Variety (July 1955)

36 RADIO REVIEWS Wedifetda?, Jfuiy 13,1955 PRESENTING CLAUDE RAINS Producer: Robert Jenninr* - Co-Directors: Frank Reeves, George Vautsas . - • Writer: Elizabeth Pierce 15 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 3:30 p.m. NBC, from N.Y, (transcribed) . NBC at first lined up “Present- ing Claude Rains" as a one-week radio special. Latest is that the actor's readings are set indefinitely in the 3:30 slot, and so it should be. Program content and delivery by the actor were excellent in the launcher Monday (11). Spring- board for his readings is in telling the experiences of actual people. (Idea reconstructs the old Bill Stern sports histories,) The' one heard seemed far fetched but dra- matic and well-written.- Elizabeth Pierce wrote a brief account of the attempted escape from her island exile by Mary Queen of Scots. Rains’ tone, timing were So perfect that the monolog was intensely dramatic, and mood was aided by background scoring. After a commercial break (filled by a plug for another network ahow since this one doesn’t have a sponsor) Rains reappeared in a news rehash. Reason for this was puzzling. It was an extremely brief and incomplete account of the fight against*'the nbwa fly by medical missionaries in French Equatorial Africa. It had no climax and Rains’ closing line which doubled as his only point was “I came across-this itory in the current issue of Life magazine.' Art KEEPING COMPANY With Mort Lawrence Producer: Sandy Marshall 25 Mins.; Mon.-Fri., 11 am. Mutual from New York “Keeping Company,” the first in a series of “companionate radio” programs to be aired over the Mutual net, bowed on Monday (4). Mutual’s aim in building the “c.r.” aeries is to drop all formality and "stylized show patterns.” Mort Lawrence handled the opening show in the informal man- ner required and the “stylized show patterns” really got the go-by. In fact, listeners, without a Mutual press release on the show, were probably in tfce dark as to what was transpiring. Lawrence, came on without an intro, tossed off some gab and then followed with vari- ous items including the narration of a short story and a king-sized pitch for a vacation visit to Yel- lowstone Park. Cooking suggestions and house- hold hints were also prof erred, on the show. In trying to avoid a Stylized pattern, the initialer was a little confusing, to follow and the informal angle was overplayed. Having Lawrence receive three phone calls, supposedly from friends wanting to borrow money, go out to dinner and play poker, was especially pretentious and of no value to the listener. Mutual deserves credit for try- ing to get away from routine programming, but there are still kinks to be ironed out. Jess. MAL BELLAIRS SHOW With Hugh Hill, Hal Stark, Maury McGill Producer: Lee Armentrout 215 Minutes: Sun., 1:10 p.m.' Participating WBBM, Chicago Amid all the fanfare attending the debut of NBC’s “Monitor, CBS’ WBBM launched its own hometown-angled weekend “serv- ice” potpourri with Mai Bellairs at the controls. 'Tailored for the mobile AM fan but with a pin pointed localized flavor, it very likely will give the competing network’s weekender a good run for the Nielsen’s in -these parts. (A similarly formatted session is aired Saturday afternoons). This too is an ambitious project backstopped by the WBBM news, special events and exchequer de- partments. As its host, Bellairs is cool and adept with the cues, hi* terviews and lowpressured byplay. It's a long stint but he wears well. And he’s given much more to work with than just a mike and a stack of records. There are disks, to be sure, along the nearly four-hour span but the bulk of the time is given over to diverting tidbits and up-to-the-minute reports on life in the Windy City. For the holiday weekend (3) there were direct-, telephonic re- ports on traffic conditions from