Variety (May 1941)

no RADIO Wednesday, May 28, 1941 m mW YORK CITY ... Young Si Rublcam has optioned 'Those We Love,' which Procter ti Gamble will drop at the end of June... .Pedlar & Ryan option on the show ran out and couldn't be renewed Peggy Riley, actress-author who made her radio scripting debut with a recent 'Cavalcade of America* pro- gram, was guest of honor and interviewee Saturday (24) over NBC to receive a Women's Press Club citation for the show Helen Walpole, au- thor of 'Our Gal Sunday' and 'Amanda of Honeymoon Hill,' back at the portable after severe cold....Jim Moran, who recently did a comedy pro- gram on WHOM, Jersey City, under the name of Prof. Briggs, auditioned by WRC, Washington outlet for NBC, for a local commercial series for a local department store there... .Moran is now doing exploitation and pub- licity for Paramount Picturei in Washington, but until recently he was on the publicity staff for Fred Waring. Keith Kiggins, sales manager for the NBC-Blue, had a birthday last week. Kiggins is interested in horses and so his office associates helped him celebrate the event by giving him a load of equines, but in toy form ....Piled up on his desk were horses of wood, ivory, glass, metal, porce- lain, calico, plush, celluloid, gingerbread, etc Knowles. Entrikin and Howard Breslin have written a legit comedy about the insanities of the radio business 'Latitude Zero,' new dramatic series, starts June 7 on NBC red, replacing 'Knickerbocker Playhouse," which Procter & Gamble Is dropping for the summer 'Rhyme and Rhythm Club,' from Chicago, goes back on WEAT-NBC beginning June 6 when Sheffield Farms drops Tim Healy's stamp series June 13, Brad Reynolds' vocal stanza re- places it, giving the tenor six shots a week. Stella Unger's Hollywood chatter program quits NBC red with the June 7 edition and gets a Wednesday spot starting June 1? 'L«t's Swing,' with Jimmy Lytell's orchestra, takes over, the Saturday niche •Consumer's Time' changes title to 'Consumer Tips' Bill Stern will cover the Intercollegiate track championships Saturday (3U at Randall's Island, N. Y Kay Kyser's series for Lucky Strike renewed as of July Charles Nobles, staff announcer, doing nightly flve-minute baseball score'summary on WEAF local for Pepsi-Cola. 'Religion in the News,' Saturdays on WEAF-NBC, changes title to The Art of Living* Ruthrauff & Ryan still auditioning shows to plug Rinso and Spry in the 11:30-12 a.m. Saturday spot on NBC red beginning July 12 ....'Defense for America,' the National Assh. of Manufacturers' show Saturdays on NBC red, renewed over the summer... .'Information Please' troupe had a third anniversary party Friday (23) night «it 21 Prom- enade Concerts, from Toronto, with Reginald- Stewart conducting, start regular summer series on NBC blue (WJZ) Thursday nights. Diana Courtney doing 'Fantasy and Melody* vocal series on WJZ-NBC Monday and Friday afternoons Chick-Vincent directing the 'Danger Is My Business' and Mary Small programs for Axton-Fosher tobacco, via WOR-Mutual Ed Wolf Associates producing them Rex Miller, for- mer foreign correspondent, doing flve-a-week news analysis on WPAT, new outlet at Paterson, N. J Bob Smith, who does 'New Yorkers of Note' series on WWRL, also assisting Earl Harper on nightly baseball broadcasts over WAAT, Jersey City The Music Album,' new 30-minute recorded symph series on WQXR Mondays through Fridays starting next week, involved shuffling the night schedule for the entire week. As a stunt to aid British war relief three old concert programs of Emma Calve, autographed by the singer, will be 'auctioned' over the air via a special broadcast Sunday <1) night.T. .Larry Wynn wrote, produced and directed thd Harlem-Children's Camp Fund benefit showiest week on WMCA.,..Alan Strong back on his 'Alarm Clock Club' on WOV after •trep attack Lynn Stone and Addy Richton, whose 'Hilltop House' went off the air recently, leave Sunday (1) for a