Variety (Apr 1947)

80 RADIO REVIEWS LONG tIFE AND MERRY ONE- (CBS Documentary trnit) With Van Heflin, John Randolph, Grace Coppin, Karl Swenson, iMartin WolfsoMi Hester Sonaer- gfaard, others Writer: Howard Bodmatt Director: John Becker Producer: Robert Heller 60 Mins! Pri. (4), 10-11 P-«n- Sustaining; WCBS-CBS, N. y. CBS on Friday (4) put on the sec- ond in its scries 61 liour-long docu- mentaries, ttiis time cancelling out '•It Pays to Be Ignorant" in order to slot tiic sliow in prime evening time. On tiiis occasion the networlc con- cerned itself with the health of the nation, and in a fact-paclced pres- entation appropriately titled "A Long Life and a Merry One, the CBS Documentary Unit drove home the story of the nation's deficiencies in both prevention and cure. Like '■The Eagle's Brood," the juve delm- dueiioy program which was the first In the series, "tbe workmanship was fine and the production compelling. CBS had a tough nut to crack in this one. For even though the neg- lect at ai nation's health can acliieve the same Frankenstein proportions as rampant delinquencies, the, fact remains that in translating it to radio it didn't lend itself to^ as dramatic a documentary. Neverthe- le.<s, it emerged as a vivid and arresting compilation of facts repre- senting the entire health picture ol the nation. The perfect blending of narration and dramatic episodesjiid much to overcome the dulling effect of necessary statistics. The question of whether such a «how could entice and hold for 60 minutes the listener who had pre- viously been unaware and therefore uninterested is something else agam. for not all vital issues lend them- selves to dramatic spotlighting. Particularly when it is necessary to encompass so m?ny phases ol a problem. Many individual episodes were highly effective in driving home their point, yet CBS was ob- viously cohlronted with a herculean task in maintaining sustained ten- . sion. The documentary was based on an exhaustive first-hand survey made by Howard Rodman. The scope of his delving disclosed that we are deficient in research; do not have enough doctors in rural districts; that no Negro doctors are accepted in hospitals; that poor living condi- tions, inadequate housing and lack of proper nutrition and food defeat what little medical care a large seg- ment of the population can have. There were other overwhelmmg truths. But above all, Eodman ac- cented that proper knowledge of preventive medical care and treats ment is beyond the reach of 80% of the people in the country. That's a big chunk of info to sell in one dose,, yet CBS' Documentary Unit injected a maximum of show- manship and sales talk. For the role of narrator, who bore the brunt of the 60 minutes, the network brought in Van Heflin. He and the remainder of the cast did an excellent job. Credit John Becker, the director, and Rodman as the scripter with fine, inspired jobs. Rose. BARRY GRAY AND Bltl. BBBNS "WOR's Corn Exchange" "The Answer Men" Day and Night Sustaining WOR, N. Y. Barry Gray is now on a five-a- week quarter hour each day at 4:30 p.m. Bill Berns is in Gray's former all-night spot, from 2 to 5:45 a.m. Both are answering phone calls. Both are working for the same sta- tion Both are getting. nowhere fast regarding importance. But on the basis of these two show's Berns has the Letter ,chance. In his matinee 15 minutes Gray listens as bored, bothered, and be- wildered. Wh£.t else, with calls coming in from 10 and 12-year-olds. After all, from almost four hours every night to only 15 minutes in the afternoon is quite a change, Yet it's hot as big a switch as making 15 minutes seem like four hours. There's no use kidding about it. As it stands, the program is a waste of time lor the statioi* and Gray. The l£.tter can whip up something bet- ter than this but it's got to be in the oven more than a quarter of an hour. 0 Berns is answering a lot of phone queries nightly. Still, not so many as he might for he hasn't learned when to turn the ba4 ones loose. The consequence is the paradQx of his talking a lot and saying little. Knowing how to hang on to the good calls while getting rid- of the weak opes, quick, will help as soon as he can do it. The records Berns is playing are inconsequential although the best thing he's doing is reviving some real old disks esvery night around 4 a.m. Otherwise, he's gracious enough to his callers. Actually too much so. Listening to him for any length of time becomes like having a stick of peppermint in your mouth. If it's, there lOHg enough your stomach may start to turn. But