He had a relaxed, friendly attitude that network radio listeners ate up. It was only natural he should move into television. His “Talent Scouts Show” was simulcast on TV starting in 1948—but Godfrey was on the tube before that. He appeared for one night hosting on WCBW, the CBS TV station in New York, in September 1944. He got a smash review in Billboard.
What was called television’s first musical-comedy was staged at the enlarged studios of DuMont’s WABD at the end of the month. Billboard gave it a lengthy review, including a listing of the entire cast and all the songs. Ads were even take out in the trade papers publicising it. Unless you’re related to them, you likely won’t recognise any of the people who appeared on stage.
Another person making his debut on TV was Peter Donald, who became Ajax Cassidy on the Fred Allen radio show and was the joke-teller on “Can You Top This?” The critic reviewing his appearance informed the world that someone standing on stage telling jokes into a camera “doesn’t go.” I think Johnny Carson would have disagreed. Another critic became a psychoanalyst, explaining how newsman Sam Cuff’s map-pointer brought back repressed memories of school days. One wonders if people who later watched Lassie were too consumed pining for a childhood pet than paying attention to the plot.
Here’s a rundown of programming, mainly in New York, for September 1944. There are some reviews of the commercial station in Chicago as well (it appears the experimental station was off the air). A new man at CBS, Allen Jackson, filled in as a news anchor. Years later, he was the morning news voice of the CBS radio network and retired shortly before his death in 1975.
Friday, September 1
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 p.m. News Reports
8:15 “At Home” Variety Show
8:45 Motion Picture
9:00 Major George Fielding Eliot
9:15 to 10 “Opinions on Trial.”
Saturday, September 2
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 p.m. Film: “Peg of Old Drury” with Anna Neagle, Sir Cedric Hardwick.
9:15 Film: Short Subject
BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Sept. 2.—Connecticut Television Company has filed an application for a station to cost approximately $207,250 to be located at Greenfield Hill, which will serve the Bridgeport and New Haven metropolitan area.
Station will operate on a minimum schedule of 15 hours a week, presenting motion pictures and live shows, using local talent. It will also rebroadcast network features and local events by means of a mobile unit operating between Greenwich and New Haven. (Billboard, Sept. 9)
Sunday, September 3
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. “Video Vista.”
8:45 Television Workshop play.
9:15 Film.
9:30 Bureau of Missing Persons.
9:35 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allan.
WESTHEIMER & CO., St. Louis advertising agency, made its first experimental venture into television Sept. 3 with the presentation of a half-hour program in behalf of International Shoe Co., St. Louis, Winthrop Shoe Division, on the DuMont station, WABD New York. (Broadcasting, Sept. 4)
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 p.m. Test Pattern.
8:00 Film: “The War as It Happens,” newsreel footage.
8:17 Feature Film: “Arizona Round-Up” with Tom Keene (Monogram, 1942).
9:15 Televues: “Isle of Isolation.”
9:25 Films: “Tumbledown Town” (Van Beuren, 1933), “Look to the North” (NFB Canada, 1944).
Tuesday, September 5
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. “WOR Varieties” with Bob Emery.
WOR-DuMont
Reviewed Tuesday (5) 8:15-9:15 p.m. Style—Variety. WABD, New York.
Harvey Marlowe's presentation, Gander Sauce was a bit better, from a general point of view, than most WOR Video Varities [sic] shows. Actually, the play, written by Betty Smith, author of the best-selling A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, was a bit of a disappointment. The dialog limped, the plot was much too complicated, and the humor most times missed fire.
Technically and production-wise there were many small, correctable errors. Credit slides, particularly those announcing the name of the play, were scanned over-long. In several side-angle shots, high light glare in the corner of the screen was extremely annoying. On several occasions the camera should have been taken back for longer shots. Moving in and catching one seated and one standing character caused a grouping in which just the head of one of the actresses appeared at the bottom of the screen. Such a shot gives a strange, unnatural effect. Several close-ups were out of focus, volume was spotty, and off-screen noises intruded in several places.
Lila Allen's set, far from sensational, did manage to give a home-like impression. We doubt, tho, that any home would use a Marine Corps Woman's Reserve recruiting poster as a wall decoration. The same poster, which was framed and covered with glass, was a mistake from another angle. The glass acted as a mirror and glared right into the viewers' eyes. Tele stagehands will have to remember to keep all props dull.
Virginia Smith, Eleanor Dennis and Joyce Sirola all turned in competent performances. Harvey Marlowe directed, and Bob Emory [sic] was producer.
At one point, Producer Emery didn't exactly play fair with the FCC when he had the WOR station break sign on over the WABD plaque. The error, it was learned, will not be repeated.
The rest of the Video Varieties was the usual inept conglomeration of tripe. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Sept. 16)
CBS yesterday (5) filed applications with the FCC for licenses to construct and operate television stations in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and St. Louis. In each city it's planned to use a 16 meg. band for transmitting on a frequency between 460-476 megacycles, same allocation requested when CBS applied for tele license in N. Y. June 29.
The five applications represent, all stations any single telecaster is allowed to control under present FCC regulations. Move to go ahead in cities outside N. Y. represents major policy decision for the web which thus reiterates its purpose of concentrating in the upper reaches of the spectrum aiming for higher definition of pictures both in black and white and full color.
Also indicated is optimism at the web concerning FCCs future action in dividing the spectrum to allocate channels for video, FM, AM and other services. CBS, it’s apparent, believes it's well on the way to winning the campaign launched last April to push tele "upstairs." (Variety, Sept. 6)
Wednesday, September 6
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. “Televisual Specialties.”
8:45 Film.
9:00 Variety.
Thursday, September 7
WCBW Channel 2
8 p.m. News, Everett Holles.
8:15 Bibi Osterwald; Empire State Quartet, Songs
8:30 “On the Home Front,” Interviews with Executives of Sperry Gyroscope Company.
8:45 Motion Picture
9:15 “Missus Goes A-Shopping.”
9:45 Vera Massey, Songs
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (7). Style—News, home economics and variety. Sustaining on WBKB (Chicago).
One portion of tonight's video show at WBKB, the portion devoted to a home economics demonstration proved that tele producers will have to be very careful not to offend their audiences with commercials. WBKB's home eco stanza tonight, presented by the Commonwealth Edison Company under the title, Cooking by the Dial, did offend. The commercials were intended to be subtle and were worked into script during a demonstration of how to bake a pie by Kay Neumann and Ardien Refiner, who tried to get over the message that by using electric stoves the housewife could get the best results. The intention was there, but the impression was not. And merely because too many sales pitches were used during the telecast. We counted three mentions of the value of cooking by electricity in the last four minutes of the program. The first did a job; the second hammered home the pitch and made it stick. The last two offended and made one want to say, "Yeh, we know. We heard you the first time."
Aside from this and a few other minor points, this portion of the program was a good visual home economics demonstration. Of course, it would have been better programed in the daytime for the ladles only. And it would have been improved if Miss Neumann had talked less. But its good points were many. It was apparent that there had been planning and hard work during rehearsal. There was no stammering and groping for words by either of the participants. Each, evidently, had worked in close co-operation and had memorized his lines before the show. Camera work and lighting was competent. Again some one was late for a program at WBKB tonight, and again the results were very sad. Jim Grey had been scheduled to do a newscast. He had "a flat tire." Merle Lucas, Edison man who was called in to pinch-hit at the last minute didn't even know how to read news, much less do the more demanding job required by the video medium.
Marsha Data, a singer, and Bob Garter, WMAQ's conductor of a Philosophy program, rounded out the bill. Miss Data, who sings for WHFC, a small station in a Chicago suburb, did an excellent job. Seems strange to us that she is not grabbed by a larger station in search of a singer of more serious music.
Carter was fitting television station sign-off talent. His Philosophy was able to inspire calmness and a feeling of relaxation. Not a bad feeling to have at the end of a day. Carter's appearance, plus his commentary and camera presence, makes him good television material and he should have a future in the art in the post-war era. To make Carter's show tops the WBKB camera and lighting crews and the set designers did some of the best work ever done in these fields at the station. Cy Wagner (Billboard, Sept. 16)
Friday, September 8
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 p.m. News Reports
8:15 “At Home” Variety Show
8:45 Motion Picture
9:00 Bob Trout, comments.
9:15-10 “Opinions on Trial.”
CBS
Reviewed Friday (8), 8-10 p.m. Style—Variety and film. Sustaining on WCBW, New York.
Watching Ev Hollis's newscast is a pleasant and informative experience. The commentator is always letter perfect in presenting his material and the program shows good taste, long rehearsal and a desire to use showmanship.
Elimination of table mike is a decided improvement. Hollis now can look into the eyes of his audience. Relinquishing radio formula is always a step forward in tele technique. Moving ships, planes, arrows and battle lines animate the maps and make for less verbage.
