Variety (Jan 1933)

so VARIETY Agency SatirKes Radio Cqnfiib And Board of Directors Ukes It 1 Chicago, Jan. 23. Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborne (agency) has a special disk which It has made of a 'typi- cal' Board of Directors meeting dis- cussing a radio program. This rec- ord Is cleverly introduced at bona fide board meetings to sell the business men, through a laugh, on the need:for a'sHowmanly.attitude. Comedy recording was 'used" liere last week at a gathering of execu- tives and is reported to have been a , big hit. . *rhe 'typical,' l^.qard.. meeting,, in- ciudes . % bMrlesQuiB thei usual suggestions, l^eard; ivh'en radio. 1$ under discussion. , One, executives cracjis, .'Why .can't.we get Llnd- .bergh for ,bur pcpgrain?' Another sfiys he (ian't do. anything until, his daygliter gets . hqm,e, . from, .,col|iege ,as; ^he H'lo^v's all'. about radio. A third exec kejepS: sflyinp,, tbat they shouldn't do . aoy,thing . until they get In toAich. wlth..4iis .ft^ett^d,' Jqo Zilch,,,who.,Is an..exp.ert .,pn rad.loj This reference to 2ilcji keeps, recur- ring through, tlje dlaci^sslohg. Ffj^a^-j^ .ly.the board, decide?, to $nd ..out .wha.t to do about the raidio program by ipoking up Zilch...A phone cali :|a .put'through tor.lhlm and baclc come? th.e aniswer.i^llcn., can't. talK aa Gonfercnc.e,.wjth his oyrtt boar^ of ipireptora, trying tp, flefura ..QUt'/.what .to.4o wl'tJ>,Ws. pwn risidloi program.. ; , • i ii BBD&b end the record on a .ta^ctr: ful .npte by. pointing, out,, that,, pro- grams built to suit the,tastes of .«ducate4 men. pi;esQiit cqiKipaQy al- , ,waya included, may not. be the per- fect program for.,reaching the pro- ..Iptar^t-and' then sometimes., .pz- plalns what proletariat me^ns., East-Dumke in Vaude, WTAM Penod in Line While a new commercial is being sought for them. Sisters of the Skillet (East and Dumke), have been booked into the Albee, Cincin- nati, week of Feb. 3. With the boys off the Armour show next week, NBC is working on a deal for them with the.,Spani; Baking Co. of Cleve- land; - If" c'ohcTuded, the program will be a local over WTAM. Team had been practically con- tracted, for th? SpAiB acq«j^unt when the Armour proposition intruded last fall. CANADA ORBIEKS 2D • • Ottatwa,-Jam-23. : - Following the return'frdta yEutfope /•of;Ool. W;-A'...Stcel to-join the .ne-w Canadian Badios CoramtssiOn;. ojf itvhlch''-he l8 -.the."^thlrd; 'member,' Ghairnran Hector "GharleswotthT'dn- iibunbedt tfaat-<the Watch ToWer In'r ternatlonal Broadcast,': featuring Judge Ruth^irf<>rd,. .i^d been ruled off the air insofa^ as Canada was coTjcefned. All' Cana^liaij 'sditlonij l-w^ite adyls'ed to 4'eiete t^ls p'rb]g'ram ' fbttlh'.ylth becatis^ of Ruthwford'p "atticks'on confltltuted'autTior'ity and . the cl'ergy-. " * ' • '■ ' Chairl'esw'orth explained that com^ plainw^ had been recel*6d by the commission regardi-ng the Watch ToWer propaganda being' broadcast through 25 C&hadlan statioiis. The lattei? are compelled to; obey the order Or suffer the loss oi licenses. This is The second-'censoring' by the Canadian Commission; first pro- gram to be ordered off the air hav- ing been that for a patent n^edlclne, Sherman & Pratt Back Oq Network; f(i^eit^ Too Saucy for A9?ertisiiig Chicago, Jan^ 23. Slverman and Pratt, the comedy •doctdrs' Of KYW, will be on thB^ Rifettl Slllc 'Program with Vincent' Lopez^ 'whfeh' 'it Btarts Feb. ovei-' VVEWr tad ah NBC Web; It's a r©- tifn