Variety (Dec 1939)

28 VARIETY RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, December 27, I939 ^EGGY WOOD QUILTING BEE Talk 15 Mills. NATL. COUNCIL OF WOMEN Sustaining Wednesday, 2:15 p.m. WJZ-NBC, New Yoric This one, mothered by the Na- tional Council of Women, is tho al- ternating program to 'Echoes of His- tory.' The latter NBC and the Gen- eral Federation of Women's Clubs co-sponsor in the same Wednesday tnatinee spot. For the 'Council Quilting Bee,' Lu^la Laudin is the clubwomen's liaison with Margaret Cuthbert, of NBC's Women's Activi- ties Division. The network con- tributes the time and Peggy Wood's salary. No little showmanship was evinced ■ in picking the initial subject for the 'Quilting Bee,' namely, 'What Makes a Happy Marriage.' Miss Wood not only did a slick job in pacing the chatter but proved equally charming and resourceful in her commentary contributions. As guests for the oc- casion she had Dr. Valeria H. Parker, director of the Bureau of Marriage Counsel, Mrs. Harold V. Milligan, of the General Federation,' and Mrs. Richard Mason, housewife. While the cross-flre was studded with the usual bromides and plati- tudes on the topic, there was some Incisive thinking and some humor and wit. About the only point that got any nimble side-stepping was that of 'physical harmony.' One of the participants named the quality as a prerequisite to happy marriage and before the namer could do any expatiation on the factor another voice hurried in the statement that In its opinion no marriage could be happy where the money question was a constant source of worry. An- other member of the bevy thought that wives and husbands spent too much time together with the result that conversation wears out and boredom sets in, while still another conferee stated that she was a firm believer of talking things out but Without venom or urge to hurt the Other party. The quarter-hour period was crammed with the cerebral stuff that crackles and incites counter thought The series itself ought to be a de- cided relief from the other class cf chatter (serial drama) which dut ters the matinee schedules. Odec. IN BALmORE ITS p^' lumNAi BmBENnnvis EDWARD ptm it ca ON THE NBC RED NETWORK .SHIRLEY TEMFLE ■The Blue Bird' GULF-SCREEN GUILD Sunday, 7:30 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York. (youiisr & Rubicam) Shirley Temple -made her formal network commercial debut last Sun- day night (24) after considerable ad- vance fanfare (She was heard once at a Hollywood premiere). Studio atmosphere was one of obviously nervous anxiety on the part of the 20th Century-Fox executives, agency minions. Screen Guild officials and even the fellow-players on the show. Whether she caught the virus from those around her or because she her- self has grown enough to be self-con scious, the moppet star was appar- ently on edge at the start, but pres- ently relaxed and hammered across her lines and two songs like the veteran trouper she now is. Dis- played one of two flaws due to lack of mike experience, but Zanuck can again breathe normally, calm in the knowledge that his tiny boxoffice giant has safely negotiated another hurdle But while the program was on, a careful listener could almost hear the snapping of production ejt- ecutives' nerves. Like a housewife, a producer's work is never done. Certain inescapable elements made a cold-blooded analytical attitude impossible. For one thing, the oc- casion was Christmas eve, with all the emotional factors that involves. For another, the show was excel- lently tailored to set off the star. Then too. Nelson Eddy not only made an ingratiating foil for the little actress, but just before intro- ducing her he put over an inspir- ing song number. Finally when the tyke piped a trebble greeting to 77- year-old Maurice Maeterlinck, lis- tening to his tender story by short- wave in his home in Belgium, it was a touching moment that infused the entire program in a sentimental glow. Except for Nelson Eddy's songs and Roger Pryor's introduction and close. Screen Guild stanza was al- most entirely taken up. with a few episodes from the forthcoming 20th- Fox picture, "The Blue Bird.' Some- what overly fairy-tale-like for adults, but probably fascinating for the ur- chins who were doubtless already blissfully drunk with Christmas atmosphere. Somehow, it was convincing and kinda cute when she bowed off with the usual Merry Christmas greeting and added that It was an exciting Christmas for her. Probably the 20th-Fox nabobs murmured, 'She's telling us.' Hobe. 'NAZI TERSOB' Refugee Talks IS MIns. 2 GB, Sydney Jewish refugees are brought before the studio mike to tell of their ex- periences in Germany under the dreaded Nazi regime. There is no attempt made to create any atmos- pheric background; no effects are brought into play for a build-up, yet the 15 minutes employed thrice- weekly make pitiable, soul-stirring radio fare. In broken English the refugees outline personal experi- ences. Riclc. Follow-Up Comment. 