Variety (Apr 1935)

VARIETY R 4 Did It C P H II T S CHASE & SANBORN AMATEURS With -Major Sqwoi . ; Variety-: --60-Min« COMMERCIAL WEAFi New York Sepbiid \yeek of Major Edwaird Sowes* trahsDlatited Anlateur Hour (created by him a year or so aRO on the Loew'sr Inc. station, WHN. in\ Ne'sY York) verifies the pre- .. donilhaince :,.o£.;prpfessioiiallsm,: full or selinl, In the layout. Reported . thatv:^s much ^as 90% of the ao- called, 'amateur' talent Is. prdfes- ,Bl6nal, or has had some inlke ex- , perlence," Including the usual pror tessiohal-amatieur clunks who must perforce • get a prop' gong or tyr.6 (radio's version, of 'the hook') in order to kefep lip the make-believe of spontaneity. Apart from the. misnomer. It may be okay showmahsHlb If It can fool the hillbillies m the hinterland. But ■ If after a third and fourth, air show thoy. Ket the Idea that^ It's one of; thb^e- things the basic appeal' of this, like a41 amateur shows; will be gOfif!. .What that wll| mean; for Chase &. SanfaorA, pponsora o^ thlis Sun day night g-9 p.m. EST show via WEAP-NBC, Is obvious; . But if the illusion is maintained. C&S. tht^ough; one of the^^ canniest merchandising air stiints/. yet,. will ;.. Ijaye .achieyed.PTObably the testaajd, most direct. ether ' chiecker•upper yet deylsed Ih.Tadio. It's via a shifting key city eivery • week.*: Thus^, the-opening stanza of Ma.1or Bowes' advent Into the X W^tUer . Thomnsbit agency .. Included a, 'Chicago Night,' : The second show featured a 'Philadelphia Night.' And so. bn every week will ihtro- . duce . some other: key :clty, iiirlth a special Phone switchboard installed . In that k^y, as -well as 4n N.for the phone calls tvhich determlnis the :^.otlng.' :ot: the most popular etii' : trahts.: [What a breiak for the A. T; & T«, incidentally]. -■- ^Yhat..thi8Lkey-byrkey city check-, lap means to >he agen?v is obvious. The ratio of .' listeners. Plus the eraphln* 'of the sales following Phllly-'.Nlte or Chi Nlte. in those sectors.. • affords, one of the best measuring.. tapes yet ■■■■ devised In radio, merchandising. vJVhbther a coincidence or not . J'hilly'Nlte was signalized by Phllly hitch-hiker making the imost J fa,vora,ble impi'es^ion; His warbling •ef 'Once Upon a Midnight' was too . eemlVpro to be - strictly Verdant material. The other crossfire and small -talk attendtiWtT to ^fi^ other . jconteatants likewise was produc Ive of .too much good humor to be ad lib., despite the successful intent to keep it human and homey. In .that ;respect. Major Bowes is a dis- tinguished coiiferencler. as he t>aces .: the. Proceedings in his usual, kindly manner..-. ■ '■■ Thit: llO-yearrrold Dr. Bavehport who 'studied under one of the great Viennese masters has beeii around , Ibefo.re. The Texas ranger and other hlnterlanders siilem likewise not too corny;--•— What the show does need, as la evidenced by the: plea for odd in ^Btrumentallsts. is more variety. Al most everybody sinjgs. That. Greek : shepherd music while not too ef fectlve;. Is an instance of novelty I variety, which should punctuate each show.. Admittedly, .a violinr .Iste ' Who also. tap dances, aa one fe'nime tried, is not- too well appre elated over the air. But that's the idea.. . Each week some radio : name makes a studio appearance for i .J).P.>Y,;.B.udy.:.YaUee .did hi?.bit-Sun day night. There was also a medal award to Major Bowels. With amateurs now almost _ drug On the market, the originators . of the idea still maintain top flight, ' aided and abetted by shrewd'intra agency co-operation which runs the risk only of militating against it- . self by making the amateurs sound too good. . Ahel BOBBY LaBRANCHE 8oh0B .. 