Variety (Sep 1932)

42 VARIETY RADIO REPORTS Tuesday, September 6, 1932 BORRAH MliN EVITCH and Rascals Instrumental Sustaining 30 Mlns. . WJZ, New Yprk By that paradox of matters radio, Jfineviteh, In for an NBC build-up, was first caught on. a CBS commer- cial (Kodak) aa reviewed herewith. -But this program, the first of an institutional NBC series, will spell the answer to the microphonic ap- peal of aux harmonica combination. At first hearing—-and the appeal persists throughout—the impression Is-that Minevltch with his harmon^ lea band has something for the, ether.* • ■ Bat the manner of presentation isn't too good. Here's a Minevltch who for. some arbitrary reason' is transplanted into 'little Italy Below Washington Square/ and the boys are given a 'street urchin' aura in their introduction. While it may have been wise to treat the har- monica, instrumentation in an al fresco manner, perhaps it would Jiave been more showmanly to dig- nify the lowly mouth, organ -with a conservative spiel about the tricks aUnevitch's Rascals can do with it. In truth,, that sort of showman-j ihip has established Minevltch on; the rostrums of two continents, so tio reason for the radio to wax *hotsy-totsy. For one thing, while it's often deplored that radio is too conservative in its formula style of entertainment presentation, here was one instance when perhaps some well^-phrased spieling concern- ing the art of the Hohners wouldn t liave been amiss. - ■ ■ from a trade angle this anomaly becomes an even greater enignaa, for the NBC build-up is in.line with -» reported personal interest by Boxy to ballyhoo Mlnevltch'S har- jnohicaists as something different At the Inaugural of Radio City. Minevltch for long has had ideas 'about a concert at Carnegie Hah with 'Illegitimate instruments such as the harmonica, 'sweet potato, comb-and-t issue, - musical bottles and kindred pitched-sound produ^ cers which, under Mlnevltchesgue rhytfcmpaUoiv might bo made an Interesting Interlude. However, on this inaugural half •hour, the continuity plotters dldn t tfo right by the Harmonica Bascais. ♦The boys were given dialog, and they planted everything as well as they could under the circumstances, but it sounded very home made. However, there was a -variety^ of corking instrumentation. They played rumbas, tangoes, blues, pops, classics a,nd very heated music in sonorous, appealing manner, eyi- flenclng to what artistry a mouth- organ band, if specially arranged for. can rise. •■ Finale spiel sort of reminded 01 JOBS "Street Singer* announcements as the NBC word-sllnger bids the [street urchins adieu. Abel. THE ROAD REPORTER With Louis Dean COMMERCIAL WABC, New York Only five-minute program re- leased by the network's local key outlet. Comes on at 7:1«, B. JO. T., every evening but Sunday, with Louis Dean from the announcing staff doing the 'Road Reporter' hon- ors. Shell Oil is the sponsor. It's a different town tie expatiates on at each session. Mentions some sports or other public event slated to take place that will likely draw the outsiders a.nd describes the motor routes to be taken. Renders a thumbnail sketch of the town's historical or industrial, background, retails local sights that may be of Interest and advises that a, detailed map showing the way to get there can be obtained for the asking at any Sheir filling station. When the Louis Dean of the well modulated voice rings off, another announcer takes up the remaining minute to tell about the virtues of Shell oil and gasoline. Studio combo usually preceeds this midget program with 10 minutes of dance music, but Shell Oil doesn't pay for that. Odec. WiSN PLAYER8 Sustaining WISN, Milwaukee Recruited from professional and little theatre ranks, these players from the Wisconsin 'News' station offer a bit of diversion from the regular radio program with bright little sketches that seem to have found considerable popularity. 'Just the Same Old Love' last Sunday night was an adaptation by Eleanor Mercein from a 'Good Housekeeping^ story by Hazel Havermale. It gave three members of the WISN cast opportunity for a 15-mlnute performance sandwiched in between a major portion of Sun- day night music. While the Players boast rather an extensive cast, 'Just the S^ne Old LOve' was presented by Mary Ann LeMay, John Cambier, head of the Waukesha Little theatre, and Marjorio Crossland, seen in New York and in London with James Oleason and Robert Armstrong in •Is Zat Sor and also in 'Broadway' on tour. Eleanor Mercein directs the productions. . Plays are on the air Sundays at 8 p.m. (C.S.T) and Wednesdays at % P.m. BORRAH MJN EVITCH Harmonica Ensemble