'Pursuit of Happiness,' CBS', most pretentious sustiiiner next to the N. Y. Philharmonic, is gradually slip- ping into the sort of groove that should make it a sound candidate for a commercial spot (its mis.scd a couple of prospects) and would be ideal, particularly for an advertiser who is strictly Interested in institu- tional objectives, a la DuPont-'Cav- alcadc of America.' The underlying sweep and motivation of the two shows ere as wide apart ns a hiS' torical.theme treated by both a news Saper' syndicate columnist and the eards. 'Pursuit' has reached Jhe point where it fuses a keen under- standing' of American background with a strain of irony and humor, with the appeal delicately balanced between the cerebral and the emo- tional. About the only weak spot in the stanza as it now stands is Carl Carmer, the novelist, whose function is to report Yankecisms from 'some- where m America.' On the Christmas Eve installment (24) Carmer was picked uo from his Greenwich 'Village, N. Y., home, where he and his wife were sup- posed to be trimming a Christmas tree. The episode as transmitted was neither interesting nor good Ameri- cana. High spot and sparkling phase of this hearing was tho characterization that Jane Cowl laid down in a dram- atized bit around the life of Mary Dyer, the Quaker who sacriflced her. life in resisting the suppression of liberty of conscience by the Boston Puritans. The scripting (presum- ably by Erik Barnouw) was deft, and Miss Cowl's acting served as a vivid and impressive revivification of this black stain on American history. Charlie Ruggles provided pleasure m his recital of "The Great French Fuel incident from Mark Twain's 'A Tramp Abroad,' while a Calypso minnesinger from Trinidad, Lionel Belasco, lent a piquant touch of color with a sample of the curious type of native impromptu versifying that has within recent months caught the fancy of Decca Record buyers. Mark Warnows orchestra scoring added much to the event's stature. . . . we're Ka|>|)y, merry too! For you kave made W^SAI's current year of t93Q tke most J)ro3j>erou8 in our kistory. Helen Menken got away with the impossible—a half-hour straight gab interview—in a session on the 'Uni- °^ Air' program over WEVp.N.Y. Under the prodding of Meunce Spiecer of the station, she spieled on her theatrical career and theatrical theories, the first colorful and the latter arresting. Best bit of the session naturally was an excerpt from 'Seventh Heaven,' her role of roles. Without even a chord in G on the Wurlitzer to set the mood, she went into the reading and made it a very nifty bit. The star's presence seemed to affect the interviewer, for at several mo- ments he gave the questions a Shake- spearean delivery. Jimmy Shields has proved a worthy replacement for Donald Nov is on the ^i^^V McGee and Molly stanza (NBC-red, Tuesday nights). Shield's previous commercial assignment was the Enna Jettick series (CBS). This tenor is not only equipped with a fine pair of pipes but he has the flair for selling a song. On last Tuesday's (19) fibber session he did the sentimental ditty, 'I'll Take You Home Again, Cathleen,' with a high degree of interpretive warmth and clarity of tone. who skip that section of the daily prci-s. Indeed his delivery and for- mat were so smooth last Friday (22) night in his session for Phillies cigars over Mutual that it seemed a pity he was limited to subjects of less than-universal appeal. This may sound distorted, ns its his obvious ex pertn^s.-; at his chosen field that makes the show click and there is no guarantee he would be equally adroit with strange themes. It is one way of suggesting that Baiter's timing and showmanship are, by common standards, too good for the average sports fan. Ordinarily Variety makes little or no comment on sportscasters over the air. On the whole, this gentry dishes out routine news and gratui- tous adulation, even-when the sports personalities involved are fairly well known to be racketeers, heels or cgoccntrics. A lot of the sportscas ters have raucous voices and are hard to listen to. Baiters slick per formance, by comparison, makes many of his ilk seem amateurs, and not British style. Gabriel Heatter now has the as sistance of Jean Paul King in mak- ^^^^ sponsor of the v£Si "u'^^i'^P" program is "^^^y pour this ?i? so thickly, so often, so earnestly that they succeed in getting into the listeners hair. Heatter, on the news front, remains pretty sensational. Noticeable that although he made much at 9 p.m of a rumor about the Nazi fleet putting to sea out of Hamburg, an hour late? Raymond Gram Swing on the same station never mentioned it. Benay Venuta. consistently im- proving as a stylist of song, did 'Oh, Johnnx Oh' Frida, last on WOR «. X. This was ineviUble. For the past week, wherever singers have {l^»'ii'"ijJ"= opportunities to ply their '/ade, they have done 'Oh, Johnnv' And usually there has been an intro- ductory reference to Orrln Tucker and Bomue Baker with biographical data. The song is getting su?h an over-plug and so fast, its sniral descent will probably be as prec'p- as .