Vice President Harry Truman was supposed to appear on WEAF radio on a Jefferson Day Dinner broadcast. He never showed up. The broadcast was abruptly cancelled. So was all regular commercial radio programming across the country. Very unexpectedly, Truman had acquired a new job. The night before, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died.
By a twist of fate, Roosevelt passed away on the twelfth anniversary of his first fireside chat on radio. And immediately following his death, radio turned sombre and poured out its grief.
Television did, too. At least what television there was on April 12, 1945. Reports at the time show at least three of the eight stations in existence broadcast some kind of special programming, not an easy feat in those pre-video tape days.
The month of April saw DuMont broadcast a live ballet (though an ad agency put it together). John Reed King now had live shows—the same evening!—on CBS and DuMont, while Walter Kiernan was also added to the WABD schedule thanks to the station's partnership with the Blue Network. DuMont decided it had better start making some money off its TV venture and instituted prices to use its studios for rehearsals.
NBC’s WNBT debuted a short film made by Warner Bros. on racism. Technical quality comparisons between it and regular TV fare were inevitable.
In Chicago, making a leap into television was rustic actor Pat Buttram, long before trying to con Eddie Albert on Green Acres.
Two staples of television appeared this month. Among NBC’s collection of old movies was one from 1935 starring Bill Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy. Boyd was smart. He realised television could be very lucrative for him. Starting in 1946, he made a series of new Hoppy movies that stations eagerly snapped up. Boyd’s career was re-born.
And judging by a squib in one of the trades, appearing on the DuMont station for the first time was a man who later hosted the network’s Cavalcade of Stars variety show, and used DuMont’s Electronicams after he jumped to CBS and made The Honeymooners. A career of television distinction awaited Jackie Gleason.
Sunday, April 1
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: “Harmony Lane” with Douglas Montgomery, Evelyn Venable and Bill Frawley (Mascot, 1935).
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Film: “Easter Parade.”
8:30 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allen.
9:00 Film: “The Story of the Bible.”
9:30 Drama: “The Cathedral.”
Monday, April 2
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War As It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:25 Feature Film: “Riders of Black Mountain” with Tim McCoy (PRC, 1940).
9:25 Film: “1812 Overture.”
9:40 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena, ten-round clash between Roberto Ramirez, Mexican heavyweight, and Freddie Schoot.
Tuesday, April 3
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WABD Channel 4
7:55 “Teleshopping.”
8:00 Blue Network Presents: “The Whole Town’s Talking.”
8:30 WOR presents “Al Bernard’s Minstrels.”
9:00 Motion Picture.
Beginning tonight [3], the Blue Network’s television department starts a new series over Du Mont’s WABD called “The Whole Town’s Talking,” a variety program reviewing the past week’s news events. Walter Kiernan, commentator-humorist, will be the master of ceremonies on the new program.
Paul Mowrey, manager of the Blue’s tele division, is staging the show, and Harvey Marlowe, directs “The Whole Town’s Talking” replacing “On Stage Everybody,” and the new telecast time is 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. EWT. (Radio Daily, Apr. 3)
Wednesday, April 4
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News, Allan Jackson
8:10 “Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
8:50 Films.
9:30 “April in New York.”
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.”8:15 Motion Picture.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Thanks for Looking.”
CBS
Reviewed Wednesday (4) 8-10 p.m. Style—News, audience participation, documentary. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Paul Belanger's latest, April in New York, was extremely pleasant to look at, but not nearly so pleasant to hear. A cute show, and a cleverly produced one, it sometimes was so cute that it became cloying. In spots April in New York reminded this reviewer of quaint houses in Connecticut or the pages of a woman's slick magazine.
The chief objection we have is the use of a boy and a girl, speaking on most occasions in unison, as the narrators. The two would have been easier to take if they had each spoken separately. And if the boy's voice had not been reminiscent of part of the audience at a ballet opening. Otherwise, with the exception of a very few bad fluffs on the part of the director and consistent bad framing by one of the cameramen it was clever, enjoyable video.
For some reason, Director Belanger didn't follow Baseball Clown Al Schacht off the set when his routine ended (with Schacht, by the way, walking right into the camera and right out of focus) and ended up with a shot of a bare sot. And then he didn't cue in a film clip fast enough to cover up for the first slip. The bit dealing with the zoo could have been greatly improved if a cage hadn't been put in for atmosphere. The bars prevented closeups of the all-too-cunning animals.
The transition from zoo to circus themes lacked continuity and gave a jerky effect and the puppets, which subbed for live RB performers, would have been a lot more like a circus if Big Top music had been sustained and loud. Slow cueing before the On the Town seg left a blank screen that could have been, eliminated quite easily. And, in the final sequence, a lap dissolve showing a girl and a sailor making love, with a floral photo superimposed, was just too damn sweet for words, the camera on the still moved away before it was off the air. There seemed to be some sort of commotion in the control room during the final minutes that got the director off his pace. But far be it from us to tell CBS how to administer its studio.
The Missus Goes A-Shopping, under Frances Buss' directorial hand, was no better and no worse that it has been in the past. Some of the gags were awfully tired and Miss Buss tried to fellow people in spots where she shouldn't. But, over-all, it wasn't bad at all.
The news show, cut down to 10 minutes, remains good video with Leo Hurwitz at the console, but Allan Jackson, the new commentator, doesn't register at all. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Apr. 14)
"APRIL IN NEW YORK"
With Al Schacht, Charles Goff, Anne Jackson, Mary Heckart, Barbara Dale, Ernest Theiss, Sue Hastings Marionettes directed by Marion Robbie Robb
Producer-Director: Paul Belanger
Writer: Lela Swift
Announcer: Sidney N. Berry
30 Mins.; Thur. (April 4), 9:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
A monthly feature of the CBS video effort is a program showing the interesting things to be seen during that month by a serviceman or other visitor to the metropolis. On this stanza (4) the audience looking for guidance via television could have seen and heard about baseball, the circus, the Bronx Park zoo, trees and flowers, and the successful Broadway musical "On the Town."
The items were well chosen for a rounded half-hour Baedeker to what's on in the city during the month of April. What there was to show came through very well by voice, and quite clearly enough through a combination of good lighting, competent camera work and a clear screen. But the people and things actually shown, except for the really amusing and well handled marionettes, were hardly worth all the trouble. It was strictly—an amateur show.
The owner of a home video receiving set would hardly have felt himself compensated for his trouble and expense, even if he were ready to make due allowances for the experimental period through which television must pass both technically and artistically. The fact is that, on the technical side, there was little about which one could complain. It was on the talent side that the show fell down. Al Schacht, billed as "the clown prince of baseball," may be funny on the diamond, but as a televaude act he just didn't come through. The Bronx Zoo was represented by fewer specimens of "wild" life than one could see in any pet-store window. The circus paintings and the samples of New York flora were static as they appeared on the video screen. The same was true of the scenes from "On the Town." Only the marionette work, among all the presentations, was performed on a really professional level.
The voicing, both by the announcer and the three background voices, was very good throughout. But the video viewer wants something beyond good voices, which he can get over his old radio set. And with due allowance for technical experimentation, he has a right to expect greater imagination as to choice of artistic material as well as to casting of the artists. Cars. (Variety, Apr. 11)
BALABAN & KATZ TELEVISION
(“Thurman Thurkle's Thumb”)
With Pat Buttram, Joe Wilson, Bill Vance and Mrs. R. Fox; Dean Murphy, impressions; Jenya, pianist; Fran Harris
Director: Helen Carson
Cameras: Esther Rajewski, Rachel Stewart
60 Mins.; Wed. (April 4), 3 pm.
MARSHALL FIELD & CO.
