What television did about an even bigger news story in the month is unclear. Radio threw all kinds of staff and technical power at its coverage of D-Day on June 6, but special coverage is only mentioned at W6XYZ in Los Angeles. The 6th was DuMont’s regular night on the air in New York, and it went ahead with a musical programme about a peanut. No doubt the invasion was covered in Sam Cuff’s regular war-news analysis the following evening, though Billboard’s reviewer found things to gripe about.
It was not a day of instant pictures for newscasts. WNBT broadcast film from the invasion nine days later and that was considered a rush job.
Listings for New York stations and reviews of some programmes are found below. Of note is a Look magazine quiz program aired by WRGB starring Frederick Chase Taylor, better known as Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle. He and Budd Hulick provided off-kilter humour to radio listeners in the middle 1930s. Chase Taylor would be dead of heart problems in 1950.
Thursday, June 1
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 P. M. News Reports.
8:15 Boogie Woogie Music.
8:30 Forum Discussion.
9:00 Documentary Film.
9:30-10:00 Variety Program.
B&K Television
Reviewed Thursday (1), 7:30-8:30 p.m. Style—Variety and news. Sustaining on WBKB (Chicago).
One thing tonight's B. & K. show proved: The public is not going to watch present telecast variety acts, not when they can go to a night club or vaudeville theater and see the same entertainment in the flesh. The cast and the production staff did their best, but it wasn't enough to warrant calling this 45-minute period top-notch entertainment.
Talent on variety portion of tonight's telecast consisted of Dick Good, emsee; tap dancer Jackie Fontaine; singers David and Dorothy Paige; Torch Warbler Mary Leone; Beatrice Stronstorff, modern dancer, and Tex and Joy Morrissey, who did a human being in mule's clothing act. Helen Carson, supervisor of studio activities at WBKB, was the producer.
Show was called Tele-Vue Terrace and was given in what was intended to be simulated night club. The night club effect, however, was lost, because poor lighting made the background at most times just a blur of small, shadowy figures. Predominant top lighting over the acts made their hair seem unnatural and nullified any attempts at shadow and highlight lighting on the faces.
Best on show were Jackie Fontaine and Mary Leone, performers at the Brown Derby nitery here. They tried their best to sell themselves with oomph and facial expressions discernible on even the small television screen.
Dorothy and David Paige tried their best but didn't go over. Their voices might be all right for the night club or stage, but when picked up with FM high fidelity they often registered false. Beatrice Stronstorff did a dance interpretation of a blue mood that got across what she was trying to express, but it was nothing to make a man stay borne on a hot night.
News portion of telecast, delivered as first number on the bill, proved once again that newscaster Ann Hunter has grasp of subject, training, personality and telegenic appearance, which will some day make her a big name in commercial television news programs. The male tele newscasters of the future will receive plenty of competition from this expert and pretty news commentator, who always looks the television camera right in the lens, and makes her audience like it. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, June 10)
A NEW SERIES OF television programs was started June 1 by Look magazine on WRGB Schenectady. The premier telecast at 9:30 p.m. featured a mystery from "Photocrime", one of its regular photo-features. Two subsequent programs, June 29 and July 13, will be a television version of "Photoquiz ", another of the magazine's pictorial features, and a tele-cast based on an anti-inflation article which appeared in Look last February. Daniel D. Mich, executive editor of the magazine, will m.c. the program. (Broadcasting, June 5)
Friday, June 2
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 P.M. News Reports.
8:10 They Were There; Interviews.
8:20 Ballet: Polly Korchien's Student Group.
9:00 Film Short.
9:10 Presentation of Awards, Copy Girl of 1944 Contest.
CBS Television
Reviewed Friday (2), 8-10 p.m. EWT. Style—News, interview, ballet, film, quiz. Sustaining on WCBW (New York).
As soon as CBS corrects its old errors, it seems to think of new ones to make. This time it was off-camera noises.
If the 45 minutes of the show caught Friday is any indication, they have beaten their mike boom troubles. For the first time since CBS video returned to the air three weeks ago, volume was consistent except when performers obviously did not speak loudly enough.
The 45-minute seg was the same old quiz, this time with very dapper contestants from Esquire magazine. Little need be said about the production except that it was as restful as ever. Technically, it was about up to par, which is not very good. Worst fault was noises off the camera. People coughed, water poured, and chains clanked. It was like hearing the sound track of a Grade E movie chiller.
The camera, as usual, was the most static thing in the picture. When people moved, it did not follow, when one contestant shifted in his chair (he must have been uncomfortable, too), he immediately went out of focus. The camera didn't pan back when Esquire's well-dressed but not very witty staffers crossed in front of it and they became blurs. At one point, when a series of pix were being shown as part of a question, half of the pix were missing because the close-up camera went in too far.
A quite lovely giraffe effect was achieved when the camera, in moving up and down Esquire bodies, stretched necks all out of proportion. What made it worse was fact that the same thing did not happen last week during the copy girl contest. If they are breaking in a new camera man, a live show is no place to do it.
Lighting of close-ups was well done but the long shots were much too dark. Lights mounted on the base of the camera dollies would help considerably as was pointed out before.
The rest of the two-hour show, which was not caught consisted of a 15-minute news slot featuring a new newscaster, Ev Holis [Holles], 15 minutes of They Were There, regularly skedded interview with servicemen, a 30-minute ballet by Polly Korchien’s student group, five minutes with the winners of the New York Newspaper Guild’s copy girl contest and the quiz.
CBS says it is using a new map technique that has the pointer, a long, striped affair, handled off-stage. The newscaster merely comments on the military movements of the day. If the timing has been worked out well, it should be effective.
Starting next week, CBS starts twice-weekly broadcasting on Thursday and Friday with live and film video. The Thursday shot started on the QT this week.
Eventually, tho, CBS is going to run out of mistakes, and then they can concentrate on production. Until then, they need work. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, June 10)
Saturday, June 3
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 p.m. Test Pattern.
8:00 Film: “Fighting Sea Monsters” (Adventure, 1943.)
9:00-10:00 Film: “Lightning Carson Rides Again,” with Tim McCoy, Joan Barclay (Victory, 1938).
Sunday, June 4
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. Video Vistas.
8:45 Film: “Dora’s Dunking Doughnuts,” with Shirley Temple (Educational, 1933).
9:00 “Designs for Tomorrow,” with Jessica Dragonette.
9:30 Film: Documentary.
9:40 Meg of the Megacycles.
9:45 The Sketchbook.
Monday, June 5
WNBT Channel 1
730 P. M. Test Pattern
8:00 Films: “Feathered Follies,” (Van Beuren, 1932) “Prescription for Rubber;” The War As It Happens.
8:45 Feature Film: “Let's Go Collegiate” with Frankie Darro, Marcia Mae Jones and Jackie Moran (Monogram, 1941).
9:45 Film: Televues: Roman Carnival Overture.
It wasn't wily radio that covered itself with glory on the Coast in posting the populace on every invasion move. Television Productions transmitter on the Paramount lot, W6XYZ, went on the air with maps, pictorial and dispatches on second night of the invasion [June 5] and televised for four solid hours without a break. Klaus Landsberg, video boss, is now putting out the station's signal every hour on the hour to flash bulletins against the background of a map so that set owners can follow progress of the allied advances. (Variety, June 14)
CROWELL-COLLIER Publishing Co., New York, experimented with television recently, presenting an hour-long dramatization of the contents of American Magazine on WGRB Schenectady, General Electric station. (Broadcasting, June 5)
Tuesday, June 6
WABD Channel 4
8:15 P. M. Variety; The Peanut Is a Serious Guy.
8:45 Films.
9:00 WOR Show.
9:30 Film: “Little Red Hen” (Iwerks, 1934).
