Variety (Dec 1942)

S4 RADIO WednesdajTr December 9, 1942 Radio Writers Guild Thanks Variety' For Bringing Recognition to Members Resolution of 'appreciation of the efforts of 'Variety' toward publiciz- ing the names of writers and direc- tors' of radio programs was passed unanimously last week by the Radio Writers Guild. The action was in- spired by a list of writers and direc- tors of all commercial network pro- grams, published recently by this paper. No such complete list had ever been published, nor, as far as known, been In existence before. The RWG resolution expressed the conviction of the membership that name credit for authors of sponsored as well as of sustaining scripts and serials is essential to the best inter- ests of the profeiision. The anonym- ity which has prevailed during the formative years of the profession has been used at times as a cloak for careless writing and has encouraged the growth of the pernicious 'ghost- ing' practice, with emphasis on quan- tity of output rather than on quality. In the opinion of Radio Writers Guild members, name credit brings maturity to radio, and cannot fail to bring about a desirable improvement in the quality of material written for broadcast purposes.' Somewhat similar approval of the 'Vnriety' listing oi' writer and direc- tor credits was expre.-jsed last week by Geoige Zachary, president of the Radio Directors Guild. Writer and director credit, both on the air nnd in publications, is a basic objective of both Guilds. Although not for- mally affiliated, the two organiza- tions have a working agreement on the matter of credits, as well as on general aims and policies. Intention of each group is to have representa- tives attend meetings of the other or- ganizations, with the idea of further- ing this cooperation. Writers Guild meeting was held Friday night (4), with John W. Van- dercook, newly elected regional vice- president, presiding. It was the first meeting since he and the new coun- cil members had been elected. Monthly meetings are to be held hereafter, the next being scheduled for Jan. 8. Payroll Traffic Boston— Stanley Mann, of WEEI sound effects department, and Ray Howard, announcer, in Army. Mann has been with WEEI for two years and previously was with WHDH. Howard had been with station since August, and came from WLLH, Lowell. Arch MacDonald, WBZ announcer for the past six years, has been commissioned . a, lieutenant (j.g.) with Naval Reserve and has been ordered to active duty. Macdonald doubled at station as script writer, production, and at one time handled publicity. Kansas City.—Elda Walleger is a new operator at KCKN. Guy Bates, new to radio, is the latest to the WHB announcing staff. Boston. — Ed Dinsmore, an- nouncer for past Ave years at WORL and head of its transcription depart- ment, has enlisted with the Signal Corps, U. S. Army, and leaves Dec. 26 for officers' training. In addition to his radio duties, Dinsmore was director at Joy Street Playhouse here. Sandra Bruce has returned as an- nouncer to WCOP after three years in Hollywood. She is wife of Thqmas Conrad Sawyer, producer of Bob Hope show, and was previously at WCOP for four years. Cleveland—Alan Keys, former WJR announcer, has joined the WHK-WCLE staff. Also, Helga Prelsman has been added to the con- tinuity department. This makes the fifth female to join the department which formerly consisted entirely of men. In the news room Mary Ga- briel has been hired, making the third newswoman against two men, one of whom is expected to leave shortly for the armed services. Ralph Edgar and Arthur Hannes, both WGAR announcers, have left for the armed services, making it numbers 12 and 13 for the studio. Added to the staff were Reg Merri- dew and Ray Spencer, latter from WCAE. PitUburgh. Salt Lake City—Douglas Johnson is the 13th man to leave KDYI for the armed forces. He goes to the Navy. Cincinnati, John Maupin who studied radio at the University of Iowa, joined WSAI's announcing staff recently. Replaces Carl An- drews, who entered the Army. Fort Worth.—H. R. Turner, of the sales sUff of WBAP-KGKO, has been promoted to commercial man- ager. He succeeds Roy Bacusr who received a commission in the Navy. Toungslown—Bill Marlowe, for- mer music director and announcer with WLOK, Lima, O., and WKST. Newcastle, Pa., has joined the staff of WKBN, Youngstown. Saskatoon, Sask. — Jack Cennon, spieler with CFwC, Saskatoon, into the Canadian army. Akron. — Mary Jean Schultz is leaving WJW here to join WKBN, Youngstown, in charge of women's activities. Gary, Ind.