It is possible that the use of a pointer in any tele map talk is inadvisable because people tend to subconciously associate it with school days. When the Netherlands is indicated and the little black stick travels to that portion of Europe, many in the audience automatically see clean streets, tulips and shining-faced girls in starched caps and wooden shoes of their copy books. Such mental flashbacks tend to prevent the paying of attention to the newscaster's words and partially nullify his talk. This may not be true of the 10 per cent that now view the programs, but it will probably hold good when the tele audience Is broadened to include people in every category of education and experience.
At Home was dull tonight. Talent showed to a disadvantage due to a slow-paced script and the lack of a thread to weave the show into a believable private party. Performers were permitted to stand stiffly at the piano to do their turns. One male singer didn't move a body or facial muscle other than his mouth thru two numbers. Camera felled to give a variety of shots that would have enlivened his performance and the stints of other participants. Other programs of this series have been lively and highly entertaining. Camera work can often overcome talent deficiencies, but tonight's show didn't utilize the tricks, didn't help the talent one bit.
Paquita Anderson, emsee, singer and pianist, might for instance give a nod to her "guests" at the show's close, say something about what fun it had been to be together, might invite them back. Such a friendly gesture would make a better ending than the present fading out of the last entertainer.
Bob Trout's talk, The Presidential Campaign to Date, was an excellent informative feature. Use of maps showing possible strength of each candidate and a lucid explanation of various phases of the situation, with camera moving from the speaker and back to the illustrative maps (with black movable States) made for a good show.
Opinions On Trial, with the question argued pro and con that The German Nation Should Be Made To Pay for War Atrocities, highlighted the evening's pro- gram. This seg's debates on controversial issues have held up well under repitition [sic] and show steady programing and technical improvement. With a courtroom setting and movement of witnesses and attorneys, Opinions combines eye-holding action with fast-moving dialog. Imaginative direction keeps program at its present statue. Wide variation of camera shots from every angle thruout show with long-shots at beginning and end are particularly effective.
Camera moving in slowly from a distance to heavy doors that open to reveal the courtroom immediately establishes mood of a court and properly prepares watchers for the berobed judge and the cases to be heard. It's a CBS video formula that hasn't staled. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard Sept. 16)
Saturday, September 9
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 p.m. Film: “The Liberation of Paris.”
8:25 Film: “The Young at Heart” with Janet Gaynor, Billie Burke, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Roland Young (Warner Bros., 1938)
NBC
Liberation of Paris
Reviewed Saturday (9), 8-8:30 p.m. Style—Newsreel. Sustaining over WNBT (New York) NBC.
Altho naturally pix taken under war conditions can't be ideal video material, a good portion of the newsreels scanned during this special program took the iconoscope effectively. From the advance clips showing Paris as it was pre-war, until the final shot of Paris free again, there were very few black level moments, in fact just two.
This doesn't mean that everything was as clear as it would have been in a news-reel movie house, but it does mean that it brought right into the home a feeling of war—of Paris, of French liberation, more graphically than anything could have brought it home, pre-television.
Lacking were typical video type close-ups. There was only one sequence that bad that quality, but amazingly enough it didn't seem to matter . . . you were there seeing it all thru a bad spyglass—but seeing it.
The announcing job by Ed Herlihy had a stop press quality—and the musical job, altho repetitious (they French National Anthemed you to death) was technically so well balanced that it added to pic impact.
When the two weeks that lapsed in this case, between the news and its visual airing, is contracted, as it will be, to two hours and in some cases to no hours, the impact of video will be complete. We'll all be there. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Sept. 16)
HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 9.—What is believed to be the first television serial is being launched here this week by Klaus Lansberg over W6XYZ, the Paramount station. Idea is patterned after soap operas and deals with faux paux of newlyweds, who get themselves into conventional scrapes. Serial, written by Gordon Wright, is aptly titled Embarrassing Situations and will hit the air every Friday at 9:15 p.m.
Those featured in the cast are Charles Quigley, Did Codre, Robert Watson and Stan Johnston, all Paramount contract players.
Landsberg stated that he has been trying for some time to find a story which would be suitable for televising and at last decided upon Situations. He plans another serial in a whodunit vein as soon as the comedy chapter play gets rolling. (Billboard Sept. 16)
CHICAGO, Sept. 9.—A series of television programs which might point the way to the use of the video medium to train United States soldiers, sailors and marines in the future are now being aired at WBKB B&K tele station here. These programs for the past few months have been using television to explain marine battle techniques and the use of marine fighting equipment. The trade here recently has been discussing these shows and speculating as to whether or not they are the forerunners of television shows to train military personnel in the future.
Brig. Gen. Robert L. Denig, director of the division of public relations for the United States Marines, has stated that television has been used successfully by the marines as a medium of public relations to show the people in the Chicago territory interesting facts about marine training and equipment. He further stated that it might be feasible for the marines to use television to train their men in the future. He stated, however, that the marine corps' leading officers wanted it made perfectly clear that the marines were not planning for another war or even making definite plans to use television at some future date to train its men. He admitted, however, that the plan could be feasible.
WBKB Regular Demonstrations
On the WBKB series, telecast under the supervision of Capt. Arthur A. Engel, marine public relations officer of the corps' central division, shows so far have illustrated how marine small -arm weapons are used. They have presented demonstrations of hand combat; they have shown how the corps members are able to take apart weapons and put them back together again; they have shown demonstrations of marine uniforms and military courtesy. According to trade speculation, there would be little reason why the marines could not have their own television stations to show men ín training the tricks of combat and use of arms and other material, Just as the armed forces now have their own radio stations, they could in the future have their own tele stations, the trade says, assigned to them by the government in the interest of public safety. Some television experts here say it would be possible for the marines, for example, to telecast a training amphibious landing back to trainees gathered in halls in the area. And in the future day of television networks, It would be possible to show the same maneuvers to marines in training thruout the country. (Billboard, Sept. 16)
Sunday, September 10
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. Film.
8:30 Television Workshop play.
9:00 Variety
9:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 p.m. Test Pattern.
8:00 Film: “The War as It Happens,” newsreel footage.
8:22 Feature Film: “Becky Sharp” with Miriam Hopkins, Frances Dee and Sir Cedric Hardwicke (Pioneer, 1935).
9:45 Televues: “Heart of the Sierras.”
Tuesday, September 12
WABD Channel 4
8:00 p.m. Fashion Show.
8:15 to 9:30 “WOR Varieties” with Bob Emery.
Wednesday, September 13
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. “Televisual Specialties.”
8:30 “Your World Tomorrow.”
9:00 Variety Show with Pat Murray.
9:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
DuMont
Reviewed Wednesday (13) 8:15-10 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on New York. WABD, New York.
Bud Gamble is one of the most ingenious tele producers around the town, and he gave a further demonstration of his talents Wednesday when, under the aegis of the Alexander Carpet Company, he put on The Magic Carpet, one of the best examples of film and live integration that we have seen in a long time. General format had two young folks, male and female, of course, do a vis-a-vis across the living room floor, with the guy telling the gal that he's going to take her on a trip. Scene then dissolves into a flying carpet effect and from there into a travelog film. At pic's end, camera returns to the living room.
Flying-carpet effect was produced in the usual inexpensive way, with a model stuck in front of a traveler drop that has clouds painted on it. Further flying effect was produced thru fluttering the camera. The presentation itself was nothing spectacular, but it entertained at the same time that it was getting a commercial across. Gamble would probably do well, at this stage of the game, to put less emphasis on his undoubtedly successful special effects and pay more attention to scripting. The dialog was hum-drum, more-or-less routine material. It could have had more time spent on it. Production, to be sure, is tremendously important, but it must be backed up with a good script.
Lever Bros.' Time, which has been pretty good in past weeks, was a severe disappointment. Talent line-up, in addition to the two regulars, Pat Murray and Roberta Hollywood, had comic Peter Donald, and several assorted jugglers and dancers. What came out of the line-up was nothing short of criminal. Attempt was made to emulate the informal, homey atmosphere that has been used on other tele shows, but it didn't come off. The result was an abortive, uncomfortable, distinctly annoying show that was forcedly informal and hearty. Peter Donald is undoubtedly a good story teller, but he didn't go over, primarily because a comedy routine, in video, has to be an exchange between two or more performers. Sticking a man in front of a camera and telling him to give with jokes doesn't go. There is nothing we like better than a completely stationary camera, unless it's one that rushes around frantically, trying but not succeeding to catch a dancer. We saw a hand several times, feet once or twice, parts of a torso and a grinning face. But when the cameraman was not hopping around with ants in his trousers, he decided, to be consistent, to stay put. And he did, brother, he did. Final blow to the reviewer's smarting eyes and ears were the parting shots in which (1) a whole group was scanced with its back to the audience while doing what must have been intended to be a satire on a community sing, and (2) Peter Donald did a closing announcement in which the choral group completely drowned out his words. Nothing so ridiculous has been seen in tele since NBC cut Eddy Cantor off the air during a song and he continued to cavort all over the screen minus sound.
