Variety (Mar 1936)

Wednesday, March -18, 1936 R AD I E P T S VARIETY 43 1 PAULINE LORD With Ruth Gordon, Raymond Mas- sey ._ . . . Dramatic Excerpt FL E18CH MANN Thursday, 0 Pv m ', fe * T WEAF, New York (/. Walter Thompson) Excerpt rendered on the Vallee hour from the 'Ethan Frome' legit bv the principals of the cast classi- fies as an okay Job considering the • 'obstacles to such a presentation. The chunk sliced out of the show was the best that could be pro- cured, and the trio labored indus- triously on it. Not everything was conveyed, but the reason, here is that 'Frome' Is ponderous fare re- aulrlng a buildup of mood that ■can't be accomplished in 13 min- lit AS ' Cast dug in at the point *vhere Frome's invalid wife (Pauline Lord) is dismissing her kin Mattie (Ruth Gordon) after suspecting that she and* Frome (Raymond Massey) are in Ibye. Highlights ■ ef the denouement sketched from this point onward, culminating in the tragic sleighride down a hill. Latter, a tough poser, was passably rendered by having the closing' words fade out in a swish of music. Trio acquitted itself with about evenly classy workmanship. Edga. PHILLIPS LORD ^Calling on You' Chatter WISCONSIN ALUMNI RESEARCH FOUNDATION Mon. and Fri. f 4:16 p,m. EST WEAF, New York KQeyet, Cornell & Newell) Wisconsin group Is an alumni- controlled body which holds rights to the Steenbock patent for Irradi- ating milk with ultra-violet rays to give it vitamin D. Object of the se- ries .is to stimulate demand for and . thus provide, the with' more research York City and New the markets currently a split red web. That Lord should be chosen for selling chores, instead of, say, a kids' show, is undoubtedly due to his draw in.New England plus. Gey- •r, Cornell's --previous .experience with him. when the agency nan- fluch milk, .university funds.' England ' probed viu. SHERLOCK HOLMES Richard Gordon, Joe Bell, Harold. West Drama 30 Min*. HOUSEHOLD FINANCE Sat., 10:30 p. m. WOR, New York {Charles Daniel Frey) After years . of service in behalf of G. Washington coffee and over NBC, the aerial Sherlock Holmes is cutting his deductive capers for a loan outfit by way of .the Mutual Network. The same players are in the central role and there's even Joe Bell to put on the plug for the Household Finance way. of solving your money troubles. Bell used to chatter with Dr. Watson about the G.. Washington 1 brew they were supposed to be sipping, but appar- ently the nature of the-new spon- sor's business doesn't allow for the participation of Dr. Watson in the commercial. Cast delivered a dramatization of. Conan Doyle's 'The Suffox Vam- pire.' It made a good starter, offer- ing lots of gore, chills and other, things to keep 'em awake. If they stay awake, they eventually start thinking about their money troubles, If the Insomniacs are of the consci- entious sort, they'll then begin to wonder how they can get the money to pay off. That's where the spon- sor comes In. Assuming that this logic holds, which It does not, Household couldn't have picked a more natural program. Says Bell in . his opening plug: 'As Sherlock Holmes solves his Crime problems let Household . Fi- nance solve your money worries.' After he has solved his case, Holmes steps out. But not Household. After its collected its money,, it promises to show the client how to keep out of debt. Odec. 'PETTICOAT GHOST' With Clyde North, Jack McBride, Dr. H. Carringt'on, Arlene Black- burn, and Mark Smith Drama 30 Mine. HAROLD F. RITCHIE & CO. Tuesday, 8 p. m. WJZ, New York (N. W. Ayer) In place of the usual 'Eno Crime Clues' yarn of the 10th, N. W. Ayer substituted this ghost novelty, broadcasting it from a 'haunted' ,, , ,_ - ■ t _ , house on Staten Island. Program it- r - -= newspaper attention it had stirred how he'll go about his new duties .was only meagerly defined in the first sample (6). Talked a great deal about 'what ; future programs would bring forth, and stuck in a whopper of a plug for the milk, and that's about all by way of initial program mechanics. Seems that hereafter Lord will regale the old folks to home with adventure, stories, 1 some of them dating back to his oruising on a ric"kety schooner a year ago. To date Lord hag simply introduced himself in leisurely fashion and of- fered a flock of campaign, promises. Edga. GOOSE CREEK PARSON With Josiah Hopkins Rural serial 15 Mine. COLGATE-PALMOLIVE-PEET Mon.