five-week motor trip through the south, midwest and Canada. WINS, readying for 50,000 watts, now devotes only 31.9% of its broad- cast time to recorded music... .Clare Belle Thompson and Margaret Lukes Wise are writing the new. NBC blue (WJZ) sustainer serial, 'Buck Pri- vate' Arthur Hanna directs and the cast includes Myron. McCormick (who gets air billing), Alexander KlrWand, Tom Powers and Ann* Seymour. _ , . ' Holland Furnace will take over the 8 p.m. spot Thursday on NBC red, starting July 27, when Maxwell House folds the Fannie Brlce show for the summer series will originate In Chicago... .Sylvia Marlowe re- cuperating from operation and will be off "Lavender and New Lace' for several weeks Fern Sherman subbing for her as vocalist. Ray Nelson, NBC announcer, expects to become a father in the next few days..,.Jack McCarthy, also an NBC spieler, likewise slated for fatherhood soon....C. L. Menser to Washington tp line up various foreign ■ envoys in the U. S. for guest dates on the 'Good Neighbor' series... .Abe ' Schechter, NBC news and special events head, won 75c last week when I he matched quarters in a four-way pre-broadcast confab with Fred Bate in London, Charles Lanius in Berlin and John Anderson In Rome now ; all he has to do is coUect Otto Brandt, of NBC station relations, to be 'married soon....Hugh Beach, formerly of NBCs publicity staff, has suc- ' ceeded Tom McFadden as writer for Bill Stem McFadden has returned to his former job In the NBC news room. 'The People's Platform,' Columbia roundtabler, will originate this week i (31) in Winnipeg, Can., where 'American-Canadian Relations' will be discussed by 'John W. Dafoe, of the Winnipeg Free Press, John Grearson, president of the Canadian Film Board, and others participating. RADIO STUNT EXaTESARMY m HOLLYWOOD ... Leo Tyson, former manager of KMPC, Bevhills, now hustling biz for Alex Robb's NBC program and talent sales clients. Carroll Tomroth moved to other employment Bert Lahr booked for three shots on KraTt Music Hall. Comic is making his home here and may land on the pro- gram as a regular... .Bob Garred, newscaster, now bankrolled by nine sponsors weekly on KNX....Edgar Bergen finally wins recognition from his alma mater, Northwestern. Come June 14 he gets a master of arts degree. Last year "Charlie' got the kudos Kay Kyser gave his band a four-day siesta at Catalina and footed all the tabs... .Lum and Abner's new themer for the Alka Seltzer series, 'Evalina,' was composed by their organist, Sybil Chism. They had to drop 'Eleanor' because of its ASCAP pedigree... .W. Bennett Lewis, Columbia's program chief, going over the summer 'Forecast' layout with Charlie Vanda. Still undecided whether to niche it in the to-be-vacated Monday night Lux slot. .> .KFWB's war commentator, Robert Arden, .got Jammed up with the immigration au- thorities for overstaying his leave on a visitor's visa. Out on bond, his commercial is being continued five nights a week. Master of 16 languages, he fled Austria when you-know-who - moved in... .Jimmie. Fidler takes off for his new sponsor (Tayton cosmetics) July 4 on a six-station CBS Coast hookup... :Don Oilman, Harry Maiilish, Lew Weiss, Donald Thom- burgh and Harry Witt named to the radio committee of United Service Organizations, which will raise $10,765,000 for entertainment and diver- sion in army camps Walter Wade in town for Lum and Abner takeoff Lux budget gets a shot-in-the-waUet June 9 when Carole Lombard and Bob Hope team in 'Mr; and Mrs: Smith.' Also, hjrpped is Chase & Sanborn, with Mickey Rooney booked for June 8 and Carmen Miranda the following week Pepsodent producer. Bill Lawrence, casting for the siunmer filler, a scripter being whipped Into shape by Jerry Schwartz, on 13-week leave from KNX writing staff Rudy Vallee remains on the Coast through the summer, the agency having called off the eastern pitch for the Sealtest show... .Erskine 'Skinny' Johnson renewed by his sponsor