Variety (Sep 1942)

54 Wednesdajt September 30, 1942 "// 'TOBACCO ROAD' Can Come Back, So Can /," fred alien ON OCTOBER 4. 1942 THE TEXACO STAR THEATRE Sponsored by THE TEXAS COMPANY and Feafuring FRED ALLEN Arthur Godfrey lAr Portland Hoffa The Texaco Workshop Players JOHN BROWN MINERVA PIOUS ALAN REED CHARLES CANTOR ~AL GOODMAN'S ORCHESTRA —Guests CHARLES LAUGHTON ANDREWS SISTERS Written by Nat Hiken, Robert Weiskopf and Fred Allen Produced Publicity by by HOWARD REILLY IRVING MANSFIELD Managed by WALTER BATCHELOR Returns to THE COLUMBIA NETWORK STATIONS WABC ... Sunday Evenings ... 9:30-10 P.M., E.W.T. 'TUNE IN BEFORE LAUGHS ARE RATIONED" " ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ M ♦*«♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ London, Sept B. Almn HowUnd, who gave up his news announcing job for the BB*^ and returned to the stage to play in 'Salt of the Earth,' is back on the air as an actor. Bebe Daniels. Ben Lyon and Vic Oliver commence a new weekly scries of broadcasts, Nov. 8, as yet untitled. Brains Trust weekly session re- opens Sept. 22 with a wider circle of resident experts' than heretofore, which means the old-timers Pro- fessor Joad, Commander Campbell and Aldous Huxley will not all ap- pear regularly in this feature. A trans-Atlantic hook-up is planned in this program every month, with a possibility of extending the idea across the Pacific and getting Aus- tralia into the group. Carroll Levis starts new series titled 'Happy Go Lucky,' weekly feature for six weeks with option, with first airing set for Sept. 22. A. B. Barrows, known as 'Uncle Arthur," who was the first director of radio programs and served the longest with the BBC, becomes head of the Ministry of Information's bfbadcasting division. He will have charge of all forms of radio propa- ganda. John F. Boyal, vice-president of NBC. in charge of international broadcasting, brought from America a number of lemons for his friends here. He produced one of them in a restaurant and almost caused a panic. Lonrvlcw, Tew.—Mel Ferrer is new to the announcing staff of KFRO, coming here from Holly- wood. DeWitt Jones, former an- nouncer, has resigned to become librarian in the United SUtes Army Base at Charleston, S. C. Also lost to the station is Seymour Allen, who has been assistant radio operator at the KFRO transmitter, who resigned to accept defense work in Chicago. Worcester.—Herb Edman. former announcer and program director at WMAS, Springfield, returns to his home town, Worcester, to join mike staff of WTAG. Marilyn Noyes, replacing Helen Winter, is newcomer to WTAG con- tinuity department She recently was with WHDH, BostoiL Eraanuel Martlnes leaves Yankee Net to join WTAG sales force. Indianapolis.—Jon Arthur, former- ly of WMMN, Freemont W. Va., has been appointed program director of WIBC. O. J. Kelchner, also from WMMN, is now WIBC general man- ager. Other staff changes Include Felix Adams, now production man- ager, and Jack Morrow, continuity chiet Bill Dean, from WDAY, Fargo, N. D., has been named exploitation man for WIRE. John Thomas, for- merly of WFAA, Dallas, succeeds Dick Reed, now in Army, as WIRE newscaster. Georgle Wood back on the air in the 'Music Hall' program, Oct. 3. W. Maoqueen Pope and Gail Pc - rick have written a story of the music halls, 'The Spice of Life' which will t>e done in eight weekly broad- casts, commencing Oct 2. Kenneth Leslie-Smith has composed some ot the music, and adapted old favorites. Period dates from 1820, and varioi -> attists appear in succeeding features. Dick Francis will act as narrator and the 'resident' company will consist of Joan Young, Vernon Watson, Har ola Scott, Ernest Shannon. Produc tion and adaptation in hands of Ver non Harris. Publicity Smihr in Both Lands; BBCs 'Answering Yon Recorded From London-N. Y. Open Circuit The British Broadcasting Corpo- ration's New York offices wer« busy last week launching the first of a new series of 'Answering You.' This has been on WNYC, New York, and 100-odd stations of the Mutual network for some time but has now become a two-way transoceanic af- fair between a group of Americans and a group of English, llieir ex- change of questions and an /ers Is recorded on Friday for Sunday 1$ On Argentme Radio Face Goy't I.Q. Eiams Buenos Aires, Sept 16. From now on the Argentine gov- ernment which will pass on infinitive splitters and dese, dose and dem speakers on local radio. Radio Com- munications has just issued its rules for mike spielers, which, if strictly enforced, will likely rule out quite a number of air gabbers. Pointed out that new regulations may have a certain political effect in that Germans speaking Spanish have always had a notoriously off- beat accent. Regulations provide that the cur- riculum of the sixth grade in na- tional schools shall be the basis for