-Thurs., 7:45 p. m. KHJ, Los Angeles. (Benton a Bowles) Backed up by smart production and pointed for matronly reception, this onetime Columbia sustaining Bhow (Country Church of Holly- wood): has the makin's of a new lav. Down the ways with a heavy splash, if the promised tempo is maintained it should hold its own among the maze of serials on the coast lanes. •In the title role is Josiah Hop- *ms, ordained minister and former Army chaplain, who knows show- manship values. He's smart enough to let others who know to fashion ™5 ^gram. His simple philoso- phies h ave been retained from the eia.snow but gone are the churchly sermons, the hen Cackle in the par- sonage. Once likened to the Seth barker pattern, it goes off on a fresh tangent. Parson takes his usual buggy ride «own the country lane, swaps epi- grams with passersby and lends a helping hand to a gruff stranger. They pass the hlacksmith- shop where the quartet' is warming up tne _ Pipes for the evening's chant. Thread of a plot is spun, Which S ! Promise of events to come. Mysterious visitor goes on the make ior the school marm, gives her a package to keep until he returns. ■That s enough to keep 'em in sus- pense^ until the next airing three days hence. «« C n 0ir hvmn als nicely timed, fall easily on the ears. Producer Charles vanaa can take a bow for crowding «^ mu< l h as he did ln tne flr st epi- i^T« e ; Char acters were established, locale 8 et and the plot spinning, all ««*t * "" nut es of smooth running gajpt by Dixie Willson and Vanda. ffi 1 ? 8 1 .<il the rustic characters, •inSi *. the closln e commercial in Kf«t lc ' „ h °mespun fashion, a ■w ant w«ef from the customary ■houting of wares. * wiouid work up a lot of lather for the ehaiJ? P sponsors. Don Lee coast 2t i °,!. 13 Ht »*ions takes the show, GL ntially for 13 weeks. Bill oodwln on the announcing. Uelnw Re: Duffy Bill Detailed report of hearings held on the Duffy Bill before the House Copyright Commit- tee is carried on pages 63 and 66. 'BOWERY MISSION' With Dr. Charlea St. John 60 Mint. ADAM HATS Sun., 2 p.m.. Wed., 8 p.m., WHN, New York - (Glickman) Bowery Mission on WHN is not unlike the Chinatown ditto oyer WM.CA. Both represent efforts of a sponsor to benefit from a human interest program off the beaten path. Down-ahd-outers, with all the hu- man sympathy and broad hokum thereby represented, are presented with non-sectarian religious em- phasis. Audience is made personally aware of the humanity involved through the appeals which are broadcast, regularly for Clothes, shoes or other donations, which will meet the urgent,. intimate needs of some specific, fellow-mortal who . is on the outer fringe. That an aggressive merchandis- ing outfit like Adam. Hats .is willing to sponsor Buch a program and to content itself with the brief allusion to its product made by the preacher, is. in Itself a commentary on the ability of this odd bit of Americana to draw and hold interest. It is seemingly something very real and vital to modern worry-ridden ..suf- fering-conscious' Americans. Initial five minutes serves to build up a colorful, yet dignified intro- duction to the mission. Daily tran- sient list is word-pictured and while it's sobby stuff it lands solidly. Or- gan music ushers in the services. Hymn' singing from the assembly is frequent, Otherwise the pastor brings up the transients for a thank you' for last week's old suit, or a request for a pair of shoes. Jobs and clothes get the most calls. No religious conversion testimonials are aired, which is just as well. Dr. St. John held the pulpit for a long period.' Too long. .Doc is there when it comes to glib talking but more personals' from the down-and-out-. ers would relieve the talking strain and add to the program's drama up in advance, and came danger ously close" to nullifying its ends by pulling a hoax on the listening audi- ence. Started with a flashback drama- tization of a murder committed in the. house 200 years ago when a rob- ber hacked off a damsel's ear and let her bleed to death. The partici- pants in this scene were described to the audience as being a bona fide descendant of the girl killed, and the person who is now Caretaker of the place. Actually they were a couple of regular cast members (Ar- lene Blackburn and Mark Smith) and lost ho time giving themselves