COMMERCIAL WABC, New York Stranger things than this happen around the networks, but the ex- ample anyway is typical. Here's an act that NBC has all primed for a grand buildup via the sustaining route, with the initial flash set for last Sunday (4) night. But. presto! two nights before the NBC debut, the turn suddenly makes its appear- ance on the opposition chain as part of Eastman Kodak's Week End Party. This event naturally served to take the edge Of the coming-out ether party that NBC had planned for Borrah Minevltch and his mouth-organ totting gang. Perhaps it would have been bet ter for MineVitch, after all, to have passed up this chance of pocketing a little commercial coin- and waited for the other airing. TnV impres- sion maybe would have been alt.to his favor. As it was, on the Kodak program he came just as an added attraction with too much good company pre- venting him and his boys from standing out as they otherwise would. With Nat Schilkret at his most enjoyable moments, as he was this night, the overshadowing made it a little too tough for the Mine ■vitch coterie to shine out. Then again, with a Class A band. Jack Parker, tenor; Thelma ICessler, piano, and a quartet to provide re- lief on a half-hour program, there's wasn't much time that could be al lotted to the harmonica troupe. At least not enough to give the ensem- ble an opportunity to demonstrate amply the musical range and varia- tion to which these lads can put Otis lowly instrument. Regardless of these restraints and restrictions, Minevltch has some- thing outstandingly different for radio; The three brief interludes allowed hlra in the Kodak gave im- pressive proof of this. What's more, the mike and the receiving- set seemed to lend themselves perfectly to the harmonics of the instrument as this group fashion them. 'Fan- tasy on the St. Louis Blues' came over suavely and distinctively, with the loudspeaker bringing out the shadings and nuances as sharply and vividly as the human ear would catch them in ah auditorium. Ef- fect with Tiger Bag* was equally forte, though the number could be slightly revised for radio presenta- tion. Possibility there of giving some comedy treatment to the ani- mal effects on the introduction. Simple little pop number served as the third /and final item on the troupe's not quite five-minute re- pertoire for the evening. Minevltch has a lot to learn about studio technique, the best way of grouping the instruments for maximum effect, etc. Perhaps he'll get the right steer along these lines during his NBC buildup. Alliance there has to be quite close. It's said that one of the attractions -that Roxy has up his sleeve for the In- ternational Music Hall in Radio City is an harmonica symphony orches- tra under Minevitch's direction. Odec. HENRY TOBIAS' ORCHESTRA COMMERCIAL WGY, Schenectady Playing for nth season at swanky New York-patronized Totem Lodge on Burden's Lake (back of Troy), Tobias' unit has been on air for 10 Monday supper hour broadcasts to plug resort; 25-minute programs. First three or four were newspaper advertised. Orchestra is a good one, but pro- grams did not seem to be as dis- tinctive as was the ease when group broadcast over NBC from the Palais d'Or, New York. Less stress is placed on Tobias' compositions, which may be a mistake. Song- writers are usually far from shrink- ing-violet class, but here perhaps Tobias was too modest. For most part he submerged himself, letting the ensemble have sway. 'Name' composer-band leaders being rare in Capital District broad- casts, seems as though it would have been wise to feature this angle. A bigger spot for Tobias' numbers, with more individual stuff, would have given programs a Broadway touch. On last week's 'shot' he chorused his 'Love Came Along,' but did not include that haunting, odd-beat composition which trade- marked the Palais d'Or programs. Tobias* brief farewell was spoken well enough to suggest he could have done: his own announcing, yolce being better than that of WGY's man. As lon=r as Totem Lodge was time-paying manage- ment should have insisted upon services of Warren Munson, sta- tion's ace orch announcer. Tobias' unit played with smooth- ness and snap, pianist standing out. Good reed section, and brasses sat- isfactory, too. Two or three vocal- ists,, in addition to leader, but diffi- cult to catch their names. One, , with tag sounding like Billy Roberts, tenored oke. Outfit has a good blues singer, although not maJhy such numbers Included on programs. On an earlier, broadcast a young woman joined with a bandsman for a duet. Well done, and could have been made a regular feature. Advertising