Variety (Jun 1939)

VARmtY RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday* June 7, 1939 •BT KATHLEEN NOBBIS' Serial dimnut 15 Mlns. Lenl BISQVICiK (Genenl MUb) Dally, 1:<S p. m. KTW, Philadelphia (Knox-ReetJM) This is a 13-week test campaign bt a new show employing dramatiza- tions of popular Kathleen Norrls novels. Show is pumped to KYW from NBC studios in New Yorlt. Writing and production is by Phillips K Lord, Inc., but the Utie 'By Kath- leen Norrls' will suggest to listeners she actually writes the radio scripts. Mrs. Norris is the author of some 60 books and hundreds of short stories and serials for magazines and syndication. Her »• jne is deemed box office. This is the- first time her work has been adapted to radio. Al- though there were some doubtful pe- cidlarities as heard Monday on the getaway, if the show holds up to the iterest of the initial stanza—short- ened by considerable explanatory ^terlal—it offers hope for some- thing better than much of the cur- rent daytime script drivet First novel to be ethered Is 'Wom- an in Love.' No indication was given of how many episodes it will be di- vided into.. It is the story of a young girl, just out of convent school, and her tribulations with her family—all broke and broken down actors— when she falls in love. Ijocale is San Francisco, home lot of Kathleen and Charles Norris, both novelists. Tee-off was neatly done except for the unxisual procedure of the char- acters slipping out of their roles to address the "radio audience* directly wlth 'baduround material.: Inasmudi as the backgroimd provided was eas- ily gathered from the script it seemed unshowmanly and a needless tech- nique. Introduction, by a voice sub- bing for Mrs. Norrls, and the en- trance fit the principal character was well handled. Commercials were considerably shorter than usual daytime brand— the usual practice for the first time out Herb. •OBDEB OF ADVENTDBEBS' With Admiral Blohard E. Byrd, CoL Theodore Baosevelt, Dr. Bey Chap- muk Andrews, Lowell Thomas, Cspt Faux Bebenberg StiBIIns. Sttalntng' Monday, 8 b. m. - WJZ-imc, New York This program's a natuiaL Built somewhat along the lines of the Floyd Gibbons idea of culling the countiT tvt adventure'stories, it has the advantage ol the reservoir ol close calls undoubtedly experienced by most of the above cast of explor- ers, travellers and gadabouts. Idea is to have listeners write to the Adven- turers and detail their experiences. win be selected for airings with the writer making a personal ap- pearance. Issued to those accepted, as Club insigntai are gold buttons. On the initial alrlnS (5), beside a tale miked by a memb», two guests were on t^. First was Vincent Sheehan, foreign correspondent for the Chicago fribune, and Howard Keys, soldier from Fort Totten, Bay- side, L. I. Sheean recounted his ex- perience of December, while trying to fulfill an' imtornient to in- terview Ab-dd-hifan, BiSten rebel leader in Spanish Morocco. Keys told of rescuing two women itoxa a sight- seeing trip up an Hawaiian semi- active volcano. BoOt were hair- raisers. Roy Andrews told of nearly freezing to death in a situation in Asia. Tales are. made doubly effective through the make-belienng iA an excellent cast which dramatizes the guests' stori^ And the snilne-tin- gllng musical backgroimd of the or- chenra directed ^ Jostnh HontL {^liarles Warburton scr^ts. Ben Crauer announces. Entire 30 minutes, as far' as Byrd and Co. Is concerned is Inftwmai, it being made dear early that no titles were to be used. ifMiitng is rife and seems spontaneous. P. S. WhUte USaSar the stories the epedcer has to sit In a chair said to be once owned hy Marco Polo. R communicates mystic qoalUIes of hn- aglnatlOD. 'WHEN A GIBL WABBIES' With |iAb Baby, Noel Hills, Frances Weodbary, Bd Jerome, Michael FItzmanrlce, Irene Winston, loan letiel IS Mh>9. PBCDENTIAL INSOBANCE Dally, 2:45 pan. WABC-CBS, New York (Benton & JSowles) Insurance, long high on the list of missing radio business, shows a dis- position to bestir itself, partly be- cause it has been taking a bad drub- bing from so-called radio 'counsel- lors' who are telling the public quite frankly that any advice- from an In- surance axent is biased and unre- liable. There are two types of policy singled out for attack—one, the endowment, and two, the'indus- trial. This radio program ballyhoos the industrial-type with weekly pre- miums (25c is mentioned) so that it is possible to know from the com- mercial copy that the program is in- tended to please 'D* and 'E* homes. Seldom does casual listening to a serial furnish tlte reviewer such a clear clue to what aod who the spon- sor is driving at Obviously, 2Sc-a- week burial insurance (|6d0 benefit) >laces this one very accurately in ncome and I.Q. level; and the enter- tainment as sucli, may, for once, be judged in proper focus. 