Variety (April 1952)

36 MAMO nvuirs « WfdncMUy; Ajpritt 2 , 1955 I Edocl TV Stations’ Survival: Coy Educational television stations-^ will better chances for survival M they operate on a commercial basis enough hours a day* to cbver ex- penses for their own informational stanzas, former FCC chairman Wayne Coy told the Cooper Union Forum Sunday (30). Coy, now an 0 AM-TV consultant and 50% owner of KOB and KOB-TV, Alburquer- que (subject to FCC approval), was beamed over WNYC, N. Y. * In his first public address since leaving the Commission five weeks ago, Coy said educational outlets would be “much happier, do a bet- ter job” • and last longer with par- tial commercial operation. * He also declared that educational tele, sta- tions should be operated by schools, colleges and similar institutions, rather than by states or municipali- ties, suggesting that operation by governmental agency might result in political propaganda. Coy covered a wide field in the speech and question period, which totaled over 75 minutes. He started out with a self-kidding reference to his being a “knowledgeable fellow,” recalling that for the past three and a half years, since inception of the freeze on new TV station construction, he had been regularly (and mistakenly) predicting a thaw—“and it still hasn’t happened yet.” However, he pointed out, the freeze has been a great advantage to educators, having given them time to study video’s potentialities and get in their bids for channels. He said he was “optimistic” for the future of educational TV, encour- aged by the interest of some prog-| ressive educators in tele, but “pes- simistic” because not enough “real- istic study” has been made of the problems of operating tele outlets. Banding Together Mentioning the high cost of sta- tion operation, Coy suggested that if educators got together to produce programs and make them available to commercial outlets, it might be cheaper than if schools have their own channels. Former FCC chief .gave commercial radio and tele a pat, citing AM’s news and classical music and the “continuous im- provement” in .TV’s dramatic fare. ' Coy referred to various ap- proaches to educational broadcast- ing such as the concept of the Ford Foundation, pay-as-you-see tele, closed circuit instructional. tele- casts, school-owned stations, public service shows on commercial out- lets, etc. He said he had “great faith in the outcome of all these manifold expressions of interest In the problem.” . Asked whether, since the air is a public resource, public funds shouldn’t be used to develop edu- cational TV (just as the Govern ment pays for public parks), Coy replied that such a setup would have “socialistic” implications. He also said that the American ap- proach to radio is better than that of the British Broadcasting Corp., because minority parties have an equal opportunity to get time, while in Britain time is apportion- ed on the basis of voting strength. On the question of color tele, Coy said that the FCC had been asked to approve a color system, not to take into consideration the question of compatibility. He said that many advances, and not only colorcasting, made present black and-white sets “obsolete to an ex tent.” Thus, a big screen could make a 10-inch set obsolete, the in- troduction of a new ultra-high fre- quency station in a community could make VHF sets obsolete to the extent additional gadgets are ne- cessary, etc. Coy slapped at recent charges that his co-purchase with Time Inc., of KOB was “approved” be- cause Coy was on the Commission. He pointed out that the’ negotia- tions were made after he left the FCC and that the latter has not yet acted on the application for trans- fer of the license. Bril. Detroit—Dr. Hale Aarnes, direc- tor of education in radio and tele- Stephens College, Colum- bia, Mo., will be principal speaker Saturday (5) at the McCall Mike Award dinner held in connection with the American Women in Ra- dio and Television convention which convenes heer Friday (4). Aarnes’s topic will be “The Unde- fined Impact.” DOROTHY & DICK . „ * With Dorothy Kilf alien, Richard Kollmar IS Mins., Mon.-thru-Fri., 7:15 p.m. WOK, New York Mr, and Mrs. Richard Kollmar, who’ve become just plain Dorothy Dick to WOR’s morning dialers via their informal breakfast-time patter show, continue in the same groove with their pre-dinner gab series which .preemed on the same station Monday (31). Show is aired^ from their home (as is the a.m. series), which helps the pair pre- sent the idle chitchat with, ease and in comfort. The gab, of course, is just an extension of the morning’s discus- - sion, covering topics from theatre news to world events. Dorothy Kilgallen. N. Y. Joumal-American columnist and TV panelist; and husband Richard Kollmar, pro- ducer-actor, aren’t shy about voic- ng their opinions, and sound off at the drop of a topic, For the, Dorothy Sc Dick devotees who feel that the 45-minute morning confab is too brief, this new 15-minuter will supply some comfort Gros. MEDICINE, U.S.A, With