Variety (Oct 1939)

22 VARIETY RADIO Wednesday, October 18, 1939 Kate Smith West for Bach^r s 1st Tienp of Film Studio, Radio; (khop Stunt Calk for Cutfo Stars Hollywood, Oct. 17. Radio director Bill Bacher will •tnge one motion picture 'premiere' •ach month as an interpolated part In various standard sponsored radio entertainments. The first tie-up is with the Kate Smith program for Grape-Nuts, which will originate in Hollywood for a single performance In order to include Bacher's preview version of Fox-20th Century's 'Drums Along the Mohawk,' which will con- sume 30 minutes of the usual Friday 8-9 p. m. spot. Under the Bacher proposal, in which Louella Parsons figures as chairman of the committee selecting •the film of the month' radio sponsors will jget film stars, story and produc- tion free in return for the network hook-up which the publicity depart- ments of the studios can deadhead. Clearine the DeUlIs Bacher has been clearing the de- tail.s and necessary sanctions on this radio-film swap for some time. How- ever, the studios are keeping, their fingers crossed awaiting theatre re- •ction.c The Kate Smith trial balloon goes up Nov. 3. She will take all her company west save Abbott and Cos- tello, who are in the Broadway legit 'Streets of Paris,' hence not Pullman prospects. Fox company will pay all ex- penses, including David Broekman's 30-man musical backing of 'Drums.' Bacher will work with Mary Edith Stahl and writers Harry Kronman and Hal Block. General Foods will get> Claudette Colbert and Henry Fonda as the cuffo stars. Kate Smith will be narrator, and Miss Parsons will make the introductions. Classifying Shows Chief Duty of NJLB/s AccoontiDg Committee Washington, Oct. 17. Appointments to the NAB account- ing committee for the present year were belatedly handed out last week by Neville Miller. First chore will be to devise a uniform program log which will enable all industry mem- bers to classify programs with great- er ease and give a better check on the way radio time is consumed. (As- sociation of National Advertisers re- cently standardized its classification of program types.) Chairman is C. T. Lucy, WRVA, Richmond, whose associates include H. W. Batchelder, WFBR, Baltimore; S. R. Dean, CBS; E. J. Gluck, WSOC, Charlotte, N. C; N. L. Kidd, WSYR, Syracuse, and Harry F. McKeon, NBC. Real Mr. Lapidus Detroit, Oct. 17. Because Lon Holtz's "Mr. La- pidus' caused him to suffer con- stant jibes from friends, Hynian Lapidus has petitioned Probate Court for permish to change his name to Hy Lenard. Case comes up Nov. 16. KSD Opposes AFRA Status Simib'ar to KMOX, St. L; Vic Connors Negotiates St. Louis, Oct. 17. Vic Connors, executive secretary of the San Francisco chapter of the American Federation of Radio Art- ists is huddling with George Bur- bach, advertising manager of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wmch owns and operates KSD, over a new wage pact for the 14 AFRA members employed by the station. One of the questions to be decided is whether KSD is on a parity with KMOX, the local 50,000 waiter of CBS. The station execs strongly deny any parity pointing out its power, rates and time on the air are dissimilar to KMOX. Con- nors affected a new AFRA wage pact with KMOX last July. While Connors is in town he also will organize a local branch of the American Guild of Variety Artists as there are more than 200 entertainers employed in hotels, niteries, in this zone eligible for membership. Con- nors believes St Louis will be one of the strongest AGVA branches. Also on Connors' agenda Is the hillbilly situation which affects KMOX. KWK, WEW and KXOK. The billies have been trying for months to learn whether they are eligible for membership in the Musl- sians Union or AFRA. Connors has had one huddle with Sam P. Meyers, prcz of Local No. 2, A. F. M. and there is a possibility the hillbilly question may be decided after the KSD huddles are ended. JOAN EDWARDS Ben Gross of the New York Dally News said: — "Joan Edwards is compctlngr with the lop-notch stars of popular Bonsdom . , . and. doIriK it successfully. H^r IntonlnK helped to make the I'nul Whlteman pe- riod soniethlnB worth hearing . . ." Currently appcnrlni; at tlie Hotel New Yorker with Paul ■Whlteman. Direction: HENRY DAGAND 1270 Sixth Ave. . New York FALSE ARREST SUIT RECOILS ON WGAR STACK-GOBLE REQUIRED TO ANSWER GROMBACH RUN STREET BUS SYSTEM BY RADIO Supreme court justice Lloyd Church in N.Y., Monday (16), denied an application by Fred C. Waruig, Stack-Goble Advertising Agency, Inc., Grove Laboratories, Inc., and John O'Connor to vacate a demand by Grombach Productions for a bill of particulars, and ordered a further bill to be served in 20 days. Action seeks $80,000 claiming that the plaintiff, in business of originat- ing radio programs, submitted an idea to the agency entitled 'Stop, Look and Listen,' for the purpose of finding a sponsor, and instead, the idea was turned over to Waring for his personal use, without payment. Detroit, Oct. 17, First such system in world, De- troit Street Railway, is erecting a 2S0-watt