Variety (May 1941)

32 RADIO Wednesday, . May 28, 1941 Public Let In on 'Stwy Conference Mort Lewis' 'Behind The Mike' Dramatizes Diagnosis and Treatment for An Ailing Daytime Serial Pete: Good.. .what? Bill: You killed Sherman Talbot to soon. Martha: I didn't think he should have been killed at all. Pete: My wife doesn't like him... and she knows her radio. CBS Selling Artists Bureau gContlnned from pace Ig (The /olloiulna U verbatim from ■part of the Mort Lewis 'fleWnd the Mike' script used a week ago Sunday on the NBC Blue. Bill is Bill Rapp, editor of True Story Magazine and a radio cOTUuItant on the side. Graham is Graham McNamee, the announcer. Other characters are impersonations. — Ed). Bill: First I want to say that a story consultant not only is called ing) Why did you kill Sherman Tal hot? He was such a fine man. He i had a lovely character. We all like him and now you'va killed him. We'll never buy your product again and we used to eat It all the time at home. Joe: Isn't that awful? Pete: And here's another, Joe... I (reading): It was a disgrace to kill Sherman Talbot. I resent It person- | ally. Not only will I not cat Toasted oly blast against the two major net- works, both NBC and CBS, the de- Bill: Yes, Pete, probably a lot ol centralization of sundry component people didn't like Sherman Talbot, i p^rts loomed as a certainty. Al- But a lot more people seemed to like i ready the RCA structure has been him. This Talbot was a rather nice | under Are from Thunnan Arnold's guy before you decided to get rid trust-busting assistant, Victor O. in when a script goes stale but is ' Shreddies but I belong to the Four ; sometimes called in at the beginning of a serial to help the author plot the story. Graham: Well, what does a good day time serial have to have? Bill: A sponsor. Graham: You're ai'"n't we all. ITeuces Bridge Club and to the Ladies Auxiliary and I'll see that I none of the members eat Toasted \ Shreddies either. I Joe: You're right, Pete. I guess . We shouldn't have killed Sherman I a dreamer, but ' Talbot. | I Martha: I'm glad we're agreed on that. But who killed Sherman Tal- ' of him, wasn't he, Martha? Martha: Yes, that's how I built his character. Bill: And you got rid of him in about five weeks. That is, you changed his character and made him a heel and motivated his death all within that time. It was done too fast. Martha: Well, what can we do,, Bill. What's a way out? Bill: Radio re-incamatlon, got to be brought back. Walters, on the proposition of hav- ing both communications, broadcast- ing, recording and kindred alliances. Bosenthal As MCA V. P. Under the MCA-CBS Bureau deal, the latter's directing head, Herbert I. Rosenthal, executive v. p. of the Artists Buireau and protegee of Law- rence Lowman, CBS executive, I moves into MCA as a vice-jvesident He's, also. With Rosenthal also go hla sub- Bill: But seriously, a good story for a long serial must have at least ' bot? two of these three fundamentals—a I Pete: Who killed him? Why... socially significant central theme, a | Martha: It was your Idea. You group of characters who naturally | told us that your wife didn't like generate dramatic situatibh after I Sherman Talbot and none of her dramatic situation and a hopeful at- ; friends liked Sherman Talbot and Martha: I had him shot.. .but defl-' agents In-the Artists Bureau who be- nitely. We had him. found kissing come part of the MCA organization, another man's wife. And the hus- They are Larry Puck, on theatres; band shot him. He's been buried. Mrs. Isabel Scott, head of the lee- Pete: Can you dig him up? ture and concert bureau; Jack Ber- Joe: That's a constructive sugges- tell, cafes, legit, etc.; Dell Peters, tion, Pete? ' Mack Davis, Peter Teurer, Bruce Martha: I wonder if a man could PowfeU (brother-in-law to Herbert tte buried' and then be...maybe a Bayard Swope), and Lou Mindllng, titude to this business of living. Graham: When do you do most of your work? Bill: During story conferences. Graham: What are these story con- ferences like? Bill: Well, Graham, suppose we show the audience a typical