Storm Agency's Television University had one Donald Cooley, author of a book called Your World Tomorrow, giving a lecture illustrated with models and pix on the post-war world. It wasn't too bad a show, altho the name of the sponsor, Mechanix Illustrated, was hard to make out because the current cover of the mag was used for credits and it didn't have enough contrast. One thing did come thru in the program and that was good timing. Ray Nelson handled his directorial chores very well Wednesday. M. S. (Billboard, Sept. 23)
Deal has been set between WNEW, New York indie, and WABD DuMont television station, whereby WNEW’s first-line air shows will be telecast on a regular basis over the DuMont outlet. Believed to be the first arrangement of its kind whereby an independent station will get a whack at video, the deal becomes effective Oct. 1. Teeoff program will be Ted Cott's "Crime Quiz." Cott is WNEW's program director.
Plan calls for one WNEW show to be telecast every three weeks. As far as the station is concerned, it will now be offered an opportunity for its personnel to study television techniques, while DuMont benefits by getting prominent local shows. Other WNEW shows to follow "Crime Quiz" as set so far are Paula Stone's Hollywood gab series and "Saludas Butch,"Spanish lessons series.
No cash is involved in the deal, which was arranged by Bernice Judis, general manager of WNEW, Cott and Sam Cuff for DuMont. However, in return for the use of the tele studios. WNEW will plug its video appearances with spot announcements on appropriate dates.
WNEW also will institute some sort of television forums to be broadcast on those days when the station is to have a show on WABD. (Variety, Sept. 13)
Thursday, September 14
WCBW Channel 2
8 p.m. News, Everett Holles.
8:15 Variety Music
8:30 “They Were There,” Interviews.
8:45 Motion Picture
9:15 “Missus Goes A-Shopping.”
9:45 Vera Massey, Songs
FASHION FROCKS Inc., Cincinnati, last week [14?] presented its first television program on WABD New York, the DuMont station. Powers models displayed 15 dresses, with Helen Lewis as announcer. RKO Television Corp., New York, produced the program for Keelor & Stites Co., Cincinnati, with Thomas Hutchinson, producer and William Saulter, designer. (Broadcasting, Sept. 18)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (14). Style—News and variety. Sustaining on WBKB (Chicago).
It seems to be a sad commentary for the future of television here that in 1944, years after the art first had regularly scheduled shows, the best that can be offered during the complete program for one night is a news commentator, dance team and pianist. That was the fare at WBKB tonight during a 45-minute show, and it left this reviewer with the impression that the station was doing little to lay the groundwork upon which the art could grow to a lusty maturity In the post-war era.
We must admit, however (not in an attempt to hedge but merely in the interest of honesty), that each of the facets of tonight's program was just about as good as it could be expected to be in the form in which it was presented. But with the exception of commentator Ann Hunter, who was up to her perennial style of excellence, there was nothing presented tonight which would keep a set owner of the future from turning on his radio, or even make anyone want to buy a television set. In terms of treatment of talent it was fair television as of 1939 standards, but not according to 1944 standards and certainly not what will have to be done in the future to get enough viewers to put the medium on a paying basis.
Ann Hunter led off with her news commentary. Ann's style of delivery (as we have said many times before) is interest-holding and her appearance is telegenic. So, if the camera is merely focused on her and kept there for 15 minutes, a good television show, by any year's standards, will result.
Next were Ernie Di Gennaro and Jack Foley, dance team now with the Early to Bed cast at Chicago's Blackstone Theater. After the boys were interviewed by Fran Harris they got up, walked in front of a plain backdrop, as the camera followed them, and went into a few dances.
Their dancing was excellent, and good cameras first held them in full length, then in feet-level close-up views all perfectly shown with good lighting. But our point here is that something other than a plain backdrop should have been used. Why not a simulated cafe backdrop? Why did the boys have to dance to only piano accompaniment? Why not have a small orchestra? Too much cost? If so, why should cost be taken into consideration (especially just the cost of a few musicians) when the perfection of a many million-dollar art form is at stake? Why not weave a narrated or dramatic script around the boys' work? Why an interview type of introduction, necessitating the boys doing their stuff minus a socko introduction build-up?
Wrapping up tonight's tele stanza at WBKB was the piano playing of Phyllis Luis. Miss Luis's playing, considered in the light of piano artistery [sic], was good. For a while we thought the station's production staff's work was going to snatch her piano-playing ability. We thought that when a few clever close-ups of her hands in action, taken front just the right angles, were used. But then the staff seemed to go to sleep. Most of the time afterward, Until the end of her performance, Miss Luis was shown in three-quarter pose, viewed from off the side and to the back. If the cameras had focused on her hands more often, or if more trick angle shots, a la Hollywood had been used (even within the limitations of the focal lengths of today's television camera lenses) this portion of tonight's program could have been entertainment satisfying to a large segment of the American populace. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Sept. 23)
General Electric
Reviewed Thursday (14), 8 to 10:15 p.m. Style—Psychological horror dramas, music-slide talk and films. Sustaining on WRGB, Schenectady, N. Y.
The mood of the teleshow was established right from the first camera shot, an illustration-view of a mausoleum on a wooded hillside, which was used as visual background to dissolve in and out title and credit slides. The slides were backed by swelling organ music (Sorcerer's theme from Tchaikowsky's Swan Lake), which was faded out when the cameras cut to aged and frail Alexander Jordan in a huge double bed, and epileptic with a consuming fear of being buried alive.
Earl Pudney played Jordan skillfully, altho he failed to build all the drama and horror in his scene with the doctor when he described his haunting nightmare of finding himself trapped in a coffin. To prevent such horror, Jordan directed that upon his death a gong be Installed over the bed and the push-button placed in his hands in his coffin which was to be placed in a specially built tomb at the far end of the farm.
Direction and camera work were well planned and rehearsed to cover every bit of action In tight playing areas but that old bugaboo, lights or rather lack of light, marred several scenes, especially Jordan's scene with Martha, his nephew's wife, when he told her he was leaving the farm to her rather than to his worthless nephew, Ramsey. Camera No. 1 was played to get a full-face view of Jordan propped up in bed; camera No. 3 shot across the bed to get a full-face view of Martha. The scene on camera No, 1 was well lit, on camera No. 3 the room and people appeared dark. The distracting deference in light levels resulted in jumpy effect, when cameras were switched as one or the other had important speeches.
George Lascelles acted the avaricious nephew, Ramsey, as a cunning weakling and as a result his characterization lost impact in the early scenes, especially during the montage of seven nights of waiting for the gong to ring. A film loop of a swinging pendulum, with slides of torn calendar dates, dissolved in and out, backed by organ music, served as transitions between brief scenes with Ramsey and Martha.
Film footage was inserted to heighten the drama and horror of the nephew's hesitating journey to the tomb when the gong finally did ring on the seventh night. This footage (about a minute) was specially shot in a local cemetery late one afternoon. Even with this low light level, the film was brighter than the studio scenes thereby killing much of the illusion of the ghostly errand, altho the last few seconds before the tomb did build in intensity.
The climax came in the tomb scene, which showed the stone walls of the crypt, the casket and the heavy door. The cameras got every detail, particularly when the nephew raised the lid to expose the uncle's corpse lying in the coffin with folded hands over the push-button. To make certain that the uncle was dead, the nephew was about to plunge a knife into the uncle's heart when he was stopped by Martha coming into the crypt. The cameras then showed the nephew turning upon her, first closing the door. When he wanted to get out, he found himself trapped; the door locked from the outside, the push-button of no use as he had stopped the gong from ringing (caused by a short circuit) by pulling the wires. The final camera shot showed his clawing hands on the coffin, against the calm face of the corpse.
The Tomb of Alexander Jordan was one of the psychological dramas in the Blue Network's series, Creeps by Night. It was produced over WRGB by Larry Algeo.
The video version (a half hour) put the action into the story with actors in costume and make-up, otherwise the identical dialog of the radio script was used for the visual show. Only a line here or there was changed. Four sets were required: The bedroom, a living room with staircase, the church spot (minister against a stained-glass window) and the interior of the mausoleum.
Earl Pudney's performance of Jordan was outstanding. Arline Huntington's Martha, wife of the nephew, was sure but too evenly paced, even in her emotional scenes. One didn't feel particular horror for her dying trapped in the mausoleum. George Lascelles's Ramsey was weak.
Camera panning requires skill otherwise the picture effect is jerkiness, out of focus, or off center. In panning rapidly from the startled Martha and Ramsey to the bell, camera No 1 swung too far to the right and had to pan up and pack to dolly in the gong. The video operator made one inadvertent switch during the uncle and Martha scene. He cut in the minister but only momentarily.
The mausoleum set had to be struck for the second half of the studio performance, Mme. Olga Samaroff Stokowski's dissertation on “What Does Music Mean to You?” A nine-minute documentary film, G -E's Excursions in Science, No. 2 was shown. It served to bridge the gap between murder and music.