suburban police headquarters; spe- cial events chief Hugh Hill piped in feature reports from the River- view amusement park; there were taped interviews with Mr. and Mrs. John Q on how they beat the heat, and Hal .Stark and Maury McGill came in frequently with the latest baseball scores and news reports. Since this was a scorcher weatherwise, the temperatures around the midwest got a big play. Good “added attractions’ were the host’s phone interviews with Dorothy Collins from the' Chicago Theatre’s backstage and Tony Mar-, Radio Followup AMERICA’S FRONT DOOR With Eddie Diiim Producer-Director: George Roosen 30 Mint.; Mon.-thru-Fri,, 2:30 p.m. Mutual, from New York Premise of Mutual’s concept in '“companionate radio” was, by tak- ft fji t f»11»»rttttttt 111 MiMMilminminimi from the Production Cadres tlHMIlHmmilHIIIHIHmUMHIIMIHIIH IN NEW. YORK CITY ... •' • * » •• i. Satchmo Armstrong rang up 55th birthday last week as guestar on Fred Robbins* CBS-“Disk-Derby” . . . WRCA deejay Jim Coy and Footed Cone & Belding’s Tom McDonnell planed to Ontario last week- end for huddle with Guy Lombardo whose “Rheingold Summer Sere- nade” bowed oh the station Monday (11) . . . Howard Lally, W.CBS merchandising chief, elected member of board of education of Tuxedo Park, N, Y.. - A1 Collins, WRCA d.j., subbing on “Coy’s Corner” as headman vacations In K. C., . . Bill Randle’s WCBSponsors for his Sat- urday show now total 25. A1 Calder named asst, producer Of show .. . WRCA producer Lee Jones to Connecticut for a month .. . Johanna Johnston, scripter of CB6-“Disk Derby,” off for three weeks in Europe. Gladys Finke, writer on “String Serenade*” back from Bermuda junket ... On the way home from Lido Beach, Martin (WCBS) Weldon’s car was involved in an .auto accident that injured his nephew, Dave Buck- baum, member of Bill Leonard’s staff, with Weldon badly shaken up and car damaged . . . Buck Hurst named contactman in sales devel- opment dept, of CBSpot Sales. .He was formerly eastern sales rep. midnight hour. Apparently, for all dav.(4) that- originalgnniV^e'nnw of KMOX, St. Louis. Olga Skopak, secr’y to v.p. John Karol, vacation- the shortcomings of some of the SO mewhat hazy. ing in Spring Lake. Q. & A. motivation, the_ Garfinkle From the first session of “Front Henry Garfinkle, new president of American News Co., which does _ $180,000,000-a-year volume, has ing cognizance of the change m been in the public prints in recent listening habits since the advent weeks as a signal American success of tv, that radio .mo longer could story. Last Thursday- (7) at the be considered a primary entertain- Rainbow Grill, in Rockefeller ment medium in the home. It’s Center, which is Operated by the probably not wrong to say that web Union News Co., a subsid of Ameri- topper Tom O’Neil gave Bob Mon- can News, Victor F. Ziminsky, roe a v.p. stripe and made him prez of UNC, hosted a cocktailery program phief to spark the plan to the top publishing echelon to whereby radio would .become sort meet the new ANC president, of an easv-to-take “background Representatives from virtually bsten,” one that didn’t require full every magazine, newspaper, book attention but that would please, and kindred outfit turned up of one that had perhaps as much a hotfsticky day to meet In person S^ersfly and color as NBC hopes “the Horatio Alger exponent of ‘Monitor” has.* As recalled, Monroe 1955, who went from’newsboy to originally wanted to make “corn- president” (of American News). pamonate radio’s” performers subb- . ... m - mate their own personalities. It That night Tex & Jinx McCrary would seem . from listening to had him on-mike over WRCA, “America’s Front Door,” the sec- ns the solo guest of their on( j 0 f two preems in “c.r.” Mon- CARTA, org of Catholic employees in radio-tv-advertising, holding. idsofl next Wednesday (20) from 7-11 p.m. at. T refreshments and terping to music of Buddy TYinrp nn thp hnttnn than th*» nm- £ro5nd listen.” Actually, gabber Weed Trio) . . . Jack Sterling to pinchhit for Warren Hull next week fpccinnal Tex & Jinx auestions Eddie Dunn was constantly talking, 0 n “Strike It Rich” and Jerome Cowan to spell Sterling on “Make Up which. 