Variety (Apr 1948)

99 warn msswwBsws SJNIOB MISS KnutWiA. Gtfe Ctoidon, S«»h S«lby» My«a Mandi, WaUot Sdin- mkiui orch. ' _ Vroaucert Fran Van Hardtesveldt Wrttens: Henry Garsdn, Eobert Soderbertr ' 10 nilns.. Sat., 11:30 a.ni. ilKVlBR BROS. CBS, from ttollywood (Needhom, Lot^is & Brorby.) Lever Bros, has bought the new ^Junior Miss" situation comedy series based on the Sally Benson stories and has slotted it in the 11:30 to noon Saturday morning slot on CBS as part of the web's strong sequence of dramatic airerg, Including "Let's Pretend," "tSm.- ftrong Theatre," "Stars Over Slollywood" and "Grand Central tation." Production-wise, it's a bigtime en- try in the commercial sweepstakes, daytime or nighttime, with a strictly pro aura permeating the •ciing and direction. However, the inconsistency of trying to mix !Jew York sophistication with ado- escent behaviorism represented a script weakness that ev«n the top production i^outdn't remedy. Perbaps ihe basic fault of the "Junior Miss" program that nreemed last Saturday (3) was its failure to capture sympathy for its Park ave. characters^ or create a mood or tempo. It may be asking too much in an initial instalhnent to breath life into a family, set tiie stage and establish the, sur- roundings. Then again the sophis- tication of an upper bracket New York family, even when presented as coping with the domestic prob- lems that confront any other American family, may not be coni' |>rehensible to a large segment of coast-to coast listeners. A reader'of the New Yorker mag encountering "Junioc Miss" It con- ditioned to ttie suavity and detach- ment of. thisv^e of parentHkff' spring rttlfttloiiship. But it's quwtion how understandable or real the Graves family will come through iio that larger listening audience west of the Hudson. But on the whole the effect left toy "Junior Miss" was that of du- plicating a pattern and formula that's been almost wrung dry ih radio. There are overtones-r but frob a different $nt/£eQlnnent—of *Aldifch Family," "One Man's Family," "Corliss Archer," etc. Perhaps if the scripters didn' try so hard to make eaOh of the characters so clever fhey might get aroimd to making a real family. And then the situations might hold -Water. But it was the bon mot for Which "everything else was sacri- ficed on the opening stanza. Barbara Whiting, kid;.si8ter of songstress Margaret Whiting, plays the lead in the air sefieS. She brings to it a definite charm. Others in the cast measure up the, script's possibilities.- lifivers plugs Pepsodent on thfe show with the same familiar exag- gerated claims heard on its night- time shows. But it's also a mul- tiple sponsorship "deal which per- mits a three - way plugging for Levers products. Last Saturday Binso got in its Innings at the end. The result was^ confusion and a commercial treatment that gave Binso the definite exlt$e. Rose, SPEAK IIP AMERICA With JelW B. Kennedy; Kws Hub- erts, Gene Hamilton, annoimcer* PtodQcer: Murdock Peoiili«rtciii IS niin.. Sun., 4 p>m. TUCKBK AtJTO CORP. ABC, from New York (BOV f. Durstine) There's nothing particularly novel or even exciting about this new 15-minute Sunday afternoon gab session on ABC—except the novelty of the sponsor himself making the commercial pitch at the halfway mark. Like most of the new programs bitting the air today, there's a giveaway as the comeon, this instance one of the first Tucker autos to come off the assembly line. It's not even a box- top payoff; simply recognition for the best letter in 50 words or less on one of the day's vital Issues. For the initial session last Sunday (4> the subject was: "Can a Military Man Make a Good Presid^t?" Otherwise the John B. Ifennedy gab built , around the week's auto winning topic amqunts to more or less filler-stuff; a rehash of piiblic and official sentiment; plus-some wire-recorded vox popping of the man-on-the-streel. * Kennedy backgrounded the dis- cussion with a fast-paced historical ret'rise of past generals and mili- tary men who had moved into the White House, but for the most part, particularly in the wire-re- corded data, there was little said that showed careful thought -or analysis. And Kennedy's strident and excitable voice hovered, over the whole thing. For a quarter-hour program, the opening and. closing. commercial!