9:45 Fashion Revue.
"THE PEANUT IS A SERIOUS GUY"
With Maria Gambarelli, Tom Jewell, Garland Wilson and Carroll Boyd
Writer-Director: Gene Kuebne
Cameras: Bill Wallace, Al Vizzy
15 Mins.; Tues. (6), 8:15 p.m.
NATIONAL PEANUT COUNCIL
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
(Thompson)
Using "Mr. Peanut," a puppet created by Tom Jewell, and Maria Gambarelli, the J. Walter Thompson tele department worked out a pleasing and different approach to current video programming problems. Major factor in putting the show across was a fetching tune, and lyrics to match, from the pen of Carley Mills, tabbed "I'm a Serious Guy." It's a fact that people left the DuMont studios humming the refrain.
Camera work was effective, if not outstanding, and Gamby looked very fetching on the screen in an abbreviated ballet costume and what looked like an hour-long hairdo. "Mr. Peanut," however, was just a double-jointed peanut shell on strings. His character, if any, didn't come through the video waves.
Show, strictly institutional, plugged nutritive value of the peanut and had the puppet arguing with Gamby to take himself out of the ball-game-and-circus class. She finally was won over after tasting a peanut milk shake and gorgeous looking cake (recipes for both were read and displayed on the videocast). Gamby evinced her approval by a nice bit of tiptoeing in the limited space provided by DuMont's penthouse studio.
Music was in the capable four hands of Garland Wilson and Carroll Boyd, sepian two-piano team, who got camera attention for open and close shots. Incidentally, television cameras are very kind to colored performers who look natural and life-like on the screen. Commercials, as such, were not a factor as the entire 15-minutes was dedicated to the task of selling the peanut. There have been many worse video shows than this one. Donn. (Variety, June 14)
While most major film companies have been inclined to proceed slowly rather than, jump into television program production, and both independent and chain theatre operators fearful that the new medium (which will bring sight and sound entertainment into homes) will prove strong opposition. RKO yesterday (Tues.) announced the organization of RKO Television Corp. to develop television programming. . . .
According to the statement made by Ralph B. Austrian, executive v.p. of RKO Television Corp. the RKO television activities are aimed strongly for advertising sponsorship and television users. Austrian plans to offer advertisers both filmed television programs and live-talent package productions.
Aside from the preliminary plan to produce such type of entertainment, RKO announces no further details for the development of the new medium. For the time being, as far as can be ascertained, the RKO television subsid is largely, a program building, service. (Variety, June 7).
Wednesday, June 7WABD Channel 4
8:15 P.M. Studio Variety.
8:45 Film: “I Surrender Dear,” with Bing Crosby (Atlantic, 1931). [Note: this film ran the previous month].
9:00 “Face of the War” with Sam Cuff.
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday (7), 8:15-9:45 p.m. Style—Drama, film, songs, news. Sustaining on WABD (New York).
DuMont segs show a flair for innovation and a certain attempt to master the medium rather than have it master them. Wednesday's show was no exception, but it suffered, not from a plethora of technical errors or production faults, but rather from comparison with pix.
First half-hour shot was a dramatized recruiting poster for the WAC, called Penny Keeps Her Head. Material for the show was taken from WAC files and whipped into a fair script by the staff of Charles Storm ad agency. It had some pace, some interest, and was well acted by Sgt. Eloise Sidle, Pvt. Alyce Nickles, John McQuade, Bill Charles, Marie Kenny, Robert Warren, George Foster and Buddy Pepper.
The major fault in the presentation was the entirely stationary camera which didn't move a single, solitary inch during the whole half-hour show. It may be that DuMont and Storm want to borrow from the legit stage with the Idea of a single-camera angle as a video reproduction of the theater audience's immobility, but they should remember that in legit the actors move around the stage. That movement is impossible with present-day tele cameras unable to get effective long shots without loss of detail.
One new idea introed Wednesday was the use of WAC posters flashed on the screen, with a musical background to cover up scene changes. The changes themselves took very little time principally because there was very little scenery. Off-camera prompting, here evident in several places, is still an unsolved problem which can possibly be alleviated by placing scripts on blackboards. It will be a tough job, but it will work.
Following the live drama, DuMont presented two films. The first, it signal corps pic, called We're in the Array Now, continued the WAC theme and vividly demonstrated the long road video has to travel until it reaches the level of the movies. The other film was an old Mack Sennett short, with Bing Crosby, called Blue of the Night.
Closing 30 minutes of the seg was Lever Bros. soap commercial with music and news. The method of flashing thoughts on the screen to illustrate Lifebouy's efficiency is good. It works something like this: Gal walks in with a guy. She sings songs while he gets the eye from another gal. Thoughts over second girl's head say: "He's nice. I like him" She gets close to the guy and discovers: "He has B. O." Guy gets the idea, goes out for a Lifebouy shower and comes back to the arms of both women.
Sam Cuff's news shot was good, altho fewer views of the map (camera was trained on it for 10 long minutes), and a completely white pointer against the dark background would help. There is, of course, much to be said for the all-map technique. It does improve the commentary by allowing the speaker to look at his notes all the time. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, June 17)
American Television Society last week presented 1943-44 awards to WABD, N, Y. (DuMont) and WRGB, Schenectady (GE), for outstanding contributions to the art of commercial tele and for achievements in video programming, respectively. Because of wartime limitations on widespread use of tele no award was made for use of the medium as a public service. Awards committee, headed by J. Raymond Hutchinson and including Elizabeth Ayres, Evelyn Pierce, John Flory, Ted Huston and Ken Whatmore, also commended W6XYZ. Los Angeles, for technique improvements in lighting, process screen work, etc. (Variety, June 7)
Thursday, June 8
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 P. M. News Reports.
8:15 Gertrude Berg, Interviewed.
8:30 Film.
9:10 “Television Quiz.”
9:45-10:00 Vera Massey, Singer.
CBS Television
Reviewed Thursday (8), 8-10 p.m. Style—Quiz, pianologue and film. Sustaining on WCBW (New York).
Several things were proven during this scanning—not the least of which was the fact that a good up-to-the-minute film doesn't have to lose a thing from being televised. CBS aired The Negro Soldier to open the evening's looking in—and less than 1 per cent of the pic was lost by being sent thru the air. Of course there were many more close-ups in this documentary presentation than there are in a straight entertainment presentation. The rapid flow of camera movement from face to face, from pulpit to congregation, helped the sound track. It proved the claim of engineers who contend that since it's possible to concentrate more light on film than it's possible to use for live shows, film must be the answer until new sources of light are developed post-war. As a matter of fact these new sources are available now but only for war work.
The pic was followed by a pianologue with Vera Massey. Here CBS started cooking with gas. It realized for the first time that a girl has to be glamourized. It used baby spots plus the regular floods to give Miss Massey a bit of cross-lighting at the piano. The cameramen, Howard Hays and Phil Bretz, contrived to keep her in focus at all times—well nearly all times. Once or twice, when Miss Massey looked down her nose, her face foreshortened and became a geometric instead of something alive. Boom mike work was best while she was seated at the piano singing, and sound came thru as good if not better than other FM broadcasting. There was some sputtering while she was moving, but not much. Miss Massey is telegenic beyond a doubt. She has a voice, too, which counts when a performer is supposed to sing. She didn't even go sour when she did her talking to her absent sweetheart's picture—which is something. The set looked like a home, and if there didn't seem to be any reason why she moved off the piano stool on to the floor next to the armchair where her sweetie used to sit—well there doesn't have to be too much logic in a song picture.
Wherever You Are, the name of this sequence, was an object lesson to all workers in the video medium. It doesn't have to be bad. Credit Gilbert Seldes and Tony Miner for this contribution to visual air programing.
