Variety (April 1953)

RADIO REVIEWS Wednesday April,*15, 1953 promenade symphony j With Jan Peerce, Bernard Green, Earl Wild, Milton Crow, an- Radio Follow-Up U M I MMM'M MM !» * ♦♦♦■* LITTLE LEAGUE With Hal Goodnough Producer: Art Kina? 15 Mins., Sat. 6 p.m. Sustaining WEEI. Boston 60 Mins.; Mon* 8:30 p.m. MtMttM f • • t MI • • ITttt Bos ton ABC, from New Yarn “Chicago Theatre of the Air,” for with the advent of spring and ABC’s mew £ all its libretto, format and pontifi- the mushrooming of sandlot base- tailor-made for dialers whose musi vagaries, continues as a ball, WEEI is aiming this weekly cal tastes reach beyond the Tin ^3 S | nt Vtt | atU rday night hour of series to Kids in the Little League Pan Alley ^WiSht^melodlc^fare yesteryear musical comedy. Culling age bracket and those adults in- on classical and ligntmelodic fare, j the Broadway archives, these terested in sponsoring teams for cai wsiw _ leasant Saturday mgnt nwr w series to Kids in tne i-.uue jueague Pan Alley ^WiSht^melodlc^fare yesteryear musical comedy. Culling age bracket and those adults in- on classical and light melodic fare, j rom {he Broadway archives, these terested id sponsoring teams for “Promenade Symphony. is a nat and mU sicomedy revivals, embryo big leaguers. As such, it’s ural to nab a select listening aud. produced by Marion Claire (she straightforward and informative The orch is under the direction f nC e P ted the lead singing roles W itH Hal Goodnough, Wellesley of Bernard Green and its renditions in this longtime MBS series), are High School teacher and baseball are rich, lilting and colorful. Ai- j n gemuetlich contrast to today s coach, dishing out info regarding though the show* has. two gabbers, beCticism of “sophisticated” musi- the setting up of new teams and host Jan peerce and announcer cals TV, 3-D, USSR, and all that leagues, meanwhile keeping listen- Milton Cross, the accent is on ^ with it In fact, “Katinka,’ ers apprised of activities around music and their talhis held to a despite Col. Robert R. McCormick s the circuit. minimum. Peerce relates musical per i 0 di C political speech which pre- Goodnough, well versed in youth reminiscences and ^ s t s h ^ r os the ce des the iightcr bntertamment, athle ti c activities, has inaugurated selections. Both handle their cnores dwaR per usual on the Iron Curtain “why I Like the Little League” -deftly. ■■■." ■■-,■■■■. situation, with seeming awareness essay contest in order to. hypo On the preem show Monday (13), that the 37-year-old musicals lo- y 0U n gs ters’ interest in the pro- the repertoire included works by cale segues from imperial Russia g ram w jtb winners invited to stu- Debussy, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Mor- to gay Vienna at the fu^^of tne d - 0 t 0 read prizewinning essays; ton Gould and Richard Rodgers, century.^ More durable Also includes anecdotes and inter- The compositions ^were light, and j 9 kes> of course, is 1the music m es ti n g events which took place breezy and made for easy and? 1 !- virtually every Saturday night during last summer’s season, with DVaiiMt) —- ****U«» w • ... 7 v r 1 . _J_ Lcliucu dUUlCUvCi « Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a durability which even discordant Theme by Paganini.” He acquitted “modernizations” via updated ad himself admirably. libs can’t destroy. But they are ip- All in all a tasteful program for trUsive, such as the “Mad Russian- people with taste. Gros. esque” comic’s ad libs about 1 -—— Dream of Katifika with the Light Dim Brown Hair”; his (meaning Sam MAX GOES WEST Siegel’s) free adaptation of Gor- with Max Bygraves With Norm Page, others don’s “how-do-you-do?”; cracks lSMins* Wed., 10 p.m. Producer-director-wnter, Page like « come t0 my casbah!”, and the TIMEX WATCHES '5S« mnn?n like. Perhaps it would he better Radio