^ in addition to Preston Tuckei^s midway pitch, seemed overdoing it. ■ ■ • : JRose. Monitoring t|H> Hop«fub In step with the CBS serieiii on "Presidential Timber," Variety will review each of the declared candidates; in terms of their air personali- ties. Starting with Harold E. Stassen, this week, the review page will cover President Harry S. Truman, Sen. Robert A. Taft, Gov. Earl Warren of I GalifoKnla, Henry Wallace, Gov. Thomas E' Dewey and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. If any of the presidential hopefuls fail to accept CBS' invitation, Vaiiikty will cover them on other broadcasts. dRCUB «tIERiqAN ALMANAC ith jQlitt Henry Maedoneli; Wal- ter Merliiiy, annovncer; Buddy Weed, juuste Si-odueer^dlreetor: Henry Dick Writer: Getfrxe Faulkner 1^ MiM.; Sun., 3:15 p,ni. Sustainln; AT.-C, from New York EiUed as a "new departure" in programming, this is simply a one- man readmg of an artful script built around facts, figures and anecdotes stemming from the old family, almanac. The narrator, John Henry Maedoneli, is former radio head of the J. Walter Thompson ad agency's London office and hasn't been before a mike, it's reported, fa more than 16 years. Writer GGorge faulkner also is a former JWT man. Maedoneli gave the reading -a cuiiured (a'little too British, if anything) treatment that carried a happy-to-be-doing-this tone. Faulk- ner's material was a collection of trivia, moderately interesting. ■All told, it's what might be called a charming little show, de- lightfully done—^for a very limited audience. It wouldn't, however, be ' likely to sustain the interest of a xim-Qf-'the-^inaill listener for 15 min- utes. Doan. DRAMA. CRITICS AWARDS With Irene M. Sebnlck. EUa Kaian, * John Mason Brown, Karl Mtalden, Jesslea Tan^y, Marlon Brando>, Kim Hunter; Frank McCarthy, announcer Producer: Jock MaeGregor 30 Mins^'-Sqii. (4), X^pjo. Snstainet ■ .■ ' ■ WOR, N; Y. This was a special broadcast in connection with the N. Y. Drama Critics' Circle 1947-'48 award to "A Streetcar Named Desire" as the best play of the season on Broad- way. Instead of the usual dull "award-dinnet" typfr of program, this was an interesting airer, with some wttty or searching comments! on the theatre, and a capsule edi- tion of the play in a few 'scenes presented. Producer' Irene M. Selznick threw her adjectives around a little too lavishly, in Hollywood style, as she thanked everybody, espe- cially -the critics. John Mason Brown, Circle prez, in a witty speech described the play and.re- ferred to some of the problems of critics. Director ■ Elia Kazan, ac- cepting the award on behaU of the absent playwright, Tennessee Wil' liams, paid tribute to playwright, cast and others involved, and saw evidence that the New York theatre was "richly replenishing itself" in the fact that two young play- wrights, Arthur Miller and Wil- liams, had received the Critics' awards two years in a row. Then in skillfully picked scenes, with a narration by Kazan iieing them together, principals of the leister gave .listeners some Idea of what the play was about. Di^mat seemed a little halting at first, but it picked up quickly as the actors settled down, to paint an interest- ing portrait of the pathetic school- teacher-flirt who,' .according to Brown, "had lost her amateur standing.'' PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER With Harold E. Stassen 15 Mins.; Wed., 10:30 p.m. Sustaining CBS, from Madison, Wis. The first politico openly to seek a post position in the '48 election sweepstakes, Harold E. Stassen was also the fh:^ to accept CBS' invita- tion to all presidential aspirants to air their views on a webkfer IS-min- ute network spot. With radio