What followed was not so hot. It was another quiz session. This time workers on Cue, consumer theatrical publication, made a go at it and like all other "authorities" made fools of themselves. However, that's neither here nor there. What is important is that the far shots which scanned the entire group looked like a family pic out of 1900, and the near shots were so badly lighted that not even editors could look that bad. Most of the questions were mental teasers rather than visual. One, however, the attempted identification of stars thru photographic negatives of their pictures, was good. What CBS missed was actually scanning the negatives as they would have scanned slides so that they'd go the full face of the cathode tube width on home receivers. This would have required two negatives, of course, but it would have brought the looker into the presentation, a vital factor if video is to become anywhere near as personal as broadcasting.
What's basically wrong with the CBS quiz sessions is that the quiz master, Ben Feiner, is no telegenic "Doctor I. Q." No quiz can be any better than the question thrower, and Ben seems often thrown by the questions instead of throwing them. Besides he'd never lure a dame to the receiver and that's important, too. Kojo Mortin. (Billboard, June 17)
Believe it or not, that soldier son who used to turn up his nose at afternoon tea will probably come back from the war demanding it daily. That's the prediction of George P. Mitchell, president of the United States Tea association, who visited Schenectady yesterday [8] to appear over television studio WRGB.
Over a cup of—what else but tea—yesterday afternoon, Mr. Mitchell talked about the part tea is playing in the present world conflict and of its role in the world of tomorrow. (Schenectady Gazette, June 9)
Friday, June 9
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News Reports.
8:15 Opinion on Trial.
9:00 Film Short.
9:10 “They Were There,” Interviews.
9:30 Variety Show.
Saturday, June 10
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: Short Subjects.
8:40 Film: His Double Life, with Lillian Gish, Roland Young (Atlantic, 1933).
SALT LAKE CITY, June 10.—Station KUTA (Blue) this week applied for a commercial television permit from the FCC. The Blue's 9,000-watter is the first station locally to apply for a commercial permit, and according to Frank Carmen, president and manager, is ready to go as soon as equipment is released.
Station KDYL has already applied for an experimental video permit, as well as for an FM channel. (Billboard, June 17)
Sunday, June 11
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. “Video Vistas.”
8:45 Film: “Managed Money” with Shirley Temple (Educational, 1934).
9:00 “Designs for Tomorrow.”
9:30 Film: “Flemish Folk” (20th Century Fox, 1934)
9:40 Meg of the Megacycles.
9:45 Bureau of Missing Persons.
9:50 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allan.
Monday, June 12
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 p.m. Test Pattern.
8:00 Film newsreel: “The War As It Happens.”
8:25 Feature Film: “Louise,” with Grace Moore soprano, and others (Mayer & Burstein, 1939).
9:40 Televue: Der Freischutz Overture.
Tuesday, June 13
WABD Channel 4
8:15-9:15. WOR Variety Show.
DuMont-WOR
Reviewed Tuesday (13) 8:15-10 p.m. Style—Variety and film. Sustaining on WABD (New York).
The idea of a good reader sitting back casually in his chair before the video camera and giving forth with oldies like Casey at the Bat has possibilities. As usual with WOR's gang, when they use DuMont facilities, the possibilities are there—but they're unrealized. Bob Emery is the reader and while he does know how to handle corn verse, his idea of going informal is to take his eyeglasses on and off and once in a while look at the video viewer.
If this were the only thing that didn't come off it would have been okay. But it wasn't. Emery has sound fade in on top of his reading (that's a radio sound technique that doesn't belong in television). Then he had the camera switch to a ball field set that was completely unbelievable, and Casey went thru the motions of the famous strike-out. The sound-effects man and Casey, however, didn't get together and the result was silly—not funny. The poem-reading formula with flashes to the ball field ran thruout WOR's portion of the program—with two newer opuses, Casey's Revenge and Casey's Daughter. The daughter had something in her shorts, and if someone had told her how to handle herself before the cathode tubes she would have been fine. One thing that the video medium takes to, less than anything else, is faked settings and routines, the moving line of electrons shows up every fake sooner or later. The ball was hit before the bat could touch it, etc.
From the first Casey "poem" Emery switched to the New York Boys' Club, with a hobby holiday session. The kids were having a good time and so did the viewer. The camera work smelled—some swell close-ups were missed, the miking wasn't any too hot—but the kids came thru because they were just themselves, a gang of kids from the streets of New York. A collection of kids recently seen up over WRGB, Schenectady, were handled better with lights and camera—but they came thru stinko because they weren't real. Putting people at their ease is a must in television. There should be a few news camera men in the game who know how to take the stiffness even out of Dewey.
Second hobby shot brought in Maurice Dreiser with guest Messmore Kendall, millionaire Washingtonian, i. e. a collector of G. W. mementoes. Dresser was stiff, Kendall wasn't telegenic and video lost a couple of more viewers at that moment.
Following Kendall there was a plug for The Billboard. They used this mag to bring before the cameras a girl called Bonnie Boyd. Bonnie was okay on voice and personality, but there didn't seem to be anyone to tell her what to do and she didn't. One thing is certain, a singer or actress without direction smells to high heaven—no matter how good she is.
Next came a bond selling routine. It didn't sell.
After the station break a couple from Bothners Gym came on to show a fem self-defense routine. What was left of the studio floor after Helen Broderick completed throwing Lou Leonard around couldn't have been very much. Broderick and Leonard had a special act, but nothing was believable except the way the latter hit the floor. Followed a Casey spot. Followed a return of the Boys' Club who were just as swell the second time as they were the first—and the camera work and lighting was just as bad.
The final spot on this part of the show was Hi Rubin doing a television quiz. It was audience participation—but Rubin didn't know how to sell it. He's a radio pioneer trying to pioneer in this new field. The trouble is that the new field demands much more than radio ever did—and while the picture-identification idea is good for television (CBS uses it in different forms during its regular quiz sessions) it must have something besides theater tickets to the winners to make it worth looking in.
After Rubin came a long-drawn-out commercial for the Spool Cotton Institute. The story was a 110-times told tale. The actors were not bad—if someone could have given them lines to speak that seemed real and then gave the off-camera directions quietly so that you weren't listening to them set the next scene while the one on camera was still going. Plays that introduce a set of characters—try to get you interested in them and then end up in a straight-selling commercial, a daytime pitch to women to save money and sew at home, should be burned before anyone starts paying actors to work in them.
This DuMont session just proved what has been proven time and time before. Experimentation should be conducted by professionals. Television can't advance with men and women who don't know the fundamentals of which talking air pix are made. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, June 24)
Wednesday, June 14WABD Channel 4
8:15 Studio Variety.
8:40 Film: Dream House with Bing Crosby (Atlantic, 1931).
9:00 Words on the Wing.
9:30 Film Short.
9:45 Interesting People.
Late change in NBC's plans for television coverage of the Republican convention in Chi this month will have films of the opening session Monday noon (26) flown to N. Y., immediately for showing over WNBT that sight. Originally, scenes of each day's happenings were to be telecast 24 hours later. New arrangement with Pathe News (RKO) will have Monday's daytime happenings reaching N. Y. in time for telecasting the same night.
NBC is relaying convention broadcasts for rebroadcast by GE's tele-station in Schenectady and in Philly by the Philco outlet. (Variety, June 14)
Thursday, June 15
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News Reports.
8:15 Bayeux Tapestry.
8:30 Balleretta.
8:45 Feature Film.
9:15 Visual Quiz.
9:45 Will You Remember, songs.
CBS Television
Reviewed Thursday (15) 8-10 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on WCBW (New York).
The least that can be said for CBS is that it is not afraid to experiment. And the best that can be said is that the experiments oftimes work.
