Variety (May 1937)

36 VARIETT RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, May 12, 1937 t^ANNT ROSS • ilVith Tommy Thomas, Heather Hal- lidajr, Margaret McCrae, Nadlne Conner^ Molasses iand January^ , Frances. Reynplds 3ongs, Comiedy . MAXWELL HOViSE Thursday, 9 'p.m. DST. WEAF, New York {Benton ds. Bowies') Show Boat show is now ia singirig variety show. No longer, is -there repartee between Tiny Ruff her, the cap and Lanny, Plot has been . tosstd . to the winds. Virtually aU mic biirden rests . on Lahny Ross. But still needs more ' comeay, Mp- Isisses and January, blackface teaiii, help, but need support on an hour show. ■ ■ Ross on early with a duet with Margaret VMcCrae, which had dis- tinctivie tone o£ the old 'Boat/ Ef- fective additional background for stbry song were baby imitations: by Trances Reynolds. So. realistic that t'ne ripple of - audience appreciation was.heard over radio sets.. Thomas Thomas, now pegged Tommy Thomas, tried his hand at the difficult .'Mother o* Mine' for a starter,, but. g^ive a:'more thorough demonstration of his vocail qualities with the encore, 'Thaiik God for . a Garden.' Twq inale soloists on one program' may seem unusual though voices are not conflicting. Nadine . Conner is another voice. She driies a t"in rendition of the Italian Street Sohg,. but her singing is'muffled in a craxy combination of classical music (which she sings) and al so-called Harlem swing bade-, ground, played by part of Al Good- mian's band: Lani^y Ross Inquires .'let's hear how it souxmIs.' Elizabeth Wilson introduces her old-time Snitp zelbaum tune, with questionable air returns. Good idea but not adapted well here to radio. Besides presiding over proceed- ings except for opening announce- ment... Laniqr Ross is as smacko as ever with , his vocals. Heather Hal- liday, who is designated as a come- dienne, starts interrupting I«anny early because of gag that she thinks it is her. turn. Resembles Beatrice Lillie in delivery hiit certainly not in results. Reference to curtain going up for second half of show has, after all these years, .become awkward and irksome. Wear. ''BARRt WOOD Sonffs 15 MiM. PROCTER * QAMBLE Thuriday, 7:4S p.m.. .WJZ, New York (Bldckett-SampU-Humrtiert) Latest lad to leg it up> to the mike for P.&G.'s Drene hairwash fits in neatly in the wake of two prominent predecessors, Frank Parker and Jeri-y Cooper. Wood' (Lou Rapp, brother of Barney, band batoneer) formerly sang with Abe Lyman's crew. Since severing that spot and ambling out oh oWn, this is his first important whirl. With a pair of pipes that approxi- mate a Bmg : Crosby baritone. Wood seems to have the woo to attract the femme listeners the. sponsor fishes to get. He Intro's self and selections, an intimacy-establishing thought that works out Well. On opening broadcast all his pieces were current reigning pops; for sentimentality's sake, and consider ing his audience, hie might well oc casionally slip in one of the endur ing ballads. . When caught the ieommercials sprawled nearly three minutes, too long and too tedious for night-time in that the cOpy Was repetitious and redundant. Bert. 'BARGAIN BOB' With Gordon Castle, John Slagle Mnsie, Chatter, Time Signals, Weather 39 Mlns.—^Looal PONTIAC DEALERS Dally, 7 a,m.. WXYZ, Detroit fJVacAfanus, John A Adams) . This Is an entertaining bit of fare for eatly-moi-ning risers. Virtually a one-man show, being authored, produced atid m.c.'d by Gordon Castle, scripter and announcer at WJR. Includes selection of recorded mu- . sic, plus usual earlsr morning stuff consisting: of time signals, weather, 6tc. Although tunes are waxed, con« tiiiulty is so written as to iool th6 average listener. Castle's chatter ■with John Slagle oke. Commercials center on Pbntiac dealers' us6d cars, and while some- what overtaxing (a 'bargain' after each musical selection), it should be oke for thosie just gettihjg up. JOAN CRAWFORD With Franchot Tone, Judith Ander- son . <Mary of Scotland' 60 Mins. LUX Monday, d p. m. WABC-CBS, New York (Ji Walter Thompson) Lux; slipped a cut under its ayer-^ age of ^icripts In selecting Maxwell Anderson's poetic drama. On the stage and on the screen, the; pagean- try... and brisk; action ; of the piece largely contributed.. Air Version,, not too well adapted, lacked those quali- ties. . ■ , Miss Crawford in the title