due to play a signifi- cant role in this election, how does Stassen stack up as a vote-getting personality? The old master, F.D.R., set a standard duruig big 13-year term in office which will be difficult to approach, much less to meet. He still echoes in the inner ear, and who can match his intimacy, hisr slncferitj^, the ring and rotundity of his voice-and the crys- tal clarity of his prose stylet. Stassen registers as a ^erioys and effective radio speaker biit lacks the impact of distinctiveness. He has competence but he does not compel. His voice, measm'ed by normal platform standards, is vig- orous, experienced and free of any provincial taint; but it cannot soar into the realm of emotional power, irony and wit. where F.D.H; held sway. Stassen is not cold, but he never ignites. Blaybe it's the fault of his prose style. Too often, Stassen lapses into the ready-made phrase and the prefabricated idea. Typically, he opened his talk with: "this is a time tha^ tries men's souls," a sen- tence which has tried men's souls for 150 years due to. over-repeU* tion. Several of ids ideaSj more-^ over, became tangled in a web of daUfding participles which compli- cated the job of foUowtaig him through his national housing plan, This should be the simplest thing for Stassen. to remedy. Hem. Wecbaifwlwy, April T, j[948 OB SPBAK8 fWun GrMi myt yiit«*nt J. Ivish, announcer Prodttctrs John Wlngats . , Writers: Nat Ruddiok, Mlko Ja- . Mous ' 16 Mlns., Wed., 7:30 p.ia. Sustaining WOR, N. Y; This 13-week series, markingthe first time that the American Fed- eration of Labor and the Commit- tee of Industrial Organizations have cooperated in a set of pro- grams giving the views of organ- ized labor on national and inter- national affairs, ought to be as provocative as it Is unusual. Wednesday's (31) "opener, how- ever, was a disappointment. True, it was the initial airer and had to set the scope of the series. 6ut it had AFL prez William Green and CIO head Philip Mur- ray to tee it off and program should have had'the oomph to go with the prestige of thete two. Green, who led off, spoke in gen- eralities without any specific labor angle, belaboring inflation, Russian labor policy and the Soviet men- ace, and repeating oft-told remarks about the enslav.ement of Russian workers. Murray was more spe- cific, although also withdit getting down to brass,^ tacks. Murray point- ed out that this was a crucial po- litical year, that labor had to take part by registering and voting, and guarding against leaving the mak- ing of political decisions to mi^ norities. Mayor Vincent J. Murphy of Newark, who was the moderator, mentioned the all-importaht sub- jects of housing, prices and civil rights without discussing them. Labor has to speak more specifi- cally—more violentiy, perhaps, but certainly more pointedly to its own interests — to make this an out- standing program. It starts off soK emnly, seriously, and' a little pomp? ously. It ought to take its gloves off and start to swing. This inl- tialer was' as respectable as the NAM. Bron. Bnm. EYE WITNESS NEWS With John B: Kennedy Producer: George Calian IS Mins.; 6:30 p.m. RCA-VICTOB CO. WFIL, Philly Here's a news commentary seg- ment with a unique twist—a report on television. John B. Kennedy, longtime network news gabber, is doing a pitch via WFIL, local ABC outlet, with a view toward going on the net if idea clicks. The sponsor, RCA-Victor, is plugging television sets exclusively in commercials and whettjng the customers appetite for buying them by telling what they're miss- ing on the video circuit. When caught, Monday (29), Kennedy dis- cussed the top news of the day in his usual style, which is still okay listening, then segued into "what's what" on video, describing the shows he saw over the weekend (Easter parade, ANTA show, etc.) and then gave the highlights of the shows to come. ShaL I BELIEVE With Recordings by Emma Scha- ver, operatic soprano, accompa- nied by symphonic, orch and chorus conducted by