Thursday night they tried something new in the way of an educational feature, televising a reproduction of the Bayeux tapestry at the same time that an expert on the tapestry gave a running commentary. Jane Smith, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, much prettier than most museum employees, has a bright personality and command of her subject that put over the story very well. Gilbert Seldes led her competently.
Constant camera projection on the tapestry (as long as eight minutes without a change) produced a sort of narrator effect not at all suited to an interview. If one person was speaking it might have been effective, with two it was not. On the other hand, the sliding panels on which the tapestry, a very long, narrow panoramic affair, was mounted, gave a certain feeling of walking along the original that felt quite natural.
The second innovation was a tasteful something CBS called a Musical Tapestry, a live show with two ballet dancers, Joy Williams and Bobbie Howell, singer Ronnie Gibson and the Lesueur Sisters, harpists. The Lesueur Sisters are three, CBS insists, but this dep't saw only two. The production was excellent, a nicely woven bit of fluff that was amusing and pleasant to see. Ballet to Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-Der-E is a bit of a shock at first but you get used to it. The only thing wrong here is the fact that present-day cameras cannot be moved fast enough to follow a dancer who really gets moving. The result was to have the ballet girls dance right out of the screen several times. The solution to this one seems to be to instruct the dancer to take it easy.
Will You Remember? was the title of the last half hour and the trouble is that this reviewer does. Will You Remember? called by last week's reviewer Wherever You Are, was preemed a week ago and, at that time Vera Massey, the star, gave the charming impression of an easy-going pianologist who had voice, personality and acting ability. This time, unfortunately, her directors decided to improve on what was already very good. They had her move more, shmaltz and gesture more. They should have left well enough alone. Effect this time was of a great effort that didn't hit because she tried too hard. A change of background spoiled what looked before like a beautiful living room and the introduction of an obviously phony window prop destroyed realism. The background was too close and details intruded themselves on the focal point, Miss Massey's face. The spot was too harsh and the singer's new dark make-up gave her a shiny nose.
But perhaps the worst thing in the seg was its closing shot which was loused up beautifully. The spotlight which was set up to stream in from left of center, broke down and the substitute, aimed at the full-face, threw shadows on either side of her nose. A spot must come from the side to be effective.
Newscaster Ev Hollis, who hasn't been caught before, is definitely telegenic, and a competent commentator.
They also had that quiz again. Ben Feiner, the emsee, was a bit neater looking which contributed something; and part of the staff of Tune In mag was fairly interesting, but the whole basic CBS quiz formula needs an overhauling. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, June 24)
Friday, June 16
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 P.M News Reports.
8:15 Opinion on Trial.
9:00 Film Short.
9:15 They Were There, interviews.
9:30 Variety Show. COLUMBIA TELEVISION SHOW
With Ev Holles, Mrs. Wayne Martin, Jr., John McManus, Greg Abbott, Margaret Miller, Sgt. George Baker, Ray Morgan, Consuelo Flowerton, De Marco Sisters, Robert Jefferson, Marilyn Arden, others Producer: Worthington Miner
Two Hours, Fri. (16), 8 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBT-CBS, N. Y.
Miner, Feiner and Seldes, the CBS tele trio, have come up with a new feature, "Opinions on Trial." which is of more than pausing interest inasmuch as it appears to offer an interesting answer to a current video programming problem. Production men, wondering whether it will be possible to hold audience attention on the screen for long periods, might well study this CBS experiment.
"Opinions On Trial" is a courtroom presentation at which popular topics are debated before a judge by opposing counsel withwitnesses and other legal personnel, present. Jury is the audience at home—a nice angle for drawing mail. Strong point of the show is that it supplies continuity throughout, in this case for 45 minutes, but does not demand strict and absolute attention at all times. Quiz shows, too, do not require eyes glued to the screen throughout but lack the continuity contained in "Trial."
On show caught (18) question was whether dual film features should be discontinued in the metropolitan area. In favor of giving them up was Mrs. Wayne Martin. Jr. of the Bronxville Motion Picture Council, who summoned as witnesses three members of the organization, John Lee, Mrs. Richard B. Brown and Victor Mayes. John McManus, film critic for PM. was opposing counsel, with Boz Crowther, N. Y. Times man, and Martin Levine as witnesses. His honor was Greg Abbott. Camera switches from lawyers to witnesses, judge, court clerk, etc., and courtroom props coupled with lively arguments and byplay made for interesting stanza. Verdict due this week (23) when mail is tabulated.
Best of CBS tele show had Ev Holles opening with news quarter hour; Margaret Miller, of CBS. interviewing Sgt. George Baker of Yank mag, on publication details, and a lively variety closer. CBS tele picture definitely is looking up.Donn. (Variety, June 21)
Curt Massey made his first television broadcast over WBKB last Friday (16). (Variety, June 21).
Saturday, June 17
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: Short Subjects.
8:45 Film: “Code of the Cactus,” with Tim McCoy (Victory, 1939).
INVASION motion pictures, rushed to this country, were telecast June 17 by NBC television station, WNBT, and carried by WRGB Schenectady, GE outlet. (Broadcasting, June 26)
Sunday, June 18
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. “Video Vistas.”
8:45 Film.
9:00 “Designs for Tomorrow.”
9:30 Film.
9:45 The Sketch Book.
Monday, June 19
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 p.m. Test Pattern.
8:00 “Nassau County at War and Peace,” Lowell Thomas, heads of Nassau County Industries, and War Films.
9:00 Film: The War as it Happens.
9:14 Feature Film: “Foreign Agent,” with Gale Storm and John Shelton (Monogram, 1942).
10:15 Televues: Flying Dutchman Overture.
Lowell Thomas doubled in tele Monday night over WNBT, N. Y. (NBC), in a forum arranged by RCA and dedicated to the war plants located in Nassau County, Long Island. Videocast was tied in with a meeting at the Franklin Square National Bank, Long Island, where private financing of postwar employment projects was discussed.
Appearing with Thomas on the tele show were officials of Grumman and Republic aircraft plants and the Sperry Gyroscope Co., who demonstrated models of wartime developments turned out in their factories. John Kurie, of Look Mag, and Scott Fletcher, field director of the Committee for Economic Development, also took part.
Despite his long-time experience as radio commentator and after-dinner speaker. Thomas was the only participant to use a script, from which he read his lines and fed cues to his colleagues. (Variety, June 21)
RADIO'S greatest domestic spot news coverage job will be undertaken next Monday (June 26) when more than 300 men and women cover the Republican National Convention in Chicago for seven networks and 66 individual stations. For the first time in broadcasting history radio will augment on a mass basis its regular news wire services and network programs with on-the-spot handling from both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. . . .
For the first time in communications history, radio and television will be coordinated to provide sound and sight reports of the convention when NBC will expand its television coverage. WNBT, NBC television station, on opening night will carry an hour's program featuring a historic film of Chicago and scenes from the home towns of the leading Republican candidates. NBC has granted permission to WRGB, General Electric station at Schenectady, N. Y., and WPTZ Philadelphia, Philco Radio & Television Corp., to telecast the pictorial film scenes. Each station will pick up the video signals direct from WNBT, using relay links to form a three-city network.
NBC also has arranged to film Gov. Earl Warren of California in an advance delivery of his keynote message and to time presentation on WNBT with the actual address. Network officials estimate that with proper flying conditions, NBC will have on the air films of the opening of the convention 10 or 12 hours before the delegates are called to order. Telecasting will continue daily throughout the convention. (Broadcasting, June 19)
MORE than two dozen applications for new broadcast services have been filed with the FCC during the past month, seven of which were received by the Commission last week—for six standard stations, seven FM stations and a new commercial television outlet. . . .
