Variety (Oct 1938)

VARIETY JACK BENNY With Mary Livingstone, Kenny • Baker, Phil Harris, Don Wilson Comedy, Songs, Band 30 MIns. JELL-O Sun., 7 p. m. WEAF-NBC, New York (Young & Rubicam) What stood out in Jack Benny's re- entry in the 1938-39 C.A.B. steeple- chase last weekend (2) was the novel way he introduced himself and the members of the^ cast. Each was sketched as hurriedly getting ready for the opening broadcast, and the whole thing added up to an unbroken fusillade of sock laughs. After that it was nip and tuck. , Most of the exchanges earned the usual Benny wallop, but there was one interval that sounded as though the troupe was taking time out to toss a hot potato. But even this doubtful interlude was compensated for. That came with the reading of a wire from Fred Allen, which said that he had heard the Benny program and that motion pictures would con- tinue to be his best entertainment Benny had apparently elected to limit the participants to his perma- nent payroll for the opening install- ment. In addition to Mary Living- stone, Kenny Baker. Phil Harris and the salesman-stooge, Don Wilson, there was the blackface valet, 'Ro- chester,* and the perennial door-rap- per with the quick rib. Among the nifty touches in the script was the foundation laid, for Kenny's British- imported valet. Kenny also contrib- uted added underpinning to his status as one of radio's choice inter-' preters of romantic ditties. His voice and style are still making strides upward. Odec. RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, Octobei^ 5, 1938 'AVALON TIME' With Bed Foley, Kitty O'Neii, Neigh- bor Boys, Andrews Sisters, liel King, Phil Davis Orch. 30 Mins. AVALON CIGARETTES •Satarday; 6 p.m. WMAQ-NBC, Chicago (RusseU M. Seeds) New show for this Brown & Wil- liamson product is aimed right down ;the middle for the" potential cus- tomers for the chea{)er priced ciga- rette. It shapes as a slightly sophis- ticated barn dance, but stiU retains th^ basic appeal of the hillbilly type .of entertainment. It shapes up as an excellent set-up for the product ahd should smack over the bulk of Saturday night listeners. " They have built this show, well, ■with-the talent following "a set' plan •'towards a ireal "goal. They are home folks and tuneful, and, their comedy is broad and full of come-into-the- .kitchen quality. .Foley typifies the entire show with his semi-hill-billy and western yodeling, warbling his ,iMX!.e^ with a family-circle intonation that wraps itself around the radio in the parlor. < Kitty O'Neii, sub-billed as the *Laugning Lady,' is boisterous- anc unrestrained in' her comedy, with .the continuous belly laugh helping to sell most of her 'gags, "whether funny or not. For the strictly home .touch there are theh Neighbor. Boys who sing not too religious hymns. An drews Sisters are on for the guest appearance on the initial network show, and had" to finish off with the tune that clicked for .'em, 'Bei Mir Bist du Shoen.' The age of a song doesn't make any difference on this show, as long as it is melodious and figures to entertain the listeners, This is a wise approach to the radio entertainment problem, and the rro duction on this show evidences wise decisions throughout the program Davis orchestra is good, with ar- rangements that go in for lilt anc lightness rather than smartness or sophisticated discords. All in' all, show that figures to .entertain the great bulk of radio' listeners, even thou.eh the so-called ultra set may pass it up as cross-roads stuff. Gold. *VOX POP' With Wallace Butter worth. Parks -Johnson Graham McNamee 30 Mfns. , PENN TOBACCO Saturday, 9 p. m. WEAF-NBC, New York (Ruthrauf & Ryan) Starting out for'Penn,Tobacco Co. • (Kentucky Club pipe sniol^in.i? tobac- co), -Johnson' and Butterworth- totfed their portable .setup -into Radio City, N. Y., Saturday (30) night, ostensibly: to "Vox Pop some- 6ut-of-towners. Two inquisitors intend bringing one guest star to the program each week.' and launched " that end virith Al Schacht) once half of basebair$ funny team of Altrock and. Schacht. He answered queries and revealed inti- mate details of locker room baseball. Also plugged himself and future laugh-.getting antics which he intends transferring to the gridiron this fall. Session was light and hum-orous in spots! and occasionally worked plugs for Kentucky Club into the .iuggling of questions and aswers. One par- ticularly funny crack topped the vox popping when a guest was tossed a question about having temporary teeth whdn he was young. What the query was leading up to was lost when he ■ came back with 'I've got temporary ones