'Wtien A Girl Marries' seems more than likcjy to please a large diare of tite atidience at wliom it is beamed via some 50-odd CBS statitms.. It is hoke from a master-hand, Elaine Sterne Carrington. And as acted and directed it ke^s the emotional pitch in simple, unmistakable terms. If it was. a tune, a diild cotdd wbisUe it The episode caught had 'our set' in a small' town gathered at dinner to hear the announcement of the en' gagement of Joan and Pliil. Mean' while, Joan has taken a sudden shine to a newcomer to town, one Harry. Harry doesn't know she's en- gaged. The triangle permits glimpses through the trellis-work of a domi- neering mama who is not going to let daughter ditch the rich guy to marry a noliody. And there's a mama and a 16-year-old brother of Harry for whom the poor guy is flnanciallv responsible. Love t>eglns its first 13 weeks with social, sexual, family, dass and meddlesome com- plications. Oh, yes, the poor young man works for Josin's father. There is a sort of plaufjible realism to the heavily-plotted story. The characters are clearly dra-wn to fit the 72-point letters in which eadi is labeled. The babble at the dinner table was easy to follow. In fact the program possessed a thorouahly professional fluidity. JmrA. ELLIOTT BOOSEVELT Commentator 15 Mlns. EMBBSON KADIO T-T-S; 7:15 pjn. . WOB-HBS, New York President's son has been doing a commentary over Texas state net- work, of which he is head, for two years. Under Emerson radio spon- sorship he now goes on Mutual coast to coast Radio career man of the first fam- ily speaks well, a tribal custom. His tone timber is very similar to his famous dad's. Devoting most of his time to in- troducing himself to new listeners and explaining that he intended to put future tense, i.e. prophecy, into the news Roosevelt did not on his Saturday, hearing (3),. give a very concrete example of what he him- self said his talks would be like. He alluded to the Jews stranded on the German liner and the sudden outbreak of piety in H^de Park. His most significant remarks and the only eyebrow-raiser of the starter was his frank drumrthumping for John Nance Gamer as president in 1940. He said parenthetically there would tie free Emerson radios as prizes for tlie' best letter sent him on topics of the day and one of the topics of the day was whether any president sltould serve a third term. Roosevelt handles the commercials himself a la Boake Carter, hcmi. ■NEWS AND BHYTHH' With Todd Hunter, Dave Bacal, Carl Hohengarten oroh. 30 Mlns. DABI-BICH (Bowey's, Inc.) Sunday, 11 ajn. W^C-CBS, New York ~ rSt«icfc-GobeJ) With Dave Bacal and the Carl Hohengarten orchestra occupying most of this 30-mlnute morning siesta and Todd Hunter doing his familiar radio reporting, ttiis new show from Chicago (WBBM) stacks up well despite too heavy thumping for the chocolate drink. Hunter's reporter stint covers 'freak' type of yarns and humorous events culled from the ticker. No late flash matter. Style he employs in reading odd tales puts 11 over. His effectiveness is considerably reduced by ha-ving to- spiel commercials too frequently while Tommy Bartlett announcer. Is silent Bacal lends color to the musical portion with his novachord instru- mentalizlng of Deep Purple' and mnnet in Jazz.' Topflight entry for this'music. Hohengarten's crew of 16 (CBS outfit) carries along nicely between Hunter's tall tales and Bacal. WeoT; XBTTEBS TO THE PUBLIC' With Bany Hine^ BiU Miller, Hans Kolaar, Bebble Sehwan and Ids Belter 15 Hlnst—Local UNITED CHABTTIES, INC. Sunday, 10:30 WEW, St. Loots Interrupting the routine of its weekly 'Letters to the Public' series to make a contribution to Memorial Day in the shape of a gripping drama the moral of which was a vigorous preadmient against war and its dire consequences. United Charities, Inc., sponsor of the series, uncovered a talented juve whose performance makes him worthy of further sur- veillance. Barry Mineah, cast as 'Bobby' son of a world war veteran who finally