George Se- bastian; Robert Lurie, narrator Production: Steve White 30 MinS:; Thors. (1), 10 p.m. Sustainiue WNEW, N. Y. Here's another demonstration of the initiative and imagination which makes this Bulova-owned station an outstanding indie opera- tion. The program'was a "musical documentary," built around a col- lection of folk songs of the. dis- placed persons of Europe, and ini- tiated a series the station expects to air, perhaps on an every-other- week basis, in which music will play die leading role in document- ing themes of contemporary impor- tance. The DP songs, comprising a col- lection titled "I Believe," were re- corded by Emma Schaver (who has sung with the San Carlo and Cin- cinnati Operas), following a tour of concentration camps and DP cen- ters as a cultural delegate for the World Jewish Congress, with the aid of UNRRA. Here, in a panor rama of song, were all of hopes and sorrows^ all of the courage, desperation, defiance and tragedy of Europe's oppressed, told at times in mournful dirge, at times in strident marching music. The numbers included "Hymn of Youth," "The City Bums," "The Hymn of the Partisan" and the title piece, "I Believe," among others. Connecting the numbers, sung in native tongue and stirringly pre- sented through the orch-chorus backing given Miss Schaver, was a two-voice script which painted the setting for each succeeding num- ber with poetic, dramatic vivid* ness. The reading was a little over-wrought, but this did little harm to the overall effect/ If the stanza left anything to be desired, it was simply that parts of the songs weren't sung in English so that their stories would be fully conveyed to listeners unfamiliar with the DPS'tongues. Doan. GAL TINNEY U Mins.; Sun., 4:15 pjn. Sustaining ABC, from New York Cal Tinney's homespun humor probably has ite best showcase to date with th^s IS-minute session that permits him to give thoughts itt random under the heading of "Thinkin' Aloud." Tinney gives a series of one and two liners on practically every controversial sub- ject. There's bite and significance to his verbiage inasmuch as what- ever thoughts he wants to get over are sugarcoated with humor. Tinney has an unusual format inasmuch as there are lengthy pauses and evcfi audible sighs be- tween his short paragraphs. How- ever, he inaintaiva a sense of tim- ing even with' thesfe stoM which permit the audience to cDgest his pearls. . There's an imorthodoxy in every- thing about the show. 'Finney does everything from singing, whjstling, ceeiting poetry to getting off lines that would do justice to a vaude- vHie'emeee. His session is reminiscent of a newspaper columnist who fills a good portion of his space with con- secutive periods. For example: "They've stopped making $5,000 houses in Brooklyn. The builder ran out of scotch tape ... A bar- tender is the only psychiatrist who works in an apron — (song) Flow Gently Sweet Congress, You'll Wake Up Some Day....Radio is turning into a lottery. The people don't want to listen, they'want to win (song) Kinsey, K-K-K-Kin- sey, I'll be waiting for your, book about the girls — There ought to be a law where you can't have a new war until you've paid for the old one... .Winchell's talks give the people gooseflesh, then he sells Jergen's lotion to clear 'em. . . ," All of it is listenable and amus- hig. Jose. ROGB»jKaGORB-PCBLIC DK. Wltti Raymond ^fidwurd' Johnson. Santos Ortega, Andy Donnelly, Gharita Bauer. ISatl 0<H>rge, BUI Smith, Humphrey Davis; Sylvan Levin, conductor Writer: Stedman Coles Producer: Jock MacGregor 30 Mlns.; Tuesday, 10 p.m. Sustaining - MBS, from New York To buck Bob Hope in the 10 p.m spot Tuesdays, Mutual has played a longshot with "Roger Kilgort?.