NBC beamed its special programming on May 8th from stations in Schenectady and Philadelphia. CBS and DuMont also went on the air that day with analysis, interviews and late news. DuMont’s programming was actually put together by the Blue Network (soon to be known as ABC). CBS’ TV coverage team included game show host John Reed King and Arthur Godfrey. One has to remember in the early days of radio, staff announcers like King and Godfrey did everything on the air—emceed, covered remote broadcasts, and read the news and sports.
There were eight stations broadcasting at the time; it appears the Zenith station in Chicago was off the air again. Another station signed on for testing, the DuMont station in Washington, D.C.
Live dramas continued to have a place on schedules. WCBW broadcast Norman Corwin’s “Untitled.” It appears one critic was not living in the real world by expecting it, and all TV programming, to be fully-born and match the look of A-studio feature films even though the industry was new and only WNBT charged for air-time. Another griped about an inexperienced newscaster. Where were they to get experience?
CBS and DuMont both shifted the schedules. Nobody was close to broadcasting seven days a week yet. One result was that WCBW added a second newscaster. The station would have different newsmen on different evenings until it went to five nights a week in 1948 and gave the job permanently to Douglas Edwards.
WNBT instituted a children’s evening on Saturdays with live and filmed programming under a brand-new director, Fred Coe, who went on to a fairly auspicious career at NBC. It also aired a three-part play on Abe Lincoln.
The F.C.C. was still trying to figure out how to dish out frequencies for radio, TV and fax (yes, there had been talk of sending text copy to home receivers, like a fax machine, over the air). It wouldn’t make a permanent decision until 1946.
Below, find plenty of reviews and bits of news, along with the New York viewing schedule. Unfortunately, there’s comparatively little about the West Coast’s two stations. Television magazine (not quoted below due to length), refers to “The Murder of Miss Television” on W6XAO while W6XYZ broadcast news and commentary, wrestling and boxing, and a variety show hosted by Dick Lane. Oh, and Petrillo is still being a jerk. But that's not news.
Tuesday, May 1
8:00 “Cavalcade of Sports”: Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Allan Jackson.
8:15 Golf lesson with Henry Ransom.
8:30 Motion picture.
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 Players Present: “The Necklace” by DeMaupassant.
9:30 “The Care and Feeding of Whiskers.”
CBS GOLF FEATURE
With Henry Ransom, Del Sharbutt, Gregg Rice, Mrs. Ransom, Marcia Ransom
Directer: Ben Feiner
Cameras: Ralph Warren, Howard Hayes. Mark Steinberg
15 Mins.: Tues. (May 1). 8:15 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
Diverting quarter-hour depicting an expert's methods of playing the royal and ancient pastime proved another interesting experiment by CBS aimed at devising methods to get into the televised sports field which everyone agrees will be among the top b.o. features when video grows up.
Marred somewhat by Del Sharbutt's "peachy-gee whizz" comments, Tuesday night's (1) presentation was made on a manufactured Tom Thumb golf course in the CBS studios with Henry Random, sub-par playing pro from Texas, rifling golf balls into a sheet, of canvas hung against a wall and also demonstrating chip shots and putting technique on an artificial green. Sharbutt and Ransom kept up a running barrage of ad-lib chatter throughout and paused at one point for a dialog background of Ransom's links achievements, including his best nine-hole, 18-hole and 72-hole scores.
The pro looked very impressive as he executed various strokes and also handled his chatter routine naturally and without bombast. Sharbutt, on the other hand, being an experienced radio announcer, pulled out all the familiar stops and just couldn't refrain from whispering "Beautiful!" each time Ransom cuffed the pellet.
Director Ben Feiner wisely realizing that 15 minutes of golf lesson would prove boresome to many viewers, introed the golf pro's comely missus and four-year-old daughter Marcia, along with track star Gregg Rice, to provide a little variety. Rice, attired in regulation running attire, looked a little out-of-place on a golf course, but excuse was that he was doing some cross-country training with the femme, who looked very fetching in shorts and sweater.