rather strong, as Is usually case with local commercials. Voco. EDWIN C. HILL News Commentator COMMERCIAL WABC, New York 'Literary Digest' wanted three 16 riinute niches a week at exactly the same time each night and the NBC traffic dpartmeht went to work try ing to clear the required niches across the coast-to-cbast board Along with a contract for facilities, taking in a minimum of 39 weeks, NBC was to become the recipient of another document covering the services of Lowell Thomas. But right away the NBC traffic clearers ran smack into A flock of non-movable' situations. One sta< tion after another that the 'Literary Digest' had specifically asked for reported back that the requested periods on one or two of. the nights were already filled with spot broad- casting obligations reinforced with one of those 'non-movable' clauses that prevented the shifting of these local affairs to another hour on the schedule. 'Digest' waited a couple of weeks for NBC. to deliver per specification, and finding that the network: wasn't making any appre- ciable headway the mag turned to Columbia arid quickly got,what it wanted. For the job of commentating Columbia had Edwin C. Hill ready to serve oh a platter. Hill had been around the network for some time as a nightly sustaining filler on a sort of, build-up to take the place of H. V. Kaltenborn. Hill came to the mike with quite a newspaper rep. For quite a stretch of years' he's been with the 'Sun,' one of the few that survived on the payroll as the sheet passed from one ov/ner to another and from one extinction to another merger. Back in the days before the war, when Park Row was'still in full flourish, and news writing could still boast of an aura of literature around it, the ambi- tious cub had three shining lights -of the craft to look up to and adopt as models for emulation. They were Frank Ward O'Malley. Helen Simons and Eddie Hill, all on the staff of the 'Morning Sun.' In the last was combined a"»news digger and whippor. into terse, graphic narrative and description- par ex- cellence. To do the sustaining series for Columbia, Hill went on a leave of absence from the 'Sun,' all that is left from four newspapers Munsey made one. Prior to the news com- mentating assignment Hill did one of those famous men biographical turns and also one on captains of modern industry. In neither In- stance did he capture national at- tention. But it may be different as the ether spokesman for the Xiterary Digest' But it Is very doubtful whether he will garner the follow- ing and make the Impressive show- ing of his predecessor, Lowell Thomas. As a voice personality Thomas has a hundredfold edge over him. Not only does Hill lack the whim- sical, colorful touch of the other lad; but his crlso monotonous style gives the impression of one of those force- ful business men go-getters deliver- ing the annual report of progress, and, yes sir, meaning every word of it. It is interesting data that Hill. weaves into his news narra- tives, data that deftly and suc- cinctly sketches in the backgrounds of the personalities involved, but what may appear to Hill as the human side of these figures comes out of the loudspeaker as a dry, humorless, tintless array of namby- pamby information, reminiscent of the old style of treating biography. It doesn't get under the surface. It avoids the real human highlights of the personality. Stuff he unreels gives evidence of much research, but the style of put- ting it over is many miles from the style that made Eddie Hill the scin- tillant star of the old 'Morning Sun.' It's a six-nights-a-week grind for Hill, with the 'Literary Digest' bankrolling three of the 15-minute periods and Columbia carrying him the Test of the way on the net- work's sustaining payroll. Odcd REX KOURY Organist Sustaining WGY, Schenectady Organist, formerly playing at Proctor's Troy vaude house, is now broadcasting two half-hour pro- grams weekly from RKO's Albany Palace. One is a midnight, the other a late morning affair. Koury is an excellent console artist. Nothing mechanical about his playing. Morning programs, announced as 'all requests,' contain a lot of familiar stuff. Koury should ring in an occasional somewhat heavier number, giving to it the same popu- lar treatment that network consol- ists in New York apply. He should be a candidate for ad- vancement to an NBC morning hookup, provided WGY wishes to go. outside studio for talent. On midnight programs a male singer might be spotted now and then with Koury. An- additional broadcast should b > considered, for these or- ganlogs pack more entertainment than .usual run of a.m. programs. Announcing