Variety (May 1941)

60 RADIO Wednesday, May 7, 1941 From The Production Centres lis ISEW YORK CITY . . . Emily Holt, exec-secretary of AFRA, hobbling around with the help of a cane as result of cracked ankle received in auto smash. . . . Al Simon and Jo Ranson had Clem McCarthy, Sam Taub, Dick Fishell, George Hamilton Combs and Johannes Steel as guest lecturers for the radiu class at Long Island University one night. . . . Helene Burton, of WOR press staff, back at work after spinal operation Morton Gould and Aaron Copland will be the first two guest conductors, presenting their own compositions in second American Music Festival series on WNYC. . . . Biographical dra- matic series, 'Negroes Who Made Good,' starts May 11 on WNYC, with Canada Lee. Paul Robeson, Georgette Harvey and Joshua White as fir.st four guest stars. G. W. Johnstone a beg-off at the Ohio State Institute this week, but ex- pects to attend the N.A.B. in St. Louis next week Now a citizen, the Baroness Helena Von Polenz expected to appear on Dorothy Donnell's 'I Am an American' series for State Dept. Myer Alexander now doing the choral arrangements and directing the chorus on the Andre Kostelanetz-Albert Spalding series. George Zachary is producer-director Ralph Wilkinson is scoring 'The People, Yes,' the Earl Robinson-Norman Corwin-Carl Sandburg opera to be done as the third in the '26 by Corwin' series. Lyn Murray will have the chorus on the show Femme star of a CBS serial who has 'adopted' a Finnish war orphan had her press agent send out a release about it last week 'The Lady Has Her Moments,' legit comedy which Basil Loughrane was to have staged, is apparently off, at least for this season. Alan Manson has been drafted George McManus, husband of actress Marianna McManut, called for active naval duty and assigned as naval attache in Freetown, West Africa Henry Hull guests tomorrow (Thurs- day) night on 'War Letters from Biitain,' over WMCA William M. Ramsey, Procter & Gamble radio head, due in New York next week for another of his periodic huddles with agencies and writers Richard Kent's 'Traveling Cook' series now heard Thursday, Friday mornings on WJZ-NBC. Kent also started a regular recipe feature this month in House Beautiful mag... Maurice Barrett, WHN production head, made a single 'comeback' appearance as clown in the Ringling-Barnum & Bailey circus at Madison Square Garden last week. He was once a circus clown 'way back when Bruce Wendell has a new series, 'Music Shop,' five nights a week on WHN Nick Long, Jr., recently in 'Hold On to Your Hats,' playing a hoofer in the WOR-Mutual serial 'We Are Always Young.' Arlene Francis, in Washington last week with the Theatre Guild's try- out of 'The Last Round,' commuted daily by plane for her '9:40 Shoppers' Club' program on WOR, but she had to be written out most of her other programs... .Leston Huntley, author of the recently-folded serials, 'This Small Town' and 'Kitty Keen,' has gone to Chicago and then will take an extended fishing trip. He's already mulling new serial ideas 'Where Are You From?' continuing to WOR-Mutual, as Dr. Henry Lee Smith's draft call was cancelled... .John McMillin, Compton agency radio head, has bought a new place at New Canaan, Conn., but his present headache is the cases of measles and chicken-pox sported by his two kids. Sandra Michael, whose 'Against the Storm' serial moved from morning to afternoon time, is doing flash-back recaps of the last year's action to acquaint new listeners with the story Because Claudia Morgan is cur- rently in the legit show, 'Man Who Came to Dinner,' her part in 'Storm' had to be rewritten as a flashback for her as a 12-year-old and played by a child actress last Thursday (1), inasmuch as the program and legit matinee conflicted Joe Louis-Billy Conn heavyweight title bout June IB at the Polo Grounds will be the first of Mutual's broadcasts of the fight series the network recently won away from NBC... .Phyllis Dobson back from radio emoting in Chicago and again acting in legit Howard Teich- man, adaptor for the 'Campbell Playhouse' series, back from vacation at Columbus, O. Rush Hughes starts writing-narrating 'The World on Parade,' three-a- week, five-minute series, over WOR next week for Marta cigars. He's also m.c. on the New York local 'Pot-o'-Gold' show and does news an- nouncing on WMCA... .George Bryan resumes his regular morning news Eeries on CBS... .'Double or Nothing' moves next week from Sunday