now.' Johnson and Butterworth. seemed freshened and bandied cracks 'with verve. Graham McNamee handled the cbmmercials, some of which were I»retty long winded, but not too irri- • tating. BURNS AND ALLEN With Frank Parker, Ray Noble, Paul Douglas Comedy, Songs, Band 30 Mins. CHESTERFIELD Friday, 8:30 p.m. WABC, New York (Newell-Emmett) Debut of George Burns and Gracic Allen under the Chesterfield banner last Friday (30) marked the begin- ning of their seventh consetfulive year on American networks. It's their fourth commercial, with each change having been accompanied by a substantial boost in salary. What they've got still represents one of adio's choicest pieces of entertain- ment property. Team's initial pro- gram was a darb from every angle. It was saturated with sock laugh ma- terial, smartly rounded out with the high level of musical fare that goes with Frank Parker and Ray Noble and adroitly riveted together with good production sense. In the past production has been one of B & A s short suits. Routine remains unchanged. Gags for each occasion have a flashback theme (the opening one dealing with a trip to Honolulu) and they're all fashioned to fit Miss Allen's screw- ball personality. Noble is back, dou- bling with his Piccadilly accent and joke interpolations, while Parker s stooge innings are founded upon his embarrassing encounters with blind dates. George Burns takes as much pains in piloting these side comedy episodes as he does with the passages jetween himself and Miss Allen. Parker, successor to Tony Martin on the show, has all that it takes to make the femme addicts of the B & A entry look forward to his vocal interludes. His selection of numbers was uniformly sound. Until the show goes west the plug dishing assignment will be Paul Douglas'. The copy oozes with luxury phraseology. They're rich and aro- matic. They make smoking a de- lightful, pleasure. They're more soothing than any tobacco youve ever smoked; and, to say the least, they're refreshingly mild. Odec. VOICES OF YESTERDAY Talk 15 Mins. Sustaining Thursday, 8:45 p.m., EDST WHN, New York The pages of time were turped back 38 years Thursday night (15) when, a chapter in political history, there rung once more the silver tongue of William Jennings Bryan The voice recording of Bryan, made in 1901 by Thomas Alva Edison, bridged the hiatus from that day to this with a timely, four-minute warning on an imperialistic universe. Btyan's voice recording was the first in a series to be aired over WHN; New York, through 'Voices of Yesterday.' To follow will be Theo- dore Roosevelt, P. T. Batnum, Edison, John Wanamaker, Sarah Bernhardt, Robert E. Peary,. William McKlnley, Andrew Carnegie, James Whitcomb Riley, William Taft, and others. Most of the voices in the collection have been, obtained from crude wax cylindeirs and old phonograph records.- Then, with a comparatively recently-inventpd apparatus, they w.ere transferred to modern discs. Dramatization of incidents leading up to Bryan's speech was done by studio players. Dealt with the United States* annexation of the Philippines. 7REDBIC MARCH I KATE SMITH HOUR Stronger Than Steel.* With Lnrene With Cornelia Otia Skinner, Eddy Tuttle, Bill Boyle, Elliott Lewis, Charles Lung ,Lec Millar, John Conte, Conrad Nagel, Felix Mills orchestra 30 Mins. INTERNATIONAL SILVER Sunday, 6 p.m. s WABC-CBS, New York {Young & Rubicam) This is a-second year pre-Christ- mas return for International Silver Duchln, Ted. Strestcr Choir, Ab- bott and Costello. Jaok Miller Or- chestra, Ted Collins 60 Mins. SWANSDOWN-CALUMET Thursday, ,8 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York (YouTifiT & Ruhicam) Here peY-haps is the season's best opportunity to point out that radio runs are lengthening into radio ca- With the same story-telling formula reers. Kate Smith is going into her as developed by Young & Rubicam -eighth yetir. In that time she. has last season* And with nice enter- grown from a single singer into an tainment results as judged by the organization with shares, staff, side- first playlet, 'Stronger Than Steel,'| lines, by-products and legends. And bearing in mind that 25 minutes with an intermission is a short | course for a full gallop. Narrative unfolded quickly and tightened in short order to tautness. coincidental with the picking up of the threads after the summer layoff, her autobiography has just appeared in book form. Present at the re-christening last It was. in final essence, a clash of Thursday Were old standbys and wills between a man and a girl, fresh items. Accent the fresh when Which was good narrative even be- mentioning the