by Tom' Lewis Is good, except where he makes intro- ductions too long in an effort to avoid the stereotyped. Jaco. ROXY THEATRE PROGRAM ~ Orchestral, Vocal 30 Mina. WABC, New York When 3. L. Rothafer was handling the Roxy the regular Sunday eve- ning broadcasts were on NBC fea- ture. Now that Roxy is out of the theatre and In on the RKO-NBC family, CBS has grabbed the pro- gram. It's NBC's loss and CBS' gain. In the usual manner, Frank Cam bria, the current managing director of New York's largest theatre, does the announcing for the program He emerges as a surprisingly pleas- ant ether personality. His voice Is smooth and his diction clear, re- minding <curlously enough) of both Roxy and Major Bowes. First of the series of what are hoped to be regular Sunday eve fea tures, seemed somewhat expert mental.; There was a variety of ma- terial, with an evident, though un mentioned, desire to feel out the dial turners' pulses. Starting with Grieg's 'Peer Gyntf the numbers wound their way through Victor Herbert, a current pop tune and Lack to Bizet. Orchestral end of things, and program layout were satisfactory enough, only drawback coming from the fact thai some of the soloists were not of radio merit or import. . David Ross, leader of the Roxy orchestra (and explained by Cam bria as not being the radio an nouncer of the same name) has nice command of his men and i good ear for symphonic arrange ment though inclining a bit to uh dertoning. . After the 'Peer Gynt' beginning came Victor Herbert's ''Thine Alone,' soloed by Lucile Berthom, who doesn't quite understand the micro- phone's eccentricities. Seems to bo polished singer, but her voice came' ovor mighty flatly. Mischa Violin was guest conductor, play- ing the violin solo for Fritz Xreis- ler*s 'Tambourine Ghinois,' and Joseph Griffin, tenor, soloed 'Night Fall.' Mr. Griffin gave a good im- pression. 'Cabin in the Cotton' might as well have been left off the program as played by the orchestra. They made it sound entirely too impor tant. 'Gypsy and Bird' followed and Indigo,' a piano and violin duet by C. A...T. Parmentler and Harry Per- rella, impressed. Bizet's 'Arlesienne Suite' closed with a splendid orches- tral rendition. As Cambria explained at the be- ginning of his broadcast, 'planning a stage show is One thing; planning a radio program is another.' There is sufficient talent here, and an abundance of quality; it's merely matter of experience and plan- ning. Kauf. TEAM MATES With Irving Kennedy, Mary Wood, Guardsmen, Sam Moore, Josef HornikOrch, Jennings Pierce COMMERCIAL KGO, San Francisco Wesson Oil Co,, sponsors of this half hour Wednesday night NBC program, has been doing a lot of fooling around with this feature since it hit the westei-n network several months ago. If they're wise they'll let it alone because as it now stands period is perfectly suited to the class of people who'll buy com- pany's cooking arid salad Oil— housewives. As framed by Caryl Coleman, who does a good job of producing, half hour contains considerable music of the 'Trees' type, which is surefire for any kitchen-minded matron who stands over a hot stove for hubby's nightly meal". About only fault was an ad plug in middle of program when one of male entertainers, Sam Moore, stepped up to Jennings Pierce, m.c, and in a conversational voice weighted down by southern drawl, extolled the merits of 'Wes- son Oil, the only oil in cooking that can make a husband happy.' Which is too much oil for any man. • Vocal leadjS of program were done by Irving Kennedy arid Mary Wood, about as nifty a tenor-soprano team as the west coast boasts. Guards- men, male-quartetted in usual male quartet fashion. Moore, in addition to his ad plug, contributed a guitar solo. Hornik's orchestra did a capable job of accompany ing. Like- wise, Jennings Pierce, who handled the announcing and m.c.'Ingi Bock. ROXY ON THE AIR With Roxy, John Boles, Jeffry Gill, Max Steiner'a .Orchestra Sustaining 15 Mins. KFSD, San Diego A one-shotter preluding the regu- lar weekly 'Hollywood on the Air,' capitalizing the name of Roxy arid high-spotted by a cross-examina- tion between the showman and John Boles, who should have sung, but didn't. Roxy plugged future product with little partiality for his. own com- pany's (Radio) films. The Boles interview probably pleased the ac-' tor's admirers and was less sappy than the usual mike quiz a film celeb gets. Jeffry Gill, announcel by Roxy as a west coast discovery of his, has been singing in Warner picture houses locally. He did two pops nicely, but the boy has done better before. Probably nervous in his first network bow. Steiner's