nights to the 8 p.m. spot Friday nights' on WOR-Mutual for Feenamint. Origination also moves from the Barbizon-Plaza hotel to Mutual's play- house in the New Amsterdam theatre. Six Mutual salesmen won bonuses of from $100 to $430 each for topping their quotas. They're Robert Garver, George Schmidt, Robert Smith and Otis T. Williams, of the New York office, and Herald Higgins and John Shelton, of the Chicago staff Joan Vitez does a one-time shot Sunday (11) on the 'Ava Maria Hour' on WMCA Lester Gottlieb.'Mutual press NEIU YORH DETROIT 0 H I C R G C SON "RfiNCISCO ★ RADIO STRTION REPRESENTATIVES rep, had to cancel his tour of the network aflillates b«cau3« of tha uproar resulting from the FCC's new rules.,. .Allen Prescott. starting today (Wednesday) on new three-a-week series, 'Youri Sincerely,' via WJZ..., Annette Marantaz, of the WOR artists bureau, to St. EouU for advance preparations for the entertainment at the NAB convention. IIS HOLLYWOOD ... Art Linklctter moving down from Frisco to take up permanent residence here. He'll commute by air for two commercials in the Bay City and do his Roma Wine show from here....Bill Schwartz, KFWB writer-producer, is 30 minutes away from a private pilot's license but can't find time to get o(T the ground... .Danny Danker hiked east for confabs at the J. Walter Thompson home office Ed Hitz, NBC Red sales exec, huddling with Don Gilman and Syd Dixon.... Harry Ackerman and the missus taking a Caribbean cruise before he takes over supervision of all major summer shows in New York for Young & Rubicam. Due back in August to start oti production of Screen Guild Theatre. Renewal by Good Gulf said to be an assured certainty. W. B. Lewis. Columbia's program boss, due in this weekend to go over the .summer situa.sh with Charles Vanda. Biggest hole to fill will be the Lux Monday night spot Esty's Dick Marvin coming for a look-in on Lifebuoy's 'Hollywood Premiere.' No decision yet on replacement at close of the quarter or a budget for talent Chase & Sanborn makes its first pitch of the season away from Hollywood for an origination May 11 at the naval training station at San Diego. Audience will be made up of 5,000 marines based there Rudy Vallee and his Sealtest producer, Dick Mack, collabed on a ditty, 'Come to Hollywood,' as campaign song for Hollywood Junior Chamber of Commerce to bring the state convention here... .Billy Mills and the missus celebrated their 19th anniversary with an airport feed to Cecil Underwood, producer of 'Fibber and Molly.'. Bob Reynolds shuffled his staff at KMPC, Bevhills, moving up Clete Roberts to program director and Lou Huston as production boss NBC's Clay Morgan 'yokeling' it on the Metro lot Ted Bliss added to KNX production staff. He was onetime production chief at KHJ and has been an air actor of late Bill Goodwin, of the Bob Hope and 'Blondie' shows, does an acting bit in Columbia's picturization of 'Blondie' Phyllis Parker moved her typewriter here from the east to pound out some serials Ken Higgins quit announcing at KFI to take a writing job with Hal Roach Harrison HoUiway was guest speaker of Santa Barbara Advertising Club for a talk on 'Broadcasting Comes of Age.' He illus- trated his address with objects, in the manner of a carny pitch Edgar Bergen tossed a Sunday morning breakfast at Montebello airport, which he recently took over and operates Bob Greene, late of Toledo, now announcing at KFWB. m CHICAGO . . . . Tom Post and Jeanne Juvelier have been added to cast of 'Stepmother' Bess Flynn in from the east for some visiting Sid Strotz in a huddle on midwest production while dashing through town on his way to and from the Jack Benny festival Maggy O'Flaherty handling the commer- cial scripting for the Twenty Grand and Spud shows for the Weiss & Geller agency... .'Celebrity Circle' show completes 26-week stretch for Dutch Mill Candy Shops on May 11 and now being offered to other accounts. IIS SAJS FRANCISCO . . . Dude Martin and his KYA cowboys celebrated their ninth consecutive year on the air last week....Ann Holden (Frances Miriton), who conducts the 'Home Forum' programs on KGO. will make two personal appearances at the Calaveras County (Cal.) fair May 16 and 17. On May 28 she will participate in a panel discussion on 'What Do Boys and Girls Learn from Radio, Press and Motion Pictures?' before the San Francisco Motion Pic- ture Council... .Actor John Cuthbertson of KGO and KPO will play a leadmg role in the annual