>t3 roman candle ascent Meantime this musical enterUin- ment remains one of WOR's best Sieniflur' "^^^ ^" additionto the mellifluous mike manner of the tlTI^'"! program has Bob Stanley and his orchestrations, which are as lively and fancUul as Mickey Mouse 2? .Pauline Alpert continuli to draw rich effect; from a piano keyboprd in solo chores and the pro- fi?"^l^oral touches from the Charioteers. For a giggle, or two via the in- terview route there was a lady truck- driver, Sam Baiter contrives to make sports absorbing even to listeners Jack Benny put across a whacking good show last Sunday night (24) over NBC red (WEAF). As usual for his pre-Christmas stanza, he did it in the form of a party at his home, with all the regulars on the pro- gram as guests. As a result, almost the entire 30 minutes was devoted to straight gags, most of which were aimed at Benny. It all struck an un- usually high comedy standard and ended on a note of hilarious distrac- tion, with Benny on the phone ex- plaining to the director why he refuses to make that sclieduled pic- ture with Fred Allen, while his polar bear and ostrich fought it out in the living room, with Rochester trying to untangle 'em and the guests ap- parently taking the joint apart piece by piece. Commercials were neatly worked in, too, and were cut, like the Christmas turkey, to the bone. Mary Mason joined the 'Betty and Bob' opus last Friday (22). on NBC red. Installment heaped up the hoke agony, As a new character on the series, a young wife. Miss Mason was told her husband had been mur- dered. Her disbelief gave her a chance to be told again and have another smiliar scene a few minutes later. The second one could have happened only on a daytime serial. Part was extremely difficult to play. First scene had to be drama- tically played > down so it could be topped in the later one. Miss Ma- son handled the first part with re- straint and conviction. But the sec- ond portion as written required the melodramatic hysterics and it was pretty tough to take, although skill- fully trouped. Arlene Francis, as Betty of the show's title, was as acceptable as a thankless part allowed. Show doesn't use musical bridging for the scene changes. Kix commercials must be just about the longest on the air. First one ran about four minutes (out of a 15-minute stanza). Don Araeche was back on the Chase & Sanborn show last Sunday night (24) over NBC red (WEAF) and was fortunate in getting several assignments of just the sort of stuff he does best. Topper was a semi- dramatic sketch in which he played a plumber who comes to repair a stopped-up basin and makes friends with the kid of the household, at the same time taking the measure of a shallow mother and a conniving nur.?e. It was Incisively scripted, with a deft feeling for indirect char- acter etching, and Ameche played it with appreciative relish. He also tangled up Charlie McCar- thy with his Italian accent and then did a skilled straight to Vera Vague's grittery comedy patter. Gloria Jean, moppet film player, guested on the snow, singing daintily and joining McCarthy in a slightly altered ver- sion of his usual chatter to the visitor. 'COURT OF MISSING HEIRS' Probate Dramatizations ■ 25 MIns. IRONIZED YEAST Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York (Ru()ira«# & ili;an) These are tales from tho. piobau courts, money lying about unclaimed ^ Vanished heirs of people who lived or died under peculiar circumstances The idea is good enougli, but ns pre sented on its first time out over the new CBS hook-up of G2 stations, the entertainment was undistin- guished because the script was as well as the production. It left a'net impression of being rather hokey- pokey and trashy. An organist striking a note was not very hot as a dramatic sound effect. This one has been tested in a re- gional campaign and has presumably won its right to a wider spread. Thst may suggest that the broadcast of last week was belo\y average, Suf- fice that the showma'nly flair jvas as missing as the heirs of the four estates dramatized. The c.ises are supposed to be real, names ore used, the missing heirs are sought over the radio. (After all radio found that missing copy ot the 1887 St. Nicholas magazine for Alex- ander WooUcott!) Ca.ses were r.ither lack-lustre. And that was a pretty cold- blooded and brutal murder of the miser. . Very close to the sort of grisly thing some folks deplore on the air. The idea is to sell Ironized Yeast to thin, weak and nervous people. A selective market presumably. Maybe that kind will like the show. Land. Taylor Grant, gabber and Lou Tiernan, salesman, at KWK, St Louis, down with streptococci throats. An auto accident fractured nose ot Sue McCaslon, continuity writer of the same station on her eve of vaca- tion. After repairs at hospital sha departed on leave of absence. s Happy New Year • THE SMOOTHIES BABS-CHARUE-UTTLE ISHING YOU A VERY PROSPEROUS AND H Affiliated with Loew's theatre! and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Chicago Office: 360 North Michigan Ave. Room 902 APPY N EW YEAR * lj|f CAI CINCINNATI'S ¥Y O M I OWN STATION REPRESENTED Br INTERNATIONAL RADIO SALES New York Chicago Lo! Anqclcs San Francisco