10 M ins. Sustaining WABC, New York ^ ' Add this name to the large list of •oclalltes who have turned to night olub. warbling this year. Nothing . extra about this one's pipes, though he may_ improve aifter he acquires ""taore cbhfldence before" the micro- . phone. Voice displays certain strong qualities, but hot enough,to attract bh's and ah's from the listeners. •• Kate Smith had him as a matinee ^uest a-nd waa .very grHcloua in rer Introduction,, but his rendition was mild'. Singer is 23 years old and Is niow at the Stork Club, which draws a critical crowd. He lacked flre- Wpijks here^,.;.,.;... ^..;. , CONTIN E N TA L VA RIETIES -,With-. Jacques- D'Averyf --Cordoba Sii., Les Karina, Giuseppi , di Benedetto, Hugo Mariana Orches- ^■■'tra.;.;.'■■■ ■ ■■ '• 8) Mins. ustainiiig ' WEAF, New York A svelt Sunday dinner half hour Of distinguished variety. As .title Implies^ this 6:.a0r7 b. m. EST va;- .rlety revue Id strictly on. th(» Con- tinental motif, with the sonfes and Marlani'a. tangos, etc., all with a European flavor. . Artists are all. dlstliictlve . and the routining .evidences Judlcious- neas In song, selectivity. Show Is hot new. It's been sustalhlhg for jgiilte a ^hile and' meritsr sponsor- I STOOPNAGLE iind BUDD With Benay Veniitar Mark W«rnow» 'Jerry Cooper . -Comedyr-Sdng^-BanJ"~r^- ' " 30 Mine. " Sustaining WABC, New York ■ Back to a sustaining basis and In a late Friday evening spot, Stoop- nagl'e- and Biidd have again spirouted out aa ojie of the funniest acts In network tadlo.'. ■:: .Uncorked-, on:.. thla air passage: Is a brand of humor that for. sheer gbofiness and bur- lesque rates a class by itself. Pialr jsiiigie out as the, main target for their fun-poking the folblea com- mon to comiherclal broadca,stlng and they make a slick Job of It, with care taken that the material, be- cau.se of Its; trade, nature, doesn't shobt over the head of the averiage listener. The fade-in bit with the irresistible Mr. Bopp kidding 'em about not having a sponsor stacks up as a particularly liright concept of' radio humor. ..Columbia .h%s( invested the half hour with lots of tuneful support .Wlark ^Warndw heads the dance combo and Benay Venuta and Jerry Cooper lend their atterition-fetching voices to interpreting the latest lyrics from Tin Paa Alley- (Mcc. . ^ RAY HERBECK'S ORCH ESTRA -From Cafe da Pare* ' — . — — 15 Mine. . Sustaining-' ; . ■ - KHJ, Los Ahgelea!' ' Par from lucid Is the modiis oper- andi Invoked by this' terminal bit CBS In picking this dance band for network airings . Herbeck troupe Is a client: of the Tommy. Lee Artists Bureau, an adjunct of the station, and this' may have, had something to do with the selection. However, it's the wrong: Jcihd of advertislrig for the coast, brand of music, what •with the libmbardos, th& Oriers^, the Flo Rltos and oth^r front liners arourid. ■ Just why"Heiibeck should so con sistehtly and steadfastly, disaffirm any Intent to Irhltate Lorabardp or Jan Gacber is another cryptic note to be .Unravelled; The remoteness of the similarity is carried by 1 thread. True, the sqi:. section (or what, sounded like a solo) bears i distant, likeness^ otherwise the cbm parison Ig odiousi • Band cries out loud^ fbr an ar fanger and someone to take.the load off the single sa*. Tbbters a:re 'way over their heads awa:y from the spot jrpm-whlch they :emanate' --r - . - . On the credit side are the cana- ries, three males, -which may: have conjured , up the cbniparlsoh with the liDmbafdoa. Riiss Cantor, Ted Dawson and Al Glenn' form a trinity of barltohes, and all transceftd their aiooompantment. • .JfHJ draws the guest spot for the nation's music over CBS every Sat urday night at 9:15 for a quarter hourflll-in. : Helm. A1RLANE8 With Pet0° Wobloiry, Jean Shaw, Savitt'a Oroh. -30-Mlit». - - - Sustaining ROGER PRYOR and PEGGY CONKLIN - ; ^Sketoh^:' .