Variety (July 1953)

Wednesday, July 29, 1953 PfiklETY RKVIRW-PIUiVIKW 45 By WALSII When the: newfangled wireless, or radio, first bowed into the en'/ jtejrtainmefft picture, producers of phonographs and platters greeted it without enthusiasm; • Vet counter-tenor yaudechirp Will Oakland recalls getting leG ters from Victor, Golumbia and ; Edison A. & R./Depts., saying, in effect; lips which crooned into the primitive percolator type of mike would never again “hammer” into the recording horn, In other words, radio was out of bounds for recording artists; Will Ignored the warning. He deduced there was going to be. big: money for performers who got irt on the radio ground floor, -j; . “So I just figured,” he said, “I’d made enough records; anyway, and I’d stick with radio.” ,. Something of a ban On air per^ , formaflces by recording '/. artists seems to have stayed in effect a couple of years, after Which the sorely pressed phono boys decid0 ed„ if they couldn’t lick radio they’d join it. But records dealing with the wonders or— according to viewpoint—tortures of early radio began to appear almost as soon as the American public got hep that ■;;'a crystal set and a pair of ear pliones could bring you music, news, sports and commercials; ; ! . Apparently, the first platter ; with “radio” on the label was issued by :• Victor . hr~-Septe’mber, 1922; Paul Whiteman and his orch played a “medley fox-trot,” with “My Rambler Rose’’ receiving top billing. As an alternate melody, the rec. ord introduced “Listening on Some Radio;” Both numbers were. from, the Ziegfeld Follies and were writion by Louis Hirsch^ Gene Buck . & Pave Stamper. ■ ■ ' •' ■ Perhaps the first record featuring tlie marvels of radio Was put . on the market by . Columbia that same month. It bore the touching title, “I Wish There Was. a Wire> less ' to Heaven (Then Mania Would Not Seem so Far Away).” On first glance, this seems a direct tilkeoff from Charles K. Harris’ ancient classic, “Hello, Central, Give Me Heaven,” and the idea is the same r^a tiny tot yearning to establish communication with a deceased • ' mother.; . ' / /'• ••.. But, according to theColumbia •••. supplement writer, the song’s eom,:..■ poseV (listed on the label only as ; “White” i, Was moved to write the number, .when he saw. a little girl and lief father standing before shop window.; displaying wireless equipment. The child turned to her father .and said, , “Daddy, . would like to have a wireless at home .. So .1 could talk to Mama . ..every .clay;;.’ White . then , learned the little girl’s mother had died : short time before. The platter was sung by Billy (Happiness Boys Jones, irf what the supplement •justly •■.describes', as. “a tyareoin.; • polling mariner.” /It wasn't long before a foxtrot ■ with the simple, title, “Radio,” ap: peafed. Vincerit Lopez and Owen Murphy wrote “On the Radio,’ Which Lopez and his orchestra re corded for Okeh. Also on Okeh .the Roga Dance Orchestra com_ ..J)ino,d “Jtadio^ -E with “I Wish . There Was a Wireless.”, And this ••;• en tCrprisi ng company listed;., wha surely was. one ofthe oddest early r a d lo ; 6 ff e rings— 4 wo double-facec. • records teaching . “Radio: Code.* . The irist ructor was Jack Binnj; . v\ ho., if m emory serves, was* . th e wireless operator aboard the. Ti■_..// taplc back, in 1912 when the big : ; sli ip had that disastrous run-in with. ; ; : -an iceberg:,. As far. back as 1918.: ...Victor had offered platters teachv wireless telegraphy.' /•" Warding Hare as association with / Ernie the Happiness Boys and the Interwoven Pair.). / Jones and Hare were not only radio’s most popular singing team in the ’20s< they were also the top recording comedy pair and, as soldi sts and duetists, they seem to have done more than anyone; else q chronicle radid’s deeds and mis** deeds on platters. In 1924; Jones soloed on an Edison Diamond Disk, “Tune In On L-O-V^E ” This ditty, by Leonard Whitcup, is of historical interest because it brings in the call letters of a number of * radio stations. For instance, it says, “I’ve Heard KDKA,” arid/ ‘WeAF’s great;*’ then goes on to compare them unfavorably, with he joys of L-O-V-E. ’ ^ . -Ah oddity was a 1924 Cameo “three for a dollar”) record. On one side Jones and Hare sang the Classic “Does the Spearmint. Keep its Flavor On the ; Bedpost Overnight?” The other side contained burlesque radio skit, “Listening With Ruby Norton.” There appears to haye been a radio comedienne using the name of Ruby Norton; but all the talking, on this disk is done by Jones & Hare, although they are not mentioned on the 'Cohen On : Radio’ '■■■■I Orie Of the “Cohen on: the Telephone” specialists, the late Monroe Silver, got into the comedy; act with “Cohen on the Radio,” which, like . most of “Mike” .Silver’^ work, was