Berns can take care of this by sharpening up his discrimination on the calls and not being a push for a name mention from any hamburger hacienda or press agent. Being everybody's friend is hard on everybody. And still the queries come in, on both shows, as to whether thephone calls are authentic or not. They're authentic, e.11 right. That's what's the matter. They are coming Irpm lay people and who, more than radio, better knows how many im- interesting lays there can be in an audience? So Berns has got to pick and reject faster and firmer. Gray hasn't got enough time to make much difference either w£.y. For Gray this 15 minutes is an aimless and endless session. Other than this he has a weekly Saturday afternoon two-hour disk period with guests, and there's also a Monday night half hour on WOR with which he may or may not still have some connection. But speaking profes- sionally, it could be that sooner or later Gray is going to wish he were back in his all-night spot JlFofliiw-iip Odminent| Bill Stern left Greenberg on third, and higher and drier than Benny ever left him. Only this time it was Jimmy Demaret and the final,round of the Masters' at Augusta. Stern's NBC mobile unit had Demaret pegged on the 17th green where he had a 5-footer for a par which would either slam or leave the door open for Byron Nelson who was behind him and still had a chance. So what did Stern do just as Demaret was about to putt? He cut m to take the mike away to headquarters where he had a couple of pros lined Up for questions. Oh, boy! Vic Ghezzi even told him how important that next putt of Licmaret's was and still Stern didn't catch on. Yes, he finally an- nounced that Demaret had m4de it, but the mobile unit had spotlighted the whole tournament into l^at one putt—and Stern gummed it'up. It's remarkable what some sports an- nouncers Can do when they presume that their x<?ice is the big event. H listeners expected to glean an inkling to Joseph C. Harsch's politi- cal leaning when he took over Wil- liam L. Shirer's Sunday CBS spot (5:45-6 p.m.) last Weekend, they were disappointed. Indeed, there was- not a line in his script to bear out the contention being wafted around by CBSers that "Harsch is even more liberal than Shirer!" Harsch has retained the "Meaning of the News" handle of his former late-evening stint, but his opening, appearance in the 5:45 period, far from disclosing any of the real meanings he must see In affairs, was devoted in toto to a straight, if well dressed up, rewrite Of the day's news, with s: little backgrounding. Listeners can remember when Harsch aired some definite so-called "liberal," views but in recent months he has steered steadily nearer a middle-of-the-road, less opinionated, but apparently safer course. He evidently intends to stick oh it. Weihtcgday, April % 194,7 •THE SON OP MAN With Berry Kroeger, OBieoiore Os- borne, James Goss, Rod Hendrlck- son, Greg Martin Producer: Guy deUa Ciopp» Adapter of Text: ArcWhald Mac- -'Leish 60 Mins.; Sun. (6), 1:S0 p.in. Sustaining WCBS-CBS, N, X- , What was in essence an inspiring Easter radio service, was CBS' pres- entation Sunday (6) afternoon of its hour-length Passion Play, "The Son of Man." Created, or rather adapted, by the noted poet and Librarian of Congress Archibald MacLeish, the program was_ a clever, beautiful integration of Bible text and Johann Sebastian Bach music for a perfect re-telling of the latter days of Jesus, of His betrayal, torment, crucifixion and rise again. Program was rarely Static, and more often than not highly dramatic, while at all times it retained the religious quality and emotional ap- peal ol both the Gospels and the sacrfed mUsic. ■ ^ , What MacLeish did here was— except for the introductory re- marks—to confine himself strictly to integrating passages from the New Testament with Bach's traditional music, using no original text of his own. The poetic art lay. rather, in the integration, in the weaving of spoken Gospel, chorus and orchestra to great effect. Actors who por- trayed the four Evangelists, Mat- thew, Mark, Luke and , John, related the accounts of the Passion by read- ing the ■ New Testament passages, which MacLeish chose with great skill and which the actors read with deep conviction. At times the Gos- pels held the stage; at others the Jreat church music swelled to the foi'e. Production-wise, it was the perfect radio tribute. The music came from Bach's B Minor Mass, "Matthew" and "St, John" Passions, which the Columbia Chorale and CBS Symphony Orches- tra, under Alexander Semler, nlayed