—Lee Neal is new mem- ber of WIND announcing staff, com- ing from WPAR, Parkersburg, where he was news editor. Stars Must Shine ConUnned from page 'id Interpretation, package shows are exempted from the regulations, but individual artists must conform. Informal poll among high-earning performers indicates that many in- tend to continue their normal num- ber of guest-star appearances, even though they cannot be paid for any dates beyond the $67,000 gross in- come figure. Those expressing such an intention say they will continue the work for patriotic reasons, while others believe that continuation of their nornr.al professional appear- ances is necessary to maintain their position before the public. Chief question among those hit by the S2S,000 ceiling is that in making appearances beyond the $67,000 limit that will be making a financial con- tribution to the sponsor companies rather than to to a war cause or to the Government. Number of such people have expressed the idea that some ruling should be passed by the Treasury to permit them to earmark their fees to a legitimate charity or war cause without making them lia- ble for taxes on such amounts. Under the revised regulations Is- sued by the Government last .week, it's figured that artists may not only deduct their normal professional ex- penses,' such as agent fees, in com- puting their gross income, but may also subtract such professional ex- penses on appearances beyond the $67,000 limit. They have been so advised by AFRA and are proceed- ing on that basis. Last weeks revised interpretation apparently resulted almost entirely from AFRA's agitation. The radio union had submitted an elaborate brief asking just those concessions and offering extensive evidence why such an interpretation would be nec- essary to artists. No other group made any such specific plea, though the Screen Actors Guild had merely given a blanket endorsement of the AFRA request. Inside Stuff-Radio Radio sUtions sponsored 1,534,190 spot announcements and 160,100 pro- grams broadcast for the Government during three months of August September and October, according to a report prepared by the National Association of Broadcasters. During the six-month period ending with Oc- sponsored for the Government 3,075,830 announcements and 348,175 programs. These figures do not include a substantial amount of time devoted to the war effort by commercial sponsors, nor do they in- clude the many sustaining programs originated by networks and broad- cast by affiliated stations. Treasury led all other Government agencies in announcements during the three months period, with 475,340 spots. Office of War Information, War Production Board. Office of Price Administration and the Depart- ment of Agriculture combined received 245,000 spots and 21,810 programs of various lengths. Navy received 128,940 spots; Army, 126,710; Marines 98,760; Coast Guard, 66,330; American Red Cross 66,330, Civil Service, 65,190; doctors' and nurses' recruiting, 47,110; labor recruiting and war industrial training, 45,560; civilian defense announcements of all kinds 46,650; fuel conservation, 30,740; USO, 22,660, and nutrition, 6,640. Fold of the Office of War Information's guest serial stanza, 'Victory Volunteers,' last week from NBC resulted from the failure of Jane Crusin- berry to deliver a week's special scripts of her 'Story of Mary Marlin' program as scheduled. Appearance of 'Marlin' on the special series had been set by the sponsor, Procter & Gamble, the Benton & Bowles agency and the OWI for the week of Nov. 23, but Miss Crusinberry was late with her promised scripts. A special edition of 'Against the Storm,' by Sandra and Gerda Michael, was substituted, and 'Mary Marlin' was postponed a week. When the second deadline approached. Miss Crusinberry submitted the same scripts as for her regular serial. It was then too late for the OWI to obtain a substitute a second week in a row, so the entire 'Victory Volunteers' series was ended. The other OWI guest-serial stanza 'Vic- tory Front,' on CBS, continues Indefinitely. Woodbury's reason for dropping 'The Thin Man' (NBC) and replacing it with "Mr. and Mrs. North' was to reduce the entertainment bill and spend more money for station facilities. It was found that if the accounts present Wednesiday link were extended to the entire list of NBC stations, the additional co3t for time would come to somewhat over $30,000 an- nually. Rather than rescramble the budget, the client, acting on the recommendation of its agency, Lennen tc Mitchell, agreed to cancel "Thin Man' and install a cheaper script show. IN NEW YORK CITY . . . The Radio Trade Is Discussing: How the 38-vear-oId draft revision alters the network and agettcy manpower picttire—AFRA's success in getting the liberalized interpretation