Variety (Jan 1935)

VARIETV AD to Tuesday, January 8, 1935 'ENO PENT HOUSE PARTY - .With Mark Hellinger, Gladys Glad, Ruth Etting, .P«ggy Flynn, .Trav: ' "'el^ra' Qiiartet- ,■ -.: ■ Emil Coleman's Orch. . Musical' Sketch , 80 MIns. COMMERCIAL u : ■ WJZ, Nsw York Eno'3 new Wednesday night (8- 8:30 t).jn., .WJZ-NBC networlt) show ' just misses: being a . gbod, novelty; It^ the fault of. the scripting.^ . jbialbg artificers have attempted ftt/set a sotihlstlciated pace In the -amaU-talk; chit-chat-^nd pseudo- GoIIpquiai^l coihmefttary on Eho's Sarts, but have succeeded princi- pally in confusing: the igsue. Prime reason Is that the 30. minutes never permits the definite establishni*nt ofrariy one character; Result'Is that it's all i-nther muddled; Voices from here ahd there; hither and yon come forth .in a sometimes unrelated ; hodgepbciee of inc6n36qn«ntial chat- ter, ' the, most: salient aspects of lyhltsh is tliat Enb's is good; for headaches; good for the complex- ion; good:as:a beautifter (because •beauty comes from Svithln); good for that riiorrting-after feeling; good for the geneif-al system AS a toner-: upper—good for a lotta thingis.! But it's not good or- arresting ohtertain- Bientv:".-^; lissayiiig to transmit through.; the. ©ther a faithful, picture , of \V.hat 'a sophisticated , perithou^e, party 'dounds! nice, it goes awry through the multiplicity of the plugging, ~both~~OTi^the--straIght^ commeucial spiels and in the- suinli-y chai-actersrT ^pseudo-cbhversdtional: ■ comrnehtary' ^oji the 'virtues" arid merits of the patent medicine. - . Story thi-ead- is set by Introducing Mark Hellltigej; and Gladys G lad as tw6 famous.newspaper people. Miss Glad is identified as Mrs. Helllriger in. private life but It's hbt /suf- ■ ilciehtly stressed that she's a beauty coliiriin dondiictoi: on the N. • Y. Daily Mirror or that she's a Zleg^ feld-aluinna; or that Helllnger is ?Ln a'uthoi' and .^sceriaiist as we^ as columnl3t:bn the Mlrrpr..;. It.is men- . tioned, however, that he's a 'mpd- . ~ ;em>^Q-rH:4nry_.\ :.WiipTe .ofttimoS such |w,restraint . is ' commehdable,' f his- IS one time where emjphasis on' the personalities, at least, in the InitJal broadcast.^ and minimizatioh of the. commercial plugs tvould have been In order. ' ' ' Motif of 'Penthouse Party' is set by • an bycrly .saccharine voiced In- vitation to listen in on tliat-famous newsp aper couple. While the .exr agge^aVG"a~s\ve^Etness^s:^omething-of ' a. tipoff that Mark and Glad will be : discovered scrapiping In the privacy of th e ir bQud o Ir , It's still too phoney UNIT HOUR OF CHARM With Phil Spitalny's All-Girl Or- chestra, Rosaline Green, Maxine Instr.umentaU. Vocal 30 'Mins,' ■'■ ,: »■ COMMERCIAL WABC, New York Phil Spitalny'8 . showmanship stands out in . this new hsilf hour program . like Durarito's : schnoz. His flair for the: unusual arid imagi- native in arrangeriients, always not- able in the various male - aggregoi- tlons' he has .piloted in the past, la vividly stamped on the musician- ship arid hleridlhg of the otherwise 1,00% femiriine galaxy jvhlch. Unit Id . sportsbrlrifi:. oyer CBS.- at 8; P;m. EST Thursdays^; ; ; A sriiart Idea fbr Lihit;./And the Hellwig agency will : share :in the divvyirig up of the laurel sprigs: For it's Hufnclentry off the beaten path;; to sponsor a iriri band inl- volves an 'eleriient of risk; One of the stultifylns factors.in broia.dcast- Irig is thevreluctanco of. sponsors to take, ; /or - agencies to rccommiend,: But after -the inaugural, program (3) the qualms of the ganiblers were allayed; the I-iriit Hour of Charrii has what It takeS to commaud at- tention amidst- the. coriipetltive struggle. It's a;showi that will, give Rudy Vallee. something to worry about and Fleischmann's will probr ably be loading the 8-8:30 stretch of Its full hour with particula:r care from now on; Fleischmann more- over has been off foriri lately mak- ing the threat even more realistic. Apart • from the—entertainment m^r and gets a negative reaction. Mark is grumbling at another party In :thelr penthouse but Glad lays down the law and while he's saying 'aw : nuts' . and . refusing, to agiin go through the motions with 'all those muggsi'-.the couple emerges giving out their usual cheerio to the free drinkers iri attendance. Sign off is again on Mark's protestations that he's through with these parties, * but Gla:dya reiterates that. they all- have a date every Wednesday at 8-8:30 p.m.