Variety (March 1944)

44 RADIO Wednesday, March 1, I944. Knox Edict Nixes Navy Personnel Appearances on ComlAff Programs Older \v:is issued by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox (29) yesterday prohibituiR all Navy personnel from appeiiring on any eommercial spon- sored profiraltis. All programs now on the air will be allowed lo finish their contrnct--. vThe nfew ruling iwas ahnqtincecl by. ■:, Gapt, l.ciand P. Lovett. director of Public Relations for the U. S. Navy. Postwar Air Ooiitimicd from paiic 31 stations restricted, to/natiorial: boun.r: dary liner- will net be a:UH.-.ed. '.. , Canada, too,, .-pi;<;sents.:.a' problem, altboitgh tlicre it could easily be by- passed inasmuch as Fiench-English dual broadcast techniques have .been in vogue lor yeai's. American audi- ences long have teen accustomed to Canadian announciiliients and station M-G-M'i 'I 5lst er« ind » Sailor'.compteteil New C.t&Ilil, PKOCiK.tiU,:Friday - 10 it.ni., KWX tint.: r.OU CIiASTON D'ARTEGA AND HIS ALL GIRL ORCHESTRA OPENim STATE, HARTFORD MARCH 3rd '■■ Personal Management ERNEST LIEBMAN 1440: Broadway, New York Dinictinn: William Norriii Aicry. identification chatter first in English tind then in French. The idea of a "single lingo" peace treaty clause originated jn England, and will receive its strongest sup- port from that country. Situated next door to Europe and a part of that continent, sociologically if not physically, England, as a victor na- tion, is m a position *^o demand that radio, as a propaganda agent, be rendeiod helpless as far as being able to .stjr up International strife and differencei on the continent AnfiCricans. it's pointed out, prob- ably will not be able to fully appre- ciate England's stand on the matter inasmuch as this continent, for ihe most part, is restricted, as far as radio reception is concerned, to pro- grams originating in this country. Not so in Europe, where ordinary x'adio broadcasts trom powertul transmitters on leguWr wave lengths easi#j»^w!^p:e^ut—botmda^^^ adopt unto themselves large audi- encco in whatever irnguage thoy choose to Mse, :.:--'-^v,'l.VV';-".' .: ■ ::'Ge!'«an "stations beaming st.rjiight. propaganda messages in I'rench, Eo* lish, Dutch, Italian, English, Czech, Russian,: Swedish, Norwegian,. Dan- ish, Spanish. Portuguese and other languages demonstrated just how ef- fective unrestricted use of the- air^ lanes for political purposes could be during the pre-war years and even aiter, iguiichihg its invasion., Instead of leaving this highly dan- gerous alley open to the next nationali.stie faction desirous of converting other nations to their, way of thinking and making radio prop- aganda a- wide open r£.oe for power; diplomats already planning checks aftd balances to insure long-standing peace after the current conflict will undoubtedly remember the use of radio by Germany during us pre* war behind-the-scenes campaign. Hence the plan to :ntroduce j some form , of worldwide legislation to prevent the medium from becoming an unwitting agent of some future Hitler. Scattle.-^Jack McMuUen is back at KIRO helping Jim Upthegrove in the, engineering department after a year with KSFO in San Francisco. - Radio Reviews | 9 t'ontliiiied from pitce 43 sss*" seas. His explanations of this and other religious customs of his peo- ple are cleverly paralleled with Similar customs nf the Catholic re- ligion. Fadeout scene of the Jewish boy praying in his father's memory in Hebrew and, the Irish boy joining in his liturgical Latin prayer was the sort of th ing that goes a long way to- ward the creation, of better racial understanding. Ses.sion warrants recording and re- broadcast by c\ciy station in the country a.s an eflective means - of combating Axis propaganda which plays upon religious differences.: It would pro!v,b!y prove highly effi- cient in those communities currently plagued by anti-mitiorily attacks re- gardless o£ their nature. Tiiro. Follow-up Coimnent to' Very truly yours, On December 27th, WMCA intro^ duced New York to Norman JaJ'-s "Very Truly.Yours". \{'e,kncw that in this out- ; spoken method of news commentary we were launching- a mild sensation in. local broadcasting.' - . : You see, Norman J.iv addresses per- tinent open letters to piomiiient persons in - tlie news,, stf iGc.s bard at hemlines and head-?