succumbs to injuries, en- acted bis role with the zing of a vet and was an outstander. The story deals with a meeting, after death, between Jack' Mclntyre, an American, and Hans Mueller, a German whom he bayonetted to death in a shell hole into wliich he wandered when lost in a battle, Bobby, Mclntyre's son, in a dream, is present at the meeting in the celestial realm and participates in the conversation that finally results in Mueller for^ving Mclntyre and the latter exacting a promise from his son that he will devote his energy in fighting the forces that cause war with its resulting death and misery to combatants and non-coml>atan6 alike. The horror angle was reduced to a minimum. Script -written by Rol>ert called for lots of throat and was produced cou' Harry E, McCiain pro- Sahu. ED EAST'S 'NAME IT AND TAKE IT' Kid Novelty 30 Mins^aeal DB. BBOWN'S CEL-B-T Friday, S pja. WJZ, New York ■ CHumbert & Jones) This looks a cinch to do a bang- up job for the beverage and to ex- tend beyond the present single mar- ket experiment Ed East has. fash- ioned a program with surefire ele- ments both as to entertainment and merchandizing. To the basic for- mula which had a bright approach and a practical simplicity. East; 'veteran broadcaster and vaude- villian, brings a hard-bitting, un- remitting pressure that buoys up the proceedings and skillfully obviates any pauses or lapses. His handling throughout was a near-classic exam-, pie of a radjio performer putting his heart into the job. It had aU the tautness of a performance at the old Palace. Strictly for kids, the program of- fers » slick way to stir up whole- some excitement among them. Many adults will be amused. The pronam a quiz with a difference. Eadli child pidcs a package (of varying sizes). East reads a jingle which hints at the contents, of the paclcage. If the kid guesses correctly he gets the ctmtenta, plus a silver doflar, >lus two bottles of Cel-rey. If fati- ng there's 25c for effort and two Iwttles. of Cel-rey. The program bespoke much Uiougiit and i»eparauon. TJttere was attention to small 'details and shrewd calculation. The boxing gloves foe example, was the one prize that most completely capti' vated the kids. Whereupon Capt Eddie (as East is called), exploited the spiritual yen of the kids. Bottle caps can be added up to swap for a similar set of nose-massagers. Pro pam represents a consistently tight >ut never forced integration of the prize t>alt with the program fun. There are several light interpola- tions. East evoked comedy hisses and boos when asking 12-year olds what their favorite baset>all team was. Some said the Dodgers, oUters ttte Giants. In each case there was an explosion of partisan feeling from the audience. All very amus- ing: and lively. In mid-program a. singing bee with specially written lyrics brought some good clean diversion as a lireather. (The big studio at NBC is used.) Here, as in the jhtgles, the note of preparation and effort de- serves- social commendatiim. The only picayune flaw that might be mentioned was Capt Eddie's slight tendency to over-use tlie word 'now* in starting sentences. That could get monotonous. Nora Sterling, radio old-timer, is assisting East oh the program. It lookslike they have come through with a bull's-eye. Land. Schulman tightenhig vfncingly. duced. •LETTEBS BOBir (Frm Fair) With Bay Peifete, BeieB B. BeueM, 15 WBSTINOBOVSE Sunday, S:<5 fA. WJZ-NBC, New Ywk Westinghouse ^ipears to have solved the problon of keepiitf Its name and elaborate exhIUt buflding at the New York fair before the gubUc with this show. And also ulld constdeieble goodwill witii out- of-town visitors. Sunday session brings four new letter-writing win- oiers before the mike eadi 'wed; briefly delivers its message and still manages to be entertaining. Four most interesting 'letters home' weekly mean $15 for the epistle scribler and same for the recipient Then the best letter re^d on the air splits $60 In same way. Bay Perkins^ piano-playing, shtger and punster, well suited to mx., aided by H^en K Bennett as his assistant postmaster. Perkins handles the winners at^IUy and with mini' mum of by-play. Besides pIul the fair, the Westlnghouse buil( _ at the exposition Is held up to radio listeners as a 'must visit* spot Hilton Cross spiels. Wear. FOLLOW-DP COMMENT •AFFAIBS OF ANTHONT aawtlc Serial U BUn. SusiaiBliig Dally, 5d* fja. WJZ-NBC, New York WMtten. l^ a Milwaukee