Ike Eisenhower returned home in the middle of 1945, a victorious commander on V-E Day. Television followed him around the only way it could back then—cameras shot footage then rushed it back to the station for processing.
There was one exception. WNBT was broadcasting a Giants-Braves baseball game from the Polo Grounds. The camera caught him live in his box seat.
The war was still on in the Pacific, of course, and that meant continued hardships. No TV sets or tubes were being made, though a number of companies eagerly staged news briefings showing off their post-war models. Equipment was wearing out; it was so bad at WBKB in Chicago, it decided to go off the air to somehow make repairs. Applications for new stations sat in files at the FCC, which was still trying to divide frequencies among various groups.
Below is the TV scene news for June 1945. The trades published fewer reviews. WNBT moved its kids show from Saturdays to Thursdays. Movies starring The Range Busters were apparently popular.
WCBW added another newscaster. Tom O’Connor remained on the air until 1948. At the end, he and Douglas Edwards alternated until Edwards won the big prize and was given the anchor chair on a permanent basis.
And DuMont announced it was going to charge four-figures an hour to use its studios.
Friday, June 1
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Films.
8:15 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Tami Mauriello vs. Steve Dudas.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program, Variety, Live Talent and Films: Fizz Quizz; Juliette Galtier, Indian lore stories; Burton Holmes, “Bull Fights in Spain”; Feature Film: “Thunder River Feud” with the Range Busters (Monogram, 1942); Fun at Girdner’s.
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (2), 7-8:30 p.m. Style—Kid stuff, travelog and pic. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
It's time to cut it out. Shows like Fun at Girdners doesn't belong on professional video. Miss Girdner, provost, talked down to the kids and her demonstration of how fish live in water was just not television. Then when she took an idea such as showing the kids how to cut out silhouettes and she made that, a video natural, blah.
What goes?
Fizz-Quiz for the third time proved its an air-pic natural—but when are they going to loosen up the entire show, the way the kid Butch was last week? The only time that any of the adults on the show seemed at ease was when the soda jerk, Walter Williams, was doing his duo-voice routine. (It was good even if Williams explained its being back in with a bow to this reviewer.)
Production on this was as careless as anything we've seen NBC do. Three times the camera caught off-stage hands and bodies, a flag was shown in a question routine that was just skipped as an accident. The new youngsters, Patsy Coogan and Joe Johnson, were okay, but Patsy was as tense as a G.I. before battle, and Jimsey Somers, a "regular," had a dumb but cute evening.
Once again they used too many mental not physical quiz questions. Also there were too many adults around the drugstore. They ought to have kids on both ends of the quiz sometime. The "guest" this week was Wally Boag, balloon comedian. If ever there were an ike kid natural—it's Boag—and the faces of the four half-pint quizzees proved that, but quick. He made those balloons almost talk.
They segued from the drugstore into a Burton Holmes travelog. Here again the production smelled, When Williams waved his wand-no screen appeared—you saw Holmes instead, and a Holmes who wasn't expecting the camera, You've got to be good in video-or else. Joe Koehler (Billboard, June 9)
Sunday, June 3
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live talent and film: Burton Holmes—“Japan”; “Action at Anguar”; “Mission Completed,” playlet; “A Veteran Comes Back,” playlet.
Monday, June 4
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy”; “Venice of the North.”
8:24 Feature Film: “The Mill on the Floss” with James Mason, Geraldine Fitzgerald (1937).
9:55 Film: “Damascus.”
Tuesday, June 5
WCBW Channel 28:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Film.
8:35 Film: “Story of a Transport” (OWI, 1945)
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
WABD Channel 4
7:55 Teleshopping.
8:00 The Blue Network presents “Letter to Your Serviceman.”
8:30 Motion Picture.
9:00 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre presents a mystery-drama: “The Bells”; Kathleen Winsor interviewed by John Hewlett.
CBS
Reviewed Tuesday (5), 8-9:30 p.m. Style—News, interview, film, audience participation. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Frances Buss's War Bond show was hardly the extravaganza expected of a bond pitch, but it did make a fairly interesting audience-holding half hour, chiefly because of a well-made, well-scripted Coast Guard film. The pic, a documentary concerning the adventures of the CG-manned troop transport, the USS. Wakefield, formerly the luxury liner Manhattan, was expanded fore and aft by an interview with one of the men who served on the Wakefield, CPO. Coleman Raines.
He was interviewed by the former CBS sports director, Lieut. Com. Robert Edge, who did a good job of drawing a story out of a difficult subject. Miss Buss's direction, what there was of it, was nicely handled.
John Reed King's The Missus Goes A-Shopping, with Ben Feiner at the console, was one of the funniest stanzas King has contributed to CBS, thanks mostly to the efforts of a Mrs. Hertz (pronounced Holtz) of Brooklyn. Feiner's direction and the camera work of Howard Hayes and Al Kieban was not up to snuff but good enough to get by with material as funny as Mrs. Hertz. There were several out-of-focus shots and some panning that didn't set well at all. Columbia's news, with Leo Hurwitz as good as ever in the director's saddle, rounded out the evening. Marty Schrader. (Variety, June 16)
AMERICAN Institute of Food Products Inc., New York, on June 5 starts weekly half-hour television program on WABD New York. Booked for 52 weeks, program will feature discussion between a food buyer from a chain or wholesale firm and a food broker, talking about food shortages, food available, etc. Food products of various institute member firms will be displayed. Business placed direct. (Broadcasting, June 4)
As the first in a series of programs which will introduce authors to the television audience, Kathleen Winsor will be the guest of John Hewlett on WABD, the Du Mont television station today at 9 p.m. Miss Winsor is the author of “Forever Amber.” The initial program will be followed by weekly, half-hour sustaining shows. (Radio Daily, June 5)
Wednesday, June 6
WNBT Channel 1
3:00 Baseball: Yankees vs. Detroit (Double-header).