amusing. In 1924, the : bars against recording artists performing for radio had just about broken down; Victor' began to issue records on; Which . Jones &■: Hare . Were identified as the Happiness Boys, and all companies raided the radio studios for recording talent; The trend became a landslide, after elfectrie recording Was introduced, making it possible to get satisfactory waxings of voices that otherwise would not have recorded well. The same thing applied to dance bands. Harry RCser’s Cliquot Club Eskimos, perhaps, the most popular orch on the air in the early 1920s, won wide popularity pn rec-; ords not only as the Eskimos but as the Six Jumping Jacks, , the Seven Little Polar Bears, Earl Oliver’s Jazz Babies, and in many other lises. Radio acceptance had even reached the point where. Billy Jones pretended,/ in the ... Jones:e Edison record of “The Farm AXEL GRUENBERG Ilv UOBKKT i:. kintnkr * ' O'-rcsiilent, ABC) RALPH “THIS IS EDWARDS’ ■.To1rR--:'i-i-Fi,-,,v er Took A riot he r Load Away,” th at; hi$ mind ./.'was wandering, and began to “announce tire program,” only to be chided by Hare wit h, “Bill, pUH yourself together and: stop wandering! We’re making a phonograph record.” Still later, the boys, occasionally sneaked in references . pn their platters to Interwoven socks. — ;-'.‘ Nevertheless, not all was bro f herly i()ve; When Thomas . A; F.di** s0n, Jiis son Charles (later governor of . New Jersey,) and other Edison officials made 4 record of Christriias greetings . to •/-. Edison dealers in 1924, it -opened, with some ear-splitting noises intended as k jeer at radio static. (Static or riot, radio by then bad the record business; almost on the /ropes;) And, speaking of static,, a fairly popular dance tune was called “Static Strut.” /'• • Even so, as already said,; the barriers wore just; about down. V aughn DeLeaili had made, records for Edison in 1919; B.. R. (before radio), but her later vogue/ as: a recording thrush came only after her .identification as “The Radio Girl,’” the first feirinie heard on the air; Frank Wright and Frank Bessinger, : “The ; Riidio: Franks,” were widely sought by platter purveyors; Gerry Macy and Ed Small? cal led themselves on records “The Radio Imps.” Columbia even, went So far afield as. to engage Bessie Cdid iron , tlie “Sunshine Gj id” of WBAP, Fort Worth; Bob Pierce; the “Old King; Cole” arid “Old Man Sunshine” of W(-)R, went well with Edison audiences. Pierce— whatever became of him?— did a child’s program With a theme song. “Radio Kiddies of Mine.” / One of the most unusual rccord (Continued on page 9C> ■ ,Our industry currently is faced two major problems calling the earliest possible solution if the broadpasting industry, as a Whole, is to in a i n t aim t h e progress w li i c h has miade it one of the. most important forces in American life, •../ ' One, of these p ro b 1 e m s is /the televi** vision' sector of the ; industry— a doublebarreled' one. tiori of some lion of talent on a long range contraeUtal basis instead of on a Pri«time. tvr -■cyclical basis,’ resulting in aiv overall saving in talent costs.. Our own network lias riioVe or lesi concentrated on this latter type of operation Wit h the aeqii Isi t Ion bii ® long-range basis of suelv. top talent as George Jessel, Danny Thomas, Rav Bolger, Jtiel Grey, Sammy Da-^ vis; Jr., and Martin Block; At th* same time; we havene glee ted no other avenues to the control arid reduction of TV costs arid wish tival we could find, morr; Robert KliUnrr Find The Guy! 1 It is the evolu* system of stringent control of ever mount ing television production Costs in order to permit more and riot fewer advertisers/ to enter upon the fullest and . most widespread use of the nu'diuin; and the provision of ever wider lineups of stations in order that the advertiser • may reacli every segment of a cbristantly expaiidirig iriarket. The pther problem, it seems ,to me, is the. formulation of al new clear arid accurate viewpoint toward radio and its proper niche In the eommuri.iealions industry; not only in relation to television but t o . a i l other cn tort a in irie n t a u d ; ad * vertislng media. . So far as the television problem is corieerned, every segment; of our indust ry-^rietworks,. si at ions, agni cies.packagersandproducei's-— has been coricentratin g upon finding a Working solution to it and, although many and, various as have been some of tlie proposals put forward,, to date there has been evolved no overall formula or yardstick/ by which the whole industry can base a. system of cost control or reduction. ... '. ■: /"; It may be that only a. synthesis of tire various proposals so f;n'; pul forward and tried pu/t rnay, provide;' the best / possible sol id ion to the cost, problem— ririci cased;. use of film; development of new produc*. tion techniques. w'Uicir will permit; the presentation' ".'