for another quarter of cinema gab...,Frank White, CBS treasurer, look- ing over Columbia Square. iUt< orKunzation. THANKS TO THE HERMITS TirHETHER In concert or in comedy, no '* group of amatturi in ClevaUnd ever preicntL • more finiehed ibow- than tbo Hermit Club. This club doei lilt loma autbantle pro- fcBsionala, of coarse, among iti memberi, and a certain special interest in the enter-, ttainment world traditionally flaron the en- tire Institution. This tradition helps to set a standard for the dub'i perfonnances. Saturday night's concert was luUf op to the (tandard. The Masonic auditorium was folly sold out for the occasion, and the trig audience bad a delightful time. It is good for Cleveland to hav* groups like this doing such good work is music and other fields of entertainment. The occasion reminds us again that we of are fortuiate in numbering Walbetg Brown among our fellow citizens. Mr. Brown ie inusical director of WCAR, but he finds time to «ngage in a good many other activi- ties, including the direction tjf th« Hermit Clob orchtstca. For tome aymplionic pnrpotti « larger orchestra would be more efTective, but few ortbettraa maoberinc no more than 40 piaycn display luch qririt, such accuracy of tempo and - clarity of tone. Tbey give a •baq^- dean ptrfomasce, entirely frea of th« Uctrlnc.tbit.cbaracterii«(-aiany-«ma- tcor (mcmUe*. Th* whole program. In- cluding the chonu work, th« vocal solos, and the piano nuoberi, made lu look for- ward tagerly to a»t Hcnnit Club per* fotmance. Otvthmd Prm, Mmy 190) NOT JUS^ A BATON-WAVER . w . but a man who Icoowf made from Bach to BMI, whose willing co-openttioa in club .and dvip inusical activities has helped bring new fame to ClevelaiMi as » music' center. 'That's'Walberg B^owa, ranacal director «t VGAR;;: . «apther good realoa whf Thfe;<lcit4pidly SMtioa coajSode*Jto wia honoris for public service and^o<yrtV>hthip. Aa«j.jrjfffll^ii|Jjy» xeason why spot advertisers ■ ji BM)i(ft |!f>fe'fflfeo network standards put it liip it^fBSBihj ^ '.S- IN SAN FRANCISCO . . . Local unit of American Federation Radio Artists ballots June IS on a new National Board Member, Incumbent John B. Hugh's term expiring on that date AFRA now holds contracts with aU Frisco stations save KYA, where negotiations have long been In progress... .Charles Morin, assistant to CBS Coast Sales chief Art Kemp off Ensenada-way on vacash With shift of Art Linkletter's Roma Wine Interview show from Telenews theatre studio to. Los Angeles, newsreeler has started a new one, 'Speak Up,' airing on KSAN Fridays at 6:15 Almost every theatre playing 'Inforipation Please* in this vicinity now preceeds title with 'KGO's,' thanks to constant boring of NBC explolteer Milt Samuel who's liable to pop out of a film can or anywhere iqiOW's publicist, Don Log^n, hitting the vacation trail for the Northwest Melville J. Jacoby, new NBC correspondent in Chungking, is a former Frisco newspaperman Happy Gordon, whose Hangers have long been an NBd feature, doubles on KROW as a single starting this week with a daily 7:15 a.m. slot Francia White of the Bell show (NBC), currently at the Curran In 'Naughty Marietta,' interviewed Friday (23) from the KGO-KPO. building site, adjacent to the theatre Capt. .Bill Adams, who was yanked off KSFO's Farm Journal by Uncle Sam is bSck in front of a mike-.-this time doing an Army show with talent from Camp Callan, npar San Diego. Weekly hall hour is airing via KFSD, San Diego. Frisco Elks Club, headed by Exalted Ruler George Devine, Jr., tonite (27) hosts approximately 70.free-mealers in its annual Radio-Press dinner, tossed as gesture of appreciation for courtesies received during the year. IN CHICAGO ... Barbara Luddy goes into 'Woman in White' replacing- Lesley Woods who exits radio for the summer for some strawhatting Dinning Sisters going to Elkhart (Ind.) to entertain at the Miles Laboratories party for the Indiana retail druggists next month... .Hilmer