Variety (Feb 1945)

RADIO MQSIffft Head Scratching Follows Gov. Emergency Message Through Tumbull N. Y. state radio station ops nrf looking askance at polity of Gov j Thomas E. Dewey who is issuing, of- ficial stale emergency messnge an- nouncement requests to liie outlets over the signature of an executive of a private advertising agency. Execs are wondering whether ii 1* good policy for a governor of a ■tale lo send but official busines? pronouncements to station-operators;) through such channels. >inre it . is.j usuallv ihe policy ot a stale execu- tive hi 'have a press and radio see- , relarv handle such relations.■Pointed \ out thai, while .the situation has not J reached the status. ft> possible thai j use of such private facilities might lead lo •'pressure" by private inter- j esls for political and other purposes, j Case in point is a telegram signed > by Henry R. Turnbull. of ihe Duane. I Jones, ad agency. N. Y. asking the j slaliohs to use frequent announce- ments on the air requesting men to I volunteer for work during the re- 1 cent storm emergency, and help J clear up a crisis on railroads : throughout N. Y. Slate. " j The message read: ."Governor j Dewey requests the following ap- peal in connection with serious | storm emergency be .'read' over the eir on every radio station in New York Stale as often as possible. It necessary to' condense this message, kindly accent fact that the slate will In Chi It's 3 to 2 . • Chicago, Feb. Xi. Rt.ilio is here lo slay, if judg- ineuis passed mi preference. for one type gadget over another by live pedestrians interviewed by Chi Times' Inquiring' Reporter lasl week arc any indication, Seems lhal three out of five of. Iliii.-e quizzed would give up liieir telephone sooner than': do wiihoin Rignor, Marconi's .in? ■ .ventinn..'...'. Two nWn and kuI interviewed were in ihe pro-radio division.' wilh remaining man' and woman casting the iiix. .vote. Fern me pro's remark: "Despite those horrible singing, commercials, my radio is .-first-'thing.' on in morning, lasl thing oft at night." Three-year-old daughter of Jerry i Devine. producer-writer on. "Mr, I District Attorney" for Bristol-Myers, j died Inst week in N. Y. Devine is 'going south for. a several weeks' ; rest. Sgl. Arthur Laurcnls, who has i been authoring the ; CBS -"Assign- I inonlHome" series, taking over on | "D. A."- dining his absence. . Devine was also' put in 1-A hyJiis 1 draft board last week. Gillette Plugs Tele As Well Gillette' razor, which 'sponsors boxing bouts from New York's Madison Square Garden Friday nights: with Don Dunphy and Bill Corum handling the chatter assign- ment over the ■ Mutual network'.'.and Steve Ellis announcing the tele- vision portion on WNBT iNBC), Is typing together commercials on the competing , medium'. Gimmick is viewed by tele enthusiasts iSs one of ihe most potent pronto!ional stiinls yet used for the war-stymied indus- try. Corum, N: Y. Journal-American sport columnist, does belweeh- rounds commentary during Garden main bouts and also puts in more paTp^n^ wagcs ^al. persons women's organizations .have won; a pay* fort employed. Governor's message fol, [™»° r VV _ v,cl0 !?, ,n 1 . h : c * atc ; S'".' 1 ')-' P»ouuci 5 ., y - -' lows: "Transportation : or essential fuel and food supplies in New York Stale is threatened. Units of the slate guard have been mobilized To avert an even more-serious emer- gency, public health and safely re- quire the services of every qualified man not engaged in war produclion. = ™£ ^ something else. etc.. etc, etc/' Mechanics, machniiMs. opera J«} l «;V r<|ocittecl not lo disturb the ▼tfrftfty, F«bni»ry 14. 