orches- tra did an agreeable semi-classic early In the program. KYW ALL-STAR MINSTRELS With Billy Broad, Walter ftL* George Grammar . Smith, nX Dietrich, Jackson MurrayV *% Fay, Harry Keesler and Eh E*vmg . Sustaining KYW, Chicago *u T *° 1 Q3 \ a f olt i ,ar "y and offhand that minstrelsy is a relic of yester- day without substantial appeal for the present generation is to court a chorus.of indignant denials Yet theatrically that is incontestable trite;, minstrelsy Is dead. But not on the radio it would seem. Chicago has the WENR (wiener) minstrels an d th ere used to be a WGN ditto. WENR group plugged away for a couple of years and seemed doomed never to find a sponsor, but finally did In Sinclair Oil, whose satisfaction is reported as reasonably complete. And as another evidence of popularity NBC has a permanent waiting list, al- ways hovering around 1O.0QO names, of persons waiting to attend the broadcasts in the big WENR hall that holds 600 auditors. So any comment about the KYW minstrels must start with a con- fession of doubt. The public may like it; by professional standards it isn't anything to get heated over. Songs that used to be hits and. funny sayings that aren't particu- larly ludicrous form the bulk of a half h>)ur program, at the beginning; of which 't is lyrically stated that the minstrel's 'mission In life is the ruination of care.' These gags are" supposed to aid in counteracting 1 the depression: 'I'm wearing golf socks. There's 18 holes in them.' There's 4,009 people under me—•■ I'm a night watchman in a ceme* tery.' 'My wlfo likes prize fights—I took her to see congress in session.' 'A worm Is a caterpillar that played strip poker.'; The tellers of these excruciating gags bear such names as Prescrip- tion, Eclipse and Snakehips. Speak-. Ing about comets, they name Bin Tin Tin -as a star with a taiL One gag About a drinker with D.T.'a who sees various animals as the number of his drinks progresses is so complicated and involved as to defy repeating. ' A studio audience laughs uproari- ously at the quips and puns. Be- tween times the various minstrels toss out vocal solos, nothing out- standing. Billy Broad, saved for the last, rendered one of his own compositions, 'Because I'm No One's Fool,* with the tune, the idea and, the humor earmarked 1916. George Grammer Smith did the inevitable, •Can't You Hear Me Calling, Caro- line'.", and Roy Dietrich handled 'Same Old Moon.' There was also a minute or two of jingle dancing simulated by the drummer as in the WENR minstrels. Old Black Joe' is used as a signa- ture, followed by an introductory ditty that sounds like the 'Voice of the KKO.' At the second chorus of each solo the ensemble Joins ini It's all typical old-time minstrelsy, and if enough old-tiniers fancy It there may be a nicho in radio for this bunch. It's certainly not for the young- sters or-the post-bellum generation. Its audience must date before Wil- son's second term. Land.. COWBOY TOM'S ROUNOUP 8inging, Talk, Instrumental COMMERCIAL WINS, New York Much big whoopee by cowboys and Indians, with Bost toothpaste paying the bill. Comes out of-this, unaffiliated transmitter every day in the week except Sunday between 5:10 and 5:45, E. D. T. And it's a nerve-wracking din these boys of the wide open spaces set up be- tween hllU>llly and plainsmen ditties; strumming bits on the banjo and windy plugs for the products. It's ail directed at the kid listeners, but it must be a strain on the eardrums, of the oldsters within listening dis* tance. It is assuriied that the troupe in- cludes real Indians, because 'Cow- boy Tom' says they're there in tho studio: 'Chief Charging Buffalo,' 'Little Skbokum' and 'Pocahontas.* Dialect pulled by 'Little Skookum* may it be interpolated here, sounds so phoney that it's doubtful whether even a five-year-old will fall for It. Open spaces ditties warbled by the cowboys' are oke, as such warblings go, While the harmonica bits and the banjo strumming- register far more melodiously. ■ Heavy repetition through, the lengthy credit spiels of the give- away contest tied up with the pro^ gram. Kids are urged to write a letter of 50 words or less telling why they like Bost toothpaste. Car- ton wrapped around the tube, of Course, is to be included with the letter. First prize assures four $R gbld pieces. Next 20 are each guar- anteed a cowboy or cowgirl suit and every contestant a sample of the dentifrice. Regular stunt connected up with the program is the 'Cowboy Tom Roundup Club,' with membership for the writing. Names of those voted in* are announced over the air, and If they're celebrating a (Continued on page 44)