story conference.. .designed to help out a sick script... and so that our audi- ence can get them all straight, let's flrst introducie the people at the conference... Martha: I'm Martha...I write the script. It's always been successful until now. Pete: I'm Pete, the advertising manager of the sponsor. Personally, I think the trouble with this script is that It's too highbrow. Joe: I'm Joe...I represent the ad- vertising agency—I'm what they call an account executive and boy, oh boy, I hope that just because our show has lost a little popularity the client doesn't change to another ad- vertising agency. ' Rapp: I'm-the story consultant but I won't come in till later. Director: I'm the director of the show, i should be at the conference but I'm not. I'm home sick, which cuts out another actor and keeps the budget of this program down. Rappr And now, typical story con- ference in an office of an advertising agency...and don't think it's ex- aggerated... (Babble of voices up and fade out into): Pete: Just look at that Croseley ! ok at it! Down two polnta since ihe last rating. And every point means millions less listeners. And why is the rating down? Why, I ask you? Martha: Why Pete? Because we killed Sherman Talbot. Pete: Of course. Look at the mail we receive. This one says: (read' that I should get rid of him once and for all. I had to have him shot. i .Pete: Well, I still think I'm right. ■■ But if you had written it right.. .you ' didn't dumb it up enough.. .that was the trouble. Martha: (Breaks In) You're the ' flrst person who hasn't been satis- fled with my writing. I've written ' radio for ten years and my scripts', have always been successful. I Pete: Then why don't you write a successful script for us. The show is going dowii and\ our product Isn't j selling. ' ! Martha: Maybe your product isn't any good.. .have you ever thought of i that... i Joe: (Shocked at heresy) Martha, do you realize what you're saying? Pete: The product is good. Look ' here, I'll have you know that we sold more Toasted Shreddies last year than... Joe: Where Is that guy Rapp? We're paying him to come In and help us lick this problem and he can'^ even be here on time. Martha: Yes, where Is Bill? Pete: That's right. 'Where's Rapp? Rapp: (Fading In) Hello folks. Sorry I'm late^ Joe: Bill, we've got a real problem here. . Pete: I'll have you know that Toasted Shreddies last year, Martha, sold more packages than any other..'. ' Joe: You're absolutely right, Pete. It's a great product.. .but how about it, BUI...are you ready to help us? Bill: Well, I spent 19 hours last night listening to record; of the 'Rise of Young Dr. Pepper CBandolph.' I must have heard about 40 or 90 epsl- sodes. ' Pete: Do you know what's wrong with it? Bill: Yes. cataleptic At. Pete: Well, I'll find out in i ond. I'll 'phone my doctor. (Receiver off hook.) Hello.. .give me a line. (Telephone dial.) Hello, Krnie...Thi8 is Pete. executive aide to Rosenthal. Mind- ling, incidentally, only recently re- signed MCA to join CBS, but under the deal thus automatically shifts back. Bertell Is also a CBS Artists • majority stock control of Columbia v.p. but Rosenthal is senior officer. Concerts Corp., Its concert manage. Say A third v.p. I. S. Becker, business ' ment affiliate, to the minority stock- ment guarantees. Now there's a pos- sibility NBC may make a deal with the Morris Agency for its artists bu- reau. MCA only last month took over the entire eighth floor of the Squibb Bldg. in New York, some 15,000 square feet, but with the CBS deal now finds even that very spacious office room Inadequate and will again have to start spilling over Into extra floor space. CBS SELLING OUT CONCERTS CORP. ALSO Complementing the prospective sale of Columbia Artists Bureau, Inc., CBS subsidiary, to Music Corp. of America, there, is a deal underway for the network to dispose of its ilrnie, can a guy be buried in a manager and originally, a lawyer, holder group. Like the Artists cataleptic state and be brought back remaining at CBS In the program Bureau-MCA deal. It is subject to ap- to life...How long ago was he dept | proval by the CBS board meeting buried?. ..A don't know month ago.. him...It's a No, II -Details anent the roster of talent I f?