to 'hetkork ''hroa'dcBistlfa^ for tli^ comedlaiiff whdde chummy and flippant' Efag:|;iiiig ii^ottt the jtrbducts thejr '^Jijeiirfi'' plurg^c'd' wasr ' formerly de'emStii to6' diqres^'e.Ctwi "[tpr '-hal- 16wi6i'"pr6ja'ucts,^ ' \ •v..', ^'yf| \',lii|Lye' had"! a spotty ^career duevto! .t1^'4ir' contentloh thai ..laugh- ter and adyertisthg were hot deadly, enemies. As long ago as four Veairs, a .cisntury,. in rajdio, they w^re. kid- ding iaidvertising and wer^" .can- celled as Fleischman's 'Bakers' on that account. Fleischman In those days Jiist couldi]i',t take \. x '. Since ^^If '.Taat h^tiv^ork jlwcbimt, Dr. 'West's toothpaste, .^herm^n and Pratt'^hay; been Ivs^ndHtng such, of' is'minutes each on 'a 76-min- \it^ . ftfter^voh-: ^es3loiv.„9yer KYW. Uhdet-'takiiilf -'Is' bell'e'ved to be unique in style in that the program .was ^ao %. ad lib.. Real- Silk will- un- dertake . to,' . provide them ' 'with scripts^!■^ > . . • Renewals National Biscuit C,o. has extend- ed its early morning Wheatsworth program for another, 21 we^jSj ef- fective Feb; 13. Ho.dkup continues to take In WJZ, WBZ, WBZA and WBAL. Dr. Lyons "Toothpowder has re- newed on NBC for 13 weeks,, ief- fective Feb. 5. Talent setup for the dentifrice's Sunday matinee show will continue to include Jean Sar-i gent. Scrappy Lambert and the Gene Rodermlc orchestra. Thompson Products Co., maker of auto parts, returns to NBC in April for a 12-week3' run with a session called 'Service With a Song.' Pro- gram will be given a garage setting and mix comedy bits with the warbling of a quartet. It's down for a 29-statlon hookup. STAIEINO SALES APPEAL Chicago, Jan. 23. NBC is moving "Vic and Sade* from 8:30 a. m. to 9 p. m. in the belief that there's more commer- cial Inducement in the later hour. New schedule starts tomorrow (24) and thereafter will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday ajid Friday. Originates over WMAQ. Bernardin© Flynn.'Art Van Har- vey, and Billy Idleson carry the script which has heen NBC'b big-: gest mail getter for si* months-tut without getting a banlcroll nibble. Pferf Seat$ Buy^ Theatre Air Plugs Hollywood, J.an. 23. iSome Coast radio Stations, ^fliidi- Ing- that cksh is'' not forthcoming for hroadcasttng servlies, have been accepting theatre tickets, in lieu' of coin for brief announce- ments of attractions. KELW, located in San Fernando valley, for 12 pair of seats a 'week gave 'The Plain Man And His Wife* a i^allyhoo at frequent inter- vals on its hourly program. KTM, through C. W. Taylor, offered to give the same attraction announce- ments over its various periods in exchange for one pair of seats. Other niinor stations around here are reported not adverse to doing business with the theatres on this basis. Society. Matron's Idea' . Chicago, Jan. 23. A society matron, armed vrith a letter from a man whose sig- nature guarantees ^n Interview almost anywhere barged into one of the local stations last week. She announced, herself as willing to lertd her trained soprano voice to the radio tor a fee, •We haven't had a soprano on this station in two years,' she was told.' 'the last one worked for nothing until- we sold her to an account for f36 a week.' '■Why,' said the socially in- dexed lady drawing herself up very haughtily, 'I shouldn't consider. les[a:.than...