-fo r-a-sim ilat.pejat %jLi8e^s.hiM Thereafter follows a sequence of songs, music, talk, etc. Peggy. (Berl hier) Plynn does a dumbbell chat terbox; the Travelers.Quartet gives " out a number; Emll Coleman's swell dansapatlon is more or less anony inous, save for brief announcement, and the numbers, are permit ted t o tun iiicfderitally, rather than promt nently ; the dialog sequence is dls jointed, as to snatches of gab, but — - never permitted to be-completely in- terrupted, in order to preserve the Illusion of the partyr and above it ail. every so often Miss Glad cross talks on the beauty merits of Eno's and Mark does a solo isplel in the nature of a raconteur, as he'orates one of his Broadway dramalets Miss Flynn also essays a couple of ■ coniedy numbers, one of 'em, 'South American' something (sounded like a slurred 'gigolo') not registering clearly, enough, but perhaps pur posely camouflaging some of the words piece -de -resistance - vocally, ' of course, is Ruth Ettirig. She'll be a regular 'penthouse party' guest but she should do more. Her one num- ■ ber ('Harvest Moop* on the Initial stanza) left 'em too hungry This new series substitutes for Eno's former two-part weekly se- rials ('Crime Clues') on Tuesdays arid Wednesdays. First night will remain the meller show spot, but Wednesdays heireafter will be de n.. voted to this musical sketch. New show has every good chance to develop but it'll depend chiefly on Improved scripting. Tlie personnel and stellar appeal is there, for the dial-in attentiori.- Helliriger's mike delivery is oke (he reminds of George M. COljan); Miss Glad cer- tainly contributes s.a. to the ether; Miss IStting is too well established for furtiier commentary, being in herself no ismall attraction; Cole- man's swell dansapatlon, while de- butting comhiercially, has ' been heard generously from hotel and cafe spots as a sustaining feature; Peggy Flynn is-pliable and all the otherIngredlentEi are, certainly - worthy. . ,But ;;the- dialogiclans ain't • doln* right by 'em"; Ford Bond an- fter all, shouldn't be so surprising) Corn Products has an ideal hook- up with the feminist trend of the times. Wornen's magazines, clubs' and femriie leaders should be ready breezes to increase the cruising dius of an all-feniinlne program. iPublibity and exploitation angles are limitless. Hellwig can cop . itself plenty of showmanship prestige Just by doing the obvious without even touching the more subtle tie-ups. ..And it's a cinch the danrtes will be mighty interested in the prize bait of the Llnit show.. Each week five fur coats guaranteed to be worth 300 each (pelts nof..sp.e.cifled) are, given away for 100-word essays on uses for Linit's beauty bath. I. J. Pox, himself a radio sponsor, was on the Thursday program to de- scribe the quality of the fur clqaks. He (or his ghost) ga;ve a very per- suasive account of the garments. It's .an insinuating bit of showman- ship calculated to cause the women to think a lot about Llnlt. —Cacrylrig-out the^feminist^thoiight Spitalny bunched together musical composition by womeri composers. Namely, Dana Suesse's 'My Silent GRACE MOORE : ^; With. Harry Jackson Ensemble , Songs, Orchestra, Talk 30 Mins. COMMERCIAL WJZ; New York With her popularity considerably; enhanced by the Impression she made in Columbia's picture, .'One Night 6t Love,'; Grace Moore 8houl4 prove an exceptionally potent bet for ylck Chemical.. Credit is .dup the drug manufacturer for hopping on to the situation and slgna:turirig her jfor a series of 13 broadcasts. Credit is: also due the agency on thiai