^^"^^'^J"' ^^'^ * a-^d endorse- ?«"P*;!both in the New York, Chicago and Yeah, he was killed.. .Well, it Hollywood offices must be worked wouldn't make any difference.:..Oh Some of the acts, such as the ...thanks .very much...Well, good Bertell roster, for instance, which bye. (Receiver on hook.) 1 xhe Hartmans, Danny Kaye, John Pete: If he was buried.. .he was Hoysradt, are individually contracted embalmed" and no one can survive to him. Under BerteU's deal with Uiat. I CBS he probably has the privilege of Bill: Not even on daytime radio. I retaining them. X>ook.. .1 figured this.out. ..tnescript; j„, i,.^. -» intimated that Talbot didn't get along' ^^J* „„*"Ln,S.«iiI, teCt ... ., j_ 1 u v« n>eans an impressive talent cushion with his mother-ln-law. He be- L bolster what in years has been ment by the network's stockholders. Actual transfer Is not expected to take place for at least 90 days. C3S interest in Columbia Con- married life. So let's give him a double and make the double the guy who was shot This sort of thing Is happening all the time. Men sent to jail because they looked like the real criminal. ..Now Talbot was away from home When he sees his picture printed In the papers with the startling news story that he's dead. That gives him an idea. His mother-in-law has been ruining his whole life so he decided that this was a great break. Instead of going home, he goes to Atlantic City. Martha; Yes, but how are we go- ing to get him back in the story. Bill? Bill: Well, one day a friend comes to the house and asks how Sherman The Sim of th« It's really sblnlng ito brightest I One hundred and ten mjUion dollars going for three TVA danu and power planto}.. Textile mills and other Industries on 24-hour day I . . Aluminum Company doubling capacity of plant! Full details of these teeming activities . « . and how they affect your market . . . free, of course, on re- quest . . . Ask the Brenham Company. SCRIPPS-HOWARD. INC. C6S...990 KC. 5,000 W. Say, 600 W. Night I C. P. GRANTED 10,000 Watte Full Tim? Is? The wife says. 'Sherman Don't, butt, Ted Husing and Paul Douglas, you know Sherman's dead? He dled.maestros Leith Stevens, Walter a month ago?' And the friend says. Gross, Percy Faith, Lud Gluskin and 'Well, I must have-seen a ghost In'others. Atlantic City only two weeks ago. | Concerts Dlvblon Not In De»I Because I met Wm there and we j ^ot going with the deal, and per- Ulked. It was Sherman all right',h^pg the single most Imposing wd So they caU the mining person's p^flt^ble roster of talent, is the Co- bureau or the police department in' lumbia Concerts Corp. This remains AtlanUc Oty A caU goes out and u^jer Arthur Judson, prexy of the ^ M ?tl°'^^'?^*'i*^^*^- K Jwncerts subsidiary, .ind others' di- Martha Sounds good to me.. .but section. Other managers in the con- he doesnt want to come home on ' erts division include F. C. Copplcus account of the mother-ln-law slt- U. Frederick Schang, Jr., Lawrence •oMr'tii-vti o .t.__ » I Evans & Jack Salter, Haensel & B U: Right! So they put a personal jone, and Wolfsohn Musical Bureau, ad in the newspapers and he flnaUy; i„e. aU were big concerts manager!^ S"L^iLl,.rl'l^i.:i';M^£^ Pjior to joining the combine with home—but no mother-in-law^ Martha: What will we do with the mother-in-law. . Joe: Why not kill her? Martha: Yes.. .she could be hit by a taxi or have a Jieart attack. Pete: Walt, wait...you can't kiU the mother-in-law. Marthas . Why not? Everybody hates her. ' Pete: Yes, but you can't kill the mother-in-law. Martha: Why not? Pete: Because tWnk how many people who buy our product are mottier-ln-laws. Bill: That's easy to fix. Pete: How? Bill: Let's not forget the third of our fundamentals...a hopeful atti- tude to life. So, instead of HlUng I the mother-ln-law we'lj reform her— but in thirteen weeks! Joe: Reform a mother-ln-law In thirteen weeks. Don't jfou think that's too fast? (Babble of voices up and out,) Bpi: And that Is