WBKB, Chicago
Perhaps it's just as well for Marshall Field & Co. that there aren't many television receivers in the area served by WBKB, for such shows as "Thurman Thurkle's Thumb," sponsored by them on this matinee telecast, certainly won't make many friends. Not that they shouldn't be commended for a noble experiment, out somewhere along the line a good idea went astray and ended up a dull affair. Maybe it was lack of preparation; maybe it was the cast, or maybe it was director Helen Carson's slow pacing, but it just didn't jell. Written by Bill Vance, who did an excellent narration job, the script is based on the idea that one has to have a '"green thumb" to be a good gardener.
Opening shots showed Pat Buttram, of National Barn Dance fame, poring over seed catalogues, getting ready to start a Victory garden. Next scene had him digging and planting and, after several weeks without success, the neighbor next door, played by Joe Wilson in Groucho Marxian fashion, advises him to confer with Mrs. Fox, garden counsellor for the Fiel stores, who tells him what to do, use Vigaro, insecticides, etc. (the show could have used either or both) and the garden is an immediate success. Buttram played Thurkle in his usual rustic manner and Joe Wilson was acceptable as the friend. Mrs. Fox was scared stiff. All except Wilson weren't up on their lines.
Most entertaining bits were the singles that preceded the skit. Fran Harris proved herself an interesting newscaster in the opening niche; Dean Murphy, playing across the street at the Chicago theatre, came over to do his impressions, practically his entire vaude routine, and Jenya, pianist, showed keyboard skill in the playing of "St. Louis Blues" and "Honeysuckle Rose." Camera-work on entire hour was good most of the time. Morg. (Variety, Apr. 11)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Wednesday (4), 12:30 to 1 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
WBKB's first of a series of video shows to be presented in co-operation with the Treasury Department to sell War Bonds uncovered some heretofore hidden television talent, but because it was off-the-cuff (sans rehearsal) it was somewhat amateurish in its over-all production.
Video talent discovered consisted of Jack Brickhouse, veteran WGN-Mutual announcer, and Judy Starr, Hollywood singer who has just returned from a USO tour. Miss Starr, comely lass, proved she knew how to sing for video in her renditions of Mean To Me and I Don't Want To Love You. She has a good voice, but in addition she puts plenty of wallop in her facial expressions and gestures.
Brickhouse, who emseed the show, proved himself excellent video material with his fast wit and at-ease ad libbing. He interviewed a war hero and a Treasury Department official, and not once did he hesitate for a word and always he had his guests at ease. However, be still must learn that be shouldn't talk about video lighting, props and stage directions. Such talk is okay for radio description of a scene, but it takes away illusion in tele.
All-navy orchestra on program was ably directed by Jim Daley. A couple of times the boys got crossed up on cues because there had not been sufficient preparation before the show hit the air. Stunt of having bond buyers call station and have calls received by Brickhouse during the program went over surprisingly well. Brickhouse often was interrupted during an interview—which is taking a helluva chance—but each time when a call was over he picked up his interview right where he left it. Switch from camera, focused on Brickhouse and person being interviewed to other camera on Brickhouse only, was done quickly and smoothly most of the time. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Apr. 14)
New York.—Contract for a series of one-minute commercial films for television was signed yesterday by Gruen Watch Co, with the newly-formed Bonda-Charteris Enterprises, it was disclosed here yesterday by Anson Bond, co-owner of the new producing unit with Leslie Charteris.
First of series, which is to run indefinitely according to Bond, will use George Pal’s Puppetoons in a picturization of the “Casey Jones” saga to be produced at the General Service Studios in Hollywood. It is understood that experimental raw stock will be used for the film, which will bow in July at the National Jewelers convention in New York. The deal was set through McCann-Erickson.
Bond-Charteris, it was stated, would follow for Gruen with picturizations of “Chloe” and other sagas. Placement of the Gruen film will be made on all available television outlets. (Hollywood Reporter, April 4)
Thursday, April 5
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News, Allan Jackson.
8:15 Films.
8:45 Amateur Boxing.
Friday, April 6
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at Madison Square Garden, Tony Janiro vs. Humberto Zavala.
In cooperation with Klaus Landsberg, director of television production at Station W6XYZ, subsidiary of Paramount, the AAF Radio Coordination Unit of the Personnel Distribution Command will present the “Revue in Uniform” television show today at 8:45 p.m. and each Friday night at the same time.
First program features an interview with the first P-61 Black Widow pilot to be processed at the Santa Monica Redistribution Station, Maj. Carroll C. Smith. (Hollywood Reporter, April 6)
A new television program titled Young Chicago and featuring high school students was introduced by station WBKB last night [April 6]. Students appearing on the Friday evening programs are selected thru auditions conducted by the radio council of the board of education. Television viewers last night saw and heard Catherine Pesich, 2507 Southport av., of Waller High school in Spanish and Russian dances; Walter Skawinsky, 1425 Wrightwood av., of Lakeview High, tenor and guitarist; Charles Swan, 3615 S. Hamilton av., of Harrison High, magician, and twin brothers, Eugene and Florian Mack, 5827 Markham av., duo-pianists of Lane Technical High. Dick Thorne of the radio council was master of ceremonies. (Chicago Tribune, Apr. 7)
Saturday, April 7
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program (live): “Dragon’s Tale” by Frank Paris Puppets, and dog act.
8:00 Feature Film: “Hop-Along Cassidy” with William Boyd and Jimmy Ellison (Paramount, 1935).
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (7), 7-7:25 p.m. Style—Juvenile variety. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
They ran the Bulova Watch Time nearly a minute and a half this evening and followed it with the Botany weather forecast commercial. It's a shame that they haven't figured out how to make the forecast seem a twist to the minute film, but they haven't and the entire film seemed futile—and besides it didn't belong before a kid eked selling men's ties.
From the commercial pitches it went right into a doorstep intro for the program with dad, brother and sister sitting on the steps and talking about the show to come. The intro unfortunately was at least a 1,000 per cent better than any of the three acts that followed. It had depth reality and meant something, which The Dragon's Tale, a marionette show; Mr. Maxine and Bobby, a dog act, or the Moylan Sisters didn't.
Marionettes don't have to underestimate the intelligence of the younger generation, and besides Frank Paris's were neither well enough articulated nor operated to intrigue. Marionettes do not get by in video because they are stringed figures. They have to be built and operated for the air camera. They need a camera technique and maybe a special camera all their own. GE's WRGB has presented some effective figures for air-pix, but they've learned what you can and cannot do thru the experience routine. NBC hasn't.
Second feature was a dog act, Mr. Maxine and Bobby. The one thing that doesn't seem to get thru the ike is a "dumb" act. Neither the dog nor his master spoke-and that's not good. And the tricks themselves weren't good enough to make you forget the dumbness.
Final live kid offering were the Moylan Sisters. While they were much better than they were in Schenectady when Lou Frankel, The Billboard's radio editor, caught them before he went overseas, they aren't video material. NBC did a good job with costumes and scenery for their song Don't Fence Me In, but all the production in the world won't change the kids --they've got to grow up visual showkidwise before they rate what the iconoscope has to glee 'em.
Hopalong Cassidy, horse opera, followed the live shows. It wee dated, but what the h—, the kids loved it. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Apr. 14)
Sunday, April 8
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Portrait in Black,” comedy-drama (live); travel film of Bali; variety.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Film program.
9:00 Scheherezade,” ballet.
"SCHEHERAZADE"
(Ballet)
With La Meri, Mera Goorian, Juana, La Meri's Natya dancers
Producer: Ray Nelson
60 Mins.; Sun. (8), 9 p.m.
Sustaining
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
Ray Nelson, v.p. of the Charles M. Storm agency shot the works on this one, a full-hour ballet performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," interpreted by La Meri and her company of 14 Natya dancers. Musical portions were records with the ballet score of the Cleveland Symphony orch accompanying the troupe.