away by being too polished. Dr. H. Carrington, director of the American Psychical Institute, then delivered a short guest spiel, follow- ing which the mike was wafted around in the place to pick up spooky noises. Produced a lot of screeching and clatter which—so the audience was assured—was not made by sound-effect devices. Noises, were actually made by liv- ing actors, hence the technicality permitting this misleading state- ment. For a finale the 'caretaker* was found dead, obviously having been bumped off during the broadcast by the girl whose ancestor had been fatally deprived of an. ear. An- nouncer, told' the audience that the 'caretaker's' ear was also hacked away and that—as in the original murder of 200 years ago—it had dis- appeared. 'Murderess' then con- fessed and the program closed. This. last hoax in a few mtnuteB had 300 people calling WJZ to find out '.if . it was on the level* since there had been almost .no indica- tion that it wasn't. Fact that the whole thing fooled 'em too hard looks as though the program kicked itself in the pants. Edga. WILLIAM HARRIGAN Songs FLEISCHMANN Thursday, 8 p.m. WEAF, New York (J. Walter Thompson) Wlliam Harrigan called to the mike on this occasion to revive memories of the Harrigan and Hart days in honor of the coming of St. Pat's day. Harrigan is a dramatic actor, and not primarily a singer, but here he slipped into a warbling role, backed up by a quartet. Bit made a rousing 10 minutes or so. Prefaced by a brief rehash of the 90's days when Edward Har- rigan, William's father, Was one of the leading songsmiths of the day, the guesters rapped out a medley of Erin tunes. Included 'Paddy Duffy's Cai't,' 'My Mary Ann' and 'Mulligan Guards.' Singing had plenty of life. As a radio appearance for Wil- liam Harrigan, this one must clas- sify, as a strict exception to what he. would ordinarily do. It was pure commemoration and called for rto exhibition of his own special talents. Edga. spot recently, after the mission re- ported that contributions were com ing in at such a heavy rate, that it could now service nearby settle- ments engaged in similar activities, This alone speaks for the mass ap- peal it conveys and the audience pull of WHN. Bral. 'POMPEIAN PROMENADE' With Jerry Copper, Ted.. Royal's Orchestra, Arline Franci 15 Mins. POMPEIAN Tues., Thurs., 12:15 p.m. EST. WABC, New York (Topping & Lloyd) Pompeian is still endeavoring to find the right formula. From a mat inee spot in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel show now shifts to a noon hour studio schedule. New program prln clpally notable for being heavily loaded with contest: offers and other hand-outs. Society aura of the Ritz is discarded for a campus motif but it means little. Jerry Cooper continues singing. He's okay. Ted Royal's orchestra, which is new, hasn't decided Just what type of music to specialize on. There's a semblance of swing, mild jam and straight syncopation in the arrangements. Miss Francis' clear-cut diction is a program asset. However, show is top-heavy on those beauty offers. From face powder it switched to Jean Harlow's locks. Bral. 'HERE'S TO YOU' With Sam, Gil and Louie, Peter Ric- cardi, Dale Evans, Foster Brooks, Pete Monroe, Harry Currie's Or- chestra Music, Song6, Talk 30 Mins. OERTELS Brewirtg Company Saturday, 9 P.M. WHAS, Louisville Ambitious attempt of Louisville's CBS outlet to produce a half hour program has resulted in taking over Drury Lane theatre, long dark, for a Saturday night program sponsored by local brewery. For radio pur- poses house, is called Oertel's Radio Theatre, but that's for Saturday night only. It change? its identity on Fridays, when it is used for wrestling matches, promoted by Capt. C. B. Blake, who also .operates the Savoy Theatre.. No charge is made for the shOw, admission being by invitation only. Audiences have been averaging about 60% of capacity, and no effort is made to go in for stage dressing, a .plain eye backinjg up the rostrum. What little production there, is han- dled by Dudley Musson and Hugh Sutton Of the station staff, both of whom have had some previous! ex- perience with the University of Louisville players. Talent is all labelled to suggest sponsor's product, such as Rhythm Brewers'. Three BrOwn Jugs, the Tavern Keeper, etc., and station staff ork .directed by Harry Currie .sup- plies the