Variety (Jun 1946)

26 RADIO Wednesday, June 12, 1946 Workshop-Carrmgton Showcases Pay Off; New Script Talent Shines CBS Workshop and Mutual's "Gar-t- lington Playhouse" are paying off as ^ far as scrlpters' showcases are con- cerned, the latter show particularly having brought out a number ot new people who've never been on the air before. That became apparent in a sur- vey ot what happened on both these shows. When they bowed last ■winter, both ^vere hailed as opening "new opportunities" for writers, and people in the trade, including scrip- ters, have wondered whether the results have justified initial hopes. At least eight of the first 12 scripts aired by "Carrington Playhouse" have resulted in real benefits to the writers, about the amount, they re- ceived for their airings. Other scripts have been ordered by sponsors, nets, agencies, or pack- age houses in radio, or by film com- panies or magazines, from the fol- lowing Carrington authors: Joseph Prize Novel Payoff Biggest payoff for new script- ers aired on this season's "work- shop type" shows came to Hilda Osterhout whose first radio ■ show, "In the Clouds," was pro- duced in the first cycle of "Car- rington Playhouse." This week. Miss Osterhout, a student at Vassar College, will be an- nounced as winner of the Dodd, Mead intercollegiate contest for first novels by undergraduates. Prize is $1,500. Her novel, titled "Field of Old Blood," was or- dered partly as a result of her submission of the radio script, which was a story laid in Mexico. Cochran, Adele . Horton, Carroll Moore, Jr., Kenneth Greenberg, Hilda Ostehout, Harold Rodman, Anne. Seymour, Winifred Wolfe. As for CBS Workshop, it has brought put following Luthors who'd never been heard before (at least in the U.' S. A.); Norman Williams, John Lovelace, Bruce Stauderrnan, Lou Cooper, Maurice Franz, Harold Rodman, and Jack Benveniste, It's interesting to note that Harold Rodman appears on both lists—he Bold "The Playroom" , to CBS and "Ride a Cock Horse" to Carrington, Williams, who opened the "Work- shop's" current series with his first U. S. show last February—he's a Canadian—has now sold one to Car- rington, to be used June 27. About 80% of the Carrington scripts have come from ex-GIs, and a high percentage of those for. CBS comes from vets. Carrington, how- ever, had expected to get many from American .colleges, which it had cir- cularized, but only about 10% of its submissions are-from colleges, Fletcher Markle, Second Canadian on Workshop, Will Direct Own Script A deal was closed by long dis- tance telephone last week for Fletcher Markle, Canadian radio writer, to direct liis own script "Sometime Every Summertime" as the June 16 broadcast in the Colum- bia Workshop series. Robert J. Landry, producer of the Workshop, may also buy two other , scripts by Markle for later airing. Markle ar- rives in New York this week, "Sometime Every Summertime" is described as a study in snobbery. The musical score will be composed and conducted by John Gart with the usual 18-piece Workshop or- chestra, Markle is the second Canadian au- thor to have a script on the revived Workshop. Series opened Feb. 2' with "Homecoming" by. Norman Williams, also of Toronto! The net- work of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., for which Markle has done considerable work, has arranged with CBS for special permission to carry the June 16 program. Meanwhile, CBS has arranged for a number of Coast originating Workshop programs this summer. They'll originate from KNX studios under direction of William N. Rob- eon, under Coast eye of Ernie Mar- tin. However, overall, supervision will continue from east under Rob- ert J, Landry, who will approve all scripts prior to scheduling.' WBBM's 'Grand Jury' As 'Suspense* Summer Sub Chicago, June 11. WBBM is piepping a local mys- tery show to move into the spot be- ing vacated by "Suspense," . which starts a seven-week summer hiatus July 11. CBS replacement will be titled "Grand Jury:'' "Suspense" is currently between Mr. Keen" and "FBI in Peace and. War" in the 8 p.m. Thursday slot on CBS. Walgreen s 56G One-Shot Hoopla Chicago, June 11. Top outlay ever spent for talent for a single platter show is that dished out by Schwimmer & Scott for Walgreen Drug Stores' 45th anni show, which will be heard over 131 stations, in the drug chain's 39-state area this month. It's $56,000, talent being Bob Hope, the Andrews Sis- ters, Frank Morgan, Dennis Day, Ginny. Simms, Rochester, Vera Vague, Eddie Duchin^ Harry Von Zell, and Ray Noble's orch. Show is hour-long. S&S ran into plenty of difficulty trying