from the Government on the wage ceilinp—The 10% scale increase in the AFRA-networfc sustaining code- George Washington Hill's new a.k. musicat proo^am idea—The Comptou agency's 'pay-as-you-go' serial test-tube scheme—ffedda Hopper's burn-wp at Jergens and Lennen & Mitchell. Just before entraining for Miami to name 24 of his yearlings, Allen T. Simmons, horseman and owner of WADC, Akron, Inaugurated a special luncheon service for his staff members. More or less marooned at the suburban Tallmadge studios by gas rationing, the staff members are now eating their lunches on the house. Simmons converted a basement room into a combination kitchen and lunchroom and hired a cook to set up daily lunches for the boys and girls who keep WADC running. Stella Unger moved her 'Hollywood News Girl' series this week from NBC to the Blue Ed Byron, director of 'Mr. District Attorney,' .who has had his Army officer application for months and months, calls himself 'the Irish Dreyfus of World War Two' Having recovered from illness Keith Kiggins, Blue station relations v.p., is back from Florida rest-up...' Jeanne Tedesche joined staff of WLIB as script writer Richard J. Puff, chief statistician in the Mutual sales promotion office, given year's leave of absence because of illness... .Leonard Levinson, special assignments head of OWI radio, ^as in N. Y. last weekend, went to Washington on Monday (7), to Detroit yesterday (Tuesday), is due in Chicago today and proceeds to the Coast next weekend, remaining there about 10 days Dick Allan, WLIB announcer, is studying radio communications as an Army Signal Corps reservist Grace Hellerson appointed Blue network book- ing manager, succeeding Grace Gunderman, resigned. Geraldine Bohne named booking supervisor Charles LaCastro, recently inducted WLIB announcer, now stationed at Ft. Shelby, Miss Morton Gould, conductor of the Jack Pearl-Cresta Blanca show, named musical director of the Wein- traub agency Ben Coe, director of 'Student Workshop' on WLIB, joined ROTC... .David B. Howard now scripting for NBC shortwave Rogert Sweet, of the Fred Waring choral group, doing solo series three mornings a week on WLIB Douglas Edwards, formerly with WSB, Atlanta, joined CBS announcer staff... .Evelyn Dworkin joined WLIB program staff and Dorothy Gordon joined same station's music department... .Jack Iiewis, scripter of the Frank Parker-Squibb show, authored 'My Land at War' pro.se poem in last week's Saturday Review of Literature... .Jean Camp- bell joined NBC shortwave as news writer. Her husband, Lt. J. Shannon Jackson, is a flying fortress pilot serving abroad....L. Blau Sc Co., Brook- lyn cleaning firm, sponsoring seven hours of recorded music weekly on WLIB. First legit script to be read on Fritz Blocki's 'Audition Preview" series starting Dec. 17 on the Blue will be Harry Kleiner's 'A Wind Is Rising,' a drama about present-day France. Cast will include Eddie Dowling, Claire Luce, Frank Lovejoy, Santos Ortega, John Brown, Selena Royle, Jean McCoy. Ethel Owen, Maurice Tarplin, Scott Douglas, Winfleld Hou- ney, Boris Marshall. Stefan Schnabel and J. Malcolm Dunn Harry Ackerman, Young St Rubicam production supervisor, and Sam Fuller, director of 'Duffy's Tavern,' in Pittsburgh this week to set up the Victory Bond show to be broadcast over Ave local stations Dec. 19 as a Westing- house presentation American Television Society wrote NBC, CBS, Philco, Balaban & Katz, Don Lee and others last week, asking for the continuation of live television programs for the duration Marx Loeb, CBS staff director, slated for induction yesterday (Tuesday), savel by the new 38-year-old draft ceiling. IN HOLLYWOOD ... Victor Borge moves his comicalities over to the Nelson Eddy cigaret airer as a regular after putting in a full year on Kraft Music Hall Robert Hendricks transferred here from New York to head up the guest relations staff at NBC CBS has parked a Jap two-man sub in the patio to help drum up war bond and stamp sales for the Treasury Department. You make a purchase and see the inside. Network recently sold bonds and stamps to 8,000 persons who made that investment to affix their John Henry's to a P-38 Interceptor before It was turned over to the Army — Dick Connor tendered a farewell party by southern California broadcasters before he shoved off for Washington to head up the station relations de- partment for Office of War Information, He also was gifted with a mili- Ury set and bonus for serving so well as coordinator between broadcasters and Fourth Fighter Command... .Carlton KaDeU, who left here some years ago as an announcer, is back as an actor in the male lead spot on The Second Mrs. Burton' Marian