Variety (May 1941)

80 RADIO Wednesday, May 14, I94i John Wflstach Calls Calamity Jane On Hlfe the People' a Hoax; Rebuttal Clean Sweep Rhinebeck, N. Y. | Editor, Vahiety: Of all the fakes that have ever been heard on 'We the People' May 6—worse than one of the often ex-- posed member of the Dalton Gang— was the appearance of the supposed daughter, offspring of the marriage of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity. Jane. This is a libel on a great western peace officer, who was only married once and then to the only woman who ever ran and owned a circus, Mrs. Agnes Lake, who took over Lake's Circus after her hus- band was killed by a desperado. Her Eon-in-Iaw was Gil Hobinson, of the great Robinson circus clan, who died a few years ago, but not before writing a fine book about the Rob- inson Circus called 'Old Wagon Show Days.' Mickok and Mrs. Lake were married 'March 5, 1876, some years after the mythical marriage to Calamity Jane, which is a libel, brought about, no doubt, by the fact that Jane asked to be buried beside Wild Bill, mr.ny years after his death. My father, Frank J. Wilstach, wrote the authentic life of 'Wild Bill Hickok,' and I had the privi- lege of helping him in this work, which he dedicated to me. The book was used by Mr. DeMiUe in the making of 'The Plainsman.' There is a chapter called The Calamity Jane-Wild Bill Myth.' This is a quote from Ellis T. Pierce, an old plains- man, who knew Calamity Jane well, on any relationship between Jane and Bill: 'Wild Bill was a married man and seemed to think much of his wife, and I never saw him associating with lewd women. I camped with Jane when we were sCouts and, drunk or sober, she never made any talk to me about Bill, or even mentioned his name that I can remember. Jane was great on notoriety and that Is why she asked our Pi- oneer Society to plant her next to Bill so she also could be in the limelight.' Continues the biography:' 'It is little wonder that those who knew both Wild Bill and this unfortunate woman have been reluctant to admit that he could have any interest in her outside of purely casual ac- quaintanceship.' Gabriel Heatter should do more investigating before broadcasting libels on a great'sheriff and his wife, a noble showwoman, who broke In James A. Bailey, 'afterward to be Barnum's partner, into the circus business. Her daughter, Emma, married the son of John Robinson, Gil. Mrs. Lake, first a performer, had toured Europe in her adapta- tion of Byron's 'Mazeppa.' Poor Calamity Jane was a scout and a pioneer, but she was a woman, ac- cording to all authorities, who had lived a life that was, even for the times, very free and easy. It seems too bad that, without any historical verification, people of note in the history of the early west, should be lied about in a national broadcast- ing program of repute like 'We the People.' Just a slight looking into the subject would have stopped such misinforming of the public. Incidentally, I was over to Dou- bleday-Doran, which published 'Wild Bill Hickok,' and talked to one of their editors, Schuyler Crane, and he thought that Calamity Jane fake on 'We, the - People" outrageous. I think, quite seriously, that this history-faking is something that should be discouraged. Just before 'We, the People' went on the air I said: 'Now we. will hear the guy who was in the other box the night Lin- coln was shot) or a cousin of Jesse James, or some other history fak- ing'—and then they brought on the alleged daughter of Wild Bill and Calamity. Next week, from the poorhouse, Lillian Russell's first beau! John Wilstach. [Ed. Note: John Wilstach Is a writer and historian.] Seattle, May 13. Beginning May 9, KOL will have no daytime serials on its schedule. Dropping of 'Friendly Neighbors,' Alka-Seltzer's morn- ing drama show, leaves the sta- tion without a single tear-jerker during the day. Might be some sort of a rec- ord. The fizz product has taken the 10 o'clock news across the board instead, upping it from a former twice-a-week deal. diary to her daughter, Mrs. Jean Hickok McCormick, were sent to us prior to the broadcast; photost£tic copies of letters registering the diary in Washington as original material from Calamity Jane were sent to us. Third, photostatic copies and two letters to her foster-father, who was James O'Neil, and Calamity Jane's last will and testament were for- warded to us prior to the broad- cast. There was no indication <A anything unearthed that was con- trary to the details of the diary cs forwarded to us before, the broad- cast. Also, Mrs. McCormick gave us