Three sets, a shot of the audience, and some 60 glass lantern slides were used for the music discussion spot. The teleshow opened with cameras on a corner of a library in the home of Mme. Stokowski, with her secretary, played by Josephine Lyons, of BBD &O, answering the telephone. It was supposedly Eugene Ormandy wanting to talk to Mme. Stokowski. Another phone call, supposedly from the Julliard School, gave charming Miss Lyons the opportunity of mentioning that Madame would be there to teach this fall. Then Mme, Stokowski walked into the set, and the cameras got excellent close -ups of her answering a letter to the effect that she was giving a television lecture over WRGB along the same lines as her layman's music course, which she usually gives each winter at Town Hall. Credits were sprinkled all over the opening scene.
Humor was introduced into the show when the cameras were turned on the studio entrance. An usher showed in a stream, of people for Mme. Stokowski's illustrated lecture, one woman dragging in her reluctant husband. Another camera cut in Mme, Stokowski at the lecturer's table, the wife and the husband stopping for a moment, the camera following them to their seats. A second camera cut in, showing the audience a plauding, as if Madame were about to begin her lecture. This added human interest and at the same time gave Mme. Stokowski time to get to a monitor set where she could see the slides cut in and so time and fit her ad lib comments with them.
In spite of the poor quality of the glass lantern slides, which hardly showed on the television screen, the illustrated slide talk was intriguing. Snatches of music from primitive Indian dances to Brahms's First Symphony were used to relieve the constant talk and to illustrate some music points. Olga Samaroff Stokowski's intimate stories of the great and near great of music, her informal manner, and her deep knowledge of her subject, held viewer interest. This might be a case in point to prove that television can be intriguing without demanding constant visual attention. Sometimes, it's relaxing to listen.
The teleshow closed with a camera close-up of Mme. Stokowski back on the lecturer's platform with the reluctant husband thanking her for an interesting musical evening. Josephine Lyons, a personal friend of Mme. Stokowski, wrote the opening scene and set the script format. Even tho the show was long and static in the latter half, due to the slides being held for comment and with considerable black level between slide changes, the teleshow aroused interest and held interest. It indicates what can be done with television and film showing art treasures and music personalities.
The evening's telecast opened with film feature, A Night of Crime, with Glenda Farrell and Lionel Talbot [sic], which set the crime scene for the studio production of A Tomb for Alexander Jordan. Eugene Rachel. (Billboard, Sept. 23)
Friday, September 15
WCBW Channel 2 8:00 p.m. News Reports
8:15 “At Home” Variety Show
8:45 Motion Picture
9:00 Red Cross Donor Program.
9:30-10 “Teletintypes,” Al Hirschfeld, artist; Others.
CBS
Reviewed Friday (15) 8-10:30 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on WCBW, New York.
Arthur Godfrey, splendid morning radio show emsee wound up a solid week of radio campaigning for the Red Cross blood bank with a performance, Friday night, that tops anything this department has ever seen on a video screen. For showmanship, outstanding presence and sheer guts, he's tops. Godfrey put on a good interview with Dr. Boyington, a Red Cross official, led two wounded sailors thru a fine description of how they sustained their wounds and how blood plasma helped them, actually had a pint of his own blood drained while doing a superb running commentary and ended it all up by stepping into the rapidly fading piece-de-resistance of the evening, CBS Tele-Tintypes and helping to pull it into the semblance of a show. To Godfrey then a long, low bow.
The Tele-Tintypes program was put on as a tie-up with the CBS fall promotion. Original intent was to have Al Hershfield, whose sketches are considered the highlight of the promotion, do quick caricatures of CBS radio stars, but bad production pushed the idea into a subsidiary role. For the first time since the web's return to the air, there was a live ork, Jessica Dragonette, Jeri Sullivan, Johnny Morgan, Godfrey and artist James Montgomery Flagg were all on hand. The show was considered one of the biggest the net has handled and—it was a production plop. When a big show is being put on, when names are featured, there must be a rehearsal. You can't go into a thing like that cold. There should be a script, rather than dependence on ad libs, and the actors should have had at least a slight idea of what they are expected to do.
The only thing that saved them from complete disgrace was the fact that the individual acts were good, the performers were able to handle their specialties and—they had Godfrey. But even this defeated the purpose of the show. It became an interesting variety program, not a promotion tie-up. Camera shots of the drawings that Hershfield and Flagg did during the show scanned poorly, principally because the cameras were forced to leap about with no specific plan in mind. A long jump from a performer or a band, over to a sketch, is bound to result in a washout.
From any point of view, Tony Miner's directing job suffered from a crime greater than ineptness. It was obviously unplanned. Frances Buss turned in as good an emsee chore as was possible under conditions where she had to ask, on several occasions, whether the performer wanted to sit or stand, and where he wanted to be. She carried on fairly well, but a girl can't be expected to do a sock job when she has to ask the performer what props he'll need and how he wants to do his act.
Miss Buss, Miner and Gilbert , who had a hand in the show, should all thank their lucky stars that Arthur Godfrey is a crack ad-lib comic, that Jeri Sullivan sings and looks well and that Jessica Dragonette projects a voice and a personality.
The Red Cross show, aside from the splendid work of iron man Godfrey, was a bit of a personal triumph for Director Leo Hurwitz, who handles his cameras with mathematical precision and has the good taste to put on a blood-letting without offending the squeamish. He integrated his shots and a film sequence very well and handled dissolves, for nearly the first time in tele history, sensibly. Instead of using dissolves recklessly, he called for them when he changed a set or when he was moving from flesh to pix. That is adaptation of technique to the proper situation.
At Home needs two things: A good emsee and a producer who has a touch for informality.
Allen Jackson, who is subbing for newscaster Ev Holles while the first-stringer is covering the Quebec Conferences, writes a lively script and has a tele personality but he lacks Holles' force and authority. Perhaps he'll develop it when he becomes acquainted with his medium. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Sept. 23)
Saturday, September 16
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 p.m. Film: “Texas Wildcats” with Tim McCoy (Victory, 1939)
9:00 Film Shorts.
Sunday, September 17
WABD Channel 4
8:15 to 10 p.m. Programs.
First "class" N. Y. department store to sponsor television show will be McCreery's, which will bankroll dramatic stanza produced by Television Workshop on the DuMont (N.Y.) station, WABD, Sunday, Sept. 17.
Stint, in the 8:45-9:15 p.m. slot, will be a dramatic history of the store in connection with its 107th anniversary, and will make use of marionettes, which go on display in McCreery windows next day (18) in connection with the celebration.
Lois Munn is handling program for the department store. Irwin A. Shane will produce for Television Workshop, from a script by Tony Ferreira and Sanford Meisner. (Variety, Sept. 6)
SALE of 225,000 shares of Class A common stock, to help finance production of television transmitters and sets when priority restrictions are lifted, is sought by Allen B. DuMont Labs. in a registration certificate filed with Securities & Exchange Commission. Van Alstys Noel & Co. and Kobbe, Gearheart & Co. will handle the stock.
DuMont also announced that its new live talent television studio of WABD New York begins operation Sept. 17, giving multiple-studio tele-casting facilities to the DuMont station, permitting continuous live talent shows. (Broadcasting, Sept. 18)
Monday, September 18WNBT Channel 1
7:30 p.m. Test Pattern.
8:00 Film: “The War as It Happens,” newsreel footage.
8:22 Feature Film: “Dreaming Lips” with Elizabeth Bergner, Raymond Massey and Romney Brent (Trafalgar, 1937).
9:45 Televues: “Heart of the Sierras.”
9:25 Films: “Made in U.S.A.”
Tuesday, September 19
WABD Channel 4
8:15 to 9:30 “WOR Varieties” with Bob Emery.
WOR-DuMont
Reviewed Tuesday (1 9), 8:15-9:15 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on New York. WABD, New York.
After a 96 to 1 rehearsal (18 hours to polish a 30-minute show), the Harvey Marlowe Players came thru with a highly dramatic productions of Josephine Niggli's The Ring of General Macias. Marlowe's skillful direction coupled with a careful, concise interweaving of cameras and lights made the one-acter a dramatic video tapestry of color and movement.
Effective opening was accomplished by close-up of a bottle of poison held in delicate, nervous feminine hands. As camera moved back to reveal the owner of the hands and the full stage was brought into view, Gloria Mann was seen stealthily pouring the liquid into a wine glass.
The off-stage voice of Elaine Barrie called her name to break a highly effective silence. Miss Barrie's steps were heard before she burst into camera range, creating the impression that she came from a distance and establishing the locale as a large rich home.
Miss Barrie, as the wife of a Mexican general at war against a revolutionary uprising, talked the younger girl out of taking her own life. During conversation between the two women, cameras, sensitive to the script's dialog and action, caught the younger girl in two shots, while the stronger Miss Barrie was dramatized by close-ups and full one-shots.
During the entire production, drama was heightened by clever camera work. Lighting at all times was well nigh perfect. In long shots Miss Barrie's eyes looked blackened, due to too heavy make-up, but in close-ups the eyeshadow and mascara registered as completely natural.
Harvey Stephens, as a captain of the revolutionary army who seeks refuge in the home of the women, turned in a splendid performance. His movie work in Lady in the Dark and Dr. Wassail and his stage experience in Over 21, for instance, stood hint in good stead for this tele appearance.
