Variety (Jul 1944)

30 RADIO PRriety Wednesday, July 12, 1941 Radio Reviews Continued from page 28 relation to the Blue and its war cov- erage. ; - ; ' So starting last Tuesday U). he. began a regular twice-weekly , series of Jo-minute programs of his own shortwayed from London, and broad- cast for network listeners at 10:15 on Tuesday ; and . Thursday nights. The stanzas, theoretically, will give the inside of what is being accom- plished by Allied armies marching toward the conquest of the Nazis, and how' these things: are being ac- complished. '. On program caught (6), Hicks had as his; guest Maj, Gen. H. B. Taylor, head of the ordnance department of the .U, .S. Army in the ETO. Taylor, in a q. & a. session with Hicks, told of: the problems facing the ordnance corps in supplying equipment; etc., for so vast an operation^ . He. re- vealed that several new weapons, never before used, will go into ac- tion shortly against the Germans, adding, that material replacements are- being flown into Europe, among other means of getting the stuff there, .-V. .'. ■ :'•"•, . The stanza was interesting, neatly M-K-M i "Bum lor Millions" anil "ZieifeM ■-. Fo llies" • Kew CAMKI, PROORAM. Friday 10 p.m., E« T Mat.: LOU CLAYTON presented, and clearly heard. But there- was nothing outstanding in either Hicks' way of doing his job, -of in which was'said or done on the program, George Hicks is still an easy-going fellow. . Sten. ' "CHARLIE CHAN" -.,,"'.' ■ With Ed Begley, Leon Janney, Crais McDonald, Ted Di Corsia, Walter Vaughn, Eleanor Audlcy, Lou White, organist .■*•-'■;.. Producer: Chick Vincent Writer: James Erthein 30 Mins., Thursday, 7:'0-8 p.m. LIFEBUOY SOAP WEAI'-NBC. New York * (Rnthrouff A Ryan) Good acting and. able direction give this summer replacement for; Bob Burns a better than even chance to establish an audience, of -its own, For the -whodunit addicts, this one should provide an .interesting addi- tion to. the summer bill of fare. /Ac- tion is well paced with sedate under- statements by the Oriental Sherlock Holmes underscoring each develop- ment. Initial stanza on Thursday (61 was a dramatization of a not-too-puzzlihg sequence tabbed "Death Says It With Flowers...", Script was 'patttttly- un- original-':-biit . direction and acting managed to lift , session above the story. ;'.;':' '■'■/-•■'.''"■'" "... 'Commercials in themselves were terse 1 and effective but- by spotting three of them plus an opening and closing announcement on the pro- gram much of this effectiveness was diluted. Elimination of at least one announcement would still get the sponsor's message over and not try the listener's patience.' Turo. Overseas for USO Since Jan. '43—Now Touring British Isles Berle-Baker, Good Parlay Looks like Eversharp has hit on . something. You can sell plenty of red top . lead—or ; any other product, for that, matter—by means of a . two-show parlay whereby the best features of a sponsor's brace of -shows.-are ' blended together on One program. ..' That's what happened when .' Eversharp .salesman Phil Baker w-eht over to Eversharp salesman Milton Berle's "Let Yourself GO", stanza last Tuesday (4). Espe- cially with the script that was ' turned out for the pair. . What teamwork and what, comedy! It ■ was radio's, counterpart of the . bc.-it that the N. Y; Palace had to offer in its heyday of vaude. And it was something that sponsors of multiple air shows might , well look into. , Those "blood, sweat and tears" wbeks in whipping the Berle show into proper shape are now paying off big laugh dividends. Here's the Berle that radio had long, waited for. That 10:30-11 ' p;m. Tuesday night- spot on the Blue has suddenly become a val- uable time segment. Rose. FRED LIGHTNER Dir.: PHIL COSCIA "YOV'RE TELLING US" - : " - . With Carl DeSuze Producer-writer: Carl DeSuze 15 Mins., Mon. Thru Fri., 12:15-13:30 p.m. WIS/. Boston: WBZA, Springfield A show depending entirely On the infectious personality and •off-the- cuff. Wit-'of Carl DeSuze, this slot has caught a big rating here for»day- time variety distinctive for reflecting the Boston scene. . No two slots are exactly alike, as formula appears to vary according to the writer-announcer's whim. Often conveys quality of improvisation as tre--itrtei'vie j wfS-tinespeeted-people7-re- Tlie Snprinllzlns: In Entertainment Field Carl Oppenheimer 20 Years. Experience BiiHinesa find Tax Consultinit •331 HOt,T.YWOOI> BLVD. Hollywood 28. fa HI. views plays and films (often out- spokenly critical), plays esoteric mu- sic (Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire," for example), recites rarefied poetry and comments on it, discusses sur- realist art, banned or unusual books, and arty dance or ballet trends. Dis- tinctly intellectual flavor to the slot, and the gingham nook goes for it. DeSuze varies this, airing of opin- ion with whimsical stories about-a trio Of mice, or a bumbling old Bos- tonian who knows all the quaint spots in town, and fills with smatter- ing of cookery and gourmet stuff when the spirit moves. Stanza, in short, is announcer's dream for fill- ing 15 minutes with personality, and it works.. Title of show comes from idea of letters being springboard for arty discussion as listeners ask for, an opinion on, say. Dali. Elie. Television Review "SONG SERIES" With Dick Brown, Merle Pitt orch, Jimmv Wallington 15 Mins. '•;-';.,",.' ;;■;'.. Sundavs. 