General Television Corp., Boston, is applicant for a new experimental television outlet on Channel 1. WAAT Newark, N. J., requests a new commercial television station on Channel 5. . . .
Commercial television outlets are sought by KUTA Salt Lake City, Channel 2; WFIL Philadelphia, Channel 7; WJR Detroit, Channel 6; WEBR Buffalo, Channel 1. (Broadcasting, June 19)
FILM SHORT to be used exclusively for television transmission and built to commercial specifications of Lever Bros. (Rinso soap) is being made by Pine-Thomas Productions, Hollywood film studio. Arrangements were made by Ruthrauff & Ryan, when Lee Cooley, agency television director, was in Hollywood on a television survey assignment. Mr. Cooley collaborated on the script with Maxwell Shane who is now directing the film, scheduled for release on W2XWV New York.
Live talent experimental shows will be given on Don Lee television station W6XAO Hollywood, starting June 26, according to Ralph B. Austrian, executive vice-president of RKO Television Corp. Shows will be produced by Charles B. Smith, newly appointed West Coast representative of the company. They will be experimental in nature, designed to perfect plans for program presentation. Mr. Smith also continues in capacity of radio contact for RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. (Broadcasting, June 19)
Tuesday, June 20
WABD Channel 4
8:15-9:15 P.M. Variety Show, with Michael Werboff, Artist, others.
Wednesday, June 21
WABD Channel 4
8:15 P. M. Studio Variety.
8:45 Film.
9:00 Words on the Wing.
9:30 Film Short.
9:45 Interesting People.
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday (21), 8:15-9:30 p.m Style—Variety and film. Sustaining on WABD (New York).
Magicians have appeared before on the station but the talent of none has been so well utilized in building a commercial as that of George Gilbert tonight. The Charles M. Storm Agency tied Gilbert's sleight-of-hand in with the idea that Tintex is a magic dye and its use as simple as the twist of a wrist.Color Magic by Tintex had Rita Blake, who warbled That Old Black Magic. The singer has done several stints on WABD for Director Ray Nelson, and her newly developed tele technique is eloquent proof that camera practice is important. Instead of standing stiffly singing to a mike, the gal has learned to use her entire body in selling a song.
Chuck and Ellie Story, in cowboy get-up, yodeled a couple of Westerns. Thruout, Magus Gilbert acted as emsee. He brought ballet dancer Bobby Jean Bernhardt, grandniece of the famous Sarah, on camera by holding up a snafu box, and having camera dissolve to what appeared to be an identical box. It turned out to be one from which the dancer stepped to do her stuff.
Portion of the show was devoted to straight commercial, with magician and stooge, Sandra Roe, plugging Tintex. While Miss Roe told how clothes could be dyed quickly, the man of magic placed a white dress into a basket and pulled out a colored one. Better lighting would have helped.
The Ruthrauff & Ryan show for Lever Bros. continues to use shots of the company's products turning slowly, accompanied at beginning and end of program by musical ditties. This night it was Spry that came in for a thoro exploitation by Emsee Pat Murray, with Roberta Hollywood doubling from self-accompanied singing to direct participation in commercial. Lighting was extremely bad on the entire half-hour program, but was particularly noticeable in the appearances of Miss Hollywood. One side of her face was blocked out by shadows in close-ups. Unless the mike and camera can be co-ordinated to move with the singer, she will have to discontinue weaving back and forth. At times she was almost out of camera range and her voice faded when the mike boom didn't weave with her. Sam Cuff's map talk might be made more valid video stuff if camera occasionally gave a glimpse of him instead of focusing on the maps. A newscaster's personality is important to a program, and failure to take advantage of the opportunity to let his face be as well known as his voice is a mistake. Such a shifting will give movement and interest to what is now a static 10 minutes.
Lack of contract between the color of the pointer and maps, which make for strain in following the pointer, might be corrected by using a striped black and white stick. Cuff's participation in the commercials to the extent of his munching cookies that have been baked while he talked robs the newscaster of dignity and authority. His intro by Pat Murray doesn't give him a build-up equal to his historical analysis of the state of the war—a commentator can't be a video commercial stooge and hold his stature.
It might be better to slot Cuff's appearance at the beginning or end of the show and scratch product plugs from his script altogether.
Tele producers might have picked up some ideas from the 18-minute British band short, Swings the Thing, which came on between the two live shows. Pic, featuring Harry Roy, made excellent use of a highly polished backboard above piano keyboard, permitting interesting reflections in close-up piano shots.
When a musician stood to take a solo during rehearsal, while the group was trying to work out an idea, members of the band marched in a circle around him to create mood. They walked slowly at first but as the soloist's tempo mounted the men matched it by moving faster. Despite limitation of space there was movement and eye-holding interest instead of a colorless view of one musician. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, July 1)
Recent WABD-DuMont WAC recruiting telecast, produced by Ray Nelson for the Charles Storm agency, achieved success even before taking the air in N. Y. Miss Florence Gilman, of New York, attended one of the rehearsals and was sold immediately. So much so that she went through preliminary steps at once and cleared the decks in time to be inducted and sworn into be WAC during the actual telecast.
Miss Gilman, by the way, was employed by CBS at the time. (Variety, June 21)
Maurice Dreicer, who's been identified with a score of programs on N. Y. indie stations as writer, producer, director and all-around factotum, is now emerging as a "one man brain trust" in television.
Under a deal pacted with WOR and DuMont, Dreicer is checking in for a series of video shows in which he'll channel his energies into production, scripting, direction, etc. For all of which he’ll get $35 a program. (Variety, June 21)
Thursday, June 22
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 P.M. News Reports.
8:15 Television Feature.
8:30 Pearl Primus, Dancer.
8:45 Film Feature.
9:15 Visual Quiz.
9:45 Will You Remember, Songs.
Some ways in which General Electric engineers have contributed to high altitude flying of army planes will be described by C. M. Ripley, world traveler, engineer and lecturer, of the G.E. over station WRGB, the company's television station this evening at 9 o'clock.
- - -
Frank Amey, pianist, is presenting Chopin's Etude, opus 25 number 12 in C minor and G minor Ballade, over television station WRGB tomorrow [22] at 9 p.m. This will be the fourth in Mr. Amey's series of piano recitals at this studio. (Schenectady Gazette, June 22)
Friday, June 23
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 P.M News Reports.
8:15 Opinion on Trial.
9:00 Film Short.
9:15 They Were There, interviews.
9:30 Variety Show.
CBS Television
Reviewed Friday (23), 8:10 p.m. Style-Variety. Sustaining on WCBW, New York.
Perhaps the most important note in this scanning is the fact that CBS seems to have hit on a forum formula that packs an entertainment wallop, is informal and down to earth, and, most important, has commercial value in two ways. The show is called Opinions on Trial, and it presents its public service in a painless manner. Format has a judge, two "lawyers" and "witnesses" to argue the merits of controversial issues. Lawyers present their views, call their witnesses, and cross-examine the opposing counsel's supporters. It has commercial possibilities here in New York, and the idea could be sold to local stations, post-war.
Friday night's discussion was a spirited battle on whether or not women should be drafted into the armed forces. For the first time in history, a forum program was able to convince at least this reviewer, of the meris of a cause. It was that good.
However, there is a great deal of work still to be done on it. Not the least of the difficulties was the once again poor light set-up. It glared in the long shots. Volume was good but the CBS carpenters should know by now that hollow floors and steps produce a clunking sound that sits very badly with the listener. The chair of the judge, Gregory Abbott, should be changed to another lighter color because the absolute lack of contrast between his robes and the chair makes him look like a handsome but disembodied head. Further, the director should instruct performers to take off their hats. Until CBS starts to use footlights, as suggested several times before, wide-brimmed hats are going to throw the face of the wearer into complete black-out. It happened again this time. The effect wasn't pretty.