Production, camera work. etc., were okay and the Hindu dancers acted as though they knew what they were about. The routines consisted of a lot of arm waving, staring and stamping of feet, some of it very graceful and other portions a little on the grotesque side. "Scheherazade" will never sell many soap flakes. Dunn. (Variety, Apr. 11)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War As It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:25 Feature Film: “Emergency Landing” with Carol Hughes, Evelyn Brent, Forrest Tucker (PRC, 1941).
9:30 Film: “1812 Overture.”
9:40 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena, Billy Grant vs. John Thomas, Buddy Moore vs. Jim Neville (both bouts heavyweight, eight rounds).
WBKB, Chicago television station, in the usual Wednesday 12:30-1 p.m. off-air period, is now presenting a Treasury War Finance variety series on War Bonds expected to run through the Seventh Loan. (Broadcasting, April 9)
WALTHAM WATCH Co., Boston, will sponsor all time breaks on the time to be taken over V-E Day by Blue-ABC on WABD New York, the DuMont station. Watch firm will be the first commercial video sponsor signed by Blue-ABC since the network entered television. There is no time-charge on WABD, but Waltham will pay production costs.
Number of time signals will total about eight, depending however on the length of time to be used by the Blue for its special V-E Day presentation, which may run from three to five hours. Commercials placed through N. W. Ayer & Son, New York, will probably be limited to straight credit for the sponsor.
Blue-ABC has arranged for the time a presentation tentatively set to include films of major World War II battles, live broadcasts by commentators, and special films taken in the Blue newsroom on V-E Day and telecast as soon as processed. The whole plan is contingent however on whether or not the Government officially approves the V-E celebration idea. (Broadcasting, Apr. 9)
AMONG more than a score of new applications filed with the FCC and including those not previously reported are requests for 23 new FM stations, five commercial television (TV) stations, two standard local outlets, two new developmental outlets and a new international station for the West Coast. ...
Scripps-Howard Radio Inc. has added Pittsburgh to its list of areas to receive new services with filing of petitions for ... TV assignment on proposed Channel 3 (60-66 mc) with effective signal radiated 1230. ...
Crosley Corp., licensee of WLW Cincinnati and also applicant in several areas for new services, has requested a new commercial video station for Dayton, O. on Channel 4 (78-84 mc) with ESR of 1920.
Channel 9 TV facilities (180-186 mc) and ESR of 770.7 are sought for Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Daily News Inc.
Iowa State College, licensee of the noncommercial standard station WOI Ames, has filed application for a commercial television station to operate on Channel 3 with ESR of 1227 and 1062.
The Kansas City Star Co., licensee of WDAF Kansas City, has filed for a new commercial television outlet on Channel 1 (44-50 mc) as proposed by the FCC, with ESR of 2455. (Broadcasting, April 9)
Tuesday, April 10
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WABD Channel 4 7:55 “Teleshopping.”
8:00 Blue Network presents “Letter to Your Serviceman.”
8:30 WOR presents “This Wonderful World.”
9:00 Motion Picture.
"LETTER TO YOUR SERVICEMAN"
With Bert Bachrach, Ken Farnsworth, Helen Twelvetrees, Dorothy Hart, Joey Faye, Harry Balogh
Supervisor: Paul Mowrey
Director: Harvey Marlowe
Writer: Charles Spear
30 Mins.; Tues., 8 p.m.
JOHN DAVID STORES
WABD-DuMont, N. Y. (Blue Network)
Program was staged especially for servicemen in hospitals in the metropolitan area, their commanding officers having been notified by mail that stanza was being videoed for the vets and wounded servicemen. Show was programmed with likes and dislikes of these men in mind, resulting in better visual acts than on many similar stanzas heretofore.
Bert Bachrach was shown dictating a letter to servicemen in his office, his phone being used to call in the various guests. Harry Balogh, fight announcer, listed the six best fighters in history and then told several interesting boxing anecdotes. Cover girl Dorothy Hart, whose countenance has graced mag covers of national circulation many times in the past six months, pepped up proceedings by her casualness throughout the time she was before the, cameras. Joey Faye followed with a comedy turn wherein, dressed as a wrestler, h« nearly knocked himself out. Helen Twelvetrees, former film actress, then was interviewed by Bachrach and explained that she was preparing for a role in a forthcoming Broadway show following a USO-Camp Shows tour of battle areas.
Ken Farnsworth handled the sponsor's brief plugs in commendable fashion, pointing out that stanza was aired over WJZ, N. Y., each Friday night, and inviting servicemen to send in suggestions for acts to be used on ensuing stanzas. Viewers were also invited to guess identity of three sisters who looked practically the same, and those who identify them correctly by name and number by mail will receive wallets.
Cameras were handled neatly by the DuMont technical crew, and Harvey Marlowe's overall direction kept things moving along at a rapid clip. Sten. (Variety, April 21)
Wednesday, April 11
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Allan Jackson.
8:15 “Missus Goes A-Shopping.
8:45 “Soldiers Without Uniforms,” dramatizations of episodes of the Resistance Movement in Paris.
9:05 Films.
9:30 “Opinions on Trial.”
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Ike on Sports” with Tom and Bill Slater. Guest, John Kieran.
8:30 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Thanks for Looking.”
CBS
Reviewed Wednesday (11) 8-10 p.m. Style—Documentary, audience participating, newscasts, etc. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
The CBS telenews seg gets better each broadcast and altho Allan Jackson isn't as good as his predecessor, Ev Holles, he too gets better with each ike viewing. Device of using explosive stars on the maps to indicate bombings gave an added touch of movement to the "living maps."
Missus Goes a Shopping moved a little faster than it has recently, but is still doesn't sell John Reed King as well as his later seg the same evening, Thanks for Looking on DuMont. King comes thru the tube better when he's on camera than when he's just part of the scene.
Reason for viewing WCBW this Wednesday was Soldiers Without Uniforms. It started out as an interview with Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Garrigues and then promptly forgot them with OWI's Emlen Etting telling a story of the resistance movement in France. What Etting had to say was vital and it was a shame that in the handling he lost the fact that he was supposed to be telling an ordinary group of Americans how they might have helped had they been in France during the occupation. Why the camera didn't return at the end to the men who were supposedly being interviewed only Ben Finer, who wrote and directed the seg could tell. Script had all the impact of a dime novel and was still very real. In other words a few snore hours of script doctoring and rehearsals would have really turned this into a solid emotion producing teledocumentary. Special nod should be given Mary Patton who, as has been noted before on NBC, gets plenty out of her video self.
Camera work was adequate—and that was all. There wasn't an angle in a shot load. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Apr. 21)
Balaban & Katz
If there could be a worse opening for a video show than the one this one had we hope we never see it. Show had some good talent—Dean Murphy and Viola Layne, as well as a top musical unit of navy men—but instead of getting right down to the business at hand, entertaining, opening was two minutes of dull verbiage by Lee Bennett, who explained that program was a War Bond pitch, etc. Then to really will the opening, Bennett was interrupted by an onstage phone call from Treasury Center with facts about people buying bonds at the Center.
In the opening, bothered by the phone call and other interruptions, Bennett even forgot to mention that the name of one of the headliners, Dean Murphy.
When show finally got under way it bad some good stuff. Murphy did an excellent job with his imitations. Viola Layne did the best she could with her impressions of Shirley Temple and Carmen Miranda. As long as video has its present technical limitations, impressionists will go over better in a nitery or on a stage. Viola has been wowing them at Chicago's 51 Hundred Club. Her video work left plenty to be asked for. The medium still doesn't allow a performer to project personality, as does the personal appearance.
Show also had an interview with a Treasury Department official. It ran for about four minutes and was tour minutes too long. If WBKB expects video to sell War Bonds, it will have to get an audience. It can't get an audience by presenting dull interviews. Entertainment—the kind the station could have presented with the talent it had on hand—is still the secret of showbiz. And video is show business. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Apr. 21)
Thursday, April 12
WCBW Channel 2
Regular programming cancelled.
