Variety (Sep 1942)

86 RADIO REVIEWS Wedneeday, September 30, 19i2 BOB HOPE with Frances Langford, Jerry Col- oiina. Vera Vague, Sklnnay Ennis. Comedy, Songs, Band 80 Mins. FEPSODENT Tucsdav. 10 p. m. WEAF-XBC, New York (Lord & Thomas) Bob Hope hurried down last week (22) from Alaska, where he has been eiilertaining the armed forces, to get the fifth season of his Pepsodent show under way at Fort Lewis, Washington. Thereafter he com- niuled back in the direction of the Aleutians. This type of commuting might prove quite an asset to the program, although it sometimes makes the production ragged. In any event Hope's initial installment of the season was an amalgam of uniformly good material and keenly cut performance. The format and cast are complete holdovers, but nevertheless it all sounded fresn and spirited. A slight touch of the new js his tnclu.sion of a soldier, undoubt- edly an ex-professional, in the closing passage of situation crossfire. As usual Hope's gags were thickly sprinkled with local references. Seattle was the main target. The exchange of barbs between Hope end Vera Vague was kept close to the chalk line and proved consistent- ly funny. Frances Langford imparted a silkenish quality of melody to her vocal inning and Jerry Colonna, as customary, wove himself into the proceedings with a distant telephone call. Odec. A. L. ALEXANDER'S 'BOARD OF MEDIATION' 90 MIns. $U9t«lning Friday, 9 p.m. , WHN, New York Any show A. L. Alexander does V-<iually turns out to be 'Good Will Hour' under an alias. And since he rode to fame, and vice versa, on that show, he best of all is entitled to use that bread-and-butter. His 'Board of Mediation' is the same old caval- cade of human suffering refurbished •with a new slogan, 'There are two sides to every story' and a conscious flosing as a 'constructive social force n these days of chaos.' For a final tidbit the announcer credits the show to the 'inspiration of public service.' As usual there is a board of sages to offer'advice and a verdict On this program (25) they were Nor- man Thomas, the Socialist politico fnd ertswhile American Firster; Dr. 'aul Dawson Eddy, a college prexy, fnd the Rev. Phillips T. Elliott, a Irooklyn clergyman. Each case was Introduced by number, both sides had their say, prompted by the mel- lifluous-voiced Alexander, and the sages did a reprise until a decision ■was reached. Between cases aii or- gan played mood music until A. L. came on with his sumrgatlon of the next case. The'case histories were calculated to have audience shedding many a tear. There were two common-law relationships that seemingly didn't phase the preacher on the board of mediators. And one case, Involvlhg a girl who almost married a man ■who'd neglected to get a divorce, drove one of the sages to inadvert- ent laughter. To the 'cases' it was all deadly serious. They sometimes brolce down and cried, but they didn't flinch at the intimate details. Likewise the sage comment of the board some times verged on the sordid without drawing comment from the people Involved. When it was all over, A. L. Alex- ander read a tear-jerking 'Prayer for Broken Little Families' that was announced as being from his fiook of Poems and available for the asking. t>resumably the book may be pur- chased although no price-plug was Ft RAYMOND CLAPPER News Comment 15 MIns. WHITE OWL CIGAR Mons,, Thurs., 10 p. ro. WOR-Mutual, New York (J. Walter Thompson) White Owl is to be congralulated on its choice of a successor to Ray- mond Gram Swing. In Raymond Clapper the account has not only one of the country's top politico- economic reporters and writers, but personality whose forthright, clear-sighted, rational expositions on national and international themes has won him an immense respect from his own craft as well as read- ers. Added to his authority and power to express himself simply is the asset of a fairly good delivery. He might, however, get in the habit of maintaining a less hurried pace, or slowing down when making a meaty point. There is that chance of overrating the digestive faculty of the average listener. Clapper devoted about half of his alloted time on the introductory program (24) to enunciating his creed as a reporter and commenta- tor. He talked of his practice of checking up for himself on every- thing he writes and of