Variety (Jul 1944)

2SS RADIO REVIEWS Wejnegt%f July S, 1911 Obler's 'Surrenief Points Up How To Sell Bonds Best—Via Entertainment K, NAT RAHN Ir( tt.|.»%>",flV- lit ilOllfl sal'-, if" its""* * In .■ ,.";>!'! I nn 'ictuDii liii' >h t . vsriot •> • promotion- WV fl** hav'j hart a ot'i'tnin enervating erteci. T-Mniuch hljjh pressure'.'; too.ii'-wif. . S j!c<moMV Well, maybe. _ St any, rate. A rch Oboler,. wrth Jhts fariliU- -tor "dramatic suggestion., has lea:iit«:l innv not to'crani it «Of.ni ; their throat*. Alid '.Qboler'sdr'ama-'C ■wivitft'ii!'tor radio lias; been: seUlUft:a lot- oC bo.nd<-' His. "'Surrender' wit! "Surrender." ope :«l tour piaUeij written tor.radio, t wo by. O >oVi and 'tli -ol'i'jr oair IK. William >.. ctob'.o,'. to in i t. «tt: the Jrcasii ry's, latest hurt daw anfl is 23-- »< 1-!^ "\V' n \4,'" • ...,:(r J -Fold Wi the.fftth. All »>>• Oil (llS'N ".- •■ , -.•■■' l ist week two<i[ the dWCsvW'ttff* ftl ilvl oiV NcvA'nrk stations. *'Sm-.-- render" on WQXK and "High Com- rirmd " bv Ttobson-. mi WMCA. But it, Was "Si<rrenner v that excited, the greater interest because of its neatly (.•oufvived inferences 'that hers; ,iu its .stbi* was' tin:.' reason why bonds slioUM be bought. It was notable yn- stinie ofOboler's best Wilting, tel.UHB the stoi'v of .an American doughboys canture'of a Nazi aviator in SYa.ic-.* .-dlfeig the recent invasion. It was th-store of American trust and::Nazi doublecr-ossing,._lt.was the storyof wUv we must buy bonds. ..... , ■ . Eranchof Tone and Hans Coureid (|.!|;Sri "M.nil fur Miili.Mi»" m* :'£js»i«l'.l Naw CAMF.fi I'KtMiKXM. Frt*Mr III ,..«•.. K.W1' Overseas for USO Since Jan. '43 _no w ; Touring British Isles .il.ivc'i liv American and ,N:; >.\. iv- s.i;e;»< .1., and. their .perliirniai wr» •- nx* cii small measure reSponvibU' fo< ;'v .W-mlmite di'ama'.s iorceitii iViTerjnvl ition. It was a Him V 'told siiuoly.. of ' how. -, in a . moment.',-tii Weakness- the American allowed hinwe'i. lo.be lulled into a:false sense o'f.'»*citt'>iy ,b'y 'I'lie'.su.i!t;fc:riotrtrrattr^he N'ui vv.iSj after all. no different than ire! The Nazi Was a farmer in hi- n-ifiV.; Girniany;.fhe American tilled. ih.>soil in Indiana And bo.th liked blondes... : . ;,-..•••' ' ; It soeme i then. that, only nie.Cet- •). ..i ,)■■•• ers that be were res])onsib!e •for olive-drab tunic which the Mar'.i. .was'forced to wear:'But the climactic i.n.'i'.l When the. Nazi Riiii.ied po-- s:-,siou oi the nun and- then shot the American'who had tried to 'saitl lus f.riendshio..- was a .message .wi'tK all tiia imolications. Thai bonds were imiioi-tant to defeat such an enemy,: , .In "Hiuh Comiiiarid" Paul LnUa 1 : and Ei'ic'h Von Sli-oheim v\ere the leads';, the seriot ehiohasizinij one lOiabl? factoi—that even -.after, the i res-en t War .Germany'will soon pre- ■»ii'e tor anotbei . ; O'lz aimed directly <il t'ie U»ned S'.>-f«; ■ - .- . - ThJ scriot emohasized the.