to clear that much time on so many stations, but finally wangled CBS into dropping their sustainer, "Roll Call oh Production," from 9 to 10 p.m. Tuesday (18) ^om 60 of their stations. .And that, incidentally, is a week after Hope starts his sum- mer hiatus, so they'll be taking ad- vantage of what Jack Scott, account exec, calls a "natural carry-over." It's the second year for the show, with the drug chain apparently set on making it an annual event, inas- much as it's described in the script as their second annual celebration. Disk show will be plugged in Wal- green's national newspaper ads. Chain's angle on "platter vs. live" is that: with a record show you can slant your message towards the mar- ket you want—in their case, just 39 states—without taking the whole 48. PIANIST, ORGANIST, ARRANGER ART GOW Haa toured the nation with name bands. Among musical chores at KLZ. leads "Art Gow's Gow-Boys" on "Potluck Party" five days a week. KLZ, DENVER ! From the Production Centres CBS Program DepL Nixes Atom Bomb Package For Advocacy of UN Control Radio scripters Leon Meadows and Abe Piilanski, who have pack- aged an atomic bomb show which they had presented to CBS veepee Davidson Taylor when latter was on the Coast recently, are trying the other nets now hoping still to get their show on the air by August 6, first anni of the burst of the first atom bomb over Japan. Taylor acknovirledged that he's nixed' the Meadows-Pulanski pro gram. Package is said to take a rather dim view of tlie Bikini Atoll project and advocate too staunchly United Nations control of atomic warfare. Dramatic treatment, how- ever, and backing of topnotch scientists, has interested execs of other nets and at least one agency man from the Coast who reported he'd like to make a presentation of the program for possible big-coin sponsorship. While CBS plans have not been disclosed, it's known that the net is planning to put on another atomic bomb program, possibly in the for mat of "Operation Crossroads," be ginning sometime in August. Atom bomb-conscious s t a t i 0 n s around the country, especially among indies, have been reportedly asking transcription firms for special shows on the subject. One possible tiein in the bfling was that WNEW (N.Y.) would produce that kind of a show which would be taken off for transcription and resale around the country. Station has bought the rights to "One World or None," the book which wraps up the view of the Federation, of Atomic Scientists. COTTONE TAKES OVEB FOB FCC Washington, June II. Benedict P. Cottone, acting gen- eral counsel of FCC, was made regu- lar general counsel last Friday (7). Cottone, a former assistant general counsel had been filling the top legal spot for the Commission ever- since Bosel M, Hyde was upped to membership on the Commission, Stratovision In 1st Field Test First cross-country test flights last week of Stratovision—liiew sys- tem of'airborne television and FM transmission being developed by Westinghouse and Glen L. Martin Co.—proved that the system stands a good chance of being successful insofar as electronic results are con- cerned. Using an ex-Army medium bom- ber, Westinghouse engineers flew from Baltimore to Detroit at 20,000 feet and succeeded in transmitting a usable carrier-wave FM signal using only 250 watts of power. Me- chanical difficulties forced cancella- tion of the proposed return flight at night. Plane returned the following day at 10,009 feet, and again trans- mitted successfully. Tests were carried out only for FM transmission, Westinghouse en- gineers desiring to get all the kinks worked out of that system before going ahead .with plans, for televi- sion. Double-night flight is planned for the near future to check day- time against night, results. Planes, to be constructed by' Glenn L. Martin, on lines similar to the B-29 Superfortress, are still in the design stage, since desired elec- tronic results can be obtained with use of the twin-engine jobs. Big planes will eventually be equipped' with four television, and five FM transrriitters, as well as reception' equipment. Planes will thus be able to pick up nine programs simulta- neously and re-transmii them to re- ceiving sets on the ground, as well as to the next plane in the relay system. Planes will carry a six-man crew to man the equipment, plus the reg- ular flight crew. Present plans call for two planes to be in the air at the same time at each relay point, .one CO cransmit and one to act as a standby. Two other planes will be ready at all tim-is on the ground, •Planes will probably fly in eight- hour shifts. Westinghouse has not decided yet on what corporate form Stratovision will take. System can be run eitlfer as a company subsid, with broad- casters paying freight charges, or might be run on' a cooperative basis by the broadcasters. ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ M >t« MMM t <<»>♦«♦» m mW YORK CITY . . . Ed kobak and his wife celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on Monday (10). The Mutual prexy took her to see "State of the Union." John Faulk, folk story teller whom CBS' Bob Heller has been touting as a new Will Rogers, gets his air chance when he goes on the CBS net with his own show Sunday (16). Stanza's titled "Johnny's Front Porch," and Faulk will talk about anything that pleases him, for 15 minutes Philip Stahl, out of the Army, back as WQXR announcer... ;John A. Aaron upped at WQXR lo director of continuity... .Jack Barry has gotten apart- ments for HI vets in eight weeks through his WOR "Daily Dilemma" show... .ABC web building a new dramat show to feature Staats Cotsworth and his wife, Muriel Kirkland.., .Fay Duncan quit J. Walter Thompson to handle New England Housewives Protective League show for Fletcher Wiley, as assistant to John Trent... .Landt Trio on CBS comes back for one week, June 24, after vacation, goes off agaifi, then returns August I • Terry Lampert, formerly in the William Morris agency publicity dept., has joined the Foot?, Cone & Belding flackery... .KSWM, Joplin, Mo., be- comes the 157th CBS affiliate July 18; It's a 250-watter.... AB9's trade publicity chief. Jack Pacey, ailing.. . .Mitch Grayson at Northport, L. .I., for summer,. ..Ivey fit Ellington's Hal Jerries off for a visit in Michigan.- Norma Roberts; Mutual music editor, taking on additional-duties as mag publicity head June 17, when Helen Stedman leaves .that post to return to Columbia Pictures. .. .Nornian Livingston, WOR's program director, to Florida Sat. (8) for two weeks' vacation... .Lewis Allen Weiss, v.p. and gen. mgr. of Don Lee network, in N. Y. for Mutual board of directors' meeting....The scripter oh that critically favored NBC "Mariners Quartet" is Hal Engel. .. .Borden's, summer show with Tommy Riggs, pinch hitting for Ginny Simms, trying to hypo the stanza with a fresh writing slant. Jack Douglas has been taken off writing chore and scripting has been handed to combination of Larry Marks and Bill Manhof.. . .Eileen Farrell, star of Prudential "Family Hour," has signed an exclusive year contract with Columbia Records. First waxing will be an album ot Irish melodies ... .Paul^avalle of NBC's "Highways In Melody," forming nuclei for nation-wide Boy Scouts of America orchestras and choral groups :.., Sammy Kaye's "So You Want to Lead ^ Band" oh ABC switches from Wednesday nights to Tuesday nights 8:30 \yith broadcast of June 18..., Jackie Kelk signed to make regular monthly appearances on NBC "Sup- •per Club" during summer. Guy Lombardo's wife, Lilliebell, required SO stitches after being bitten by pet Great Dane last week... .Perry Como and bandleader Lloyd Shaffer of NBC "Supper Club stanza, Constellationed into New York Saturday (15) ... .Como resumes his thi'ee-a-week stint on stanza week of June 24.... Ara Gerald and John McQuade added to "Our Gal Sunday" Patsy Campbell and Alan MacAteer join "Just Plain Bill"....Adelaide Klein, Maxine Stewart, and Lon Clarke join respective casts of "The Strange Romance of Evelyn Winters," "The Romance of Helen Trent" and "BackrStage Wife" ....Len Holton, of the Young fic Rubicam talent dept., has been ill for a week and is improving Tom Lewis going back to the Coast AFRA attorney Mortimer Becker married in Detroit last' Friday (7) to radio actress Barbara Kline..:.Ed Franck, for a few years a messenger at Young & Rubicam agency, promoted to production staff of "We, the People" ....Rupert Lucas, in charge, of YficR production on the Coast, has been brought eastward, upped to program manager at agency's N.Y. h.q YfitR veepee Harry Ackerman commuting to Westport, Conn,, these days, where he's planning to turn summer home into permanent digglrigs... .With Harold Rome scheduled to go to Hollywood as result of. his success with the legiter "Call Me Mister," his wife, who's commercial writer at Ruth- raiiff fic Ryan agency (handling Rinso account) will go to the Coast,... Vera Barton's "Hospital Circuit" programs renewed for 13 weeks on WNEW. Group Seeks FCC Okay To Operate a Station Expressly for Des Momes Des Moines, June 11, Application has been made to FCC by a newly-formed broadcast- ing company to operate another station in Des Moines, under the name of Des