Rice provided laughs with an exaggerated "duffer" bit trying" to smile the golf ball, and little Marcia Ransom came very close to stealing the show, appearing lust before signoff to talk briefly and take a couple of swipes at the ball.
Both Ransom and Rice are physical instructors in the Merchant Marine, stationed on Long Island, and Sharbutt lives in the neighborhood, I making the CBS golf feature very much a community affair. This, of course, made for informality. And informality is going to be a valuable asset in television productions aimed at home listeners. Hamming it up is bad enough in a theatre, but when it takes place right in your own living room it'll be "bad news tonight" for both artist and sponsor.
Feiner's golf "short" successfully hurdled the difficulty of staging an outdoor feature in the studio and suggests that similar shows might be staged dealing with tennis, baseball and even swimming, if they can get a portable pool into the Grand Central studios. Camera work and direction were smooth and effective. Donn. (Variety, May 16)
Wednesday, May 2
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.”
8:15 Motion picture.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:30 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
Gilbert Seldes, program director at CBS' television, has prepped a special V-E Day show to be telecast over WCBW, N. Y., as soon as the imminent surrender of the Nazis is announced officially. Web's video outlet operates on a Tues., Thurs., Fri. nite schedule but will be put into operation tonight (Wed) in the event the war in Europe ends today.
Format consists of spot news serviced by CBS newscasters, films, still pics, charts, graphs, etc., interspersed with live interviews and the like. Leo Hurwitz will direct. Main portion of the show will be done in three segments, "What We've Destroyed," "What It Cost'' and "What Remains to Be Done" with latter portion pointing up necessity of bringing all forces to bear against the Nips before world peace is assured.
Enrico Cassirer, CBS television news and pix editor, is down for a stint before the cameras. (Variety, May 2)
Television Productions, Inc.
Reviewed Wednesday (2), 8:30-10 p.m. Style—Variety, travelog, news pix. Sustaining over W6XYZ, Hollywood.
In his desire to improve his programing constantly, Director Klaus Landsberg usually comes up with a gimmick or two which furthers the set owners' interest and makes his viewing more palatable. Tonight's contribution was a film-strip project which Landsberg built for one of his cameras to take care of the pix he is getting from Paramount News tie-up.
Highlight of the news portion of the telecast was the showing of Nazi atrocity pix. Landsberg conditioned the audience against the horror angle by stating that pix of this nature were not usual tele fare, but were being shown as an example of Nazi barbarism, After Landsberg's intro, Keith Heatherington took over for the narration.
Timing between Heatherington and slide changer was rough in spots, but this will be worked out next week by placing mike so he can see the screen. Film strips from Paramount used on the new projector were the best seen here yet. Following Nazi shots, scenes from San Francisco peace conclave were shown.
With the aid of the studio maps, Jack Latham gave a news analysis. Latham is personable and injects sincerity into his spiel without overdoing it. Also, working without notes helps eliminate the lecture platform stuffiness no often found in a tele news spot.
George Brandt, working as an unseen narrator, plugged Peru on his weekly travel feature. Usually, cameras alternate between Brandt and the pin used to illustrate the talk but he was out of view all the time. More variety could be gained by giving him an occasional shot. Blow-ups mounted on an easel were formerly used in this feature but Landsberg used his film-strip projector on tonight's show to add clarity to the pix and for smoother operation. Variety show proved Landsberg's contention that standard vaude acts make excellent tele fare. Titled Hits and Bits, this portion was example of good showmanship, with Emsee Richard Lane keeping the pace by eliminating the usual vacuum between acts.
Opening shot was Lane at a dining table with Paul Gerrits. Off-stage voice yelled that camera was on and Lane acted surprised, as if he had been caught in the midst of his dinner. He apologized to audience and introduced Gerrits as an eminent psychologist. He immediately went into his "nervous disorder" routine, with Lane feeding him the lines. Gerrits did his familiar night club act, which lost none of the laughs as a result of being transferred to the screen. By insisting that Gerrits work at a table instead of standing before the camera, Landsberg injected atmosphere and naturalness, two factors so vital to tele production.
