Variety (May 1941)

26 RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, May 28, 1941 'OUB GOOD NEIGHBOBS' With Frank Black Orchestra 30 Mlna. SnsUinlnr Tharaday, 10:30 p.in. WEAF-NBC, New York NBC has 22 Latin-American pro- grams in prospect for Tliursdays at 10:30 p.m. The first was an intro- duction to all 'The Other Amer- icas' (the frequently-repeated catch- phrase of the script by Wyliss Cooper) and each .of those to fol- low will single out one of 21 repub- lics for salute. The programs are likely to represent lots of musical and historic research and painstakr Ing attention to the hiceties^. and Bubtletles of national custom, pride end sensitivity. <BUCK PBIVATE AND HIS GIBI*', 'NEWS OF THE WEEK DT INDUB- With Myron I|IcCormlck, Anne Sey- TBV monr, Aleunder Kirkland, Joan With John Melntyre, Ed Herllhy Banks, Tom Powers, Don Me- .15 Mlna. Lanehlln 15 Mbis. Snstalninc Daily, 10:15 a.m. WJZ-NBC, New York NBC thinks it has in 'Buck Private and His Girl' the'show everyone has GENEBAL ELECTBIC IThnraday, 8:30 p.m. WJZ-NBC, New York (B. B. D. & O.) It Is a rare pleasure—accent on the rare—to be able to speak admiringly been seeking—a serial localed at an' of a radio program devoted to army camp and dealing with the I 'propaganda' for business. So many day-to-day life of a trainee. On that of the radio attempts have been basis, the network expects to sell the either transparently biased and series pronto. Whether or not it, smug or cautious to dullness. Gen- succeeds, it has a promising com-; era! Electric has an ideal program mercial offering in this skillfully: for this particular point m business hoked romantic meller. At least;—and world history—giving Ameri- Follow-Up Comment kaleidescopic. By nothing more original than the 'caption' method, the script managed to crowd to- gether and put across a mental image of colorful far-off places, I that is the conclusion based on Mon- I cans factual dope on the one ques- Inaugural proved fast-moving and day (26) morning's debut Install-! tion they want to know abou^^ - - - - - ■ ■ ment. -about that national defense Job? Jumping right into recognized se-1 The program derived from that rial plot complications, 'Buck Pri- alert and inffnential modern publi- vate' (the show will quickly lose the; cation, Business Week, and between , , rest of its title in trade terminology) I publication and agency a dialog thriving, if strange, cultures and, presented the story of a draftee and ; script for two professional spielers civllizallons just as rich and usually his sweetheart, whose blissful ro-1 unfolds with consistent engross- considerably older than our own ranee Is about to be shattered by a ment. Behind the program is an op- ' gorgeous young thing who crashes | timlstic note that private enterprise up in an auto accident and is extri-. is going to town for the Govem- cated from the wreckage by the stal- • ment.. The program is a ray of sun- wart soldier. There are already nu- \ shine in a morbid world. Land. merous puzzling plot threads to be j explored and, even in the opening Yankee ways of life, Voices with the accents of Span- ish and Portuguese sounded the roll call of the republics. Other voices flung out the great symbolic names of the patriots—Bolivar, Hidalgo, O'Higgins, Juarez. North Americans were reminded that when the dour, pious and hungry Pilgrims touched Plymouth Rock in a Wilderness of Indians and pine trees the city of Havana already was 100 years old (and doing the rhumba?). And, Senor Yahqui, did you also know that when Harvard was just a couple of converted cow barns the Univer- sity at Lima was 87 years estab- lished? Si, si and also tsk, tsk! 'This Is good stuff. North Ameri- cans are profoundly ignorant of their good neighbors, urgently in need of smartening up. They are lome 450 years after Columbus, of course, but better to discover South America late, and with NBC's help, than not at all. The series will not be easy perhaps. Iliere will, no •^oubt, be brass hats and protocol to ensnare author, director and net- work. But apparently there is lots of exotic anecdota and music to be woven together. The getaway pro- gram" was workmanlike and vivid, making frequent uses of montage devices. Much of the music, notably an operatic overture by a Brazilian, was highly promising. NBC bows oil with an elegant declaration that it enjoys the en- dorsement of Vice-President Henry Wallace and Secretary of State Cor- deU Hull. Land. WILLIAM WINTER News Commentator IS Mlna. Snstalnlng Nightly KSEO, San Francisco