role evi- dently thought a constant croak of heartbreak in^ her voice, would carry the characterizationL Tone mahaged for the most part as the gusty Both- well and the Scpttish burr he as- sumed was quitie good. It wais Miss Anderson, with her b^ll-clear ring- ing, voice and imperious playing as England's Elizabeth, wbo hopped off with the honors. Also on the program was the Earl of Warwick (McCoy) who is now in Hollywood aihgling for a film future under nanje of Michael Brooke. De- Mille questioned hini'between acts of 'Mary,' and. the Britisher made a neat impression discussing the his- torical: significance of the Mary- Elizabeth duel. He was possibly the only. Englishmen marched to a U. S. mike in thie last several months who did not give vent to an effervescent eulogy of the Coronation. ../^tit. EXPEBIeInCES OF A MEN' . With Jack Mttlhah, Barney P^lllp'it; Stanley Price,' Frank l:ills, 'Eilcettc< Garrick, Mel Blank, Clayton Post, Fred HarrbifftOB, Gerrle Gall, Noreen Gamllle 30 Mins.-^LooaI HUDSON DEALERS ^ursday, 8 p. m. KFWB, Hollywood Air theatrics stark with realism. Presented by Lieut. William L. Biber. By giving ieach episode, a strong production backup, WB has taken it out of the category of 'just another war drama.' Effects are ex- pertly applied and the timing is aimed at sU3penseful buildup. Cast, headed by JackvMuhall, is well chosen, and .wbr]ra< ihard under the direction of Lieut. Biber, who knows, his war stuff. Material for each show Is supplied by war vets. Who are supposed to re- late their oWn personal experiences during the big fuss of 20 year» ago. Check for $25 goes out to the one whose ^arn. is dramatized. Commercials, light oh sales come- on, emphasizes. object of the air series as affording vets a clearing house for the reunion with Old p^ls of the trench days. Ultimate hope is to stage get-togethers of. different outfits, which, right off, gives it a heavy Legion piish. LeOn Leonardi's musical backup is scoried for imaginative atmospheric effect. Helm. • KAY KYSER ORCHESTRA With bh Kablbhlei Virginia Sims, Lyman Gandee, Siilly Mason and Harry Babbitt Musical 30 MIns. WILLYS-OVERLAND CORP. Sunday, 10:00 p.m. WOR-Mutual^ New York (U. judvertisihg Corp.) Ah otherwise pleasant half hour is messed up With too much and badly spotted commercial bally and Ish Kabibble, a carbon copy comic. In view of the travelling, ballyhoo of white cars (sponsor's make) and the weekly hitting of the tanks as re^ mote locations.for broadcasts, which is plenty of advertising to start with, the aired advertising might be less- ened.:. Somie of the commercials on this show are excellent; others are brutal. The patter job of 'Willis and Phyllis' is fine; but that closing 'buy a Willys and watch the gas stations go by' is a cheap pick-up of the Ford pro- grani's closing line, and the public is . going: to think it's miighty smart- alecky to copy another program's closihg line pattern, especially since it's, a competiti^^ product. And :in: any comparison with the Ford setup, the: llViliys idea must wind up behind the eight ball. The entire effebt, in fact, is; to give a gratis plug for. Ford, by association of ideas. Kyser's band is one of the .better dance groups. Also serves nicely as accomp for its talent array with its alternately sweet and hot dishings.; A fave with the school kids, it can also interest their pjarents with a couple of minor revi^ohs. . Specially arranged;songs ate well tended.i|t.the,handS'of Virginia.Sims and her tienor consort, Harry Bab- bitt Gleii (nub backing helped pair click with 'Only a Rose' and 'Song of the Vagabond' dttet from Rudolph Friml's 'Vagabond King.' Lyman Gahdee's piano solo .in same top rating as pipers. Pop torcher, 'Lull in My Life,' well suited to Miss Sims' voice. Hurl. RICHARD FISHBLL l^>art» Comment ISUlna. Sastaialnr Nightly, 6:30 p. m. ■WMCA, New York Old hand at sports. And knows all the games/ Specially noted as a football caller in the autumn. Cur- rently it's baseball, of course. Not a new turn, .1>iit hasn't been reviewed. For the. records—an able professional commentator on. muscu- lar pastimes with a pleasant chattery radio voice. Land.; JEAN ABBEY Shopping Talk 15 Mins. BLOOMINGDALE'S Tuesday, 9:15 a, m., DST WOR, New York. One of the few 15-minute com- mercials still left on the air. Billed as 'valuable