WCBW, CBS’ tele station, cancelled its regularly scheduled programs between 8-10 p.m. [April 11], and televised instead the pictorial story of the life of President Roosevelt as a war President. This includes films made of the President’s first, second and third inaugurals. Between reels, WCBW picked up broadcasts of CBS, in order to keep televiewers fully covered on all announcements of statesmen who were being heard over CBS.
NBC’s tele station, WNBT, did not go on last night; however, the station is preparing a special tele program which will be telecast tonight.(Radio Daily, Apr. 12)
Friday, April 13
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: “The Life of President Roosevelt.”
Television Productions, Inc.
Reviewed Friday (13), 8:30-9:30 p.m. Style-Special event. Sustaining on W6XYZ, Hollywood.
Television had its first chance at a special event here when Klaus Landsberg, director of W6XYZ, canceled his skedded show in order to present a memorial program dedicated to the late President Roosevelt.
Handicapped by the time element, Landsberg built a complete hour program from scratch that was dignified thruout and a stirring tribute to the great leader.
An oil portrait of the late President, 4x5 feet, was used as a background for the musical selections. This was banked by Calla Mlles, gladiollas and ferns, which made a pictorially perfect framework. An honor guard of MP's flanked either side of the portrait.
Highlights of the tribute was a review of the colorful career of the President, narrated by T. B. Blakiston against a pictorial background, Pictures showed the President at various stages in his life. The Keintones, colored singing group from San Diego (Calif.) Naval Hospital, sang Hallelulah and the President's favorite selection, Home On the Range. Pvt. Ben Norman read a poem Rest Now Mighty Warrior, which he had written for the occasion. This was done against a vocal background by the Keintones.
Maj. Andrew Craig, chaplain at the Santa Monica (Calif.) redistribution center, offered a prayer, followed by Lieut. Morris singing The Lord's Prayer. In closing, Pvt. May Brigance sang the National Anthem. Upon the finish of her song the Stars and Stripes were faded in on the screen. While bugler played, taps, flag was lowered to half-mast.
Musical selections were offered by Santa Ana Trio, with Richard Lane handling the introductions.
The entire program went off without a hitch, which was a tribute to Landberg's direction. This hour-show made history here tonight as it impressed upon Hollywood skeptics that television is flexible enough to provide the viewer with special events that will in time equal or surpass anything being done today by radio. Dean Owen. (Billboard, Apr. 21)
Saturday, April 14
All regular programming cancelled due to the death of the president. Tributes and special news broadcasts will be substituted.
WNBT Channel 1
7:00 Tribute to F.D.R.
NBC
Paul Alley, NBC moom pic man, proved this evening that editing newsreels is the secret of doing a good job on video. His clips of Franklin Delano Roosevelt were handled in such a way that all the footage that was not adaptable to the Ike was eliminated and the good clear close-ups and the wide-angled shots that called for design, not detail, were used to build a thrilling salute to the ex-President. The co-ordination between the narration and the shots left little to be desired. This was not a re-run of a political pitch or something picked from the scrap heap. It was a job worthy of March of Time.
NBC has not only learned how to do live shows better—but Paul Alley has also learned how to take stock pic clips and make a good show.
Video is moving along. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Apr. 21)
Sunday, April 15
All regular programming cancelled due to the death of the president. Tributes and special news broadcasts will be substituted.
WNBT Channel 1
8:15 Play: “Abe Lincoln in Illinois.”
"ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS"
With Stephen Courtleigh, Alma Mansfield, John McKee, Vinton Hayworth, Mort L. Stevens, Mary Michaels, others
Producer-Director: Edward Sobol
Writer: Robert E. Sherwood
45 Mins.; Sun. (15), 8:15 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
Undoubtedly one of the most ambitious shows since the advent of video, this was probably also one of the most successful programs yet televised.
To impress about 60 guests, many of them from foreign countries, who had gathered in New York for a four-day session of the International Education Assembly, WNBT put on a two-hour program on Sunday night (15), and the highlight of it was the entire first act of Robert E. Sherwood's Lincoln play. Here the narrow confines of the television stage had to accommodate a full cast of actors, against sets that would have made the play look ludicrous if they weren't real. At times the action was fast, and camera and light crews had to work fast and skillfully. In other words, this well-known Broadway play had to be good or a total flop when transferred from the legit stage to the video studio. It was tops.
Stephen Courtleigh played a sensitive, convincing Lincoln, who grew in power as the play proceeded, and very good work was done by most of the other principals. Alma Mansfield as Ann Rutledge, however, looked unimpdressive [sic], especially in close-up scenes of this boyhood sweetheart of Lincoln. Cars. (Variety, Apr. 18)
Monday, April 16
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:35 Feature Film: “I Take This Oath” with Joyce Compton and Gordon Jones (PRC, 1940).
9:35 Film: “Niagara Frontier.”
9:40 “Cavalcade of Sports”: Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena, Joey Peralta vs. Al Guido (lightweight, eight rounds).
CHICAGO, April 16.—The video audience of the future is going to go for short, dramatized commercials. That was revealed by a survey of the Chicago television audience completed recently by Dave Dole, assistant radio director of the Henri, Hurst & McDonald Agency.
Dole made the survey after he had telecast on WBKB a three and a half minute cartoon commercial for John Morrell, meat packer, advertising Red Heart dog food. In his show, which told with musical background and narration, in addition to the cartoons, the adventure of a dog who won a "Red Heart" for saving his master from an embarrassing position, Dole had the product's name in his title work. He also had a pic of the product for about 30 seconds, and about 15 per cent of the lines of the narration were commercial.
Majority Liked It
Sixty-seven per cent of those answering his post-card survey claimed the program was good or better. Thirty-three per cent said it was fair or worse.
Fifty-eight per cent considered there was a good balance of commercials; 28 per cent said there was too much; 18 per cent said there was too little.
Ten per cent of the audience said they wanted live talent instead of cartoons; 7 per cent wanted movies.
Some of the comments here that such a video spot was "fine for between programs"; that it "was fine for children," or that it was "okay if not over 5 minutes" long. To the question "what is your attitude toward this type of program in post-war television?" Most said they would like to see more of the same now and after the war. (Billboard, Apr. 21)
Tuesday, April 17
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WABD Channel 4
7:55 “Teleshopping.”
8:00 Excepts from “Follow the Girls.”
8:30 WOR Presents: Brownstone Theatre Group in “Trifles.”
9:00 “Old Mother Hubbard.”
9:15 Film: Short subjects.
Blue Network’s television program over WABD tonight [17] will contain highlights from the Broadway musical “Follow the Girls,” starring Gertrude Niesen, Jackie Gleason, and featuring Val Valentinoff, Buster West and Tim Herbert. Harvey Marlow, consultant producer, produces the program. (Radio Daily, Apr. 17)
MARTIME MILLING Co., Buffalo, will sponsor a quarter-hour test television program on DuMont-WABD New York April 17 for Hunt Club dog feed. Program will take form of a mother goose fantasy. WABD has aired two previous dog food shows. Agency is Baldwin & Strachan, Buffalo. (Broadcasting, Apr. 9)
Washington and the Philadelphia area were linked last night [Apr. 17] by television when the first such program ever broadcast from the Capital was transmitted over a series of relay devices to the Philco Corp. television station, WPTZ, in Springfield, Montgomery County.