his resolu- tion at all times to maintain an ob- jective point of view. It was an impressive catechism. On the ques- tion of objectiveness Clapper in the last presidential campaign gave way to a little nodding, but that's water long gone over the dam. Clapper's two weekly air assign- ments will find him in opposition to his predecessor. Swing soon takes over on the Blue Network for So- cony at 10-10:15 p. m. The fact that he's in a well-grooved commen- tator niche may prove something of an advantage for Clapper in com- peting for listeners. Swing had kep^ that spot warm for seven years. Clapper was formerly on the Blue's payroll and for a while he and Hill- man shared a quarter hour for Clip- per Cfaft Clothes. As for the plug, it's the same old refrain: 'More men have enjoyed White Owls than any other cigar. Odec. ■COUNTER-SPY' Cast: Don MasLaaghlln, Scott Dong- las, Sylvia Leigh, Elsie Hllz, Boris Marshalov. Yan Martin, Ed Begley Writer: Phillips H. Lord Director: Jay Hanna 30 MIns. MAIL POUCH TOBACCO Monday, 9 p.m. WJZ-Blue. New York (Wolker & Downing) Phillips Lord, a canny merchant of underworld hokum, has a likely offering in this latest sample dressed up to resemble recent newspaper headlines and publicity. His sleuth- thing gentry are identified in the script as members of Counter-Spy, as if that was a Government ."ser- vice. They use recording devices in the morgue, shortwave sending and receiving apparatus in taxicabs, actress-operatives that can mimic voices to fool Nazis. They're an astonishingly versatile, scientific, split-second gang of wonder-boys. A high order of skill in this sort of thing was manifest on the opener. Script, acting, direction all were bang, bang, bang. It moved too fast to allow anybody to speculate on the probabilities, which were improb- able. Episode one concerned German spies who used girls who wrote scores of letters to soldiers in camps asking innocent-seeming questions, the answers to which pieced to- gether a telling mosaic for the enemy. The series is aimed at factory workers, farmers, people who chew tobacco. The commercials were sub- dued the first time out, especially as heard over a New York station. Land. aired. F^ran. FUNNY MONEY MAN' - With Bad Hall Writer: Alan Fant. Director: Broee Kunmann IS Mins.—Local PABTICIPATINa Dally, 6 p.m. WEAF, New York In connection with the 'Funnj Money Man' comic strip (carried locally in New York by the N. Y. Post) Alan Funt also presents this Monday - through - Saturday local series on WEAF, New York. The only gestures toward entertainment oil the show are a few dance-band recordings and the heavily whimsical continuity read by Bad Hall, the 'Funny Money Man.' They remain merely gestures. Basic appeal is the chance it offers the listener of collecting easy coin. Names «re chosen at random from a list of Funny Money Club members who have 'joined' by sending in penny postcards. Each is told to send in some wacky item (such as bouillon cube, bingo card and slice of bologna, on the show caught), for which he will be paid a stipulated amount, usually about a dollar or so. This is a kind of atom-sized Tums 'Treasure Chest.' It's ignoring the fundamental principle of radio en- tertainment or instruction and, by offering a cash come-on for the au- dience, confessing that the show isn't worth listening to on its own metits. As it happens, that's a fair esti- mate of its worth, fiut though sudi candor is extraordinary. It still dcesn't add up to good program ming. On the broadcast caught, the only commercial was one of those appalling Pall MaU transcribed plugs opening with a Xisten, Yamishita' and tying cigaret sales in with fight in^ the war. Kobe. RAYMOND ORAM SWING Commentator, IS MIns. SOCONY VACUUM Four Nights, 10 p.m. WJZ-Blue, New York (J. Stirling Getchell) One of the earliest and one of the best of the radio crop of wartime commentators, Ray Swing's precise phrasing and vocal mannerisms are now instantly recognized when mim- icked. Radio and the war has made him famous after 30 years of able but obscure foreign reporting and writing. There is not much to say except that he has a new sponsor, Socony Vacuum, and a new network, the Blue. In a foreign "Situation as unclear and uncertain as the present mo- ment, all commentators are thrown back on the scanty cables. They know no more than any well-in- formed citizen, but they are better able to fit today's piece in the giant puzzle and to render a certain per- spective. This latter is perhaps their most useful contribution and Swing's quiet monotone, consciously squeezed dry of all emotion, is ideal for that purpose. I^and. 