William Winter, former attorney who turned commentator on WB'T, Charlotte, is new to the Coast, but should make friends easily. Brought out by Lincoln Dellar, manager of KSFO and formerly at WBT, Winter Is .being, groomed as one of the 20 western shows CBS sales chief Ar- thur J. Kemp will peddle on his jaunt east in June, winter may be one of his easier assignments.. News commentators are a dime a dozen these days, with result that anyone who can make an impres- sion in the crowded field Is note- worthy. Winter has a crisp, fast, but conversational man-to-man ap- proach. Wern, chapter, a few mystifying angles on I CLABENCE GASKILL the principals. I 'Staten Island Chamber of Commeree* Serial is scripted by Clare Belle! Songs and Patter Thompson and Margaret Lukes Wise, free-lancers, and is produced-di- rected by Arthur Hanna, of the NBC staff. It's a skillful job In both de- partments. 'Myron McCormick, as buck private Steve Mason, the hero, is properly vigorous and expressive. He gets billing on the air. Anne Seymour is vibrant as his sweet- heart. Joan Banks, as the accident- victim menace, had only a couple of moans on the opening show. Others to be in subsequent chapters include Alexander Kirkland, Tom Powers and Don McLaughlin. Hobe. 'CABNIVAL OF STABS' With Kenny Baker, Bose Bampton, Vv"AYl»n* Bonald Colmao, Sheila Barrett, Ed • Sollivan, Boyal Guardsmen Octet, MaJ. Gen, Beanmont-Nesbltt, David Cheskln Orchestra.' Friday, 10:16 pjn. WKBW-MBS, Buffalo. Like most benefits, (this jvas for British relief) 4S-minute stanza from Buffalo's Kleinhans Music Hall trot-, ted out its share of names, then left' them dangling through' poor timing and Ill-pacing. But for a slow start and some snappy dialogue, it might have molded mto a well-knit show, since theme of war relief struck a common chord in most of the guests. Ronald Colman, in. 'particular, had audience at swank $2.25-$4 per ducat affair well on his side with appro- priate recitation of Socrates' triumph over his totalitarian judges. Show got off to a delayed start, dramatic bit in hall just before air- time holding up pickup for a minute or so. Sulliyan was emcee and moved acts along In quick style, but a little less enthusiasm over 'fine audience,' etc. and a few more gags might have helped. Toronto's Royal Guardsmen Octet came out first with pair of rousing ditties, then Maj. Gen. F. G. Beaumont-Nesbitt re- layed message from Iiord Halifax. As it was, shot didn't get into real entertainment until first quarter- hour was up. Then Rose Bampton, IS MIns.—^Loeal Sustaining Monday, 4:30 pjn. WNYC, New York Clarence Gaskill, who has been writing a new song every 20 minutes since the last war, was heard Mon- day afternoon (26) on municipally- owned WNYC playing a couple dozen of his songs (part of last week's output) to his own accom- paniment. In between tunes he en- gaged- in some chatter with the WNYC stand-by announcer. The pro- gram seemed to lack something and after mature reflection the decision on what was missing is Fred Allen. The program cried out for comment The program, for no special reason, bears the name 'Visiting in Staten Island.' It has the support of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and is devoted to interviews. Gaskill did a 'and then I wrote— ' routine that dramatized what an energetic composer he is. From the last war he dug up his 'Coffee Cool- ers' song, a pansy bit called 'Oh, Captain Dear,*^ and his medals saga, 'I Wanta Cross —to the Good Old U. S. A., In commemoration of the present difficulties, GasklU had *The 44th Division at Old Fort Dix,' 'Every Day la. American Day' and 'Love America or Leave It Alone.' A thoroughly enjoyable quarter hour. lunA ■ David McLean, 43-year-old Scot farmer who captured Rudolf Hess when the No. 3 Nazi parachuted to earth following a plane journey from Augsburg, C!ermany, was heard on 'We, the People' last week. Larry Le Sueur, of CBS' London watch, in- terviewed .the Scotsman who played a part in one of biggest news stories of all time. Le Sueur did more talk- ing, than McLean. Announcer re- created the scene, leaving the farm- er to answer flll-in questions, cov- ered in one or two sentences. Gabriel Heatter, before the switch across Atlantic, warned listeners they might have difficulty in under- .standing McLean because of. his heavy burr.. Le Sueur also spoke of this possibility. However, McLeian's remarks came through clearly despite the accent, Interview revealed little about the amazing episode, but did have the advantage of a participant's telling. McLean did say Hess first words, were that he wanted to go to Lord Hamilton's place and that his captor said, 'Not tonight.' Farmer also stated. Hitler's ex-chum nixed an offer of tea, saying he never.drank it 'that late at night. Le Sueur men- tioned fact that Hess carried enough digestion tablets and stimulants, in- cluding morphine, to fill 'a medicine cabinet.' McLean said he will stick to his job of raising products for England's use and will not accept any other offers for personal ap- pearances in England and the United SUtes. QUICK QUIZ BEE With Gren Band 30 Mlna.