs which are not affected are Tom Mix Straight Shooters ("When the Bloom Is on the Sage"); Knickerbocker, Playhouse and Wings of Destiny (both original manuscripts); Arnold Grimm's Daughter ("Poor Little Cinderella") and Hymns of All Churches ("Andante Religiose"). Shows and musical themes affected include Mary Marlin ("Clare de Lune"); Vic and Sade ("Chansons Bohemienne"); Guiding Light ("Aphrodite"); Quiz Kids ("School Days" and "Playmates"); Alec Templeton Time ("Humming Blues" and "The Very Thought of You"); and Fitch Bandwagon ("Smile for Me"). Almost all sustaining network programs originating at NBC Chicago will change their themes by November 15, if not already changed, according to Marcotte. Included in this category are Club Matinee, Doctors at Work and RADIO VARIETIES DECEMBER Uncle Sam's Forest Rangers (heard on the National Farm and Home Hour) with new themes by Rex Maupin, NBC conductor. Roy Shield, Central Division music director, will provide a new theme fcr the Farm and Home Hour. The NBC Breakfast Club has four themes, two cf which have always been non-ASCAP. All commercial prcyiams now using ASCAP themes are planning changes. In some cases only a new arrangement of the theme in use is necessary, since a number of the melodies are not restricted, but an ASCAP arrangement is being used. One of the first NBC network dramatic programs to discard its former theme was Girl Alone which introduced a new departure in thematic music in the form of a so-called "Girl Alone Suite" composed by Marcotte. The new music for this show not only includes opening and closing themes, but also motif music which serves to describe the leading characters and to introduce these characters in script sequences. Page 23