musical background. Pro- gram utilizes several station acts, all vocal or instrumental, and it's a pretty sombre affair, with no comedy or lightness to perk up listener in- terest. Two vocal groups are-heard warb- ling in a pair of spots on the half hour session, while the. solo num- bers lean toward the ballad and sob type. Particularly drab is the vocal- izing of Dale Evans, Who strikes the .listener as lacking, in personality and style. Stanza reviewed empha- sized staff tenor Peter Riccardi Who turns out a pair of ballads in a pleasant enough voice, ' Program essays a salute to the automotive industry, as well as to railroad workers, comparing the de pendability of ..these to the excellent qualities of the beer purveyed by the sponsor. This comparison is too overdrawn and exaggerated to have much effect upon any person of average intelligence, as is the blurb DETROIT VOX POP With Angus Pfaff and Al Nagler Questions 15 Mine; Sustaining WJRK, Detroit After several futile attempts by other local stations to give Detroit a worthwhile .'curbstone' program, 'little but mighty' WJBK comes to the front with another one of its showmanship broadcasts. Started off well Monday (2), with Angus Pfaff handling the quiz, and has excellent potentialities. On for only 15 minutes opening evening, but re- sponse was so' .hefty program will now run half hour, Mondays and Fridays.' It's modelled almost literally after NBC show but. has enough originality and local color to de- serve praise. Its nervy, too, in view of failures of other such, pro- grams, here. Besides doubtlessly nabbing a sponsor soon, Vox . Pop should help keep the wolf away from dOor of the RKO Downtown theatre, In which lobby show originates and. which, house gets a lot of good plugs for its first-run pix in exchange for pairs of tickets given those ques- tioned and listeners who submit questions. House is off the beaten path downtown,, and has . found it tough familiarizing patrons with its location, etc. Al Nagler, regular sportscaster of station, does the announcing with Pfaff putting the questions. Most of latter, at opening broadcast, were of the type which make Vox Pop programs interesting. Staged Or otherwise, first person interviewed on opener was a. natural in this hockey-mad town. It was Bucko McDonald; of the Detroit Red Wings, who was. banged up a bit in- a free-for-all between Wings and Les Canadiens the night before in Detroit Pete. 'MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH' With Eva Condon, Robert StrauMr Alioe Frost, Joe Latham,* Andy Donnelly, Estele Levy, Pat Ry~an, Bill. Johnstone, Marjorie Ander- son/ Eugenie Chapel, Bennett- Kilpack, Florence Malone Serial 15 Mint. J AD SALT8 Monday to Friday, 6:45 p.m. EST. One listening on a- flve-arweek America.' That's taking In a lot of territory for a local account On a local station. It is. understood that program is riding on . a year's contract* but If some showmanship is not forthcom- ing in subsequent programs, it's hard to see how the stanza can keep interest sustained with the present monotonous round of . one so-so number after another, little different from most of the station's - routine sustaining programs. Hold. COO- BETTY GRABLE—JACKIE GAN 30 Mint. ASSOCIATED RETAILERS OF ST. LOUIS Friday 9:30 p.m. K8D, St. Louis Associated retailers group, con- sisting of leading downtown stores, seized opportunity, of further plug- ging their widely advertised Down- town Day sales with a well built and nicely balanced variety show featuring the young screen players at Ambassador Theatre for week stand. Betty is a native St. Louisan and her engagement to Coogan made pair a natural. 'The Kid* music furnished by Dietzel's ork was chosen in excel- lent taste and ably rendered. Practically entire show was Dietzel's own arrangements. Orchestra vocals, provided by Harry Babbitt were glossy. Show, while originating in KSD studios, was pUmped to both KWK, St. Louis, and WTMV, East St. Louis, over what was billed 'the downtown retailers city network.' Announcing assignment divided between Allen C. Anthony, KWK. and Frank Esched, KSD, Spieling excellently done, with a pleasing contrast of voices. Commercial plugs, mostly institutional, and brief. Miss Grable and Coogan seemed to have. considerable 'mike' experi- ence and carried . off their parts without a hitch. Betty's