6:45-7 p.m. .'-.-'-'..'. FOKMFIT YVOR-Millual, New York';.;;, 'Ifiii6fuHMn.il • , Dick Brown, baritone with quality sinking voice, heads, this new stanza; which via romantic ballading is pitched for femme listeners and to excite interest in sponsor's product. Said to be first time a manufacturer of bras and girdles has pacted' air time to promote product. Delicacy of article and sales approach is said to have scared 'em off. But • with such a seasoned spieler as Jimmy Wallington on the commercials it's di ff erent Brown tees off with vocal of "Amor" in neat style, giving way to Merle Pitt crew for "Holiday for Strings." Brown counters with an- other ballad of romantic idiom, "Deep Night." which gives even greater scope to his tones, then se- gueing into "Long Ago and Far Away." Pitt has inning with "Sheik of Araby," and then -Brown with chorus of "I'll Be Seein' You" for signoff. ''•• '.--. ;. ' -.' ,•' Despite brief running time. Wal- lington . manages to sock over four plugs for - the sponsor. sp^Jfnjr~the~ yocals and ihstrumentals, and all in good taste. :,:":'.'■- Brown's vocalizing and Pitt's back- grounding and selections add up to good listening. ; Edbn. ;.;,- "Shame on you for applauding! How is the poor thing going to eat her Wheaties now?" It's, tough, being separated from l ing flavor. But why let it happen? your Wheaties. Frustration indeed; There's plenty of The Cereal. Just foregoing those crunchy whole ask your grocer for Wheaties, wheat flakes with the second-help- [ "Breakfast of Champions." . "HERE'S BABE RUTH" •■' With Babe Ruth, Ben Grauer Pi odutei-Director: George Creamer Writer: Ruth Brooks 15 Mins., Sat., 10:30 a.m. {;-■ Sustaining ■»•,.'.". WEAF-NBC, New York The perennjal idol of baseball fans started his second year Saturday (8) broadcasting his diarriond quiz. Al- though some of his younger fans have never seen him play, neverthe- less he still remains a magnet for kids of all ages. . ' Format has a group of children selected from the New York area each week who shoot questions at the Babe on the national pastime, re- ceiving an autographed baseball for their efforts. Program, slated for sponsorship by A. G. Spalding after two more sessions, is - a nostalgic bit of pro- gramming, to please young and old. as the ex-swat sultan trades personal reminiscences with his audience, im- pressing with his infectious good humor. -' -. v Ben Grauer acts as umpire, calling the boys to the plate, and does his customary polished job. • Radio Followup —TEeon - JaTm^y-has-taketr-over-tifcular- role in "Chick Carter" series, making a creditable substitute for Bill Lip- tc:i,"who had created and played part for two years, but having reached age of 18 enlisted in the Navy on July 1. Janney had also been in serv- ice but was recently discharged. When caught Janney gave his usual good performance in the attention arresting stanza. Script, direction and playing up to par. "FUN IN STUDIO ONE" With Powers Gouraud and Horace . Feyhle. :.'.:' .■'- '-y, ' 30 Min., Mon . Wed., Fri., 3:30 p.m. PENN FRUIT CO. WCAU. Phillv. Powers Gouraud, Philly's "Night Owl." has been brought out. in broad with the hausfraus in aT)oLrse : pOo^<? audience participation show which is modelled somewhat after "Break- last at Sardi's;" Horace Feyhle. WCAU sound-ef- fects man. thinks up the stunts and gimmicks in which the ladies par- ticipate. When caught a couple of the gals competed in. a commercial reading contest hi which the winner of the most applause got a couple of dozen eggs. That gives you an idea. In addition actresses and other celebs are interviewed by Gouraud. Show has okay promotional tieup. since tickets are obtained at any of the stores of food chain bankroller. Prizes likewise are sponsor's prod- ucts. ••;„•• Shal. "THE FAVOR" With Joseph Julian, Miss Lesley Woods Writer-Director: Worthineton Miner 15 Mins.; Fri. June 30; 9:15 p. m, WCBW-CBS, N. Y, Some of . the. television experts claim the soap operas of radio (ven- erable daytime serials 1 will fit nicely into new medium of television. If this is.a.sample, it