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.”
8:15 Motion picture.
8:30 “Ike on Sports” with Tom and Bill Slater.
9:00 “I Challenge You,” audience participation program with Eddie Dunn.
9:45 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
Earle C. Anthony, licensee of KFI, filed an application with the FCC in Washington yesterday for a new experimental television station to operate in Los Angeles on channel 2-60-66 megacycles. (Hollywood Reporter, June 8)
Thursday, June 7
WNBT Channel 1
7:00 to 8:00 Children’s Program: Fizz Quizz, Fun at Girdner’s, Andre de la Varre Film, Feature Film: “Tonto Bason Outlaws” with the Ranger Busters (Monogram, 1941), cartoon.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:25 OWI program.
8:30 to 9:00 “There Ought to be a Law” with New York High School students discussing a current topic.
WABC Channel 4
8:00 Magazine of the Air.
8:30 Film: “Oil Production.”
9:00 Film shorts.
9:15 “Thanks for Looking” with Patricia Murray and John Reed King.
(Herald Tribune has “Thrills and Chills” at 8:30 and “Film program” at 9).
New York.—After an absence of five years from television, Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey returns to visual broadcasting tomorrow evening with a half-hour program over WABD, the DuMont station. The deal, an exploratory one and for no stated period, was set through Marschalk & Pratt, probably in behalf of Esso. The initial stanza will be an institutional film, “Oil Goes to War.” (Hollywood Reporter, June 6)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (7), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—News, amateurs and piano recital. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
News segment of tonight's program proved that if unions continue to make hiring of video motion picture operators prohibitive, still news shots, properly used, can carry on as substitute for television news reels.
Dave Dole, of Henri Hurst & McDonald, and Bill Borglund, of Acme newspix, worked to see that news shots were used properly. Acme provided from its files shots depicting the life of General Courtney Hodges. Prints, even some made by the telephoto process, were made on a matte stock that gives excellent grey scale gradations suitable for the television pick-up.
Dole's contrib was a mechanical gimmick constructed to resemble a stage, Stage was about three feet square with curtain operated by a puppet. Camera was placed about four feet from the stage, focused on the news prints depicting Incidents in the life of General Hodges. As commentator Don Faust went thru his paces, camera on pix was faded in.
Result was good combo of the vocal and video. Altho this was in the nature of a historical commentary, same device is used for regular news program at CBS.
At one point, pulling out five slides in a short time was disturbing, but that was the fault of the camera op. Camera was focused on full stage and not only on section holding picture, as had been planned. If latter had been done, pulling out of pix would not have been noticeable. Edge of prints had black paint, which would not have been picked up by camera and effect of electronic dissolve would have been obtained. Camera being too far away picked up movement on top where there was no paint. To remove possibility of error, producer Dole had on edge of each picture a code number that corresponded with code numbers on script. Thus operators of slides reading a script knew exactly which picture to pull out at the proper moment.
Rest of the show consisted of some excellent piano work by Jenya, and Admiral Radio's Young Chicago offering. Picturing of only Jenya and piano was an error. Interpretive mood setting dancing could have been used to heighten interest in the recital. Even pictures of scenes fitting the mood of the music would have helped.
Admiral's amateurs were just that and hardly material for a large corporation whose future is wrapped around the development of television. Only good program content here was a short stanza of puppet dancing. Cy Wagner. (Variety, June 16)
Friday, June 8
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at Madison Square Garden, Ike Williams vs Willie Joyce.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
Washington.—Application for a commercial tele outlet in Los Angeles was filed with the FCC Friday [8] by Television Productions, Inc., a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, now licensed for experimental television operation. Television Productions, Inc., has applications for tele relay experimental work pending now.
Paramount, through another affiliate, Balaban and Katz, has two experimental tele licenses for Chicago, and one commercial tele station now on the air—WBKB. (Hollywood Reporter, June 11)
Another new television programming gimmick will be seen and heard over WBKB here Friday night (8) when David W. Dole, in charge of television activities for Henri, Hurst, McDonald, Inc.. introduces the first of a series of newscast innovations.
Program titled "Look at the News" will run about five minutes and will feature a pictorial review of the life of Gen. Courtney Hicks Hodges, commander of the American First Army, by means of pictures from Acme News-pictures, and narration by Gil Hix, which will be tied in with a regular 10-minute news broadcast. Photos will be displayed in a small stage, placed alongside the narrator who will use a pointer in analysing war action on maps and selecting items of interest in the photographs which will include telephotoprints. Picture changes will be operated by a puppet known as "Johnny Acme" which stands before the stage. Dole's first television program, done over the same station several weeks ago, proved a novelty in television "spot" advertising and featured a cartoon canine character. (Variety, June 6, 1945)
Saturday, June 9
WNBT Channel 1
2:00 to 4:00 Baseball: Yankees vs. Red Sox from Yankee Stadium.