beautifully, Brim. THE BIG STORY With Berry Kroeger, ttobert Sloane, Michael Artist, John Gibson, Jim Boles, Ann Seymour, George Pet- rie; announcer, Ernest Chappell; Vladimir Selinsky, musical direc- tor * producer: Bernard J. Prockter Director: Harry'Ingram Writer: Allan Sloane 30 Mins.; Wed., 16 p.m. PALL MALL ' ' , - ■ ^ ■ WNBC-NBC, N. Y. (Foote, Cone &,BeldtnB) This is Pall Mall's replacement for i the Frank Morgan show. The series is based on actual story-getting ad- ventures of newspaper reporters, a $500 cash "Pall Mall Award" being given each week to the newsman whose .story is dramatized. Berry Kroeger, stage and radio actor cur- rently in the legiter "Joan of Lor- raine,*' acts as narrator; remainder of the cast is to be varied according to the dramat's needs each week. Preem airuig'Iast Wednesday <2), titled "The Kid and the Box," high- lighted 'the experiences of Joseph Garretson, police reporter lor the Cincinnati Enquirer, in cracking a murder case ahead of- the police. A, kid shows up at police h.q. with a box he found in the river. In it are two human hands. Police beat news- hawk Garretson, to discovery of the remainder of the murder victim, but Garretson, through soine diligent clue loUowing and sharp deduction, tricks the killer into confession. Production, as always with news- paperman stuff, on Screen or. on the air. was a little stop-the-pressy; Garretson, as portrayed, was more ol a film character than you ever meet in a cityroom. However, it was listenable suspense fare, lor the most part well scripted and directed, and capably, acted. Musical bridges Could be a little less fortissimo and the commercials could be consider- ably less long and repetitious. The series can do more, if the pro- ducers choose, than , present drama- tized airings ol Sunday supplement- type crime cases; reporters' good deeds in uncovering civic corrup- tion, political chicanery and public hoodwinking could be made both exciting and infotmative listening, Revival of the burnt-cork era on the Bing Crosby show (2) on ABC, with Al Jolson 'and John Charles Thomas as guests, was one of the stronger packages delivered by Der Single since he espoused the cause of transcriptions. The informality, knowing humor i and sophisticated and yet respectful ribbing ; of min- strelsy by a set of experts (ireated a mood that warmed oldtimers who have memories qf Doekstader, Prim- rose, et al., and gave the youngsters a look-see Into a theatrical form that's long since gone. Mixture ol oldtime tunes and who- was - that - lady - you -was-with-last- night cracks hit constant buUseyes as far as laughs and sentiment were concerned. The duets, trios and solos by the participants produced the essential nostalgic atmosphere, and even Ken Carpenter's commer- cials took on the mo6d of the rest ol the show. An adult treatise on tolerance high- lighted Sunday's (6) edition of Mu- tual's "Exploring the Unknown" with a hard-hitting presentation, "Fury of Man." A. S. Ginnes' script built up the premise that bigotrj^ and intoler- ance are outward manifestations of an ailing society. To get rid of the evil, social and economic treatments are necessary. Story was built around Paul Lukas as a refugee professor in a college surrounded by a poor neighborhood, where students of foreign extraction and Negroes are continually beaten by neighborhood toughs. The pro- fessor, having fled that kind of per- secution in Germany, organizes over faculty opposition research parties to determine the causes of the beatings and documents his findings to the ex- tent that the school board votes an appropriation to continue his works. Show wound up with a' fervent plea for eradication of the eonditions that lead to bigotry. Lukas gave an excellent perlorm- ance while the show was produced to highlight dramatic as well as prop- agandistic values. , MEET CORLISS ABCHEB With Janet Waldo, Sam Edwards, Irene Tedrow, Fred Shields, Dolores Crane, Bebe Young, Kenny Godkin; Bud Dant orch Producer-Director: Sterliog Tracy Writer: Fred Cramoy 30 Mins.; Sun., 9 p.m. CAMPBELL SOUP WCBS-CBS, N, Y. (Ward Wheelocfc) If you've met Corliss ("a typical teen-age AU-American girl") belore you know what to expect. She's still at it, as breathless, noisy and giddily teenish as ever. Hei' holy-cowing boy Iriend, Dexter Franklin, is still bay- ing at her—like a banshee, as Cor- liss' pa puts it. Mr. Archer is .still alternately moantag or exploding over his Irislcy daughter's high jinks. Mrs. Archer is understanding, It's all wholesome, 11 rather strenuously enacted, family entertainment. For