particular end of the accoUnt,- Cecil, Warwick and Cecil, for the way It has routined the soprano's portion of the program. Projected is a suave, intimate background that.'brings out the Moore oral, per- sonality ingratiatingly. Fact that she follows Lawrence Tl>bet will make her prograrii sb much more of a regular diet for the Tuesday night easy-chair brigade., ; / Miss Moore does her own m.c.ing. She announces her numbers and in most instances spins an anecdote which associates the number. with some experience froni he,r own life. Adroitly conveyed is the Itluslon of the prima donna talking with her audience, and not down to it. Her repertoire is neatly' balanced arid Harry Jackson's string ensemble does: capably both by the accom- paniment and the orchestral inter-, ;iudes. ,. V • ; - :. . . —Iri-ri\id prograrii-tbe4)oint^oiLOrigi. lOg-cim—wJllch.:[_lni»Mnp <o gT yltfhPil frntn TTOllvwnod BEATRICE LILLIE With Lee Perrih Orchestra, Allyn Josyin, The Cavaliers Satire, Slapstick, Music 30 Mins. COMMERCIAL ; ^ . WJZ, New York Funnier even than Beatrice LllUe herself has been radio's jittery fear that the queen of elegant hokum is too highbrow for .the comprehen- sion of the American constituency. Her appearance for Borden's; was preceded by a detailed publicity ex- planation of what she does arid how she Is not. to be taken seriously! Froni . this libel on the American hientality all true nephews of; Uncle Samuel, will certainly dissociate themselves. OiRIcial explanation of the Llllle technique as given by NBC is worth excerpting: -'a new kind of radio comedy—the burleisquing of . the world's; bores ahd: ridiculous cus- toms by iriearisoiC satirical songs and sketches will be introduced when Beatrice Lillle makes her de- but! Deflati.ng the stuffed shirts of Park avenue arid Main street will be her microphonic objebtlye. Through h er inimitable characterizations and laugh-provoking songs, with their special lyrics and intentionally off-pitch tones she Avlll poke fun at silly vanities and practices,' Thus radio, always on, the aide of morality and Uplift; is klvirig. fi grand clown a sociological motive an d tomfoolery a divine function. "Not Just for laugHs: ana.aniuscmerits to. New York to allow Dale Cafnegle to deliver 'onie of his 'Little Known Facts of Well Known People.' What Carnegie ha.s ■ to say doesn't Justify the break in mood that, the 50-second pause incurs bietweeri cir- cuit shifts. ,As;hi3 initial oontrlbu- tion Carnegie went far afleld" to connect the fact that O. Henry once worked In a drug store with the info that a certain druggist was respon- sible for the concoction of Vapo- Rub; one"oi! the VIck products. Ocjec. OUTDOOR GIRL BEAUTY PA- RADE : ... Gladys Baxter, Walter, Preston, Victor Arden Songs, Band, Drama 30 Mins. '..1 . ■ COMMERCIAL WABC, New York Out in the sticks and on the one lungers this concoction, coiliing as recording, riiight rate as fairly well contrived entertainment. But Love,' Mabel W ayne ' s; ' Spaulsli Town,' Carrie Jacobs Bond's 'I Love You Truly' and Bernlce Petkere's Lullaby of the Leaves;' Orchestral embroidery throughout with novel touches,; distinctive obligatos, para- phrasing, etc. And as the final and logical emphasis of the all-fetnlnirie angle there's Rosaline Green (a radio dramatic actress) as an- nouricer. Chosen fbr a r^flriehient of voice and a graciousness. of manner the gal fits. Maxine, with a sea- farer's contralto, is the top solblst but-othemgirlB stand-out. Glfie..club stuff is ; conspicuous througfiiout Another source of strerigth. ' Land. .flounces. Alel ROXY'S PHILADELPHIA GANG Variety Program 46 Mins. •:' . 