character, Henry Al- fore Shakespeare wrote 'The Tam- dridge, adolescent protagonist of a ing of the Shrew.' w j George Abbott hit. who is brought Fredric March played the hard- .to life on stage and in the air by boiled engineer believably. and re- Ezra Stone. This male brat, on the ceived stout assistance by Miss Tut- threshold of an electric razor. Is a tie in the femme lead. Conrad champ annoyer-at-large. With natu- Nagel _is Jhe curtain-raiser,_a^_la | ral. homey, familiar dialog the Cecil B. DeMille. cial stuff. Usual commer- Land. Aldrlch series of domestic caric- atures should fit in nicely with a radio program selling things to put into cakes and biscuits. Was -heard previously during the. summer on the Vallee show. Cornelia Otis Skin- ner, who is booked quite frequently for the variety line-ups, did her Ann Boleyn with that richly embroidered detail that builds such strong illu- sion. It was an interlude of distinc- tion. There was.. a lot of voltage- HER HONOR, NANCY JAMES' With Barbara Weeks, Joe Curtin, Ned Weaver, Alice Reinhart Seri:Ll 15 Mins. KLEENEX Daily, 12:15 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York (Lord fit Thomas) As serials go, this one does in a promising, wallop-packing way. It harnessed Kate Srpith singing, a pro^ appears to know what they want gram temoo that was crisp, the nut and to give it to 'em. It's a woman stuff of Abbott and Costello (who against the world. She is good, are building) and a choir that re- sweet, kind, wonderful. Others, not fleeted in its ultra effects a willing- delineated in installment one, will to-rehearse history. Eddy Duchin play the deep black to her pure made thf( keyboard glow as soloist, white. Nancy James (Barbara Jack Miller was the baton-wielder, Weeks) seems a cinch to clean up as usual. the big bad city, but to have a lot And this was one opening night of tense broadcasts in the process. (that was 'ready.' Nobody had to Love, too, is just around the corner, sauirm in sympathy with the oer- Sly hints of what to expect were formers. It had been cut, edited, given out. paced and laid out to get its results Two things presuppose popularity i -i—^^-^ -• j. .l , starting immediately. One, the show is written by David Victor and Herbert Little. Jr., who make it sound real, and it's directed by Basil Loghrane, who ties it to- gether with professional authority 130 Mins and keeps the heart-beats even. Sec- | NOXZEMA ond, there is, implicit in the theme, a little more realism (albeit coated with gobs of sentimentality) than daytime serials usually dish out. There are social elements, dissatis Land. PROF. QUIZ (CRAIG EARL) Question-Answer Bee Saturday, 8:30 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York 'Quiz' has been running along some time now. New sponsor is Noxzema. . ... . , ^■^.t • ^ - I ^fiw, if any, changes in the program's faction with graft and politicians in form since it was flrst presented, the story. And the attack is to be originally a horn toot signalled a toward a broad-scale humanitarian- contestant's misstep, but that's been J.1>Hi"'wm,?? wh5^1?"th^ '^^^^J'^l dropped-probably because of the out- l^^ln «^ mi. 1. Sfl ?m ^^^^'^^^ moded amateur tang it lent. Ques. ^?n° \^fho?® J«r^c fAc"^; i,,.v.,m tions arc of a wider variety, cover In other words, this is hokum ...Uftr, nt,y,au* ti \ diluted with realism; social preachy h.J J,tJI,nprctn inI?i«^^o^^^^^ ment hitched to action. And .tha? SSv^H"i?rthrni?n^^^^^ requiring ought to be a paying formula. Ed I -^^^^"^ thinkmg, Wolf offlce produces for Lord & Thomas and Kleenex. Barbara Weeks is Nancy James." She suffers from scratch. In fact, she endangers .her health from suf- fering.' She throws short "passages Delivery of queries Is made in a smooth,' easy mannerby the Profes- sor, and'he eases the sting of reject- ing an incorrect answer with an. af- fable Tm afraid not.' He's quite lenient, too, with partly correct re BOB HOl>E With Jer^y Colonna, SkUinay Ennis, Ponstanoe Bennett Six Hits and a Miss 30 Mins. PEPSODENT Tuesday, 10 p. m. WEAF-NBO, New York (Lord & Thomas) That small speck going over the centre field; fence is the four-bagger Bob Hope whammed out on his first time at the bat for Pepsodent. If he can keep up the pace he'll get as much word-of-mouth for 1938-39 as Edgar. Bergen got for 1937-38. He sounded like success all the way. Hope must have been trying, be- cause the script sl^owed plenty of thought. But it's his particular gift not to seem to be trying. And that's a great psychological aid. It sugr gests wearing qualities. Hope has one knack—even when he introduces a 'olot* or . a 'situation! he