Variety (Jul 1946)

so TELEVISION Wednesday, July 31, 1946 ABC, WBKB Score Chi Ace Televising Tarn CShanter; Other Video Reviews Finallv getting hold of some de- cent video equipment, WBKB did a niliy job of telecasting the $50,000 All-American golf tournament from the Tam O'Shanter course. Image orthicon camera, borrowed from RCA for the occasion, gave Chi tele- vision enthusiasts their flr6t taste of what to expect when new equip- ment, on order, arrives two weeks hence for permanent WBKB use. Slu.w was produced by ABC tclc- vi»ion. which bought air time over WBKB for the occasion. It was the first time a golf tournament had been televised. Orlhicon's image, detail and gen- eral overall picture, far outdistanced anything that has been, seen here in AI.I.-AMERICAN GOLF TOURNAMENT With Johnnie Neblett and Jack Giliney, announcers Exec. Producer: Harvey Marlowe Director: Rebuild Werrenratb, Jr. Thur. (25) to Sun. (2S); 12 to 3 p.m. Thur.; 3 to 6 p.m. Fri.; 1 to 6 p.m. Sal.; and 1 to 6 pjn Sun. I. S. RUBBER CO. WRKR-ABC. Chicago sary for RCA and WBKB engineers to devise a double-relay system from the course. Original signal from the course was relayed to WBKB installation at the Rainbow Arena, where it was re-transmitted to «the main studios and finally beamed to home receivers. Actual telecast went off without a hitch, with engineering staff under super- vision of Bill Kusack doing swell job of a difficult technical assign- ment. . . Johnnie Neblett and Jack Gibney announced it all neatly, with Ne- blett handling pjay on the course and Gibney giving background in- formation from the camera booth atop the clubhouse. Neblett inter- viewed many of the players, and his commentary was especially well adapted for the videocast. Commer cials were worked into the show with slides from WBKB's studios and by Neblett and Gibney at the scene. Foos. the past. Use of the one camera limited WBKB coverage to the first, second and 18th holes, but that was overcome by the fact that plenty was always happening at the three spots. Approach shots to the second green and final all-important play on the 18th kept camera busy most of the time. Tense moment, when Herman Barron, tourney winner, approached the 18th green one stroke to the good and came up with a weird shot, was as exciting and as clear to the video aud as to the thousands of spectators at the course. Harry Birch and Art Kambs did outstanding job of handling camera work during the four-day show. Telephoto lens was used to good advantage when camera made fre quem roving trips around part of the course in view, to pick up play ers on the fairways. Sighting of contestants making approach shots to the second and 18th greens, from distances of 200 to 250 yards, was surprisingly clear. Technical trouble, pegged "ther mal agitation," encountered during pre-tclecast tryouts, made it neces- MEMORIES WITH MUSIC With Mae Murray, Larry- Brooks, Lillian Cornell, Blair tt Dean, Jay GeSsen, John Robb, Frederick de Wilde, Sid Cassell, Dorothy: Em- ery, Fairfax Burgher Producer-Director: Ernie Colling Tech. Dir.: Al Protiman Set: Bob Wade 35 Mlns.; Sun. (28), 8:35 p.m. Sustaining WNBT-NBC, N. Y, As the latest step In its project to bring back, oldtime entertainers, NBC television featured Mae Mur- ray, star of silent pix, in "Memories with Music." If Miss Murray can be taken as an example, the oldtimers are going to require plenty of coach- ing in the art of video acting before they ca/i successfully revive their thesping careers. Star might have been acceptable to the oldtimers in the a'udience, to whom she could bring back nostal- gic memories, but her over-emphatic gestures, eye-rolling, etc., appeared far too hammy to be compared fa vorably with modern actors. Show's dialog was reminiscent of the silent screen's subtitles, but it otherwise proved entertaining. After introducing Miss Murray, it segued into a scene at the St. Regis hotel, N. Y., in 1925, where the song and dance acts were integrated well into the story. Latter, a minor af- fair involving an engaged couple blowing their hard-earned coin in Learning tho Hard Way When Standard Brands took over the "Hour Glass* tela show, aired over WKBT (NBC, tf. Y.) on Thursday nights, It was With the avowed intention of learn- ing as much as possible about video programming. Its series of trials and tribulations car* tainly proves it's learning the hard way. Latest problem arose last . week. Producers of the Jj Walter Thompson agency, which handles the show, had lined tip a trained bear act and, as one of them put it, the bear might have been trained but he was never . househroken. Animal translated each order of his trainer during rehearsal into a suggestion to give way to its natural functions. After figur- ing out the overtime they'd have to pay the cleaning women, the producers finally gave up, con- ceding this Was one problem they couldn't lick. Only solution possible was to cancel out the act at the last minute and replace it with one without animals. 