-■ ; 6 Wina. WCAU, Phiradalphia Musical comedy vein in progranl- SOCKY GET RICH Serial Sketch '■ LlSLMins.^: ■■::;::'■:, -.^i:^^ Sustaining ••■ I WGY, Schenectady An unusual central character, COMMERCIAL WEAF, New York «^>»Av»u wuAcu, Tiiwi ^u vtustuiit-I Team for the one-time broadcasf I - , . ^ , ming is hard enough for the chainia on the Rudy Vallee Flelschmanri ^'^""""y sketched and cleverly to do without trying it locally. And I hour are botn leglters, though I acted, lifts this sketch to a high with ^ thls show, studio has more Roger Pryor of late has been a lead- levjel among the programs recently than It can,chew. . ing man In films. Miss ConWln I3 Lrtfl«rt ♦„ wrV'a a^^^ « • Idea Is to show^-what happens currently t appearing oh Broadway ^ chart. It is that of behind" the niike in the ether IndUSr Iwlth XiesIIe Howard In: 'Petrified son: of a Japanese barber who, try, . with Its love Intrigues and [Forest' ■ oh his arrival In New York City —^''^ time Vehicle selected for them was ah starts out as a mop-an'-polish holding up the musical jkorUon of isxcefpt from 'Saturday's Children,' salesman with the eXDresaed deter- the period. It s a tough Job, and a play In which Pryor has appeared, hilnation of vaulting the high flnan- although production and genera,! This was the kitchen scene, In which cial walls to a place albngslde the fb iSySli newlyweds have a quarrel on Morgans and Rockefellers. Playlet ^ *fort« nnrti* ?S?Mn« fcohomic^ and then split. It was deals, in humorous fashion, with the in hodge-podge fashion so thatrthe just fair for air purposes, however, [adventures of Socky. a nervy, ner.. 'if«*nfnt r/frow? nn! ^hf^ though potent OP the Stage. slsteht, chle?fuVgo^gettiKrleS next^o.^ who's t^SP^ Md^^^^ whom w ^t'??''""^. P^*"" ^iss American. Cast te lrawn^from the " Proer«^ nn«^ !2f*^.?io^^^^^ Conklln stood out oven If the vehicle Dramatic Society of the ■ Jrrogram opens . with dialogue In wa« noor Aeiut the elevator between tw0 station''■ **■ " employees., switching off as a prb<^. gram , dhpposedly comes on the INFORMALITY AT JAQK DEMf> speaker. . Thence into a: garbled bltl SEY'S State Teachers College, Albany, and: is directed by; Irma Ij.'Iiehmke. Name of author is hot given; it may be Miss Lehmke. \ Fitst.'""feplsode,^ wherein Sbcky Of Plot about a country toss and a Dick Tiahel, Jaek ^i\rntixu 4*ck\.^l'i^^^^^^^ Vamp vieing for the heart of the Dtmpsey .Tork muaeum and station's Blng Crosby, played by 30 Mina. Pete Woolery. Show even has the COMMERCIAL accepted Hebe ork leader balllhg tip WMCA, New York sells the astonished curator of the Egyptian section mops and polish, started sketch off sin&ftly. Second a program rehearsal. About teh J Staged screen, spirts, etc:, cbver^ |5|^'"-»?J{ji»J^^ minutes of the scene-to-scene by- in this informal broadcast from t^®„r?,Pj".!ri"!"&^^ ,play ..takes pUce after, which the Jack Dempsey's.^ew^eaterie.-:- Pee- fS^la i52*,^t^Wn^i,^-lS-^"w show goes into what would be a pie scattered through the late din- I,*i>,f^ totough a combl- regular lS-mlnute air program. In ihg mob^ara asked to c^^^^ nation of sharp strategy and high this portion Jean Shaw Is oSy in a^ew \?o?d* witrjns^ a^^^^^^^ salesmanship, held up well, atqrch humber. and Woblery offers in? some neat tenor -warbling. A black face comedy duo is In, too, and pretty bad- . ;•■. Joco. nalaver"'^P*rfle^^™ ?.