.of first :class pi'Ograins wdihout elaboral (* piodu/'l ion accessories and practices; more widespread sponsorship of programs on an alternating basis; in; creased sponsorship oi program1-, fori a cooperative basis; the ulili/.a ing ‘Mammy, Come Home’ Late in 1923, another childish learjerker came through, “Miv Ra-* dio Mari 1 Tell My Mammy to Come Back Home,'.” Mammy was in heaven, hot Reno, as might have been ded uced from the . title. The romanticists were catered to with. “Radio Lady of Mine,” and some rather impractical advice on pitch ( ing ly)h*j-distance w60 was given in/ i ^^i^v-e^IIm^By^Radloy^ Bert Grant and Billy Joiiiis ancl-f^-1 / fKRVlxn corded tor Jones by Edison. ('Grant THEATRICAL: '(as Jones’ yaudepariner before r<.l, nubia Shorts; /M;ii-ch .of. Tinr the tenof vst^qqk pp t'u ; , ; Rutdiwtip'ru,. ^r<:»<fiu*tions For certainly the man who come* up with the BIG idea fbr this end can riot only command his own pride^lmt tiuv size; location arid lettering on the inivnivment a grate: tul industry will reay to him. The second phase of (lie television p r 0 b le in .that of providing better siatitm olonrurieo, presents a /• coivsiderablv brighter afmospher* for consideration and prospects for / solution. /‘; // ■. /;. ;-/;: The lifting of the freeze ()n rievv station construction Was perhaps t lie biggest ■’"•jfoc/to'r' ^ contfibtVtiiiig. to . a brighter picture for better sta-, tion .clearances this fall.. Before th* freeze was lifted, 40 out of / the country’s G4 television/ .marlcetsi/ wow single stalion markels. By t|il» fall, tliese 40 markets will -contaiR at least 7(5 sUUons. . Before tiie freeze Was lifted, , only GO of the nation’s 200 top .market*; had television servlee from 106 slat ions; Currently, 109 of Hies* 'iriarket s' contain. i(>(> .stations and by the fall of 19.13 approximuleiy . 102, of tlie; 200. top markets will have . inside television coverage .with about 23i stations on t lie air.; Tp; furri. to our; ot her problem-— a lot of jvcople in our. indust ry ar* g oi ng to have to. dus j off I. lie 1 r idea* about that . funny Cabinet., over fir '• tlie other corner of the 1 iviiig rooiii, turn the .diais and start listening to till1 result .. with, new iy, attuned Cars. Beeause t here are today 5, 000. 000 more of. those cabinets, or smaller, portable versions of them (li ail ,.-.tli ere yyere in the United States a. year aeo r-' and: their, owners <Iid n’t buy them just .tb hay# soniet hing to fill, up th'a.l eorni’r or to have another bundle to tot* along to the iu'iich of I he pienic. ..As of the first of 1liis.\ ear. according to a joint .re'searCl')/ebinmil tee of /the four networks --ABC, CBS; MBS arid /NBC -/there wer» i 10.000. 000 working, radii) sets in l lie. l/n i ted States eoin'iiareij bitri . 1 Ow.OoOJlOO a yea r ago. So not only lias radio riot 'gotie undi’f before, the. impact of t e '■(‘•.vision, ;c. so many ip -I he . iml ic t ry 'forecast-. it lias ex. (landed Jls audience* and its appeal lo adve.rl Isers. and. the putilic alike. ■■I.beli (*>■(» I liai .t I; i * ca’i Is f.oi' a new* / riel a e. bed reappraisal pi t he medium and its. Ov. m inherent (fiaraete ristics. and how I licy can. 'best -be utilized in t lie overall: broadcast Ing picture. For example, I lie st ill uririva lied siiperiori Iy of rado as a medium for news and. music. I think . that ’ .new program iormais mud be devised: to. ('on.l iniic.tfi hold,. bpth ..the . audictiye i 1 lias di, ad, for veals and the, .new listeners who. have 'turned lb it/ in th e juist year. / New sales formulae mud . be dy-^' ' vised lo permit, more •adverl-ikeiYt.-louse, radio in .more way, s. ;-y .One tiling is.('.ertafn.. :a.ii.v such / reappraisal of. fad:o must be on« • by which we see the whole iadip.;. picturi1 clearly and set*, it whole; ■/ detached, objeetive; arid iminflu- ' .(•need bv wild . sw iu-r/v ol cnlliu. 1 ... asm or gloom, j-ealisi.jcal!; ■ arrayed . . against •all ". other cub i i.onu.-eiii-. and advertising ■■-.media . : And belter : -put . time spadel. 1. back in the gaf.age fm a y. hile. . . JACK SHAINDLIN TIJK MOTION Jh’oductio.ns.; T/O.uis Vi de itctuiu: indl'stbv in the fast ■ T.V.: Man Auadist Ci umu • Tbe^Irn.ro. ■ Fa , 01 i l r ■ ■ r* tor \ , .M rtr > h < >f Time; is., t »■■'.. »“i • . , , •. < : /^/j. . Event; i.llaykidj» j Eoi tl T-t/witro^ lr V^-Ilte<i > C0W? M : j w •f.-iii l II San Antonio, / Alev ("ore. formerly assistant . in anager and co ni m ere i a 1 m an.age r ■. of KITE has b;i»n. named manager ... of' the out let,, according to an an . noiirieement made by C’harles BalThrope.'-.'.prezT'. • 'VVhTbd/WTiTd, ' forth pa-.i eight ymu's manager of KEYS, -.'Corpus" Christi,,; has been