They Were There, regular interview with men returned from the fronts, is beginning to lose its appeal. Perhaps the fault Friday was the fact that radio actor, Joseph Julian, is no interviewer. He fumbled for questions and in general acted as tho he didn't know his business. Which is perfectly true; interviewing should be done by newspapermen, not actors used to working from a script. As happens [e]very other week, the performers walked in and out of camera focus, many times coming into the screen from what appeared to be under the camera. Rehearsals should cure this. Angled close-ups have been used on news shows and there no reason why they cannot effectively be employed here in order to relieve the monotony of long-shot, close-up and back again.
Backstage, a much more poorly handled version of it than the one caught before, completed the video evening. Major fault was the unimaginative camera work which had, to give just one instance, Emsee Ray Morgan doing his chore at long distance, completely losing all effect of personality and appearance. Talent was quite good, particularly Ginger Dulo, singing comedienne, but the lack of an audience is certainly felt badly in these vaude shows. The performers would feel more at home if they were getting laughs and applause, and so would the viewer. Timing would be better and so much of the sock of the show would not be lost.
It is doubtful that home audiences will take too kindly to drunk attractions like Joe Arena's, one of the Backstage acts, even if they are good.
CBS seems to be getting some place with its format experiments, but the know-how which should be developing still isn't there. Making the same mistake three times is twice too often. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, July 1)
Saturday, June 24
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: Short Subjects.
8:41 Film: “King of the Circus,” Gregory Eaton, Benita Hume, John Lode. (Astor, 1935)
HOLLYWOOD, June 24.—New West Coast television department for RKO, headed by Charles B. Smith, is rolling in high gear, with first series of video live-talent broadcasts skedded for next week. Airing will be made over the Don Lee television station, W6XAO. Smith stated that first broadcast will be a half-hour live mystery, The Stuffed Cat, and stressed the fact that it was strictly on an experimental basis.
Studio is going all-out in its efforts to further develop the now medium and smooth over technical difficulties as they come up during the telecasts. Technical department at RKO to working with the new Television set-up in working out such factors as process shorts, lighting problems and staging. According to present plans the RKO telecasts will be on a bi-weekly basis, as the Don Lee station only operates every other Monday. At first, so as not to present too many problems to the video engineers, RKO will use the sets that have already been constructed at W6XAO. It is hoped that in time, as production smooths out, sets can be built at RKO and hauled up to Mount Lee, where the station is located.
From Studio Eventually
Eventually the bi-weekly telecasts will be made from the RKO studio as soon as the Don Lee portable transmitter can be readied. When this takes place, greater latitude will be allowed productions, and it is expected that developments in the new field will be rapid as far as the RKO experimentation is concerned.
Smith was appointed to his post last week by Ralph B. Austrian, executive of RKO Television Corporation. In addition to heading the new West Coast television department, Smith will forward all latest developments in video to the New York office.
Working with Smith in presentation of the telecasts for RKO will be Harry R. Lubcke, director of television for the Don Lee station. While live telecasts will be used, the problems of film transmission will also be studied. (Billboard, July 1)
NEW YORK, June 24.—Charles M. Storm ad agency is planning a full two-hour musicomedy The Boys From Boise, for a DuMont preem September 7, sponsored by Esquire mag. Called by the agency the first tele show to use Broadway legit format, Boys is skedded for use several times.
According to the trade, this is in line with the theories expounded by Don Gilman, Blue Western v. -p. in a Billboard story elsewhere in this section. G. E.'s Bob Gibson's suggestion printed in The Billboard some weeks ago. They say that using an ambitious video show more than once will help to defray the expense of the original production.
The Boys will be produced by Raymond E. Nelson, the agency's radio chief, with music by Sam Medoff and book by Nelson. Veronica, Shubert costume expert, will gown it, and Fredrick Widlicka, Storm art chief, is doing the sets. (Billboard, July 1)
NEW YORK, June 24.—CBS tele has signed Vera Massey, pianologist, who has appeared on three sessions, to a 13-week contract with a two-week cancellation clause. This is only the first of a series of contracts that the outfit will offer to performers on sponsorable shows.
Trade sources say that one of the contributing factors to the initial signing were offers dangled in front of the gal by other video outfits in New York. (Billboard, July 1)
Sunday, June 25
8:15 p.m. “Video Vistas.”
8:45 Film: “Pardon My Pups” with Shirley Temple (Educational, 1934).
9:00 “Designs for Tomorrow.”
9:30 Film.
9:45 Meg of the Megacycles.
9:50 Bureau of Missing Persons.
9:55 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allan.
Monday, June 26
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 Test Pattern.
8:00 Feature Film: “Gentleman From Dixie,” with Marian Marsh and Jack La Rue (Monogram, 1941).
9:05 Televues: Ave Maria, Musical.
9:10 Films: “Fallen Empire,” (Van Beuren, 1931); The War As It Happens.
9:35 Film: Republican Party on Parade.
10:05 Film: Opening Scenes and Keynote Address, Republican National Convention.
Television will be employed to present sight and sound broadcasts to the country's televiewers in four states along the Eastern Seaboard and in Southern California. Six of nine television stations now transmitting programs to more than 50,000 televiewers in the East, mid-west and far West have completed arrangements to telecast the Convention, according to the Television Broadcasters Assn.
WNBT New York, NBC outlet, will serve as the focal point for a nightly series of telecasts from the Empire State building transmitter. Clarence Menser, NBC vice-president in charge of programs, is supervising filming for television. The NBC signal will be relayed to the General Electric station, WRGB Schenectady, and to the Philco Radio & Television Corp. outlet, WPTZ Philadelphia.
The New York-Philadelphia relay will be accomplished through a tower located between Trenton and New Brunswick, N. J., which will pick up the signal and beam it to Wyndmoor, Pa., site of the Philco transmitter. Transmission to Schenectady will be by direct signal and rebroadcast to viewers in Albany, Troy and Schenectady.
WCBW New York, CBS station, and WABD New York, operated by the Allen B. Du Mont Labs., have arranged to cover the Convention individually. Representatives of both stations will be at the scene to rush photographs and other illustrative material to New York for transmission. On the West Coast W6XYZ, owned by Television Products Inc., will present illustrated reports of the Convention both afternoon and evening during the sessions. Similar television arrangements will be carried out at the Democratic Convention, the TBA disclosed. (Broadcasting, June 26).
RKO-Don Lee Television
Reviewed Monday (26), 8.30-9 p.m. Style—Film and drama. Sustaining on W6XAO (Hollywood).
Those who argue that films are a better entertainment bet than live shows, as far as drama is concerned on television, claim that RKO's initial video offering over the Don Lee station more than substantiates their viewpoint. However, half hour telecasting of a so-called hair-raiser, The Stuffed Cat, shows conclusively that if lighting and camera technique is at its best, live shows of this type will develop into first-class entertainment. When viewed from the angle that this offering was strictly in the experimental bracket, then too much fault cannot be found with the presentation. Engineers had only two hours in which to set up cameras, lights and get their cues, which was hardly time enough to smooth out all details.
In most cases the lighting was good, but once or twice it was too bright, cutting the clarity in the close-ups. As far as the change in camera angles were concerned, they went off without a slip, shifting from long shots to close-ups without destroying the continuity of the script. Images came over the receiver in focus and there was little, if any, distortion.
Main technical problem that was not solved too well was getting all the characters in camera range at the same time. Once or twice when new characters made their entrance it was a moment or two before they were "found" by the camera.
Cast members gave a creditable performance, and there were very few instances when lines were muffed.
Script was by Blue Network's Carroll Coleman and lended itself to video presentation adequately. Dialog was long-winded at times, but thread of story was carried along so that the listener-viewer knew what was going on.