Rest of the bill was equally good. Deena, curvaceous brunette, came thru with her Cobra Dance. Hand-balancing duo, billed as the Motter Brothers, worked well, with camera crew deserving a bow for always keeping them in view. Sam Sutton offered a number on the electric guitar and accompanied Yodeling Dan, who did smooth work on the high notes. Closing was Natoma, who does an effective dance routine with a dummy as her partner.
Landsberg's rare combination of engineering ability and showmanship is evidenced by the constant improvement of telecasts over this station. Dean Owen. (Billboard, May 12)
Thursday, May 3
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:25 OWI program.
8:30 Metropolitan Art Museum Armor Exhibit [photo, right].
Friday, May 4
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Tony Janiro vs. Sammy Parratto.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
CBS
Reviewed Thursday (3), 8-9:30 p.m. Style—News, film, educational. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Columbia's dose of education for the evening, Arms and Armor, started out like the house a-fire beloved of song and story, but the hook and ladder arrived at the scene far too soon. After the first five minutes what started out with the earmarks of a clever bit of sugar-coated information sank into the entertainment doldrums. It never pulled out.
Chief cause of the slow-down strike was the use of several gentlemen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art who attempted to relate the development of medievial armor to the flack suits used by the USAAF today to protect its fliers. Director Paul Belanger's biggest mistake was in using these museum employees, undoubted experts in their fields, In place of professional actors. Belanger's second big error was one that seems to be an occupational disease at CBS complicated production. In the space of 30 minutes he laid out for himself at least 20 cues involving the use of film clips, live studio work. still pictures and drawings. And all of it mounted up to a plate of goulash—minus meat.
A few minor faults: During an exhibition of armor making the demonstrator hammered so loudly that the commentator was inaudible. At another point a young man stood and peered into the camera for about 36 seconds while a broken film splice was being repaired. The reviewer was told on the phone that the clip broke, but the home audience did not know it, Stewart Shaw, one of the museum's curators, spoke for a time about leg armor, while the camera had a close-up of the upper part of the model's body.
Despite these fluffs, the show did contain some interesting information—if the audience stuck around long enough to see it. And some of Belanger's tricks, a movie clip of armor as background for the credit cards for one, nice timing on many of the switches for another and the recognition scene between a flier and knight for a third, were clever and intelligent.
Dwight Cooke did a fair job on the always excellent news show. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, May 12)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (3) Style—News, variety and drama. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
Except for a few minor flaws, tonight's edition of the Welcome to the Walkers drama was up to its usual standard of above-average video. Most mistakes were made in camera work and not in script writing or acting.
First discernible mistake was made at opening of the show. Each week the Walker series, devoted to depicting life of Walker husband and wife, a la Fibber McGee and Molly, opens with pan-up shot on picture of house in which Walkers are suppose to live. But tonight the gal on the dolly must have had St. Vitus dance. Pan-up on pix was very erratic and jerky.
Rest of show was well-paced drama showing the comical mishaps of the Walkers and their neighbors, the Murphys. Adrian Rodner, writer of the series, continued his practice of having few scene changes, with two cameras on one scene—one camera for close-ups, one for distant shots. However, at one point he had close-up of gal's face as she talked to other members of the cast. Shot was held for about 30 seconds, and close-up of face occupying almost all of screen for that length of time was very annoying. General practice on tonight's show of having characters talking to members of cast not in camera scope also could have been eliminated.
Don Faust, newscaster on program, had one of his best shows to date. His offering became good video when he presented a very logical and informative explanation of the significance of the coming Rangoon campaign. Explanation was good because, most important of all, he used a map to explain his narrative, and secondly, because he had prepared a wealth of background material about areas discussed.
Finish of show was Leo Phillips's Magical Mysteries, Phillips did good magic work and had some novel tricks, using props that could be seen easily by video audience. But his assistant, Glenne Morgan, loused up his program by not paying attention to her work. Many times she looked away from the camera and acted like a giggling school girl at her first dance. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, May 12)
Saturday, May 5WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: Specialty Act (live); Film: “Billy the Kid’s Fighting Pals” (PRC, 1941).