Stanley Adams, radio writer who played the captain's aide, and Wayne Wirth, as captain of the federal army, both contributed to this telegant show.
By utilizing every inch of the tiny set, Marlowe created the effect of space. Slow panning from one portion of the room to the other, and camera concentration on such props as a wine bottle before the lenses were opened wide to take in a group of actors, entirely overcame the one-set limitations.
The Marlowe adaptation, production and direction proves that tele programing is not difficult in the hands of those willing to sweat over every detail—those unwilling to go before the cameras with a slipshod show.
WOR's Video Varieties, with Bob Emery as emsee, featured Maurice Dreiser and Company. The group's fashion show of Henri Bendel Clothes suffered from poor lighting. During the entire seg, a dark streak in screen center blocked out the models who came on ,and went off as all manikins do—all to the off-stage patter so wedded to style shows. Fem voice describing the garments was well modulated but uninspired. The girls were attractive, and the show might have been staged in the showroom of any wholesaler or in any department store. No attempt was made to tele-sell the clothes by either script, lights or cameras.
Dreiser has made several appearances on the tele station, but he still stands solidly planted before the camera, looking straight ahead with hands clasped behind him. He hasn't learned how to project his personality.
Ernest Jones's exhibition of golf strokes was an entertaining bit. Had his swing been more carefully camera followed his appearance might have been enhanced. However, technicians had difficulty switching from a close-up of the ball to the follow thru of the club. Less attention on the ball and wider camera range to take in the full swing would have made the lesson of more practical value.
The sharp contrast between the Marlowe and Emery portions of the program points the necessity for complete understanding of tele problems and a close co-ordination between technicians and producers. Marlowe apparently knows the value of bringing a perfectly rehearsed cast to the studio—to rehearse before the cameras. If rehearsal went into the Emery seg it was not evident. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Sept. 30)
Hollywood, Sept, 19.
Screen Cartoonists Guild made a demand on the Walt Disney Studio for 20% of the profits on television and film reissues. Request was made by William Pomerance, business representative, in an appeal to the War Labor Board.
Guild announced that any coin collected from television would be used as an unemployment fund for returning service men. Proceeds from reissues would be turned over to men now in the armed services who worked on the production. (Variety, Sept. 20)
Wednesday, September 20
WABD Channel 4
8:15-10 p.m. Variety Show.
Thursday, September 21WCBW Channel 2
8 p.m. News, Everett Holles.
8:15 Variety Music
8:30 “They Were There,” Interviews.
8:45 Motion Picture
9:15 “Missus Goes A-Shopping.”
9:45 Vera Massey, Songs
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (21). Style—News, drama and variety. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
For tonight's program at WBKB, the station can take a low bow from the waist, Bouquets are in order.
Last Thursday the show at WBKB retarded the advancement of television. Tonight's program was good television, good according to the standards of 1944.
Piece de resistance of the evening's program was a simple, humorous drama, entitled What's Cooking With the Scotts, presented as an experiment by the Commonwealth Edison Company to find out how the company can promote the use of electricity and sale of electrical appliances with television shows in the post-war era. Written by Adrian Redner and Merle Lucas, of Commonwealth's advertising department, this 20-minute piece of television dramatic fare was centered around the universal problem of a man who comes home to tell his wife to have a special dinner prepared for a business acquaintance, and finds her out. Of course, everything turned out all right because Mrs. Scott (played by Lillian Curtis) had her dinner all prepared in an automatic electric range before she went out. But the way this simple theme was dressed up with humorous incidents, homogeneous to the experiences of Mr. and Mrs. America, made it good entertainment, eo interesting that the few plugs about electric ranges woven into the dramatic continuity were not offensive They made impressions upon the minds of the audience, as was evidenced by post-program conversation among the guests in the B. & K, studios, but they were subtle and took nothing away from the interest or transitional flow of the program. The cast of three, including Bertha Gerhke, as Mrs. Higgenbottom, wife of the visiting business man; and Rodner, as Mr. Scott, had their lines memorized perfectly and acted like experienced actors. Considering that they were all amateurs, and that they had only five hours of rehearsal, this is especially commendable. If professionals were used, as undoubtedly they will be after the war, this type of program could be presented as a nightly serial of interest to all the family. Of course, for post-war nighttime television such a program will have to exclude some of the home economics woven into tonight's offering.
The B. & K. production staff, under the direction of Helen Carson, deserves bouquets, too. Backgrounds, props, costumes and camera work, lighting and directing were as good as anything Hollywood has offered in a comparable setting. Especially worthy of comment is the way the staff used only two sets and two cameras and, nevertheless, had smooth changes of scenes. Sets were placed close together, and when action transferred from one set to the other there was a quick disolve [sic] as cast went from one set to the other. This sounds simple and it was. Of course, it could not be done with a large cast. But then, maybe television writers and producers will have to train themselves to project dramatic situations with the use of only a small cast.
If television receivers today were equipped with projection screens the well -modulated lighting and meet details of prop and background planning would have been more discernable [sic] and the ability of the program to transfer one by imagination from reality into make-believe would have been made more effective.
Also on program at WBKB was a news commentary by Don Ward; piano playing by Marilyn Rosenberg, newest addition to the station's staff, and philosophical advice by Bob Carter, The lighting on Bob's face was bad. Except for that, however, and for the rather amateur playing by Miss Rosenberg, we would say the rest of the program was up to the standard of excellence displayed by the Scott Dramatics. These last-named two points, however, can be improved with time and practice, Miss Rosenberg undoubtedly was a bit tense because of inexperience before the tele-cameras. The B. & K. staff has shown it knows lighting, so in the future its work with Carter will be on a par with his style of delivery, which is good because it meets television's demand for intimacy. Tonight's program at B. & K. advanced the future of the television art. There is still hope that television will grow to a healthy maturity in Chicago. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Sept. 30)
Friday, September 22
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 p.m. News Reports
8:15 “At Home” Variety Show
8:45 Motion Picture
9:00 Discussion: Art of Polling
9:30-10 “Opinions on Trial.”
CBS
Reviewed Friday (22), 8-10 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on WCBW, New York.
CBS's Friday night show was a pretty routine performance, brightened only by rather neat direction, for a change, on the At Home seg and a pretty good set on polls.
At Home, which is still about as informal as a Dewey campaign train, was a better show Friday that it has been for several weeks. This phenomenon may be laid to two factors, improved talent and, most important, intelligent direction. Tony Miner pushed his cameras around until he was getting good shots, particularly of Dancer Sandra Barrett and Juggler Senor Francisco. Miss Barrett was held well, with a minimum of bad focus and a maximum of coverage. It was quite possible—and this is about the first time in recent months that it has happened—to enjoy the act without having to imagine what she was doing. Good close-ups of the juggler made the routine an entertaining one. Particularly well done were shots of the balls, sticks and other juggling paraphernalia in mid-air. Miner, tho, fell into a common trap when he started to use dissolves. They were overdone and used in the wrong place. It's easy enough to go overboard with trick effects and the director who uses them should try to resist tem tations. Dissolves are at their best when used to create a mood in a dramatic show, as a method for moving from one set to another, or for trick stuff like montages. Dissolving from a close-up to a long shot of the same performer for no good reason is not the wisest thing to do.
Opinions On Trial was pretty much the standard thing, not very good and not very bad, discussion lively, camera work fair.
Ev Holles, returned from the Quebec Conference, held down his news spot with his usual elan. Two documentaries rounded out the program.
CBS' transmitter broke down in the middle of things and provided a little excitement for a short time. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Sept. 30)
Saturday, September 23
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 p.m. Film: “Rose of Tralee” with Binkie Stewart, Danny Malone (Hope-Bell, 1937)
9:08 Film Shorts.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23—Following in the wake of NBC, the Blue Network has filed with the FCC for three commercial tele outlets.
Licenses to construct tele outlets in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are sought by Blue from FCC. In accordance with February 28, 1943, FCC policy, applications go to pending file along with scores of others.
Blue action leaves CBS only major network without applications for regular commercial tele outlets. CBS's applications are all in the high frequencies and therefore are rated as experimental instead of commercial. NBC plans commercials in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago and Cleveland. (Billboard, Sept. 30)
Sunday, September 24
WABD Channel 4
8:00 p.m. Film.
8:15 “Video Vistas.”
9:00 “Television Workshop.”
9:30 Program "FOR SOME WE LOVE"
With Michael Whalen, Judith Allen
Writers: Owen Cameron, Charles Provost, Jr.
Director: Jay Strong
Producer: Bud Gamble
Set: Edna Gamble
Cameras: Steve Tedik, Len Messina
20 Mins.; Sun., 9:30 p.m.
WINTHROP SHOES
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
(Westheimer)
Michael Whalen and Judith Allen showed advantages of adequate rehearsal periods before facing tele cameras and turned in okay performances. Bad sound filtering on Whalen’s delivery, especially noticeable during first couple of minutes after his entrance, made for very noticeable booming effect but this fault could be traced directly to the studio crew. Tipoff was appearance during early moments of overhead mike bobbing and weaving overhead. With this corrected, sound difficulties disappeared.