Sunday, June 10
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live Talent and Films: “Actors in the Making” with students from American Academy of Dramatic Arts; War Bond Show “You and Joe”; “How Did the Japs Get That Way?” Burton Holmes.
"ACTORS IN THE MAKING"
With Lucile Watson, Herbert Keyes, Josef Draper, Julia Polinkov, Frances Woodbury, Lex Lindsley, Robert Allen, Ruth Barlow, Paul Keyes, Joan Likelin, Marion Possnock, Jane Thomas, Lynn Carney, George Drew, Jane Dufrayne, David Andrews, Lee Porter
Writers: Richard E. Davis, Owen DavisProducer: Ernest Colling
Technical Director: Al Protzman
Scenery: Robert Wade
64 Mins.; Sun., 8 p.m. Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
Richard McDonagh, NBC's script department chief, can recognize a solid idea. When some students of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts recently suggested a method for putting their idea on video, McDonagh saw the thing had sense. The result was an extremely good hour of television over WNBT last Sunday (10).
Opening the show, which McDonagh had Richard E. Davis script, was a scene at the Academy, showing some of the students being put through their paces, at times painfully, by their instructors. This business then segued into an example of what some of these novices had learned. They put on the second act of Owen Davis' "Icebound," and did an acceptable job.
Ruth Barlow as Jane, and Paul Keyes as Ben in the famous Owen Davis piece, were particularly felicitous. They handled themselves well before the camera, used their voices with enough clarity and restraint, and on the whole behaved like actors rather than students. Some of the others in the cast were obviously fledglings. But as an ensemble, they worked well together.
The play was given good production, and the one set in the "Icebound" act was all that the stage demanded. Once again, NBC video has done a worthwhile show and, in addition, has opened up a new field for dramatic students. Cars. (Variety, June 13)
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (10) 8 to 10:10 p.m. Style—Drama, vaude, travelog and documentary pictures. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Somebody at NBC slipped. Whoever is responsible should be taken out and have his brain examined. This is hardly the time to present a pleasant travelogue of Japan by Burton Holmes and to have Mr. Holmes as an interview-prelude to such a travelogue, make a three-year hell in a Manila concentration camp something "admirable." Viewers must have wondered why the interviewees, Mr. and Mrs. Audrey Ames, didn't slap the Holmes face at least twice, especially after he called enforced gazing into the sun for six hours (a form of Jap punishment for U. S. internees) an "interesting" experience.
All this, when earlier in the program the great picture, "Fury in the Pacific," was shown as a case history of what American men go thru as they win this war from Japan with death.
It's difficult to review the rest of NBC's program detachedly. The danger of such stuff as the "admirable" Holmes-Japan travelogue being put on the pic air is so great that the very thought of it turns a reviewer's stomach.
The opening presentation was a pitch for the American Academy of Dramatic Art. They did a swell job of unselling the viewer on how good the school is. (It really is an okay drama crammery.) They followed a young lady with a drama yen from her home town to her first part in a school play at the end of the year. Unfortunately, she was a bad actress to start with-and she didn't improve much in her "big" part, the lead in Owen Davis's Icebound. Amateurs don't belong before the ike. This evening's attempt proved that once again. It also proved that unprepared professionals also smell before that very same ike. Lucille Watson, who did the narration for the presentation, didn't know her lines or anything about the air-pic biz. That's another thing that was wrong about the American Academy show, the teachers (professional actors) seemed just as amateurish as the kids who were studying.
Credit a youngster, Paul Keyes, who played Ben Jordan, the male lead in Icebound, as being as good as they come. The entire job wasn't experimental and it served as useful purpose, but to underline the fact that a camera reporting of a stage play isn't passable video entertainment.
The Borrah Mineviteh Rascals came over front the Strand Theater and put on part of their regular act. Once again it was proven that an off-the-cuff scanning of a vaude act is no soap. They played to a dummy mike with no audible audience response and laid an egg right in front of the camera. NBC tried the stunt of having shading vary from, full light to almost black level as one of the Rascals "directed" the music from pianissimo to forte and reverse. It just looked as tho something had gone wrong with the camera. It was the only try in the entire evening's scanning of doing something that might have come off as video.
Ernest Colling, who was responsible for the collective miscarriage, was producer. Paul Alley, who is "credited" with having handled the film portion of the Burton Holmes presentation, had better explain his choice to his viewers. However, even if these men didn't use their heads, the brass at NBC should have. The stupidity of a scanning like the Japan episode can't be blamed entirely on underlings. Joe Koehler. (Variety, June 16)
Monday, June 11
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:25 Feature Film: “Special Agent K-7” with Walter McGrail, Queenie Smith and Joy Hodges (Puritan, 1936).
9:35 Film: “Hong Kong.”
NEW YORK, June 11.—NBC television execs this week decided to turn down all offers for sponsorship of its afternoon telecasts of baseball games from Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds, telling the several agencies and their clients that had put in bids that all sports except Gillette's boxing segs will be sustaining for the summer. Reason for the web's attitude is that its original agreement with the New York Yankees and the York Giants was arranged as a special service to wounded G.I.'s in local hospitals.