Moines Broadcasting Corp. Company has been capital- ized at $50,000, with the station to provide programs "expressly for Des Moines," with emphasis on sports, music and local news. The application to operate does not specify a specific power but asked for sufficient strength to cover Des Moines. James L. Kelehan, former KRNT news and special events announcer, is president; David D. Milligan, first vice-president; George W. Webber, Jr., second veepee; George W. Web- ber, Sr., third veepee and treasurer and Robt. L. Webber, secretary. All live in Des Moines. m CHICAGO . . . Mary Hartline, 18-year-old prch leader of ABC'S "Teen Town," back after four weeks in the hospital... .Don Gallagher back as Peter Colby on the "Ma Perkins" show after four and a half years in khaki... .Wilms Herbert recently adtfed to the cast of "Today's Children," set to narrate NBC's new "Tales of the Foreign Service"... .Maurice Copeiand is a new addition to the cast of "Captain Midnight".. . .Jack Ryan, NBC central division press head, appointed publicity director of the newly-organized symphony orch in suburban Evanston:.. .A"third-base slide" in a Memorial Day ttaseball game netted a broken ankle for Howard Greeter, ABC photog ... .Ward Quaal, WGN announcer back from the Navy, received a citation from his former' boss for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the per- formance of outstanding service"... .Marie Karlstrom, of Mutual's midwest staff, on vacation to the Pacific northwest... .Recent staff changes at WHBF, Rock Island, include Bill Selah upped to production boss, Chuck Harrison, in charge of special events, and Ray Hampton named supervisor of sports i...Lynn Chalmers put of "semi-retirement" to join WBBM's vocal staff —"Terry and the Pirates" renewed for a period of 52 weeks by Quaker Oats. IN HOLLYWOOD ... Vic Hunter of Foote, Cone fit Belding chartered a plane for Sun Valley to shoot the breeze with Bing and. incidentally let fall a few pertinent remarks about General Motors and fall radio. They're still talking about how close The Groaner came to signing with Reynolds Pen Frank Pitt- man, Coast head of Needham, Louis fit Brorby, goes east June 13 to help get the Warings started in "The McGee's spot... .Rupert Lucas dispatched to N. Y. by Young fit Rubicam to start off "McGarry and the Mouse" and then join the home office staff as a program manager.., Ted Bacon's Golden Strings back on sponsored time over KNX... .All Joan Davis deals have developed chills so it looks like she'll stay with Swan far another season Gene Autry finally got half hour segment on CBS for Wrigley and'his vacated quarter hour goes to Toni Cold Wave now hunting for a Holly- wood show....Frank Samuels watching over ABC Coast operations while Don Searle vacations ..Alex Robb, head of program package sales for rfonn M/rH^''* condition following a stroke.. . .Fort Pearson subbing for Glenn Mardy as Alka Seltzer newscaster on Don Lee net... .Encores and intermish were trimmed at the Philharmonic where "Roberta" is on the boards so that Luba Malina could make a guest shot with Eddie Cantor Jan Savitts ork Skitch Henderson^ pianist, and Golden Gate Quartet flVl the summer void for"Meet Me at Parky's"... .Dick Powell's"Hogue CJal- ery" moves from Don Lee-Mutual into the Fitch NBC spot but won't re- thlt ffml MBr" f''*'!? i" "how will be bought for 1 T.t * refused to sanction the move back to Mutual on the ground that its network would be plugging a rival's program... .Bob Hope l?,f"!/ 4°^" broadcast to his press agent for distribution ,°n tnwn ]^"T»,^n '^'!^ ^^^^^^ '^i'^'^l'^ •' ^usiest chanteuse rinin- McKeon. In addition to her .two CBS sustainers she's doing flve-a-week quarter hour transcription series for Rexall,.. .Hal Bock rpnii^'n f,?,** °" NBC television... .Actress, asked why she chucked radio. orSirfrt c^'^'Fu*"? complicated. She Explained: "a director «f,n.f 9n.^V 1 "^'"8 ^ '°""^«<^ too ta"-" With the bow- out of 20th-Fox from Frigidaire's "Hollywood Star Time," production passes from the packager Famous Artists, to Foote, Cone fic Belding. ...Kay Kyser passed around small boxes of cigars to celebrate arrival of his first "Rpm,;;; p»,f^"^ ".,P.«"""?o"ia Vict™ and under an oxygen tent .f^!^" D ? iu-l^?"" IS being revamped by the Lyorts agency for fall sale. ..Paul Phillips, onetime producer of the Kay Kyser program, now "hronHin^"'^*'"^^''" oV'.'O"** Harriet."... .Ben Brady is back fi«l>fi ~?^^^^ sustainmg time. .. .Joe Rines has several agencies in- terested in "Hollywood House Parly." Microphone will eavesdrop on parties in the homes of the stars.