appears dubjous.; The dullness of. daytime scriaisTs accen- tuated when- the players parade be- fore; television' cameras, and the same dry, stilted lines are still there. A"d even 'first-rate radio players, as in "The Favor," cant overcome the script. CBS gave this one extra-special production. It was nicely adapted by Tony Miner from War Bond play supplied by Victory Players (part of American Theatre Wing), and cast showed evidence of trim direction by Miner. But the experience of view- ing miniatures, with technical blurs that crop up on any tele set. is far from breath-taking. A 16-millimeter home motion picture outfit is far more satisfying with less strain on. the optics. . Plot concerns a typical Brooklyn working gal. who is about to plunk downr $275 "for a fur coat—it's a bar- gain because her; girl friend knows the manager. She's meeting said girl friend in a tavern.. Out of the clear blue. Soldier Casey appears. He's been in on D-Day in France and the working gal "wonders why he's back in Brooklyn. She prattles about the hardships of war on the homefront. He tells her how Izzi'e \yas biiried; in Normandy and John lost a leg in Italy. He finally persuades her as a favor to save the $275 and put it into war bonds; Then she learns from her girl friend, who finally shows' up, that Casey has been killed in France. It's been an illusion. Treatment of illusions is tough enough in films, and it doesn't: seein well suited for television just yet. . Joseph. Julian was excellent as the soldier despite his lines, while Leslie Woods was fair enough as the work- ing girl who sees the light. Re- mainder of cast, the bartender and the girl's pal. were okay in bits! Wear. : "CIVIC SALUTE" With Henry Sylvern's orch, Bea Harris, Gunner's Mate Elmer Cola- santo, Adolph Chesley Director: Mary Daly Writer: Samuel E. I.evine Thursday, 7:30-8:00 p.m. - Sustaining WINS, New York This new series is a local feature destined to salute the five boroughs of greater N. Y. Teeoll staiv/.a r.n. June 29 was focused, on the Bronx, in comniemoratioh • of its celebrating its 30th anniversary on I that day. . * •' •. - 1 Adolph Chesley, prcz of Bronx Board of Trade pointed up program with history of Bronx's origin, hav- ing been named after Danish early settler, Jonas Bronx. Narrative told of accomplishments and 'strides made by borough since 1898 to-date... growth in population, its mauv parks, etc. Bea Harris, local songstress, con- tributed several pop vocals satisfac- torily backed nicely by Henry Sylvern's musiekers. Program also projected Elmer Colasanto, Gunners Mate, who told a stirring heroic story of wolf pack hunts in the North Atlantic for which he re- ceived Presidential citation. He had been selected as outstanding Bronx hero of the war. Combo makes tor informative, good listening. Idea of series is to bring -into focus each week a town, city, or borough within the corporate limits of New York City.. . ■ Edbo. "Authors Playhouse." NBC's nine- week summer replacement for "Truth or Consequences" in the 8:30 slot Saturday nights, will take a Hooper beating jf the teeoff is any indication." Dramatizations of out- standing scripts presented before, when the series was on the web Fri- day nights at 11:30.; don't shape up as weighty enough to hold audience in- terest against tough midevening competition. Frederick Eriglehardt's "The-Kracken," drama, was the ini- tial program last Sunday (9). Participating ON KM OX ST. LOUIS K*St «EOMOE E. HALLEY TEXAS MN8ERS LUMUV 'HOTEL PICKWICK, KANSAS CITY •, W. . AN ARTHUR S. CHURCH MOOUCTOH WI GIT NO FAN MAIL FROM THE FIJI ISLANDS! Th* Fiji Islands situa'Ud in th« South Pacific covtr an orsq of approxi- mately 7,069 square miUs and hav* a popularionof about 180,000. Ther* : may b* a f«w radio r*csiv«r> on th« islands but ws wouldn't know b«cous( tho islandori ..jpjpS%r n»4&Ppf 'is** ^ WHl, But w» do '«i..i&4&'ty&/&K-1li>-9St'*'Bitf))>ii9 Trading Area, population over 6,000,000, more and mora people ara listening more and more to WFIl... and writing to tell us. In 1943 the.most impressive'gains in listening audi- ence in this entire market were registered by WFILI If you have not lost the capacity for change then wa Invite you to moke more soles through the use of WFIl, the.stotion which serves the Philadelphia Trading Area and r nol the Fiji Islands. - -,, •/. ; . * .. A BLUE NETWORK AFFILIATE Rmprttmntmd Nationally hy th» Katz Agmncy PHILADELPHIA** MOST PROORESSIVI RADIO STATION WFIL * 56© K G aw** \ to HERB MOSS, AL PASCHALL, LILLY ENGEL, PHIL DAVIS, CARL MANNING, RAY HARVEY, CARL JAM PEL FOR HELPING "TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES" sell $19,000,000 in ve» bonds! ON 5TH WAR LOAN TOUR Ralph Edwards