assurance such facts as sent to the Listeners' Radio Committee were authentic and without any reason for questioning, upon which the Listen- ers' Radio Committee accepted the details of the story in all good faith from her. Again, as stated above, 'We The People' presents stories as the guest's ourn story or experience as a cross-section from all walks of life. There was no effort on the part of the Listeners' Radio Committee to distort any facts such as'were available to them which, as I have already said, were accepted in good faith as being what might be called, after seeing the article of Mr. WiLstach's, a disputed bit in Amer- ican history. Assuring you that all concerned acted in good faith, I cm very sin- cerely. Donald W. Severn. For the Listeners' Radio Committee. From The Production Centres ***** »t»f»» ♦♦■*-♦«>♦♦■ IIS-ISEW YORK CITY ... Nancy Grey, WTMJ, Milwaukee; commentator, Is currently in New York interviewing -Carrie Chapman Catt, Ethel Barrymore, Thyra Samter Wins- low, Sophie Ken- and Cicire Tree Major. Peggy Gould and Helen Harinon doing series of half-minute recorded commercials for Lamston's stores Glfford ..Cochrane scripted next week's (20) 'Grand Central Station' show Jessie Royce Landis hospital- ized for operation, so Violet Homing replaced her on 'Grand Central' last night (Tuesday)... .John" Hurley, ex-VAiusTT, on night shift in CBS pub- licity department... .Albert Scharper, Jr., also ex- Variety, joined pub- licity department of N. Y. Central R. R. Helena Horn joined 'Cats 'n' Jammers,' with" Ersklne Butterfleld orch ....show moved from Friday to Sunday evenings.,. .George Hamilton Combs, Jr., cracked his ankle playing tennis and is now originating his WHN commentator series from bis home.,. .Josef Honti marks this month his 10th anniversary as NBC staff conductor Jose Renato, Spanish gui- tarist, started first y. S. series Sunday afternoons on WOR. Ilka Chase, Lucille Manners and Ben Grauer will be among the auctioneers at the benefit auction for British War Relief this afternoon (Wednesday) at Temple gallery... .Curt Conway joined cast of Helen Walpole's serial, 'Amanda of Honeymoon Hill' Jock MacGregqr added to 'Orphans of Divorce' cast... .Walton Butterfield, who formerly had an interview se- ries on CBS, joined 'Just Plain Bill' serial... .ditto George Sturgeon.... Lois Hall newcpmer to "Stella Dallas' troupe... .Tournament of Knowl- edge,' quiz series with students of highschools in Queens borough, aired weekdays on WWRL... .Peggy Juaranick, WWRL receptionist, will be married next month. Don Becker bought a 240-acre farm near Richmond, Va., and plans to modernize the 150-year-old house. Will commute by plane next year Budd Hulick (formerly partner of Stoopnagle) and Ralph Dumke (fori merly with Ed East) teamed for flve-momlngs-a-week comedy sustainer on NBC Ruth Chattertoiv; guests Friday (16) night on 'Campbell Play- house,' doing 'Alien C()rn'... .Judith Anderson gets the nod next week (23) in play not yet selected... .Hal James and Florence Sperl (Mrs. James), of the Compton agency, to Boston for brief visit Recording band leaders and singers are presenting Martin Block, conductor of 'Make Believe Balhroom' on WNEW, with a special scroll, June 9.. Barry Wood will make the presentation. , Committee Replies New York. Editor, Variety: In the letter from John Wilstach, the Listeners' Radio Committee of 'We The People' has the following to say regarding the story of Calamity Jane on a recent broadcast: First, every story told by the guests and accepted by the Listen- ers' Radio Committee is his or her ourn story, authenticated as thor- oughly as is possible by the sources at our command. Second, pho- tostatic copies of Calamity Jane's 41,000 CLEVELANDERS "CAME THROUGH!" "VVTE THINK every American schooltoom deserves an . VV Amedcan flag! That's why, on May 10th, -we staged the program "Old Glory for Young America," one of the most potent radio shows ever produced locally... to raise funds for placing the Stars and Stripes in every public and parochial school in the county. Rounded up by Special Events Director Sid Andom were Bob Feller, Abe Lyman, Bernie Cummings, Lang Thompson ... 22 acts, 253 performers, a production staff of 59 ... backed up bj the co-operation of the Cuyahoga G>unty Council of American Legion Posts and the Board of Education. It was "May tenth at ten" when the program took the air ... 