Variety (April 1953)

60 RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday, April 1, 1953 THE PHRASE THAT PAYS With Red Benson, emcee » Producers-Dlrectors-Writers: fal- ter and Pet McGraw 15 Mins.; Mon. thru Fri., 11:30 a.m. COLGATE NBC, transcribed from New York (Sherman & Marquette) '< Any “Bob and Ray” listeners, who are devoted if not legion, catching this replacement will be brought up sharply by the realities of radio. Instead of the light kid- ding duo, there's a new quiz pant- ing in *their place. “The Phrase That Pays” is almost- pure commercial,' what with the Colgate products and the many free plugs for prizes given away to contestants. Red Benson, who has the usual breathless excitemeht of the giveaway emce.e, calls a home listener who has sent in a well- known phrase or slogan. While she (ifs usually a housewife) dangles on the phone, Benson gives a studio contestant three clues to the phrase. Smaller prizes are given either to the home phrase- maker or the-* studio rival’ (the audience is in on the phrase) on the first two clues, with the third the gateway—via a quiz-identifica- tion of a commercial—to a bonus prize. The bonuses on the fiyst show consisted of a two-week Canadian vacation (for a housewife at home) and a complete set of. the Book of Knowledge (to an Army major). In-the rather horrendous succes- sion of mentions, about the only entertainment provided is the con- testants' greed to latch on to some- thing for nothing (discounting the homebodies’ “work” in sending in such- phrases as “Go West, Young Man” and “Let ’em Eat Cake”). Are there still that many Virginias who believe in a commercial Santa Claus?. The musical clues are offered on the organ—what else? HIGHWAY HARMONIES With Marilynn Lovell, Kenny Car- boncl, George Stone, Caesar . Giovannlni Writer: Bob Carman Producer-director:. Herb Lateau 25 Mins.; Wed., 9:35 p.m. CHICAGO GREYHOUND COOPERATIVE WMAQ, Chicago NBC in Chi has added another potential winner to its showman- ship stable by airing a solid blend of music-chatter on its Windy City local WMAQ each Wednesday eve. Headlining the 25-minute musicians is Marilynn Lovell who handles the warblings in a mellow manner. On broadcast heard Wednesday (25) Miss Lovell seemed a bit shaky on the fast beat, although her ’ rendition of sueh torch tunes as “Begin the Beguine” was really tiptop. Kenny Carbonel as a male vo- calist seems more at home with a yodel than a ballad. However, the talent itinerary again rounds itself out with an instrumental ag- gregation topped by pianist Caesar Giovannlni, who aside from pro- viding a fine backstop, is solid with such originations as “Celeste Blues.” As emcee, George Stone does a masterful job of show blending and also in handling the commercials. Arne. DR. SCHOLL’S NEWS WITH ED PETTITT 5 Mins.; Sufi., 4:55 p.m. SCHOLL MFG, CO. Mutual, from N. Y. (Donahue & Coe) Audience for this five-minute news shot will undoubtedly bee limited to a carryover from Mu- tual’s preceding 25-minute airing of “Dear Margie, It’s Murder.” There’s not enough offered to warrant special tuning in of the show or to draw dialers away from other stations. Due to scant run- ning time program comes off as nothing more than a brief news summary with net’s newscaster Ed Pettitt rattling off the'day’s current events highlights. ^Broadcast preemed Sunday (29) with Pettitt authoritatively han- dling his reporting assignment. Plug for sponsor’s product was okay. Jess . Offbeat Clients Couple of unusual sponsors popped up on the Gotham scene thi3 week. Penrod Drilling Co., a Shreveport, La., oil drilling* firm, bought “Facts Forum” on WOR radio for 52 weeks. Firm's com- mercials on the discussion show read, “Befora drilling your next wall, ask for a bid from the Pen- rod Drilling Co.” In telariaion, the N. Y. School of Memory and Concentration bought a lS-mlnut* one-shot on WABD to plug Its memory