Luxembourg FORD-CO. jgft a ione as pure Harbach-Fnml, New weekly 15-minute commer- WMIN, Mmneapoiis . circa 1916, than attempt any con- cial spot shapes as good fodder ^^Interestingly.thissponsoredpul> temporaneous ad libs. Nancy Carr for dialers. It features Max By- Rc service show, sWlfullyl^dle and p ^ ruce Foote sang the leading graves, youngish English come- by narrator-intemewer Norm Pag , ^ heading a generally compe- dian, who was with Judy Garland takes listeners behind the scenes at tent cast Ro b e rt Trendler's and in America, and who uses U.S. eX- the St. Paul Safety Build Weber » s . mus j ca i direction periences and meetings to provide ^0?teinitfng maintained the mood of the piece, material for gabbing. Writer-director Jack La Frandre 1Vs a dee j a y sho w with a twist, wt nf thf dcuartments to the did the script.. Col. McCormick, Bygraves hosted smoothly on cur- °it reveals** what the public editor and publisherof the Chicago tain-raiser gabbing between disks Swanfe 22 dnint? to safeguard Tribune and Washington Times- a hout show biz personalities he S» s and to mfke St plul a Herald, hailed as “a great Ameri- met wh ile doing 20-week stint fcetter and safer ’city iw which to can, world traveler, .foreign ex- at the p alace , n.Y. Thus he infer* five^ It also recans y notablepast Pert,” etc., short-waved his address duced waxing of Judy Garland, .Xevements fnthis sphere P from Paris in a deadpan manner, chirping "Come On, Get Happy,” achievements^hi this spnere. _ He genera iiy deplored . American an d another of Danny Kaye, in the Show caught had Detective Lt. administration ineptness- on for- alliterative “Peter Piper.” Lester McAulifee relate how the nnliev Abel, ' \ . . A » ___ police apprehended a motorist who ■ ^ * . — , By graves el so ^told how, one nnfi liirpn n lft-vear old girl into ■ night, he spotted. Ava Gardner and ear and attempted to molest - In emceeing NBC’s ‘Walk a Frank Sinatra out front at the Pal- ms car ana awempiea XO moiesL . „ , w ^ H v ni . h t ouizzer. Hoonrihlmr Qinntra PC “drPnt- V ^r* a *L- Atfnmpv fampi Lvnch last Wednesday (8), Cullen's take- Never Walk Alone,” from “Carou- County Attorney James Lynch over jp[ e but, he was generally quick sel.” He closed with A1 Jolson in followed in taking advantage of feeder lines “Rock-a-Bye.” his part, in^ planning^the prosecu- dislied out by the guesters, thus Introduction of current New tio.n against the-motorist oiienaer rti v : nfr ctanzn an overall amusing vorir fnmi "Rritwhi show hiz news gabbing for Sinatra singipg «« ««w. •« 4 « J v • ^ Vw-> nlen /Jo given tuuamciauic *** w*,- mciiaciy, til anaicx a mg n. xixtu iiibu- JiWoH 0 hiQ^nrrmnnt^fnvestfg^tten of laugh department via a well-chosen i y listenable feature, paying off TWirrlier group of hep contestants. * okay for Timex watches of Dundee w 1 ^/iK g L th? scene%he pS Quiz aspect of show is limited and London. ' Gord. Inc., right on the scene. The per- with chitc h a t between m e. and "etrators finally wound, up beh nd g u est s-taking, up' AT H0ME WITH TEDDY , , ning time. Airer caught spotlight- it:.!. Teddv Johnson Pearl Carr. Page and members of the auto- ed on i y three contestants and was W NorrieParamor 8 ’ ^ ‘ mobile sponsoring firm kept the overburdened with plugs for Cain- 15 *1 ins . commercials brief and dignified. e j cigarets. Questions asked were EMPIRE POOLS OF BLACK- The company’s president, explain- designed so as to make cash prize ' pooi pools ou rlalk ing the program’s purpose, com- handouts an almost sure bet. Stu- Radio Luxembourtr Xir effHeno'y 5 ^ al ured 8 the di0 audience reacted £aVora 5^ SoSg ^n “ cJmedy were well SfSS-^SHir® 1 a «f a< SS^ a iiJSS Jess ' blended in this friendly stanza, Kfelv 1 ’ Rees 3 carrying a winning way with dial- sateiy. • mvrr. nnunvAN arc o muciool 'wrfitft a McKenzie Drops