NBC
Reviewed Saturday 7-7:20 p.m [May 5]. Style—Marionettes. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
It's a bit discouraging. One week NBC stages a sock juve show (April 28) and the next they act as tho they have forgotten everything they know about video.
Marionettes should be fun. WRGB's are. Suzari's are usually—but they weren't during this children's hour. They weren't properly lighted, and the cameras seemed to forget their function.
Also NBC reverted this evening to the device of talking to an audience that didn't answer. When Pinocchio asked for plenty of noise and was supposed to have received it, the tele viewers heard nothing. The idea of showing the manipulator was okay, but she wasn't good enough to make P seem real, and that's bad. Also the idea of bringing in the show owner to talk to P might have been okay if someone had worked out the camera shots. The handling of humans and marionette figures together required special lighting and well-rehearsed camera handling. NBC gave it neither.
Everyone is entitled to an off-night—this was Ronald Oxford's and Reid Davis's. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, May 12)
NEW YORK, May 5.—Blue's daytime audience participation show, Ladies, Be Seated, this week got itself sold two ways, once in video and once in radio. The Quaker Oats company has submitted a firm offer for the radio rights via Sherman & Marquett Agency and the contract, it's reported, will be signed within the next few days. For tele, Chef Boy- Ar-Dee, maker of spaghetti products, has anted up the bank roll and show goes under its banner May 13 over General Electric's WRGB, Blue producing.
Ladies, Be Seated, emceed by Johnny Olsen and wife, Penny, was the first program to be put on television by the Blue. It has been running sustaining in Schenectady for 10 weeks and on radio, also sustaining, for almost a year. ...
Strangest part of the video deal, made by the Blue's Central Division, is the fact that altho the time was sold thru a Chicago agency, will use a piece of Chicago talent and was made up by a Chicago salesman, the show will be seen only in Schenectady, N. Y., roughly, 1,200 miles from Chicago. Sponsor has stipulated that Beulah Kerney, who does the Chi origination What's Cooking? show for Chef Boy-Ar-Dee, must commute to Schenectady each week to do the commercials. Rest of the talent comes from New York. Trade estimates that the program, skedded for a four-week tele ride, will cost the client about 62,500 for talent, production costs and traveling expenses. (Billboard, May 12)
Sunday, May 6
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live program: “Winter Wheat,” play by Edwin Burke.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Rubber Goes to War.”
8:30 “Much Ado About Everything.”
9:00 WNEW Presents: “Town Crier of Chungking.”
"WINTER WHEAT"
With Mary Patton, Philip Poster, Rand Elliot, Richard Burrows, Elinor Mendelsohn, Thomas Hepahy, Michael Artist
Producer: Ernest Colling
Technical Director: Reid Davis
Scenery: N. Ray Kelly
Writer: Maxine Wood
60 Mins., Sun. (6), 8 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
"Winter Wheat" as a novel must be an interesting human interest story with strong dramatic possibilities. But as produced by NBC's television department on WNBT last Sunday (8) night, the dramatization fell flat, lacking a sparkle necessary to hold sustained audience interest for its full 60 minutes.
The limitations of television in the presentation of dramatic programs was never more pointed up than on this show. Studio facilities could not possibly be large enough to cope with the variety of settings and space needed to properly present this stanza fully. Supposedly the web's video department has already presented dramatic stanzas which scored visually, but there are too many obstacles in the path of giving proper attention to the drama-type show on video, and NBC's setup obviously is falling into the inherent pitfalls.
When dramatizations are given on television, audiences naturally compare what they see with the stage and films. And the comparison leaves the ether medium a poor third. Until such time as technical facilities warrant full-sized experimentation with enactment of dramatic endeavors, it would be better to present other type shows on this medium, so as to get good word-of-mouth for video from present mid future set owners.
"Winter Wheat" is the story of an easterner who settled in Montana with his Russian-born wife after the last war. Their daughter falls in love with a man she meets at college, who is later killed while serving with the Air Force. However, she remains faithful to him, despite the attentions of a neighbor Montanan.