194> « t MHMM>HMMMM>|>MMMM»<M»MMHMH From the Production Centres No Kate Smith In Toronto, At Least (or Now Canadian' Toronto, Feb. 13. church interests and controversy in this, country in. that her. Sunday hour 'will not be broad- castby any Toronto station. The de cision Lord's Day Alliance and the Na- lional Religious Advisory Council with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Howard Chase, chairman. CBC «dpiYt they'.') Since Gillette, started televising the fights, Corum lias been inlroing plugs along lines of "if you tonowed'-'meeUn^' oP**" were walclmig this bout on tele- vision, right about now you would be shown a piclui'e. of'» package of Gillette shave cream.' Well, yOu all know what it looks like, , but here's Sandy men and snow s"">vele-^ yen, to own a should apply to the nearest railroad ^ £ ^ »™£ ; television set lo see as :wtfl as^hear station or +»cal oQicc of ine Slate L,. ani was .. jusl t01 . , hc present." | tl« con csls and. it also serves notice Dept. or Public Works. Prevailing' rates of wages will be paid. "Employers not engaged in war production or essential , businesses are urged lo cooperate. Every man not required for services lo public heallh and safely should. re|>orl. lot me repeal, lo Ihe nearest railroad station or local office of the Slate Department <>r Public works." signed Henry R. Turnbull. for Duane. Jones Co., representing . Governor Dewey. Not First Time P ' ' i that Gillette is keeping pace of all P"J l !?™!? y ^o 0 o C ^ OVC ''.. the m '?, p °-. modern developments not only in sal of CFRB iCBS Canadian oullctf \ ' t , blil jn its factory ' lo'-'improve lo switch the. St. Stephen's Anglican ; m . 0 (i lK . t , e t c Church broadcast to a later Sunday. 1 Fatt \ hitt lne sponsol . is j. 0 iiig.all slot, this by transcription, which \ t jn sl|Ch „ m;im , el - »i so is seen CBRB engineers would record in the m lhe lracie ; , tipolf that the church, for broadcast at 8:30 p.m,S :(|BC . Gillette-Mike Jacobs i20th Sunday instead of the previous " p.m. lime. .Further, wilh acceptance'. of this . 'offer.- CFRB'promised, free ' time for ihe period Tor which the ! vel1i ' iflg - p|ans: Hookup with Jac< church now pays. The SI. Stephen s I who |, cnv yweight chf tcobs . , „ ,;imp Hour has. been aired for 13 years, i i. J(jp Lou , s y cons i de ,. c d one of the | " ■ .Wenies Editorial Charge m0 st valuable alliances possible, wilh This is nut ihe first time an cmer- With membc.s of lhe National Ro- boxing admittedly Ihe strongest b.o ligipus '. Advisory Council present. - magnet for video special events. Howard Chase branded as mislead- -- t gency message, or official proclama- tion by Dewey was issued over the signature of Turnbull. Similar in- stance occurred prior to last year's; Presidential campaign, When stations were asked to broadcast Dewey's message on the soldier vote. Turnbull, radto execs .'declare, handled Dewey's radio campaign when he ran Tor governor in 1!)4'2, and was also radio director for the Republican National Committee din- ing an editorial in the United I Church Observer which stilled, "the] most recent.and most alarming move i of this bureaucracy (the CBC) is an ' endeavor lo eliminate all religious- services oyer the air after 12 o'clock i noon on Sunday or at least after 5 j o'clock." He said. "This is not lri;«!" ■ Cha>e asked ir the editorial re-! I fleeted lhe views of the United Jaeger, Rynd Blue V.P.S Blue web directors meeting Mon. ing his recent bid for the presidency. | Churches of Canada: was told lh»t,^PP«( gi^ft'uyTt'o ^ Iff NElt YORK CITY . . . Martin Goodman, of the William Morris radio depart men t, commissioned a captain in the New York Slate Guard. He will assist Maj. Paul C. Raborg head of the radio division of the press department... .Seeking new giri lead-for serial "The High Places,'.' CBS supervisor Robert J. Landry, dl- rector John Dictz rind author. Carl Buss last week auditioned Dorothy -Emery—Helen Gillette. Julie SteveiiSi Betty Worth, Betty Caini Marguerite Morrison, Leila Ernst, Elaine Kent, Dorothy Grundy^ Barbara Terrell Nedda Mahoney, • Adele Lohgmire, Lynn Gordon, Vivian Smollcns.,;,' Louise Brooks, whilom film and radio actress, now working as a press agent.'