0 seemed to bear down too H the tuners-in didn’t listen to y 0U r Mind“ Latter has its 500th CBS airing Friday (15) ... WRCA « im ik 4 % » dll Of Wn&L HO Slid. thftV would AM am HUH AIammI aaT . I AfU V)Art ami) ^ull cncra Ha/f cnffieient nnnillar atmeal frum Wie IirSl session pi i?rom j.a, vi& vx to g warrant a flock of P phone ?a?ls Door ” it j became obvious that it moonlight sail on the Hudson next Some of the external aueries were was definitely not a form of “back- $2.50 per gaze (including refreshmc some oime external queries weie w nn f. n j *» w papers at the Staten island terry,' manned iust as mueh attention ac . - „ and trivia of that nature. In justice radio did wherf MonroeConSdered ,<The Cave” (by a waterfall in Huntington), have had a long line of to the McCrarys they openly ad- ^ top guests recently, including Paul Lavelle, Kay Armen, Ted Malone, mitted .that “people on the outside 0 £ the home Then too the second Raymond Massey, Enric Madriguera, Ralph Blane and Margaret Sang- think we are pressing you too much pro g ram - that Mutual launched in ster • • • In CBS Program Writing Division, Gladys Finke’s return from on that score.’’ They did manage behalf of its new formula Monday Bermuda frees Johanna Johnston for Paris visit while Barbara Boothe’ Project the fabulous rise of an showed that Monroe has modified, an oldtimar is back on staff for eight weeks of summer writing ... uneducated, underprivileged youth to some degree anyhow* the pros- Charles S. Monroe went to Erie, Pa. last week to see his 11-year old P ect of making “companionate daughter “Miffie” ride in her first Horse Show.City-versus-country tI! W n q 'pin* 1 radio ” gabbers Of secondary im- balance is maintained by two. CBS staff directors, Howard Barnes sell- fldl With branched in England for portance the material aired. i n g his Westport, Conn, home and taking a Manhattan apartment while transl^mentlothe Continent Self^ dTscussinfSemrHke Bnm ° Zirat ° Jr * « uits Manhattan for Stamford residence. It pointed up the inadequacies the out-of-town newsstand * behind _ Ward B. Stevenson named v.p. over public relations at Benton & of these success stories for two the old Times building in Times- Bowles after four years as p.r. director of Pillsbury Mills. . . . Helen basic reasons: (1), the danger of Square and in other frothy topics. Gerald into ABC’s “My True Story” tomorrow (Thurs.) ... Art Van - smugness and logrolling on the one The entire style of the show was Horn to cover Big Four confab at Geneva for ABC, with stopover en hand, arid (2) the natural reticence friendly and informal perhaps route in P ari s for taped interviews for his daily airing and in London of the “Alger hero” to trumpet his- even more informal than Galen and Munich after the /’summit” conference. . . . Irv Caknto produce a own success. Result was faltering Drake ever was in “Housewives Mr.’ & Mrs, show for Herb and Midge Polesie. . . . CBS graphic artists but, despite the lack of smooth- Protective League” via rival CBS, voted for IATSE as their collective bargaining agent, ness, somehow earthily appealing. - but isinformality in itself a sig- ’ , Scribbler-radio commentator Bob Considine to originate his Mutual For one thing, Garfinkle-s highly nififant change in the way a radio “On the Line” Sabbath showcases of July. 24 and 31 from Geneva and successful Garfield News distnbu- network is to be set up nearly in Big-Four confabs. Other web Jalkers, Fulton Lewis Jr. and Henry tion outfit, in Boston, has venerable its entirety? Dunn was pleasant Gladstone, make the junket also . . . WMGM flacker Jo Ranson and wXi, E ?c g !?o'^ b “, t ll he har , d t0 take such Wife Nancy heading to the Coast on vacation . . . WHOM auditioning comintMnhi } ar ® e nieasures f or vocalists and instrumentalists every Tuesday ayem for.