Variety (Apr 1942)

34 RADIO REVIEWS Wfdnesdaj, April 1, 1942 'SOLOMON AND BALKIS' With John Garner, Mona Panlee, Carlo Corelll, Nadine Conner, Eileen Farrell, Howard Barlow, CBS- SympilOhy Orchestra, Wo- men's Choras Opera 45 MIns. Sunday, 2-2:45 p.m. WABC-CBS, New Tork Randall Thompson, American com- poser, was commissioned by Colum- bia to write a one-act opera for radio presentation. "Solomon and BaUris* was the result of his efforts, based on the story The Butterfly That Stamped' from Rudyard Kipling's •Just So Stories.' . , ^, Opera proved thoroughly melodi- ous, resembling Menotti's 'Island God' in its recitatives, and Handel oratorio in the arias. Parts of the score bore resemblance to Meyer- beer; other parts to Verdi's 'Ballo in Maschera,' but not enough to war- rant criticism. For a first attempt, the score held interest, and war- ranted encouragement of the com- poser to continue along the same lines. Using a more suitable sub- ject, perhaps some American theme, with the same abundance of melody and with the expert orchestration he bestowed on 'Solomon,' the first good American opera may yet be written. "The quality of the performance was good for the most part. Excel- lent diction marked the efforts of the singers, with John Gurney, Met basso as Solomon, showing an im- proved upper register over his. re- cent Met appearances. Mona Faulee's contralto voice showed a break be- tween the middle and lower regis^ ters, but her quality was pleasant, and she sane with considerable au- thority. Nadine Conner did credit- ably with her part, and Carlo CorelH had a good top 'B' flat, but the rest of his voice was not sufficiently mo- bile to warrant his being termed anything more than adequate. Miss Farrell's part was too small to war- rant critioism. The orchestra under Barlow played with considerable. Are, and the cho- rus did well in its part. £ddi/. <BEBITAGE OF SONC With Lionel Dannals, Jnles Jacob, Anna Halenfsnt, Jeanne Desjar- dlns. String Qoartet S« IHUns. Snsialnin; Snnday, 1:30 p.m. OMB-CBF-CBC, Montreal History of Prance and, for' a few centuries, of England also, is encom- passed, in material which is present- ed here. John Murray Gibbon, Canadian author and historian, and Claude Champagne, superintendent of . music for the Catholic School Commission of Montreal, have au- ttientically documented their pres- entation from the government ar- chives in Ottawa with oljject of tracing effect of music on Canadian culture. Program, flxst of a series of 12, Is particularly appropriate in this grovlnce since many of the French- Canadian folksongs are derived from earlv French folklore. Gibbon, who translated the orig- inal French songs, has captured their essential spirit and portent with re- markable skill. String quartet an4 clavecin pro- vide musical accompaniment. Lane. IE« YQMK WBNX . TH« MOrr IHT.l- I Va« AND "««TlVt AMKRICA't UAHO«»T| MARKET. 5000 WATTS •THIS IS WAR^Vn' With John Carradlne, John Garfield, Henry Hnll, Eatherlne Lo«ke,. Fan! Stewart, Hester Sontrcrgaarfl, Frank Lovejoy, Norman Obtr, Peter Goo Chonc, Jaok Smart, Eddie MayehoS, Martin Wolfson, Joan Banks, Lyn Murray orch. 30 MIns. Saturday, 7 p.m. All Networks Because of the 'critical state of war production,' this program writ- ten by Norman Corwin was substi- tuted for another originally sched- uled from Hollywood as the seventh in the 'This Is War' series. It was a hard-slugging show, expertly pro- duced and played. It was gripping rather than entertaining. Called 'It's in the Works,' the pro- gram stressed the urgency of the production situation. 'The next three months are going to decide the course of this war,' It said at the out- set 'The next 100 days will tell whether we'll win in one year, two years, three years—or whether the war will drag on and on for many years.' The desperate state of this crisis. had obviously stirred author Corwin In his writing, Lyn Murray in the composing of the brilliant special score, and actors John Carra- dlne, John Garfield, Henry Hull, Katherine Lock6 and the others of the cast in the playing. They pro- jected that emotion eloquently over the air. Something must be done fast—- now, right away. But what? 