- mis- ta!tas bf the last peace, (How .s.lu- ot'dlv tolerant was the Allied-Com- inaud, and .how .quick the Germans were to realize ttiiijl. But .it was too niuch of a statistical approach, dwell- iiiS on •historical, parables of the two world wais; ' It was Understandable, yet it re- maiiied; for the simpler narrative— '■Siiri ehder"—to possess a greater ac- catjtaiice' value. It sold.bonds throuijh a booular inedium—entertainment. ; ; •'COMBAT COERESPONDENT" Writer: Milton Robertson 'OirecW: Jack Or*gan fi-oducer: *tttd Cotl IS Mills.. Tliiirsday, 9:45 l».in. Sustnillilis WNEW, New Yftrk ■ . New. series -Of service programs over WNEW startins Thursday <2»> 9:45: to 10 P.m. titled '-Combat Cor- •.•esi'ondent." kudosed the roje -ot the Marine correspondent and photos-, raphtsr in -.simple.; effective style. Short;. pithy, piosram fpfvti-'&xaibii-'. zat-ii-ns 'of three .stories" sent bac k by corresoondent:".. the stories being FRED LIGHTS ER Dir.: PHIL COSCi* parllv'told bv the emcee and part in Rripluc- dashbacks. Good .sound eiTe'cts of battle and war background helped. Master T'Se.1. Gene Ward, ex- ■N. Y. Daily News sports-writer and Marine combat- correspondent in the. Pacittq. emceed.. reveal ins .a. good, soeakin? voice and convincing, hioiir •commercial manner as a' distinct asset, to the program. Stories wet.! varied, from Bougainville. Normandy and Truk. Correspondents were shown as lighters as well as write-is, jnisin.g in the melee when needed, meanwhile Oiling newspaperman's chief function of bringing back a good story. It's a good war program. Bro«. • WORDS AT WAR" Witli Oil Van Diitrn (crimmeiila . tiiri; Berrv Kr«e«rr, Ann Shep (Miii. *»lher« UrniiH Writer. Gerald Hnllaui I'TOdueer: Anton M. Leader ::>» AMns.: T.ies.: a::i« i».m.' .IOIINSON"S WAX WI;AI'-NI«'. New York • i Veed/idii',. Lon/s (it Browj' •' ••■Word.- At War" is now t'ne sum- mer . reblaeomont show for- v-p'.ibber McGee and Mollv" at 9:30 p.m.. Tues- daviJ switching from ihe 1 l::l()-mid- night oeriod of the same'night. with its negiigible audience, into one of nieTwr.".WysT-rsopiflar" gpoty-hi-al I - radio. That stands as -a tribute to ,.he coXirage--not to mention sound, common and. oracliciil business sense of .Ibhnson's Wax. m taking over the program uVr:. sponsorship, while •'Fibber"'takes, j hiatus,. , -..' . It's courageous' because "Words, wi the basis of: .past' pcrfoi'mauces. doesn't mince words' or pull its ouuche.s, It Calls a Fascist by his right'name and points the.. finger-at ;lie hidden enemy on the home front hi- addition lo the more: easily recog- ni'.ed foe im the battle front, It is ■ sound common sense 'and practical business sense because, in venturing into serious '-s'uiflmertime program- niiug, it is both capitalizing-Oiv the genei'3l trend of feeling;■ during the most crucial sutnmei in all hisioiy and .oilers something dislinct and aoait from the usual' hot weather fare. In terms of tirestigfi^a!one_it ,sl.Hiii!d pay oil enormous dividends to the sbonsors. . ■. ;,' .; .' ■ That th. > mltiar dramatization un- der commorcial -auspices, failed to deliver tlie. anticipated body blow somehow .doesn't: niiiiimize the im- iiortaiice of the program, which is put-on by N3C production staffers in cbooefation , with the Council on Books 'in Wariime. with the latter sharing in" , the .sponsorship coin. Basicaliv. it' was the fault, ot the author, H. E. Bates, and his ho\el. 