4A s Defers Tele Talent Plans Despite SAG Survey on Coast ABC Gets FCC Okay For 4th'.Chi Tele Oulet Washington, July 30. Th» Federal ' Communications Commission okayed a fourth tele- vision station for Chicago, last Thursday (25), handing out a per- mit to ABC network. The Windy City already receives service from Balaban & Katz station, WKBW, and NBC. Zenith Radio Corp. re- cently won construction permits. ABC was authorized to use tele channel No. 7 but must obtain ap- proval of the Civil Aeronautics Ad- ministration on location of its tower and antenna site. The net, through control of the King-Trendle Broad- casting Co.. already has a television permit for Detroit. one fling at cafe society, merely served as the backdrop for the acts, which was probably just as well. It's difficult to believe that $5 could buy a dinner for two at the St. Regis even in 1925. And Ernie Colling, the producer-director, who also wrote the script, pulled a boner by having the principals ordering cock- tails—during the middle of the pro- hibition era. Cast was uniformly good. Larry Brocks, currently appearing on Broadway in "Song of Norway," and Lillian Cornell, NBC tele discovery, doubled on several songs of the 'era for good results, although Miss Cor- nell's voice was drowned out several times by Brooks' robust baritone. Ballroom dance team of Blair and Dean demonstrated nice technique in two numbers. Speaking cast handled their lines competently. Colling teamed . well with Al Protzman handling the camera shots. Bob Wade's two sets were excellent, per usual. Stal. Radio Scripts WANTED For ONE TIME CANADIAN BROADCAST (Adaptations and Originals) ONLY SCRIPTS WHICH HAVE BEEN PRODUCED ON THE AIR Detective and Adventure Preferred Light Comodio* and Melodramas Will Bo Considered NO Horror ... NO Fantasie .. . NO Mush TOP PRICES PAID RICHMAN PRODUCTIONS 10 East 43rd Stroat. Now York 17, N. Y. Murray Hill 2-5S54 "KING'S PARTI LINE" With John Beed King, Jim Brown; Win Elliott, guest Producer: Frances Buss Set: James McNaughton 3» Mlns.; Sat. (27), 8:45 p.m. Sustaining WCBW-CBS. N. Y. Herc"s another example of a good idea gone bad through sloppy han- dling. Following the usual format of shows emceed by John Reed King, the program gives the home view- ing audience, as well as the studio audience, a chance to participate for the awards. Despite King's efforts to bolster interest via the fine way in which he handles his participants, the show drags interminably. In its present form, a reduction of about 10 minutes would seem to be the best way to improve if. Show's unique format, on which the title is based, involves the use of telephone communications be tween King and the- home viewers. After introducing the studio partici pants. King asks a question about them, such as whether the audience can guess from what part of the country they're from merely by lis- tening to them speak. ..Home view- ers then phone in their answers and, if the right guess is not forthcoming within five calls, the guest wins the pri7.e money. As the phone connection is pres ently set up, viewers near only the end of the conversation emanating from the studio. Some system where- by the home caller could also be heard would do much to aid the show and also dispel the constant doubt that many of the colls are "ringers." Despite optimistic claims of the number of sets jn operation today, it's difficult to believe that King could average so many out- side-originated calls in one program. King had Win Elliott, emcee of the "County Fair"" radio show, as special guest last Saturday (27) night and- the latter displayed one of the most distasteful routines yet seen on .a video screen, going through the motions of ripping open his stomach, pulling out his ribs and then playing a tune on them. Per- haps video will yet need some kind of a censorship body to rule out such examples of poor taste. Technical end of the program was handled'In good, fashion. Direction §jc'" t Frances Buss.