^Ln^''h*rStiv the continuitist that It dove- bSt used Ti^^^i? v^f^t« :perfectly tato. No. 2,. hilt; the w 20 minnt«i ■«« ^^^^ '^"^'^ did nbt'close on a note indi- flrst 20 minutes, so that the remain- | pating scene of the third episode.- - ing run was practically barren of ( any interest at all. \ Begina -Grewe. N. T. Amerlcah film critic on flrst fOr some chatter. She Ih turn . introduced:JUlia Skit possesses humor, plkusibility and human interest. Expinded to a two or threetlm^i weekly basis. It could hold an evening spbt easily. Aythor rates a laurel wreath lor Shaweir who . has a new magazlpe brainchlldlrig- ' a lively character of her own coming out this week. | which Is off the'Well-trbd tra6k, HARV and ESTMER Jane Colberg, Artell Dixon - - Nat Brusiloff, Rhythm Girls Songs, Talk, Band 15 Mins; COMMERCIAL WOR, New York . Thrice: weekly l-stanza,; that Is built strictly to 1928 speclflcatiohs. There is no escaping the identity of the sponsor. Put the two names in the program's title ..together: and they Spell. 'Harvester'. Listen to the roundelay that Is sung to the tune of 'Smoke your Troubles Away* a.nd the Impression gathered: Is that a few €opd puffs-oh a Harvester-will dissipate all ailments. Also incor porated 'in the paraphrase, which opens and closes the program, is the Info that the Harvester used to sell for a, dime but can now be bought for a nickel, and that it's still made from tobacco grbwn for iOc clgara Dubious, economics. Sandwiched .In between the thick layers of sales song and palaver is .<?ome melodious warbling by Artell Dixon, J.ahe Colberg and the Rhythni Girls and a bit of danisapa- tlonv by, a • studio boihbo , with Nat Brusiloif conducting. Melange sums up as nice but tepid entertainment.' Program is fed from WOtl over the:vMutiial network. Odec. WEEr MAIL BAG JvOttfro-from; Listehera"-— i6 Minsi Sustaining • WE E l, Boston At present: a sustalner, this show I'Vfia a . commerc ia l p m^oser-name ly,: to hold listeners On the air through the sponsored triple-section U p.hi. weather, road cohditiori, temperature announcements. Given added Impetus by station awarding $5. rilghtly-fot^he best letter read over the air. On nlfirht caught (20) there welpe five commuhlcatlbhs and the prize- winner earned his fin With, an ex- pression oh the New tork sales tax Others covered, respectively, social- ization: of inedlelne, teaching , of psychology In public schools, war, and a proposed song cbritest • fbr radio;,".■■ Letter writers are unrestricted as to subje.dta, and this leaves the fleld Wide open. Then there's the angle that they don't have to say (in less fiJn",..^?' wo>'<i3) .why they think ziich dental cream is a good paste Iri the mouth. They arc advised, however, to be brief ,ahd tb the point if ■ they're aiming for prize money. :■;•:.: ^ ■ AnnoUncefruhidehflflfia,"^l3 ex^^ THE JOHNSONS Seri'pt.. ■ ■; ■ 16 Mint. Sustaining . WBAL, Baltimbro 5?.gff^^^^ *gj' sheet, instead of Jackfln, Clothing contributes ah: excellent piece of company. James J. Braddock, boxr character acting. It is not an easy ^''vJiP-^oj Bjartled remw^ part for i yoting. trouper, cililng by George Olsen, Ben Bernle, Harry for > chopped • dialect, high-pitched Bannister and^others. . : voice and rapid dellveir^^ Dempsey. himself: ' - ' pi'ogram built along almost Identl cal : lines taireed 'The Jiacksbhs. Station Is first: around Bait to pay cola to. sustaining performers.: . >Thi3 program is sutferlng from a decided Jack of showmanship. Scrib her. aside frbm writing the copy, is v,R ?^?^jn - 'J?°?