method. FREEDOM, USA With Tyrone Power, Francis X. Bushman, Edwin C. Hill, Patsy Campbell, others Producer: Herbert Gordon Director: Henry P. Hayward 30 Mins.; Sun., 9:30 pan. TEAMSTERS UNION, AFL WABC, N. Y. A curious twist whereby the commercials are far more dra- matic than the program itself is offered by “Freedom, USA.” This transcribed Ziv drama series star- ring Tyrone Power, on its preem last Sunday (29), is ballyhoed as “the first time a trade union has ever sponsored a radio show of this magnitude for sheer entertain- ment value, and kept it free-of all union propaganda;” That claim is "true, but it may be the sponsor is up the wrong alley. The wilted drama could have done with the fervor read into the commercial by George Barasch, secretary tFeasfirer of Lo- cal 815, Teamsters Union AFL. Waxing enthusiastic over the need for non-unionized office and ware- house workers to join Local 815, Barasch rtiapsodized, “We’re not selling soap, or autos, or tooth- paste. We’re selling , the idea that -people are important."- That intel- ligent men and women banded to- gether can extract more beauty out of life ...” On the other hand, the drama was a hackneyed affair posing Power in the role of a freshman senator heading a crime investi- gating committee. Mouthing pa- triotic cliches, Power gets the goods on a Costello-style slot ma- chine racketeer. The bad man tries to bribe Power and his wit- ness, a tax examiner,- but virtue remains triumphant, and the rot- ten yegg gets tossed into the pokey. Power and his supporting cast, Patsy Campbell playing his adoring steno and Francis X. Bushman .playing a philosophical old savant, try to wrestle with the script valiantly, but the cliches toss them for a fall. Edwin C: Hill does his bit okay, establishing the Washington scene as a news com- mentator. If Barasch were to write the script, as well as his union pitch, it could be that Local 815 may yet have a show on its hands. DR. JIVE With Tommy Smalls, deejay, and John Magnus, announcer Producer: Fred Barr 120 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Sun., II p.m. Participating, WWRL, N.Y. WWRL, which has served as the springboard for deejays Art Ford, Symphony Sid, Ray Carroll and Bob Garrity, has flipped up an- other winner with Tommy Smalls. As “Dr. Jive,” Smalls, an Atlanta, Ga„ newcomer, spins the platters with an ingratiating manner, a rich, relaxed voice, and a savvy of the hot music world. His sovereign attribute is his acuteness of know- ing when to keep his mouth shut and let the disks speak for him. Excessively gabby late-hour jocks could well learn a lesson in golden silence from him. The two-hour nightly show, which preemed a week ago Mon- day (23), emanates from a glass- enclosed booth" at the bar of the Harlem nitery. Club Baby Grand, on 125th Street. Stanza is directed to # the Negro stay-up-late crowd, who phone in their selections. Smalls urges his votaries to “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the wax.” Then he reciprocates with a bal- anced mingling of sepia ballads (“Hey, Hey, Sugar Ray”), bebop disks (“Red Top”), blues (“Laugh, ’Cause You Feel You Want To Cry”) and knock ’em down jive (“Ding Dong Boogie”). Commercials for the 13 partici- pating sponsors, ranging from Gal- lo Wine to Miles Shoes, are de- livered by both Smalls and an- nouncer John Magnus, whose pre- cise, wooden accent provides a contrasting foil to Smalls’ easy- going style. Smalls, as a come-on to listeners, gives a big hello to Harlem celebs dropping in to the nitery’s bar, and also plugs worthy racial causes like the N.Y. State Commission Against Discrimina- tion. - . The deejay shows no strain of the heebiejeebies, though the hardworking fellow also hosts an- other “Dr. Jive” show Monday through Saturday at 3:05 to 5:30 p.m. on the same station. In- terestingly, WWRL has such faith in Smalls that it’s now ballyhooing his new