singing of 'RithmetlC was pleasingly done and the gags of the youngsters rounded out a nice show. Sahu. ROMANY CHOIR With Harry Horlick's Orchestra 30 Mins. A. & P. Monday, 9 .p. m., EST. WEAF, New York. (Paris & Peart) "Variously heard on other stanzas as the 'Modern Choir,' this ensemble Of warblers has. been incorporated as a standard feature on- the A&P Gypsies series. Includes 18 people. Working: entirely in pop melodies on the program for this review (9), the bunch gave a fair demonstra- tion in four numbers. Seem to go for selections with very fast tempos. Best work is rendered when the rapid tune is reversed and put Into slow gear with grandiose choral frills. When the • tune is kept fast, as happened in a couple of in- stances, the full effect of the lung- power is lost. Choir chimes in okay with this particular program and helps to in- ject breaks into a ; setup whose formula' dates from the very early days of commercial radio. Edga. 'TWO SEATS ON THE AISLE' Allan Banes, Evelyn Rua«el, Iris Hawkins, Clarence Furhman'a or- chestra. Music Drama 30 Mins. Sustaining Wednesdays, 3:30 P.M. WIP, Philadelphi Smartest sustalner on WlP's board, this musicomedy and, oper- etta session is among choice shows of Philly lineup. It's well planned and produced and minus dead spots. Allan Banes (really Alun Williams, of WIP announcing staff) gives out in two baritone solos and pairs neatly with La Russel for another number. Solos at show caught were 'Rogue Song' and 'Without a Song,' which gave him choice op- portunity for tonsiling. Evelyn Rus- sel also was socko with two tunes from 'Follow the Fleet.' Iris Hawkins (wife of Philly ad- vertising exec and said to be ex- English stage actress) offered orig- inal dramatic skit with Charlie Stark, of announcing staff, as stooge. Smart dialogue sounded as If it might be over heads of after- noon Philadelphia audience. Clar- ence Fuhrman's studio outllt turns In workmanlike accompaniment and _ welcome variety in own numbers. j Whole program is exception to usual run of local suslainers. Ilobc. schedule makes full' comment .dif- ficult and perhaps unfair. If judged from this sample as caught, the show wouldn't rate. Particular stretch caught was drab, colorless and very gloomy. Based upon (at least broadly) the well-known Alice* Hegan Rice char^ acter of the same name program was on < CBS • before switching to WHN. Cast is usually quite large for ,the various roles,, but this, time the Script only utilized three. No lift irf the episodic concoction at all. TdUng boy wanted to go, away to school, but possibilities looked dark. His mother had to raise the* rent and interest due by the" first of the month. And the col- lector was hovering, nearby wait-. Ing. foreclosure in their faces. Other times, the tale might be more jubilant in tone.. Eva Condon plays the mother role, most consistent pf. the regu- lar" performers on., the show. Human interest material is already there but no happiness was around this time. From production end, it's okay. Jad Salts sponsors un- der American Home Products list- ing. For mass appeal it suffices ln a mild way. Bral. BEATRICE KAY Comedy Songs FLEISCHMANN Thursday. I p.m. WEAF, Nsw York (JV Walter Thompson) Songstress has a style somewhat similar to Beatrice Lillie's and has- of late- been appearing In New York nighteriefl. Uncorked a nov- elty on this stanza dealing with, the sad fate of an amateur program winner (which Vallee assured was no slap at Major Bowes who is hired by the same agency and. sponsor as he). , Quavery voice and semi-sophisti- cated ditty nicely handled, but are not mass fare. Big appeal is to those fans who know that it's, tongue-in-cheek stuff, and not sim- ply a femme voice gone sour. Edga. BUFFALO BILL TRIBUTE With Pawnee Bill (Major Gordon W. Lillie). the Tutsans, the Redmen's Glee Club SO Mine. Sustaining Wed., 1:30 p.m. EST WABC, New York' Last week (26) program from KTUL, Tulsa honoring Buffalo Bill's memory had his old-time tent partner. Pawnee Bill (Major Gordon W. Lillie) heading a large cast. It was a one-time program Prairie atmosphere, flash-back and plain- tive chanting embellished the 30 minutes. Such figures of the buckskin era as Annie. Oakley, Sitting Bull and Iron-Tail, the Indian Avhose visage was selected for the nickel coins, were gho^d, Tn between, singing (Continued on page 52) 1