'Fair SI bod the Wind for.. France.' which was chosen for adaptation .to lee off the new. series.. - - •The radio scripting job. the overall production utilizing both the nan-ar liotV'technique and episodic drama-; tUation of events, not to mention the acting, were of a pattern, de- noting radio's full ■■maturity, but the anticipated impact of the story was never quite achieved. For Bates permitted his novel, to deteriorate into a love .story..with only an under- current of the. French underground activities and courageous-spirit of a. freedom-loving people that, particu- lar! v today!-..uiigliL.otherwise have made this a noteworthy addition to the "Word/' series. /;' Cart Van Doren lias been addecj.to the orogram as commentator. 'Filling iii the background ancnt author and book: ail*, -for: the- benefit of late comeivs. giving a cadsule resume at the midway mark of what had pre- ceded. Aside-front the name value, however, the fact, remains that his importance W. the program is still doubtiul. Lending an, unique touch to the orogram are the commercials as treated by -lack Coslello. In.effect. Johnson's Wax characterizes them as a ; necessary evil on such a show and are injected on a semi-apologetic note, with Coste.Ui) asking .the audi- ence to bear with hint tor: the two terse plugs at. the beginning and end .»(. the program. 'It almost sounds like'"th..e 'millennium.'v ;Rotie. a favoiablrt impression. Certainly a mora leisurely paca would be suited lo his cotnedic:■'talents.-■ Its some- ming hii scrioter* might well bear in mind. Instead ot piling up one idea after another to tli» extent that nuns of them quite jells, it would be wiser to play around a situation and allow Young to go .to town on it. For once he'i grooved properly, he s bound to go, places. Format for summer show is keyed for laughs and built almost entirely around Young, who works .with a couple of stooges, in addition to Bea Wain, who was,in; tor two numbers, I'll Be Seeing' You" and .VHalW'r i tl .i«]h Y Z._piu ! Lii^,.-£ro8Sj>anier; i . will; the program's star.: Miss Wanv^s okay -on both her speaking Jmes and' in'the vocal department. Peter vaii .Sieedeii's orch, as usual. Bis neatly .in the musical background pic!ore.. .' • : . •-;. • -:.-•.','.':'- Y; ! . W-iiat was intended, as a "cute" stunt , hi- tieins in .the Ipana-Sa Heoatica commercials with the script aetua'itv canie out mora as a plug for the Theatre Guild and Us smash -Oklahoma': than for the products intended. And why if.* necessary to utilize a show's star ior.serious com- mercial plug's is. one of those un- fathomabli mysteries that, perhaps, makes radio what it is. Knse; - JAMES MKI.TON With N»» Fi«4»«n Oroli. X*y Tliomii- M<i Choir. H«w»r4 retry, Glimy Sin»'"* (»ue«t> ■■ _L_ V' jk rIV- / • 30 Mlns ; Sun.. 9:.?4 p.m. TEXACO: ;„ ," - WABC-t'M, N«w y»i'k;.'. V " i Svchwivn •'BINDERS KWPmH"-. With Bub Sherry, Julia €.'.».« w.nr, IrvinK Miller OrvH, ftwen -la H»loj». I.ee ■ ttraiy t«4 Ai Mmr Ellner Prudueer: Ira A vera Writer: Marjorie if'iUher SO Mlns., M«ii.-Frid»y, lt»::;»-ll Sustaining WK.VK.NBt, Ntw Viirk '.. Novel quiz show de-sigpini u wac execs to hypo net's morning nchr j,,..