Variety (Jul 1944)

Wednesday, July 5, 1944 "GLAMOUR MANOR" With Cliff Arquettc, Lurene Tuttle, Ben Benaderet, Tyler McVey, John Mclntyre, Terry O'Sullivan. Jack Bailey, Hal Stevens and Charles Hale's Orch producer: Al Kaye Director: Betty Buckler Writers: Al Rlnker and Others 30 Mins., Mon.-Friday, 12 Noon PROCTER & GAMBLE WJZ-Blue, New York (Benton & Bowles) . ' ' '.' Oil Aiquette has been in sho.w- itiiisiness for ninny years, arid the lines they gave him and the rest of the fast, on _the first program of '.'Glamour Manor" Monday CSJ'-al noon, have been making the rounds lor a . long time, too. Only thing missing from 'this imaginary radio hotel is a doctor, and that is. just what this comedy show needs—-a script doctor with jokes. . ,'<'- ;,. The "funny" remarks made by the usual corny characters of any hotel stanza—i.e.; the owner, desk clerk, bellboy and guests—Avere unbeliev- ably stale, trite and commonplace,, as were the situations, in which, these persons, found themselves:. 'It. will be' interesting to see how the eight—yes: eight—writers sighed' by Beaton & Bowles for this half-hour Monday through Friday hodgepodge extricate themselves, and their program, from this surprising mess,. Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be devoted to straight comedy - rsic y -starrras;-' whjle. Tuesd a ys ; a« d- Thursdays will- be known asy'Ladies Day.'' with studio audiences partiei- -tpating in contests and quizzes. The • audience participation angle might well be the saving grace of the entire setup.., ,':: ; '•, ' :■ ■ '"■;' '. Hal Stevens, who has a fair, voice, delivered one tune on the opening program. "I'll Be Seeing You." in listenable fashion. Charles . Hale's orchestra accompanied him expertly, and the musical crew, on its own, played a swell arrangement of "What PUbRIETY RADIO REVIEWS 29 Is This Thing Called Love." More work by the musical aggregation and Stevens will bolster the stint some. Then there's a chap monikered Terry O'Sullivan who practically yells at the customers to please buy Crisco and Ivory Snow. The things he said, and the Way he said them, commercially, sounded as if the sponsor would go out of business to. morrow, if listeners didn't buy the stufl today. The plea for P & G needs a' toning down—but immedi- ately. There are too many plugs, and they come at the most awkward spots in. the show, too, Sten. ST fi In The Billboard's recent I poll to determine local sta- tions whose public rela- tions have been outstanding, WTAG ranked first In Central New . England. Public relations as a branch . of public service, has helped.to main- lain VY'TAG's fop rating In Listening -Station Indexes. When you buy time, buy an audience from the INSIDE. WTAG WORCESTER the the. RADIO TIME ' SALESMAN WANTED WKNV. Ki-ltenecfftfly. lias niMt*n»'lly Milriiiliil opportunity, for temx'. ■»*-'. |i*rfom-etl mii leNimin, KIkIu iiintt van mult* S100 or nioir ut*r \vr«*k without bnm-klnjr lilni.nHf out. IVrnmneot. .Wire for aoiHKntmenl ami come on. "DANGEROUSLY YOURS"" With Victor Jory, Gertrude Warner, Martin Gabel, Harry. Marvel, Guy Slahl, Phil Clarke, John Moore, Joan Croydon, Burford Hampden and Mark Warnow's orch Producers: Nick Dawson, Ed Wolf Director: Richard Sanville'" • Writer: jean Ilolloway ';. , SO Mins., Sun., 2 p.m. VICKS CHEMICAL - CO. WABC-CBS, New York (Morse '.International): Vicks' bid for drug sales via airwaves is now being made by dramatic series geared for women audiences .entitled "Dangerously Yours." Stanza teed off last Sunday t2) at 2 p.m. and in, the 30-minute allotted. time, with the aid of fine .acting, and produ ct ion tec hniques. proved itself one of the.better shows of daytime radio. „ - Starring Victor Jory and'Gerti'ude Warner, with .Martill. Gabel as the "voice of adventure," the initial pro- gram dramatized Alfred Noyes' ro- mantic poem. "The Highwayman." Entire production had all the ingre- dients of an ultra-expensive night- time show, even a sock original musi- cal background by Mark Warnow and his orch that added much value.: ..' Program . .was presented through the medium of a series of flashbacks, dominated, by the voice of Gabel reading Noyes' poem. Jory. Gabel and Miss Warner will be .weekly regulars on the show, and as such "are definite assets. Their handling of the chores given them on this tee-off program was of such top- flight value that this program should catch on through unstinted word-6f- mouth. Performances, were such that singly none were too remarkable, but as a team the goal was achieved neatly. '- <.;',;' ~; ■.'■■:• '.;.