NBC execs, after considering the situation, decided that if they accepted sponsorship after making a, p.-s. pitch they look bad in the eyes of both the ball clubs and the public. Understood that Gillette, which has the NBC boxing stanza, was one of the sponsors turned down. Trade says, tho, that NBC will lift the ban before the football season opens, since its p.-s. hands won't be involved then. (Billboard, June 16)
NEW YORK, June 11.—DuMont's television station here, WABD, will probably go on the air for 18 hours a day beginning tomorrow. Station will broadcast a 1,000-cycle note audio, possibly video test pattern, as part of the FCC's plan to test higher frequency FM channels.
The tests were assigned to WABD because it operates on a frequency higher than that of any existing FM station. DuMont officials are not positive that the daily schedule will begin tomorrow, as slated, because of a difficulty in getting tubes to replace those which will burn out.
Once the tube situation is straightened out the station will continue to broadcast for 18 hours a day, every day, until the tests are completed. (Variety, June 16)
AMONG new applications filed with the FCC in the past fortnight are requests for seven new FM stations (three of which are part of plans for a Midwest network), a commercial television station and a local standard outlet. ...
KSTP St. Paul requests 50-56 mc for a commercial television station to have effective signal radiation of 1961. ...
Philco Radio & Television Corp. is applicant for a new experimental television station to operate at Springfield, Pa., on 524-544 mc with 1,000 w and special emission. (Broadcasting, June 11)
Tuesday, June 12
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Cancer, Dr. Don W. Gutakunst.
8:30 Film.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
WABD Channel 4
7:55 Teleshopping.
8:00 The Blue Network presents “Woman of Tomorrow” with Nancy Craig.
8:30 “The Inside Facts About Food.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:00 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre presents a mystery-drama: “Absinthe.”
WALTHAM WATCH Co., New York, June 14 or June 22 starts first regular use of television as sponsor of two time signals per evening, each week on WNBT New York, NBC television station. Commercial will include a 45- second film story of the importance of time in aviation and other fields, and a 15-second product display. Arrangements were made by Don McClure, television director, N. W. Ayer & Son, New York. (Broadcasting, June 11)
Wednesday, June 13
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.”
8:15 Motion picture.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
9:00 “Audition in Studio B.”
9:45 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
(Herald Tribune has “Film Program” at 8:45 and no John Reed King show).
Thursday, June 14
WNBT Channel 1
7:00 to 8:00 Children’s Program: Fizz Quizz, Feature Film: “Texas Trouble Shooters” with the Ranger Busters (Monogram, 1942) and cartoon.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:25 OWI program.
8:30 to 9:00 “Women in Wartime.”
WABC Channel 4
8:00 WNEW presents quiz: “Put and Take” with Allen Prescott and Eddie Dunn.
8:30 “Chills and Thrills” with Doug Allan. Guest is M. O’Malley Knott.
9:00 Film shorts.
9:15 “Thanks for Looking” with Patricia Murray and John Reed King.
AMERICAN Television Society presented 15 awards for outstanding work in television during the past year at the June meeting of ATS in New York last Thursday [14]. Classes of awards and their recipients were: Outstanding Production: WNBT New York for Men in White.
Outstanding News Program: WCBW New York for Everett R. Holles' newscasts.
Outstanding Contribution to Children's Programming: WRGB Schenectady.
Best Educational Program: WCBW New York for Opinions on Trial.
Most Consistent Sports Programming: WNBT New York.
Most Consistent Effort in Developing Effective Television Commercials: Ruthrauff & Ryan, N. Y.
Outstanding Editing of News Films: Paul Alley, WNBT film editor, specifically for The War As It Happens.
Developing Football Television Technique: WPTZ Philadelphia.
Best Institutional Television Commercial: WRGB Schenectady for Conquest Over Darkness. Consistent Technical Excellence in Television Productions: Klaus Landsberg, W6XYZ Los Angeles.
Outstanding Work in Preparing American Broadcasting Co. for Television: Paul Mowrey, television director, American-Blue.
Preparing the Mid-West for Commercial Television: WBKB Chicago.
Making Television Facilities Available for Commercial Development on the West Coast: W6XAO Hollywood.
Development of Television Commercially: WABD New York.
Retiring ATS president Dan D. Halpin, RCA, was presented with an ATS service award by the incoming president, George Shupert, Television Productions. Mr. Shupert and the other 1945-46 officers were inducted at the meeting, closing session for the year. (Broadcasting, June 18)
Friday, June 15
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at Madison Square Garden, Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jimmy McDaniels.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
BALABAN & KATZ TELEVISION
With Gil Hix, Jo Jeffries, Northwestern U. Students
Director: Helen Carson
Cameras: Rachel Stewart, Esther Rajewski
60 Mins.; Fri. (15), 8 p.m.
Sustaining
WBKB, Chicago
Like "Ole Man River," WBKB just keeps rolling along, marking time until they can produce in earnest and doing the best they can with the facilities on hand, which are limited. Despite numerous handicaps, they manage to come up once in a while with an interesting hour of video entertainment, or a reasonable facsimile of same, but tonight (15) wasn't one of those rare occasions.
Most palatable from both visual and listening standpoints was Gil Hix' newscast. Using maps to illustrate his points and news pictures to accentuate and color segments of his talk he came through with an easy delivery, working without script in a natural and unaffected manner.
Jo Jeffries, singer who accompanies himself on the piano, did "Don't Cry, My Little Russian Baby," "Scrap Your Fat," "Embraceable You." "I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody" and "I've Got Something to Crow About" in a fair voice but is far from being telegenic. Just a filler.