-appearances thS Roy Cohn oPDOnent to wS give S ultimately propos , e r s . t0 on “Stars of Tomorrow” stanza . . . Acting Postmaster of N Y. Robert mat ±toy conn, opponent to welch give it. Art. Schaf(er gues ti ng f or Ruby Mercer via WOR Monday (18) . . . WMGM and Palisades Amusement Park continue their collaboration by teaming up on July 30 to make presentations to w.k. radio industryites from the park’s Jersey site. IN CHICAGO Charles Dilcher is exiting John Blair’s Chi office to head up the station rep firm’s Atlanta shop WGN public relations chief Jim Hanlon puttering around the homestead during his vacation stint . . . Jack Drees to call the shots on WBKB’s telecast, of the All American N.Y. Central, Pennsy'7^'Atlantic haIf a ^anje 'apiece, both at the golf tourney from the Tam O’Shanter country club Aug. 7. Chicago Coast Line, C&O, etc. Garfinkle’s Play-by-play and the commercial Plastering Institute shoulders the bill . . . Robert Elenz, Ruthrauff & own Garfield News, the largest in- spiels. “ __ Ryan, added to the McCann-Erickson radio-tv writing stable . . . Stan dependent in the world, and Man- Dudley, the old.pro at the mike, Da l®» ex-WJJD deejay now a draftee, keeping his hand'in the game as hattan News (in N.Y.) with its 53 comes through with a velvet and emcee of the Fifth Army show beaming alternate Friday nights on stands along the 8th Ave. Subway friendly tone and, since he has WGN-TV.. . . Chi ABC ad-promotiOn-publicity director Ell Henry mak- Line, etc., in itself loomed impor- dropped his cliches, can take his ing the Coast junket next week for the Disneyland opening ... WBBM- {« r n at the mike with the best of TV’s handygal Lee Phillip notched her 2,500th telecast Friday (8). She Miss Falkenburg put in "a pitch Edwards, has made consid- and weatherman P. J. Hoff have launched a new Thursday night, show for reopening the Rainbow ..Room progress. smee a year ago aimed at the weekend vacationeers . . . WAAF platter spielers aired clD (1 cited m ** pnn hoc mATfAiT 4 -a 41 . » ?n. .. • - • — _» - .. . . _ _ . * ff°rne in tuc x-c^uck Auey tw.ai- hmodeled Woods Theatre lobby as part of the hoopla for the opening . 0n ? inat + r °f ation• ° r SltU ~ of “Phoenix City Story” . . . Lew GomavitC, director of ABC-TV’s Miss ^ r ^irn?c’ Commercials bv both^ndc^r nmi “ Kukla - Fran ^ Ollie” ■ motoring to the Coast on his hiatus time Hayton^and RCAveepee Se banE accouht.'ir™ a hicehead wBKB^Gene^Rug & toE CtaS M ' h ° Ur M0 " dayS °" Sacks were “monitoring” ' the °* m ^ ere st. . Mark. WBKB for General Rug & Furniture Cleaners. switchboard f°r incoming phone NIGHT DE -^7 ‘ JTJV SAN FRANCISCO in the McCarthy investigation, is ditto for Garfinkle on the New CLEVELAND INDIANS York end. Thus the bitterly op- With Jimmy Dudley, Ed Edwards posing barristers now. find them- 120 Mins,; all scheduled games selves allied, in Garfinkle’s behalf. STANDARD BREWING CO., CEN- There was nO ''disputing the- TRAL NATIONAL BANK statistics: the $180,000,d00 - annual WERE, Cleveland volume; ANC’s 127,000 dealers in . Back at the Cleveland ball club’s the U. S. and Canada; its subsidiary daily spiel are-Jimmy Dudley, now Union News* 1,400 stands kt * all* his eighth ' year^, and Ed Ed- railroads east of the Mississippi— wards, in his second. The pair take VT XT 1 "W\ 'a 1.1 _ _ f _► v naif *1 f onliMt/% «. L XT Amidst the froth about hondrary -With Karin .Walsh, Joan Chan- collCge degrees; trusteeships of „ <*sllor colleges; interpolated reminis- P?°ducer; Bill Ray censes about Irving Berlin, David D,re ctor: Dick Reinauer Sarnoff, the Berlin Airlift; Bob 5? Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 10 p.m Hope etc., the Garfinkle story did emerge as an earthy success story. Chica l° . The incoming ,calls* touched on wl t*J . n ®ws being radio’s most vx u 16 « lurid - comics; tv versus reading saleable commodity, it has become ad man habits; and finally got around to a common P la ce that AM news di- Santa ] Wanda Ramey, local AFTRA president, headed S. F. delegation to union’s national convention in Seattle. Other delegates were exec secretary Charlotte Cofiehlan, Fred Stutham, Bill Hillman and Harry Polland . . . John K. Chapel 'of KLX hopped off on a Far East news- gathering jiinket July 4 , . . Jules Dundes, KCBS general manager, has been named’a director of S. F. Better Business Bureau .and chairman- of organization’s radio-tv media committee . . . David Lasley, ex-NBC here, in Hollywood and In Chicago, has joined Levinger Agency, Rosa . . . KSFO’s Wally King, twice a grandfather, is on the exactly how Garfinkle became-the fu2H r »/r in , i m P°ri ance verge of becoming a father again . . . Swingin’ Deacon’s swung to new boss of American News. That’s directors. It s no KSAN, midnight to 3 a.m. . . . Ex-basketballer Don Barksdale h^s re- h a i ^“"“fbat^by 8S&4 hatched ta Bill Hay's ncws Q de P art- “ La Jolla «* t00k ° U afterward for ' of 47% of the stock, he acquired control. It was a decidedly offbeat midnight interview. Abel. ment. Most ambitious venture and one „„„ ^«*,**^**. > likely to stir up the word-of-mouth IN PHILADELPHIA • • dialer reactions so badly needed bv * radio' generally is the nightly Jack Valentine, WCAU-TV personality, subbed at Willow Grove Park tin from the Flam go’s poolside “Night Desk.” Half-hour is helmed (4), When Denise Lor cancelled date . . . Jackie Gleason gets Philly in Las Vegas. Both' singers did by Sun-Times city editor Karin season’s top . ARB rating for every month except October ... Tom themselvCs.no harm with their Walsh and is designed to catch Reddy, a former writer and. producer of the Woody Herman and Benny gracious chitchat.- some of the-nocturnal flavor of the Goodman. Jazz concerts, preems progressive jazz session “Reddy’s Matinee was nicely planned and city. Instead of the typewriter. Roost” on WIP (16) . . . Stuart F. Louceheim Co., Zenith tv and radio paced. Chevrolet’s five-minute Walsh s trade tools on this assign- and Columbia Records distributors, leased five-story office and ware- 1 aU TTlPnt PTP TnO Tn llPA. Tn A FotsA L • i _*i * w n i *«••« «. * rin r i i fifS p3ren i, chain ^ are m ^ ke ' tk c tape re- house building on N. Broad St. . Bill Banks, WHAT president, vaca- format S Off flexible p 'the beeped telephone, tioning in Nassau . . . Perry Como drew large turnout (8) at cocktail Dating ’ bTurh^ e fliS2^ r o P f K art in‘ who- roam? 1 thJ town party for P ress * radio and tv at Warwick Hotel . . . Pianist Guy Mar- WBBM sSenltheChfcBS Hal tWsSlfun*?.flashto g back rinCT of WPTZ ' S “ Great Music Series,” vacationing in England. looks to have it made with this for immediate‘airing whenever he jnrtr wc n attt one. chances upon anything news- MllSNEArUHo-lSd • rAUL materia if delerees^’a’'spec"”l W °The?e was plenty of action on Chirper Mary Davies, regular Mel Jass-WCCO-TV show performer, nod. The little throwaway on Call' the edition heard (6). What Walsh. S£»J ?£*”_ O n AlMw r GtMnTs “Talent Scouts'' mg Independence Day, Interde- jpendence Day, . was the kind of casual sermonizing that’s remem- bered. Dave. lacks in professional gabber’ WCCO-TV and radio staffers playing important public service roles smoothness he makes up with his in Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce activities, being members of 13 intimate knowledge of the burg of business men body’s 15 committees. F. Van Konynenburff* WCCO- (Continued on page 40) (Continued on page .40) , , a