Jordan, who plays Molly to her hus- band's Fibber, reading pieces from home town papers to troops beyond the Pacific. Quarter-hour period is recorded five times weekly and put on the short wave beam. Elgin watch Christmas Day two-hour broadcast for the stay-at-homes and men in service will be studded with star talent. So far set are Don Ameche. m.c; Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, Bette Davis, Merry Macs, Cass Daley and the Don Cossacks. Antony Stanford, who produced the Thanksgiving opus for the watchmaker, repeats Myron Dutton pulled out as producer of the Ginny Simms program to head up production for the two Orson Welles shows on CBS Joy Storm moved up from pro- ducer to head of special events and newscasts at NBC Ernest de la Ossa, NBC's personnel director, here on a manpower checkup They're using gals now as pages at NBC, the collegiates having been called away to war. Lionel Barrymore will do his Scrooge character exclusively for Sealtest (NBC) Thursday, Dec, 24. Lever Bros, had hoped that he would do 'Christmas Carol' in his regular Wednesday night spot on CBS, but McKee & Albright, agency on the Sealtest account, held to its contention that it had received a prior commitment from Barrymore and that it would be unfair for the actor to broadcast the same Dickens story the day before, Dec. 23, for another client. Ted Goldsmith, chief associate in Dick Maney's publicity office, into the Army. John Tuerh managing 'This Little Hand,' A. H. Woods' comeback show. WMCA, New York, gels a credit line on the 'Magazine of the Air' pro- gram whicfh the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs produces in WMCA's studios, and airs iif Latin America. Show airs in Portuguese and is not. heard in the U. S. John Vandercook, NBC news commentator is doing the narration on Columbia Picture's special reel, 'Our Second Front,' being set for Dec. 11 release. Picture emphasizes the Invasion of North Africa. CBS has deferred putting on Damon Runyon's 'The Turps' as a sustain- ing series. It recently cut a sample installment and this will now be used in the quest for a commercial. Bill Gernannt Is Runyon's agent. IN CHICAGO . . . The 'Ma Perkins' show, one of radio's oldest daytime serials, started on its lOlh year on NBC with the Dec. 4 broadcast. Occasion was celebrated with a dinner party on that night for the cast, author, network and agency at the Racket Club here. Charles Egleston and Virginia Payne are the only members of the original cast still on the show Janet Niles is the first girl announcer here on a regular station staff carrying a full an- nouncing schedule. When her husband, Fred Niles, left WAAF to enter the armed forces, she picked up where he left off....Jane Amar, star of NBC's 'Road to Danger,' is carrying her left hand in a sling, the result of an accident in her home, when a glass coffee-maker broke and severed a tendon in her left thumb Joe Kelly saw his 18-year-old son off to Fort Sheridan, where he was sworn into the U. S. Army Quartermaster Corps... .Adrienne Marden, of the 'Junior Miss' company, at the Harris theatre, playing the role of Anne Beecham in 'Bachelor's Children'.... Ralph Martire. 'Carnation' program trumpeter, is father of a girl recently born at the Mother Cabrini Hospital Hoosier Hotshots, heard regularly on the National Barn Dance program, appearing in person at the Oriental theatre Margery Mayer, NBC 'Hymns of All Churches' chorister, draw- ing the plaudits of the city's music critics for her singing with the Chicagu Civic Opera company, where she is now in her fifth season... .Lou Jackob- son. free-lance local prpducer, will direct the Kraft Chorus on Bing Crosby's program for the fifth consecutive year. The group of 75 appears twice yearly, at Christmas and at Easter, on the Crosby show WBBM's 'The Werps' has changed its schedule from 3:45 p. m. thrice weekly to a 10 a. m. spot same days The Chicago Sun has taken a 11 p. m. WMAQ spot nightly for an additional Air Edition to their half-hour broadcasts over WJWC. Arch Farmer is editing the stint which is voiced by Myron Wallace Hundreds of pumpkin pies were the result of a pie baking contest sponsored jointly by WLS and the Chicago Times. Pies went to the soldiers and sailors visiting the'Chicago Service Men's Centre AP news service has been added to WJJD facilities Lee Neal, formerly with the West Virginia Network, has been added to the WIND announcing staff INS has been contracted for by WIND In addition to the Trans- Radio and AP services... .Newcomer to 'Lone Journey' cast is Jack Chal beck, who plays Stahley Jones... .John J, Gillen, Jr., manager of WOW. Omaha, a Chicago visitor.