'Sustaining" - -rr- WCAU, Philadelphia There is no doubt that the New Yorker- has brought_to„Phillyl^he ntost outstanding variety show in years for local radio consumption. Airing from the house stage, with full ba,nd and ensemble accom- panlnient, Phllly's gang retains the same informality, quality of pres- entation ahd well-balanced, musical offerings that characterized Roxy's NBC broadcasts for so many years For the most part, in this premiere, the show was composed of seasoned veterans, with the injection of two local discoveries and one importa- tion from New York. Theatre's trio of batoneers,.. Yascha Bunchuk Adolph Komspan and . Leonardl were also utilized. Radio show introduced Red Roeker, a dramatic baritone,; and Ralph Scheafer, 16-year-old: violin ist, both to be on the theatre bill this week, as well as lyric tenor John Kraft. Rbeker Is a distinct Und, handling his voice with pro fesslonal ease, while Schcafer, who has been airing frequently via WCAtr, is undoubtedly 4 youthful prodigy. Kraft, however, in the hackneyed, 'Laugh, Clown,' woUld do well to eliminate all manner of pat- ter. : Ensemble arrangement of 'Stars Pell on Alabama,' with solo- ing by Ted Talbot, was- a. hoheyv Cost of this show has obviously been chalked up to theatre .promo- tion. Roxy Is making a deliberate appeal for support for his. house quoting prices,, bill, pictures, etc The three o'clock hpur on ; Sunday has a large audience here, and the series should do much to win many friends. . • For WCAU the program makes a neat ,tie-in, sliicc its Artist .Bu- reau will become the focal point for a: share ot the theatre's book-^ ings. For the rest of the local sta- ■Uona, : it gives them. a mighty hard broadciist to beat. • Qosch, measured by^he; yardstick of mod- ern network production values, the program offers very little In Its f alvo r . It's routining, dialoglng and whatnot smacks of the standards in popiilar entertainment that pre- vailed over the webs in the lajtter 20's. ; It is possible that what, the cosmetic maker has done here .is to reproduce the stencilled shrav. that has been making the rounds of ,the rural transmitters the past five years. Account heretofore has con- fined Its, air merchandising. to the .spot;fleld. product seeks to associate the name of Its product with the. thesis of=^the" entertaihment~by-glorifying the woman of the open spaces, be it sports or adventure. Sandwiched In ■ between warbling arid dance numbers are drariiatlzatlons of.oUt standing feats performed In the two fields by hardy females.' On the opening stanza last Saturday night (6) the dramatic tidbitTvas framed around the record refueling flight made' by Helen Rlchey arid the late JErance3.Maraalis_oyer_Mlam,l:iixlDer cember, 1933. It was a choppy piece of scripting rtiade worse by the dl rectlon. The dialog cascaded and the soimd man worked hard at ef- fecting the , whirring of a propeller, but the results accounted for little In the way of excitement. Program has Joan Lowell booked for this weekend (12). She will' relate hpw she developed the knack of spitting against the wlhd. Gladys Baxter fills the prima donna assignment nicely, Walter Preston abides by the conventions with his baritone crooning arid Victor Arden provides a stock quality of dansapatlon and accompaninient The plug is split betyreen Kay Car- roll, who in a pleasant: voice tells about the olive oil base in the Out- door Girl brand of cosmetics, and a girl twosome whose dialog deals with the experiehce of falling In the snow and discovering that a dab of Outdoor (3Irl talc removes all the ravages of the snowy dip. Odec. JACK FILMAN Hockey Commentator 30 Mins. ■ Sustaining WMCA, New York WMCA, the only New" York sta- tion giving attention to hockey With • Jack Filman of Madison Square Garden's press departihent doing the dou.ble-time spieling Thirty .miriutei' is always allotted for the last periods, but the time is generally extended to 45 minutes for the, overtime rims. Flinian follows the hot ice ex pertly. . Lingo 1$: fast. .and. .distinct, which is the progi-am's best point On twice weekly for the benefit ,bf Rangfcr and Amerk fans but. in the name of a crusade against-boredom is Lady-Peel .bank- rolled by an evaporated niilk firm. If American radio has ever kriowri comedy any broader than that of- fered by Miss LlUie oh her first time out for Borderi's It wll be a task re- hiembeifing It. And ariybOdy missing the idea that it . was cbmiedy prob- ably has to be dressed In the morn- ings by a nurse. It was as vigorous an attack upon Yankee risibilities as .riiade by any of .the funny people yet given to rioidib. • It was loco- motive in its zip and electric in Its gaiety. Lillle ought to be a cinch it,hblding-;to this ,8aine_typ.e^of .Pro-- gram, \: ■■ \ -'y-.;'.