shopping notes,' but it might as well be a stiraight reading of Blbomingdale's ads. Jean Abbey, sporting the ^title of 'Woman's Home Companion radip shopper,' bielabors the' ozone with quarter hour of solid plug for yari- oiiis articles and prices. On the theory^jjossibly correct—that de^ partment store ads are hot news to the housefraus,. this session may'be okay. But on any other bJisis it's just blather. . Articles plugged on stanza caught (4) included moth eradicators, linenjs, shoes, beauty preparations, glassware, waffle irons, carpet sweepers, .floor wax, electric mixers. Iri other words, everything in the shop—^and if Blooniingdale's has it, it's the best there is; and the price is just right, ;etc., etc. Heavy wading for dialers. Miss 'Abbey's voice' is okay. Using Macy's Hobe. 'BIG SISTER' With Alice Frost, Martin Gabel, Haila Stoddard, Junior O'Day LEVER BROS. ' Dally; 11:30 a.m., EDST WABC-CBS, New York (Ruthrfiuff Sc jtyan) Authored, by .Lilian Lauferty, is is slightly bettisr than averiage script serial, with its weight derived from fact it quiet-tones its dramatics and. isn't guilty of making the cast become hysterically histronic. Yarn is the usual, meandering lOve lesson. Has just enough suspense to hold 'em; not too much nonsense of the sort that drives to the distraction of drifting airoimd the dial for some- thing else.' Rinso, a soap «pr6duct, is: being, offered; will get an oJc au- dience. Cast composed of legiters, led .by Alice Frost, in the lead, with Matiin Gabel, Haila Stoddard and Junior ODay. Players troupe a. brand, of acting a cut above standard for these a.m. serials. Bert. C. . G6;;klp ■■. ' 5 i .ins.—Lqcal MILLER JEWELRY Drily, 5 pan. WWJ, Detroit ^ . C. C, Bradner, long a fave with his news digests over WW J, swings into a new role a^ dispenser of gossip aboiit Newyawk. It's a five-minuter and spotted immediately follawlhg daily play-by-play of Detroit Tigers baseball contests over same station. Stuff, provided by a syndicate, comjprises short and snappy bits about Broadway perspnalltips, plus a feature story jor two. Well han- dled; ■■ ■ ' \ . ' . Spieling lorig for a short session. P6te. YELLOW BLANK SALUTE IHtuilc, Readlnffs 15 Mins.—Local WESTERN UNION M. to F; 2:15 p.'m. WHAS, Lonlsyllle New series riding over lotal LoiuS' ville air waves is worthy of notice, in that it marks the debut of the telegraph compahy on a sponsored program over a local station. Spot chosen, is not the best, froni the standpoint of sharing a large listen^- ing audience, but those who arc tuned in. any day at 2:15 will be re- warded by some smooth organ ma- nipulation, nice violin soloing and a polished reader of verse. Herbert Koch,, organist and long a fixture in several Publix. houses some years back, is currently draw- ing out tunes from a Hammond elec- tric Organ* while waiting for the in- stallation of a new Kilgen iour- nrianual job. . Effect oh the air is pleasant, and the vjoliii work of Charles Hurta, combined with the organ, makes a listenable combina- tion. . Announcer iis Foster, rooks. Com- mercial credits are in good taste^ Brooks lends some variety midway in the stanza via the redtations. Hold. MARGIE ANN KNAPP With Dob Alkcrt Band 3t Mins.—Local Snstafaifaig WHN, New York 'Child prodigies' are nothing new to radio. In judging the vocalizing of a child simulater of adult sing-, ing, the question is projected whether a listener must be mindful, or not, of the singer's extreme youth- fulness. . What percentage of the subject's allure may be credited to youthfulness or to ability? Margie Ann Knapp is 12 years of age. She is a good singer of rhythm songs, but her delivery, due to im- maturity, is mechsinical and her in- terpiretatitm of tunes lacks person- ality warmth. If the fact of her youth is a strong factor then Margie Ann Knapp is superior to ttumerous of her ilk on the air. Oyer.a period.:of-30 minutes on a participating program of or- chestra music provided by .Don Al- bert and his band, at WHN, When caught, youngster sang three songs and pleased in each. Her songs were 'I^m Bubbling Over,' 'September in the Rain,' and *He Ain't Got Rythm,' which should serve as an indicator of her song types. Her. stay on WHN is. under an in- definite arrangement. She is not hew to professional work having ap- peared at hotels and clubs with well- known bands as a guest singer, Shari. CURRENT EVENTS BEE 60 Mins.