"Postwar Pandemonium." which was supposed to be an insight of the future, would prompt many to commit suicide before such things could happen, especially as amateurishly enacted by a group of Northwestern U. students. Authoress Bernice Krause's efforts to write a sophisticated satire on things to come fell short in every respect and the whole thing was a waste of the necessary electronics to put it on the air. Camerawork deviated from good to bad on the entire hour with nothing expended toward production. Morg. (Variety, June 20)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Friday (15), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. News and variety. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
Principal offering on tonight's video bill at WBKB was a half-hour program by the War Service Entertainment Committee of Northwestern University, The youngsters, amateurs all, ambitiously titled their endeavors Tele-Views of the Future. If their show were any criterion of what television will have to offer as future entertainment, we'd just as soon give up the fight right now and devote our time to some fishing far away from any society that would bring something as bad as this into our homes. The people on the show didn't even have the right to call themselves amateurs. They weren't good enough.
Aptly enough, the Northwestern show was sub-titled Post-War Pandemonium. It was pandemonium all right. Attempt was made, by narration, songs and acting, to display what new wonders the post-war world would bring. About typical of theories advanced in an effort to be comical, was the portion of the show devoted to depicting how wives would come to doctors and order their babies according to specifications. Result was so corny it was sickening. Then there were scenes in a patent office, with people coming in to explain their inventions. All in all, it was so bad the station could not even have salvaged anything by utilizing unusual production techniques inherent in the video medium.
Another utter failure was singing of Jo Jefferies, Miss Jefferies' voice is far from good. Her telegenic properties are even worse. Station, as usual, carried on with the habit of merely presenting piano vocalist from two basic camera positions. No special effects or trick shots were tried. Result: Complete lack of entertainment.
Best portion of show was Gil Hix's news commentary, he doesn't use a script. For about 15 minutes he stands on his feet in front of a background of maps to which he refers often. His entirely extemporaneous commentary is smooth flowing, packed with news, background information and human-interest side lights. Cy Wagner. (Variety, June 23)
Saturday, June 16
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Special Film Program.
Sunday, June 17
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live talent: “The Bourgeois Gentleman” by Moliere.
"THE BOURGEOIS GENTLEMAN"
With Ralph Dumke, Donald Buka, Judy Blake, John Dudley, George Headley, Susanne Jackson, Diane Meroff, Anzie Strickland, Wallace Acton, John Regan, Frank Short, Joel Spector, John Martin
Producer-Adapter: Dr. Herbert Graf
Translator: Margaret Baker
Choreography: Antonia Cobos
60 Mins.; Sun. (17), 8:15 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
First in NBC's series, "Classic Plays in Television," was Moliere's "The Bourgeois Gentleman," presented with lull production and trappings plus a large and talented cast of thesps and ballet artists Sunday night (17). Sets were ornate and well lighted, and such details as costumes, etc., were far above the average encountered in most present-day video shows.
Adaptation by Dr. Herbert Graf, NBC tele's longhair impresario, combined a nice touch of subtlety, slapslick and high art (represented by the ballet scenes), and the difficult job of linking the in-person action with the transcribed score, an obscure Richard Strauss suite, was overcome as well as could be expected.
One difficulty that wasn't overcome, however (and it's more than a puzzle to see how television is going to combat it when the medium becomes full-blown), was the enforced anonymity of the players and steppers. No little of the enjoyment afforded legit patrons, of course, is traceable to the printed programs theatregoers peruse during and between acts. If a bit is handled well, the audience feels they're entitled to know who's playing the part.
There's no provision for anything like this as television is being handled now. Screen credits, of course, can be spotted before curtain time, but, in such a fleeting medium, it's debatable how many viewers would retain the information during the course of the play. Repeating the credits at signoff helps, naturally, but suppose the eager video beaver wants to tune into another station right away and doesn't bother waiting after the final curtain?
No, there seems no adequate substitute for the printed program, so television, when it grows up, might very well be faced with the necessity of mailing out advance programs for productions or, what appears more likely, videocasters might wind up buying newspaper space nightly to list cast and credits on upcoming broadcasts. They might even toss in Beau Nash fashion tips and those historical sketches of featured players theatregoers seem to enjoy so much.
All of which leads up to the fact that this reviewer, deliberately watching "'Bourgeois Gentleman" just as a home viewer would and, without resource to the NBC publicity department for vital statistics, was able to identify only one performer Sunday night. That was Ralph Dumke in the title role.
He did a praiseworthy job, but so did the rest of the cast, including the dancers. But there was no way the home audience could single cut the performers during the course of the production. Here's a batch of kudos for all of them. And another batch for Dr. Graf, his crew of camera and production men and all others who contributed to a lively and enjoyable telestanza. Donn. (Variety, June 20)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:13 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:20 Feature Film: “Proud Valley” with Paul Robeson (Ealing, 1940).
9:20 “A Voyage to Cuba”: Eisenhower in Washington. Sponsored by Esso.
W2XJT, experimental video station in Jamaica, L. I., will begin FCC tests about July 1, William B. Still, owner of the station, announced last week. It will operate on channel 13, 230-236 mc, covering a radius of about 35 miles. Equipment, designed by Mr. Still, will eventually include a 600 w (peak) video and a 150 w audio transmitter, a steel tower 200 ft. high and studios for live and motion picture pro- grams. Plans call for extensive experimentation, both technically and with video programming. (Broadcasting, June 18)
New York.—Commercial television will be made available by CBS to network clients, beginning July 16, it was disclosed yesterday by the web.