^ liners, strips importan): tissues-down to bare facts. He couldn't miss. ; And he didn't. During the first', month's running. Jay's mail.box looked like:: a: fugitive from a diplomatic - dist>atch-car'«. . rier. Unexpected responses to ''Very Truly '. Yours", in -January alone came from- an ad'. miral, a ^cncrali a University president, a senator and a former presiclential candidate. Yes, tlie,voice of "Very Truly Yours" has gained resonance rapidly here in New York. It is /Re news program to be reckoned with this jcar. For a surprisingly modest in- vestment, the tig/i/ sponsor can ride this ris- ing tide. Interested.-' We're at Circle <3-2200. wmca First on New York's Dial—570 Ripmeitlcil by Weed & Co. trtt*' -.10 eft*. .«-t1°^ Xavier Cngat's "Persian March" rumba (so announced) was a high- light-of his Dubonnet: program, and the Latin maestro should do more of the same on th e air. Actually, t he tune""i.s KettJlhy s "In a Persian Maf^ ket." and is in line with some dandy disks Cugie had made for Columbia some time ago: i. e„ rumba arrange- ments of standard faves. In fact, Cugat could prpbably mxisicalize Lindy's menu and' make it sound very one-two-three-kick. Boll Burns took a terrifiG , script-: pasting Thursday (24) on his NBC spot, Burns wrestled with a series bf. incitlents dealing with: the. rigors of present-day traveling, and its con- sequent travail. Situation, although old hat, is funny—but not the way it came over. Studio audience main- tained a glum and: embarrassed si- lence, letting loose occasionally with a few weak titters that only served to point up inertness of the script, Paul Wlnchell is a greatly im- proved ventriloquist and mifriic. Proof was his air stint oh Mutual (21) when Jerry Mahoney, his dum- my, and he took an imaginarv trip to Hollywood, wliere opportunity to imitate voices ot film luminaries was acted upon by Winchell to good ad- vantage, Imogen Carpenter, singer, and Bob Stanley's OKch kept the haU-hour variety program zipping along. Mulual's broadcast Friday (25) of the Joe Baski-Tami Mauriello tiff froTri .Madison Sqiiare Garden, N.Y , came olt better than usual. Don Dun- phy turned in his customary compe- tent blow-by-blow description, and Bill Corum forgot his betweeti- rounds fence-straddling long enough to tip oft' the Idct that Baski was going to breeze in. Work Bifl Asks Ra£o Moppets Be Licensed fw Period of 6 Mos. Albany, N. Y.. Feb. 29. The Mahoney-Ehrlich bill, propos- ing a uniform system of regulating the employment in show business of children under 16, would encompass radio, a field now more or less un- touched by official supervision. Aj presently proposed, written permits would not be required for children making non - professional broadcasts from religious, civil or educational institutions or, in the case of non-profcb<>ional broadcasts from the studios oC a legularly li- censed brpadcasting company, for a maximum of two-hpurs-a-weelc dur- ing out-of-school hours. For professional broadcasts, T)er- mits would be required and would be good for six months, with renewal provided. Applications for such per- mits, while detailed, would not re- quire as mtich: information as for legitimate shows. They would have Jp be filed at least 72 hours befo re the proposed performance and acted upon at once ,or at most witnih 60 hours alter receipt. Authority to is- sue permits would, in the ca.se of New York City, be vested in an official or board designated by the city, ■.