Production was under the supervision of Charles Smith, RKO's new television head for the Coast. This presentation was scanned so that RKO technical experts could get the feel of the new medium. Cast included Florence Bates, Bob Anderson, Margaret Landry, Michael St. Angel, Wheaton Chambers and Alan Ward. Direction was by Lillian Albertson.
Rest of the W6XAO evening of video was given over to cartoon subjects and the latest invasion pictures. Latter reels came over all right but the cartoons missed fire at times, previous handling having worn out sprocket holes. Dean Owen (Billboard, July 8)
BROADCAST facilities sought of the FCC last week in new applications include requests for two new standard local stations, four FM outlets and two new commercial television stations. . . .
The Philadelphia Inquirer, a division of Triangle Publications Inc., is one of the video applicants, the other being WHAS White Plains, N. Y. (Broadcasting, June 26)
Tuesday, June 27
WNBT Channel 1
8:00-8:30 P. M. Test Pattern.
8:30-9:00 Film: Republican National Convention.
WABD Channel 4
8:15-9:15 P. M. WOR Variety Show.
DuMont-WOR
Reviewed Tuesday (27), 8:15 -9:30 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on WABD (New York).
If the iconoscope breaks down on a Bob Emery program and only the audio comes thru, little will be lost. Television's Uncle Don has yet to develop his use of the visual. He still depends on a steady flow of patter to carry his shows.
This program was typical of the Emery's refusal to abandon radio. When three women appeared as living testimonials to the results achieved by the DuBarry Success School, the camera was not permitted to prove the point. Instead, Emery waxed verbal as usual.
For instance, when he held up "before" photos of the gals, they didn't register because he'd evidently failed to make prior arrangements for the camera to move in. When are they going to make slides so the close-ups can be really close-ups? When the streamlined fems came on they were shown in two shots with Emery. As a result, attention was divided and the glamour shapes lost a lot of appeal. Had two cameras been used, one for long shots and the other for close-ups, the poundless ladies would have been shown to advantage and the beauty course been sold.
Further lack of co-ordination between technicians and producer was screamingly evident when the Moonlight Moaners, Negro quartet, appeared. Group was well into its first number before more than two of the singers came into view-scanning range.
Instead of nervous, purposeless panning, camera might have focused on the man taking a solo. Had the boys been tightly grouped instead of standing shoulder to shoulder, a feeling of tele compactness might have been achieved by the quartet whose close harmony was outstanding.
Again the emsee talked too much while Henry Minnmann demonstrated the art of turkey carving. The Brass Rail's official dismemberer's skillful knife wielding was interesting and held attention. But Emery's barrage of words was so heavy it was difficult to look in. An occasional phrase describing or explaining the knife-handling technique would have been sufficient. Tele must be developed to the place where there will be completely silent portions—where the pic is compelling enough to carry the load without continual word prodding.
As a looker-in test, Emery offered to match each copy of Bob Hope's I Never Left Home sent in by watchers and distribute them to servicemen's hospitals.
Repeating his success of May 23, when he presented The Valiant on WABD, Harvey Marlowe brought his group of actors before the cameras in Footsteps of Hate. Backgrounded by original music of WOR staffer, Bill Wirges, the half-hour dramatic adaptation of the Rupert Brooke story hit a high mark in tele entertainment. Cast spent 20 hours in rehearsal.
Atmosphere of hate and ugliness brought on by the gnawing fear of starvation was created and maintained thruout, building to a powerful climax. Excellent direction and the able performances of Lucille Benson, Lew Sisk, Norman Porter, Vergel Cook, Wayne Wirth and Bob Strauss, plus thoro rehearsal, added up to a socko program.
Marlowe, who acted in The Valiant, was at the controls for the Hate piece. Co- operation of the technical staff, Ed Woodruff, Sal Patremio, Van Auken, Eddie Sloan, Joe Porter, Ed Leach, Roger Coelos and Eric Herald resulted in the proper projection of every gesture. The boys knew how to handle the boom mike, the lights and the camera angles that were required to bring out the best in the dramatic offering.
Too many times when a show suffers from bad lighting, voice fading and improper camera focus the technicians get the blame. It is unfair, because when they are given a script with which they can work and specific directions, they turn in a first-class job. Consultation with the technical staff is of paramount importance for any producer. A director may be top-flight stage, radio or pic cue thrower, but he's a tele babe in arms till he learns the medium. That's where the station staffers are vital. They can help him translate his talent in terms of the new medium. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, July 8)
A television receiver set has been installed in the solarium of the Van Curler hotel in order that Schenectadians may see the proceedings of the Republican national convention now being held in Chicago.
Each evening at 8:30 o'clock, starting tonight, movies taken at the convention the previous day will be televised by NBC, in New York, picked up and relayed to the Schenectady area by WRGB, General Electric's television station. The public has been invited to watch the telecast. (Schenectady Gazette, June 27)
Wednesday, June 28
WNBT Channel 1
8:30-9:00 P. M. Film: Republican National Convention.
WABD Channel 4
8:15 P. M. Play: “The Confetti Murder Case.”
8:45 Film: “Passport to Health.”
9:00 Words on the Wing.
Thursday, July 29
WNBT Channel 1
8:30-9:00 Film: Republican National Convention.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News; Republican Convention.
8:30 Ballet.
9:00 Film Feature.
9:15 Visual Quiz.
9:45 Will You Remember, songs.
"Radio is a cinch in comparison," decided Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle, mopping his glistening brow after his first television broadcast, a half hour show over Station WRGB last night [29]. "But I like it."In spite of the sudden heat wave and the hot glare of the television spotlights, the colonel, always a trouper, remained cheerful about touring the tropics and gave his all to a delighted studio audience, not to mention the inevitable reaction of the television audience throughout the area.
As master of ceremonies of "Photo-quiz," sponsored by Look magazine, Stoopnagle, acclaimed one of radio's funniest and most popular comedians went, through a series of comical antics, entertaining the gathering before air time with a few of his prize anecdotes and a thoroughly vague explanation of the technicalities of television.
During the program he played chopsticks on the organ, executed a pair of twist-of-the-wrist parlor tricks billing himself as a "fat Dunninger," imitated several national celebrities and danced the Charleston.
A running patter of puns and witty remarks kept the show rolling and though the comedian admittedly had practically no knowledge of the pros and cons of television and had rehearsed but once briefly, he proved himself a true showman, straying often from the script, but managing to get back.
When the two contesting sides, tied at the close of the quiz program, Colonel Stoopnagle was momentarily taken aback, but rallied in a split second, cracked a few apropos jokes while racking his fertile brain for an out, and came through with flying colors.
"The bonds go to whichever side can answer this difficult question," he said. "If it takes five yards of ribbon to decorate an elephant's pajamas, how far must a bean drop to break a shingle?" "Five yards!" a contestant ventured.
"Correct!" shouted Stoopnagle, signed himself off the air and submitted to a round of handshakes and back-slaps.
He's one of those self-made men who stay human even after achieving big time fame. In spite of the heat, and though he traveled from New York only yesterday afternoon and planned to return last night, he wasn't too tired or busy to talk to all the people who approached seeking autographs and murmuring of their devotion to his weekly program.
"I've always liked radio," he told the reviewer when the crowd thinned out. "I broke in writing script—humorous and otherwise, and 1 did it for experience—not pay." He added that any ambitious person who really longs for success should be willing to work in his chosen field for anything—or nothing. "That's the way I started," he said, "and I'm glad I did."
Recalling his first triumph, Col. Stoopnagle told of the incident when the CBS line broke down and he was asked, on the spur of the moment, to fill in. He and Bud, the announcer, who later became his partner in laughs, extemporized a ridiculous performance and made such a hit that they worked together for seven years.
