Variety (Dec 1942)

so RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, December 16, 1942 'HELLO, AMERICANS' Cast: Orson Welles, Afnes Morcbead. Bea Benadaret, Hans Conrled, NormBB Field, Eustace Wyatt, Le« Clears, Ted Bcid, John Battle, Byron Kane, Leu Merrill, Gerald Mohr. Joe Crandy, Joe Kearns, Bex O'Malley, Baymond Lawrence, Sir Laacelat, Lad Olaskln oreb. Writers: Norman R4M(en, Orson Welles Director: Orson Welles 30 Mins. Sustaininf!; Sunday, 8 p.m. WABC-CBS, New Tork Partly on the strength of his last summer's trip through Latin Amer- ica, but even more simply as a broadcaster with an uncanny instinct for showmanship, Orson Welles Is airing 'Hello, Americans,' a Sunday night series attempting to bolster the Good Neighbor policy by telling peo- ple of the Americas about each other. Although the program is mainly for North Americans and about Latin Americans, the announcement that it's also recorded for rebroadcast by shortwave and via domestic stations in South America isn't really neces- sary. It's a show that should help cement hemisphere relations if only because of its universal appeal. While the format of the program Is fluid from week to week, the cur- rent broadcasts are presenting what Welles calls the ABC's of the Car- ibbean. That pattern gives him ample scope for hopping around the island.s between the American con- tinents, offering a kind of sound-il- lustrated lecture on history, geog- raphy, economics, politics and mere human interest. Welles tells much of it on his own. with successlva i»iiS!bgf^i.MI9'\*i&R. and "VsygJ. ffj-, chestra and sonr. and dramglKtfir scenes by a versatile cast. Conceived by Welles and the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-Ameritan Affairs, and presented by the latter agency in association with CBS, •Hello, Americans' is excellent enter- tainment and fair education. Welles gives it an effortless theatrical flare, of course, but the writing and pro- duction are admirable throughout It's hardly a prospect for a lengthy series and not a bet for sponsorship. But it succeeds brilliantly as prop- aganda-showmanship. Hob«. Bocbester, N. Y. — Homer Mlias, WHAM education program director end announcer, was Inducted In the Signal Corps and sent to Camp Crowder, Mo. Newcomers to the WHAM staff are James Lawrence and Gordon Kester. JOHN B. KENNEDY News Comment 10 Mins. BAKBASOL Mon, Wed, FrI., 6 p.m. WABC-CBS, New York (Eruiin, Wasey) John B. Kennedy, who's been on various networks and stations for various sponsors and as a sustainer, is now airing his vigorous feature news and comment for Barbasol via a CBS hookup. As caught Monday evening (14), his spiel was mostly familiar fact expressed in vivid word- age. It was also written with a shrewd ear for popular consumption, stressing a kind of chest-pounding boastfulness about us big. tough United Nations guys, and a dripping scorn of Axis bullies. Except for a closing jibe at Roman eagles, paraphrasing Poe's The Raven,' the broadcast was otherwise chiefly notable for a mid-way com- mercial introduced by Kennedy with a yam about how a Marine in a Guadalcanal ti-ench told his buddy that they wouldn't be so rightly called Leathernecks if they used Barbasol for shaving. If not intend- ed as satire of radio commercials, that might be regarded as opportun- izing the war. Kobe. •IT'S A SWELL NIGHT FOB A MUBDER" Cast: Paul Phillips, Joe Groger, Rhoda Fixell, Bob Meredith, Thomas Nellow, Ginny Tate Writer-Director: JeB Brooks IS Mins. Sustaining Friday. 10:45 p.m. Best thing about 'It's a Swell Night for a Murder' is the title. It's an attempted thriller that generates only mild tension. As heard Friday night (11). the yarn was a lurid psychological twister about a three- armed man who hated women be- cause his mother, a sideshow freak, gave birth to him. He swore to kill all women freaks and had bumped off Julie, the half-man-balf-woman and another dame called the crab- woman, when a flatfoot named Finn nabbed him. Atmosphere and psychological- character stories need mora thin 15 minutes for development Whether author-director Brooks could do better with a haU-hour U beside the point at the moment Ha did rather tepidly with IS minutes, thou^ ob- viously limited some by inadequate production facilities and poor acting. Hob«. Your Proadway and HoUywood Reporter (Remember You Heard It Here) STARTING MY 6th SPONSORED YEAR ON THE AIR WOR Mutual Friday, 7:30-8 p.m. Edelbrew Beer WMCA America's Leading Ind. Station Sunday 6 p.m. Crawford Clothes Thanks to following stare wbo bave appeared on my programs Al Jolson Vera Zorina Maureen O'SalMvan Phil Harris Milton Berle Eddie Davis (Leon and Eddie's) Harry Riclunan Ole Olsen George Jessel Joan Merrill Ethel Merman Martha; Raye Alan Dinehart Mitzi Green Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Jerry Cooper Artie Shaw Misha Auer Ray Bolger Ginger Harmon Arthur Treacher Ted Lewis Gertrude Nlesen Robert Ripley Wyaae Mamy Benay Venuta Ed SulUvan Dorothy KllKallen Dan Walker Slmenc Siraone Belle Baker GeoTfe Raft Frances Faye Jerry Colona Hazel Scott Harry James Arleen Whelan Joe E. Lewis Benny Fields And to the hundreds of other stars Also thanks to CHARLES FURET and ROT GORDON of the ROY S. DURSHNE AGENCY—and to WILBUR STARK and JERRY LAYTON for the Crawford account And f??' N.Y. Daily News and to NICK KENNY of the Daily Mirror for all the nice things they've said a bout m e. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY > 4♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦«>♦*♦««*<♦♦♦ . . FoDow-up Comment :: '♦♦♦<«>♦««<«♦>♦♦<«♦«<♦♦♦ Marcan plugged 'Variety,' at the expense of another radio trade paper which panned the zany WOR comic for his madcap, ribbing commercials .. .Jerry Lawrence's Wax Museum on WOR, which started as a post-mid- night plaller .session, is a bright 15- min. interlude evenings now... Mae.vtro Joe Rines getting to be quite a comic, the way he handles lines on that Blue afternoon show Ave times a week at 3 p. m. Hi, Lo, Jack Sc Dame, with some nifty Pete King arrangements, the vocal clickos. Frank Tours, English maestro, made a pleasing debut Thursday night (9) as the leader of the Mere- dith Willson orch on the Maxwell House coffee show. The British ac- cent was beguiling, and Tours pro- vided a change of pace in the con- ventional formula. Willson. now in the armed forces, played a Casper Milquetoast and Frank Morgan satel- lite. Tours, on the other hand, as- sumes a slightly imperious attitude towards Morgan's whopping lies. •To the President* was an effective propaganda effort Sunday noon (13) on WJZ-Blue from the Coast. Based on an idea by Paul Franklin, it pre- sented Conrad Veidt giving a run- ning 'translation' of a Goebbels speech about certain Americans who have won the thanks of the Nazis by helping the New Order. Against this familiar but telling device there was a series of dramatized bits illustrat- ini; the action^ the Nazi propaganda transparently stupid or false, but every one was all too realistic. Ann Shepherd turned in a flitter- ing job Sunday (13) on the recorded Treasury 'Star Parade' series, as heard on WLIB, New York. She por- trayed the Soviet girl sniper, Lt. Lud- milla Pavlachenko, who recently vis- ited the U. S., in dramatization of her letter to America. Part was a honey, with unusual dramatic scope and a potent finish. Miss Shepherd was ex- cellent throughout, revealing plenty of vitality for the strong scenes and proper intensity for the emotional passages. Bill Bachers' direction was evident, as was David Broekman's music. Lt Bargesa MeredUh had a big spot Sunday (13) on the 'Army Hour' via WEAF-NBC, handling the on-the- spot description of anti-tank battle practice at Camp Hood, by remote pickup. Although apparently some- what out of practice at the mike, and not too used to fast ad-lib spieling, he made the account of 'infiltration' exercises, a mock village mop-up and a mobile artillery attack on a dummy tank force immediately believable for the listener. Leopeld Stokowski gave his custo- nQpry sheen of sensuous excitement to the NBC Symphony's performance Sunday afternoon (13) of the new Shostakovltch Seventh, particularly through his conducting of the lush string section and his handling of the composition's titanic climax. TIrat Nighier,' now heard on Mu- tual out of Chicago, but still airing for Campana, continues to offer a tawdry yarn wrapped up in a hokey but atmospherically commercial package. Sunday's chapter, tagged 'The Arrow Points to Murder,' was so typical of the quickie romantic- whodunit kind of program that it was virtually a satire. Presenting the program as a theatrical performance in three 'acts' provides two mid-in- termissions for commercial plugs. •We, the People* was a listenable show Sunday night (13) on CBS for Gulf. Highlights were Harry Von Zell's interview from the Coast with the American avia tor w ho survived (liis partner dieai'STortiious 'trfp I'n" a rubber boat without food or water after their plane was downed In the Pacific. Josephine Houston preemed the 'Drummer Boy' song she had composed. Mme. Litvinoff. wife of the Soviet ambassador, had a strong British accent (she's English-born) in introducing a scene from the Theatre Guild s forthcoming play, 'Russian People.' And Madeleine CarroU made a persuasive appearance in be- half of her United Seamen's Service, revealing a stronger and more at- tractive personality as herself than when she appears as an actress Broadcast was an unusually strons one for the series. Peter Lorre and Ann Rutherford pve reasonable conviction to the leads in 'Crime and Punishment' on the Phihp Morris "Playhouse" last Friday night (11). However, the vehicle seemed stilted, possibly be- cause of the Columbia picture yam Itself as much as the adaptation. Director Charles Martin's self- presentation as impressario of the show remains a curious remnant of passe hokum. Mary Ann Mercer's spot Friday nights following 'Plantation Party' on NBC continues to be cllcky. 