-was okay and alnes JfcNaughton's single set was equally'good: Stal. Limited Demand Moves OPA to Exempt Video Sets from Price Fixing Washington, July 30. Household television sets were one of the first items to be exempted from price controls by a re-activated Office of Price Administration here last Friday (26). . ■ Agency said it was decontrolling the receivers "because of the pres- ent limited demand due to the few sending stations, and their limited range, together with their high in- stallation costs and lack of base pe- riod prices for use in fixing ceiling prices. OPA went on to say that products usually fall in price during a development period and this same pattern is expected in sales tickets of video receivers. The Associated Actors and Artistes of America has taken no definite steps yet to organize its members for television by setting minimum wage scales, despite the recent for- mation of a committee by the Screen Actors Guild, a 4A's affiliate, to in- vestigate the situation. Tele industry officials believed that the move of SAG, which is af- filiated in the 4A's with the Ameri- can Federation of Radio Artists, Equity, American Guild of Variety Artists and American Guild of Musi- cal Artists, would prod the inter- union council into taking a stand in the matter. Spokesmen for the 4A's declared, however, that they be- lieved the time is still not ripe for their entry into video and that they would continue to sit on the side- lines by keeping the problem "un- der advisement." SAG committee, according to ex- ecs of that union, will concentrate on SAG members appearing in film for television. It's understood, con- sequently, that any film actors doubling,' in \ive television shows will come under the^-jurisdiction o'f one-of the other unions, when the. latter decide to take the tele plunge. Whether there will be-a jurisdic- tional battle among the other unions depends on what arrangements the 4A's committee will be able to make. R-R LINES UP INFO ON TELE FOR CLIENTS Chicago, July 30. For the first time in Chicago,; an ad agency is taking decisive action for its account execs and clients to learn what all the shooting is about in television, with a two-day video symposium being set up by Ros Metzger radio chief of RulhraufT & Ryan's Chi office. Purpose of the confab will be to line up a plan of cooperation with all .related industries here for the advancement of television, to in form, advertisers of new develop- ments in the field, as well as tele- casting's advantages as an adver- tising medium, and to stimulate in- terest and activity through a pres entation of factual info gained by the agency from commercial pro gram'experiments on station WBKB. Setup differs from the" various tele institutes arid seminars lined up in the past for the purpose of hashing over the medium with those who are working in it, in that po- tential sponsors are being called in, with video receivers being set up in an R&R conference room for their personal inspection. WOR Video Station In Surprise Windup Current series" of weekly television shows by WOR, N. Y., at General Electric's WRGB, Schenectady, will wind up Aug. 9, last two shows of the 13-week scries to be produced and directed; by Bob Emery. Windup is causing some surprise, inasmuch as WOR will eventually have two tele stations, in N. Y. and Washington, with the Schenectady broadcasts looked on as valuable spade work. Washington station has already been okayed, and zoning commission has also given green light to build. WOR expects to hear any day on the N. Y. application, as hearings were held on same in early June. . »er's Tele Plans . Washington, July 30. Building permits have been issued here to Bamberger Broadcasting Co. for a television broadcasting tower to cost $30,000 and a one-story video transmission building to cost $100,- 000. Bamberger holds one of the D. C. channels. CBS-Ford Deal Tied To RCA Image Orths Speculation on how CBS televi sion planned to handle its remote pickups from Madison Square Gar dent, N.Y., during- the coming fall and winter season was cleared up this week by CBS officials. Network has an order pending with RCA for two Image Orthicon cameras, which will be moved into the Garden to augment the single iconoscope used by CBS in. the past. I.O.'s have been on order with RCA for some time, and were to have been delivered by the middle of May, but reconversion difficulties have prevented RCA from meeting its schedule. CBS, consequently, is keeping its fingers crossed with the hope the I.O.'s will arrive on time. Actual signing of the deal with the Ford Motor Co. to sponsor the Garden shows is awaiting only the formulation of a schedule. Latter will be announced tomorrow (Thursday) following a meeting' between CBS and Ford execs, at which the deal will be consummated. WCHS Charleston, West Va. FOR HAWAII'S LARGEST DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT NEW NEW YORK OFFICE 475 Fifth AvtMt (total Pickwick, Kimn City M*.