It was during the early days of their team that the colonel began to write funny names for his characters into the script. Stoopnagle was one of them. When the announcer heard it he couldn't go on for the stand-by.
“I figured if it was that funny, I'd keep it," the colonel said. "Now my wife and family are about the only ones who know my real name." (Schenectady Gazette, June 30)
Friday, June 30
WNBT Channel 1
8:30-9:00 Film: Republican National Convention.
WCBW Channel 2
8:20 Opinion on Trial.
9:05 Film Short.
9:15 Play: “The Favor.”
9:30: Variety Show.
CBS Television
Reviewed Friday (30), 8-10 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on WCBW (New York).
There isn't too much that can be said about CBS's first attempt to televise a dramatic show. It wasn't very good and it wasn't very bad. In legit it would be rated "interesting." In video it's "an experiment."
However, the experiment could have been much better. Despite the all-too-well-known limitations of present-day equipment an almost completely static production is not necessary, nor is poor dialog, uninspired camera work and a general feeling of lethargy.
It isn't often that a reviewer gets a chance to see some very fine camera handling contrasted with routine stuff do the same two-hour show, but that's what happened Friday.
Opinions On Trial, the new forum seg, and Ev Hollis's newscast were both distinguished by some of CBS's most intelligent scanning to date. Angles, well-focused panning, steady movement and imagination marked those shows. By contrast, work on The Favor, title of the drama, was routine, definitely in the worst video tradition. It was a simple succession of longshot, close-up, long-shot and back again. The only good touch was a view of an empty telephone booth.
Joe Julian, Leslie Woods, Edith Tachna and Elwell Cobb tried hard, but there was little they could do with a script that introduced the far-too-often stereotyped "Brooklyn type" and dialog that was stilted, uninteresting and poorly developed. Costumes were good and the set gave the necessary barroom atmosphere, even tho it was perhaps a bit too much like a Swiss chalet to have been located in Brooklyn. Lighting was again effective but hardly sensational. One important point is the necessity for many more rehearsals. In several spots badly worked stage direction was evident in the actors' ad- libbing. Show was produced, directed and adapted by Tony Miner from an ATW Victory Players script.
Opinions On Trial wasn't nearly as spirited as the first time caught, due, for the most part, to less interesting personnel. Several of the participants, particularly Dr. John L. Simon, a psychologist who argued that comic strips are not detrimental to the national culture, seemed to be near sleep. The most exciting thing in this portion of the show was the camera. Starting outside of the "courtroom" doors, it panned thru, into the room, up to the "clerk" and then to the "judge," Gregory Abbott, all in perfect synchronization with the sound. From there on out the camera was moved around the area, gave several well-angled close-ups and generally contributed to the program's interest. Even tho both "attorneys" sometimes, thru no fault of the cameramen, moved in front and became blurs, it was a vivid demonstration of what can be done when intelligence and experience are combined. A white chair behind Gregory Abbott, as suggested before, would make him look less like one of Madame De Farge's victims.
Newscaster Ev Hollis is definitely a tele comer. Much more telegenic than previous commentator, he handled his chore with calm assurance and a certain air of authority. Hollis blends well with CBS's latest innovation, animated maps. Details of the process haven't been released yet, but CBS does say (no gag) that it's done with mirrors. Moving light points up the areas under discussion and marks important spots. Combined with a pointer that contrasts beautifully with the background, the animation makes for extremely clear news telecasting.
Backstage, regular variety show, was on hand again. It seems to decline in quality every time caught. Just why emsee Ray Morgan is shot from a distance is hard to understand. It makes him look completely anonymous and more than slightly useless. Talent, except for the DePerhach Sisters who do several things, all badly, was good. It needs more of the informality that made it a sock in the first showing. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, July 8)
"THE FAVOR"
With Joseph Julian. Miss Lesley Woods
Writer-Director: Worthington Miner
15 Mins.; Fri. June 30; 8:15 p. m.
WCBW-CBS. N. Y.
Some of the television experts claim the soap operas of radio (venerable daytime serials) will fit nicely into new medium of television. If this is a sample, it appears dubious. The dullness of daytime serials is accentuated when the players parade before television cameras, and the same dry, stilted lines are still there. And even first-rate radio players, as in "The Favor," can't overcome the script.
CBS gave this one extra-special production, It was nicely adapted by Tony Miner from War Bond play supplied by Victory Players (part of American Theatre Wing), and cast showed evidence of trim direction by Miner. But the experience of viewing miniatures, with technical blurs that crop up on any tele set, is far from breath-taking. A 16-millimeter home motion picture outfit is far more satisfying with less strain on the optics.
Plot concerns a typical Brooklyn working gal, who is about to plunk down $275 for a fur coat—it's a bargain because her girl friend knows the manager. She's meeting said girl friend in a tavern. Out of the clear blue, Soldier Casey appears. He's been in on D-Day in France and the working gal wonders why he's back in Brooklyn. She prattles about the hardships of war on the homefront. He tells her how Izzie was buried in Normandy and John lost a leg in Italy. He finally persuades her as a favor to save the $275 and put it into war bonds. Then she learns from her girl friend, who finally shows up, that Casey has been killed in France. It's been an illusion. Treatment of illusions is tough enough in films, and it doesn't seem well suited for television just yet.
Joseph Julian was excellent as the soldier despite his lines, while Leslie Woods was fair enough as the working girl who sees the light. Remainder of cast, the bartender and the girl's pal, were okay in bits. Wear. (Variety, July 12)
ANOTHER SUPERB job of news coverage, eclipsed only by the more dramatic European invasion handling, was achieved by radio last week in the Herculean task of airing the Republican National Convention in Chicago. . . .
A half-dozen television cameras were in play, with the stadium klieg-lighted for the pickups. Film was rushed to the East and West Coasts by plane for telecasting.
Fed to Hookup
WNBT New York, NBC video station, fed its programs to WRGB Schenectady, GE station, and to WPTZ Philadelphia, Philco outlet. Individual coverage by television was handled by WCBW New York, CBS station, and WABD New York, operated by the Allen B. DuMont Labs. W6XYZ Hollywood carried daily film transcriptions also. (Broadcasting, July 3)
USE OF FILM in gathering news for television dissemination was given a good tryout by WNBT, NBC's New York video station, last week when it covered the Republican Convention in Chicago through films taken at the Chicago Stadium and flown to New York for editing and telecasting. Pictures were taken by RKO Television Corp., newly-formed subsidiary of RKO Pictures, under the supervision of C. L. Menser, NBC vice-president in charge of programs.
First convention telecast, aired at 11 p.m., Monday, included a special film "The Republican Party on Parade" that traced the history of the party since 1860 to the present, utilizing cartoons and newsreel clips of GOP candidates and party leaders to tell the story. Then came shots of Chicago, with delegates arriving by train, bus and plane, the crowded lobby of the Hotel Stevens, where most of the delegates were quartered, and finally scenes of the opening session, taken less than a half day before they were shown to eastern teleset owners.
High spots of the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday sessions were telecast on WNBT from 8:30-9 p.m. on the following evenings. All of these programs were also seen by the audiences of WRGB Schenectady and WPTZ Philadelphia, which picked up the WNBT transmissions and rebroadcast them locally. Same system of television coverage is to be given the Democratic Convention next month. (Broadcasting, July 3)
TELEVISION of motion pictures of the GOP Convention sent through the facilities of WNBT New York, were received in Indianapolis, according to NBC's television department. J. D. Smith, chief engineer of Indianapolis Television Lab. wired NBC at 8.45 p.m. that he was receiving the WNBT signal with clarity. (Broadcasting, July 3)
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