Fight Jess. JOYCE DONOVAN 25 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 5 p.m. Participating WTRY, Troy POOL Radio Luxembourg Song and comedy were well blended in this friendly stanza, carrying a winning way with dial- ers. It’s a musical show with a neat comedy twist. Stanza v/as pleasantly intimate, with the sing- ing twain, Teddy Johnson and A <V 1 n 111 9 np'.l Joyce oonovan, secretary ro-juor- Pearl Carr, in good fettle. Oil Jack BellDOY Iltle rest Willis, top >yTRY broadr Johnson sings current pops in _ ■■ ., . "caster and often a substitute for relaxed, easy style, sandwiching . Detroit, April 14. him, now has her own program, just enough of topical patter in be- The legal battle over a ..disk Designed for women, it consists of tween numbers to break ’em up. Jockey’s professional name ended transcribed music, fashion news, Gal he cross-talks with is Pearl last week' when Edmond T. Me- public service announcements, in- Carr, his real-life fiancee and a Kenzie withdrew his appeal to the terviews and commercials. Show’s w.k. British chirper. Romance an- U. S. Court of Appeals for the impact is quietly mud. gle adds interest for dialers. John- right to be known as “Jack the Mlss Donovan, friendly, well son'introduced a new British Cor- Bellbov ” mannered and intelligent, with a onation song, “In A Golden Cofjch Thigh, girlish voice and an eager There’s A Heart of Gold,” which S nn Vtrk ?PP^ach, probably registers best had patriotic sentiment angled for and used it for years on WJBK. in interviews. She does certain UK dialers He sought to take the name with commercials fairly well Origina- 'po ps cho sen by both Johnson him when he joined WXYZ two tions are from WTRY’s DeWitt ancf Miss Carr were all in happy years ago, WJBK contended that Clinton Hotel studio in Albany, the name was the station’s Drop- Jaco. _ vein, thus adding lightsome air to the name was the station’s prop- Jaco. program. Humor was okay. Nor- erty. • --— ^ •■■■ -■ rie Paramor attended to the ivor- Federal Judge Arthur E. Lederle Tlannir Knva NRr PrAffram ies, and sponsor’s gaflbbing, for ruled in favor of WJBK in Sep- llajC llliv 1 IU5KIUI English football pools-outfit, was tember, 1952. McKenzie now has T_ ClL Ann! vigorously but unobtrusively han- withdraivn his. appeal. Under 10 lFlStlK lSiavl S Olll AIIIII died by deejay Geoffrey Everett, terms of the settlement, the Storer United Jewish Appeal will mark at'^xembour"/ ^Tfifs" T&lm'inSte IKSb’ wSfed an WairnTt^dam anniversary with three termater- wjjs.13, waivea au maims aam network programs Sunday (19). it v ol ! dialers *Gord ages which it contended amounted Daany Kaye wiu star ln .. A stand , ”?: m niaiers, o oro. to more than $100,000 because the ard of Livinc ” on NBC 7 d m ~" accounts McKenzie took with him WABD and several Dumont TV {ifijn Maurc Dirppfni'C when he made the switch and be- ou ti e t s will carry “Miracle—Year V MIU l^CWo i/lIcLlUIO cause he continued using the “Jack Five,” at 7:30. Show will be n£r- IWoir Vnla Ia I iimiilofn the Bellboy label on WXYZ until rated by Arnold Moss. CBS at 10 lufty V OlC t0 LlflUlQdiC ■ ^, 0Ur J* The I l ai P e P- m. will air a documentary salute Cleveland April 14 WJBK ■ beinS USGd at i>resent by to Israel, titled “South to the Sea ” Members of the Ohio Radio-Tele- The Kaye show will be produced vision News Directofs Assn, are be- CnrinlclA C«r« Ca 8 « -ci.a* ?. nd dl ^ ct ®. d by^iman Brown, na- ing called to an April 18 meeting Sprinkle Corn Com on Sue tional radio ^chairman of UJA. at Columbus, to perhaps vote the ^Products, through C. L. Story was written by Samuel Elkin, organization out of existence. Miller, has bought five CBS Radio CBS presentation of “South to the Gene Martin, Ohio news writer ,jn nutes of Sunshine _Sue,” hill- &a” will be directed by Oliver and executtee sieretar Af the S hilly warbler^ at 4.15-4.20 p. m. Daniel and produced by Ralph elation, notified membership of cross-the-board,' beginning June 1. Backlund and the CBS documen- meeting to decide whether to con- Show will be heard on a regional tary.unit,- With script by Irve tinue “to erist or^ simply UoSidate network of 57 stations. Tynick. itself.