—Local SPAULDING BAKEBIES Sunday, 1:30 p.m. WOKO, Albany Af^r_^sponsoring_jipoiitime. side-, walk quizzes for five years, Spauld- .ing Bakeries moved into the WOKO studib for a Sunday session before an audience. Setup calls for two teams to compete in the first half, the winner to meet the holdover vic- tor,' during second half. Colleges, dramatic and social groups, business houses,, etc., send squads to battle it out Rand plays for mild laughs and with some success. He should guard against occasional overstepping the "Slc^"fleld?' ''"''"^'''^FaB^^^^ Rand also handles the advertising, which is restrained as local pro- grams go. There are small cash and product payoffs. Joco. «DIAL-0-WOBD' With Jack Gregson Novelty 15 MIns.—Local Sustaining Tu., Th., M.'IS pjn. KSFO, San Francisco Latest radio game to pop up here Is Cliff Howell's air version of cross-word puzzles, using the num- ber and three-letter combinations on dial ■ phones in place of the checkerboard squares. About six words are used, including a '$2 toughie.' On show caught this was a lO-letter combination, '7226325403' translating to 'scandalize.' Some of the dialers must \be psychic, correct answers popping up almost before Gregson could, strike PHILIP GUEDALLA Talk 20 Mlna. Monday, 7:40 pjn. BBC, London South American hand-clasp series follows a similar educational flight around the U. S. It's neatly done-up for listeners in hands of noveli^ Guedalla, and at this initial catching has- benefitted from experience in etherlng the Yank contingent. Latter were strong on statistics but lacking human interest, resulting In a iS^t^''bit*wi1h J5en roun^;!'^^" lecture-room atmosphefe which Ma^in^t^rir-Ti BT^n,1;^i'it;^«^ original idea. Trouble btSrTnV^?hS,o'i^,&gig'^''"''' a.ain develoo a., seri« t,«v.„ At this point Colman took over with highly dramatic bit. Kenny Baker recalled his versatile Mikado chores with "The Wandering Minstrel,' giv- ing show a modern'touch with neat 'Amapola' as followup. Sheila Bar- rett wowed 'em with mime of young brat urged tq_ 'make, like-Garbo.'. adding a sock song parody a la Bea Lillie and Bert Lahr. Slow start gave show a poor ending, resulting in cut during Miss Barrett's final bit, a poetic thing. Dave Cheskin, WGR-WKBW con- ductor, .achieved fine musical back- ing with 50-piece group. Bob Sherry announced. . Betz. STELLA UNGEB Film Chatter 15.MIns,—Looal- Dally, 6:30 p.m. WTBY, Troy, N.Y. Best portions of these broadcasts are flve-minute transcriptions on which SteUa Unger sketches the ca- reers of stars. Like virtually all Hollywood chatterers. Miss Unger spreads the praise too thick. How- ever, 'it's that slightly unreal light in which picture fans apparently, want their marquee favorites to be pictured. A candid focus presum- ably is not desired or permitted^ Miss Unger has smooth mike tech- nique, her voice being clear and f heery, her manner chatty. Before and after the platters (NBC Thesaurus) are turntabled, AI Parker, fast-talking and sometimes high-pitched announcer, spiels the pictures playing Proctor s Troy.- Pal- ace and (^rand, Albany, Proctor s and State, Schenectady. Jaco. Pbll Spitalny ' and his femme orchestra provided an assuasive halt- hour Sunday (25) on NBC Red (WEAF) for General Electric. Pro- gram leaned heavily on the classics, with selections from such operas as 'Madame Butterfly,' 'Meistersinger* and 'Martha.' It sounded strange, at first, to hear 'Someday He'll Come' and 'Last Rose of Summer' sung by a contralto, but Maxine handled them beguilingly in lower-scaled ar- rangements. H(^ever, historical purists might have remarked that a dramatized bit about Von Floto'w writing 'Last Rose' specially for a certain prima donna didn't jibe with the facts. As It happens, the com- poser actually took the number from an old Irish folksong. 