—Local BROOKLYN EAGLE Saturday,^ May 8 WOR, New York For 22 years the Brookiyri after- noon daily! has been lining up en- tries from 16 Brooklyn high schools and ;making 'em cudgel .their crani- umis to answer questions on current events and general, knowledge. For 14 years the aiihual bee has been broadcast. Last Sat, (8) it didn't prove very interesting, and it. is unlikely that, anyone other than those interested in some participant kept the program tuned. No special effort was made to adapt the quiz to radio. Most of the young 'uns wer^ badly tnike fright-, ened, and Bob Emery, who tossed the" teasers' at 'em, let. the pace lag. Probably no reheai^sals. Questions were. o.k., if rather ele- mentary. Had they been tougher ot more twisted, it would have made fot* stronger listener appeaL fierf. ART McGlNLEY Spoirts Chatter 10 Mlasn Loeal SAVITT JEWELRY CO. Tnes.-Sat., • pja. WTHT, Hartford , Sports ed of Hartford Times, Art McGinley makes, a natural attraction for his paper's air property, WTHT; He's-been around, hot only in press- boxes but ;lh the general fields, iahd his comments show complete pos- session of his materiaL- Preisehtaticm is friendly, smacks of authority and brightened by humor, a r.ombination that spelTi; easy listen ing. Baseball,. of course, dominates script, and since spOnsor exploits a semi-pro club, all the )nore reason. ' Commercials, spotted on both ends, nicely clipped. First airings have found McGinley ruhning over, but statioh doesn't seem to mind. Neither do attenders. Elei JUVENILES ON I^VlEW With Fred; M. Truax; Lorraine Sand- bcrff Variety show 15 Mins.—Local Snstalnhiff Saturday, 11:30 sjn.. KSTP, St. PauL.BUnneapolls ^ St Paul's commissioner of parks and playgrounds, Fred M. Triiax, got the idea several years ago that moppets kept off the streets and steered into various avenues of ar- tistic outlet would do good all around. Talent so developed, by Lorayne Palarine, the commish's production manager, nOw does its stuff throughout the city, at various church and cliib meetings, gratis, and recently made its ether bow. Truax emcees this once weekly KSTP stint and does a :masterly job, with his tyro performers offering vindication of his original hunch. Lorraine Sundberg opens iand closes with a marimbaphone themer, 'When My Dream Boat Comes Home.' Rash. JOE BROWN'S RADIO KIDS Variety 6t Mlniites—Local seebAsco corp. Saturday 11 AJM. WMBG, Richmond An all-kid show, built and ex- pertly m.c'd by a showmanly- adult, Joe Brown, that's ringing the com- mercial bell locally for an ointment marketeer. In its seventh week, it's netting box tops, mail pull, and word-of-mouth comment. Show is put on before audience (about 400) in, the Green Room ,6f the swanky Jefferson Hotel. Aside from ientertainmeht angle, show packs socko appiMl in fine com- petiye spirit of youngstersi Thiey're competing for three popularity prizes. Brown's smooth m.c.ihg sets 'em off right. Bob Mitchell, WMBG's merehan- dise director, credited with tie-iipS to give program gdod-sizfed audi- ence from start. Kiss. 'YOUR PARLOR. PLAYHOUSE' With Bill Bouchey, Jeanne DeLee Rowena Wllllamis, Morton and Mns'^ mano, Lovely Lady Serenaders, Robert Trendler orchestra, Forrest Lewis, Jean Jnblller, Cornelius Peoples, Norman Ross. Variety 30 Mins. LOVELY LADY COSMETICS Sundays, 9:30 p. m. CDST WGN-Mutiial, Chicago (Kittland'Engel) Sunday night air show is framed like a picture house bill. Presumes to present cartoon comedy, n^wsreel, musical, short, novelty, feature, and commercial credit trailers: Too many of the latterj though. . Best part of bill is Robert Trendler orchestra. Work is outstanding, botlfi in cueingv novelty effects, and in spe- cial arrangements for ^elections. Music for cartoon comedy and news- reel spots h6ld; plenty of real atmos- phere for action and songs in each. Weak spot on show is the 'feature.' this timie a dramatic presentation of the Story supposedly behind the song 'Little Old Lady.' While acting was none too. good,: particularly on part of. ingeniie "and character woman, script was mainly at fault; Quickies of this kind have to be Stripped of every thing, except basic emotion ap- peal or they're meamingless. Show needs just a. little more ex- planation before it plunges into itS' routine; on