^' feeds , .Dick Other parts are mainly: feeders, also the sole. prbtagOrtist of the J;'^'>Si^*^^<*"y' l>ut does not overdo Cecil Walker did a rather convince s^erlal , show, using l;he" pr« pat.^ Itr - -However--whenr tall^^^^ IhgT bit • "as" the c im- tern; to delineate some dozen or so SL""°^*'"'\.*"e *wo discussed the pressed a little less strongly as a characters. -: Naturally, . he can't ^^'"P^eyi-baby which as a subject Bellevua psychiatrist. Voibe soundcd' handle a;il those varied, vocal re- ; ■ iil'^ Jack: pilman spieled too youthful in the latter. Lavere qulrements as well a:B cbuld many Madison Square Garden for Fuller,, an experienced juvenile dlftel-ent actors, yet he does .very-L*- -"'?®!_»"| ^eyen.. t^^^ topic _soon J radlo. iictbr,. played aa lnterne-4n. the^ -. ^ Well fora solo Job. Tet the station rexpired^^Trhlrty minutes Is a long] hospital episode, wh«re. by the way, never mentions fact, rather seeming stretch for. such a tsasuai broadcast, a.scrlpt mistake was made in hay- to seek to hide the angle that would so it might: be wiser to land on. ing him tote patients food trays • most handily sell the show., more definite guesters to assure ah Ethel LivlngStbh disiilayed a" pleas- . If the public was apprised of this even pace. A Dempsey program ing voice ih a nurses role and fact, listeners would become more should build.; Frank Hardmbyer was sufficiently curious and more tolerant and pro-. | Airs on Frlda:y nights from ll to hard-boiled as a museum guard grams would win more comment 111:30 p.m. EST, Might ihake for Scrlbner locally. As It stands to,date, 'The Johnsons? is ittv bittv i^inriie LiAho just another serial that airs dally LVJl rL'TIX during lunch hour, and finds a more £f^M- Charles, Ward Wilson or -less apathetlo audience that is "e neither repelled norarrested by old-. Sy£*£'"IJ'' i, . formula situations,- hazy humor and WJfiN, New-York -r alugglsh suspense of a script built up around a group of type-worn colored characters. One of the goofiest of air sus- tainers. Makes no pretense at plausibility, as the title hints, and strives to lampoon all of the estab- 'ished radio prbgramS on board to- day.. Copy is not confined to the younger generation particularly, either. ■ Plenty- ■of the -gags- and- stunts are aimed at mature listen- ers.v Perry Charles and Ward Wll- j Understood that some of these future teachers have broadcast over a small Albany station; at any rate, ~ |they are well trained. : One feature- . which , should be I dropped Instanter r the use of a .dance-muslp i .record as.' a, themer and scene Spacer. Tune in no way blends With the background of the sketch, in fact, stamps it with a I mlsleadlrig note. Paco., £dwin f. edgett Literary Talks ^10.-Mins;- -^^.-r- Sustaining ; WBZ, Boston Hilghlight of this Friday afternoon (i2:00) sustalner Is the orisp, deisp- voiced delivery of Edwin Edgett, NOAH BEERY Dramatio Basso 8 Mins. . COMMERCIAL VVEAF, Neyy York: Noah Beery had hO trouble In I Ihtb innumerable charac- trahsmittlng that cinematic lech- '^®fll the half-hour broadcast erous personality of his to the ^^"n J^st a, few assistants oh hand. listeners. That's easy, only .for a t . 1- labels as SmelSo : Cl&ara,, _ , nim^vlllatn of long standing Whb^^ has been constantly mugging for an P'^sss releases, etc;, -r.™ »_ \ unrespQhslve Smer*/ ^ the material dished ^cr'Pt-. ."s an easy way for the Beerjr's bit was based on a 800- ?