'THE ABMT SHOW WHh Jimmy Sbleidi, Behoater 4k Wayne, Allen MeFee. Baymende Maranda, Euu Titua; Capt. Geoff- rey Waddiaften, Cendacter. SO Mins. Sunday. 9 pjn. Sustaining CMS. CBF-CBC, Montreal Canada's first official Army Show preemed Sunday (13) and scored high. Only important drawback is dearth of femme talent, and it a few more like Corporal Maranda of the C.W.A.C.'s can be added, the flhow will be well on its way to a very substantial success. At present, solo and chorus sing- ing and an orch that expertly handles marches, sweet and jive music make up 60<r<. of the show. Russ Titus is an able m.c. who at- tractively showcases his samples, timing this broadcast at a stream- lined pace for the 30 minutes. Titus did his share of singing, too, in a pleasant baritone that blended nicely in a clever quartet. Jimmy Shields got star billing, air- ing a sweet, high tenor in 'This Is Worth Fighting For,' and supported by the chorus of Allen McFee, Johnny y/ayne and Raymonde Mar- anda. Privates Schuster and Wayne lined out a fast - paced sketch along 'dumbt>eir lines contained plenty of laughs. It introduced Corporal Maranda as a French girl whom the recruit is trying to date. She handles the part admirably, both in the Eng- lish and French vernacular passages. Here is a talent that should be widely exploited in the future. Schuster and Wayne back again with a "Fuehrer's Face' skit. Another click, followed by a pretentious "Father and Son' Dieppe sketch that was monotonous and slumped the 'SKYLINE PATROL* 2B Mlu. Tbnra,, 7:35 p.m. KABC-TSN, San Antonio The San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Uncle Sam's largest training post for pilots, bombardiers and navi- gators. Is airing a series of broad- casts over station KABC from the Gunter hotel to the 16 stations of the Texas State Network. Program achieves its aim to keep the gradu- ates of the school informed of their alma mater, as well as to attract re- cruits to the cadet center. Show was smartly paced and well produced at this hearing, with the exception of several corny gags inter- spersed by the m.c. Pvt. Harold Rhoden. Rhoden otherwise did a nice job and showed a fairly nice voice and delivery. Colonel Michael F. Davis, who is commanding officer, spoke briefly on the purpose of the broadcasts. The cadet orchestra sounded like big-time and is under baton of Sgt. Dude Skiles, an orch leader in civil- ian life. Band was heard in good arrangements of 'All of Me' and 'Liza.' Orchestra also introduced two original tunes written by Pvt. Bill Bunt, which may have some possi- bilities. First was 'I'm Going Around in a Circle,' and second, 'Pedestrian's Panic' Cadet Glee Club of 60 voices turned in a neat performance with two patriotic songs, and Cadet Ray Bates sang 'Star Dust" nicely. Vocalist of the evening was Cadet Danny Mills, who was okay with 'White Cliffs.' Andy. 'WHAT'S YOUR WAB JOB?' Cast: Laurence Hammond, Mllo BoaltOD, Woody Herman ereh Writer-Dlrecter: Alton Alexander "Land of Liberty' song, written and composed by members of the cast and sung by the whole com- pany, snapped the program to a .^imush finish. Snow will be heard a few more SuLday."; from Montreal and then will tcur camps and train- ing centres. It is being broadcast across Canada and will be short- waved overseas. Lane. 'MAJOR V Wllh John Alvin; music by OIlic Faersch Writer: Charles Gussman Director: Ernest Rlcca Drama S« MlBs. SnstalBlng Sund ay: 4:34 pja. WWJ, Detroit Breaking in on the monotony of Sunday afternoon programs, this high adventure gets more than a semblance of reality out of the pro- test that 'it is not based on actual fact." There are few youngsters in these parts, if not adults, who don't feel that it is an actual account of the underground movement at work in GeiTOany. It's patriotic action stuff with a nic. semblance of reality. While using the same key figure, ^ajor V,' an American at work in the European underground, each episode is a complete story of coun- ter-espionage at work. Last episode found the key figure and his Ger- man s]rmpathizer kicking over a meeting Hitler had called to bolster the small fry Axis powers. The Nazis bumped off a key Rumanian attache who might'upset their plans and the hero and his European help- ers turned it to their ends. Episode got plenty fun and action out of dubbing American films of the battles of Midway and the Solo- mons into the Jap pictures of Pearl Harbor, which were to be shown the visiHng small fry Axis delegates, and hit a top when Major V and his friend Felix got rigged up in Gestapo uniforms and called on the Japanese representatives to 'censor' their films. Stories utilize suspense to a fine degree and the deftness of writing, music and playing on program caueht reflected the spirit with which the staffers go into this type of fictionized morale building with -.