■ For. the well-knit continuity and smooth pace credit must go to adapter Jean Holloway and director Richard. SanviUe. Fact that Sanville has the production guidance of. vet- erans Nick Dawson and Ed Wolf in easing the weight is also to Vicks' credit, further proof that there was no sparing on budget for_this show, and no corners, were cut in the pre- sentation of the expensive package. Commercials, as presented by an- nouncer Harry Marvel, were in good taste, short and to the point. Slen. Mexico City—Radio stations that feature announcing the correct time are enjoying a wider audience now that Mexico's two private, phone companies have eliminated that serv- ice because war conditions are put- ting a heavy strain on their equip- ment. '.•■"'":■' V •-.'■: Pfc; Waller Freedroan, specially borrowed by Paul Wh.iteman to do the piano solo for the O'i-minute rendition of "Rhapsody in. Blue" on the Philco Summer Hour, was a wow. Freedmaiy is a Mark Warnow alumnus, i Pianist's avow impression was even more noticeable: in the Blue network's Ritz theatre, N. Y., Sunday, the audience rising in .ac- claim.—Ed.) Ilerie Woods, new song- stress, replacing Evelyn Knight, op- -posite—-Bob- Johnston,; did—more- Gershwiniana in vocal duet to good results. Whitcman's dansapation tops per usual.;. -'.'.Cohan and Gershwin are sharing honors these days,'the Yankee Doodle- Dandy naturally getting the July 4 salute, and the seventh anniversary, of Gershwin's death iii July likewise being widely reprised. ..' Formal of the Milton Berle show tor Evei'sharp, "Let Yourself Go," on the Blue Tuesdays, has been changed lor the belter; Instead of having members of the audience exchange banter with Berle, name guestars are used to express, their hidden desires* make withthe sometimes funny re- marks, and also: display their talent. On stanza heard :i 27), Lawrence Tib- bett led an array of guests; who also included Doily. Djiwn, Har-r-y—Con- over, the ..cover girl selector, and three of his models. Changeover to pip.'talent might well .be just -what the Hooper doctor ordered, ,- : ' • 83,9*. of WSAI's contracts are RENEWED contracts! US AI ":r-*ltf»it6N ©F.'tMt OOJUV <0>>6MlldN ,.' .' CINCINNATI 1. OHIO weight of the accumulative data never for one moment bbgged down the dialog. Jefferson and Hamilton, naturally, by their "divergent view- points, were at one another's throat and when quieted down by Franklin reverted to their polite diplomatic manner. Punctuating the historical disclosures were the genial arid: in-' formal moments as Franklin and Jefferson described with unaffected simplicity the ". many, unusual; gadg- ets they invented. " What made this half-hour program, stand head and shoulders above most educational sessions was thai.- in reality, it was an "invitation to learn- ins." . ■-:...";;•■ ...',.: ' 'Pour 'iTiperb "characterizations" Were turned in by Raymond Edward Johnson < Jefferson); Jose. Ferrer (Hamilton); William ' Podznow fFrahklin) and Ted. Jewell iM.'idi- son), all of Whom did :niuch to vital- ize, and humanize Shayon's .script. •"";.'■*:■•. '.■•■. : '■' '.'■■':'' ''■ Hose. Ward "FITCH SL'MSiKR BANDWAGON" With Frances Williams, Les 3rown Orch, Jerry Sears Choral Group, Tom Redely Writer - Producer - Director: Byron 30 Mins., Sun.,' .7:30 p.m. '""•'."" FltfCH SHAMPOO WEAF-NBC, N... Y. IL..W. Ramsay). ■ The "Fitch Summer Bandwagon" idea'of spotting "GI Circuit" vets who have returned from entertain- ing American servicemen overseas is a surefire bet. Not only does it build goodwill, as these performers have the»thanks and blessings of all peor pie, but it becomes a bond between home and the GI Joes and Janes all oyer the globe, rekindled through anecdote or song. ;As it came out on this hot-weather airer. it featured Frances Williams, musical-comedy star, as. .first guest and' permanent program . member', who leads'a. parade 61' visitors "each week from radio, stage, screen, etc., who have been Over to entertain the boys, with Les Brown and '-his. orch the regular mitsickers. for the sum- mer. In keeping with the format; the final five minutes is devoted to news Getaway stanza.had Miss Williams, who .recently", returned after five months in Africa and the Middle East, kudosing all entertainers who have given of their, time and talent to boost morale. Relating some of her experiences, both humorous and se- rious, she sang "For Me and My Gal" and "Shine On Harvest Moon" as favorite soldier tunes. Only fault was the paucity of. stories, a few more of which would go a long way in satisfying listeners yearning for more qh-tHe-spot tales'. J Brown's orch helped round out the session musically by contributing in smooth fashion "Mexican Hat Dance," "Amor." sung by Gordon Drake, "Out of Now here" and "Swinging on a Star," with vocals, by Doris Day, Butch Stone and the chorus. Tom Reddy concluded with news flashes. The entire 'stint demonstrated orig- inality and freshness. • V - ;■;'.' "JOHN FISHER REPORTS" 15 Mins. Friday; 10:15-10:30 p.m.. Sustaining - CBO-CBC, Ottawa ';•' Ne wsman Jolni Fisher wr ites, pro- duces and solos in this new summer series on ' Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Trahs - Canada web which preemed June 23 in the CBO studios in Ottawa, but w ; il) originate in various cities as Fisher moves west to the coast. Talk show is designed along Nesbitt "Passing. Parade" lines but ties in opinion . and comment along: with '.descriptive material, Fisher, former .reporter but now CBC^ staffer, has a. smooth, catchy delivery. -...