'The- answer comes straight from thp Gbv- emment, not from one script writ- er's imagination—every man must work, every machine must be used 24 hours a day.' As a typical worker, Garfield punched across lines about the loyalty and determination of fhe workers, of their readiness to make sacrifices, to suggest precious time- saving devices—despite what 'cer- tain • radio commentators and news- paper -writers' may say. The Negro problem and race hatred generally were given searing treatment, too. There was scorn for labor agitators. As for the speed-up, 'Sure, we're for it. Speed up or shut up.' As an industrialist, Hull contrasted the workers who think only of wages and the manufacturers who demand hig profits with the soldiers fighting ^d dying for $30 a month. Later the men who died on the U. S. destroyers sunk off Java'were men- tioned. "They didn't complain about inconvenience,' hours, wages or profits.' Miss Locke, revealing her charac- teristic skill, spoke as a Signal Corps officer's wife. 'I have a stake in the war,' she avowed. 'Anyone who in- terferes with the war effort has blood on hU hands.' and cited every- day examples. "Therell not be a minute in the next three months anyone can call his own. There's no such thing as personal time. It's our country's ■ time, it's war time. It's freedom's time.' All this was on a steadily rising scale, with Caradine closing with a plea of the men in battle, 'AH we ask Is make the weap- ons, make them fast, make them now.' This chapter of "This Is War* was a stinging. Impelling call to action. Hobe. Readying for the N.A.B. Cleveland, March 31. Local committees are rushing plans for N. A. B. convention here at Hotel StaUer, May 11-14. John F. Patt, WGAR manager, la chairman of Housing committee. Other chair- men include Eugene Carr, WGAH, entertainment and advertising; Ver> non H. Pribble, WTAM manager, Golf. Assisting are Harry Camp, Charles Newcomb and Carl George, WGAR. Ho-ward -Barton and Hal Metzgar, WTAM; H. K. Carpenter, K. K. Hack- athom, Ro bert G reenberg and B. W. Richmond, WHK-WCLE. CONBAD VEIDT IN 'HATE' Wlt!i Edcar Barrier, Hang Conreld, Byron Kane, Lon Herrell, Jaok ZoUer, Leo Cleary, Jay Novello, Charlea Dant Oroh. 30 MIns. Saatalninc Snnday, 4:30 pja. WEAF-NBC, New Tork As an emotlon-rouser, this ninth In Arch Oboler's 'Plays for Americans' series Sunday (29) on , NBC-Red from Hollywood should have been a valuable contribution to the task of igniting the public to a fighting-mad pitch. It didn't attempt to tell the istener what's to be done, or how. It was strictly emotional. The Nazis are a filthy, ruthless, bestial crew, it said. And It added, by inescapable implication, they hate us and our kind, intend to destroy tis and all we stand for. We must kill them, with any weapon, by any means, if we are to survive. We must fight; we must hate. Strong words, fired rather than delivered. Nothing subtle, or in- volved, or difficult to understand. A powerful story, said to have been -written by Oboler from actual facts supplied by an escaped Norwegian. Even after Pearl Harbor/even two weeks ago, there would have been criticism of a program as violent as this. But so fast is the public mood changing that reaction now appears to be satisfaction. Which should be at least partial evidence that such series as "This Is War,' 'They Live Forever,' "Plays for Americans' and others of their ilk are fulfilling their function. 'Hate' Is a pure melodramatic story, except that Its ending is grim instead of happy. It's the enraging tale of Nazi persecution, in Norway, of a pastor's superhuman efforts to maintain order among his parishion- ers, of the cold-blooded slaying of his son. of callous betrayal by the brutal Nazi and, finally, of the min- ister killing the German commander with his bare hands. Not a pretty .story for a Sunday afternoon In the living room thou- sands of miles from the fighting and the nearest enemy 'bomber, the Storm Trooper, or arrogant Jap. But given realistic nearness and Im- mediacy by the angry writing and by Conrad Veidt's persuasively icy underplaying of the heroic minister. Some of the previous Oboler pro- -ams of this aeries have been shal- low and hysterical. But 'Hate' was a scalp-raising cry against a barbar- ous menace. Hobe. SUNBISEBS' With Lew Brock, Ethel Chllatrom and Frank Motnemy, Ed. and