Stanza centers around the kitchen of the Montana ranch where the family lives, dialog endeavoring to take up the slack of limited studio and production facilities. Cast, too, was hampered in acting, lead Mary Patten failing to give a strong portrayal of the girl, and the male actors enacting their roles like wooden soldiers throughout the majority of the stanza. Direction may have been responsible for poor performances, but whatever the reason, television, in the presentation of the drama, has a long way to go. Sten. (Variety, May 9)
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (6) 8-9:30 p.m, Sixty-minute dramatization of novel; newsreel, sundry sustaining plugs via film and live. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
NBC has built quite a rep with its television drama. This show, Maxine Wood's adoption of the Mildred Walker novel, Winter Wheat, was good—in parts. Trouble, to this reviewer, stemmed from trying to slash a psychological story into a one-hour show on a medium that it itself not yet of age.
Just a case of taking too big a bite. This was most noticeable when it came to the plot crises. The characters hadn't been sufficiently developed, consequently the playing hadn't its full appeal. And since the play pivoted on the presumed hate of a World War I vet for his Russian-born wife, as observed by their daughter and her college fiancee, with the loneliness of the Montana wheat fields as an irritating factor, It's obvious that the plot motivation had to suffer unless the characters were firmly developed.
Only once did the players override this weakness, and that was in a scene between Elinor Mendelsohn, as the Russian-born wife, and Mary Patton, who played the gal, Philip Foster scored as the also-ran romance, Richard Barrows was a good father. Thomas Heaphy did well with a bit. Mary Patton was fine as the gal—and someone did a good job In synchronizing her narration with her playing, Elinor Mendelsohn was excellent as the mother.
Film clips of wheat fields and snow scenes were segwayed [sic] expertly, albeit they became monotonous; direction was up to par in that movement—of which there was plenty-seemed natural, even in schoolroom scene when seven people were in action at one time; sets looked their part, and technical side ran smooth. Best offstage was use of Mary Patton's voice—she was femme lead—for narration. This required and received deft handling to jibe her voice with her emoting.
Newsreel clips showed London's memorial service for late President Roosevelt, a playlet plugging national posture week, a table tennis contest and the navy film, Midnight, plugging the 7th War Loan Drive. Ernest Colling produced, Ronald Oxford assisted, Reid Davis handled technical details and Ray Kelly did scenery. Lou Frankel. (Billboard, May 12)
With Gita Orlova, Diana Kemble, Bill Wyatt, George Kahn, Jay Gorin, Joan Danton, Elliot Sharfe
Producer: William McGrath
Director: Milton B. Kaye
Writer: Milton Robertson
Makeup: Richard Willis
30 Mins., Sun. (6), 9 p.m.
Sustaining
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
If television stations, as they are currently set up, with studio and production facilities hampered by present limitations, wish to present drama-type shows for audience enjoyment, they must, of necessity, do what the WNEW, N. Y.. video department accomplished in the presentation of a program on DuMont's WABD last Sunday (8) night. They must: (a) have a strong cast of top-flight players present the show, and (b) have as few settings as possible, in line with facility limitations.
And that is what WNEW television chief Bill McGrath and his director Milton Kaye accomplished with their staging of "Town Crier of Chungking." An excellent makeup job by Richard Willis aided the enjoyment of the stanza, characters looking exactly life the Chinese they were portraying. Gita Orlova, as the fabulous elderly woman leader of the Chinese underground, did an outstanding job with her role, and Diana Kemble, as the young Chinese lass who, with her brothers in the underground, accomplished an infiltration into the Jap lines and blew up their supply links, also gave an excellent portrayal.
Despite fact that stanza unwound in dialog, the fine acting overcame the limitations of the video medium in the presentation of dramatic shows, credit of course going to the production, writing and acting chores of those who took part. Sten. (Variety, May 9)
Monday, May 7
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:24 Feature Film: “Something to Sing About” with James Cagney and Bill Frawley (Grand National, 1937).
