Variety (Dec 1944)

RADIO RIVDEWS Wednaidajr, Doceinb«r 18, 19 li Tort Knox Stunt' Buries Talent Gold Mine on Boff Bond Show Every once in so often one of those dream shows pops up in radio— the Itinrt that would provoke sponsor BoniersaiiUinK if lliey could reason- ably appvoxiniale it. "The Sll0^v Goes On," put on last Wednesday nifiht (0^ cooperatively by tlie War Activities Committee of the motion piclme industry antl NBC a.- a fea- ture of the Sixth War Loan, to tie in with the free pix admission for "THE SHOW GOKS ON" With Bins Crosby, Bob Hope, Fran- ces I.angford, Edgar Bereeii, Fred Aslaire, .lerry Colonna, Taulclte Geddard. Adolphe Menjuu, Dinah Shore. Merle Oberon, Ann Sheri- dan, l.arrv Adier, James Cagney, MaJ. Meredith Wlllson and Orcli Producers: Manii Holiner. Eira Mc- intosh, John Zoller Writers: Carroll Carroll. Howard Harris. Sid Zelinka. Cilenn Whea- ton, Al Schwartz, I-eo Sherln, Elon Packard. Stanley Davis 66 MIns.; Wed., Dec. 6.11::!0 p;m: (one shot) Sustaining WEAF-\BC, N. Y. each bond purclinsc on. the third anni of Pearl Harbor, was thai kind of a program. Take a look at that Sl.000.000 par- lay: Binj» Crosby and Bob Hope to wrap up emccc jobs land what a __U'h»ni routine!): Edgar Berseu & Charlie McCartliy. Jerry Colonr..i. Paulelte C;odd:ird. Dinah ^ Slioro. Frances Lanytord. Adolphe Menjou. Merle Oberon. Fred Astairc. Larry Adler. James Carney. Maj. Meredith Wlllson batonins the orch! (.lack Bonny was skcdded for a cul-in from Palm Springs but was killed oil by line trouble.) Nol just an on-auain. otT-ai'ain succession of star-acts to project the overseas "soldiers in Krcascpaint" campaigners into the limelight, this was iin lioin- of bofl' entertainment from intro to sifinoff. And all wrapped logclhcr with a ."iock production job sparked by Mann Holiner and a top-drawer scripting conlrib paced by Carroll Carroll, Here's a ishow that merited a four- network hookup in the ' heart" of the evening. This was the, hypo thai those snail-paced E bond sales need- ed. For that multiple-millioned au- dience would have paid off with an addition dividend. But what hap- pens! . One of the top radio shows of the veai- is lucked away in tiic quiet 11:30-12:30 (EWTi nishttimc spot. After all, it wasn't much trou- ble yanking out the Arthur Hopkins dramatic sustainer wliich occupies thatuiclic. Yet here was a gold-mine package of solid showm;\n,ship vir- luallv w'aslcd. It would be interest- j ing to ."ret a Hooper on the number I of oeoplc who heard the show to I match It a.gj.inst a tour-web potcn- 1 tial audience d''^"'- And translate j into terms of actual hooH s'lles lo'^t. ' ■ Rose. When Yh Fish the Saie lile Year After Year the/i</iinjr niiiiil be good t i'lien Ibc «<lvcrliwrs on, WIP—10ft% «f 'em—reiirwrd at llie linn e( 1941, it *!tt jltao\ piosilive of Ihcir mIm "fi^liing^ feeing good. Bi«/ore tlie War . . . Dun'ng llir War. ... . 4Jltr l]ie War llifi nioiil profitilli |«r dollir Mitinn for (drertl>rr«i Vrtf llicrr .ire a friv avtilaliililin t Ktfnimtlflmhniillyby 9, MMtlBMiiniY MMPAXV iu»> .MUTVAir AmiuU "CHESTERFIELD SUPPEB CLUB" With Martin Block, Parry coma. Jimmy Savo, Mary Aahworth, Sat- IsHera, Ted Steel* Orch Writer: Dave Harmon Producer: Bob Mos.s. 15 Mlns,; Mon.-Frl., 7 p.m. MOGETT & MYERS WEAF-NBC, N. Y. - - mexOiU-Examelt) ' Chesterfield's new show, replacing the Johnny Mercer "Song Shop" se- ries, rang" the bell with its opening quaitor-hour. Wrapped in a nitcry atmo.sphere, with a studio audience (jbligingly making the necessary back.!;round hubbub, the idea of the show is similar to Hildegarde's "Raleigh Room" format. Looking al the lineup of talent re- served for the debut performance one might wonder how it all could be filled into 15 minutes. However, starting with a lively and infectious performance of "Skip to My Lou." by Mary Asliworth and the Satisfiers, the show ran at a click pace all the way, slowed down only slightly by the length, and nol the caliber, of Jimmy Savo's "One Meatball" song, a standard piece of material with him that licklcd. Perry Coino. whose apparent ner- vousnes.'i disturbed his phrasing sev- eral limes, nevertheless did a crack job on "Goodbye Sue" and "I Dream of You." As steady fare on the dial he's likely to prove that he's big stuff. His voice and delivery has taken on a new warmth and per- sonality. Martin Block, who moved over to this series from the 7:15-7:30 slot oc- cupied on CBS by Chesterfield, did a fine job of introducing people and things, and the musical backing by Ted Steele's orchestra wa>i in the same groove. With so much talent, however. Steele does not get lill the opportunity he