'Prize Song' from The Meistersinger,' supplied a i sock violin solo on the show. justified In making was that Louis seemed not to have heard the bell. Furthermore by Stern's own account «!f the incident, Baer had arisen from a previous knockdown and was walk- ing to his own corner when the disputed blow was struck. ■ That sounded as if Baer, described as virtually out on his feet, had heard the bell which the uninjured Louis couldn't hear. As a climax to the frantic mixup, Stern cut Baer's man- ager, Ancil Hoffman, off the air for. expressing a 'matter of opinion.' That may have been somewhat arbitrary (In view of his own just- previous confusion of fact with opinion), but It seemed a prudent thing to do. As a matter.of fact, it was doubtful judgment to give Hoff- man the mike at all just then. Im- mediately afterward both fighters made calm and sportsmanlike state- ments about each other, but every- one else involved was apparently badly rattled. . Judith Anderson gave a vibrant, moving performance in "Young Woodley' last Friday (23) night, as guest on 'Campbell Playhouse.' Her portrayal of the professor's wife in the drama was soundly conceived and wa.9 projected on a rising emotional scale,, yet was skillfully held within bounds. She has an un- usually persuasive voice for radio. 'Oar Gal Sunday' was a compact, propulsive show as heard Wednes- day (21). It had five distinct scene changes, all of them sternmlirg" naturally out of the action and not tossed in merely to give the illusion - of pace. In' addition, .each scene- quickly picked up the story and carried it along. Except at the open- ing and close, there was no narration by the announ^r, the dialog itself providing the locale, story back- ground, etc. It all added up to terse, clean and expert scripting by authoress Helen Walpole. Incident- ally, there was unintentionally amusing contradiction in the closing commercial. 'Don't experiment,' said the announcer, 'try Anacin at once.' Ted Steele is one of the nicer casuals that stroll in and out of the NBC schedules under what is air- described as 'an invitation to sweet music addressed to you.' His soft kind of, nice kind of, music would probably be a better kind of music (if it isn't bad taste to mention the matter) were he pergpitted to mess around with some of those ASCAP pieces. Merle ' S. Jones, gen. mgr. of iu _ - .vi-T. ^tm «.-t; KMOX, who served as gen, chairman the gong which sets off each race, i., t«„io nr^^TUui^^ a,,,;,,^ It's a novelty, smoothly handled and f ^""'^ Committee during okay within fee UmitaUons of com- the N.A.B, eonvenUon, tegaining. petltlve participation. Wem. ' strength on a Canadian fishing trek. may again develop as series travels on, although it seems Phillip Gued- alla is to handle the entire run, as against the switch which' BBC made in the U. S. ethering by calling in a new name each week. This may make all the difference. Novelist successfully flavored the 20-minute spiel with^ punch and ap- peal." His" approach 16 "{He subject' and treatment, meaning a session of continual, mounting interest. Forth- right slam at the ostrich-like accept- ance of popular opinion of a fore^Pi land, based on motion pictures and pop dittys of the tango and rhuinba style, served as an immediate re- minder that his was no travelog and listeners were in for something fresh. It was a stylish method of getting underway. Artistry of the pen-< wielder was apparent throughout the diseusslon which embraced' Uie whole of the continent, and without that artistry it's unlikely such a hefty slice of land could have been made so entertaining. 'RHYMING TIMES' JOHNNY FORREST News 15 MIns.—Local 'BOSTON DENTISTS Sunday, 2:15 p.m. KIRO, Seattle , Johnny Forrest is back with his rhymed news, accompanying him- self on the piano. Selection and comments are amusing. Forrest Is a veteran newscaster around Seattle, doing several daily stints at present, and formerly had same type of show over KIRO., He covers the lighter side of the news chiefly, depart- mentalizing his period into Head- lines, features and a combination rating for editorials and comics, and points up items In an original man- ner. Choice of background music adds to program, making it more of a 15-mlnute show than straight new9, in rhyme. ...... jieeo.