9:55 Film: “Zampa.”
NEW YORK, May 7.—The Allen. B. DuMont Laboratories, operators of tele Station WABD here, have secured the roof of the Harrington Hotel, 11th and E Streets, N. W., Washington, as the site of the org's projected capital outlet, permission for the construction of which was granted by the FCC some time ago. DuMont's capital project calls for the experimental call letters W3XWT.
Understand that the station will first be constructed from old equipment which DuMont has in its Passaic, N. J., plant. Outlet will operate on 4,000 watts video, 2,000 audio, channel 1, 50-56 mc.The Harrington's comparatively low height will require a high transmitter tower. (Variety, May 12)
FURTHER developmental work in the Philco Corp. proposed television relay network linking Washington, Philadelphia and New York was approved last week when the FCC granted construction permits for new relay stations to be operated in central and northeast Maryland, southeast Pennsylvania and Washington and authorized power increases of from 15 to 40 w for relay stations now in operation.
Grants include: one new experimental relay station to be operated in various areas betweeen Philadelphia and Washington; power increases, addition of A3 emission, antenna and transmitter changes of three stations in Philadelphia to include operations in Washington and New York; authorization to change power to 40 w (peak) visual, 40 w aural of seven portable-mobile experimental relay stations; authorization to increase power to 40 w and add A3 emission to portable experimental television station now operating in New York and to operate the station also in Washington and Philadelphia.
Philco dedicated its Washington-Philadelphia link in a special telecast from the Stotler Hotel, Washington, on April 17. (Broadcasting, May 7)
JOHN DAVID STORES, New York (men’s apparel), has renewed for four week Blue-ABC “Letter to Your Servicemen”, weekly quarter-hour on WABD New York, Dumont television station. Sponsor...pays production costs only. (Broadcasting, May 7)
TO STIMULATE interest in television among high school students and to find potential television entertainers, Admiral Corp., Chicago, is televising a program [on WBKB] titled "Young Chicago". The weekly half-hour program features high school talent exclusively. Idea was conceived by Admiral executives and George Jennings, acting director of the Radio Council of the Chicago Board of Education. (Broadcasting, May 7)
FREDERICK COE, stage director and manager, has been named a production assistant in the NBC television department.(Broadcasting, May 7)
Tuesday, May 8
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 a.m to 11:00 p.m. Special V-E Day Programs.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Allan Jackson.
8:15 “There Ought to Be a Law.”
8:45 Motion picture.
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 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre Players Present: “The Singapore Spider.”
9:00 Motion Picture.
V-E Day was video day for television set-owners in the New York-Schenectady-Philadelphia area when a 14-hour sight-and-sound program, television's most ambitious effort to date, presented by NBC, under the supervision of John F. Royal, vice-president, was broadcast by WNBT New York and sent over the country's first television network to WRGB Schenectady and WPTZ Philadelphia. Starting at 8:54 a.m. with President Truman's announcement that the war in Europe had ended and highlighted by the first television appearance of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who warned civilians against apathy and war-weariness, the program concluded with a filmed performance of Verdi's "Hymn to the Nations" by the NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Toscanini.
WCBW Program
The CBS video station, WCBW New York, put on a two-hour evening program, prepared for V-E Day under the supervision of Gilbert Seldes, director of CBS television programs. Arthur Godfrey, Allan Jackson, John Reed King, Dwight Cooke and Ruth Woodner reported late news and interviewed American and foreign servicemen and correspondents. A summary of the war, including what we have destroyed", "what it cost" and "what remains to be done", utilized still and motion pictures, animations, maps and charts, prepared by Harry Cassirer, video news and picture editor, was presented by Mr. Cassirer, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Cooke.
Films made Monday and Tuesday by RKO Television in the newsroom and executive offices of Blue, depicting the activity of covering such a major news event as V-E Day, were a feature of a two-hour video program presented by the network in cooperation with WABD, DuMont station in New York, which telecast it from 8-10 p.m. Tuesday evening. Chester L. LaRoche, vice-chairman of Blue, Mark Woods, president, and Thomas Velotta, acting director of news, were filmed.