Charles Laughton, narrator Producer; Budd Flshel Director: John Becker Writer: Peter Lyon 30 Mins.; Sat., 7:30 p.m. Sustaining NBC, from New York The American Medical Assn, has launched a health education, cam- paign, via radio and television, with this six-week-long series initiating the project. It should be one .of the AMA’s most fruitful drives. The kickoff vehicle, a study of alcoholism viewed through the eyes of one victim of booze addic- tion, was a moving document that also made sense from a scientific standpoint. The story was not unusual. In fact, its very typicalness added to its point. It told of a young exec- utive who, given added responsi- bilities, found that he “lacked in- stilled confidence” and turned to the distilled variety. It traced the S attern of increased tippling, the evelopment of guilt feeliijgs, the reliance on lies and self-deception and the inevitable vicious circle— a problem driving a man to liquor and the liquor intensifying 'his problems to the point of physical and emotional breakdown. Peter Lyon’s script covered the psychological aspects of the case, pointing out how the emotional mixup led to alcoholism. But it also stressed that addiction is a disease in itself, and showed how this illness is 'handled by the medicos. Role of Alcoholics Anonymous was depicted, but the alcoholic was finally rescued from slavery to the bottle by the efforts of his physician, who also called on the wife for help. Story effectively made its point, although it might have had more impact by providing a deeper in- sight to the unhealthy relation- ships which led to 'the man’s es- cape into drunken irresponsibility. Program wound with a brief talk by an AM A spokesmen who point- ed up the medical lessons, stress- ing the association’s concern with a disease that hks claimed 4,000,- 000 addicts in the U. S. alone. Charles Laughton, who is nar- rating the series, did a nice job and show was given an effective productidn. Bril. A a 4 ♦ ♦ ♦ Radio Followup Hy Gardner and Danton Walker did a nice stand-in-job for Barry Gray during the latter’s flying va- cation trip to Israel. Both news- papermen, after the teeoff night’s jitters, got the knack of it and proved an excellent team with their informal interviews over WMCA, N. Y. Gardner (N. Y Herald Trib) developed quite a style of witty observations to tee- off their post-midnight stint, and Walker (News), with his suave man- ner, also handled his subjects well For the finale Gardner confessed that it was agreed neither would indulge in any “controversial” dis- cussions since that wasn’t’ their forte. The columnists obviously insured themselves by lining up a generous reservoir of personali- ties for dropper-inner purposes and interviewing. DORIS DAY SHOW With Ml* Day, grate; a mutineer Writer; David Grerrwry Director; Sam Pierce Producer: Marty Meleher 30 Mina.; Fri., 9 p.m. CBS, from Hollywood This is-an okay musical stanza, eaturing Doris Day vocals to* gether with a. couple of guest artists each week. Exclusive asset of this show is Miss Day, who is one of the most effective, person- able song stylists in the business.. The surrounding framework, how- ever, is bogged down in a script that shuttles between the com- monplace and Ctiteness. Session would be. much improved with straight introes rather than the strained “cleverness” evident on the preem (26). Opening show was lifted some- what by the guest appearances of Mrs. Gus (Grace). Kahn and Danny Thomas, latter having played the late Gus Kahn in the Warner mu- sical, “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” vis-a-vis Miss Day. Mrs. Kahn was on briefly in the set-up role of a plugger for her husband*s songs, while Thomas joined in a couple of duets with Miss Day on “Ain t We Got Fun” and “Making Whoopee.” These were solid, but Thomas’ incidental comedy sallies were mild. Miss Day carried the show with her superlative vocals of “Who? Who? Who?,” “The One I Love,” “Oops,” “A Guy Is a Guy” and “Shanghai.” Herm. NEW YORK SPOTLIGHT With George' Hamilton Combs, Norton Mockridge 130 Mina.; daily, 12 Midnight Participating WJZ, New York Latest entry into.the post-mid- night gab sweepstakes is George Hamilton Combs, WMGM, N.Y., commentator, who has taken over a six-times-weekly stint from the Sherbrooke, Park Aye. eatery. Completing the week will be Nor- ton Mockridge, N.Y. World-Tele- gram-Sun * crime reporter, who will take over the Friday night editions, when racketeering ex- poses will be given special atten- tion. Combs’ background, includ- ng broad journalistic activities and a stretch-in Congress, gives him a certain amount of authori- tativeness. Mockridge, lending an assist on the preem, came across as articulate and poised. Kickoff show 'Wednesday mid- night (26) wasn't typical of the stanza’s approach. Combs started with an overlong credo, iq which he stated the aireris purpose: turn- ing a spotlight on New York, focus- ing on the excitement of show biz, the pageantry of Gotham and the super-charged atmosphere of