advertis- ing -woman, Sandra Michael, and presented from NBC's Clilcago t«andi under the direction of Wimn Wtlght this sentimental piece con- cerns Anthony Marleybone Hamil- ton, an orphan . who discovers he ain't Serial 'was tried out by NBC last year and is back for another .tiy. It.rates the opportuni^ for It lias been done quite nicely in the realm of radio small-town &mily dramatics. The episode reviewed was con- cemed witt the Interview wherein the Mphan learned from a lawyer he was ttie heir to the Marleybone acres. It then jumped to the old homestead where the maiden aunts and their eccentric housemaid, Baker, got the news and tipped <m that they are fine old chips out of the G«ae Strattoh-Porter block. Eccentrics,, with hearts of water- melon size, they're a cinch to adore the reappearing Tony Marleylione, lost son of their beloved brother, It would seem milHons of average Americans would find the goings-on and the people worth Imowing. Nicely acted and produced. Land. NBC blue network has launched a novelty audience participation prO' gram, also ushig professional per- .formers. It's called 'The Order of Adventurers.' Leslie Bain brought the idea into the house and. is its director. George Ludluih handles scripting and Roy Maypole the re- search. An NBC house band back- grounds. A jury judges the tales told by ad- venturers. Admiral Byrd, Col. Theo- dore Roosevelt Lowell "niomas, Capt Felix Riesenberg and Roy Chapman Andrews iare the present jury. Pro fessional actors handle flashback dramatizations of the adventures re- ported by the guest personages. Vincent Sheean, the novelist and Howard Keys, a private in the U. S, Army, spun autobiographical yarns on the getaway Monday (5). Program sits its adventurers in the Marco Polo chair (guaranteed au- thentic). MATTY HALNECK OBCHESTBA 15 Mins. PALL MALL Thursday, 7:1S pjn.. WABC-CBS, New York (Ywng & .RuMcam) Matty Malneck, alumnus of Paul Whiteman and now conducting a dance orchestra on the Coast brings to PaU Mall a summer quarter hour which wiU give ttiat cigaret an 'in' with the small circle to whom ex- ee^vely stylized music appeals. It does not seem that Malneck's cross- ruffed melody quallfles as the'com- mon denominator of large segments of the masses. Swing' in classification but not the kind of jnnming that usually passes under that name. Rather the Mai. neck stuff impresses as musical ex- ' ] lerlmentatlon. Leader has advance fleas. No doubt at that He is per- sonally ambitious to plow new fur- rows. But just now over the air and for the average ear the results carry a question mark. The listener is ever-consctous of the instruments rather than the music, the arrangements and tech- nique rather than any sense of pleas- - ure or any tendency to surround to a mood. Musicians and advanced meml>ers of the cult of hot jazz may fancy ttie game of ring-round-rosie which the lAalnedc violin, accordion, guitar, harp. bass, piano and tlmpam play on familar airs, The question is not whether be does what he- does well, or otherwise, but whether it's likely to appeal to people, what kind and how many. Land. Floyd Boberts, by an ironic twist in a broadcast from Indianapolis during the Voice of Firestone pro- gram over NBC the night before he met death in a triple crash on the Speedway, said hfs children and their playmates would be gathered around the radio home in Van Nuys, CaL, and this was one of the rea- sons he wanted to repeat -the victory (unexpected) in the 1938 500-mile classic. Roberts stated his young- sters would feel proud on hearing of their father's victory. He also wanted to win for Mrs. Roberts. Toward the end of the rather lengtliy cut-in. Roberts mentioned that he used Firestone tires not only in' racing, but on his private car and truck because he wished to take no unnecessary chances 'with the safety of my wife and children.' Day following the race news serv- ices ran lengthy stories from ttie sob angle which were picked up and dramatized on the air. JACK BEBCH and OBCHESTBA Transcriptions 15 MlnSs GVLF SPBAY Wcd.