deserves. Block's commercials stressed a "be patient with the shortage" angle. Como. Block. Steele and Miss Ash- worth are fixtures on the show, the spot held by Savo this broadcast be- ing a guest opening that will be changed nightly. Much depends on these midway minutes since they will be the focal point of the broad- casts. Wood. ".STABi or TBI urcuM" drear, Robtfi Buf««H Bi "ASSIGNMENT HOME " With Martin Woleson, narrator; Kenny Lynch, Frances Chuney, Hester Sondergaard. Allen Drake, Maj. Harry Salter 8t All Soldier band of N. Y. Port of Embarkation Writer: Sgt. Arthur Laurents Producer: Robert Heller Director: MaJ. Edward Byron 30 Mins.; Sat., 4:36 p.m. Sustaining WABC-CBS, N. Y. This new CBS series. "Assignment Home," put on in cooperation with the War Dept. Army Service Forces and illustrating the manifold prob lems confronting the handicapped Johnnie-comc-carlies in their at tempt to readjust themselves to al tcrcd conditions at home, got oft to an impressive start last Saturday (8). Here, indeed, is a commendable contribution by radio to project into the limelight one of the most acute and challenging problems of the day —the necessity to educate the public at home how to talk and react to the sensitive guys back from the war fronts with a self-consciousness about their disabled bodies and two-week discharge pins as big as a V-2 rocket. Here is none of your postwar vision- ary stuff, but a situation requiring attention tod.iy. toniuirow; to find a* place in society for the guy who's copie back by way of the hospital, no confetti on his shouldcts and al a time when "parades have been called off because of the war." He can't get his old job back in the precision factory because his right hand is paralyzed and, as Gen. Brehon Som- ervell says, "while a job won't solve all his problems, none of his prob- lems will be solved without a job." Thus "Assignment Home" takes It up from there, and the initial presen- tation in the series, "No Confetti," which was given a sensitively- wrought production and perform- ance, said a lot of things-that have to be said—and the fact that it was trartslated into , terms of solid dra- matic values reflects all the more to its credit. For, in the story of Danny Gorman and his paralyzed hand, symbolizing one of. the many forms of handicap.!: .he returning GIs will beat-, was wrapped up the overall thetne of how the' home frcyit must work in conjunction with Govern- ment agencies. Of how the wives, mothers and general public can as> sume their job with full undcrstand- ing-Qf the emotional problems of the maladjusted veteran and'so complete the work of the ably-qualined Gov- ernment bureaus that integrate this phase with their physical cure. Wisely, CBS has gone to men from radio currently in the services to mold the scries, men with a first- hand knowledge and thus a real un-* derstandiiig of the need for educat- ing the public on this vital problem. Sgt. Arthur Laiirchts' script revealed a sensitive approach to the whole situation and, if the subsequent In- sUlunehts in the series maintain th» same infellicent and straightforward treatment, •'Assignment Home" will have Contributed greatly toward helping solve the No. 1 Job on the Peace Agenda. . Rote. ranee* •nneu or«b, (aesta Prodnoari Maurloa Holland Writeri Btf Rica 3« Mini.) iFrl.> 8 9-Bi< FOBD MOTOR WJ£-Blua, N.,T. (/. WaKar Thoinpgou) New Ford musical, spotted as re- placement for the news strip. Watch the World Go By," which bowed . out Mon. (11), ia distinctly slanted at the "Lincoln" segment of the audlsnoa rather than in the di- rection of tha millions who bouglit Model "i'l and A'g and made the Detroit manufaelurer a household name all over the world. Principals, production, scripting and orch backgrotinds sounded con- sistently top drawer on preein t8) -so that there seem.s liltle doubi Futiu-e" will please that portion of the cfudience appreciative of semi- cla.ssical, concert hall fare. In this connection it should be poiiUed out, however, that 'Highways in Mel- ody," NBC opposish under the Cities Service banner, has a stroitg bid in for these dialers. Friends of the "Aldrlch Family" on CBS, of course, w-on't be interested In either oppo- sish stanza. Lawrence Brooks, from the Broad- way hit "Song of Norway,'^' turns in a hangup emcee and baritoning job with Frances Greer maintaining the pace as co-headliner in the soprano dept. The Robert Rus.sell Bennett AFM aggregation i.s Just as, boff, both on backing up and by them- selves. Same goes for vocal choir. Selections aired on preem provide tipoff on the "medium-haired" type of music being o^ered. Brook.s opened with "Song in My