stanza through Harlem billboards, disk shop streamers, ads in the Negro press and dis- plays in Negro supermarkets. Seattle — Broadcasts of Pacific Coast League games of the Seattle Rainiers will be aired 0 here over KOL. with play-by-play coverage also broadcast over chain of 11 other stations in Western Wash- ington. First game in Seattle on April 14. pmmrf NORMAN BROKENSHIRE SHOW With Jack Kerch Producer-Director; Jose DiDonato Writer: Gene Goldsmith 15 Mins., Various Times JACKSON & JERKINS, INC. WOR, N. Y. ; (Maxwell Sackheim) This 16-minute entry, broadcast over WOR five times weekly in various time- slots, is targeted at those dialer^ interested in garden* ing. There’s little to lure listeners who have no horticultural leanings. Program may even prove too talky for the spade and hoe’set.‘Show’s pattern, judging, by airer caught Sunday (29), is to give the histori- cal background of certain flora, also highlighting scientific devel- opments pertinent to the species being discussed. . Historical segment of the pro- gram is. handled by Jack Berch •with Norman Brokenshire filling in the scientific data. Sunday’s broad- cast devoted itself to a study of the chrysanthemum with both Broken- shire and Berch giving their all in expounding the flower’s merits. Plugs for the sponsor, a nursery, tied in with the proceedings. Program airs Sunday (10:15 a.m.). Monday, Wednesday and Friday (7:45 p.m.)'and Saturday (9:15 a.m.). Jess . SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY With Clellan Card, Red River Valley Gang (4), Diane Frandrup’ Producer-director: Ed. Viehman Writer: Card . 30 Mins.; Sat., 6 p.m. SAL HEPATICA WCCO, Minneapolis Experience has shown that corn is relished not only by livestock on. Northwest farms reached by WCCO radio, but also, in a differ- ent form, by ruralites themselves.i Hillbilly music and comedy, too, | have proved to be a welcome en- tertainment dish for many in this neck of the woods, including, of course, the soil tillers. And this riew ether show, serving the afore- going in large quantities and having a great asset in the person of Clellan Card, one of the Twin Cities’ most gifted and best liked audio and video personalities, should win its popularity spurs and sell plenty of its sponsor’s wares. Back on *WCCO radio where he has attained his highest standing, Card seems in fine funmaking fettle. His talent for amusing character lampoons, often involv- ing a resort to the numerous come- dy dialects at which he’s proficient, his racopteuring, his ability to ex- tract full value from gags and his smooth emceeing stand him in good stead on this occasion.. Show is compounded of comedy, song and commercials, and the in- terspersement of those ingredients made for teeoff entertainment which undoubtedly pleased and held the audience for which it’s intended. Handling the commer- cials himself, Card even gave them a comedic twist occasionally. His gags and stories dripped corn, but that fact probably, didn't make them less funny to dialers, and his sallies with other cast "members also were productive of laughs. Individually and in ensemble, the Red River Valley Gang, male singing, instrumental and comedy quartet, familiar to Northwest radio audiences, made their pres- ence felt with such numbers as “Gay Caballero,” “Steel Guitar Rag,” “Cool, Clear Water,” “My Kind of Country,” “Wagon Wheel” and “Arkansas Traveler.” Diane Frandrup, 13-year old yodeler, who has appeared on network shows, performed in her usual topdrawer style. Rees. Seattle Enlists School Kids in Pitch For Educ’l TV Channel *• Seattle, March 31. Seattle school kids will be doing their bit to get an educational TV channel here when they take home pamphlets next Week explaining the advantages of educational TV and asking for contributions from parents. Seattle School Board approves the solicitation, requested by the Seattle Committee for Educational Television, which is helping the Univ. of Washington in its applica- tion for Channel 9 here. Other cooperating organizations include King County Schools, Seattle Pacific College and the Seattle Public Library. Goal of the solicitation is $50,000, needed to add to $182,000 worth of television equipment donated to the committee by Mrs. Scott Bullitt, president of KING-TV in order to get a grant of $116,000 from the Adult Education Fund established by the Ford Founda- tion. 