^* J xx^uiwaic IN NEW YORK CITY • . . Robert Weenolsen, Foote, Cone & Belding account exec in charge of radio and tele for Rheingold, sailing for London . . . Richard Janaver has been added to cast of “Our Gal Sunday . . •^ J * c k Ureg- son, “Live Like a Millionaire” emcee, collaborating with Malvin Wald on series of radio transcribers to be based on lives and loves of Anferican millionaires . . . Joseph F. Monahan, ex-International Latex Corp., has joined Compton agency market development department. Bill Silbert, the WMGM and DuMont deejay, doing a gossip column on vocalists for Debut, new teenage mag , . . Ed Muitow addressing American Newspaper Publishers Assn. Wednesday (22) on behalf of the Overseas Press Club Memorial Building project.... Rosa Rio, ABC organist, to the Virgin Islands April 10 for two-week vacation -. . . Helen Sioussat, CBS Radio talks chief, author of the new ditty Meet Me At The Waldorf,”, her fourth copyrighted song . . . Ernie Harwell, radio-tele announcer for N. Y. Giants, back in town after month in Phoenix with team . . . John Derr, CBS Radio sports director, home after coverage of Masters Golf Tourney at Augusta. (Sa. •.. Floyd Holm in New York from Hollywood to become • associate director of Comp* ton’s radio-tele production department, effective July 1. He had been manager of Hollywood office and. agency supervisor for “Fireside Theatre ” job to be taken over by. James Seaborne ... Charles Schlaife’r, prez of Charles Schlaifer & Co., Inc., and co-chairman of National Mental Health Committee, featured speaker on NBC radio documentary “Your Mental Health” Sunday (12). Mary Lou Forster was featured player in the drama. Ruby Mercer, WOR, N. Y., disk jockey, will be aired via the Mutual web beginning April 18 . V . WNYC, N. Y., received award from United Parents Associations for “outstanding contributions in the field of parent education” . . . Helen Gerald to play lead on “Front Page Drama” May 13 - . . Phil Cowan, ex-Kenyon & Eckhardt, has joined CBS Radio press . . . U. S. Army and Air Force “Talent Patrol” on ABC-TV renewed for another 13-week cycle. BUd Collyer remains emcee, and Dave Nyren is producer for Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, Henry Morgan had' one of those tongue-in-cheek cracks about the Red Cross on his WMGM jabberjockey show last week and the sta- tion- which, like all indies with ad lib deejays. and kindred shows, tapes everything for protection, had to play back some of the chatter. The RC people agreed it wasn't as bad as.reported .. .. Clem McCarthy and Dizzy Dean were honored at the Sixth Annual Dinner of the Sports Broadcasters Assn, at the Park-Sheraton Monday (13). Don Dunphy presided at the affair and made the Graham McNamee Me- morial Award, ta heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano . . . Harold C. Myers Productions completed a series of radio and television spots for the Marine Corps, featuring Ben Grauer, Quentin Reynolds, Tyrone Power, Ralph Bellamy, Faye Emerson, Melvyn Douglas and others ... John E. McCoy named secretary of the Storer Broadcast- ing Co. He was formerly staff .attorney . . • ABC has signed Caesar Romero to host its “Playhouse” series . WHLI received a public service award from Metropolitan Council of B’nai B’rith. ABC flack Ernie Stern goes out as advance man for the tour of the web’s Don McNeill-starring “Breakfast Club” this week. Show starts a two-week tour through the midwest and east . . . Horn & Hardardt