Adaptation of Owen Cameron's story by Charles Provost, Jr., was necessarily a dialog switcheroo which came off satisfactorily with exception of a philosophical bit inserted midway which gave Miss Allen a chance to emote bid added little to the continuity or sense of the playlet.
Situash had to do with guy and gal, married but not to each other, which, they agreed, was a terrible mistake. When Whaler's wife dies he visits Miss Allen at her cozy country place where she's whiling away the days with her infant son awaiting daddy's return from England. Highlight is Whalen telling the gal his wife was untrue to him, as proven by a flock of letters discovered after her death.
Payoff, with Whalen alone on backyard set, is his confession to camera that letters to his wife were from the husband Miss Allen is waiting for. But he, nobly, keeps this inside info from her. In less capable hands the thing would have been a bust, but co-stars bolstered it enough so that, if there had been a second act, most viewers probably would have stuck around.
Commercials consisted of pairs of brogans displayed on revolving drum with voice describing same and platter music up and down to accompany. Not particularly effective. It would seem that live salesman in camera range showing off the gunboats would serve better to hold attention while the sponsor tries to get his message over.
Telecast in new DuMont studio was well produced and directed, with mechanical difficulties in one camera causing slight flickers off and on during show. Set, on the unelaborate side, looked good with scenic background giving good illusion of space and meadows beyond. Donn.(Variety, Sept. 27)
Monday, September 25
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: “The War as It Happens,” newsreel footage.
8:22 Feature Film: “Abused Confidence” with Danielle Darrieux (Columbia, 1938).
9:45 Televues: “Romantic Mexico” (Van Beuren, 1936)
Tuesday, September 26
no programming
Wednesday, September 27
WABD Channel 4
8:15 p.m. Film.
8:30 Master Salesman.
9:00 “Wednesdays at Nine.”
9:30 “Interesting People.”
DuMont
Reviewed Wednesday (27), 8:15-9:45 p.m. Style—Variety and film. Sustaining on WABD, New York.
Pat Murray's sing-song, Wednesdays At 9 Is Lever Bros.' Time, whirls opens the firm's weekly show, and Sam Cuff's Face of the War, map talk are about all that remain of this seg’s original format. Milieus musical entertainer who previously appeared arc gone and in their place is a series of enacted etiquette “do's” and “don't.”
Tips on proper conduct ore acted out by June Meter, Sterling Mace and David Jordan, with Miss Murray annotating from the sidelines. Trio and emcee never appear in the frame at one time, but there are some shots of a silent Murray wisely listening to the group's voices when they are momentarily off screen.
Direction of the short skits is handled by Tom Victor, of Ruthrauff & Ryan, with credit given to Eleanor Ames, of The Daily News, from whose column, The Correct Thing, material is gleaned. Victor paces the skits well, and Murray's comments keep them moving nicely.
Make-up was too heavy on most participants. In the dim, old Studio A, where the maximum light is 18 kw., their facial aids would have been fine, but in the new Studio B, where they worked tonight, lights go to 90 kw., revealing much more detail. Accoustics in the new studio are noticeably better. Spry plugs were smoothly Inserted when Ann Gottschaldt demonstrated how to pack overseas gift boxes, and she and Murray told how easy it is to bake with the shortening and send them to the boys.
Cuff had a large new wall map. He was in the pic most of the time, using a pointer with horizontal stripes that helped match in illustrating his discussion. Technique that has been used before was discarded when Cuff stayed in the frame. Instead of a brief appearance at beginning and end, he was seen and talked to his audience, turning slightly to point. The change is an Improvement, lending dignity and authority to the news analyst.
Wade Agency, Chicago, debbed with The Master Salesman, written by William H. Upson for Mlles Laboratories and directed by Larry Davidson. Company's one-a-day vitamins came in for obvious and unentertaining plugs when two girls met outside a tractor firm. In a heavy-handed script one told about the wonders of the product and the other listened wide-eyed, vowing to try it at once. As the younger of the two entered her office she ran into the tractor firm's salesman who was writing a piece called The Master Salesman. When he stepped into another office to sell a tractor to a farmer client, the steno turned to the audience and explained that her big evening last night had left her with an upset stomach, etc. She dropped an Alka-Seltzer into a glass of water. A loud fizzing was heard, accomplished by dropping another A-S tablet very near another mike—a good stunt.
For 15 minutes the salesman blasted the farmer with his sales barrage that wasn't funny after the first 90 seconds. Action was finally introduced when the farmer rammed a shotgun into the salesman's stomach and forced him to write out an order for the tractor that he was sold on before he came in. He didn't shoot-to the audience's great disappointment.
Seg was a clear-cut example of what not to do in tele. Conversation pieces, especially long, dull ones, won't go. Action, movement and a minimum of words must replace the lengthy tirades. The too, too direct plugs won't sell a product. They annoy rather than do a job.
Celebrities Are People, new Ben Pulitzer creations show, had Ethelyne Holt for emsee, Magician Ruth Dore, Actress Julie Haydon and two young men in a variety program interwoven with cravat plugs.
Miss Dore's standard tricks were expanded to include a tie-cutting sleight-of-hand that wasn't too effective tho it did focus further attention on the product. Evaline Mechanic wrote the script and directed. She left her performers in awkward positions several times. Miss Holt's interview with Miss Haydon was on the chirpy side, and the actresses responses were definitely in the uninspired question-and-answer manner. Apparently neither had been coached in moving from one part of the set to another. Entire show lacked the professional touch that comes with adequate rehearsal and an acquaintance with the tele medium.
Val Evans, using Charles of the Ritz products, was credited with make-up. Work was uneven. The emsee's lips, with dark purple lipstick, registered heavy and drained expression from her mouth. Rest of the cast appeared more natural, with varying degrees of red lipstick, dark base and variety of shades of eyeshadow. Why the scriptwriter was introduced isn't quite clear. Her Brief, unstudied appearance didn't serve a purpose.
Lighting in the new studios permitted the tie designs to be clearly seen, a vast improvement over. earlier indistinguishable blurs. A Buster Keaton pic came on before the live shows. Running the shows together makes for better programing than when each seg is divided by a dull pic while the studio was readied. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Oct. 7)
Thursday, September 28
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 p.m. News, Everett Holles.
8:15 Cuban Music
8:30 “They Were There,” Interviews.
8:45 Motion Picture
9:15 “Missus Goes A-Shopping.”
9:45 Vera Massey, Songs
8:00 p.m. Play: “Boys From Boise.”
THE BOYS FROM BOISE
(Televised over WABD (Du Mont), September 28, 1944)
A musical comedy by Ray Nelson, Sam Medoff and Constance Smith. Music and Lyrics by Sam Medoff. Sets suggested by Frederick Widilcka, constructed by Bud and Ed Gamble. Directed by Ray Nelson. Costumes by Brooks. Orchestra conducted by Sam Medoff. Produced by Charles M. Storm Company.
SONGS: "Girls of the 8-to-the-Bar-X-Ranch," “I’ll Take the Trail to you,” "Sunset Trail," “That Certain Light in Your Eyes,” “Child Chiquita,” “Thousand Mile Shirt,” "It's a Mystery to Me," "Broken Hearted Blues," “Come Up and See me Sometime,” “You Put Your Brand on My Heart,” “Rodeo,” “Western Omelet.” “I’m Just a Homebody,” "Star-Spangled Serenade."
Audrey ... Audrey Sperling
Judy ... Judy Turner
Cecile ... Cecile Turner
Jose ... Jules Racine Jr.
Bill ... Jack O'Brien
Marie ... Elizabeth Dewing
Joan ... Joan Charlton
Bette ... Bette Bugbee
Jede ... Jede Charles
Frosty ... Frosty Webb
Janie ... Joan Pederson
Mike ... Don Saxon
Lawson ... Adrian Storms
Pete ... Allan Keith
Barbara ... Dolores Wilson
Chiquita ... Nina Orle
Jill ... Jacqueline Soans
Carole ... Betty Carroll
Specialty Dance ... Sylvia Opert
DANCERS: Joan Pederson, Dorsee Brent, Barbara Pederson, Joy Douglas.
SHOW GIRLS: Jackie Flynn, Elin Carlysle, Mary Sinclair, Vicki Raff, Shanna Dean, Mickie Ames.
THE CONOVER MODELS: Joan Charlton, Jacquelin Soans, Shanna Dean, Bette Bugbee, Dorsee Brent, Eleanor Niles, Jede Charles, Joy Douglas, Mary Sinclair, Frosty Webb, Titla, Mickie Ames, Joan Pederson, Joyce Gates.
Mark well this evening of September 28, 1944. This is the night television came of age. For the first time someone had guts enough and enough to dig deep into the grouchbag for a lot of lucre and put on a full-fledged show for the television cameras and audience
As a show, as entertainment, as everything that is anything in showbiz it wasn't too much. But The Boys From Boise is not to be judged by top-notch Broadway standards. Rather it should be judged as a noteworthy experiment in an experimental medium, and as that it is something.