.. .Joseph Ruscoll out of Army on medical'discharge with technical sergeant rating. He's resting some weeks before resuming as radio writer ..Herb Gordon 'remaining at William Morris office, not going wilh Ziv agency.. , .Virginia Vass doing femme lend on P&G's "Glamor Manor 6 succeeding Jan Miner':.. .Portrait, of Jo Hanson, WNEW- flack, painted by his wife,'Nancy, on eNhibilioh at "Brooklyn Society Of Ai llsls' 20lh annual -show i" the Brooklyn Museum.' His daughter, Justine, also is represented * wf mmv\n with a P' ece of sculpture: . . .Fletcher Wiley in town from lhe Coast. Ac -XAlr 'Alt llnKx i Al,l0,d Michaelis, director.' has left CBS to freelance. . His, first piloting ila'klCll '"II'Ifl M lJ assignment is "Amanda" rot- Air Features.. .-.Marcus' DulTicId, day news editor of the Herald .Tribune - ,is new quizmaster on WNEW's "Iutci iialional Quiz Conference." Lynn-Gardner dropping out of "Thanks lo Yanks" show next'month to take on musical...: Wauliillau. Lahay, radio flack chief .at N. W. Ayer, to Boston on United Drug account biz..'. .Norman Corwin, WQXR alumnus, back at his old stand .Monday 112) for a Lincoln Day guest.shot as he did the intro for a half-hour transcribed "Lonesome Train" show; the Earl Robinson-Millard Lainpell cantata originally done on CBS' Corwin series last season. " Art Franklin, who's been handling Moo Gale's bally and ad assignments for six years, is branching out on his own and'Will-handle lhe Gale'account as-well as oilier -bunds, and performer s... .Jay ("M r. D, A.") Joslyn linlnri up series of vaude p.a.'s.:. Joe Hevesi, scnpter ; on Maj. Bowes' new . "Shower of Slais,'' father of baby girl, Garla.. . Bob Pollock, television researcher with Daily News; joining J. Walter Thompson, to write copy on ■: Pan American Airways cainpafRn. :. .Friends of Larry Hammoiid, en- commercial scripter i"We: lhe People," etc.) before joining the Econonile Developments staff, sympathizing after accidental death of his wife, 'Mar- garet, Sunday (II) in their n3rd street apartment. Emile C. Tepperman. freelance scripter, has three hi a row. coming up. He's scripted the "Suspense" show for this Thursday night, next Monday s "Bulldog . Drummond" session, and next Tuesday's "Inner. Sanctum''.. ,'.- Mother .of Irwin Rosee, 20th Century Sporting Club's radio p.n.,. died in | Brooklyn, hospital Mon. 112) I following a heart attack.. . ."We, lhe People 1 ' to Philly for Sun! (18) broadcast featuring Treasury Sec. Henry Mprgen- thau, who'll gue.st-cnicoc with -Milo Boulton. Sponsor is erasing ali plugs in favor of a Treasury pilch explaining redemption of "baby'' war bpndl effective March 1. Bea Liilie and Dr. Henry B;. Hazard, latter aii liwmV gration official. also participating. IIS CHICAGO . . Lee -Weinrott busy easting several new parts in "Those Websters." new. Quaker Oats show ihat replaces "Brewster Boy," March ?....'Iferb Futrah 'nominated number one parly thrower for 1044' with an average of three a week. .. .MCA. General Amusement, and the William Morris Office, be- ginning ah' ajl-oiit campaign to sell more name talent to midwest sponsors ... .Town club (old Medinah.elub) is starting a membership drive for radio execs which, if successful, will give Chicago its first real radio club;... .Erna Phillips plans a long vacation, her fi'tst in several years... .Lou Harrington taking tests for his anialcur pilot's license this week. .. .Owen Vinson-and his wife,' Pauliiie Hopkins, may make their home in California after tt)eir show, "Brewster Boy." goes off the air... .Lt. Norman Barry, former NBC. news announcer, and Capt. Ed Webber, former central division news editor, feted by members of the NBC central division news and special events departments lasl week.. ...Bea Tuile, waitress at the Wrigley restaurant, looks like a general with lier four stars, one' each for five .years' service in the radio hangout.. Policy