^*^ ^^®"*'^®^'^**®"'^*''°'^"''"^'^*'^^^ '^^^^ person, to wise up, in a cial song anent a 'Captain "Jones,' ^'^^^ credit for push- short time,: to what's new in the master of a slave ship, who guzzles "V°'" u°""'^i**f, come fldai and it also constitutea a coii- rum .and fondles a bull-whip which " * share of the digs. Surprls- ' n aiso constitutes a con- terrbrizes the crew and the cargo of '^.o'"' t^^e pace is maintained at blacks. An unnamed character tbok^ with such Crazy: Auff. : But 15 part In some repartee with .BeeryIP'"*^*®s would, really suffice; Open- before dropping. • -from- -bubbnlc i^^/^"^*^ sound .Iresh. but the ex- plague; the crow deserts and fires i®"°6<l ^ct has a tendency to limp the ship, leaving Beery and the cap-l^^^"'^ tlyes to' burn. ; Beery's, singing, while riot especially musical, has a FOUR ACES deep bass tone. But his speaking David Burnstine, Howard Schenken. P™P laugh, a chillerj Michael T. ' Gottlieb, Oswald are strong. I Jacoby. ' He is certainly dlslikeiable enough Bridge Series to make good as a frightener of kids 5 Mini. Oh those, bedtime programs. £fcho. Sustainin servatlve, tasteful plug for the Sat- urday book department of the Bos- ton newspaper. The plug lis a simple, single-sehtence remlndej:La,t the close of' the ' broadcast tha t " Edgett'a radio talk Will be found in print next day, in the Transcript. In 10 minutes he touches upon six books, listlhg 'hew and strange' angles, thumbnalling authors and their works. First volume on pro- .grahx vcaught (22) was 'Ships and • How They -Sail the Seven Seas* by Hendrlck Van Loon. Sketches the :author.'a_U.tetftty ! trip.^thr.ough-ithe— cehturles, frohi BOOO B.C. to the ■ Bridge /addicts--will go for this present; and mehtibns that it took'"' serial. Only lasts five minutes but heavy hours of. reading. Also carries enough suspense interest to spieled on the bbok's Jacket and the make one dial ih again.. Listeners ^60 illustrations. . : ; ure asked to send In their idea of a iJvery reason to assume this one suitable bid. Have to fbliow care- | lias a regular,: sizable loudspeaker sustaining WABCV Ni^TYork" PON CARLOS ORCH. iVlarimba Musio 15 Miiis; COMMERCIAL "^GN, Chicago theSmg^^^sssSfi;^^ paint's cleah-up*dFiV both on spo^ Which are held. However | highbrows. Fox. and network j^dlo. This Carlos f^ - - 5°"°®"*^^^ moments programi rides, over the Mutual web. „®„P-i!:"'"^ "P- I*''Ogram al- | EDDIE GUNDAKEH It la a.pretty good pro&ram. : But | eurjDAKER what will sell Pittsburgh'pilnt on i J '"°^' «<>. breathless, is the explana tWs-ahWh 'i3~nbt the show^itseif only radio, the power of the P^^^er to the next each' ^""""'^ but .Sustaining:. transmitter and the general value of \^^^' With a Saturday night - com- advertisine. In- o'they'words this spot stahaing wide open - ^ ^°r! r^ show 13 designed purely as the paif- rier of an advertising message. It Aftsl,, -I;tfohaliy iood,- Foa.. announcer, -was given a chance to try ah idea he's had in mind, a lone' tim.e. : Idea , is a Saturday night summary-of, the local news of the week... .. ■' ' . :-Eest iaiigle is carefuliy-har^dled- forecast of what is liable to happen to open stories still in the news is not going tO^sell goods on its own. FLORENCE WIGHTM AN Music by the marimba band is Harpist llstenable.-^They play good music 15. Mins. and with the .marimba'Jnstrumen- Sustaining ' tallzing possibly adding touch of LWGY, Schenectady fS^gS^^riS^sJaiS^aS^-^^ still In the n ffiKit;i^e^S!^tKiiS«^ tltioh of tub: spbn^b "s mbssage^ It cariS^n^^^^^^^^ strtilght uplift .stuff, being, careful Shares malnly^s'a reSllnd^'thiN^S^ Se^teSwrn SnHo^^^^ stories with warm ^r^e^is Jierc^and that:PIttsburgh Iti. miisic rSir^oS^y S^l-*^^:-^ rdcy. is^-pry. gobS, particularly: i"n. a. pma.Ilcr .:plty, .'but .cin stand a. Slight im ia tfimperaturii.