typical of an actual story conference. Includes such people as Hildegarde, i certs amounts to 55%, for which the network Is to be paid around $230,000 under the proposed deal. MCA doesn't figure In the concert transac- tion, as the Artists Bureau and Columbia Concerts Corp. are entirely different ventures. Latter is and has been located in the Steinway Bldg, In West 57th street. New York, some distance from the Columbia Broad- casting System building, where Its Artists Bureau is housed. Managements included in the Con- certs Corp, setup and now holding 45% of the stock are Concert Man- agement, Inc., Arthur Judson; Metro- politan Musical Bureau, Inc.; Evans & Salter, Inc.; Haensel & Jones, Inc.; Wolfsohn & Jones, Inc., and Com- munity Concerts Service, Inc. Direc- tors of the organization since the various Independent offices were merged 11 years ago are Judson, F. C. Copplcus, Frederick Schang, Jr, Lawrence Evans, Jack Salter, Calvin Franklin, Ward French and Horace I Parmalee. They will continue to I operate the firm under the Columbia j Concerts Corp. name until the trans- fer is completed and a new peme is selected. Concerts diviston has an imposing array of talent on its roster, so much so that it was cited a few months ago before the Federal Communica- tions Cofflmission, in a ^ brief by Coast attorney Martin Gang, as a monopoly In its field. Gang, repre- senting a few Coast agents acting in- dependently, also charged that the radio networks' artists bureau were in restraint of trade and throttling Indie agents by unfair methods, such as Inducing performers to sign man- agement contracts on the promise of sustaining radio time. jtlon. While Stein has been building MCA for some time Into live talent, In all Its components, even going so far as to buy up personality con- tracts from other Hollywood agents, in order to give him influence with the^ picture studios, he could use more. The lecture bureau, for Instance, places under MCA availability such Impressive names as Quentin Rey- nolds, Clare Booths, William L. Shirer, Ed Murrow, Elmer Davis, John Anderson, et aL Other CBS Artists Bureau per- sonalities are Atadre KosUlanetz, Mark Warnow, Raymond Scott Barry Wood, announcers Del Shar Yoansstown. O.—A. O. Hardy, Voungstown, former, supervisor of radio activities for the National Youth Administration in Ohio, has Joined VrjSV, Washington, as field engineer. Columbia, This move by CBS to divest ItseU of its acts follows sundry evolutions ' within the talent subsidiaries at both networks. Some years ago both of the (pajor webs, and also Mutual Broadcasting System, unloaded Its bands by order of the American Fed- : eration of Musicians. NBC turned ' them over to Consolidated Radio Artists (Charles E. Green) and "iUCA took over the CBS and MBS roster. 1 In fact, to insure Itself, MCA's Jules ' Stein guaranteed CBS $50,000 a year for sundry periods of radio time, I against a ZVs% of the bands' gross, ' so ' as not to be frozen out. MBS , was guaranteed $20,000. The first year of CBS' deal with MCA, some ' four years ago, it collected $70,000 : from MCA and Its bands for wire | pickups. Theory then was that CBS thus would not be tempted to cur- tail its post-11 p.m. band shots for MCA bands, although, as it de-1 veloped, that was an. unlikelihood. However, the deal continued untU last year, when FCC complications started to assert themselves. / NBC-Morrls Agoy, DealT A possible deal with the William Morris Agency for the CBS talent acquisition was also being discussed,' but understood to have been stymied by the reported $200,000 ca^ de- mend, plus the personnel employ- [ EXPERIENCE FOR SALE A Musical Director Composer-Arranger wHh tUs story ta tell: THE RECORD —11 years with New York Station, —who makes own arrangements, —who 'Writes original music for script shows. " —whpse^^ musical production ideas have been sponsored by— General HUIs, Fonilao, Bemington Band, Ex Lax. One to ehiinge ol ewnendblp mt WMCA, New Terk, the man wbe answsra this description (myself) Is available. LEE GRANT 16S0 Broadway, New York riiene: Cltele 7-SSU