'FUN WITH FOOD' Qniz 25 MIns. Philadelphia Record Thnrs., 1H)5 pjn. WFIL, Philadelphia A new twist on the quizzers is this show sponsored by the Philly Record. It's staged in the auditor- ium studio of WFIL and each week contestants are chosen from the audience. They try to answer ques- tions about food, its preparation, recipes, food values, etc. Winners are given market baskets containing the ingredients for a complete Sun- day dinner. Questions are sprinkled with plugs for nationally advertised prod- ucts (participants In the show). Present co-sponsors are Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour and Fleischman's Yeast. In addition the food pages of the Record for the following day get an extra plug. A couple of ques- tions are spotted anent the Record's features. - Show is handled by Betty Allen, who u~ses the name of 'Martha Har- mon,' nom de plume of Record's Food Editor, and Larry Starr, who's parented this brain child. Visiting celebrities guest on the program. When caught, Willie Howard, .here with 'Priorities,' did a couple of bits of his 'Prof. Pierre Ginsburg' routine. Shal. LEO CBERNE Comment IS MIns. Suslalnlni Sanday, 10:15 p.m. WOR-MBS, New York Leo Chernc, executive-secretary of the Research Institute of Amer- ica, a national outfit going in for economic analysis, crystal-gazing and prediction, started recently a new series he calls 'Impact.' He purposes to tell the listeners what the impact of the war will l>e on their lives. It will be a terrific impact, he thinks, and he has considerable skill in explaining his specific ideas in simple, graphic and clear terms. Chcrne's debut broadcast said essen- tially that there are some drastic Government measures in the offing, that pur standard of living is def- initely going to fall, but that we have only the choice of victory or defeat in the war. 'Impact' is something a little out of the ordinary in programs. If succeeding chapters are as Illuminat- ing and interesting as the first, it .should find a sizable audience. If Cherne or his RIA has any political bias it wasn't evident on the debut Hobe. 5000 WAHS] DAV AND man In Salt Lake City most people just naturally turn to their only NBC outlet... KDYL IPui.'papula/i Qa^iaK JOHN BUIR/ & C()MPAWYt SAIT lAKE CITY VTAU'6 OMLT MBO Stat.lpn 'BLONDIE' Cast: ArUinr Lake, Alice White, Billy Artst's Orchestra Writer: Johnny Greene Director: Tom McKnIght 8« MIns. CAMELS Monday, 8 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York (Estv) 'Blondie' is a strange bit of flotsam on the sea of 20th century democ- racy. To say it's silly or incredible or sub-juvenile doesn't explain its existence, its continuance, its pop' ularity. Arthur Lake is exquisitely unbearable to many adults as the whining fool called a husband. Alice White, subbing in the role of the in sipid wife for Pennjr Singleton, did threaten to be plausible on occasion, but the general requirements of the formula doomed her, too, to imbecil- ity. The program tries so hard to be so low on the grounds that it will not be over anybody's heads. It is one of the most depressing phenom- ena of the times. On this occasion the couple ap- peared in public in Nazi uniforms (for a local talent play) and were mistaken for the real thin^. The plot was as good as many radio plots. It was the nerve-rasping pudginess of the characters that taxed diges- tion. Land. STRICTLY OFF THE RECORD With John Reed King and Gaesti Interview Record Show Dally, 4:45-3 p.m. WABC, New York A gocKfidea, produced by George Allen, it missed because of a com promise for variety, rather than sticking on the beam and really making this a discourse, as an- nounced, of 'the story behind the song.' Thus, the title, 'Strictly Off the Record,' would really have a twofold meaning. Instead, it's disk-jockey show, with King inter- viewing this or that songsmlth. Ted Koehler was caught and sev' eral oldies plus one new tune (the plugeroo payoff for the free guester) were unreeled via platters. 