-. should do Hist that. Airer is m- teresting f hauee-.of-pjcer in 'ni irui.fg.:. priigiainmiug . and shoul.t pr iv'i^ welcome relief from; Hi* ,. •,)), 3oaper-diet;--Sessioii-featui ; e,s-:^-;d-i'a-- : mat.ic cast enacting brief iut.ei lu.ii-i containing many mistakes md Jiift.. once participant's, must dud tiw.,« mislakcs; their abih'.. to J , de- lermines the amount of their re.wacd,; Mistake idea is eveii carried thr-nig-i' in the vocals by Julie Coii.way-,' -'. ' . Dramatic skits, httv* oMvior.S'y been-written Willi a broad ban j and generous helping, of coin, but -tTi'a earlv .spotting ot" Ihe show Vou'd poin't to this-typ« of humor—-o.'.),i:« don't lend to be sophisticated at. I«::i(l a.m. The "Fiiidei'S: Keepers' Playe' n play their roles straight and at fjfnVjii i iv.-a- ttigli iy dra malic, f ash ion, biit^tlis mistakes, necessarily fairly obvious, give the lie to their seriousness. Bob Avery emcees the show in tlw uov/ familiar pattern set by other net.. work early-morning humorists: Ilk*. Tom Bt w ai n ari-an d Ja'cls K trk'tthrrtr '• Why 'I'revor!Oan't i-arry little me! I'roni now pit you're "~; ;.; K«tting Wheatiea «?e-ry nu>niiii!» for breakfast;*- T'm -Tarzan in Trevor shoulfl iiailk, i'ruit. and Wheaties. "Breuk.- aiHiil ^iipeii-r- under a Whe-Jties re- fast of ('iiani|iions." (iappiiv fo'i K'iiie. For there's: hiffiv-oftane noar-l Tre/or, these whole wiie'at flakes "W'went- in .i;mg^sTze-iv(>wlf3'« orl ure also sei^iKHieliiitifv jfooil! AliAN YOtj.N'O SHOW" Willi Alan Yimih).. «ea Wuin. Pciei' van Steeden's Orch Writers: Bi.li Marko. t'olmaii Jacoby Oireetor: Walter Bunker - \ :'. i)d Mills., Wei:, !l ii.iu. bristoi;-aiyi:rs WEAI -NBC, New York \. ;' lYomiq & Rubicon;* , To'the extent that m;w aiici prom- sing talent^—pai'tic.ularly in the com- edy field.- where a. dearth is espe- cially acute—should be encouraged; the emergence of Alan Yiiung. Can- ada's i'avdi'ite comic, with a night- time network show.-of his own. is .distinctly on'.the credit side. Radio has'.'too' long shunned" the "open door'" policy' through which, alone can it possibly keep abreast of pise, the legitimate; theatre and other en- ieriaiui.ueiil media in developiug fresh peisonalilies. . . Tl.ie fact .remains.:however., that Young. iVhile displaying an individ- ual slyle iif. delivery .and promise of •Ijefrei things to coim;.: 'wasn't ex-, actIV giii.ived to big-league stuff.; in his teeoif- program last Wednesday (28)' as the Bristol-Myers summer -replacement for Eddie Cantor. The ..(anils'.- however.'are ones that can be remedied, for .essentially Young, has a; flair fur. comedy lines that should, eventually- sjst'lWish him --in this country in the same degree to which liis native Canada has taken to hint.' . Chief f'.iull in the initial progratp scenu'ii t'n. lie in the pacing of tlie 'show.. T,h.i feeling was iiiescap;Ui!e_ .that Yoniu yviis trying, too desper- ately, !o: kniiclc himself o'tit aiid make James Melton's summer replace- ment' for Fred' Allen is a' .pleasant musical interlud*. no boff but easy listening.: .H«'* backed by a svelte orchestra lindar M-G Maestro Nat Finston. with nam* quests to come. Consideriiig Melton's current Metro chora ■(•'Ziegfeldl Follies"', Ginny Simms'M-G contract (also a plug for her 'Bathing Beauty'0, and the next- week's