Variety (Oct 1941)

S4 RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, October 22, 1941 •HONDAT MEKKT-GO-BOUND' With rbir Susy, Bea Wain, Evelyn HcGreeer, Alan Holt, Marlon Mc- Hanns, Ford Bond, Bappaport Ctaoros, Victory Arden Orcb M Mlns. DB. LTONS TOOTH POWDEB Monday, 10 pja. WJZ-NBC Blue, New York (Blacfcett-Sample-Hummert) Patterned after the Lucky Strike Hit Parade idea, this show appar- ently c::pecled the ASCAP-radio embroglio to be settled by the time it hit the air. It was searching around for hit tunes when caught Monday (20). Show bases its sslec- tions on requests tor a certain tune in Aight clubs in various sections of the country, which report by vyire. For instance, the opening melody was "Two in Love,' reported by the Cocoanut Grove, Los Avigelcs (tlie territory oi Meredith Willson, who wrote it). ,, Stork Club, N. Y., liked 'World on Fire'; College Inn, Chicago, pulled •Mama'out of the hat. It's a novelty tune, recorded only by Horace Heidt. Will Bradley's band, a boogie- woogie-Jive outfit, is current at the College Inn, and it's hardly likely he'd be requested to play 'Mama.' He wouldn't knov/ what to with the request it he got it.. At the finale a melody of requests was advanced. Among them was a tune called 'So EnSs Our Night.' Maybe it's new and increasing In popularity (we've never hea rd it. and It isn't among VARIETY'S "Most Played!) or maybe it was being given a helping hand toward some ratin:;. Whatever the shortcomings on the melody an?le of this show, the talent with which it's studded does a capa- ble joTj. Bea Wain (Hit Farad; alumr.a) w":~::s 's".'!i~ and~satiBCylngly• on ballads, and the Phil Duey-Evelyn McGregor i".'"o i~ an ?ssc;. A'm Hale-Marion McManus are used simi- larly, and easy to tqke. Victor Ar- den's orchestra and Bappaport Chorus provide fine backgrounds. Ford Bond's spiels are delivered . much in the same tone and manner BS .the Hit Parade atmouncements. .His commercial copy is short and crisp and sticks to Dr. Lyon's usual "unattractive smile,' "Your dentist, too, uses'powder' formula- Wood. •AMEBIC AN RADIO WABBLEBS' Sinrlnr Canaries, Jesse Kirkpatrick U Mfns. AMERICAN BIBD PBODUCTS , Sonday, 1 p.m. WOB-HBB; New Terk (Westan-Bam«tt) This novelty organ-canary singing teries from Chicago, resuming for another season, is a sentimental- merchandising mid-day Sabbath (taiiza.'It's hardly the sort of fare'to draw mass listening, but it should appeal to those , who love canaries and iAellow nostalgia and are in the market for bird lood, or those who might be potential canary-buyers and birdseed purchasers. Certainly anyone who delights in the canary s song should revel in this chorus of trills, chlros, etc., by the studio-full of birds, ror when the organ begins to play, the little fellows apparently cannot contain themselves. They sound about to burst with melody. Jesse- Kirkpatrick reads the af- fectionate continuity about the birds, introduces the 'bird of the week' and each program's guest chirpers. He also spiels the numerous blurbs about how Hartz' Mountain Bird Food provides a 'balanced diet' and contains the necessary vitamins to . keep the listener's kttle feathered chums healthy, contented and melodious. There's a money-back . guarantee. Hobe. ■TOWN HALL OF THE AIB' yVlib George V. Denny, Jr„ Lynn Stambangli, Sen. D. Worth Clark Forum 60 Mine. Sustaining Thursday, 9:IS p.m. WJZ-NBC, New York Town Hall of the Air' moved back into its customary niche on the NBC-Blue last Thursday night (16) and out of the event came an hour of (airly sustained mental and emoUonal fireworks. It was a timely subject under debate, namely 'Should Congress Repeal the Neutrality Act?" Currently limelighted pair of an- tagonists, Lynn Stambaugh, National Commander of the American Legion, and Senator D. Worth Clark, of Idaho. Partisanship at times reached ungloved personal recriminations. It was an 'open forum,' in the free-for- all sense. It was again proved that Town Hall is something that politicians and other advocates of causes should not approach unless primed with knowledge and facts. Once the audi- ence is permitted to cut loose with their questions the speakers' pre- tenses, halt-baked theories, thinly concealed bigotries, carelessly made allegations are ripped away and the nlight of a chap like D. Worth Clark can often become pitiful. The glare of light produced by a probing citizenry makes it tough for many a good hater who is a poor debater. The classic case of Verne Marshall, the Iowa bomliast-thrower, will be recalled. Senator Clark, who recently garnered himself a mess of dubiously profitable nublicity as an In- quisitor of the film industry on the Cropaganda issue, found himself amy cornered twice during last lliursday night's exchange and his rescue came first by the charity of 4he_..suave.