outdoor play on Mt. Tamalpain, Marin County, Cal., May 18... .Soprano Elizabeth Russell, recent KGO discovery, has been given her own program over the Coast NBC-Blue web, with Ric- ardo's orchestra and pianist Frank Denke also featured... .Actre?s-singer Zella Layne is the femme announcer on a new Coast Blue network show from KGO which Dick Bertrandias is producing. Program has Howard Hardmg, tenor, and Ricardo's orchestra Another new KGO program IS 'Musical History Book,' created by producer Wally Ruggles, with Everett Glass as narrator and Carl Kalash's orchestra. Sponsors Anxious sContlnued from page 29: one, and that if it's a lasting net- work service they want, the place for them is Mutual, particularly while there are some choice spots available. MBS salesmen are also pointing out that the FCC's report allows NBC but 90 days in which to dispose of the Blue network or the latter's affiliates to disassociate themselves with the network if it remains under NBC ownership. Sponsors-Agencies Query Webs Flood of calls from advertisers and agencies to NBC and Columbia started with the openings of business Monday (5) and continued through the day. The inquiries were prac- tically all along the same theme, namely, what was the significance of the FCC's order and how would its enforcement affect the clients' fall-winter relations with the net- work? The agencies declare that the FCC's move threatens to en- velope their future radio commenda- tions with an atmosphere of uncer- tainty and that their clients are looking to them for as much en- lightenment as possible on the pros- pects of the battle between NBC- Columbia and the Government's regulatory body. One thing that the inquiring agen- cy men did find out was that NBC and CBS intend to fight to the bitter end to maintain the status quo. These networks report that they found client and agency reaction highly sympathetic to them, and that they are confident of strong support not only from advertisers, but from important pressure groups (educational, religious, etc.) which have become disturbed about the uncertainty of outlets which may result with drastic changes in the broadcast structure. NBC is certain that its present customers on the Blue will stick along with the network. Most of these knew when they bought time on it that there was trouble in the offing, and NBC thinks that, now that the FCC has cut loose such ac- counts, will sit pat and wait for the outcome of the fight, instead of im- mediately scattering elsewhere. Within the two older networks themselves there is somewhat of a feeling of surcease. The danger of a bomb from the FCC has been hanging over them for many months, and along with this has been the uncertainty of the periphery of the concussion. Now that they know the worst, say the networks, they can direct their counterattacks with precison and efficiency. Edgar Kobak, v.-p. in charge of NBC Blue sales, yesterday (Tues- day) issued a memo to his sales- men reviewing the progress of the Blue network in the light of the FCC's monopoly stand and pointing out that there was nothing in the re- port that was derogatory of the net- work. If anything, the Blue could, he said, take great pride in its achieve- ments and that It was NBC's hope that these achievements would prove a strong bulwark In defend- ing it against the FCC's move and in preserving it intact as an NBC operation. Milwaukee—Roy A. Franke, for- merly production manager for Burns- Hall and other agencies, has joined the Bert S. Gittins agency here as production manager. Mexicans in U.SJL Heard On Aldana Series From WRUL; Lara Among Them On the series ballyhooing Mexican culture which he is conducting out of New York for shortwave WRUL of Boston, Bonifacio Fernandez Al. dana is using various Mexicans now in the United States.. First of these was Andres Iduarte of Columbia University. Augustin Lara, Mexican composer; Alfonso Oteo, general secretary of the Association of Mexican compos- ers, and Xaviar de Villaurrutia, an art critic, also appeared on the Al- dana series. Aldana is a Spaniard who is now a Mexican citizen. Aldana not speaking English at all, Amador Marin of the Viamar agency is acting as his New York business representative. MINNEAPOLIS • SAINT PAUL STATION OF THE STARS 50,000 WATTS CLEAR CHANNEL NBC BASIC RED NETWORK REPDESENTED NATIONALLY BY EDW. PETRY CO. m \ 5000 WBNX WATTS DAY aw^-NIDHT YOUR BEST NATIONAL SPOT BUY ANEW APPROACH TO THE NEW YORK MARKET