guester, Kathryu Grayson, also out oC tba Culver City, stable, its a coincideiitarcommercial for Metro, Show ivas pleasant summer fare as Melton paced it, with emphasis on pops to ops. He did "I Lov« You Gershwin's 'Tv« Got ; Plenty ol Kotb'ui,' " and an aria from •'Martha, to square the operatic category. Miss Simms dueled "Lons Ago and Far \way " soloed "Amor"' (from one of hex pisi and with M alton alternated on -'Ov#r Thare." •KeeiT't'he HottW Fires Burning" .and'"With My Head in the Clouds." Thesa were lie raided tii as "a salute to the forces ot freedom." and also as "three of the greatest War songs ever written, i "Clouds," least known of the trio, is from Irving Berlin's "This Is the Army" score '. Much was mad« of Miss' Simms' popularity with th« Gt» and Melton also got in a War Bond, pitch for Ch* songstress, him- self and. Fiuston. Melton's fetish of collecting an- tique automobiles (h« owns 75, one model dating back to 18981 ^ave Howard Petty »- plausibja spring- board for his Texaco commercials. ^Finston's big orchestra and the Kav Thompson choii liad their in- niiigs"in ftie Gershwin, Porter and Kern excerots plus a symphonic airangemeitt of "I'll Get By:" (That this Pop was revived in a Metro film. "X Guy Nam^d Joe," was not announced, so it's only an inferential p'utg.i ■'.: • : , Abel. ROBERT F. HUBliEfGH AND THE ■ news '*--": : . •' .•.;.;''. -; : -; News Cointneiiiary Witter: Robert P. Murletgh Producer: .Mik» t'oimor 15 Mills., ;'M««4toy through Friday, 8-8:15 *.oi. CWf sTliPHANO BROS. (Marvel C'ija- retsl WBBM, C'kieat* Approaching hi*.subjects with an air of conviction and done with a ices, crisp .delivery,. HurJeiKh, who was formerly, inatiager of the radio deoattment of the AP Central Divi- sion In Chicago, can easily take his place among the best of Ilia midwest newscasters, , ','' ' /, -. ;:'' In-tackling the tiews of the world his sci.iO''.s .a"re aouttd. in writing, his analyses clt»ar m presentation of thought and seeiuingly well autben- licated 'aud his manner an attention- holder. : : ';..'• .'■-.:.; Morg. Miss.Conway exhibiled a clrirmi'iij radio voice:' but: the; one: cliotiw o? • Let Me Call ,Y.6u Sweetheart"' jih» sang just wasn't enough The/ should give her more opportunity t.;>. inject a melodious uote into th» pip- ceediugS. whicii oil Mia' whole: pi-iii/ide good'morning listeiiidg. ' Ti<i\i. SALT LAKE it S r S,FOX; : Pratident and <&anar,il Man JOHN IBILMUt « m .'; - National K«»»r«««iiii»«Jt»s»» WATERFRONT PROPERTY 180 ft. bv ft.—unusual all-year round house—l»u«g»1»w 4yil»J- brick, 7 rooms. % baths, :2 porches, living room Hi ft. bijr iSS **--. »ri6.«e* Open Bre place, oil burner. 4-car garage, private doek, privat* bear'"- ■ l andscaped gardening. Cost S45.000. Will sacrifice, ]Ni*; tMMli»W« offer refused. Must be seen to be appreciated. Taxes. *p.prire»n<'»t*V-. OS*, Call Oceanic Trading Co., 29 West 30th St.. New Yt»rk. CM-_J.-3T'!S oil Monday through Thursday, or Baldwin tKt, »-» Friday through Sunday. ■ .•'' :■'•.■■• '.'.■■'■ ..■ '-;.. -■ -' • FOR Helping Ralph Edwards' TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES" IN RALEIGHj SATURDAY NIGHT! CONTINUING ' STH WAR LOAN TOUR—THROUGH THE SOUTH