-jnanneted.. George V,. Denny, Jr., and then by the clock. Clrrh had charged that the Ameri- can Legion convention which upheld the President's toreioi policy bad been 'controlled.' When pressed by the legion's head for elucidation of this statement the Idahoan sirred and squirmed tmtil Moderator Denfty stepped in with the suggestions that perhaps the senator had meant the word 'influenced.' Clark pathetically grabbed at this kind-hearted proffer of aid as would a drowning man at a raft. The other moment that proved embarrassing for the senator oc- curred when a questioner from the floor, asked that the Idahoan answer by either "Yes' , or 'No' whether he favored the defeat of Hitler. Clark retorted that he couldn't be eniected to answer that one i<<rectly. After a momentary pause his voice became raspy with resentment and he re- join^ that the question contained four questions, and as the audience broke forth in a chortle of amuse- ment at his cornered embarrassment the senator shouted Uiat the question wasn't even an intelligent one. The audience thereupon booed. With that Denny again moved in and re- marked that time was up. As Is the usual pattern of these debates Denny took over the inter- ludes following open speeches to direct at each of the antagonists questions founded on. statements contained In their prepared argu ments. Odec. •BIVER BOAT REVELS' With Kay. Carlisle, Old Timers Quar- tet, Joseph MacPherson, Minnie Pearl, Frank Marlowe, David Cobb, Pcitro Brescia Oreh, 10 Mlns. Euslalning Saturday, 11:38 p.m. ■ WEAF-NBC, New York Originating at WSM. Nashville, this show is .one of the type that MBC intends using on its Red net as a substitute tor remote pickups of dance binds. It wss an in and out haU hour that seemed to have more possibilities than was> gotten out. Opening with neatly styled introduc- tions of various people, it promised . much, then bogged down via three over-long interludes. First, a vocal of 'Shortenin' Bread' by baritone Joseph McPherson; 'I'd Like to Go Down South Once More' by Old Timers, and a 'Dixieland Jazz Band' piece by the studio band. Minnie Pearl, backwoods-accented comedian and singer, perked show . up with too short, but light momenLs ol chatter and a song, Kay Carlisle chipped in with 'Braggin,' which didn't seem to fit her voice. Sounded like she'd do better on ballads. Also, jhand was too heavy behind her. Capt. Frank Marlowe, master of the Bivcfboat (sound effects gives im- pres.iion'of a steamer ' underway) slightly overdid the goatee-bow legs- eorn cob pipe brand of emcee. At one point a set of tired gags inter- rupted band's playing of 'Band J>laycd On.' Dialog was much in the jame groove. All in all, however, this program •howed entertainment possibilities. With more even distributioh of tal- ent and improved gagging it could Mrhtps bold the responsibility. - ■ Wood. 'A HELPING HAND' 15 Mica. OiONIZED YEAST Daily, 3:15 p.m. 'WABC-CBS, New York (.Ruthfauff Ic Ryan) John J. Anthony, who sells' real life domestic troubles with his 'Good Will Hour' for Ironized Yeast Sun' day nights, last week started a five- weekly daytime series of fictional ized heart-throb stuff on CBS for the same sponsor. Purporting to be based on actual cases, 'A Helping Hand' hasn't the life-in-the-raw as- pect of the Ttood Will Hour' and it lacks the - latter's -unintentional pathetic oomedy. But it's still re- volting drivel an^. if successful, shameful commentary of popular taste Introduced as the 'friend of mil lions,' Anthony announces that in a fast-changing world 'human emo tions and human frailties remain constant.' He quickly gets down to cases, explaining, on the chapter heard Thursday (16), that 'It was (ear that led Jessie Rail to say . whereupon Virginia Brown, the AFRA version ot fictional Jessie,, cut in with an a'opiziiu; 'I don't want to give up my baby, but I've got to.' Organ theme came in on her final words, swelling up and fading for the announcer to chirp a long blurb about how Ironized Yeast contains vitamin B and iron, how you may be weak, pallid and tired, but Iron- ized Yeast will bring new pep and new popularity. Another oruan theme and Anthonv discloses that the ensuing dramatization 'mirrors lite itself.' after which there's an embarrassingly hokey yarn about thwarted motherhood, an adopted baby and a super-villainous grand father. Closing plug Is a yeast tes- timonial froA) a policeman and the teaser tag ■ tells about how tomor- row- you will hear of Mrs. Wilkins' brave fUht to keeo the baby.' Presumably Anthony has a large ready-made following tor his domes tic angui*:h oackafles, but he's stilted, self-conscious narrator for dramatic series. Considering the brand of hokum she must dish, Ruth 20 Winks Last week's radio strike cer- tainly seemed to mean little or nothing to the public. Mayb* the indifference finally con- vinced the networks as to what a lot of listeners have been do- ing the past year after 11 p.m.