-' ■' Curley Bradley Is the non-Ibernian, handle of a gent In Chicago who sings rather drowzily in Spanish in the Rex Maupin session' carelessly known on Thursday nights as 'Carib- bean Tunes.' A whammo xylo is contributed by Jose Bethencourt It all adds up as Merchandise Mart Latin, but don't think it ain't mod- erately charming. Bill Stern, describing the hectic climax of the Joe Louis-Buddy Baer flght Friday (23) night from Wash- ington, lost his detachment in the ex- citement. Referring to the cham- pion's 'after-the-bell' knockdown of the challenger. Stern repeatedly made the flat declaration that 'Louis positively did not hear the bell.' Without going into the legality of the disputed punch, it is obvious that the question-of -whether another person has heard a sound is necessarily a matter of opinion. The most deflnlte statement Stem would appear to be 'Against the Storm' continues to be unique among daytime commercials. Without even a gesture toward pace or the usual kind of action, it saunters along from day to day, pausing for leisurely conversations between characters and containing long, picturesque background narra- tion and scene-setting. As heard Fri- day (23), one lengthy scene was played against an organ accompa- niment. It's Bi literate show, rather than a dramatic one. And its char- acters are Inclined to be almost in- humanly tolerant aiid articulate. It's also notable for —the- fact—that authoress Sandra Michael prefers prose-picture bridges to the usual organ music for scene changes. ELEANOR NASH Fashion, Beauty Talk IS MIns. Sustaining Wednesday, 11:30 aju. WJZ-NBC, New York New series Wednesday mornings on NBC Blue (WJZ) offers.what is supposed to be and sounds like authoritative dope on how femmes should make themselves irresistible. It's caUed 'Ask Eleanor Nash' and its principal is described as beauty and style consultant, for a New York specialty shop. Anyway, Mrs. Nash not only knows her stuff, but she has an intelligent perspective and a llstenable manner of presentation. Although her spiel ,1s manifestly aimed at the femme audience, it's broader and deeper In scope than the usual woman's clothes and fashion gab that drives men to the great out- doors. After a more or. less straight inter- view-spiel with announcer Radcliffe Hall, Mrs. IJash explained that she likes the studio audience to heckle her, so a number of rather patently primed questions were asked. She also made an obvious "bid for mail before, during and after replying to some on the air.. Those are easily- remedied as is the script's repetitious gush about what a wonder glrl Mrs. Nash is. When heard Wednesday (21), the second shot of the series, it sounded as If the script wrlter^must. • have a crush on her. ' H5b4.' 'Story of Mary Marlln' provided a noisy and hardly appealing stanza Thursday (22), as a bratty youngster named Davey whined, wailed and yapped through about half the script. Other characters were little more at- tractive and thevnet effect was more distracting than diverting. Hard to understand the idea behind such writing and direction, since spoiled children and loud grownups are scarcely the sort of people anyone would normally be expected to want around the house. In other respects, too, the "program was a curious one. Everyone in the script sounded like a 'character,' from the garrulous grandma to the guy who talked about the "Excelsior* poem and his companion, apparently a borderline mental case. Larry AdIer was star of 'Lip Serv- ice' presented Sunday (25) night by Norman Cktrwin as the fourth in his '26 by Corwin' series for Columbia Workshop. It was an amusing and sat- isfying Snow. It was simpler in con- ception from a production standpoint than the previous programs of the series, yet it had refreshing origin- ality and inventiveness. Doubtless Corwin's fellow-craftsmen in radio found it less impressive than some of his previous efforts, but it must have been more understandable and thus more entertaining to general listeners. Story, more compactly written than some Corwin shows, dealt with a hillbilly harmonica vir- tuoso from Tennessee who becomes the sensation of New York and, as a goodwill envoy to a Latin American president, cements Pan-American re- lations. In the end, of course, he goes back home to his hillbilly heart- throb, who also just wants to hear him play the mouth-organ. There were numerous pungent topical ref- erences, such as the quote from a Ralph Ingersol editorial in PM, 'Mannix panicks audience at Car- negie—and what are we going to do about It?' And, somewhat unusual for a Corwin show, there were several potent acting parts. Adler handled the- harmonic-playing as- signment of the leading part su- perbly, making the musical portions seem all too shoct. Ted de Corsia's was a brilliant performance in the dramatic part of the same role, while Minerva Pious, Joan Alexander, Luis Van Rooten, Mildred Natwick, Sf5tt^^aW?n»-'^^^'''