Hailed as the forerunner of nation-wide programs, last night’s inaugural transmission was marred—as Philo engineers had anticipated—by “visual static,” which served to lend a rainswept aspect to the images received on the WPTZ screen. Television experts for a number of years have been striving to eliminated this defect, it was explained. (Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr. 18)
ALL NBC television engineering, production and film editing facilities will be called into play on V-E day when the network will present a specially-planned 24-hour telecast including views from Times Square, map talks by NBC's top news commentators and a newsreel of Hitler's rise and fall. Portable field equipment will be set up on the marquee of New York's Hotel Astor so WNBT, NBC television station, can show reactions of Times Square crowds. Besides a video re-capitulation of the war, NBC will install news tickers and flash latest reports. (Broadcasting, Apr. 16)
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News, Allan Jackson
8:15 “Brides in Wartime.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:30 “There Ought to Be a Law.”
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Fashion Show.
8:15 Film: Short subjects.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
8:45 Film: Short subjects.
9:00 “Thanks for Looking.”
CBS
Reviewed Wednesday (18), 8-10 p.m. Style—News, documentary and forum. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
The Columbia telenews pitch gets better and better. Even Allan Jackson's chin seems to get stronger and there's less and less bobbin' up and clown with his head as he reads script.
Mademoiselle's Brides in Wartime, the fifth show which the girl eds of have dreamt up, was okay in part and stinko in others. The first episode, How Not To Stay Married in Wartime, was the smelly portion, with a sailor and wife being caricatures of people.
The idea of doing seg in pantomime was okay but they laid it on so thick that it was disgusting even unto the getting into bed, which no sailor should do with his wife before an iconoscope on his first night's furlough. A wedding etiquette quiz was well done, but someone should have reminded Frances Buss and Lucille Hudiburg, who megged this, that white dresses flare. This would have meant special off-white wedding gowns, of course. That's the way it's going to have to be some day. Final seg was Brides in Poland, a spy melo with a fem slant. William Hollenbeck was good as Jan, and Ann Shepherd better as Jadwiga. Sets were good, lighting well handled, and while the script was corny, it was okay airpic stuff.
Second gathering of high-schoolers on There Ought To Be a Law was on the subject that "bachelors over 40 should be taxed and the dough ought to go to maiden ladies over 40." It was a riot; a minor riot. They dropped those campaign signs used on the first show which had nothing to do with the delegations, and while they haven't solved the problem of getting good, clear-cut close-ups, the kids are so much fun that you don't mind the elemental camera work. Law is a natural, and what a commercial possibility. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Apr. 28)
"WOMEN IN WARTIME"
Ruth Woodner, emcee; with Amzie Strickland, David Dawson; Jan Miner, Penny Sack, Beth Shea, Doris Grundy, Lyle Sudrow, Maurice Minnick, Lynn Fisher, Jackie Flynn, Everet Ball, Rusty Lane, Pamela Padget, Ann Shepherd, William Hollenbeck, Henry Sharp, Theo Goetz, Michael Ingram, Margaret Fullerton, Polly Ferguson, Harriet Carter, Elisabeth Ebrlich.
Producer: Gilbert Seldes
Directors: Frances Buss, Lucille Hudiburg
Writers: Frances Hughes, Jeri Trotta, Betty Weir, Fred Rickey
30 Mins.; Wed. (18), 8:15 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
Since last December, CBS and the juve mag Mademoiselle have been collaborating on a monthly video piece called "Women in Wartime."
On last stanza (18), the partners showed television's audience what the art can do when it's handled on a grown-up level.
Chief credit, of course, must go to the web's teleprogram boss, Gilbert Seldes, who produced this show. He set a standard not only for his own staff (some of whom have certainly fallen down in recent past but for video as a whole. For once, CBS combines powerful scripting with good acting, had sets that didn't look like something moth-eaten taken out of the warehouse, lighted the scenes effectively, focused the cameras with good sense, and brought to the viewing screen a half-hour of itnense [sic], effective, punchy drama worth anybody's attention.
Show started off lightly. As a mag of interest to brides and those who would love to be. Mademoiselle's rep, emcee Ruth Woodner, capitalized on the themes of spring, love and altar. She brought forth some brides at tired in proper fashion, demonstrated such matters of moment as the proper way to lift the bride's veil for the groom to smack the blushing gal on the kisser, and put on a pantomime showing a dame who's none too smart because she's more interested in gabbing with her dumb friends than in greeting her returned hero in proper wifely fashion. By that time, audiences squirmed in their seats and I wondered whether this show wasn't an insult to the integrity of Amercan women in wartime. But it was only a build-up. The switcheroo came fast, and hit the viewer straight between the eyes.
A dissolve from the vapid scenes look the performance to Warsaw, during its underground days. William Hollenbeck as a Polish underground worker, Ann Shepherd in the role of a secret courier for Polish partisan headquarters, teamed up with Rusty Lane, Pamela Padget and Henry Sharp, showed what "Women in Wartime" meant in a place where war was really tough. Story revolved about Miss Shepherd and Hollenbeck, who fell in love without even knowing each other's names, since all underground workers had to work secretly. At end, when they are married at partisan h.q., the gal volunteers for a dangerous assignment, leaves the groom without that kiss about which so much ado had been made in the scene of marriage in the U.S.A.
Not content with the impact of this well-written and well-done play, the scene returned to the home locale showed war brides going into the Women's Land Army to help raise rood in the U.S.A; This theme, too, was interpolated with another brief skit, in which two Nazis in Germany (acted convincingly by Theo. Goetz and Michael Ingram) highlight the importance of food for peoples in liberated Europe who, if they were allowed to starve, would become the raw material for Nazi resurgence.
Detailing of the various pieces that went into this show is proof of the amount of material—and all of it valid, some very potent—that could be packed into a half hour of real video. More of this kind of television would minimize many of the technical problems that bedevil television, since audiences would soon clamor for the art regardless or all else. Cars. (Variety, Apr. 25)
Thursday, April 19
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News, Allan Jackson.
8:15 Films.
8:45 Amateur Boxing.
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (19), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—Drama, news, magic and dancing. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
After six months of experimentation, Commonwealth Edison Company's Welcome to the Walker's has turned into a smooth vehicle for advertising the firm's electric appliance lino. Some smooth direction by Beulah Carney, a great deal of animated acting by four radio actors, especially Fran Allen and George Cisar, as Jean and Chris Murphy, and a subtle bit of scripting by Ardien Rodner make the sequence, laid in the friendly atmosphere of a kitchen, a most innocuous, yet extremely convincing, advertising medium. Playlet also worked in a clever plug for the Seventh War Loan Drive. Even the most caustic critic of commercials wouldn't blink an eye at this bit of salesmanship. Show received four and a half hours of rehearsal, and the pre-show experience was very evident.
Don Faust, WIND commentator, did just a fair job in the news slot. Via the Chalk Talk, he analyzed the current war situation, after which he went into discourse on the third anniversary of the bombing of Tokyo. Date of the anniversary was Wednesday. This made it it day late for the broadcast. If tele wants to meet the competition of radio and newspapers, it must hit such news more on the head. He closed with a dramatic bit built on a feature story which was dated, as it was given plenty of space by papers locally early in the week.
Excellent camera direction, plus all artistic backdrop depicting Latin American music, put over Rumba Moods, a dance interpretation by Loretto and Lee. Camera gave full-length shots of the dancers 95 per cent of the time, with the result that receivers got realistic depth of the terping. The full background was used more frequently than the close-up during the entire hour Showing with 'the result that a listener just tuning in got the trend of the bit almost immediately after dialing the program.
Lee Phillips and his magical mysteries need some rehearsal in video technique before his work becomes good video fare. Many times his magical equipment was only partly in the camera's focus and the magical illusion was ruined. John Sippel. (Billboard, Apr. 28)
Friday, April 20
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Jake La Motta vs. Vic Dellicurti.
Saturday, April 21
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program live and film: Magician (live) Feature Films: “Reg’lar Fellers” with Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer and Herb Vigran (PRC, 1941),” Film: “Portage.”
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (21), 7-8:30 p.m. Style—Magic, film. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
There's pitifully little that can be said about or for tonight's performance by the usually highly competent NBC video staff. Of the hour and a half devoted to what was hopefully called a "children's program," only 15 minutes was live, that portion being occupied by the none-too-mystifying antics of Williston, a magician.