Linhal Joins NBC as vacation relief engineer at the WENR transmitter Cliff Johnson comes in as producer with the Columbia WBBM outfit... .Title for the Durward Kirby program on WENR has been tagged 'Rhythm at Random,' the mon- iker having been selected by public contest Judith Waller, public service chief for NBC in Chi, named, at Federation of Women's Clubs convention last week as among 53 women making greatest strides by women in past 50 years. . : Buenos Aires, May 27. What started out to be a special events stunt for radio El Mundo, one of B, A.'s largest transmitters, may result In the basis of South Amer- ica's first parachute corps. Further- more, the corps may be the first in the world—according to local au- thorities—to be equipped with ra- dios by which they can receive and transmft messages while in descent Predictions were made by Army officials following a test made by Tomas Picasso, No. 1 Argentina avi- ator, at El Palomar, Army field near here. Picasso, who holds the world's record for consecutive jumps in one day, bailed out at 2,500 meters, hold- ing a microphone In one hand and the rip cord in the other.' Chute opened immediately and as he fell, Picasso described his im- pressions to the radio audience and a group of officers In one corner of the field. Latter, In turn, sent him orders. In less than three minutes ha was back on the ground; reported that the ffve-pound apparatus had given good results save that the aerial went out of commission half way down, preventing further re- ception but not affecting sending. Army officials said stunt had opened many new possibilities, es- pecially for Jumps from high alti- tudes where time of descent would be a more vital factor. Added that experience in Norway, Holland and Belgium had convinced them of the necessity for going beyond the ' Nazis in the use of parachutes. Dramatic aspects of the talking leap which received a big play in the local press, has already jumped support for the current national drive to train 5,000 pilots. The Arnnr, unable to get official funds, has backed the private drive, 'Junta Argentina de 5,000 PUotos,' seeking cash for more Argentine aviation training. BlAMCHE RING'S NEW ROLE She's Bess-Lady In IMotlier Cobb's Fight Camp' As a tie-in with its Madison Square Garden fight broadcasts, the Mutual Network will air a dramatic serial, 'Mother Cobb's Fight Camp,' Sunday nights, starting June 8. Frank 'Red' Dolan will do the scripting and Har- oH McGee the direction. Time will be 7 to 7:30 pjn., EDST. Already cast are- Blanche Ring, Sam Byrd, Jo Ann Sayres, now in 'My Sister Eileen,' and Millard Mitchell, of ■'Mr. and Mrs. North,' currently on Broadway. SeYareid on Farm News St. Louis, May 27. Eric Sevareid, Washington corre- spondent for CBS, will be part of 'Country Journal' program aired every Saturday a.m. over KMOX here. Sevareid Is skedded to do a flve-minute farm news review from Washington. Charley Stookey, originator of the program, will continue to furnish the bulk of the stint. . WCAE EASES INTO MBS; lONE RANGER' STARTER Pittsburgh, May 27. Although WCAE, local Hearst out- fit, doesnt switch from NBCs Red to Mutual until Nov. 1, station Jbas already started to pipe in MBS and other outside programs to make di- vorcement from Red a gradual rath- er than a sudden process. Already spotted there Is "Lone Ranger' serial, which has never before come through Pittsburgh. Being bankrolled locally by (jeneral Mills, Inc., and contract cSlls for three hali-hour shows week- ly for 52 -weeks, through Blackett- Sample-Hummert. In network realignment here next fall. Red goes to Westinghouse sta- tion 'KOKA, which has previously had Blue, and Blue switches to KQV, sister station of WJAS, local CBS outlet. ,; Tlmmlns,, Ont.—Hal Lawrence, hiiV^ editor and announcer at CKGB, lpcaVJ(3^ puHet, has resigned to do free-iahce announcing in' Toronto. Intentiountaln Marlut people prefer tKe lively ■ID ■ETWOIK