-'''' "[ - ' ■ What is chiefly notable about the British deflator of stuffed shirts is iier enormous gusto. Nobody has the same high spirits that she brings to the air. Her vitality Is as attractive as her nonsense and both are utterly distinctive. Here's, a program that may start a vbgue but not: tf : cycle because a cycle re- quires capable imitators. If there are Lillle eiquivaients around they're not known On this side of the big NATIONAL A1MATEUR NIGHT With Ray Perkins, Arnold Johnson 30 Mins. COMMERCIAL WABC, New York Even if Major Edward Bowes and his pioneering on WHN, New York, hadn't clicked, the adoption of the amateur night idea by radio', on a national scale would probably have come sooner or later. Vaude houses over a span of many years resorted to the amateur night as a cheap but effective hypo for attendance on' some off night-of the week, but tho chances are that' with radio th» dodge will undergo a highly intensi- fied arid brief career. Judging, from the ."way that network and local commercials , have already hopped on to the thing, listeners will.with-.: In the next three months be bom- barded with so niany. amateur nights that the mere mention of the. words Will evoke a yelp arid a turn- off. But right now it riay be hot and topical. - Meanwhile Feen-a-mlht (Health Products Corp.) can take credit for being the first to give the amateur night idea a crosis-country hookup.. Whether; the laxative will be abl0, to iay claim to having been; the first to build one of these events into national popularity it is too early to predict. Getting a stunt of this type into its stride is no easy task, . It, it is to contain human Intereisti • suspense, the right, element ot comedy and a fair average of good entertainment. Initial program (29) sufficed to prove Ray Perkins a -capable -hand at-m.c.ing an am- , ntniir pnrarlp. Perking <H.qh«>i1 mtf 'Why, the old bachelor!' says Lil- lle bf.a.gentlema'n from South Bend, And that • niaiy become a . saying. This woman is going to astonish many. Little doubt of that she's a personality without precedent for most Americans.. While, of course, the reactions of the public to any- thing new—and .this kind of ro- bUstious humor is—cannot be snap- Judged : on visible evidence alone riiariy observers would certainly ex pcct to see Beatrice Lillle lip .there .with. ,Fced=A.l.len-ian.d. JackJEenpx^ She's fly, flip and fast krid a show- man. •'.:,■;■';•,''■/-■:; -■.■"■. .' Lee Perrin's music and the Cava- lier's singing' and, Allyn; Joslyn's stooging suppleriients Miss Llllle ably. Their ■ serious InterludeSi help carry, through the bright discovery that-the-comedienne-ls-intentionally. off-pitch. Land, TWO SEATS IN THE BALCONY - Elsie Janis, Harold Sanford's Or chestra, Carol Deis, Donald Beltz, Celia Brariz and Fred Hufsmith 30 Mins. - ■■ • . '■ ; Sustaining; WEAF, New York Elsie Janis is more or less new to radio, though she was a famous en tertaincr of some few years back to both-sides of the Atlantic. She has gracefully shifted her activities lately to; Hollywood arid the, pulp magazines. Now the radio. Pos sessed of a rathei- throaty voice and knowing her subject only too well, she Is able to Wander up and down the years and pick out remote hits Vlth ease and command. In this "way she is gracious t« both the past and present generations. Each musical nuriiber is tied up with the actual date ot birth. . Thus: 19Ji2, 'The, DiiBarry'; ; 1925, 'Song of the Flame'; 1891, 'Wang'; 1919, 'Magic Melody': 1904, 'Love Lottery,' and 1915, 'The Blue Para dlse.' Harold Sanfrfrd's orchestra plays the music for (this varied