^Frl., 1 P. M. WGY, Schenectady (YouRff & Rubicam) Bercti, who has warbled with _ small ordiestra on daytime house- hold product networkers. Is doing same type program on discs cut by Assodated Music of N. Y. Recorded spiels are for Gulf Spray, moth kiUer; station blurbs include Gulf gas and oil. Main aim apparently is at women listeners, who should find Berch's entertainment to their liking. He posseses a fair tenor voice and uses it well. Standard numliers and older pops are given a play. In' dicating audience visualized is well past the jitterbug stage. Even the orchestra includes yesteryear favor- ites. In addition to singing, Berch dialogs with Announcer Johnny King. A breezy, light comedy touch is sought Berch, of likeable per- sonality, leans to the intimate in his approach. Band is not large enough to make a sharp impression, but suffices. At signoff, an area dealer's name is mentioned. A dothes brush offer is made on the spray, price tabbed^ Nothing remarkable on these plat- ters, but for talent money spent results should be okay. Jaco. WOBLD'S FAIR BEPOBTER With Boss Johns Talk 15 Mins.; Local Snslainlng Dally, 6:15 p. m. WNYC, New York Besides being information there's lots of swell human interest report ing in this daily quarter-hour. The material is gathered by the station's oiai staflman who spends the entire day around the Pair, and it's enter- tainingly documented and delivered. Descriptions of places and events are interspersed with anecdotes that are quaint and funny. "The program caught Friday (2) had at least two solid laughs; one story was about the old lady who was waiting for the show at the Magna Charta exhibit to begm just because the venerated document is set on a miniature stage, while the other had to do with a rural tourist who misinterpreted a request that he signature the regis- ter in one of the state buildings. Odec. 'QUICKSILYEBT With Bobby Browa, Bansom Sher> Comedy Quia 15 Mliis.-Loeal 'nntis Tuesday, 6:15 pjn. WMAft, Chicago at. W. Kastor) New showing being tried here locally for the Lewis-Howe com^ pany's Turns product looks promis- ing. (Goes network on the NBC red web two weeks hence.) Public participation show tliat might be a bet for a tie-up with theatres that may work out to the - mutual benefit of theatre and spon- sor. For the local shot program is using public gathering places such As railroad stations, but may tie up with a loop theatre when show' goes network. Individual members of the audi- ence are asked to give the correct answer to riddles such as 'what is faster, heat or cold.' Answer be- ing, 'cold' since anybody can catch it Sbnple stuff and geared to the taste of the great mass of the pub- lic. For the correct answer the in- dividual is given as much as S16 In coin. However, even a miss is. worth a silver buck to the indi- vidual. For a mail tije-up there is ft coin return of $5 to each person who sends in a riddle usec( on the pro- gram. Bobby Bro-wn does smslrt experi- enced job in handling Interviewees on the program and in propounding the questions. Ransom Sherman didn't have much to do when heard and failed to hit the proper pace for this type of program. A louder and more exul>erant ^pe seemed indicated. of comedian Gold. LISA SEBGIO News Comment 30 Mins^-4ocaI Sustaining Monday-Friday, 16 a.m. WQXB, New York Former announcer and commenta- tor (mostly on musical subjects and programs) for NBC, Usa Sergio is currently a prize item in the WQXR window. Althougji she's Italian-bom, she speaks perfect English, both as to grammar and pronunciation, and has an excellent but not too ani- mated voice. She wisely sticks to straight commenting, avoiding the outright feinme slant most gal spiel- ers affect Since all commenting inevitably is an expression of view- point her session has the feminine flavor without being overboard on housewifery. First portion of the shot is straight news reporting and rather objective commenting. Then there's a brief interlude of music, followed by a guest interview.' On programi caught Miss Sergio had Emuy Bax, author of a recent book about her experi- ences and memories as a clerical aide at the U. S. embassy in London- Proved an absorbing and colorful visiter, with plenty of interest to say and an unaffected way of speaking. All in all, it's a reasonably satis- factory program for a minor station. Kobe. Abe Lyman, Time Seller, In Voluntary Bankruptcy Abe Lyman, not the band leader, salesman for radio station WBNX, filed a voluntary petition of bank- ruptcy in N. Y. federal court Thurj; day (1),-luting liabiUties'of $6^92 and exempt, assets of $12,000 in the form of life" insurance policies. Among his creditors are Mitcheu Levitsky of WEVD. $200; McKiniey Sq, Theatre Building Corp., $»* and Isador . Lash, of the Hebrew Writers Union, $25.