Although air time will be provided free until set circulation expands to a measurable basis, a charge of $150 an hour will be made for studio use in both rehearsal and broadcasting to defray part of the cost of lighting, cameramen, announcers, producers, stagehands and studio maintenance.
While present operations will be confined to low-definition, black-and-white television, according to Joseph H. Read [Ream], vice president and secretary, the way is now open toward high-definition, full-color television, which CBS hopes to demonstrate soon. Experiments will be conducted at WCBW, the network’s television station in the Grand Central Terminal building. (Hollywood Reporter, June 19)
Tuesday, June 19
WNBT Channel 1
2:45 Baseball, Giants vs. Braves at the Polo Grounds.
8:00 Film: General Eisenhower in New York, sponsored by Esso.
WCBW Channel 2
8:15 Film: “Grand Work by the Belgian Forces.”
8:25 Film: “D-Day Minus One” (OWI, 1944).
8:55 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
WABD Channel 4
7:55 Teleshopping.
8:00 ABC Network presents “Woman of Tomorrow” with Nancy Craig.
8:30 “The Inside Facts About Food.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:00 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre presents a mystery drama: “The Spider’s Web.”
Television coverage of General Eisenhower included the NBC station WNBT which included the ball game and other pickups. CBS’ station WCBW had a crew of nine men under Leo Hurwitz who photographed the tour at various points of vantage with three 15. camera, both in Queens and Manhattan. Pictures were shown last night during course of the 8:15 p.m. news period. WNBT Monday night telecast shots of Eisenhower in Washington as photographed earlier in the day and flown to New York immediately. (Radio Daily, June 20)
The general took the opportunity, during the baseball game, to wave to wounded soldiers in nine Army hospitals in the New York area. The wave was transmitted to the soldiers by television, over Station WNBT’s regular baseball game telecast, and was accompanied with a salute and a grin. The greeting was seen over fifty-seven receivers in nine hospitals. (New York Times, June 20)
Wednesday, June 20
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Ike on Sports” with Tom and Bill Slater.
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.
9:30 “Case History,” mystery drama.
(Herald Tribune has “Wednesdays at Nine” at 9:00)
Washington.—Hearst Radio, Inc., has applied to FCC for a commercial video license for Milwaukee. Hearst already has an application on file for a television station in Baltimore. (Variety, June 20)
Thursday, June 21
WNBT Channel 1
7:00 to 8:00 Children’s Program—Toyland Tussle, Feature Film: “Boot Hill Bandits” with the Ranger Busters (Monogram, 1942), Cartoon: “Cubby’s Stratosphere Flight” (Van Beuren, 1934).
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film: “Fury in the Pacific.”
8:30 to 9:00 United Parents Association: “Letter From the Teens.”
WABC Channel 4
8:00 Magazine of the Air.
8:30 “Chills and Thrills” with Doug Allan. Guest is Arthur H. O’Connor.
9:00 Film shorts.
9:15 “Thanks for Looking” with Patricia Murray and John Reed King.
CBS
Reviewed Thursday (21) 8-9:30 p.m. Style—News, film, drama. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
The first of the Letter From the Teens series deals quite ineffectually with juvenile problems. But it treats them in such a way that the presentation becomes something of everything and little of anything. If that seems a paradox, consider that the program begins as a playlet in which a problem is none too effectively presented to the audience, builds up towards a climax, never quite reaches it, never resolves its problem and then switches into one of those interminable panel discussions which seem to be the limit of the horizons of the average CBS producer. And to provide on added fillip, the viewer, fully expecting something to happen, is finally informed that two weeks after the performance, the solution to the question, provided there is one, will be announced.
This intrinsic dramatic weakness can be easily rectified. To give cohesiveness and punch to what otherwise is a spineless hodgepodge, the WCBW staff should first have the social welfare agency concerned snake an attempt at a solution; then present the play as a whole with a beginning, a middle and an end. It would still be possible to analyze the difficulty by dividing the drama into two acts, with the intermission devoted to a discussion of the situation and the methods which will be applied.
It's unfortunate that this dramatic deficiency, due for the most part to the writing of Lela Swift and Edward Stasheff, spoiled for director Tony Miner, one of his most nearly perfect technical efforts. Aside from one or two minor errors, Miner handled cameraman Howard Hays and Al Kleban with precision which would have been a credit to some of NBC's directors. In most cases, each called shot, in focus and well composed, was the right one for the right moment. The viewer was able to identify the protagonists, and little gestures important to the action were recorded. This was true at almost all times, except at the point where the radio was turned on. There was no camera at the radio to show when it had been tuned in and suddenly, for almost no apparent reason, a voice boomed out over the talk of the actors. And that voice, too, could have sounded more like a voice on the radio if it had come thru a filter mike. None of the acting, contributed by Virginia Bolen, Dorothy Kaye, Frank Twaddell, Eileen O'Hara and Dorothy Paxton, was particularly distinguished.
Program is based on a similar one which Stasheff, a member of the New York Board of Education FM station program staff, has produced over the municipal station, WNYC. Marty Schrader. (Variety, June 23)
Friday, June 22
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home,” Small Town, U.S.A.
8:30-11:00 Boxing at Madison Square Garden, Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jimmy McDaniels.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
Saturday, June 23
WNBT Channel 1
2:15 to 5:00 Baseball, Yankees vs. Philadelphia at Yankee Stadium.