the record, the show Replaced Hildegarde last weekend (6) find this is the third time Campbell has picked up this series. Janet Waldo plays the title role she created when the pro- gram first hit the air in 1943. S4m Edwards, as Dexter, and Irene Ted- row and Fred Shields, as Corliss' parents, also were in the previous airings. F. Hugh Herbert first created the Archers and their friends in a Good Housekeeping "mag story. Cast knows its roles well and han- dles them adeptly, Direction and script are par. Commercials were re- freshingly concise and noh-lrritating. THE ECHO With Everett Clarke, Myron Wallace, Patricia Dunlap, Maurice Cope- land, Charles Flynn Producer: Sherman Mar^ Writer: Boh Piatt 20 Mins.; gun., 9:30 p.m'. MEISTEE BRAU BREWING VWBM, Chicago New whodunit is blatant copy of the "Whistler" which was jerked several weeks ago when show was sold network 'alter running up a local 17.0 Hooper. Local "Whistler" was the same show that was broad- cast earlier on a Pacific CBS chain, with platters flown here and studied by Sherman" Marks, present "Echo" producer, who then put show on with local live talent. New chiller- thriller carries same sponsor, same time slot, and same format, which is tops in appeal for Chi radio aud apd has shown a 12.0 Hooper in special study taken March 24. Basis of title "Echo" is voice of criminal's inner soul and on- episode reviewed show was about man who killed his best pal; married pal's wife and then drivmg over a cUff when he thinks that method of mur- der has been discovered. While it was strictly melodrama stuff, writer Bob Piatt kept suspense up without telegraphing endhig ahead of time. Same cast that did "Whistler" plays ;.'Echo" with Everett Clarke doing title role. Myron Wallace, Patricia Dunlap, Maurice Copeland, Charles Flynn do satisfaetory job that is a bit over-dramatic at times. Music background is done by Frank Smith. Open end commercials are o.k., but half way ad breaks illusion of show and makes it hard for actors to recreate suspense tfaeaiie. MAN OAtLED X With Herbert Marshall, Leon Belasnii. Johnny Green orch;.Wendell Nilra announcer ' Writer: Mlltott Merlin Director: Jack Johnstone 30 Mins.; Thdrs., 10:30 n.m. " ' FRIGIDAIRE WCBS-CBS, N. Y. (.Foote, Cone & Belding) That perennial summer replace- ment favorite, "Man Calle'd X," has now found a permanent regular- season berth, the Frigidaire division of General Motors having bought the Herbert Marshall starrer as successor to its "Hollywood Star Time" pix adaptation series. Frigid- aire, in fact, has cut itself in lor a whole new deal, not only switching from a top-coin show to a modestly- budgeted "rating stealer," but mov ing over from the Saturday 8 p.m segment on CBS to the web's 10-30 Thursday slot. The chances are better than even that Frigidaire has a better sales- man in "X" than in its previous wrapup of pix properties and per- sonalities. For the Herbert Marshall sleuthing is now standard stuff, hew- ing close to that surefire formula and technique that pays oft in audi- ences. The writing and direction, even the musical cues, are as standard as the suavg, sophisticated fronting of Marshall's "Ken Thurston^" but it all falls into a groovy pattern that has a peculiar fascination ^or a siz- able segment of today's listening public. Frigidaire commercials are terse, compact, with its thematic "you'ig twice as sure with two great na|Qe$'^ linking the product to the parent General Motors. Rose. FINAL JUDGMENT With Norman Rose, nari-ator Producer: Leon Goldst-ein - 15 Mins.; Tues. & Fri., 9:39 p.in. Sustaining WMCA, N. Y. Slotted into the segment recently vacated by WMCA's notable "New World A-Coming" dramatic seriesi this program is cut down to a onie- man job of straight narration from Victor H. Bernstein's book on tlie Nuremberg trials, "Final Judgment." Readings, to be spread over six sessions, follow the straight reading technique employed for the broad- cast of John Hersey's "Hiroshima." Narration chore was handled in superb taste by Norman Rose with Bernstein's book providing sufficient material to sustam a degree of in- terest. Rose overcomes the handi- cap which the bare setting of the program presents by a reading which is forceful and modulated, though quiet and unmelodramatic. Pro- gram's appeal is limited, however, by its basically undramatic quality and the politically speculative bias of the book, which unlike Hersey's, is neither straight reportage nor a tion segment. Sheridan and Heed sensational best-seller. Herm. SUNDAY BEST With Johnny .Atkins^ Bl>y Quartet Writer: Jeff Selden Director: Bdb Labour .SO Mins.; Sun;, 1 pjii. Sustaining WMCA, N. Y. Johnny Atkins, newly added crooner to WNEW's live talent roster, rides this half-hour musical session with a pleasant relaxing vo- calizing style. They won't set the town on fire but Atkins' pipes are deep and romantic with ah out-door western flavor ol sulficient appeal to garner a following. His in-between patter, however, is corny and should be sharpened up or dropped. On the preem session Sunday (6), the vocal numbers were old time laves including "Begin the Bcguine," "For Sentimental Rea.sons," "Gotta Get Me Somebody to Love" and "If I Could Be One Hour With You." Roy Ross quartet cut the show nicely and chipped in one instrumental piece, "Sometimes I'm Happy." Herm. THE BPTTEB HERB With Raymond Massey, ex-Gov. Her- . bert H. Lehman, Bryna Raybern, Teddy Rose, Bonnie Jacoby, Betty Cains, liOn Clark, GUbert Blsck, Maurice 1!arplin, Don Frederick Producer: Jock MacGregor Writer: Morton Wishengrad 30 Mins.; Wed. (Z), 8:30 pju. Sustaining WOR'MBS, N. Y. Under American Jewish Commit- tee auspices, Mutual presented a timely Passover program last weeijt (2) in this dramatization of a true story, the breakup of a German- Jewish family in 1938 under the Nazi terror, its tasting of "the bit- ter herb" of exile, and its final, muraculous reuniting in the U.S. after the war. Deportation of the family originally to Poland, where it celebrated the first Passover'in exile; the father's trip to America, ^r^J."^^' erant him entry in the U.S., Cuba or South America; removal of the sons to England, v^ith the mother left in Poland—all this made moving stuff, a second E-xodus. ,j'^"i,-^^*-''°"Sh Raymond Massey (doubling as narrator and as the father), and the other participants enacted their roles well, the pro- eram had a prosaic quality and was a little disappointing. The scripting was couched in familiar dialog and sequence; the production seemed only average, and the result undis- tinguished, The choral interludes, instead of helping the mood, seemec rather to mar the emphasis, in dis- tractmg fashion. What was most stirring was ex- tjovernor Lehman's three - minute speech to close the program, where- in he appealed lor a haven for the pPs, pointing out bluntly that U.S immigration quotas had not been filled f9r years, and that these BP'S (a majority of them n.oh-3e^h) could be admitted by a little re- arrangement of the quota lists with- out increasing immigration totals It was responsibility of the US ^r»ntt fathers were immi- grants and persecuted people, to help, he said. Bron. TOM SCOTT Producer-Announcer William Strauss 15 Mins., Mon., Wed., Fri., 11:4S ajn. Sustaining WQXR, N. Y. New morning series by Tom Scott, sell-styled American Troubadour, is a pleasant interlude and a novelty for pre-lunch listeners. Oldtime folk- songs are not only a change from usual morning fare, but in themselves quite varied by Scott to make an appealing quarter-hour. Openin| pro- gram Wednesday. (2) crammed in six numbers, including a Shawespearean recitation, and otherwise comprising old English, Scottish and Irish songs. The numbers were alternately seri- ous and light, for further contrast. Scott sang them well, with flavor and style, his guitar accompaniment being in good keeping. His intros were a little stiff and stilted, but perhaps couched for His particular audience. Friday programs will be further specialized, with songs and poejns aimed at pre-school age kids. Bron. LAWYER Q With Karl Swenson, Sonny Llss. Joe Julian, Eleanor Audley, Nell O'Malley; announcer; DennU James Producer - Director - Writer: Aaron Sifeiner ' 30 Mins.; Sun., 8 p.m. Sustaining . WOR-MBS, N. ¥. A practicing attorney who has made a hobby of recording oddities in the law and unusual court cases not only has made his flies available for this new. show, but appears in it as a sort of legal Dr. I.Q. The net- work explains that, because of his professional connections, his identity cannot be revealed. The show is a mixture of giveaway (cash), mfo please (legal only) and whodume (actual court cases). ^ On teeoff stanza (»), Lawyer « a fellow with a Southern accent ana an easy manner remarkably like Kay Kyser's, quizzed seven from the studio audience.. .each question il- lustrated by a light piece of draraat, such as a guy and gal sitting on a Central Park bench. He tells her, "I c^n't live without you!" Lawyer Q asks, "In New York, can that be held a proposal of marriage? it-or- rect ans; yes!) In a brief second phase of the stanza—and its weakest « (Continued on page 36)