Tom Plehal, niree Bob-O-Llnks, Nan Mnrphee, WCCO Orch 60 MIns. UNION SMOKING TOBACCO Dally, 6 ajn. WCCO, Minneapolis Entertainment precedes and fol- lows two five-minute newscasts along lines calculated to hold even ^hose mainly concerned with keep- ing abrea$t of current happenings here and abroad. All in all. It's a tasty pre-breakfast dish. Paced by Lew Brock, former vaudevlllian, who does a neat emcee chore, interspersing introductions with comedy lines, stories and lim- ericks, the 60-minute show moves smoothly and swiftly. Without Brock it might wander, but he holds it to- gether skilfully. Show caught opened with whole gang joining in song, 'Banking on the Weather,' followed by a band number and first of the two five- minute newscasts. The Plehal Broth- ers, staff harmonicaists, swung out with 'Lena Schottische,' a pop tune in these parts, and did all right. The other five-minute newscast was sandwiched in between vocalizing. The Bob-O-Links, two lads and their dad, came through with a neat ver- sion of 'I'm a Bronk That Won't Be Broken,' and Nan Murphee contrib- uted 'My Melancholy Baby.' Five minutes of comedy of the situation type, rather than straight gags, had Frank Mclnerny as an Irish cop exchanging bandiage with Ethel Chilstorm, -who portrays a Swedish waitress. Their dialect was tossed about-expertly and the hu- mor was ripe but ruddy. The Plehals and Bob-O-LInks took another whirl at the mike before Miss Murphee exercised her pipes a second time with 'Wabash Moon.' The show ended with a lusty rendi- tion of 'America I Love You' by all the hands. Staff orchestra is under Wally Olson's direction, and IJoug McNamee is the producer. Rees. 'HOW WELL DO TOU LISTEN?' With Albert Morgan 30 MIns. Sustaining Saturday, 1:30 p.m. WNTC, New Tork There appear to be moderate possi- bilities In the idea of this 'How Well Do You Listen?' quiz show, but they're: muffed In the present form- ula. Contrary to the title, the pre- mium isn't on accurate listening, but upon deduction and consequent ra- tionalizing. The show would be bet- ter If it conformed to Its title. It would also be improved by using only one story. Instead of four cap- sule yarns. Written by Harold Weaver, Jr., with Albert Morgan as m.c, the NBCs Worldwide Rally of Women NBC last Stmday night (29) channeled through a half-hour program 10:30 p.m.) the opiniona of nln* repreientativa women of tht demo< cratic powers on what the distaff sld« must do in 1942 for victory. As heard over WEAF, N. Y. key, the symposium suggested a mount- Ing spiritual power which converted Into action might prove one of the great pivoting points of the world conflict. The speakers vere picked up from various .parts of the western hemisphere and London, and most of those who participated- have seen active duty on the xUplomatlc facets of the war front Ea<di in theh: broadcast views pointed out not only what the women must do in the drive toward victory but the planning they should do for the peace. Margaret CuUdn Banning, the authoress, functioned as m.c. Those who spoke on the program were -Madame Chuh Shlh-Mlng, wife of the military attache to the Chinese-Embassy in Washington; Mrs. Anthony Drexel Biddle, wife of the XT. S. Ambassador and minister to the governments in exile; Senora ana Rosa S. de Martinez Guerrero, of Buenos Aires, president of the Inter-America Women's Commission; Mrs. George V. Ferguson, of Winnipeg, president of the Association of Junior Leagues of America; Krishna Bajpal, daughter of the agent general for India in the.U. S. A.; Senora Isabella de Falencla, former Spanish minister to Sweden and Finland, and Vera Mecheles Dean, an authority on international affairs. Madame Anas- . tasia Petrova, executive secretary to Ambassador Maxim Litvlnoff, had a paper of hers read by a fellow femme attache. The program was arranged by Margaret Cuthbert, of the NBC staff, with the co-op of the National Federation of .Business and Piofessiohal Women's Clubs. The only criticism that might have been directed at this program was the time chosen. It made' three networks carrying at the same time programs with the same objective in view, namely, the stimu- lating ot^ar effort and unit CBS had its Tliey Live Forever' and Mutual, its 'Keep '£m Rolling.' Odec. DB. DEXTEB FEBKINS Historical Talk IS MIns.