*. Pliblic Defender" as the replace^ ment for Theodore Granii^s "American , Forum." The choice isn't exactly a triumph of inspira< tion, being an unabashed variation of "Mr. District Attorney" and umpteen other crlme-doesn't-pay mellers. The slight switch is there for differentiation, but in every way possible the new stanza is slavishly imitative — as to story pattern, musical identification, pre- tentious quotation (this one the opening words of the Declaration "of Independence) and even to the casting and performance of the title part. But "Roger Kllgore—Public De- fender" raises one Interesthig thought. That is, how far can the defense' attorney idea be carried. First of all, it's essentially in con> fllct with aU the sanctimonious premise of the "D. A." and other cops 'n' robbers stanzas. Inevi- tably, it m<}st make the prosecuting attorney out to be either a lunk- ' head who's unwittingly trying to convict an innocent man, or a vil- lain who's knowingly pinning a rap on him. On the assumption that listeners take these.things seriously, what'll Mutual's audiences begin to think . about their local D.A. and all his gumshoes and flatfeet who stumble around pinching right guys and trying to railroad them to the rockpile? And how a1}out all tiic lawyers in the country, who're try-^ . ing to make aiiuck and (doubtless) having trouble collecting from their clients as it is? How are ' they going to like this dauntless de- fender named Roger Kilgore, who ' works such miracles and doesn't charge a fee? ' As for the premiere show itself, it was nothing very impressive one ' way or the other. Considering the. basic limitations, the Stedman ■ Coles script seemed reasonably workmanlike, ahd Jock MacGre- gor's production was competent. Raymond Edward Johnson sounded enough like Jay Jostyn to get the desired idea across. Santos Or- tega was the dimwit, (and suspi- ciously generous) D.A., while Andy Donnelly was acceptable as the accused and Charita Bauer turned in. a nifty performance as the w willing alibi. Earle George, as the cabbie who mis-identified the sua^ pect, seemed to be characterizing too much. Street & Smith, which publishes a fistful of pulp mags, is billed as owning the series, and the pre miere signoff mentioned a cash contribution to the Public De* fender fund of Philadelphia. Also, the yarn was. atmounced as bein^ a true story, presumably from the Street & Smith files, Hobe. THE UNEXPECTED With Barry Sullivan Writers: Robert Levitt, Frank Burt Producer-director: Frank Dandg IS Mins.; Sun., 10:30 l UNIVERSAL MOTORS WOR, N. Y. (Levy Advertising) .This is a transcribed, packaged program presenting what amoimts to a dramatized air veri^ion of a magazine "short short.'' Tiie series is plattered in Hollyw<iod, featur- ing a different Hollywood film star each week, and the capsule mys- tery dramas enacted rely heavily on the snapper-ending technique. Initialer on WOR last Sunday (4) used ft cast of- four, headed by (Continued on page 40) ■ EUROPA UND DER STIER With PhiUp Stabl, Alan Taulbe^ Writer: Arch Kepner 30 Mins.; Thurs., 10:30 p.m. (1) WQXR, New York This was the second performance of what appears likely to be an annual April Fool's Day spoof of opera broadcasts such as the Texaco-sponsored Saturday mat- inee of the Metopera. It consists of 30 minutes of nonsensical com- mentary and ear-ache "music." The former Includes a deadpan reading of crackpot story outline of the "opera" and background of the cast and composer. The "opera" 11 s e I f is an eerie cacophony of squeals, moans and yammerings, apparently < from recordings and transcriptions played simultane- ously and at various speeds. The "opera," titled "Europa und der Stier" ("Europa and the Bull"), is supposed to have been written by Siegfried Sitzplatz, who kept trying to make a speecb to the lis- teners, finally got the rtiike and im- mediately became entangled in pointless verbiage, and concluded the show by assaulting the myth- ical conductor and batoning the bedlam finale. All of which was an excellent idea and amusing enough for a short comedy spot. But it was too thui for a half-hour show, and falls into tedium before the sign- off. Willie and Eugene Howard s "Rigoletto Quartet" number is still the standard for this sort of thing. Hobe.