Sunday, June 24
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live talent: “Another Language” by Rose Franken.
Monday, June 25
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy”: Nassau in the Bahamas.
8:25 Feature Film: “The Headleys at Home” with Grant Mitchell and Benny Rubin (Standard, 1938).
9:25 Film: “Flying Dutchman Overture.”
NEW YORK, June 25.—Columbia's tele station here, WCBW, will make its third schedule change in a year July 2 when it starts ‘casting Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. All programing will run from 8-9:30 p.m., except Thursday, when the station will go off the air at 9.
Number of hours a week remains the same—four—and amateur boxing bouts now broadcast Fridays will be shifted to Mondays. (Variety, June 30)
MUTUAL has signed a contract to use the facilities of WRGB, General Electric video station, in order to televise a program, first of which will be the Mutual show titled The Better Half, once a week, starting the first week in August. WOR will continue to use its regular weekly series on WABD, Du Mont television station, New York (Broadcasting, June 25)
Tuesday, June 26
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Chinese underground talk and films, Mrs. Liu Chen Wei-Giang.
8:30 Films.
9:00 to 9:30 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
Programming listed above was postponed. See below.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 ABC presents “Woman of Tomorrow” with Nancy Craig.
8:30 “The Inside Facts About Food.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:00 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre presents a mystery drama: “The Green Skull.”
9:30 Motion Picture.
10:00 Drama, “The Store Window.”
Tele station WCBW last night cancelled its scheduled program set for 8 p.m. and instead opened its transmitter earlier to carry the closing session of UNCIO. President Truman and Secretary of State Stettinius were heard, along with stills, animated charts and other pictorial matter. Truman and Stettinius were picked up from the CBS cue line. Program started at 7:45 p.m., EWT. (Radio Daily, June 27)
Wednesday, June 27WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.
8:15 Motion picture.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:00 to 9:30 “Wednesdays at Nine”: Broadway and Hollywood Televiews.
DuMont tele outfit in New York has had a sudden change of heart, with notices going out last week to stations using DuMont facilities—WOR, WJZ, WNEW—that henceforth it is affixing a $1,250 per-hour price tag for the use of its video equipment. (Figure also includes six hours of rehearsal time). The $1,250 charge compares with the "Virtual "giveaway'' policy that's prevailed, up to now. DuMont having attached a nominal $50 fee, same as applied to agencies, for the use of its equipment for audio-visual programs.
As a result of the DuMont move, the Mutual and ABC (Blue) flagship stations, along with WNEW, find themselves in a position where they'll either have to knuckle down to the tele outfit's demands or pull out of the New York video picture. It's reported that all three stations are doing a burn over the DuMont "freezeout" with possibility that last night's (Tues.) WOR presentations on DuMont may be the last through those facilities. (Only alternative, unless they can hook up with NBC or CBS tele operations, which appears unlikely, is to fall in with the General Electric setup in Schenectady.) ABC has a working agreement in force with latter outfit (WRGB).
Behind the new move, it's understood, is the reasoning that why, in effect, should DuMont continue to lend-lease for peanuts its equipment to stations that are potential competitors of DuMont, since the day is not far distant when the two key stations of the Mutual and ABC (Blue) webs, as well as WNEW, will all have their own tele outfits, yet today are obtaining virtually free tuition from an inevitable competitor.
Feeling at DuMont is that, in view of the fact it was a "johnny-come-lately" into video production, it was necessary to establish some measure of prestige and hence invited the stations in for the nearly free price. But DuMont execs now feel they can stand on their own—hence the $1,250 per-hour tag. (Variety, June 27)
Following two or three serious breakdowns in the past few weeks, WBKB, Balaban & Katz, television station here, will close down from July 1 to July 10 for repairs. Equipment will be given a thorough going ever by Arch Brolly, chief engineer of the station, during the shutdown, but station's pattern will be kept on the air during regular broadcasting hours for the convenience of manufacturers in this area who depend on WBKB for testing.
Station is the only television outlet here following a regular programming schedule and is on the air five-and-a-half hours weekly telecasting Tuesday. Thursday and Friday nights and Wednesday afternoons. Regular programs will be resumed Tuesday night, July 10. (Variety, June 27)
Acting with unusual speed, the FCC yesterday [27] announced its final decision that the post-war FM service shall be assigned to frequencies within the band from 88 to 106 megacycles. Industry opposition notwithstanding, the Commission decided that is in the public interest that the service move up in order to provide better reception for all listeners, both urban and rural.
At the same time, the first six tele channels were also assigned. They will be as follows: channel No. 1, 44-50 MC; channels No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, 54-60, 60-66 and 66-72 MC; channels No. 5 and No. 6, 76-82 and 88 MC. (Radio Daily, June 28)
TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX FILM Corp., New York, asked the FCC last week [June 27] for permit to build a 20 kw television transmitter in New York, desiring to take an active part in development of the visual art along with large-screen theater and color TV. Film talent and films produced by affiliates will be used for programming, along with other live pickups.
The firm already has license application pending for a TV station in Boston, along with an experimental station. None of its officers or principal stockholders have any broadcasting interest, the application indicates.
Cost of General Electric visual transmitter is estimated at $86,000, aural $64,000. Other costs include: antenna $18,000 (without tower); studio etc. $89,000; studio lighting, $6,000; frequency and modulation monitors $3,500; transmitter site $20,000; transmitter building $40; 000; 500-foot tower $30,000; studio to transmitter, $16,000; portable transmitter $45,000. Monthly operating cost is estimated at $25,000.