expand their sponsorship of Charles F. McCarthy's 8 a.m. newscast on WABC from twice weekly to cross-the-board . . . It’s a long step from "Madison Ave. to the British West Indies, but Frederick P. Rey- nolds, .Jr*, research director for Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather agency, is taking it. He's leaving, his post to take over direction of the Arnos Vale Beach Hotel in Tobago, BWI. William S. Blair, secretary of the agency’s plans board, will double as research director. IN HOLLYWOOD . . . If CBS would have Harry Koplan meeting the trains he will have completed the cycle of “meetings.” After eight years of “Meeting the Missus,” he’s now doubling over the “Meet the Music,” which makes this personable emcee a disk jock ... Harry Maizlish has put KSWB on a 'round-the-clock schedule to pick up a few clients-that like the early ayam shift . . . Het Manheim’s return to CBS as story editor was occasion for high glee among his former cohorts , . . Ayer's Hollywood headman, Glenhali Taylor has two to go to catch up with Eddie Cantor. No. 3 arrived last week . . . Edgar Bergen will pass most of his hiatus making personals through Europe and shooting a few thousand feet of atmosphere footage for a projected Charlie Mc- Carthy film feature . . . Frank Fouce, theatre operator with radio and TV connections in Mexico, flew to Puerto Rico for the general convention of Latin and South American countries, their equivalent of our NARTB. IN SAN FRANCISCO ... Safety Council reported a 25% drop in Bay Bridge traffic accidents during the first six months of Bert Winn's KYA “Car Tunes” pro- gram. He spins records from the Bridge Toll Plaza, voices traffic conditions in cooperation With Highway Patrol . . . Regional stations, now fully equipped, wired and ready to go, all set for an early “Conelrad” test . . . Red Blanchard's KCBS nitery catching on. Thou- sands of'high school kids joining his “I Dread Red” Club. A couple of hundred swarming to the studio nightly to take part in the act . . . KFRC Boss Bill Pabst elected delegate, 15th District, Radio-TV Broad- casters Assn . . . KYA will pick up most of the “personality” shows leaving KSFO. Except Faye Stewart, who doubles as the KPJX cook. She’ll remain as a femme deejay. IN PITTSBURGH .. . George Baren Bregge, WDTV sales manager, and his wife celebrated their 15th wedding anni . . . Millie Wayne, from WWVA in Wheeling* W. Va., is deejaying a series of hillbilly jamborees over WEDO in McKeesport from the stage of the Capitol Theatre there . . . Don Stewart, first boss of the DuMont channel here, has been appointed head of the company's transmitter sales division . , * Gloria Abdou, the first lady of WCAE, is back on the Playhouse stage again acting in “Payment Deferred” . . . Caley Augustine* new promotion-public relations director at WJAS, and his wife have booked, the stork for next month . . . Ed and Wendy King's “Party Line” on KDKA, which Used to air from 11:30 to 1 a.m., has a new time now—10:30 to 11 and then again 11:30 to 12:30. , IN CHICAGO ... Ell Henry, ABC’s head flack,-into Elmhurst Memorial hospital for minor Sfirgery , . , Packager Jim Jewell celebrating his 25th anni in the *biz with his “Silver Eagle” now heading the rating list of adven- ture shows . . . ABC breakfast clubber Johnny Desmond recorded the lyrics for the teevee whodunit “Danger” and will thesp on the show April 28 . . . Hallicrafters Announcing the appointment of Caleb A* Shera, former company credit topper, to the post of distributor sales counsellor , . . Don Wells added to the WCFL sportscast stable via a sports feature stint for LWBB In Wichita .. . Don McNeill's “Break- fast* Club” off for a tour of the East on May 4 . . . Admiral,Corp. racked up $67,000,000, gross for the first qqa^er of, ,’53;, Ne^ earning® (Continued on naere 46)