— dialing In the phonograph sta- tions.. .X.A.B. gave the World Series a rating ot 32.8. The leading three to five pominercial programs generally show a C.A.B. figure somewhere around 35. Which means that more peo- ple listen to the name shows than the Series. You can get a bark out ot us on that one, friend... .Mary Boland was on Fred Allen's program last week. When two such performers get together it amounts to a lesson in the delivery of comedy dialog, and this episode could well serve as an. example It's about time Jerry Lawrence stopped apologizing tor Morgan every time he introduces him on WOR at 3:15 a.m. Lawrence is still saying that the mail isn't sufficient to be decisive. Morgan has only been on there since early summer Isn't Ozzie Nel- son in a gpod spot now to turn loose that guy in the size 37 suit?... .Vaughn Monroe has been Jumping all over on late night publicity stints. For in— sUnce WHN, WOR, and WEVD, .one.right after the otber, on only two ot which he told about the time he was a little boy and the drum What do you think Red Grange would have accom- plished If radio had been broad- casting football in his day on the scale! it does now? With or without radio, before or since Grange, he remains head man as regards publicity. Go back 16 years for a minute. In the tall ot IS Grange was coming to the close of his football career.. For « long time the east had only read about this miracle b%ll carrier in' the: midwest, explod- ing that Saturday when he scored tour touchdowns In the first quarter against Michigan— and not a microphone in the joint. And now he was coming to Philadelphia to play Penn. The east's flrIF look at Grange. What happened? The .first time Grange carried the ball, he cut in through right tackle and went '60 yards to score. Then Penn, ' maybe because it was muddy, chose to kick oft. -And who did they kick to? Sure! Grange! They caught him on Penn's 10- yard line. And not a mike in the joint. Oh, there was more that day, too. A lot more. But three years ot tremendous pub- licity culminated commercially a few weeks later In Grange's pro-football debut at the Polo Grounds'. . Grange and the Chi- cago Bears versus the New York ' Ciiants, plus a perfect weather break. Nobody appears to know yet what that actual attendance figure was excfe'pt that the Polo Grounds has never held its equal. It must !iave been near 65,000. And Grange spent a quiet after- noon on the gridiron that day doing little or nothing. What brings all tl.is to mind is the Harmon-KImbrough pro debut at the Yankee Stadium just last Sunday (19). Each ot these players had radio throughout his college years and here they were, like a double feature, on the same team. They drew 25.000 people with • perfect weather break. Over at the Polo Grounds the same day the Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers were play- ing to 25,000. At Ebbets Field the Brooklyn Dodgers.and Chi- cago Cardinals had 12,000 in the stands. A lapse of 16 years dur- ing which r«dic Kas become such a factor, and still three pro games, combined, couldn't out- draw Grange. ■ Shudders of the week: The all- night announcers continue td emphasize^, their lack of nim- ble tongues via the IntA-views they persist in doing. But they are not alone. Mel Allen drool- ing over a football coach is not one of radio's prettier verbal pictures. .