high frequency radio sta tios to control its city bus system. FCC has assigned WALJ as call let ters. DSR commish has appropriated $26,345 for station, and mikes will be located in Majestic building down town. Fifty DSR inspectors will patrol main streets in small coupes, equipped with two-way radios Buses will be kept on skeds, re- routed when necessary, and. service coordinated by these inspectors. At present DSR inspectors stand on street corners and communicate with bus drivers as they pass. AFISA Raps Grace Glasser Hollywood, Oct. 17 First punitive action by the Amer. lean Federation of Radio Artists against a talent agency for asserted ly underpaying on audition rate re, suited in Grace Glasser outfit being paced of AFRA's unfair list No AFRA members are permitted to work for agency and screen actors Guild and other four affiliates have been asked to take similar action. Raymond Hollingswortli, Amarillo, merchandising manager, now at KHSA, San Antonio. Cleveland, Oct. 17. Station WGAR has been served with ai; action for $100,000 damages by Max Goldstein, a local citizen. Exact date of the allegedly injurious broadcast is not given, but legal documents cite a crime-dramatiza- tion that originated at WGAR'S sis- ter station, WJR, Detroit. Incident is an aftermath of a case of false arrest in a fashionable sub- urb, Shaker Heights, over a year ago. An over-zealous gendarme dressed up as a woman in a stunt to capture a mysterious purse- snatcher. Cop jumped on Goldstein as a suspect. Latter was fully ex- onerated and the cop was forced to quit the police force. Meantime the local newspaper had gone the full route in playing up the arrest. Mennen May Tour Col Stoopnagle Show Mennen Talc will send its Quixie Doodle novelty program (Col. Stoopnagle, m.c.) to Philadelphia bet 27 in connection with the local Auto Show. This will serve as a test to determine the future course of the proigram. Sponsor may decide to rotate the program from city to city, instead of keeping it in New York. Program Is lO-station hookup heard over Mutual and the thought is that better exploitation angles would result from touring the at- traction. Through a Frosted Window An agency exec who rates as a major buyer of spot time submits the thesis that for a manufacturer of a small-priced article with a frequent turnover to be'successful in radio it is necessary that it (the manufacturer) maintain several programs throughout the week. The agency man has wrapped up his theory in the usual abracadabra of the advertising craft Here's how he rolls off his dialectics on the subject. An advertiser goes into radio to sell goods.' The first thing his medium must have is Circulation. His next requirement Is the right mode of telling his story, namely. Intensity of Impression. If the story Is to make a deep dent on the purchaser's consciousness, or subconsciousness, it must ba repeated often, and the label for this angle of the catechism Is Fre- quency. After that all the advertiser has to consider is the advertising allowance that he can make on'the article that he Is selling. This the syllogist terms Value of Prospect. YALLEE GOES WEST; LOU HOLTZ ALSO Rudy Vallee and Lou Holtz, Avho worked together for a while on the former's own hour, are moving out to Hollywood to fill in a couple other J. Walter Thompson shows. Vallee takes over the m.c. spot in the Cha.se & Sanborn Coffee program Nov. 12 for four weeks, while Hollz steps into the Bing Crosby-Kraft stanza Nov. 9. Holtz Is guaranteed two weeks but If he clicks he'll likely stay until Dec. 7, when Bob Burns returns from his vacation. Vallee's entry into the C.&S. Sun- day night hour comes the week after Nelson Eddy moves out of the period., and permanently so. Don Ameche returns from his vacation Dec. 10. 'Johnson Family' Member's Suit vs. Roadside Eatery Jamaica, L. I., Oct. 17. A motion for $700 summary judg- ment against Chicazola, Inc., a road- side restaurant on Queens Boulevard. Rego Park, not far from the World'.-s Fair, was lost in Jamaica municipal court by James L. Scribner, radio artist of 'The Johnson Family.' Scribner^said the restaurant con- tracted to pay him $100 weekly from July 1 to Aug. 12 for promotion work, but that he still has $700 due. The restaurant, however, contended he didn't live up to his contract and that it paid him part of the money and allowed, him $100 worth of food and drinks 'on the cuff,' and ad- vanced $225 for radio wiring. The restaurant was granted the right to amend Its answer to Scrib- ner's complaint by including the charge that Scribner actually owes the firm $400. No dale was set for the trial of the case. Six Months' WaitforWeb Phone Line Scottsbluff, Neb., Oct. 17. KGKY here Is temporarily sty- mied in Us attempts to join the Mu- tual net\york following a confer- ence recently In Denver when all details were worked out. Telephone company, whose cooperation is re- quired by law, put the blocks to the deal for the time being. Utility says it will be impossible to ar- range proper wire facilities from Dertver to Scottsbluff to tote the programs