never takes'either seriously and never gets tangled'up with anything that is merely plot and not gag. Let him show over a period of time that he can duplicate and the other comics will be lending a jealous ear. Those situational boys have tended with the passage of time to back themselves into the machinery. They don't -run the plot, the plot chase's them. Or, maybe; we're neglecting the writers. -Whoever he or them is/ are, house rules allow an extra bow. Jerry Colonna, who is making a career out of being terrible, is off- keying for Pepsodent as Hone's chief stooge. He's an artist at being in- artistic and his prolonged high note falsetto as he staggers full tilt into 'Mandalay' and what-not may catch on. Particularly with the kids. Constance Bennett was the lady in the case for the opener. She was strictly for gagging. And it was amusing ^ippancy. Feather-light and pushea by a breeze. Commercials were intelligently in- tegrated with the program and Hope was deferential With that kidding- the-one-we-love trick of the funny- men. It was. modern in self-mock- ing, but never so engaged in mirth as to forget that keeping the breath scented With Pepsodent is a serious matter (see minutes. Board of Direc- tors). Musical tie-:togethers nicely done. Although there was one bit of sing- ing that historically rates as serious, but seemed at the time to be work- ing up to a comedy break-dowrt. Maybe it's best not to go into that. It was a good radio show. La7id. over the line with a voice that is Ui^'^^l' e^ving 25 and 50% awards, tremolo, quavery, brave, determined f eside being aimed at studio con- in turn. .She's a settlement house f^stants, inquiries are a natural chal Sarah Bernhardt. If the housewives ^^^^e to listening audiences, don't eat up this drama they've been . ^° fireside hearers, there are moiled by. listening to Hans von "V® *25 prizes awarded each week Kaltenborrt. Land. I *be best sets^of questions mailed CURTIS NICHOLSON •My Error' Guessing Contest 20 Mins; Local Sustaininer Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. WEVD, New York New derivation of team guessing contest, ° tagged radio basketball game, is an enterprising effort for a local station." Curtis Nicholson, who authored game, conducts it and might have a gpod entry to the long procession of audience or'team par- ticipation..contests if given a little more cooperation from production crew.. , • . Idea is to' have male and femme team's of five'persons "each compete, with two points couriting for each correct answe;r, bell registering . counters. • For. this^isbow, .contestants vvere from .Ft. Lee high school. Game is divided into periods -and basket hall idea also is' carried out in Referee" Nicholson counting up. to three before going on to the next question. Interrogations as rule were well setected. Climax is elimination of remaining guessers to pick champ. ' Nicholson handles contest smoothly despite apparent trouble with his aides. Most obvious one was failure to register 'baskets' by bell ringing promptly, thereby slowing up tempo of show. Wear, JACK ARMSTRONG Juvenile Serial 15 Mips. WHEATUEIS Mon.-Fri., 5,30 p.m. WEAF-NBC, New York. (Blackett-Sample-Hummert) Back for the fourth season, Jack Armstrong' is still doing his AU- Ameri-Boying in dizzy, far-fetched fashion. Basic characters are the same. It's the locale only that's dif- ferent.' Jack, Billy, Betty and Uncle Jim are now adventuring in .Zanzi 3ar. ' Menace in the current batch of scripts is 'Blackbeard' Flint ahd the supposed exotic touch in the charac- ter group revolves around a native, Cozoriiodo, who has a monkey wit^. mischievous inclinations.. . S.kuldug ♦CARICATURES IN RHYTHM' With Harry Rcser orchestra, Dorothy Rochelle, Barry McKlnley, Tune Twisters 30 Mins. Sustainlnir Tuesday, 8 p. m. WJZ-NBC, New York • Pleasant sustainer that. brings in rtice orchestral music by.. Harry Reser and eaf-«asy warbling by NBC staffers. There's a quiz stunt, kinda vague in conception and' blunted in impact on the consciousness of lis- teners. Lend. in and used. Blanks are obtained from the wrappers of any Noxzema product, which covers shaving cream to anti-burn lotion, a fact that's tersely and clearly explained by Bob Trout of CBS Special events who handles the commercials and other necessary explanations. 