po- litical life. Major aim, Combs de- clared, is not to present a parade of celebs, but to include “little people In big jobs,” to point up the conflict of ideas and causes and put them in “decent perspective.” He said he will have only ope cru- sade—for the right of otKters to crusade—and that his^open mike will attempt to make the restau- rant' the city’s “best-upholstered soapbox.” Nevertheless, the initialer had a lineup of names and semi-names including, among others, James Barton,, Vanessa Brown, Lionel Stander, Georgia Gibbs, Rose Ma- rie, John Erickson, Millard Mitch- ell, cleffer Ralph Blane, writer Ruth Gruber, UN Asst. Sec. Gen- eral Ben, Cohen, conductor David Broekman*, etc. Chitchat with the performers was of the usual va riety, including plugs for their cur- rent pix, plays or tunes. However, the UN’s Cohen, speaking on how New York’s many nationalities and creeds work closely together, in- dicated Combs’ serious approach. Another similar sign was the dis- cussion with Miss Gruber on her experiences in Israel. Highspot was a panel kick- around, which' Combs* is pattern ing after the famous Algonquin round table, in which the question was on the. next President’s qualifi- cations and desirability of a gen- eral in the White House. Taking part were Ralph de Toledano, co author (with Victor Lasky) of “Seeds of Treason”; Socialist Nor man Thomas; economist Leo Cheme; ABC commentator Henry J. Taylor, and publisher William Ziff. In the background, and add- ing their views, were John Vander- cook and Taylor Grant (both of ABC), public relationist Edward L Bernays and military analyst George Fielding Eliot. It added up to a lively discussion. Combs had a fairly wide repre sentation of opinion, and in this field the broader the soapbox the better. He departed from tHfc* usual cliches of nitery oracles in admitting he hadn’t previously met some of the artists guesting— and he even called some of them “Mister.” That’s a welcome evi- George S. Kaufman doesn’t like saloons, and he has said so in the past as permanent panelist on “This Is Show Business” (CBS TV). It can become extremely awkward for the guwt talent on th* show, most of whom are from or double regularly into nite clubs And Kaufman really rings it into the niteries. Derby Wilson’s ‘‘problem” about “not getting paid when ful- filling nitery engagements” was, generally 'spealdfig, the phoniest yet projected on this otherwise pleasant Sunday evening (30) half- hour. The coverup that ‘This isn’t so true nowadays” (mention- ing AGVA), : and the comment about “what are you gonna do when some tough guy in the backroom says get out there and do a show ” sounded like something out of an old Warner Bros, gangster pic- ture, vintage Volstead. To top it off, Kaufman went into a tirade against qightclubs. He was in the same sardonic mood with a successive performer’s “problem”. “This Is Show Bjfciness,” incidentally, has now become so stylized as to completely defeat the general intent. Somehow the enter- tainment values have been ^such that the three specialty acts presenting their “problems” are not taken too weightily as having any “problem,” for the obvious reason they are standard and com- petent performers. In fact, some are so good that they come back repeatedly (presumably with a different “problem”), but more obviously booked for the $500 and $1,000 guest-shot fees involved. Panelist Sam Levenson, at least, has a mama and papa story, or some anecdote from his Brooklyn schoolteacher days, to throw in as parallel evidence in answering the “problem”. The deadpan Kaufman, with his sophisticated approach to it all, has made no bones about the fact that, he’s doing this for the money involved* and as for seriously coping with the problems advanced, these are usually peg# for humor or raillery. Judith Evelyn, as guest-panelist could have telephoned her .stuff over. Abel! OLD KENTUCKY BARN DANCE With Randy Atelier, Janie Work- man, House Sisters, Tom Brooks, Shorty Chesser, Tiny Thomsle, Bemie Smith, Bell Family, Red River Ramblers (6), Robert Fischer, Mar sic Mae, Bob !Law- son announcer Producer* William Aldridge 60 Mins.; Fri., 7 pm. WHAS, Louisville This Friday night sustaiher is really a showcase for WHAS radio talent, and is one of the station’s top-budgeted sessions. Bill Al- dridge has assembled the pick of the hillbilly talent in this area, and has injected a change of pace with baritone Robert Fischer and the House Sisters trio, to give list- eners a lively one-hour show. Bam dance music segment is strong with Red River Ramblers (6), sparked by “Sleepy Marlin’s” fiddling. Guy has won numerous fiddling contests in the area, and really goes to town on the catgut. Tiny Thomale, accordian, and "Bemie Smith, guitar, are standouts in • the instrumental department, and a strong vocal entry is Fischer, who came through with a slick rendition of “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” at show caught Friday (28). House Sisters, femme trio, have smooth, arrangements, and register