'Stormy Weather' (re-created on the wax by its Cotton Club originator. Ethel Waters), 'Truckin,' etc., were the oldies, and 'Every Night About This Time' the newie.. But the inter- view stuff and the alleged 'story be hind the song' were merely a casual brushoff, in order to compress the recorded excerpts into 15 minutes. For a late afternoon groove, at 4:45, however, it's a pleasant enough little show, just for local consumption over WABC. Abel, 'DADDY AND ROLLO' With Craig McDonald, Georgle Ward Writer: J. P. McEvoy Director: Roger Bower 15 Mins. Sustaining M-W-F, 10:45 p.m. WOR-Mutnal, New York Many will thank Mutual for dig- ging up this father-and-son dialog that flourished for a time a decade ago. The nice quality of exaspera- tion, love, pride, discomfiture that comes to the parent when he en- gages his 10-year-old offspring in repartee remains fresh ana human. It is thoroughly likeable, simple, warm, familiar, held to a high qual- ity level by the script of J. P. Mc- Evoy. It was nicely realized as cast and produced. Land. Greenville, S. C—WFBC will ether 11 football games during October and November. Charles Davis, sta- tion's sportscaster, will mike. PAT HATES SFONSOBES Seattle, Sept 29. KIRO has sold Pat Hayes' 'Sports Plays' to the Turf Smoke Shop for a 15-week run. Hits the air at 10 p.m. on Thursday nights to cover the football picture. THE SHADOW' Cost: wnilam. Johnstone, Marjorle Anderson, Alan Reed, Paul Stew- art, Ken Roberts Director; John Loveton Writers: Jack Hastey, Max Ehrllcb. Sid Slon 30 MIns. BLUE COAL Sanday, 5:30-6 p.m. WOR-MBS, New York (Jtuthrauff & R]/an) One of the oldest of the chiller- whodunits, 'The Shadow' resumed Sunday (27) on WOR-Mutual for the D. L. & W. Coal Co. (Blue Coal) with about the same format but pos- sibly even more fantastic invention. No spy stuff, or sabotage or counter, espionage for 'The Shadow.' It's still pure spook escapism, preferably for the not-too-skeptical. Even for such, the seasonal opener must have seemed far-fetched, with just a bit too much reliance on good old plot coincidence. As always, the show opens with that familiar filter-voice saying Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.... The Shadow knows... .heh-heh-heh.' Then an- nouncer Ken Roberts makes the same old spiel about how 'this pro- gram is intended to demonstrate conclusively to young and old alike that crime does not pay.' Not a word to suggest maybe the inten- tion may also be to sell coal and no explanation of how a grizzly yarn with sound-effects-abetted scenes of red ants eating the flesh off living human victims is supposed to show impressionable youngsters that crime doesn't pay. One conclusion might be that police would be power- less against the lawbreakers, with- out the help of The Shadow, who 'learned years ago In the Orient how to cloud m^n's minds so they can- not see him. Aside from the acceptability of material such as ants eating men alive, and the wild improbability of some of the basic Incidents, the stanza caught was pretty standard hokum, written with'strong char- acters and clear, forcfful action. It was neatly directed and proficiently played, with William Johnstone back in the title part and Marjorie An- derson as his femme helper. Sound effects and the eerie organ cue were helpful. D. L. it W. prez Gordon C. Cook guested on the show to read a spiel about consumers getting in a supply of coal for the winter, and the 'heating expert" took his bow for the season. Hobe. Renfro Valley Barn Dance Troupe Moyos From Sticks To National, Louisville Louisville, Sept. 29. Renfro Valley Bairn Dance', which has been airing from Renfro VaHey, Ky., where John Lair has a resort center, is moving to Louisville with th(t entire company of some 30 per- foimers. Airings will begin from the National theatre Saturday (3) and each Saturday night thereafter, playiAg two shows nightly. Hillbilly troupe will play dates within a 50 mile radius of the city, and occasionally jumps of greaten dist<>nce. Tire situation, and pros- pect of early gas rationing has caused the move. House seats 2,400, and both shows will be aired over WHAS. Rambeau Reps WHBQ Memphis, Sept. 29. Station WHBQ. Memphis, has ap- pointed William G. Rambeau Co. its exclusive sales representative. E. A. Alburty is manager of the station. pres»;nted bv TEXACO DEALiERS