Williston is not a bad magician and his patter, for the most part, was fairly entertaining. However, if the program was really aimed at children, Williston should have been instructed to aim all of his talk at them. His cracks about pawn shops and insane asylums were probably more mystifying to juvenile listeners than his tricks, not that they were funny to adults. A bit more attention should have been paid to color values. At one point he spoke encouragingly about red and white balls (part of a trick) but they all looked one shade. At the close of what in all fairness must be called a decent performance, the director out him off the air before he had finished his good nights, a disconcerting error.
The rest of the evening was taken up by two films. The first, a U. S. Department of Agriculture production, used the Quiz Kids and Joe Kelly to discuss the problem of balanced diets for children. The best comment on that one was made by a fellow viewer who said that it was bad enough to have been a studio show. The other movie was called Wings Over Africa. It was about diamonds, murder, jungles and allied bores. Very stimulating. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, April 28)
NEW YORK, April 21.—A resolution which strengthens AM's stand that live musicians be used in television to pose for scenes where canned music is used was brought up at a recent International executive board meeting in Chicago. The resolution states that no musicians will be allowed to pose for tele programs where canned music is being broadcast unless they are paid at the same rate they would receive for actually playing or recording the show. (Billboard, April 28)
Sunday, April 22
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live program: “Nettie,” play by George Ade; Short film: “It Happened in Springfield” (WB, 1945).
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “For the Love of Mike.”
8:15 to 9:40 Film program.
"NETTIE" With Steven Chase, Gilbert Douglas, Richard Maloy, Mort L. Stevens, Barton Mallory, Leila Ernst, Michael Ann Travers, Janis Thompson, Shirley Conklin, Rich and Gibson
Producer: Don Darcy
Writer: George Ade (adaptation by Darcy)
30 Mins.; Sun. (April 22). 8:20 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
Fairly amusing comedy adapted from George Ade's play, "Nettie," was hardly sensational television programming inasmuch as entire action look place at a N. Y. nitery table but bangup thesping contribs by Mori Stevens, Steven Chase and Richard Maloy saw the experiment through satisfactorily. In an effort to supply some sort of action, producer Don Darcy inserted a floor show prolog but it was rather undistinguished.
This sequence was spoiled at the opening, right after Chase, playing a man about town, checked his coat at the swanky Palm Room in the expectation of enjoying a holiday eve bird and bottle with Nettie. Janis Thompson’s acro dance routine, Shirley Conklin’s vocalizing and taps by Rich and Gibson comprised the variety entertainment, but the "floorshow" hardly seemed to measure up to the Palm Room's apparent "class" what with bottles of Cliquot being iced up every minute or so and the evident wealth of the three sophisticates around whom the playlet revolved.
Plot of “Nellie” concerns her appointments with the three gay blades, Chase, Malay and Stevens, at the Palm Room for the same evening-with all congregating al her favorite corner table. It's brought out that all three met the young woman on Fifth avenue in the same informal manner, that each gave her a piano to help her musical career, and the boys likewise kicked in with sable coals. The chumps also showed up with diamond horseshoe baubles for her. Audience, of course, is in on all this before the principal's get wise, so kiss-off scene is rather a letdown.
Nellie appeared only briefly, and even this could have been dispensed with but Darcy saw fit to have a quickie shot of her writing a letter to one or the boys explaining her disappointment at giving him the swerve on their date. Male trio gave an almost flawless performance handling lines but there was a quick snafu just before the close when one (it wasn't apparent just who) went up. Recovery was fast and professional, so incident probably went unnoticed by majority of casual viewers. Gilbert Douglas, the waiter, and Burton Malloray, bellhop, added strength in supporting roles.
It’s quite apparently, though, that tele will have to provide more action and less sustained dialog than "Nettie" afforded to really ring the bell in competitish with network radio. “Nellie” could have been done just as effectively via radio alone, except for the songs and dances, and added nothing to the dramatic values involved.
Camera work was up to accepted standards as were sets; lighting and production. Donn. (Variety, Apr. 25)
"Springfield," a powerful documentary aimed directly at racial intolerance in the U. S., was prepared primarily for theatre audiences, but was released to NBC simultaneous with national release to film houses. Its message, however, came off the tele screen effectively and measured up to every requirement of home entertainment-education.
Even the most ardent video enthusiast would be forced to admit that the expense of doing "Springfield," or anything approaching it, in the studio strictly as a television program prohibits the mere suggestion. Television, if it's to compete in this field, will have to devise its own techniques and story approaches. Such things as "Springfield" seem out of the question, and it only ran 20 minutes. Television's already talking about round-the-clock schedules.
Warner short is based on educational program in the Massachusetts city aimed at eradicating racial differences in the schools, before prejudices can take root and blossom into such things as the Ku Klux Klan, race riots and hoodlum lawlessness. Written and directed by Crane Wilbur, its players include Andrea King, Warren Douglas, Charles Drake, John Qualen, William Forrest and Arthur Hohl.
If Hollywood sees fit to allow other shorts of this quality, embracing straight entertainment, sports subjects, etc., to be made available for television the programming picture in sight-sound broadcasting seems due for an abrupt re-examination. And the faction holding that people at home are going to insist on live programs had better be ready with a lot of fast talking and good arguments if it expects to get anywhere. Donn. (Variety, Apr. 25)
Monday, April 23
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:25 Feature Film: “They Came to a City” (UK-Ealing, 1944).
9:45 Film: “Quebec.”
9:40 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena.
NEW YORK, April 23.—Blue tele department is rolling along the sales routes with three new sponsors reported interested in buying net shows. According to informed agency sources, a large Philadelphia cosmetic manufacturer, R&H Beer and Hearns Department Store will shortly be added to John Davis Stores, current bank-roller of Letter to a Serviceman on DuMont's WABD.
The Philly lipstick outfit, says the trade, will sign on the dotted line for Ladies Be Seated, once-a-week audience participation show which the net puts on at General Electric's station, WRGB, Schenectady. R&H Beer is interested in Kiernan's Korner, gag news show ring-mastered by Walter Kiernan on WABD. Hearns wants a fem show with Nancy Craig, Blue woman's program commentator.
"Ladies" About Set
Ladies Be Seated is about set for sponsorship, the other two, according to agency men, will take three to four weeks. If the last two deals go thru, the net's video topper, Paul Mowrey, will have to take more time on WABD to supplement its present half-hour for Letter to a Serviceman. It's understood that all three deals will be worked on a principle similar to the agreement with John David. In that case net is making no profit on the program, merely asking the client to share the production costs. Theory behind the no-dough deal is web's belief that since the limited number of tele sets make the medium impractical as a salesman, net would be just as wise merely to develop good client relations for the post-war period. (Billboard, April 28)
SAN FRANCISCO, April 23.—The spotlight of International politics is on this city as the United Nations Conference prepares to open next Wednesday (25)... NBC's television coverage has hit a snag. The web hasn't the film on hand at the moment and is dickering with the Eastman Kodak office here to supply the film anti equipment. If the deal prospers, NBC will go ahead with its previously announced plans to fly the films to New York for television showing there. (Billboard, April 28)
LEVER Bros., Cambridge, Mass., will start a new weekly half-hour television program on WABD-Dumont New York on Wednesday night, replacing the John Reid King show, Thanks for Listening. Plugging Ringo, Lifebuoy and Spry, program has a new type of audience participation format in which volunteers are invited to compete for prizes. Ruthrauff & Ryan, New York, is handling the account. Titled I Challenge You, program was created by Joe Cross and Ben Larson and is to be directed by Ted Huston. (Broadcasting, Apr. 23)
Tuesday, April 24
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Cavalcade of Sports”:Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WABD Channel 4
7:55 Shopping Program.