2:47 A. M. when, 'with the sign off, came announcement that more than 41,000 contributors ha^ "come through 1" And.so, on Jun^ 2nd, when youngsters return to school after ths Memorial Day week-end. Old Glory -will be at the head of every class I We think this generous response from fplks out our way ooight give you advertising men some information that's not found in market data studiesi W6AR THE FRIENDLY STATION CLEVELAND BASIQ STAnpN »>ivC6l»MBIA, iRO/fM>CA$THiie'fSYSril||. IDWAUD PtTRY Jk to. INC., I^AT'L REPftESENTAfIVr CONGRESS OK'S INTERIOR DEPT. RADIO FUNDS lis HOLLYWOOD . . . Ray Coffin, program director for Thomas Lee's W6XAO, sold his seeing- eye dog serial for sponsorship on KHJ. He'll write the chapter and su- pervise production. Coffin was one of the earliest Hollywood press agents Sam Hayes begins his 11th year of newscasting May 20 Dennis Day goes on a personal tour through the east after Jack Benny calls it a season ....Frank Bull doing a nightly baseball series on KFWB for DeSoto deal- ers. Each night he highlights the big inning that won the day's major league ball game Kay Kyser calls on Bing Crosby May 22, which should mean that later Bing Crosby will call on Kay Kyser Tony Martin's sponsors are still mulling his summer status. He'll know definitely by May 21, which is option time Robert Arden, KFWB's war analyst, east on a deal that would shortwave his daily comment to Europe in six lan- guages.,. .Four indie stations profited from exploitation of the 20th-Fox picture, 'Great American Broadcast.' Lion's share went to KFWB, which rarely plugs any pictures outside of Warners' product. Washington, May 13. Funds for continuance of the In- terior Department's' radio section have been approved by Congress, with $3,000 transferred from th« contingent expenses fund to* the Salaries account of the Secretary of Interior and an additional $4,280 au- thorized for the "hiring of a radio engineer and an assistant clerk- stenographer. Opposition that cropped up last year over alleged propagandizing by Secretary Ickes and his radio staff was lacking when members of Con- gress quizzed Michael W. StraUs, the Department's director of informa- tion; Ickes and Assistant Secretary Burlew about the needs of the radio section. Representative Charles H. Leavy, supplied a satisfactory pat on the back for the 'patriotic duty' that is being performed by the in- formation division, stating that the $78,530 requested for all information service 'is extremely small.' Budget estimates for the radio sec- tion for fiscal 1941 were $21,650, with $15,000 appropriated. The 1942 estimate adds a radio engineer to the payroll at $3,200 and a clerk at $1,620. One of the chief complaints of the information director was remedied by Congress when strings were re- moved from a $3,000 item which last year was voted for the production of transcriptions. Through a tech- nicality, the money could not be used for the purposes Intended. IN SAIS FRANCISCO . . . ^ New high in sports cooperation with radio here was set this week with KSFO's arrangements to air the state tennis championship matches from the California Tennis Club. Racqueteers are making up their sked accord- ing to the time the station can clear, so that a feature match will go on at air time, regardless of the hour Two months after trekking to Mex- ico on a good-will tour, Bob Forward, KFRC announcer, Is still talking about It—in a weekly series of quarter-hour sustainers Newspapers and radio really got together this week when Robert J. McAndrews of NBC, Hollywood, and Thor Smith, Call-Bulletin promotion chief, were teamed for a direct mail session, at the Frisco Ad Club in Palace hotel Peace broke out on KFRC this week with inauguration of a daily quarter-hour tabbed 'Warless News'.... Wax network-repeat of KFRC's early-morning Breakfast Club, started last weelf, have been replaced by a live copy, with Musician's Union getting blame or credit WHA MODESniZATION Madison, Wis., May 13. Radio station WHA, operated under state sponsorship at the Uni- versity of Wisconsin, is to- be mod- ernized and improved to the extent of $32,250. The assembly this week passed a bill appropriating money for such a purpose. Denver's Original Ail-Night Station Reprasented by Blair Czechs Don't Like Time Change—Squawk Milwaukee, May 13. •Foreign language programs may be a source of revenue, but they also produce their headaches. Now the Czecho-Slovaks assert they are be- ing kicked around because WEMP has been compelled to shift their programs from one spot to another, due to the baseball season and day- light saving. John Klaboucb, publisher of a lo- cal Czecho-Slovaic newspaper, who ceglktered^ .th* newest complaint, dalidf to r(|present 40,000 Ilsteneni of his nationality.