■'' '.' ;..'.' Series teed-off with/script on Canada's Capital City. Ottawa. ;'• Series, will concentrate, on Can. topics or subjects related to'Canada.- Gorm. "FISH POND" ■ With Win Elliott Dorian, St. Georc*. Jack McCarthy, John Kella, Eddie Willis, Leo Weber. - ' Producer; John Cleary Writer: Lee Seg-all 30 Mins., Fridays, 10:30-11 p.m. ,•,.,.. '■ Sustaining WJZ-Blue, New York Quiz session with a hew twist, should prove to be an okay entry in the quiz ranks if the quality.of the contestants holds tip. Session de- pends on performances.- by studio members. Latter sing, tell jokes and carry on in devious ./wiiys .and are rewarded according to decisibn of tlie audience. If contestant is-satis'-' -factoi^i--lookers-on signify - their- evaluation by yelling, "Reel Him in,". If. on the contrary; the contestant fails to corral the . audience's sym- pathies the decision is, "Throw him back." Thus studio audience' is"' likened to a fish pondwiih desirable or undesirable fish according to their talents. All the "fish" caught oh fhe stanza last Friday (30) Were desirable ac- cording to the studio audience ' but :on the air the. last contestant, as.rep- ! csentcd by a quartet of servicemen teaming to vocal "Bv the Light of the' Silvery Moon," certainly struck a discordant and undesjrable note. Amount of money awarded is deter- mined by paying a certain sum .per pound to successful contestants; the heavier the contestant ..the more money he gets. -Win Elliott emcees the show and docs a good.job; keeping things mov- ■ ing along at a good pace, but, some of the high-powered corn he .dis- penses could'-.stand distillation. : '-,.'' ''.: ".' ' ' ' . 'f 11) 0. San Antonio, —Jean Searle has taken over- duties as merchandise manager of WOAI, Veplacihg Waller Zahrt, who has held the post for the past five years. Zahrt is now an ap- prentice seaman in San Diego. , "MEN. BOOKS AND THE CONSTI- TUTION" ("Invitation to Learning") With Jose Ferrer, Raymond Edward Johnson, William Podznow, Ted Jewell Writei-Dlreelor: Bob Shay oh Producer: Leon Levine 30 Mins.. Sunday, 11:30 a.m. v Sustaining V/ WABC : CBS. New York Credit Bob Shayon with one of the most fascinating scripts for adult ra- dio that's been written ..in. many a day. His ' .Men; Books and'the Con- stitution"-in the CBS "Education for Learning" program on Sunday (.2) was brilliant. documentary. It was alive, .it was beautifully polished, hiim'an, it was imriguing; aiid above all a forceful presentation of the evo- lution of the Constitution of. the United Stales. / This was'no schoolroom dramatiza- tion: ",it; never played down, to its audience by taking trite, hackneyed textbook proverbs and , stringing them. t'ogcther as the learned. mouth- ings of "Franklin.- Jefferson and their creators. Instead; Shayon achieved a quality- of varmih and Reality. in transporting his audience back to the eminent Dr. Franklin's study to listen in . as he. '.Teffcrson;- Hamilton and Madison sat around .in amiable dis- cussion. -There the Fathers of the Conslitiiticiii delvtd iiito the books of the ages that lined the shelves of the good doctor s room to present a succession of: interesting revelations that pointed up the slow process of (•votfltlnti Irfirn Aristolte on, that finally culminated, hi the great docti- nicnt for );ovn.'Htri(lvt, . ' That was .-;-ll, but. the tremendous CHARLES ROtERTS Direclof of KLZ Farni Service Roberta )ui8. « W-ivle. ji'ml tuyu'l . fut'Ui.Winip a nuWK.i. f»16rii<lo'8 pi"««- pciouM farm group. He . produces ' KI.Z'ji. i''ii.nn Sf-rvK-e pro'ifranv' Which- en.tiiy« H . flmK aim enviable' rn-ord of ', aerx'ice, .'-'■ • ■.''■ Even Its Farm Programs Rate KLZ's Best Production Efforts! # KLZ shuns the easy way of programming, creating and producing scores of local chows -custom built to the needs of the Bocky Mountain region, KLZ even spends time and production on its Farm Service program, one of which re-r ceived top citation at this year's Ohio Institute. in every other ''department, 85 In program pro- duction, KLZ is doing a top-flight job, which includes the production of sales for advertisers. DENVER CBS* 560 Kc. AllihaUd in Management *ilh 're Oklaftoma PoMisiiing Cosipany aot! HKY. Oklahoma Cii, RoprsseBte d b/ THE KATZ AGENCY