Boise is to video what the late Thomas Edison's Train Robbery film was movies, and a decade from now the trade will regard it as such. Likewise Boise proved, as only showbiz can prove, that when the chips are down showbiz comes thru.
It's the answer to all those who have been sitting back and asking, "Where is the talent for television coming from?" It’s coming from television and business, from getting out and doing, not sitting and asking and ridiculing.
Likewise Boise yanked the curtain on the infant art's first impresario; a brash, brusque, bulky guy, one Ray Nelson, with a line of gab, a flock of ideas and the mental and physical and financial guts to put them to work. What Morris Gest was to legit, what DeMille is to films, what Bill Backer was to radio is what Raymond E. Nelson is to television today.
He does—thanks to Charles M. Storm—things with a lavish hand. And while he's nowhere near being a Ziegfeld or even a Billy Rose, not yet anyway, at least he's in there laying it on the line and learning while most everyone else is hedging.
The story of video's first musical comedy is nothing much, but then neither are most musical librettos. There's a show gal troupe that's stranded in Boise. They take a job as cowgals on a ranch to raise fare home. The ranch is afflicted with rustlers, a mortgage and for a switch it's a gal who holds the mortgage and masterminds the rustlers.
Just to complicate matters the hero, who runs the ranch, is fronting for the FBI, who are after the villainess, and so he can't put a six-gun period to the rustling. Then his gal comes home from the cultured Eastern singing school to take over when he gets drafted. It's complicated, albeit typical musical, setting for the boy-girl theme. Yet it serves its purpose. Namely to present a good, even if not great, score and some ditto talent.
Best bets are Don Saxon as the singing lead, Gwen Davies as the ingenue, Jules Racine Jr and Nina Orla as the singing and dancing comicos from Mexico. Dolores Wilson, the leading female, didn't match Don Saxon in voice or ability. act. And Adrian Storms was swell as the villain until she loused up It's a Mystery to Me.
The Turner Twins and Audrey Sperling were standouts, thanks to a tune that's a natural for the Andrews Sisters, Western Omelet. Other goodies were some of Medoff tunes, namely, I'll Take the Trail To You and Star-Spangled Serenade. Both are in the Bing Crosby vein. Then there's a good comedy tune, Come Up and See Me Sometime, which Nina Orla and Jules Racine Jr. handled most expertly. And finally there's a neat torcher, Broken Hearted Blues, which was duck soup for Gwen Davies.
From all of which it is not to be deduced that Boise had no faults. It had plenty. Some of them, and they were no secret to those responsible for the show, were fairly commonplace in musical comedy. Namely, too much show, too much talent, too much script.
It adds up to this, just about—video can't use lyric sopranos, at least not yet. Video shouldn't run more than 60 minutes. Video musicals should be intimate; at least until the mechanical and technical improvements are such as to permit utilizing a full-sized cast.
It was good to see someone try to utilize two fistfulls of frails. But even with a line of four dancers surrounded by show gals and other fems it was all too noticeable that even simple dance routines were handicapped by a lack of sufficient fanny-space on the turns.
It adds up to something else too. Boise was a prime buy for EsquireEsquire fashion page is assembled; (1a) How an Esquire cover is ditto; (2) What's in the next issue of Esquire.
Where the mag got off the nut—and it wasn't much of a tab since the Storm agency anted most of the $10,000 or so for the show—was in the publicity harvest which grabbed plenty of space as sponsors of this super-duper.
The direction was smooth all the way. Only one fluff and that a minor one in the two-hour show. The answer was in the preparation. Nelson worked on the show for several months, had a full week of studio rehearsals and two full dress rehearsals before the audience got a look see.
There's nothing here for legit or films; at least they haven't already had several times over. That is except for Don Saxon. But for television it was an important and expensive first. And as such, especially since everyone connected gave everything all the time, The Boys From Boise was something to write home about and remember. Lou Frankel. (Billboard, Oct. 7)
Balaban & Katz
Drama, singing, special events, interview. [28?] Sustaining on WBKB.
In 20 minutes tonight WBKB set television programing back 10 years. Even to be polite we can't say the dramatic portion of the program, Wildcat Willie Buys a Bond, had a rather foul odor. Only the blunt statement, "It stank," can be used to evaluate anything as poorly written and acted as this piece of “entertainment.” In subject matter, continuity and acting it was not good enough to be put on the boards of a grammar school graduation exercise. Evidently the station, programers, in a fit of pseudo patriotism, were carried away with the War Bond pitch and scheduled it not worrying whether or not it would make good video. The writing was so inane, however, it couldn't have sold a dime stamp.
Lighting and direction on the Wildcat Willie opus was not bad. The station's greatest sin was scheduling for a major entertainment medium anything so simple and childish. And, after all, proper scheduling of the right kind of shows is just about the most important job television station management can have. Production people did the best they could with very poor material. Why they ever got themselves in a position of being compelled to use it is hard to understand.
Wildcat Willie was an effort by the Armstrong-Reed juvenile players using dialog included in a book of one-act plays by Anne Coulter Martens. It was centered around a silly plot concerned with the visit to a friend's house of a fem movie star who formerly was a top kid actress. She made the visit while in town on a bond drive. At the home she visited was little Willie who wanted oral to use $18.75 to buy a radio but was eventually worn down by the beauty of the gal and thus became a little hero who plunked his dough into a War Bond.
But before he came thru as a good little boy the play went on for 20 minutes exposing qualms of childish love that were so unreal were sickening. The cast of boys and girls who were compelled to go thru with this inane plot and dialog would undoubtedly go thru life with a stigma if their names were associated with this effort. So we'll just leave them in comfortable anonymity.
Luckily before the Wildcat Willie WBKB telecasted two other stanzas that were not bad. We say luckily because if Willie had gone thru his paces before the other two offerings on tonight's program they would not have had an audience. All sets would have been turned off.
First of the two was Ann Hunter interviewing Mary Doyle, of the Joint Anti-Fascist Committee. Miss Doyle explained the work of her committee in its efforts to help refugees from Europe's oppressed countries. This was interesting and the station production staff came thru with good camera work and lighting.
Other offering was the singing of Marisha Data, who did her usual good job using a repertoire ranging from the operatic to the popular modern ballad.
Most significant portion of tonight’s show at B. & K.—significant in that it offered a portent of future tale airings—was the use of kaleidoscopic film while sets were being changed between divisions of the program. Kaleidoscopic film for television, which is run while music is being played, is an invention of Commander Bill Eddy, who before the war was chief of WBKB. It uses rolls of film on which designs have been inked. When the film is run thru. a projector the designs blend together into geometric fantasies that create moods matching the music being played. A program of music with nothing but kaieidoscope accompaniment would make good video for short periods of time when the audience is small (in the daytime, for example) in the future. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Oct. 7)
Probably the most important hearings on radio ever held in this country are those which begin Thursday (28) and continue through October to give FCC information on which to base its coming frequency allocations, particularly for FM and television. ...
CBS, which favors a thoroughly perfected television first, appears to be lined up with the Government's Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee in opposition to RCA, which wants to get going immediately with television, and the Governmental-industry Radio Technical Planning Board. CBS wants to lift television out of its present band and move it far up in the spectrum. It favors 31 channels, each 16 megacycles wide. At present there are only 18 channels 16 megacycles wide.
IRAC, which appears in pretty much the same position as CBS, favors the 31 channels in the high range, but also wants tele to keep nine channels in its present wave band.
RCA's Ideas
RCA wants 26 channels, six megacycles wide, and wants to keep them where television is now located because of the bulk of the experimentation has been done in that region. DuMont generally sees eye to eye with RCA, RTPB also wants 26 channels six megacycles wide in the present location. This would result in pushing FM out of where it now is and forcing it higher in the spectrum, which the FM people will fight.
One idea, which apparently has little opposition, is to be advanced by IRAC and will add one more channel to the present area reserved for AM broadcasting.
Television
If the FM people can force television higher into the spectrum and get more room for themselves, they want more channels. There are at present 40, each 200 kilocycles wide. IRAC is suggesting 120 channels of 100 kc. width. However, many of the FM people feel that this is liable to hurt the fidelity of FM reception by narrowing the individual channels. RTPB is sponsoring an idea of 70 FM channels of 200 kc. width. (Variety, Sept. 27)
Friday, September 29
WNBT Channel 1
8:30 to 11 Boxing: Willie Pep vs Chalky Wright at Madison Square Garden.
WCBW Channel 2 8:00 p.m. News Reports
8:15 “At Home” Variety Show
8:45 Motion Picture
9:00 Discussion: Presidential Campaign Strategy.
9:15-10 “Opinions on Trial.”
NBC
Reviewed Friday (29) 8:30-10:30 p.m. Style—Sports. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
NBC gave tele audiences a look-see into the sports future Friday with scanning of boxing matches from Madison Square Garden, New York. Show hardly reached the esthetic standards, but it was good sports stuff. The boxing bugs should go for it in a big way.