—Local Snnday 6:15 pjn. WHAM, Boohester, N. T. Under the general title "Rochester In Four Wars,' Dr. Dexter Perkins, city historian and head of the His- tory Department of the University of Rochester, opened a series on Rochester history. He has knack of making history very Ilstenable. With the barest description of Rochester when it was little, more than a collection of dwellings with a few small stores. on the shores of the Genesee Rive4 he recaptured the sBlrlt and setting of a pioneer community back in 1812., He pic- tured the complacency in the early days of the war when the townspeo- ple fraternized with a British land- ing party at Charlotte, giving the saUors whatever they requested in provisions. Then he told of the flight of women and children on re- port of an approaching army, the gathering of militiamen and a brave stand, if somewhat humorous 'bat- tle' on the lakeshore. Perkins' feeling for the dramatic and popular approach to. historical material made tills an unexpectedly interesting program. Cori, show brings four contestants to the mUce to offer their suggestions as to the correct one of three endings to a story. Stanza heard Saturday (28) contained only a single example of good listening. That was when ' a contestant, a concert pianist, (fontra- dlcted Morgan on. the date of one of the yarns. As it happened, he -was correct but Morgan gave ttie point to the opponent because the latter's deduction of how tiie story should have turned out seemed more logi- cal. Whole matter of the answer in each case Is a matter of opinion, in each case an extreme solution and based on contradictory . conditions. It's a talky program, with little en- tertainment line. By taking a single story containing numerous statements of fact the program would conceivably be im- proved and would bear out its name. Thus, the contestants might be asked the hero's name, the color of his hair, eyes, etc., and various incidents in .the yarn. In every case the answer would be fact not theory or opinion, and would be subject to verification. If there were enough questions in- volved In each yarn there would be scope for wide variation in the scores of contestants. Also, it would be possible for air listeners to partici- pate more actively. As it is, llow Well Do You Listen?' Is an unwar- ranted assumption. Hobe. WEEKLY WAR JODBNAL With Helen HIett, Edwud Tomlht- un, Bankage, Robert St. John, Martin Agronaky, Morgan Beatty News Comment 30 Hlna. SosUlnlng Sunday, Tpjn. WJZ-Blne, New Tork There's a difference between this Blue Network package and the world new* roundup that comes an hour later (8 pjn.) on CBS. Even though the ^ Blue's program Includes spot news, it's the review complexion that Is emphasized. The routining la expert and pat The commentary, while covering the highlights of the news on each war front is given an added, flavor by the personalized disu-y' angle, and when the half hour is over the listener has a pretty good conception of how the pa-wns have been moving across the world chess- board during the past week. In the Blue's stable of reporters and commentators are personalities whose work and records should be well established with dial-twisters by this thne. They are all good writers and broadcasters and as the series goes on the combination should grow In stature and develop a decided commercial worth. Morgan Beatty not only m.c.'s the event but takes over the last four minutes for a terse military analysis of the globlar picture. Helen Hlett speaking from New York, tells what the .civilians in the United States have been contributing toward the war effort during the past week. Robert St John's contribution is a graphic and human picture of what has been going on m London. The Ijatln-Amerlcan front receives the sawy treatment of Edward Tomlin- son; Agrbnsky,., broadcasVing from Melbourne, sketches an enlightening panorama of the Far East and Bau- kage reviews the week's outstanding incidents In Washington. Odec. WJBK 250 WATTS « Detroit*8 Leading Independent Station 24 HOURS A DAY The O'Neills BY JANE WEST Radios Most Popular Family FOR 8 YEARS Now Available for New Sponsorship Mgt. ED WOLF RKO BIdg. New York City HOLLYWOOD OFFICE 6912 HOLLYWOOD BLVD.