with their harmoniz- ing. Bell Family, mother, dad, Bonnie and Mike, juves, offer listeners something folksy in a real family musical group. They go over big with the listeners. Comedy portion of the show is capably handled by Tom “Cactus” Brooks, in his w.k. whiskered char- acter; Shorty Chesser, 4 pint-sized comic, and Maggie Mae, hillbilly gal who get the yocks with her twahgy delivery, and corn-belt vocals. Nice production job is turned in by Bill Aldridge, station’s radio program director, who has deftly managed to get the various turns on and off the stage, without any lost, motion, 'And keeps the enters tainment tempo moving to make a fast-paced air show. Bob Lawson, staff announcer, handles the in- troes briefly and to the point. Ef- fort Is good all-round showcase for the station's array of talent. Wied. | dence of humility. Bril FASHION, FOOD & FRILLS With Eileen ’ Burr, Betty Myers, Anne Summers, Howard Masch- meier, others 15 Mins.; Mon.-thm-Fri., 8:45 a.m. FORST PACKING CO. WPTR, Albany An authoritative, brisk and light-touched program on subjects of interest to .women originates from the Albany Times-Union plant, with five of the Hearst paper’s femme writers featured. Howard Maschmeier, director of news and special events for WPTR, emcees it and handles the adver- tising. Mrs. Eileen Burr (whose^nom de plume is Prudence PennyV editor of the women’s pages, andrMasch- meier form the axle on which the program rotates. Miking on alter- nate days are Anne Summers, fash- ion editor; Betty Myers and Jeanne Arnold, society reporters, and Betty Hunt, travel editor. Mrs. Burr had done other work on ra- dio and tele; Mrs. Myers, tele- vision only (originally with a de- partment store show). The for- mer is knowing and friendly, if sometimes dry $nd flat in delivery; the latter is easy but slightly hesi- tant. Miss Summers talks articu- lately about her field. Maschmeier registers deep-voiced and sure, al- though in spots he over-presses a bit. '■ Ja co. STARS IN KHAKI ’JSP BLUE With Faye »Emerson, femcee; Pvt. Efffile Fisher, Bemie Leighton orch, guests; Jack Costello, an* nouneer Writer: Bob Condon Producer-director: Parker Gibbs 30 Mins.; Sun., 10 p.m. Sustaining NBC, from New York NBC has whipped up a fairly interesting G.I. show in “Stars In Khaki ’n’ Blue,” which preemed Sunday (30). Femcee Faye Emer- son dubbed‘the entry as “Opera- tion Entertainment” and the ini- tialed was all of that.. Format is a conventional one, in that talent, at camps and stations Is auditioned by the net, which culls four or five turns to appear on • the airer. Best of these is chosen by the studio audience as “champ of the week,” and defends the title the following week. Inaugural dished up a versatile musician from Mitchel Field, L. I., who played vibes-piano-drums; a baritone and two dramatic players from Fort Dix, N. J., as well as the Sampsonaires, a 35-voice vocal group from the Air Force base at Sampson, N. Y. Every contestant had some professional experience, on the basis of capsule back- grounds read off to listeners. Miss Emerson, per usual, proved a gracious hostess and Bernie Leighton’s band supplied good musical backing. This airer, as far as quality is concerned, is much better than radio amateur shows. However, it erred in selecting Army and Air Force talent ex- clusively on'the kickoff. Surely, there must be someone in the Navy who can play a musical saw. Future shows would do well to mix up the participants on an equal proportion among all branches of the service. Each week’s winner, incidentally, carries off a Ben-Rus watch, an RCA radio-phonograph console and a .Pvt Eddie Fisher album. Warbler Fisher was piped from Washington to croon “Any- time” and plug the Red'Cross blood donation drive. * Gilb. YOUR MONEY AT WORK With Milton Fox-Martin, guests 15 Mins.; Sun., 10:15 a.m. KIDDER, PEABODY & CO. WOfc, New York ( Daremus ) In an attempt to increase the flow of the public’s savings into investments, Wall St. firms have been taking the airlanes on a finance orientation operation. Latest investment' house to come into the picture is Kidder, Pea- body Sc Co., which preemed its series, “Your Money At Work, on WOR Sunday (30). During the course of its run, program will call on top finance men and management heads to dish out views on economic and finan- cial topics. Plan - has solid Informa- tion values, but since It’s presented like a college economic lecture, it falls into a pedagogic groove that dissipates entertainment • appeal. On the preem stanza, Milton Fox- Martin, who’ll emcee the senes, ■interviewed Hugh W. Long, pr e & of Hugh W. Long Sc Co., mutual fund firm. Long spoke at length on the advisability of investment dispersal and the best way to get the best return from the invested dollar. Neither Fox-Martin nor Long are showmen, and the ques- tion and answer period came across sans pace or excitement. If series expects to nab a wide Sunday morn listening audience, it’ll have to blend the schoolroom technique with show biz values. * » r Gros *