\ ■.:' ■.' ;' ■■■'■:;■■'•, Originally some broadcasters were reported to be opposed to this bill, but there is said to be less opposi- tion to it as rewritten. If passed, it would become eflective Sept. 1. The third airing of Lucille Fletch- er••Sony. Wrong Number," last Thursday i24), on •'Suspense," first time, under spoiisdi^ship, lost no sus' pense because ot previous airings. Pacing was .particularly fine,: Agnes Moorehcad. a.s the neurotic wile, acted it tO; the hilt, lit..keeping.witlj the ,production iotegration, which is this program's trademark, there wa.s no copy break midway in the script. Ray Dady's even : dehvery of straight news in his five-weekly Mutual spot makes for good pio- gramiiiing ph. his ,1-;p.-,-m;. newscast. Note to sciipter.s of Feb. 25 program: The term '•banana republics", went out of style a long time 9go. NBC picked up the second act of the New Yoik Citv Center's pre- sentation of '•Carmen" Saturday (26) afternoon (3:30-4:30, .p.m,). Jennie Tmiicl, one-time-leading-ioprano-of the Pans Opera Comique. high- lighted .ll}e.,sessio.n :with her sUper-iof vocalizitig: irt the .title role. :Joseph Rogochewsky: subbed for. the -ailing i.Mariq Berini. ift :tHe tenor role and did '.a .>yoi;krrianlike jot).' .-.George Czapliefci left sorrietiiing to be de- sire.d as the toreador, Escarnillo. The ;pr;o:grani-. ,;*as-; intro.sd' ..by- Samuel vliolzinpft^ hxusical d of NBG, :who.sp6Ke ph. various: aspects -of■ tht; City. CGntei: . and . the influeriefe' pi radio:,. in , pr.o:moUng tnusic aS ' th^ conifflori.prpp6rt.y of.;;t,he .Cbmtounily Seventh in NBC's public service Here's to Youth*' scries on problems .affpiiting. ..ehildreii'<. tltted' ."Dangeiw Mathers WToiikingi" was effective Sat- i-trday (26) becaUse: it neatly stetted pro W.em : and .: solution: into sei-ipt: ;Pvpl)lGra ■ was thaj pf :,.children •W.llosfe hoineiahd. parents' are' not tlieir own p.ecause ■.indther works, days: aiici^ -fathijr ^.v.prKs at nigW,; v.^^orhapl this rfites .a ;pr0.gi'a:iri '.OT^ -parents' res^ori- aiblllty.; to cKldret),:,- \l ■ ■ ■■>>, . REID'S NBC SERIES Don Reid has been signed by NBC to vocal five times weekly on net- work's "Mirth and Madness" .show niorhing suslaincr. Singer, formorly .willi Xavier Cugat, is also a songwriter/ Ellis Succeeds Kudner As Agency President .Tames H. S. Ellis, exec v.p. of the Arthur Kudner agency, was elected president of the corporation Thurs- day (24) to succeed Arthur Kudner, who died in-Los Angeles Feb.. 18.: No other changes in the agency were ef- fected., Ellis, in the adverti.sing field since 1915, was associated with the former president as copy chief of Erwin, Wasey in: Chicago, and as v.p. in charge of copy when the Kudner agency was formed in 1935. He -was named executive v.p.: two years ago. NBC-BBC CO-OP FOR 'ARte MARCH 4 Scenes from "Arsenic - and Old Lace" performed 3,000 miles apart will be featured Saturday (4) on "At- lantic Spotlight," NBC-BBC co-op show. Joe Mansfield produces from this end. New York company of the Russel . Crduse-Howard Lindsay .smash will be represented by Effle Shannon; Josephine Hull and . Walter Wagiiev, with Dame Lillian Braithwaite; Maiy Jerrold and Norton Wayne oC the London troupe airing BBC's portion of the farce. It's planned to team Wayne in London with the New York femmes in the first skit, and to reverse the process for a repeat "Ar- - senic" excerpt. Crouse and the British producer of the cofnedy. Firth Shephard, also will-be-heard on the two--^wa.v_hook-.— up. In: addition, Nanette Fabray. of the ".lacltpot" cast, and a singer tioiu the London hit, '•Sweeter and Lou- er," will be heard. San Antonio—Eddie Barker has been added to the announcing stall of KMAC. . The WTA6 Mobile Unit For BIG Events in a BIG Market: WT AG WORCESTER bub burn and his homespun new« commen< tafies are as corny os the husks in van buren ... as American as broadway or tutton place, V.. i as integral to the new york market as the asterbilts-the cohens-or the kellys. bub serves up his corn every monday— Wednesday and friday from 7 to 7:15 p.m. while selling his corn-he could peddle your . product, too, more about bub burn if you'll call or write JOfiOO WATTS ... 1010 OH N.Y. DIAL