8:00 The Blue Network presents “Letter to Your Serviceman.”
8:30 Television Games
9:00 Motion Picture.
In addition to her Mutual commentary stanza, Maxine Keith joins the Lindlahr WOR program as a regular on May 2. Miss Keith’s husband-wife show takeoff on DuMont television last night (Tues.) highlighted the evening’s video presentation. (Variety, April 25).
Wednesday, April 25
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News, Allan Jackson
8:15 “Brides in War time.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:30 “There Ought to Be a Law.”
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Ike on Sports.”
8:35 Film program.
9:00 “I Challenge You” and “Thanks for Looking.”
CBS
Reviewed Wednesday (25), 8-10 p.m. Style—Participating, documentary and newscast. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
CBS telenewscast continues tops.
They repeated once again the Red Cross newsreel that NBC did some weeks ago. This time they used the alibi of a viewer's request.
Final seg of the evening was Preview of the San Francisco Conference, a top job written and narrated by Dwight Cooke. Narration had a telegenic assist from Ruth Woodner. The documentary presentation used a whole gob of sock ideas, some developed for the CBS telenews seg and some that haven't been used before. Sock were the hands in black gloves with silver studded gauntlets. The hands moved slowly across the map, took the miniature flag of the country to be crushed and broke it in pieces. It was simple—but terrif in its effectiveness. Another idea (It may have been done before but this reviewer hasn't seen it) was mounting of pictures on a giant wheel, with each picture moving into position as the narration reached the cueword. Nothing great about this but when the narration reached the point where things really begin to happen and they wanted to pile impact upon impact, they simply made the wheel move faster and faster until the pix spun into a whizzing design. This was the best presentation of a documentary on the San Francisco Conference that has been seen or heard—yet. Interviews, moving living charts, and step-by-step cartoons were combined to do the job. A sellout is voted for this—if there were enough sets about. Joe Koehler. (Variety May 5)
"THE IKE ON SPORTS"
With Tom and Bill Slater, Ham Fisher, Tony Galento, Cpl. Richard Channing
Director: Bob Loewi
Writers; Tom and Bill Slater
30 Mins., Wed.. 8 p.m.
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
Rapidly paced, thanks to the smooth delivery of brothers Bill and Tom Slater, "The Ike on Sports" is a neatly-staged television show, with some technical flaws, but none that threatens to spoil the enjoyment for average video viewers.
Starts off with newsreel shots of various sports, then segues into an argument between the Slaters on whether compulsory military training, or a sports program for all, should prevail in the postwar. Ham Fisher, the cartoonist, doing a guest shot, cleared up doubts on whether his cartoon character Joe Palooka, was going to be taken out of uniform with the end of the European conflict. He nipped that premise at its bud.
Followed newsreel shots of the Japs learning jiu-jitsu and sword handling, which were dull because of their length. The Slaters handled narration. An interview with Cpl. Richard Channing, who knew Ernie Pyle in North Africa and on the Continent, served as a tribute to the recently-killed correspondent. Bill Slater's word picture of Grover Cleveland Alexander and that baseball pitcher's famous strikeout of Tony Lazzeri in the 1926 World Series followed.
Tony Galento, interviewed by Tom Slater, behind a makeshift bar with several beer schooners in sight, broke up the show. He called every fighter who ever won the world's heavyweight title a bum, adding that he could beat them all. He revealed that he now weighs 260 pounds, but would fight champ Joe Louis for charity tomorrow — and beat him. And best of all, he gave out with his throaty tenor voice, accompanied by a guitar player on "Bugle Call Blues" that held sock laugh appeal.
The 30 minutes went by quickly, a tribute to the Slaters for rounding up interesting fodder for this show. Sten. (Variety, May 2)
Bill Anson, who conducts W-G-N’s Telephone Quiz series, is to introduce a somewhat similiar television show at 8 p.m. tomorrow [26] over WBKB. The show is titled Tele-quizicalls and purports to be the first audience participation show in visual radio. Anson, aided by Actress Angel Casey, recently chosen as “radio queen” of Chicago, will telephone set owners and ask them questions based on stunts they will do in the studio. There will be prizes for correct answers. (Chicago Tribune, Apr. 25)
Thursday, April 26
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News, Allan Jackson.
8:15 OWI Clothes Drive, Films.
8:45 Amateur Boxing.
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (26) 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—News, vocals and quiz. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
The first edition of Commonwealth Edison's Telequizicall, the firm's third sponsored show locally, got off to a flying start because the sponsor wisely chose Bill Anson, popular free-lance radio spieler to handle the questions. Anson, who's done considerable theater and bistro bowing in addition to his air shots, showed plenty of animation and a glib ad lib at all times during the show. His assistant, Angel Casey, added glamour to the video screen, but little else in the way of selling the show.
Program is typical quiz type, with Anson calling video listeners, who, if they can give the password which he has broadcast, are eligible to try to answer a question. Query is demonstrated on the tele screen. Sponsor got in some clever and subtle plugs by building the questions on some product peddled by Commonwealth Edison; using an advertising slogan for password, and giving away CE electric appliances, which were thrown upon the video screen so that the winner might make his choice.
Remainder of the show was sub-par. Don Faust did an okay job of commenting on the current European situation, but he did a chalk talk to illustrate his commentary on a map, the lettering on which wasn't discernible to the audience. Faust spent too much time explaining the German army, which is fenced in by the Allies in Italy. Public's eye is currently off the Italian situation, being centered upon Germany proper.
Jean Williams, local vocalovely at the Chi Theater, made her nervousness during her video debut rather apparent. Her voice was a little shaky and instead of casually introducing her songs, she hurried thru the intro. Gal was gowned in light dress and worked against a light background, so she didn't get the proper highlighting.
Miss Williams worked only eight of her slated 15 minutes. This left a seven-minute lull of which the tele screen showed nothing but three different still pix while some old records were played. Lull might have been corrected had the station filled in with a movie film or a kaleidoscope. John Sippel. (Variety May 5)
The pictures, thrown on a screen by a projector, are more than four times the size of any previously shown in a home type receiver. The DuMont projection receiver is something like a motion picture projector, occupying a cube about 24 inches in each dimension. It was explained that plans are made to reduce this to about two-thirds its present size, so it can be conveniently housed in an end table or similar piece of furniture. A 7-inch tube is used in this unit.
FM Sound and Video
Leonard F. Cramer, DuMont executive vice-president, who conducted the demonstration, explained that the projector had a tested range of picture sizes from 18 x 24 inches to 434 x 6 feet. The unit, called the DuMont Home Teletheater, including FM sound and television, will retail for approximately $1250, Mr. Cramer said, pointing out that before the war a number of manufacturers made radio-phonograph combination receivers in this price bracket. A larger unit, for use in clubs, schools, hospitals, small theaters, etc., with a picture 6 x 8 feet, will be priced at about $1800, he said. A direct-viewing receiver with a 20-inch tube also was demonstrated, showing pictures 1334 x 18 inches. These pictures were brighter and showed more contrast than the projected images and while the curve of the tube is still slightly noticeable in the pictures the peripheral distortion is far less than in pre-war models. A 20-inch tube with still less curvature, now being made at the Corning Glass plant, is expected to present an almost flat image.
Designs of the DuMont telesets planned for postwar production were exhibited by Mr. Cramer—one a conventional design, the other a modern piece of furniture, designed for DuMont by Herbert Rosengren, industrial designer. Planned to overcome the chief objection to direct-viewing sets that they are too large to fit into the average living room, these receivers when closed, are cabinets 48 inches high, 60 inches wide and 24 deep.
These cabinet telesets, which will contain a radio and a phonograph in addition to television equipment, will retail for about $1500, Mr. Cramer said. A simple television-FM set with a 20-inch tube, but without the other features, probably will be offered for about $450, he added. (Broadcasting, Apr. 30)
Friday, April 27
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Freddie Schott vs. Billy Grant.