of stars was inaguvatcd by P. K. Wrigley last week for all employees. Grace Mate is. runuor up with three stars. Stu Dawson, radio director of Chi office Of Foole Cone & Belding, to the Coast tp double on ihe Charlotte Greenwood show... Joe Spades, new CBS Detroit salesman, took off for there last week... .Pvt. Bob Eberly, stationed-at 'Gardner hospital. :lias' been tipped to sergeant... .Herbie Mints Celebrated his 23rd year on the air last. week... .Madelaine. Woods, vet film flack, takes over Johnny NebletCs press chores this week:.. .Ulrrier Turner; who boasts tl)p oldest newscast in Chi, ended a 10-year association with Hearst last week (o freelance I. J. Wagner. O.lian act agency y.p., has checked into Grant hospital for a long rest... .Bill Coblenzcr, of MCA'f NY. office, in town for a couple weeks.'.. .Charley Irving toying around with the idea of ireking to- Hollywood after receiving several radio offers during the past few weeks... .Clele Roberts, Blue netvvork correspondent, proudly displaying his new purple heart decoration in town on his Way cast. Idea, of course is calculated tp in- Century'club boxing promoter) pact for televising postwar championship j bouts looms large, in Gillette's ad Turnbul, resigned the latter ^: '^^a^'^t^ 0 ^ ? P- *»« approved formation of a ' no. submitted to high .lunch.' -u-w network oepl. tp be kjiown frs i ai.lhori.ics. before publication. Mean- : <"* ""'^ J^" 1 ." 1 . 08 , Dep l ! while, the National Religious Advi-i '» * h ?''* e , of ^!-|. ? r . l ", Km,n .« ' P i q Wi -Johnny »»i""''»"* «•••" after lhe election lo return in Duane. .lom-.VTi'Btnn.'V. whe'ie iie for- merly was head of radio, as an ac- count executive. He currently i W. ••Johnny"'Johnstone will con- dies (for Ihe agencyi business com- . w>iy Council a.-ked lhe CBC 11 at al ._ clii-eclor of these-activities ing fronvthe Mcnucn Co;, makers of, roinmercial progWins be eliminated j ^ ( . ^ ,r'J"e d ,o mn,i « n.iiei -ovri shive moivnatimw 011 Sunday evenings between 7 and g-rKininei also is ocin assignee. 10 mens toilet and >have piepaiations. , llT( ) the Lord's Day Allimee llCiltl ,lle Blues Washington office i'lted a .esolution' that I hey | which I s i»; l>e 'for a revamping millce accounts. ! ^ ^ l S ilWC1!Si '^: ^KiS'^''' ' the Republican National Committee and ihe N. Y. Slate Republican Com N. Y. City radio sliilion execs do- i demand tor eoniniercial programs' relinquishing super- . clare that the emergency announce- , h C BC to increase Ihe facilities lor meiit requests in the city are han- ■ ,. c|ig4wl!! broadcasting." died in a different manlier. .When; _ L _ ■ ._■ ■_ Mayor LaGuardia ivii-hes'"Nl.'itiuus to handle a similar situation, lie calb together a cnmmitloe.n'f radio execs, who decide on policy and follow ihe thing through.until comple^on. T.he'y. slate that it Dewey docs not wish lo have his press secretary'.handle his radio relations, he could easily gel their cooperation on slale-sl-ilion .re- lations. Eut they believe it i.'-ivot ih; best way to handle the situation through an exec of.an ad agency who may be inclined, -they say. to over i Ik- air on Sundays" and ''urgedi vision . rif the publicily departlnent, ALL-NIGHT'MUSIC HOPS FR0MWJZT0W0R(19) ■ All-nighl. all-music "Say It Willi ; Music" program which leaves WJZ. ' N. Y... Saturday «.18). when lira I oul- lel '.laris xoiiig off the air at 2 a.in njuhily". shifts o\ er" lo WOR next : nif-h'i ■■!>•.' Procrani will In- combined ", wijh' , . , , . ;, • . : :iews and S|iecial rc-brdad'east fca-- ™! ^^J-T^^J'l^^. i.'uirrr., or WOR s ci^rehl all-nighl 1 program. "Moonlight Saving Time." and will, be supervised by origina- tors of "Say. Ii." Allen Kent and Austin; Crpom-Johnstoti. . Only : talk . air announcements from the Gov ernnr's office IK HOLLYWOOD ... No one gets more (han a«hot, at a lime on Lux—Lever Bros, sponsor—' still hopeful lhal C. B. DeMille will pay his buck to AFRA. has ordered only we.ek-lo-wcelc comniilmcnts. Otto Krug'ir presided last Monday night, chosen by lhe soap crowd because of his performance the previous week in "Laura".. .'