- HABOFOLITAN ACOmONB OF THB AA With Mario Berbl, Baohel CarUy, Edward Johnson, BUHoB Cross, Met •rohcstra under Wilfred Pelle- tler Operatio Aodltlons 3* Mlns. BHEBWIN-WILLIAMS PAINT Sunday, 6 p.m. * WEAF, NBC, New York iWarurick <tr Legler) The Met auditions got under way Sunday (19) to a fairly auspicious start. The two singers appearing, while not ot a sort to evoke hurrahs vocally, had extremely pleasing voices, -and were suffciently good, musicians to make for a pleasant- halt hour. Mario Berlnl, tenor. Is a Curtis graduate, and has sung with some ot the lesser companies in the U. S. He displayed a nice lyric quality In 'Recondlta- Armonia' from Tosca,' but came close to cracking on the top 'A' in the concluding phrase. His subsequent 'B flat' was hard driven and brittle with a complete change of vocal production evident above the staff. "The voice is funda- mentally an excellent one, If these faults are corrected, and he showed up to much better advantage in his part ot the third act duet, 'Amero sol per te,' in which the 'O doici manr was included. Here both the top 'B flat' and 'B' natural were bet- ter, but the voice is obviously one not suited to the heavy demands ot Mario's music. Rachel Carlay, substituting on 24 hours notice for an ill singer (Leta Flynn), is the possessor of a lyric soprano which has been heard fre- ouently on 'Manhattan Merry Go Round.' The aria, 'Vissi D'Arte,'was belatedly learned and the role of 'Tosca' IS not for her, but she took the rap for the emergency. She was especially good In the uppermost register, where 'B's' and 'C's' were emitted with ease, but- her middle 'C was but a grumble. In 'ManOn' or 'Boheme! Miss Carlay may find her true worth. Encores included Grieg's 'Ich liebe Dich' in English, for the soprano, and 'Cecelia' for Berini. ' Edward Johnson, Met general man- ager, spoke briefly concerning the merits ot the audition winners, and Milton Cross handled announcements and an effective pliig for Sherwin- Williams paint in his usual ex- emplary fashion, Anne . Erskine writes the continuity -for the pro- gram itself. 'THE LITTLE RED'SCHOOLHOUSE' With Eddie Flynn Quiz 30 Mlns,—Local D.&H. COAL Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. WOY, SchenecUdy (Leighton it Nelson) ■ 'Little Red Schoolhouse' faces an acid test. It is held in WGY's audi- ence studio just before famous 'Quiz Kids'—which local program re- sembles in certain respects—rides into a nearby-city station. Spotting is not deliberate, sponsor taking an open nighttime block instead ot Sim- day afternoon period availa])Ie last season. On basis of first broadcast in new series, WGY show does not suffer too much from inevitable comparison with webber. Youngsters on teams representing competing Schoolhouse' cities do not probably possess as high I. Q.'s as Quiz Kids. Also some ot questions asked the Quiz Kids are less difficult. Bal- ancing this is tact that while smart locals seem less precocious, less ex- hibitionistic than one -or two ot the Chicago regulars. Listeners may con- sider them more normal youngsters and easier radio company. 'School- house' is more of a team proposition and more of a play on community pride. Flynn kept initial broadcast mov- ing at a rapid clip. He wisely held the reins on answers, four boys and two girls (13 to 15) getting little chance, to become prolix or gabbyT Kids coiiipete for cash prizes. One flaw on broadcast seemed to be overuse ot studio organ on musi' cal questions, this instrument sound ing a little draggy. Impact of adver tisihg miessage was rather strong, although not a knockout by - Schen- ectady standards.. .Jaco. Borden does a credible job ot scripting, while John Loveton's di- rection is skillful and Elsie Thomp- son's organ bridging is expert. Don Hancock is announcer, and ori the show caught a cast ot AFRA regu- lars got through the stuff without strangling. Series moves forward a quarter-hour to the 3-3:15 niche next Monday (27). Hobe. DAVIP KESSLER- Today and Yesterday' News Analyst PLANTERS PEANUTS 15 Mins., Local WHAM, Rochester David E. Kessler, who enters the news analyst field with his current assignment, got away to a good start with prospect of building a regular following. A former newspaper man, drama and music critic, sports writer and managing editor, he brings to the new field a sense ot news values, drama in the news and ^varied personal Interests: Despite the difficulty ot presenting vital views on the war's develop- ments from this distance, Kessler does a creditable job In making his comments soi^nd important and thought-inspiring. He devoted most ot his time to the war, then touched oh Congress, a longevity clinic and the death ot Helen Morgan, the lat- ter starting like a - drama-packed item, but fizzling out, perhaps for lack of time. Three plugs centered on a diction ary deal tor peanut buyers. Cord. WABC DEDICATOBY PBOQRAH With. Kate Smith, Mayor Florru, LaQoardla, T«i Aoilng, Howard Barlow, I<*nell« Parsons, Bob Bnmi, Bofcr Fryer, Andre Soste- laneti, Ed Gardner, Bob Rlpler. Aleuoder Woollcott ' M Mtaia. Sustaining Satorday, 10 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York