PICTURES of the San Francisco United Nations Conference on International Organization, flown to New York, were telecast Friday on WNBT, NBC video station. Films from several sources were compiled for the presentation by Paul Alley, NBC television newsreel editor. (Broadcasting, Apr. 30)
CHICAGO, April 27—(UP)—Flowers, like people, must be telegenic, according to demonstration tests made by WBKB. Experiments showed that while white flowers, such as calla lilies and carnations, took well, roses looked like cabbages on the television and blue stocks like weeds.
Saturday, April 28
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: Specialty Act (live); Films: “Reg’lar Fellers (PRC, 1941),” “Portage,” Cartoon, “The San Francisco Conference.”
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (28), 7-8:30 p.m. Style—Kid stuff and kid-slanted San Francisco news pix. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
The Bulova watch ticked off its one minute to start the evening. They faded it out to discover Gimsey Sommers sitting on her doorstep. A voice (Gilbert Green), repping the viewer, asked her if she knew what was going to happen on television tonight. She said she did and she introed the outright kid section of the evening-but swell. The unseen voice then told Gimsey and the viewers that Andre de la Varre would also bring them the story of San Francisco.
Then came the fade-in of kid, Jerry Boyd, visiting Felix Adler, Ringling-Barnum and Bailey clown, in his dressing room. Felix showed Jerry his baby pig and put the little thing thru his circus routine. Then there was an explained switch to Homer Goddard, another clown, who went thru his series of comedy juggling, with the unseen voice, easy and casual, commenting on what was going on. The unseen voice broke the vacuum that has been noted in the past with video dumb acts. Green was just right. He put the audience in the home, kid and adult, at ease.
Final circus bit was Yu's Canine Marvels, which would have been the typical dumb act vacuum if it hadn't again been for the unseen commentator. Credit Ronald C. Oxford, who directed this entire kid pitch, for doing a swell continuity and camera shot-calling job. Give a nod also to his backstoppers, Reid Davis, tech director; Ray Kelly, poo bah, and Robert Wade on the scenery.
Andre de la Varre did an excellent job of making San Francisco and the Conference understandable to young listeners and still did not make it seem as tho he were talking down to adults. He's developing an intelligent video travelog formula. Working the camera in for several real close-ups helped to make de la Varre real to the youngsters. This was as good a kid program as last week's (reviewed by Marty Schrader) was a waste of time. Joe Koehler. (Variety May 5)
NEW YORK, April 28.—Blue web this week pulled out of the video V-E Day film pool and, on its own, has obtained from the Army Signal Corps the shots it will use in its all-day DuMont show when the whistle blows. Understood that the net's tele topper, Paul Mowrey, balked at the seven to eight G's which was quoted as the Blue's share in the pool production and editing costs.
Mowrey, it's said, originally went to the Signal Corps for clips of D-Day, Paris and Cologne. Army referred him to John Royal, NBC tele v.-p., who is heading up the pool. Royal talked thousands and back went Mowrey to the army.
Understood that the price is set so high because the shots are supposed to be the basis of a stock library. However, Blue feels that battle clips will be strictly n. g. post-war. (Billboard, May 5)
Sunday, April 29
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live program: “The Faker,” play by Edwin Burke; variety.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allan.
8:30 Film serial: “King of the Royal Mounted” with Rocky Lane (Republic, 1940).
9:00 Film program.
Monday, April 30
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:35 Feature Film: “Dangerous Lady” with June Storey, Neil Hamilton (PRC, 1941).
9:25 Film: “Ottawa on the River”
9:40 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena.
HOLLYWOOD, April 30.—First regularly scheduled public events programs for television are being whipped up next week for coverage of the San Francisco Conference. Klaus Landsberg, director of W6XYZ, Television Productions, Inc., plans two spots weekly in his regularly skedded shows to be devoted to the peace conference.
New deal that Landsberg recently made with Paramount News will enable him to give the viewer all the latest developments. Newsreel coverage of the conference will be flown here and Landsberg's staff will immediately go to work, picking out the best shots. Due to tieup with Paramount News, Landsberg already has a file of background photos on personalities attending the conference. Regular conference programs will be telecast Wednesday and Friday, with narrations handled by Keith Heatherington.
In addition, two regular newscasts will feature film clips and narration by Jack Latham Wednesday and T. B. Blakiston Friday.
Landsberg feels that this coverage will give the set owners their first opportunity to follow a special event of international importance.
Harry Lubcke, of Don Lee's W6XAO, built his April 30 telecast around Prof. Foster H. Sherwood, professor of political science at University of California, who will cover the conference and fly down here for the one show. He will bring charts that were used at the conference to illustrate his talk. (Billboard, May 5)
NEW YORK, April 30.—Du Mont's WABD tele station here, this week put into effect a rate card for rehearsal time which marks the first departure from the outlet's long-standing cuffo policy. In the future, agencies, stations and webs, using DuMont's facilities, will ante $50 an hour for Studio B (the newer, larger one) and $35 for Studio A (the old-timer). Rate is said to be sufficient to pay part of the station's rehearsal operational costs.
So far, there have been no squawks from the eight or more clients which have been playing for no pay at WABD, but trade expects that a few of them may be more sparing in their use of time. Rumor along video row has it that WOR, bank-roller of Bob Emery's once-a-week Video Varieties and the Charles M. Storm Agency (programs now every other week) may be thinking of reducing their skeds. Check shows that the others will go along with what they have now.
According to company officials, the move, tabbed exclusively in The Billboard four weeks ago, may become permanent station policy. "When WABD goes commercial," said one topper, "We will, of course, charge for air time. However, we'll also charge for rehearsals. We feel that a flat rate covering both would be unfair to the clients whose shows require fewer rehearsals than others. If we were to set up a rate with, for instance, a six-to-one rehearsal ratio, sponsors whose shows need only three runovers would be penalized. Instead, we'll break the charges down and separate rates for air and rehearsals."
Rough estimate in the trade of the station's weekly income from the rehearsal charges is around $800, conservatively one third of WABD's weekly pay roll nut. Informed sources also say that the card means that the station will be ready to show a profit as soon as it begins to charge for air time. It's felt that DuMont will be able to hit clients for at least double the present rehearsal rates for broadcast stuff, provided the bank-rollers stick, because actual selling time is more valuable than run-thrus. Twice rehearsal plus present rates means that the nut is covered and then some. The play for paydays are here on WABD and the sponsors are getting their feet wetted in a suitable way. (Billboard, May 5)
NEW YORK, April 30.—Breakfast Club, Don McNeil's Swift-sponsored Blue ayem show, makes its tele bow May 17 when the net's video department puts it on DuMont's WABD, New York. Station will add an extra night, Thursday, to its Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday sked to handle the one shot.
Sponsor, Swift & Company, meat packers, has not decided whether or not it will come in on the deal. If it does, company will be asked to share part of the production costs. McNeil has been on tele before, doing a show at WBKB, Balaban & Katz outlet in Chicago, but did not follow the Breakfast Club format. (Billboard, May 5)
LEVER BROS. Co., Cambridge, started a new series of video programs, I Challenge You, April 25 in the company's regular Wednesdays at Nine spot on WABD, DuMont station in New York. Program, originated by Joe Cross, creator of What's My Name, and G. Bennett Larson, manager of WWDC Washington, invites the audience to send challenges to the program in whatever field they wish; the programmers find opponents and the competition is telecast, John Reed King's Thanks for Looking, in which viewers are phoned and asked visual questions via their receivers, continues as the second half of the Lever Bros. weekly hour on WABD. Programs are supervised by Lee Cooley, director of television and daytime radio for Ruthrauff & Ryan, New York, Lever Bros. agency. (Broadcasting, Apr. 30)
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