tests. Speakers must pass general knowledge quizzes, be able to pro- nounce Spanish correctly, and have suitable mike voices. The examiners cannot 'flunk' any speaker holding a sixth grade diploma. y'AU speakers must be familiar with words in English, French and Italian in common usage; sports gabbers must have command of foreign sports terms. In Australia 'Cout of Mante Crista' is being replayed over Macquarle commer- cial network. Opus was a best air seller some years ago. V. 8. traaps have a yen for quiz shows. Most of the commercial units send this type entertainment around the various military zones on a weekly schedule. Jack Davey is the most popular qulzzer with the Yanks. Colgate-PalmaUve now about the biggest buyer of air time here. Presently airing a kiddie show, thriller setup and a couple of mu- sicals—all on half-hour shots over Coast-to-Coast hookups. Albert-Dayle air loop recently opened own theatrette for weekly presentation of Lux Theatre of the Air. Theatrette also used for com- munity '■ sing-songs. Stanley Quinn remains In charge of the radio section for J. Walter Thompson. Anstrallan Broadcasting Conunls- sion is DXing messages from Yankee troops to their folks back home on a weekly schedule. Platters will also be sent to U. S. stations for re- pliiying. Til Be Back,' a play about the war written by actor Allan Jeaves, being featured on the Home Service wav :- length, Oct 5. Canstance CuBBiliiga and Francis L. Sullivan gave a very creditable rendering of They Knew What They Wanted,' with the latter's wop accent improving with the progr^sion ot the story as listeners' memory of ' personality of the rtage and film actor faded and the radio character Izatlon chrystalllzcd. "Serapbook* series (new) cori' mences fortnightly S^t 27. Com piled by Leslie Bailey, produced by Francis Worsley. Ferame announcers are gradually coming back Into radio—commerci:.l and national, as the males swing under new manpower regulations. broadcasting. Formerly questions were cabled to London. Lyman Bryson, H. V. Kaltenboro, Olga Petrova, Rhoda Magid, George Lesko asked the questions from N. Y., Vernon Bartlett Julian Huxieyj James Agate, Joy Richards, Jack Todd and Anne Loughlin answered them from London. Vernon Bartlett proved quite a slangy chap, referring to certain Britons as father sour-pussy.* The cable received at BBC, New York from BBC, London, giving per- sonality highlights from the English end is arresting for the similarity of British press agents to their Yank counterparts. Here is the cable: (Copy) 'Herewith background on 'An- swering You' transatlantic ses- sion, purely gossip stuff which may be useful. In studio lo- cated sub basement among new- ly finished range safety studios, well known broadcasters and complete novices to microphone waited with keen excitement for first taste of open debate across Atlantic. Not least interesting was spontaneous preliminary broadcasting 'knock up' in which ace broadcasters Huxley of Brit- ish brains trust and Bartlett helped to play in Miss Lough- lin, newly elected chairman of TUC. Miss Loughlin, neat, grey- headed downright Lancashire lass, great guns at public speak- ing, but first time before mike, said far les.s nervous of con- fronting complete TUC meeting. 'Voice very clear but can you make it more conversational.' said producer Mary Adams. Miss Richards chosen as typical Brit- ish girl, auburn-haired, attrac- tive English complexion, neatly clad, hack costume came from work in Government office. She was less nervous than reargun- ner Todd, who thought this worse than reargunning. As moment approached Agate hur- rying from big theatre organisa- tion meeting, arrived in nick of time and with him tray of re- freshments for participants. Dur- ing broadcast Masaryk cast bluff genial_ personality on meeting and wis voted great question master. Huxley with brains trust experience, slipped spontaneous- ly in and out of conversation. Would clearly have liked to have crossed swords with Agate wisecracking on film question. General view afterwards excit- ing and rather tantalising experi- ence in which personalities un- known to each other begin to get real sense of each other across Atlantic air. Participants look forward to more conversation basis as if all were sitting round one table. Must we wait for television. Photograph follow- ing soonest' British Broadcastin0 Corp. Yoa Can Laff If You Want to— BUT . .. There are a lot of giria in New York that have a figo*'* li*** * million doliara . . . but most of tham look like tha money was invested in the wrong piaeas. (IT'S rOSSIDLO HERB SHRINER CAMEL CARAVAN Wit. MOBRIS AOY. THANKS TO ALL THE PRESS For Thatr Many Kind Commanta On tha Arlitts I Manage: MANE COURITSEY THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS THE ROSS SISTERS BOB HANNON THE JESTERS Paul Kapp