-fc»3_bw»^ — «mir Seven minutes Is just about the right length for this blend of soothing oldies, one running into another without announcement, and with Dave Bacal's Novachord adding flavor. Stanza is an example of bright programming. BUI Caram. N. Y. Journal-Ameri- can sports columnist, has improved a trifle as between-rounds commen- tator for the Madison Square Gar- den fight broadcasts on Mutual, for Gillette. But he still sounds like a nice guy who'd be more at home be- hind a typewriter. His principal difficulty isn't his occasional word- stumbling. Although that's really ba'd when it happens on a commercial, the most experienced and smoothest boys do it at times. More revealing of his failure to orient himself to the air Is the way he tries to complete a whole sentence of his ad-lib stuff in a single breath, sometimes running out of wind and having to pause for a quick gasp. Don Dunphy's han- dling of the Maurlello-Nova bout was satisfactory until the explosive finish, when the action became mud- dled to the listener for a few sec- onds. WJZ-Blae, New York The War Manpower Commission and the Blue network cooperate in the presentation of this series, which aims to persuade listeners to take up war work and to inform them of employment conditions in their com- munities. Although the combination of a swing band and a documentary- exhortatory presentation seem in- congruous, the show has a number of effective moments and should carry a valuable message for those who hear it However, 'What's Your War Job?' has tough competition from such stanzas as Fred Waring, NBC's world news roundup, 'Amos and Andy,' Harry James orchestra and Fulton Lewis. As heard last Wednesday (9). the program opened and closed with woody Herman's admittedly potent band, their complete offerings for the program including 'Five By Five,' 'Why Don't You Fall in Love With Me?' 'Miss Victory' (composed and played for the occasion), and a cap- sule finale. Milo Boulton, regular m.c. for 'We, the People,' told from New York of Mrs. Vera Muller, the lifebelt inspector whose lifebelt saved her sailor son in the Pacific. Then Mrs. MuUer was remoted from Akron to urge all mothers of service men to 'say your prayers at a war job, where they'll do the most good.' "Then Laurence Hammond. WMC radio director and supervisor of the show, was picked up from Washing- ton, where he interviewed Barbara Ann Clark, just chosen as 'Miss Vic- tory' in a Hearst promotion stunt. Miss Clark and Ann Marsters, Chi- cago American writer, told of Miss Clark's perfection of an Improved technique for machine gun manufac- ture. Hammond and Miss Clark were okay on the mike, but Miss Marsters was out of her element. Ted Collins originally did the re- mote interview stint, but could not continue, so Hammond is flUing in for the present. There is a local cut-in on each station carrying the show for a clos- ing spiel about employment condi- tions in that area. Hobe. 'BBOOKLYN COLLEGE BOUND- TABLE' WUh Dr. Lonis H. HaUory, Dr. Fred Maroney, Dr. Sally E. Knti, Dr. A. H. Haslew, Dr. Paul B. Orr mMlnf^ Snatelnlng Sunday, 3:1S fja. WLIB, New York As heard iast Sunday afternoon (13), the subject of the confab among the Brooklyn College savants was 'How Ciin We Keep Physically and Mentally Fit in Wartime?' Partic- ipating were Dr. Louis H. Mallory, as moderator, and four members of the college faculty. Probably it was of some educa- tional value to' any dialers hardy enough to concentrate on it and naturally it must have been inter- esting to fellow-faculty members at Brooklyn College. But except for the flnel few moments of ad-lib pa- laver,' the majority of the program, consisting of straightaway papers given a typically pedagogical read- ing, was acceptable only because it could be easily ignored. Hobe. . I Mentioned Shickelgrnber lual titer gtttlne Mi:lck. IM It lia* hli lupptntd to CMC up. JAMES MADISON, pnlim writtr far nil: mtmp wd itaK. Whtt iwu ktvM't tut MI ««lltr ytt (K my new SAO aHEET! WtH. I im ■wprlHi. P.O. Bm 134, Orud CMlral Aim>. Nm Vtrk. (Watch for a new gag every week)