Columbia's New York key turned the juice on for.its.new S0,0O0-watt transmitter last Saturday night (IS) and the event was accompanied by a fanfare of talk and ifiusic in which the. predominant note was the awe that the 'magic of radio' could still Inspke. There were pickups from Hollywood and tiondon and before the switch of signals from the old to the new transmitter, located on a small Island off New Rochelle, N. Y., actually took' ^lace brief greetings were heard from Mayor Fiorello La- Guardia and tHe mayor ot New Ro- chelle, Stanley Church. New York's mayor departed twice from his pre- ;>ared script for a bit o( twitting. Talking about the various services rendered by the medium. Mayor La- Guardia said, 'The world's greatest entertainers stand at your radio door every day,' and then he parenthetic- ally added, 'Some ot them are good and some of them are not so good.' Bob Ripley struck the program's theme of bigness with a recital ot the tacts and figures involved in this 'miracle of modern science'—250,000 pounds of steel went into the trans- mitter, 2,500,000 pounds of concrete were used tor the antenna's island base, etc. Later on in the hour Rip- ley did a 'believe-lt-or-not' predi- cated on his own broadcasting ex- periences, E. K, Cohan, C3S' chief engineer, completed the mechanistic phase of the program by calling the Rif>nals for the turning oft of the old . transmitter In Wayne, N. J., and the introduction of the new transmitter to receiving sets. ■ Kate Smith, first ot the entertain- ers, recalled her first appearance be- fore a CBS mike, then sang a pop number. Howard Barlow also did some reminiscing, his going back to 1927, and he batoned the symphony combination through the prelude to the third act ot 'Lohengrin.' Ed- ward Gardner, another item on the New York end of Uie program, pro- duced some laughs with some no- tions of hiB 'Archie' character. Ted Husing was to have -taken oft on a Pan-American clipper and to come into the program from aloft but weather conditions made, -this im- practical and so he told the listeners of his disappointme'nt.from a studio mike. Andre Kostelanetz rounded out the contributions from the New York contingent with a- highly pleasing Stephen Foster medley. Hollywood was represented, by Louella Parsons, Bob Burns and Roger Pryor, the last plnch-hitting for Orson Welles, who tor unex- plained reason tailed to show. Miss Parsons gave her blessing to wed- ding of the twin media, radio and . pictures, while Pryor spoke of the ■amazing cooperative spirit Of the peoplem radio' and wound up with a salute to the freedom ot speech. The essence of Burns' routine was that he had had no easy time going up the ladder ot success. Alexander Woollcott, originating from London, was the finale speaker. He mixed reminiscences of his broadcasting days with a tribute to British fortitude under fire. Odcc. •HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU' With' Riohard Willis, Dan McCal- lough IE Mlns., Local BARBARA GOULD, INC. Mon.-Thars., 2:45 p.m, WOR, New York This novel beauty-advice series by Richard .Willis, former reporter, ac- tor, advertising man and Warner Bros, eastern studio makeup man, returned last week tor its second season as a local sustainer over WOR, New York, airing on a four- times-weekly schedule. It's now being sponsored three times a week (Monday, Wednesday; Thursday) by Barbara Gould, Inc., cosmetic nrm, but will continue the Tuesday sus- taining shot . . Format ot the show remains as be- fore,- with Willis offering beauty analysis and advice to two applicants from the studio audience. He rales them on the tollowin.i? points: hair- do, use ot powder-rouije, use of lip- stick, eyebrows, neck-line and use or jewelry. Total number of points for the various classifications gives them a general percentage. . Probably such a sKow is interest- ing to women dialers, although tne more squeamish may be embarrassed at the blunt questions and sugpes- tions offered by ' Willis. Also, the program's main apoeal to the mdi- vldnal listener would ."seem to be in dc.-'ling with her particular type or looks. Thus, a temme wouin proD- aWv have to hear a succession or other - (and therefore irrelevant) types before Willis wo-''-^ get nroiina to her own case. Willis nsks tor nlentv of studio visitors f>nd siitfcests that those who cannot at'end in ncr- on tend him.ohotos end '"it him ore-. sc'Ibe heputv h)nts:for them t'ltis- ■It's tjrnbablv a hettP'- ornfrrn-l^ln th". st'idio than via the ali-. Dan McCullough Is the announcer Hobe.