$E^OO a week at first and I, should expect an ■advertise^'t6 vW'W at least $1,600, A WCt^lfiy-* : . • .Apologetically. It 'was ex- piftined ' that' this ^eas highly imprDbahle. . . • - •i"don't see why,' said the Gold Coast duchess, Tond's cream gave me $1,400 for an endorsei|aent. ^^sty advertiser ehourdlite willing tb'pay'an ex- tra $100 for my yolco.' AIR m NEWS By Nellie Revell Radio, once viewed as the Orphan Annie of entertainment by its stage and screen rivals, is now amusement's big sister. The stage, or at least that portion of It embraced by vaudeville, and the motion picture regard it as their little and dearly beloved sister who' suddenly grow into an heiress. ' _ ::. A few short years ago, Vincent Lopez's faith in radio cost him two seasons of vaudeville bookings. Lopez, with his orchestra, was playing the Palace theatre ^n New York. He was offered a radio engagement, but the vaudeville moguls of that day said 'No. If you play on Radio 'we'll cahcel'your two years* contract with us.' So ViAcent, forced to make a choice, selected Radio. And now that same Palace theatre and the rest of the RKO clrcuh is owned and oper- ated by Radio—the little sls.ter who haa grown up. Dfal-ect as/ 'q^icfig:o, Jan. 2?. . Campagna's Italian balm, spon- sorfl of two- radio programs, 'First Nighter' and "F'u Manchu,' last week c.ohcentrated alf . its advertising upon radio. All.iiewsprint and sup- plementary • 'forms- were dropped. 'for.that:one weiel£;^hlch was dieslg-' n^ted-'National'Cafaipagna- week.' Big-, radio'.'pusH was for'thei piir- 'pose-' Of - movingt 'the lOi-oent size 'packages ' -IxotH •'• 'the- counters of .Woolwortb,J-Kreaee,' Ortat, tad' all ■the -other' nlckle laud dime' empn- Tiutti^. It waa W a 'senBe -the aicifl test given^^•Ta(Ucr'adverttslng'i9'ai<- rect'oesutts oii-a^arge'^cale.- • ^ - -• Chaple» Hughes,-'on-"Flrst -Nighter' 'an|l . Bolb White, bn; "Fu MancKu,' todir-thie:imlke'9"U>-do some special pleading: with their public. They fi*3nkly- put-It tip tO'the-peasantry, 'If you''like these programs help ua prpv« that .radio advertisings pays, or these programs- may be forced off the air, and you will be deprived of the pleasure they -give you.'' " Reports' on the response of the public Are so; far missing. WJJD Drops 4 Chicago, Jan. 23.. WJJD, in a retrenchment move last weelc, let out John Hage, an announcer; Mildred Brown, a wotnan's program assistant, Billy Sunshine, a veteran of the station, and Margaret M. McKay, publicity and continuity. Miss McKay was taken away from WLS only three weeks ago after having been with that station several years. QUITS AIB FOB FILMS Los Angeles, Jan. 23. Arthur Fleming, conducting the orchestra for the Happy-Go-Lucky hour at KHJ, has left that station to devote his time to Alms. Hy Moulton of Ray Paige's or- chestra, same station, succeeds with the baton. KMO'a Big O: gan Tacoma, Jan. 23. Installation of a pipe organ, said to be the largest in any radio studio west of New York, has been com- pleted by KMO in the Wlnthrop hotel. Arnold Leverenz, former theatre organist, is featured at the console with daily programs scheduled. Real Fight in NBC Studio fbr Realism Chicago, Jan. 23. •First Nighter* program, directed by Charles Hughes on behalf of Campagna's Italian Balm, will stage a regular prize jOght in an NBC stydlo here with professional pugs. Dave Barry, of Tunney-Dempsey long count' celebrity, will announce the fisticuffs. ' By way of novelty from the usual 'First Nighter* type of program, which has a theatrical entertain- ment as the core of the affair, Hughes la having a slugging match written into the script and actually executed for realism. 