'f ttFfttt + t f f +■+■ f 4* f t ft t fr t i* M 1 f t t f I | t > I 1 - 4 p ‘I # ^ ^ :: From the Production Centres :: ♦ » +♦ f ♦ f ♦ 14 H+fM ‘k »+ » M H U ♦ » t IN NEW YORK CITY . . . Bernice Judis and Ira Herbert, WNEW toppers; due back from Florida this week . . . Neil R. Gahagan, former NBC flack, joined Sylvania’s public relations staff . . . Judson Irish named copy chief at Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson Sc Mather . . . Holland (Mich.) Furnace Co. decided to repeat its one-shot sports interview on Mutual by having Harry Wisraer interview Joe Walcott in Chicago April 4. Wismer had done two Specials with heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano over the weekend for the'furnace outfit * , . WHLI, Hampstead’ broadcast, instructions to Nassau County’s 5,000 volunteer Cancer Crusade workers Monday (30) as a result of the County Cancer Committee’s inability to get them all assembled ... Jay Blackton, original pit conductor for “Oklahoa,” reminisced on the 10th, anni of the Rodgers St Hammerstein musical on WQXR yesterday (Tues.) Bill Hodapp, producer of “American Inventory” program, making rounds of guest radio-TV circuit, beginniilg April 2, on behalf of National Sunday School Week, for which he is tele chairman . . . Hank Ladd upped to general supervisor of radiorTV production and A1 Reibling appointed radio-TV manager at Kudner Agency . . / Daniel L. Schorr, vet newsman; joins CBS Radio'News staff in Wash- ington May 1 . . . Samuel Carter III, radio-TV commercial super- visor, elected veepee of Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles . . . Red Barber auditioning teen-age panel show for CBS Radio . . .WCBS prepping New York chapter of the American Red Cross on radio techniques. Chapter plans appeal recordings . . Jay Garon-Robert Sohultz producing “Country Lawyer” for “ABC Caravan” . ; . Alfred I. duPont Awards Foundation in Radio and Television cited Stations WBNS-TV of Columbus, and WMT of Cedar yRapids, and commentator Gerald W. Johnson of Station WAAM of Baltimore for “fneritorious service to the American people” during 1952 . ~ . Milton Katims starting NBC Spring Symph series April 4 . . . Deejays getting special Ethel Merman publicity package, with multiple credits and two songs, for special Decca “Call Me Madam” filmtisical album push ... An- nouncer Bob Hall set for WCBS American Airlines postmidnight disk show starting April 13 ... New York chapter of American women in Radio and Television starting femme-broadcaster survey to de- termine radio-TV selling power of women broadcasters. IN HOLLYWOOD ... Rob Light left Abbott Kijnball agency to head up sales promotion for Don Lee . . . Guy della Cioppa, CBS radio veepee, spent a few days at the" hospital to have his schnoz repaired. It’s an’ old break sustained when he was middleweight champ at Penn . . . Jimmy Vandiveer, former special events head and sportscaster for ABC, joined Erwin, Wasey to supervise radio, TV" and theatre screening for Coronation . . . Compton is moving Floyd Holm to N. Y. as as- sistant to Lewis Titterton, radio and TV head. James Seaborne trans- fers west to take over Holm’s berth , . . Eric Paige, late of WCAV, Norfolk, Va., will work the coast league ball games on KFWB with another ex-Virginian, Mark Scott . . . Lowell Thomas being piloted along the Coast by Paul Mantz to make all the stops on his schedule. IN CHICAGO ... Radio and TV columnist Jack Mabley switching duties with Jack Ryan, also of the Chi Daily News. Mabley will assume Ryan’s duties on the sports desk and Ryan will visa viz. Scribbler transfer will not affect Mabley’s job as production coordinator for WBKB’s “Impact” . . , Calvin Hugy to head branch op 3 ads for Hallicrafters .'