Transmitter site would be at Prospect Ave. near Eagle Rock Ave., West Orange, N. J., with 500-foot tower atop a hill. Studio and office space could be rented from Movietone News Inc., subsidiary.
Frequency asked is Channel No. 5 (72 -78 mc) as proposed in re-allocation or as designated. (Broadcasting, July 2)
Thursday, June 28
WNBT Channel 1
7:00 to 8:00 Children’s Program, live talent and films: Ballet; Playlet, The Adventures of Chico; Cartoon.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film: “Salute to the Farmers.”
8:25 OWI Message.
8:30 War Memorial Program with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
WABC Channel 4
8:00 Magazine of the Air.
8:30 “Chills and Thrills” with Doug Allan.
9:00 Film shorts.
9:15 “Thanks for Looking” with Patricia Murray and John Reed King.
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (28), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style-Drama, news, variety. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
One of the best scripts of the series was written for tonight's summer bow-out edition of Commonwealth Edison's Welcome to the Walkers, but the show still missed being top television because the station direction staff and camera crew did their best to ruin the show with mistakes.
For example, there was the mistake of mixing up the introductory title cards so that "Presented By the Commonwealth Edison Company" was flashed before the show title and then again after the Welcome to the Walkers title had been televised. There was the mistake of lighting which resulted in a kitchen pan picking up ceiling lights and projecting a glaring highlight. There also were the other mistakes of lighting which had the background dark and cast against the background in shadows. All of which, in view of the fact that some Edison vice-presidents were at the station, must have made scripter Ardien Rodner burn. He should have been burned, because most of his script got good belly-laughs when it described the vacation plans of the Walkers and their neighbors, the Murphys, and had plenty of pathos during the Murphys' reaction to the summer absence of their son.
Recently WBKB has been trying to advertise movies at B houses by telecasting slides describing the movies. If tonight's slides were a criterion, we'd say they missed the boat as snappy sales messages. The final slide was on for about a minute and a half. About seven others on the same subject took about two minutes. This improper timing was very disconcerting. So was the practice of changing musical background near the end of the slide series. Would have been much more effective if one song had been used for all the slides. This way, as soon as the second number was introduced. attention was distracted from the slide message to the new song and thus sales impact was decreased.
Never have we seen any worse television fare than June Merrill's Food for Thought program tonight. It was sickening. The whole thing was one continuous commercial handled in a most obvious manner. Part of this portion of the program was supposed to be an interview by Miss Merrill of some gal who perfected a skin oil. Of all things, the stuff was called "Baby Skin Oil" because it was supposed to make women's skin like baby's.
While all this was going on an almost constant patter extolling the worth of the oil was in progress. So much verbiage was tossed around that even the sight of beautiful model who had used a "miraculous" sun-tan oil lost all video value, When Miss Merrill has Herbert Evers, star of legit show, Dear Ruth, explain the results he gets from using some kind of a face oil before shaving, brother, that was all. That was when we left. We couldn't take any more. Cy Wagner. (Variety, July 7)
Friday, June 29
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home,” Small Town, U.S.A.
8:30-11:00 Boxing at Madison Square Garden, Freddie Cochrane vs. Rocky Graziano.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis with Tom O'Connor.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
CBS
Reviewed Friday (29) 8-9:30 p.m. Style—News, film, sports, documentary. sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Director Paul Belanger resisted the temptation to conduct a straight interview, the bane of television, and came up with an "A"-for-effort show in the story of Underground Leader Madame Liu Chen Wei-Giang's flight from Shanghai to Chungking in 1942. Mme. Liu's story of hardship and danger was highlighted somewhat with a few well-chosen film clips and animated maps plus a musical background which, if it never became inspiring, did contribute no small value to the production.
Belanger demonstrated a flair for over-dramatization (the shots of the Chinese flag and the slogan of the Chinese people are two examples) but over-all, he is to be congratulated for at least attempting to depart from conventional formula. In all honesty it must be pointed out that some of the cueing from film to live and back again was extremely ragged and the opening sequence was far too long and far too talky.
Tom O'Conner, PM reporter, now does a once-a-week news commentary for CBS and, in this first viewing, made a good, if not sensational impression. O'Conner speaks well, looks good enough on a screen and has some of that air of authority that made Ev Holles a top-notch man on television. He'll have to learn how to look as tho he were not reading a script and to vary the pitch of his voice. One of O'Conner's big faults is a hurried, unveiled tone and phrasing. He'll also have to learn to look into the camera if he's to stay around the shop. Despite his faults, the new commentator does a decent job and seems to have possibilities for television.
In the past few weeks, Columbia, as originally suggested in The Billboard some months ago, has put No. 2 camera on a raised platform during the amateur boxing matches. Move improves the presentations, eliminating at least ono of the ropes which used to obstruct the viewer's vision. Announcer Tee Gore has also, if a pun is permitted, learned the ropes. He doesn't try to do a blow-by-blow anymore and makes a comparatively helpful, pleasant impression. The boxing matches are far from perfect, but they're pretty good. Marty Schrader. (Variety, July 7)
Saturday, June 30
WNBT Channel 1
2:15 to 5:00 Baseball, Giants vs. Cubs at the Polo Grounds.
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