'Aces' New Schedule Chicago, Jan. 23. Lavoris hsui set the 'Easy Aces' new time schedule starting Jan. 28. Turn will broadcast Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays there- after at 7 p. m^ Chicago time, or 8 p. m. eastern time. New hook-up omlta the west coast but includes 28 stations. Act has been broadcasting at 10:16 p. m G.S.T. thus far this season. WHO-WOG'S 1,000 EILOS Davenport, la., Jan. 23. Central Broadcastng company, operating WHO, Des Moines, and WOC, Davenport, has been given permission by the federal radio commission to operate simultane- ously on a 1,000 kilocycle fre- quency. License provides tliat frequency deviation between the stations is to be not more than two cycles per second. -' "' ' ' One of the Shakespeare brother^ said, 'The Play's the.'ThlnB'. but wifh Radio,-the dlal-ect 18 it - . - ...r,. ", ul wjin For inetiance, would the episbdes ot Amos 'n' Andy bd as funny it thev weren^t unfolded in the Negro'vei^hACuIar? -. -4; . Would Seth Parker be half as^^opular .without the.Down East naaai noises? - • .:.- 'Would'The Goldbergs-be'as' human If their joys arid.'sorrows weren't told inithe Hebrew idiom?' ; • j! --^ gossips'spoice the English-6f their (Alma Mater, Northwestern University 7 No, in radio, it's the .dlal->ect' ti(4t'8 the thing"! ' ' .'■ " ■ f—■. ■. 9lipa Thai.J^atjp Through ths Mika A rddib singer In a It^wsijit. d^^orlbed himself on >-the stand as 'the greatest, airtist oni the air.' A^^er iithe-hearing, a friend took him to task for his cbnceit. 'But, mjr'Vfear fellow, it -vrasn't conpeit,' protested the star,'''remember, i was'uiraet-bath.' 'Sltice a scientist advan:ced'^he theory that the shap» of the shoulder blades denotes the state-of a person's mentality, May Singhl Breen points > out-there aren't - s<y many^ lowbacic evening, gowns worn in the NBG- studios. Chatfer ^Wdttied about his wa^tl(h«^^^ '^cfahpy' Lambert and'^ilijr. Hlllpot, singing partners, for four years, Wei'6'classmates at RutgejTdv.; - , .. Alec McQueen, a bachel'or, wrote a book, 'How to Name a Baby.' The nerve of that guy! A geneologlst, for a fee, offers to prove the Boswell Sisters direct descendants of the Boswell who made Sam Johnson famous. Tom Meighan's nephew, James Meighan, plays the juvenile lead with DeWolfl.I^ppper..ia 'Roses r^d Drums'. - RobBTt^^it* Simbn, of-th^"'New T6rker', and'Robert Jiussell Mennett, o^ i^ilot, are collaborating on an opera.' .>- .^ . "1^ ffiiuif4ii&< X)ubols,'icblicertmelster of iHoward Barlow^s'symphony, is an expert photographer. Peggy Keehan and Sanchra. Phiilips, WABC piand'^uo, appear in Wamfets' 'Pie a la Mode'-, picture. 'Augfiistds' Barrett, author bf t^e; CBS dramatic sketches, "The M^o Volcb''« lioW playing Capmh :^][-esford in the series.-'^ " - "FrejiOTlclc lAndis, 'Thj^ ^iqrodier Editor', heard bh Coltiliibia, was editor ^f thtf' New' 'Y6rk-'AiheHctdi' t)»Teb; yea;rs. '"' Helfell' I^Ickens, of the Hq^e'ns' ^isters, stiidieil''' 'dr&s" designing in Pari*;'^ttnd*'tame-back a •sinferfer. ;,' - •; ' \,'^ ' '' 'Arhbld' Johnson pronbuncejs''^^ .'''Tec-knock-rai^ ' " ^"' Ajine^lBIstner, of Colunahiaysi.'Jftarbh of Time',!'came'back from Mary- land with a brace of ca'nvMbackducksV^ ; ' Freddie; Rich has move.d, ,int9 a Park avenue stu'dig. apartment. . Ma,fi6 "Braggiottl, of the piano, duo, JFray and Bragglotti, and Rama Bragglottl, star of Harvard's. hockey. squd, are hrotber^. . Johii.and.