. . WBBM announces the addition of Louis F. Allen to its sales stable. Allen comes to the Chi station via previous radio work in Bloomington, Ind. . . . Carroll Marts, midwest manager for General Teleradio, in New York for a brass confab . . . Paul Neubert taking over as Eastern manager for Zenith 1 Radio Corp, . . . Don Allen joining WBBM an- nouncery v^ KLIX in Twin Falls . . . Fred Wagenvrood and Pat Patterson of Cedar Rapids’ KCRG visiting MBS . . . The WBBM- CBS family regains announcer Bill Oliver formerly with’KMOX in St. Louis. . . . Deejay Josh Brady of WBBM acquires two new bank- rollers as James Barnett Co. and Western Recording Co. sign for the first and last quarter-hours respectively. IN PITTSBURGH ... Maria Scliuetz, Girl Friday to Dave Lewis, head of sales promotion at KDKA, has resigned to become secretary to the sales manager of the Blaw Knox Chemical Division of the Blaw Knox Steel Co. . . . Bill Jewett has been upped to the newly-created post of operations cost supervisor at WDTV while Julian Drob, a stagehand, moves into job of studio facilities supervisor . . , Singer Bette Smiley and WCAE have parted company after eight years. Following a major operation shortly and a summer rest, she’ll give TV a fling in the fall . . . Muriel Robb, ex-vocalist with the ex-Will Roland (now a CBS pro- ducer) band here and later box-office chief of‘the Pittsburgh Play- house, has been appointed media director for the Cavanaugh Morris advertising agency . . . Harry Brooks,’’’WWSW accountant, and his wife have moved into the new Cedarhurst Manor ranch home they designed themselves . . . Emancia Bonaventura, sales service secre- tary at WDTV, buried her mother last week . . . Lucille Johnson has been named assistant to Shirley Gray, traffic director at Channel 2 . . .Romain Johnston, after spending a month’s leave of absence in town, has reported back to ABC-TV in New York. He’s on the designing staff. IN SAN FRANCISCO ... KNBC option on Fairmont Hotel studio space expires April 10. May be extended pending disposal of long-term lease on present Radio City facilities' - . . . Phil Harris headlined local Auto Show . . * Ellsworth Teck and A. V. Krisick bought KGYW, Vallejo, with a $60,000 ticket . . . Nancy Kins: (KCGS) to wed Tom Faulkner, April 12 “• • • Dean Maddox taped three KFRC shows in a submerged snorkel sub . . , Doug: Pledger’s KNBC daily platter show expanding to an hour, April 6 . . ’. KLX, Oakland, boosted power to 5,000 watts . . * A1 Pearce readying a daily disk show for KIBE . . . KLOK, San Jose, openec&San Francisco studio in Lankershim Hotel ... Del Gore ceased KROWing to become KROW salesman. Ted Carlson of same station shifted to KGO sales * . . KIBE, Palo Alto, signed with five major league teams for local re-creations voiced by Ernie Smith . . . KSFO to beam Mutual’s “Game of the Day.” Schedule on KFRC, local Mutual outlet, is too tight, to handle . . . KYA plans two-a-day* re-creations of big league games with Les Kelter on vocal. IN MINNEAPOLIS ... Univ. of Minnesota radio'station KUOM offering series of Lenten “festival broadcasts” of sacred music during Holy Week . . * KSTP-TV staffers Bill Ingram and Bob Burnham handling the numerous George Grim video shows while latter, also a Minneapolis Morning Tribune columnist, is on a Hawaiian jaunt for his sheet ... Twin Cities’ first microwave radio relay link with Chicago and the east now under con- struction and will be ready this summer. It eventually will be used for carrying television programs . . . Stanley E, Hubbard, KSTP (Continued on page 70)