in less than six morjihs. This unanticipated angle is being studied, final outcome of KGKY- Mulual connection still In doubt. YERA OLDHAM LOSES 'CONFLICTING' SHOW Special Producer For KDKA Morning Shows Pittsburgh, Oct. 17. Russell Pratt known as 'Doctor Sunshine* on KDKA, has been ep poihted morning production and prO' gram supervisor of the station. Post is a new one, designed to relieve Derby Sproul of heavy load he's been carrying lately. Latter continues as program-production head on all afternoon anA evening shows. Tony Wons in Chicago Chicago, Oct. 17. Tony Wons and his .Radio Scrap- book have been signatured by the Henri, Hurst St McDonald agency here for the Hall Bros, printing firm of Kansas City. New show starts a local test on WMAQ here on Oct. 29, running three times" weekly, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Wons will plug the Hall firm's greeting cards. Vera Oldham; scripter of 'The Story of Ellen Randolph.' for Col- gate-Palmolive-Peet and "The Parker Family,' for Woodbury, wjll relin- quish authorship of the latter series early in November. Reason is that the sponsors are reluctant- to have her employed by a competitor on a similar type of show. 'Parker Fam- ily' airs only once weekly, while 'Ellen Randolph' is a five-timer. So she's retaining the latter, 'Ellen' debuted last week over NBC red (WEAF), while 'Family' has been ethering for some time over CBS. Former is handled by Benton & Bowles, latter by Lennon & Mitchell. Al Barker Joins NBC Chicago, Oct. 17. Al Barker, '^^o has been writing the 'Don 'Winslow of the Navy' scripts, joins the NBC continuity staff here. Fills vacancy left by departure of Jack Fraser, who will devote himself to free lance ether scribbling. NBC Tightens Control of Disc Versions; Upset to Blackett'Sample-Hummert NBC has so tightened its policy on the handling of transcribed versions of its network commercials that cli- ents are now barred from placing such discs direct. The network not so long ago was content merely to sell the transcriptions but under the new dispensation NBC insists that even if the transcribed program is being booked on a spot basis the placing and billing must be done through itself. NBC holds that as long as it is the originating source of the original program it has the right to determine where and how the disc vei;sion is to be used. This sudden stricture has caused considerable embarrassment In sev- eral agencies, notably Blackett- Sample-Hummert, which for years has made it a practice , of covering isolated or miscellaneous markets by the disc-version route. NpC not only has ctvmiCd B-S-H receajjy. on its plan to run eight quarter-hour serials, of daytime NBC origin, on KTOK, St. Louis independ »t, five evenings a week but is currently jamming up the same agenc'^'s in- tention to book the eight quarter hours on KFWB, I«s Angeles, and other Coast outlets. At least half of these Sterling-American Home Prod- uct shows are not part of the com- mercial's hookup' coverage on the Pacific slope, and that raises - still another point of network policy, namely, letting a disc version be used on an indie outlet when the same program isn't cleared over a local NBC affiliate where time is available. Omaba Case Pertinent case in point developed last week oh WOW, Omaha, in con- nection with Old Gold's Bob Bench ley show. NBC has no regular af- filiate In this town for its blue link and WCtW Isn't able because of competitive red network program to make room for the Benchley pro gram Tuesday nights. WOW's spot sales rep, John Blair, succeeded in selling the account on the idea of taking a Saturday night period for a disc version of the program, but NBC advised the client that'the ar rangement was out unless it itself place the show. The disc didn't go «n. Heatherington to St. Loo As John Blair Salesman John Blair it Co. is opening ■ branch office. In St. Louis Nov. 1 with Chris Heatherington In charge. Heatherington has ■ resisnetl as he.id of International Radio Sales? Chicago office to take the job, and at one time he was sales manager of KMOX, St. Louis. McGivena's Agency Files Albany, Oct. 17. L. E. McGivena & Co. Inc.. has been chartered to conduct an adver- tising and publishing business In New York, with L. E. McGivena. one- time promotion manager of N. "Y. Daily News, and later head of Briggs & Varley, as a director. McGivena holds one share of stock, as do J. Mitchel Thorsen and'T. W. Secken- dorff. New York City. Thorsen and Seckendorff are also known in th« advertising field. Capital stock of new company Is 600 shares, no par value. Schiilt* Bros, filing attorneys. R. S. Wood Joins CBS Robert S. Wood, who was assistant to John S. Young, radio director of the'N. Y. World's Fair, • yesterday (Tuesday) joined Paul While's staff at CBS as hews editor. ■ Capt. Wood was one of the coun- try's first radio editor.s. He did hii first column on the old N. Y. Eve-- ning World. Charlie Flagler has returned to KSO,Des Moines, for Hiland Potato Chip.s. Does a song and patter act, anniversaries, birthdays and dedica- tions to kids.