^111 Mitchell write the;gags for ihe Carson, Robison cowboy prtf^ram; ' ' Barhara Bennett Downiey, has no trouble piclcing ..Morton, Jr, out of -20 babies in the hospital maternity ward—^he crieai two Xtijiep higher than any other infant . ., ,.t;- Frederic William Wile, political analyst, is back on the air waves after a siege with the grippe. « Helen Haynes, from legit, is now a member of Columbia's television staff at W2XAB. Tom Shirley, of the 'Myrt and Marge' cast, is a bridegroom. He mar- ried Dorothy Lobdale of Chicago. WOR's 'Choir Invisible' Is the oldest sustaining^ "program on the air. Bernard Levitow, general musical director at WINS, observes his 4Bth birthday Feb. 14. Tom Howard and George Shelton put their stuff on the air without- the aid of a script. ^ J. Dan Pllmore, a generation ago manager of a Bay City, Mich., vaude- ville house, is running an inn at KingsvlUe, Ont. Donald Hughes has been added to 'The Magic Voice' on WABC. Ellas Breeskin, violinist and conductor, is recovering from peritonitis. Lanny Ross, NBC juvenile, was christened Lancelot by his parents, former vaudevillians, and somehow he became a tenor. Dale Wimbrow, announcer, on tour with the Mills Brothers to handle the broadcasts, doesn't appear in the vaudeville act. May Buckley plays Aunt Ella in 'The Country Doctor'. Herbert Rice, the Buck Mason of Bobby Benson's Cowboys, is an Englishman. Lorraine Anne Pankow, who plays Aunt Lily, is his wife. Kathleen Gordon, WOR librarian, doubles as prima' donna of 'FootUght Echoes'. There are 2,300 words on the average in a Lowell Thomas news sum- mary. David Taylor, screen writer, is preparing the continuities for Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'Tarzan of the Apes'. George Brlcker has been transferred In WMCA from the exploitation to the sales department, succeeded by Capt. Robert Wood, formerly of the New York 'World'. Short Shots ^}i}S^\?^E^f^'A^- '^^"^ ^® charge of program presentations at NBC ...The Mabel Wlthee Musical Skits heard over WMCA are written by Marjorie Dale Krilling, daughter of the late Alan Dale...Bob Brain, pianist, who attempted suicide .wo weeks ago, found upon his release from the hospital that his Job at NBC had been filled, so he immediately made another attempt, which, according to the doctor's reports, will prove successful...Billy Jones, of Jones and Hare, lost his mother last week...Adolf Opflnger, WOR studio director. Just lost his father.. .Betty Glenn, formerly secretary in the NBC press department, has resigned her Job to go with Art Sorenson in his new personal publicity venture ...The Roger Bowers of WOR (she was Hazel Arnhelm) are ready to welcome the stork...Phil Cook returns to the air next Saturday at 0:45 p. m. with an hour's show.. .Bill O'Neill's CBS sustainings have been c»t to one week since he landed that commercial... South Sea Islanders, oft during the Hawaiian scandal, have returned.. .Welcome Lewis will go on sustaining for NBC three times weekly for a build-up.. .Marie Cahili, veteran musical comedy comedienne, is seriously ill In the Lennox Hill Hospital. ..Rey Meyers suffered a relapse and returned to the NVA ward of the French Hospital.. .Isabel Addis, contralto, formerlv one of thp 16 singers of NBC, is now a soloist on WINS...J. R. Poppele, chief cnd- neer of WOR, Is the only department head who has been with the station since its inception, 11 years ago.