'NO SCHOOL TO)&AY' Wltl^ Arthur Fields, . Fred Hall, ill Steinke, the Mountaineers 30 Mins. Slistainingr Saturday, 11 a. m* WiBAF, New York App'arently this stanza is intended foSr the j lives, but it also' hits a 'slaiit in'.the direction of the rube comedy addicts. ; Genera! setup of '.tlje, show; gery and hairbreath escapes arie as 1 is on the hayseed variety side, with, rife and fantastic as ever, with the ibiUbilly style .vocal, . orchiestra, whole thing" shrouded in a strange,' mouth-organ and jew's-harp music, makiebelieve. World, of its own. ' 'plus Pumpkin Crossing general store Quarter - hour is still opened and brand of comedy and a scattering of, ciQ?ed-With a vocal query,'^ave yOti crackpot .news items. That 'No tried Wheaties?' apd the refrain SchoOl Today* tab may pull young about the product's extraordinary listeners, but • it seems doubtful if body-building powers. This theme is juvenile • America will pass up the likewise the announcer's with ear- corner. baU Tame, roller skating, etc., pounding assurances that it's the to hang on the dial. , breakfast of champions and that it's Flaw in the setup is the helter- eaten by the best athletes and the skelter form of the show. Fields top men in all fields of sport. Odec. | and Hall engage" in a running fire of WORLD PEACEWAYS FORUM Talk 30 Mins.—^Monday, 9:00 p.m. Snstalnlne WQXR, New York Peace plea comes right in on the tail of Czech partition. Makes-thje Rossibilitie;? of .such a program greater -than ever before. Peace- ways has been trying for three years now to interest average listeners via .various forms . of radio. Has used municipal station WNYC and WMCA and is again working on those two outlets to augment alternating. Mon- day night setup on so-c£(Jled class station WQXR. . It al^o feeds its World Observer script to any and all stations accepting it for free. Peaceways also intends going into the electrical transcription end to attain its purpjose. Platters, likewise, would be distributed to stations gratis. Greater scope is sought also with .e.t.s possibly going to Latin America as well. They are already servicing papers there. Speakers "on the Oct. 3 session seemed to confine their peace to America.- While- discussing Europe, an analysis of talks by Dr. Henry M. McCrackeh, president of Vassar Col- lege; Maj. George F. Eliot and Df. Max Weis, - research director of Peaceways seemed to forget the world 'and worry more about- their own backyard. .Speakers advocated 'big Navy' stuff, hands off Europe at- .titiide.. Obviously. Peaceways didi)|t attempt ■. to"- -influence prepared speechies of guests, who sounded very -nationalistic. : Military guest was particularly stroiig oh these points. • Hurl.. offhand (occasional bits may even be ad-lib) chatter and broad jokes. There's not much tc distinguish their voices and they neglect to identify themselves frequently [enough by referring to each Other •WiE WANl? A TOUCHDOWN' With George Trevor, Bill Slater 30 Mins. Thursday-^9:30 p.m. WOR-MUTUAL, New York A seasonally interesting program I by name, of the quiz breed. Takes form of a Besides the jew's-harp and mouth pigskin puzzle, pitting two alumni organ offerings the vocal numbers groups of different colleges in a brain run toward the 'I Got a Pretty Gal,' game laid out in form of grid fracas. *Yes, Pappy, Yes,' and 'When Old Boys rep schools which are to meet Bill Plays His Old Jew's-Harp' brand on following Saturday. of songs. Bill Steinke, billed as Program is well written by Trevor 'Jolly Bill the News Man,' unlimbers and Gene. Stafford. Former is sports a flock of goofy, though authentic, writer .for. New York Sun. - They news items, with comments con- know their stuff—rperhaps too well, cocted to hit the juve trade. .1 Contains some smart writing for con- Show would have considerably, sistent atmosphere and little humor more appeal if it wero more com ' other than a couple obvious gag I pactly written and produced plants. Hurt. I tiobe GEORGE'HAMILTON COMBS Commitentaior 15 Mins.—Local Sustaining: Daily, 7:30 pjn. WHN, New York This -comparatively young com- mentator wears his background well. Elected the youngest Congressman (age 25) from Kansas City in 1927 he later went tO the National Labor Re- lations Board and has since entered law practice in New York. Says via radio .he won't stay in radio unless given free rein in candor. Tlegarded as a New Dealer none of this was detected in discourse caught which dealt with European situation in a different way. •On six days weekly he's now fed to the newly created Empire State network of which WHN is originat- ing station. He's a personality boy, projecting himself right through the mike with a fine oratorical and pulsy voice.' • Selection ' of language is colorfulr timing good and he gets plenty o£ emotion into his talk. Uses a lot of quotes, personal and printed, but also manages to get his opinion and analysis into the picture. Hurl.