Championship match between Willie Pep and Chalky Wright was the feature of the evening. The match itself was a good one, but the scanning could have been better. It could have been better, that is, if post-war equipment were on hand today. Considering the materials that NBC has to work with, it was a pretty piece of video. Camera scanned from one spot, above and to the left of the ring. Effect is that of a good middle-priced seat.
The camera—there seemed to be only one—was limited, of course, by the fact that it could not move around, pan or dolly. What it could do was to follow the fighters around the ring, and it did its job competently. The boys were well centered most of the time and focus was excellent. If it were possible to have several cameras, not confined and able to give close-ups, it wouldn't be too necessary to go to the Garden at all.
Steve Ellis did a more-than-adequate job running commentary department. Realizing that the “left to the body, right to the jaw” school of fight reporting is out in video, , Ellis restricted himself pretty much to explanations of the style the fighters were using, their tactics and short blow by blow of fast sequences. All told, Ellis's method bodes well for video and the listener who has grown groggy from sportscaster faking.
Commercials for the Gillette Safety Razor Company were handled via the oral-visual combination method. Pix of Gillette products were on the screen at the same time that the announcer spouted his plugs. In time to come more effective methods will be devised—perhaps a man shaving with Gillette equipment and liking it—which will take greater advantage of the medium's visual impact. Until NBC or any other company can get a sufficient number of cameras so that both the studio and the scene of the event are in use, tele will have to content itself with half measures. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 7).
“CAVALCADE OF SPORTS”
Madison Square Garden Boxing
With Chatty Wright. Willie Pep, Steve Ellis, others
Friday (Sept. 29) 8:30 p.m.
GILLETTE RAZOKS
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
(Maxon)
First commercial venture into fight telecasting was launched Friday night, (Sept. 29) through an arrangement with 20th Century Sporting Club's Mike Jacobs, the Gillette Co., of Boston, and John Royal, of NBC. Major aim, the principals announced, was to bring ringside versions of N. Y. scraps to wounded veterans in metropolitan hospitals via tele receivers installed in the wards last year by NBC.
Hookup with video transmitters of Philco, in Philly, and GE in Schenectady, made a three-city network for the bouts, feature attraction of which was the Willie Pcp-Chalky Wright featherweight title tussle, won rather handily by the former after 15 rounds.
Steve Ellis, Gillette fight commentator on some of the less important bouts last season, was installed as the video announcer and did a workmanlike job although inclined, at times, to revert to his straight radio technique and try to keep up with the action a la a running line of chatter. A spurting event as simple as a fight, with only three men in camera range, doesn't require a lot of explaining. So most enjoyable parts of telecast were those in which commentary wan absent.
Gabber, however, knew his stuff and didn't try to expert the affair too much. But, when action wasbrisk, Ellis wound up describing something that happened several seconds earlier, finishing his explanation at a time when the contestants were in entirely different positions with the action resembling not a bit the exchange he was wrapped up in. This didn't happen too often, though, to spoil the light for video viewers.
Why wide awake outfits like Gillette and NBC thought they could tie in Bill Corum's between rounds chatter (as broadcast for Gillette on straight radio over Mutual) is unexplainable. Result was that Corum was “turning you back to Don Dunphy” and inserting tagline, “This Is Mutual” at odd moments leaving a bewildered Ellis to carry on, to say nothing of the video audience. Stunt just won't work that way so it looks as though Ellis will have to find a partner to function only on the tele mike. Camera work was flood, considering present day equipment and conditions, although facial features of the boxers were never very plain. Remark by Ellis that Wright was showing claret in one of the late rounds also wasn't borne out by the picture — shadow trouble. Entire card was telecast. Donn. (Variety, Oct.4)
Saturday, September 30
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 p.m. Film Shorts.
8:33 Excerpts from “Carmen.”
9:13 Toscanini Film.
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (30), 8-10 p.m. Style—Operatic excerpts, variety, film. Sustaining on WNBT, New York.
Socko is a showbiz phrase rarely applied to opera, but NBC's capsule version, of Bizet’s Carmen, from a purely programwise point of view, certainly rates it and more. The job was done in excellent taste, produced with a flair for showmanship and yet it retained the charm of the original opera. All of which, of course, is said with an eye to the present-day limitations on video.
Unfortunately, the effect of heavy rehearsal sked was somewhat spoiled by the rather unimaginatively camera handling. Instead of giving Carmen the treatment it deserved, the directed had his ikes moving in and out in a repetitious parade of long shots and close-ups. Angles, either horizontal or verticle, were avoided, and strict convention adhered to in the succession of routine shots. Panning was particularly smooth and unnecessary dissolves didn't distract the viewer. At one point, however, during one of the narrative interludes (Don Jose, in prison, tells a priest the story to fill in gaps), fade-out started too early, probably because of bad cueing, and the camera had fade Don Jose back in.
One shot was extremely bad, and only one. In the scene in the smuggler's den, Carmen and Don Jose had a torrid love scene on a low bed. With the two performers reclining, the camera was unable to get a decent view of their faces and the two bodies stretched out to infinity from four huge feet. The effect was that of a trick photo lend not in keeping, to say the least, with the mood of an opera. In one or two spots, particularly in the last scene (under the bull ring), the camera didn't follow the characters' movements fast enough and left the set blank. A common fault, inability to focus on several characters, some of them far up stage to the others, plagued the director.
Sets were as good, if not better, than standard Met fare. Mona Paulee, who played Carmen, is an acceptable enough young singer, but her acting is very bad; as bad, we'd say as that of most Met divas. And her dancing is as inept as operagoers have come to expect. Felix Knight (Don Jose) is a very excellent tenor who is probably good enough to step out on the Met boards right now. His voice may still need a little training, but his acting is fine and his diction well-nigh perfect. Mr. Knight is definitely a comer in operatic ranks.
NBC's' evening opened with That Was a Singing War. The nostalgic bit of fluff featuring songs of World War I. Format had several soldiers and several gals partying in a French tavern. It was generally well done and held the viewer's interest thruout. Some of the close-ups were off center, and several group shots using standing and sitting performers didn't register well because the sitters were cut off at the neck. To look natural such scannings have to include shoulders as well.
The Bernard Brothers, who sing along with records—and do it very well, too—rounded out the live portion of the show.
Saturday must have been Moscow art pic night at NBC. Two of the three films were from the Soviet Union, both high-brow music. One was a charming short built around Beethoven's Scottish Drinking Song and the other starred composer pianist Dimitri Shostakovich. Third film was a repeat of a very successful previous airing of Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony in The Music of Verdi.
All told, NBC put on one of the most pleasant evenings this reviewer has ever spent before a receiver. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 7).
The Associated Merchandising Corporation, New York City, co-operated with GE in producing the program which was viewed by advertising and promotion executives of 25 of the nation's leading department stores.
The program directed by Helen Rhodes, assisted by Larry Algeo, was arranged to demonstrate how department stores can utilize television on either internal cable (Jeep) system or for general advertising on a regular telecast station.
Sponsors included the United States Time Corporation, makers of Ingersoll and other watches; McCall's magazine, Elizabeth Arden, Textron and Carter's Underwear. U.S. Time, McCall's and Elizabeth Arden produced their own programs. J. Walter Thompson handled the Textron quiz skit, and Ted Long and Jo Lyons, of B., B., D. & O., prepared the Keeping Up With Baby skit that promoted Carter's Underwear.
The five commercials altho quite different in character were tied in with continuity of a family gathered around a television receiver. Skit was one of the highlights of the 75-minute show and was written by Irma Lemke, who does regular programs for WGY, WRGB and other stations.
U. S. Time gave one-minute time signals at the beginning and end of the program, with silhouettes of soldiers on a battlefield visible thru the face of the clock.
A two-person skit featuring Helen Parrash was McCall's contribution, but it lagged principally because too much time was devoted to conversation and there was too little action. The demonstration of applying make-up by Power's Model Miss Lynn Engler (the Elizabeth Arden contributor) had the faults.
For Textron three professional women pitted their originality against three housewives in a quiz and stunt contest the commercials were well tinted and handled.
Keeping Up With Baby was old stuff, but well handled by Larry Fletcher as the frenzied father; Violet Griswold as the nurse, and Narrator Paul Conrad, all of Broadway.
Three one-minute films of Bloomingdale's were televised to show how department stores could use television for institutional advertising. employment recruiting and to better employee relations.
Possibilities of telecast display windows and television points thruout stores were outlined to the advertising executives. At a dinner before the program the advertisers heard GE Vice-President Chester H. Lange describe television as "A sure-fire billion dollar industry that cannot possibly fail."
Technical difficulties that will have to be overcome in the utilization of television as an advertising medium were obvious. Unlike radio the sponsor must plan for the visual reception as well as the audible and he cannot take advantage of retakes and revision as in the movies. Directing and production techniques must be changed to meet the new medium, but there were no faults in this department store performance that a little practicing and polishing will not remedy. (Billboard, Oct. 7)
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