the premiere, the car- toon comedy was almost, over before it could be understood, losing half minute of sparkling: miisic ahd .voicte. ! Copy voices and selections Of pic- ture cartooh stuff ' iare used. :N6Wsreel was played in a more Or less humorous fashion and included a commeircial.plug. ; Musical short was swell. Voices and orchestra blended into a mighty earful, changing, mood, and tempo, with clasis. Of soloists, RoWena Williams came ! through best. Selections .were well' chosen to fit her voice and style, and she was; backed by chorus for a per- fect balance.' Whole show should hit big. Goes 'bver split Mutual from Chicago: ED FITZGERALD St CQ. With Barbara Lam^rr. Sylvia Cyde, Walter Afarcns, Joe Bier SongSi Patter, Band 30 Minutcs-^Local Sustaining Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDST. WOR, ycwark WOR could develop this ona into an. attractive little session if more care were taken with its production. It has three capable singers and a comic Who seems to be finding his., way around, but the whole thing is so crudeily slapped together that the talent's, possibilities are niulEfed.. While the program seeks to project an air of casualness, what it actually- achieves is an air of drowsiness. Barbara Lamarr has What it tonally takes to get behind a torch ditty, Walter Ahrens toys nicely with a romantic lyric arid Sylvia Cyde proves a prima donna well fitted in both voice and charm for operetta- excerpts, but they all go at their tasks with a minimiun of zip and feel for their material. Studio com- bination gives about the same im- pression. Ed Fitzgerald plies the only breezy touch. Though his is cracker-barrel stuff it's humorous. Interlude where he and Joe Bier read the program's fan mail, with pans and praise about equally mixed, could be made mOre pointed by using different sound effects for each, the bell for the puffs and the Chinese gong for the pans. This studio show gets evening spot after daytime break-in. Qdec. Kathryn Cravens Views Nag^s Cincinhatii'May En route to New York frorii the Kentucky Derby at Louisville, Kathryn Cravens ^topped over in Ci^iicy Monday. Did her two CBS. shov^, News Through a Woman's Eye, for Pontiac, via WKRC. 'READIN' AND WRITING' With Bob Provan 15 Mins., Local. Sustaining; Friday, 10 piirn WDRCr HARTFORD Season's etymological vogiie heris refiected. in a feature intended prin- cipally as good-will offering. Idea is strictly, onerihan, loudspeakerites taking place of; contestants brought to mikes in kindred sessions. Bob Provan of WDRC spieling staff stresses station's aim to help listeners spell and pronounce bother- some words. Five Words are pro- nounced and then spelled correctly, with five-second breaks tapped off, and then five words vice versa, until 20 are done. Chatter interpolations sustain interest, and another an- nouncer, Ray Barrett,, comes iri at half for sake of late tuners^ . Hearers at home are expected to score ..theriiselves, fiv6 points for each accUriate response. PrOVan wel- comes audience to* send in items that trouble them. 1 All right for what it i lem. ♦YOUTH SPEAKS' Discs 15 Mins.T-Local Sustaining M.-W.-F.; 4:45 p.m. WJR, Detroit Opinions of college students on current topics are waxed on various Michigan campuses, and taken into Detroit for use on this twice-weekly program. Stunt should prove, popu- lar. •' Interviewing chore tiifned over to a male and femme student from particular college. - On - day caught (28) program briginated from U of Detroit campus, and interviewers kept things moving. Questions in- volved latest stuff about War, arma- ments, student* clothing, love, etc. Answers were terse arid pointed, al- though no rehearsals are. takbn. on prograrii. Pete. HARRIETT WILSON STRINGS (G) With Maureen O'Connor ' 15 Mins. Sustaining Sunday, 10:30 EDST WABC-CBS. New York! Harriett Wilson and her Singing Strings (6) emanate from Hollywood on a quarter hour shot iat 10:30 Sun- day riights, coming on the heels of the Milton Berle program. Latter formerly ran 45 minuties, but now Cut to a half hour, the r6mairiing^l5- mins, are taken up by this dulcet sextet which, as the Singing String.s billing implies; gives out with the syncopation in suave style. Maureen O'Connor is topper vocally, leaning towards the ballads. Arthur GiUmbre announces. A pleas- ant 15 mins, in toto. Abel.