as sortment, and the singing is- de- livered by Carol .Deis, Donald Beltz, Cella Bran^ and Fred Hufsmith, These vocalists are all broken up for solos or .ensembles,: with the p'reseritatibri; as Bchediilod above. , Miss Janis assumes that listeners sat upstairs for these • productions, making It quite homey and intimate, In the case of the older pieces, some off, the record bits ..re discussed, , such as Do Wolf Hopper's vogue In his early show, and before that a little on a lesser Victor Herbert composition. WelUteriipered with miislc; and; the .impersondr Janis style; which stands her In good on the air. lots of kidding, but rione of it " was of the furipokirig sort. Tryout talent on Feen-a-mint'a • first Sunday night pow-wow was nicely assorted, but rione turning out as a candidate for professional ' honors.. Program's device for cut- ting tile amateur's efforts short is a whistle. Sometimes the tyro is stopped by a noisy chord from the orchestra. Picking of the winner is left to flye Judges and_ the award is a ^old medal, plus an engagement., on the sixine stanza two weeks later at a salary of $100, If the listeners that write coincide with the aulntet's. selection.. /. , BHstol-Myer's 'TbWri'-'lIall^ night' on NBC Wednesday night devotes 20 minutes of Its hour .to an amateur parade, and the ad- vantage, that the participants hero have Is that the prizes jare strictly cash and collectible the same night. Fred Allen does the m.c.irig and the put^o allows |5fr, to the No. 1-and . $26: to the No. 2 act picked by the studio audience. Tryotit turn coin- ing out on top Is also assured of a week at the Roxy, ; . Odec, GbN. SMb D LEY U . BtJ TLER Talk,-; ;"\:.■:;■.;.;-.■;:■■;■■■■;/•;,-:. 15 Mins. COMMERCIAL WCAU, Philadelphia Bankrolled by Pep Boys, the auto accessories house which built Boake Carter on the same choice 11 p. m. spuot, the militant General began his first; commercial last Friday night (4). But instead of militancy, Butler had:much to offer in the way of poor ; delivery, a : gruff epeaklnff. : . voice and an ihcoherency that leaVes Jisteners.. bewildered. ._. - _ . .Butler deserves the palm for dls- ■ co.veririg_Jthe.:^gte.aJ^At:jiu.mb.et_.A<L^ tangents that one speaker can travel in the course of 16 minutes. One rnoihent he was in back of the President, the next as a youth- ful buck private philosopher of the! - SpanlshkAmedcan- _ Wat —finall y-- winding up, in .the middle of an other _ thought with no time left to com- ' plete It. It wajs a disappointing -beginning- for ■ this—^nightly— aeries —- since the General has the rep of having been cut off- the air more times in the local sector, than any-, one else; Thingis were too calm and peaceful, especially in the view . of the fact that at previous an- nouricement placed no responsibil- ity upon either station or sponsor for anything this broadcaster , might say. Butler himself added, at the start, that he was promised not to be cut unceremoniously from the ether. Army man was obviously ad 11b- blng, or reading from scanty riotes. This accounts for the halted deliv- ery, arid, in part, for the Incoher- ; cncy. , ■;-■,■' Opach. • MICROPHONE DISCOVERIES With Gene O'Hare 15 Mins; COMMERCIAL WGY, Schenectady : 'Microphone Discoveries' from the Capital District are uncovered once weekly on this program sponr sored by the John B. Hauf Furni- ture Company, of Albany. Gene O'Hare, an erstwhile theatre treas- urer and- stock player, 'mines' the talent and arranges it for inspection by WGY listeners. Judging by the samples displayed on the broadcasts caught; -O'Hare has not yet struck a lode.- albeit he is unearthing a fair grade of musical ore..' Of dia- logue turns and comedy acts, two departments in which the station's supply needs replenishing there Is little brought to the surface here. O'Hare announces that all types of talent are welcome. ^ Neophytes, muist visit the sponso r's store to^ bbfalri ah aiTdfflon blank. ; - ' '. .Entertainment to' .date, has run "■ (Continued on'page 60) ., ^