..lack Proctor, legit p.a., and Jack Latham joined up for new', gossip program, "Hollywood Fan Mag of the Air." It goes on KFI live-limcs-a-weck, with -Bullock's dept. store picking up the lab.... Warners bought 17 acres in the lulls hard by. Hollywood, for its television and FM transmitters and' will spend $1,500,000 for 'improvements,- equip- ment and studio. Site is 10 minutes' drive from Hollywood and Vine.... Harry Ackcrman in' town for a month to talk over summer -replacements tor Young & Rubicam shows with Glenhall Taylor... Eddie Dunstedter's radio production i mil of Army Air Forces at Santa Ana moving crew of 120 to Culver City base of First Motion Picture Unit of-AAF. Space is 4)eing- sought -'-at' Warnoi-' • Bros.'' .Hollywood' '-studio as originatioii point of '■ the four net work shows aired each week. . The Korn Kobbiers replaced Andy and. Virginia for Lyon Storage On the Don Lee strip... Mickey Gillette saxtette on the Al Pearce show: is the . first such combo around since the Brown Bros. 1 ;-.Every player on the Eddie Bracken show, dowii to the smallest bit player, gels credit nieitlion. And to make sure iI isn't crowded but, producer and part-owner, Maim Holincr, ciishions it with a thematic: bumper... . Al Scalpohe; unburdened of production on the "Ozzic and Harriet" program, now concentrating on his oid job' 6i-sitTJBrvi.si.iig pTVdticciwii'Hn^catfi'ine'rC!«1sr'rur .Y&R'-*inAv»-.—- Bill Penhell named to AFRA hoard of directors to fill out-Tom. Breneman's term.. . .Sybil Chisnl giving up the organ on "Lum and Abncr" for a well- earned rest.. . .Nadine Amps., for years secretary lo Don Oilman at'NBC and the Blue.;now taking dictation from.Lewis Allen Weiss at Don Lee. ..:. . • n •« «. .i . Phillips -Carlin 'and Willel Brown working out' an ambitious 'production ..' A Red Cross Gimmick Khcdl,,e r01 • ^ managed by Earl Mullin. and hence- roilh these activities will come under Smith as v.p. directing pro- motion, publicity 'and advertising. . .Taeucr will cohiinuo as general sales mgr. for the Blue; Rynd. is being..replaced as treasurer- of the web by C. Nicholas Priaulx. v.p. in cha'rgQ of .'financial-, affairs, and licnecforlh will devote his time co- ' oidinaling the network's inlra-rde- '. parlmenial opeialion:-. Rynd will :-jaint"'*.'w>. ltt.':snni»< , vi«e«jsUe«. soste. management, recording and pur- chasing. Maestros' Self-Intros Jacques Fray tin WNEW "Jacques ' Fray's Musical Ciif?." featuring half of lhe prewar piann • .team of Fray and Braggiolli. will • ■ieeoflf on WNEW. N. Y.. in coiiplc of weeks in. the 9-9:15 p.m. slot once weekly. Sandy" O'Crotty is the newest ot the femme commentators on KNX-..- Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, j Capt. Walter Johnson,'former-Coast- radio head for MCA, won a bronze oh new program will be the news j Guy Lombardo. Xavier Cugat and' star medal for outstanding duly iii the South Pacific .with the. Marines..... shots and ihe' re-broadcasts of ini-: several other topflight band leaders Bill Ray and Craig Reynolds, first film actor to get into the big fuss. Wr' port an t happenings heard on the sla-. will record special chatter to intro tion during lhe day or evening. Rcst 'ditcc their transcriptions on'WNEW, of show; which will continue to be!N. Y., lo hypo the station's'effort on heard from 2. to 5:45 a.m., will be j behalf of the Red Cross drive dur- all-music, .; Ing March. corded "Veterans Canleeni" winch will be restricted to returned v'els from show biz. Overseas entertainers,'including, the-big names,'arc solidly be- hind the project and have promised to make guest appearances... .Ool. Tom Lewis has appropriated "Victory Through Air Power" as a slogan for his Armed' Forces Radio Service operation. •