Heart," Miss Brooks followed with "Alice Bliie Gown" and Staff Sgt. Eugene List, initial guester, sparkled in his piano contrib, a fantasy on Ger.sh- win's "Summertime" for which the Bennett batoneers provided a stand- out frame. Brooks followed with Cole Porter'.s* "Every Time We Say Goodbye," from Billy Rosa's "Seven Lively Arts." Musical arrangements for the Rose show, it was pointed out by Bj'ooks, are Bennett's work. Stephen Foster's "Oh, Susannah" by the orch, and Kern's "The Song Is You" wrapped the half-hour up. Entire cast was in on last named. Plugs are In the usual soft-pedal Ford pattern, opeiiing and closing spiels dealing wlfh. 30,000,000 pro- duction mark and low-price-high- quality maxims, while midway chat- ter explained aim of the new pro- gram along theme that this coun- try's "greatest natural resource Is its young people." Policy of spot- ting youthful musical standouts as guests also was mentioned. Although "Stars of tha Future" doesn't shape up as. « top Hooper prospect, J. Waltar Thompson and the Blue oan congratulate tham- "FRIENOSHIP BANCH" With Don Ferker, Jack Vincent, Mergle Hammer, Nanoy Ooniales, Marilyn Qasten, Billy Daniels, Warner Slater*, Tex Anielne, Ron- •Id Smith Producer-Writer: Alloa Clements 30 MIn*.; Set,, 6:15 pjn. GENERAL BAKING CO. WEAF-NBC, N. T. (Clements) This is a kid snow that tries aw- fully hard to be out of tha ordinary but just doesn't quite make it, mainly becaiisc there are several weak links in the cast. Based on an excellent premise by producer-writer Alice Clenients, "Friendship Ranch" theoretically is just that, a group of young cow- piinchers and gals gathered together in front of the bunkhouse to sing, make with the sprightly chatter, and in every way possible liave a good time. Material the kids arc given Is topflight, but their .youthful voices knock thic props from under their characterizations. ■ Love' interest is supplied by Jack Vincent and Margie Hammer, two tyros who sing tunes in fairly good voice and strum guitars to supply their own musical packgroimd. Add- ed music is supplied by trio billed only as the Bunkhouse Boys. Nancy Gonzales, in the role of a (assy from south of the border, misses lire, her voice sotindlng way oJT key during the warbling of the one song she is asked to deliver, as is Don Parker, whose comedy lines with Marilyn Gusten were far from ftmny most of. the time. Kids on this snow received their training on the Horn & Hardart's '"Children's Hour," heard on NBC (Continued on page 36) selves on the all-arfUQd'excellence rs Donn. of the pn It soujide ' sor ordered ■round rpgram a.od ft* personnel, d like Just what thf spon^ "THE BOWL AND THE PICTURE" With Mady thrietUns, dseer lomol- ka, Billy BedAeld, Jaekacn Back, Waller KInsella, Jack Manninc, Waltar ArmliMa, Aflea YonfmaB, GeoBry Bryant, 'David CaimaD, John Thomas, Tommy HgfhesTjee Bound, Gearca Itlatthew*, Ralph Welllver, Jo*el Stepak ereh Producer: Lindsay MaaHarrIa Director: Walter German Writer: Ira Marian Score": Oscar Charlea Csawell 3» Mlns,: Sat. (i), 1 p.m. (eha shot) Sustaining WJZ-Alne, N. T. Mady Christians and Oscar Komol- ka, stara of the Broadway legit hit, ;'I Remember Mania,'* turned U) sock performances on tnlj Slue network production to hyao War Bond tales and the rest of the held the ptee eet by %y leed pt^ Unfortunately, howeVer, the program strticture didn't meatUra up to Hie thesping contribi. It dra&ed too often, Climax was tipped too far In advance, and the flashbtok routine*, using ethereal and unlden'tined voices, made Ipr confusion. Produc- tion guy* on thi* one evidently for- 'S^^Bel about «% of the listener* do NOT sit with oar* glued to the loudspeaker following each nuance of plot 'development with oare, Story of Mother and Dad (Miss Christians' and Homolka) eaving their pennies for a ilM War Bond as an additional contribution to vic- tory (their 2S-year-old »on being a Jap prisoner) wai broken down to tie in with war's terrlftc oo«t. De- vice used was flashback routine with soldier* flrlnlj gun*, ilyer* dropping bombs,jlc,, with acjerit on »ound eN fects. The whole thing oould have been wrapped up in 16 minutes, which would ha\4 made fot niuch more eflectiveness and salesmanship. As a matUr of faot, length of the show might v*py v/eu have reduced the audience ao mjich-.that real high- light of ^'.BowV; Mis* ChrlsHan*^ Tnd Homolka's final acene, a truly touch- ing bit, wa* missed by a large part of the Initial tunera-ln. Production and direction, Jh in* fact of such a seri<- ou* script handicap, stood-up. Wen. OriglnBl musical Mckground by Os- car.Chatlef ^^eswell sounded okay. Oot'in. IH* • apouor «M ra^