Second half of the Blue telecast, which was supervised by Paul B. Mowrey, manager of the network's television division, consisted of interviews with a representative of every liberated nation in Europe, arranged in cooperation with OWI, and films of the European and Pacific wars. (Broadcasting, May 14)
WORTHINGTON MINER, manager of CBS television, and his wife, niece of James F. Byrnes, celebrated V-E Day with a bottle of champagne straight from Marshal Joseph Stalin's wine cellar. Former mobilization director received the bottle while at the Yalta Conference—presented it to his niece on his return to the U.S. (Broadcasting, May 28)
The longest and most elaborate television pick-up by the NBC facilities will begin at 9 A. M. and continue without interruption throughout the afternoon and evening. Motion pictures taken in Times Square yesterday will be televised today, together with many “live” pick-ups. Studio shows will include talks by clergymen, commentators, artists, newsreels depicting Germany’s rise and fall and other programs on the theme of “victory.” (New York Times, May 8)
Wednesday, May 9
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Ike on Sports” with Tom and Bill Slater.
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “I Challenge You,” audience participation program.
9:30 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
James C. Petrillo, prez of the American Federation of Musicians, is tightening his already snug noose around television's throat by forbidding film distribs to let stations rescreen and broadcast films with musical dubs.
Since television is already hamstrung artistically by not being able to use AFM members for live music in its studios, his new order was looked upon as a stunner.
Petrillo's office wasn't talking about the matter this week. Neither was anyone else, except telecasters—and they talked behind palms.
As pointed out in "Variety" (April 3) all of amusement industry labor faces an ultimate showdown on television. Sooner or later a decision must be made about which unions in radio, the stage or films is entitled to jurisdiction over various types of production personnel.
But Petrillo has been spearheading the general labor situation in television, by being first to take hisstand. And the infant industry is worried.
Television expects no help from the film distribs. Latter see no reason for courting any Petrillo trouble by going to bat for a medium which many fear will wind up as competition.
No one in pictures has made any money out of television's use of film shorts, but latter have been a boon to the teleprogrammers. Now that Petrillo has said “nix” to musical pix, the worry is that even such propaganda shorts like "Watchtowers of Tomorrow" (boosting the United Nations Security Organization) and the Warner Bros. "It Happened in Springfield'' may be barred from telescreens. A topranking tele spokesman complained that his industry has tried to get together with Petrillo to discuss AFM's overall tele policy but that the union boss has been playing cozy.
"Make that clear," said the exec,"we want to meet with the musicians.We don't understand why we can't get together, somehow."
There had been a meeting skedded for last month but the telecaster said that he didn't know why it never came off. The television industry had selected its committee to discuss the music situation with the AFM. Bui the committee is still waiting for the Petrillo organization to find time for a huddle. (Variety, May 9)
Thursday, May 10
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:25 OWI program.
8:30 “Opinions on Trial.”
CBS
Reviewed Thursday (10), 8-9 p.m. Style—News, film, debate. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
There ought to be a law that CBS line up many more shows like There Ought To Be a Law. Of all the shows seen on WCBW, and this includes The Missus Goes a-Shopping. Ben Feiner's baby is tops in commercial possibilities.
To be candid, the thing interested this reviewer so much that he felt like getting up and speaking his piece on the question: "Co-Education Should Be Compulsory." (We think it should. Makes better citizens of people) But the best thing about the show is the enthusiasm of the kids, selected from the New York high schools, and the things they say. It's genuinely funny.
The program has three elements which make it great video material. The first two were mentioned above. But just as important is the fact that the viewer, particularly if he is a native New Yorker and a product of its high schools, closely identifies himself with the kids. People watching with us kept saying: "Oh, that's my old school," or,"Why, that's where Bill went." And that is the basis of a successful local show—local appeal. If they keep it up, WCBW will be the WNEW of video.
Paul Belanger took over the directorial reins from Producer Bert Feiner tonight, following a policy of rotation, and came up with a bang-up job. Working well with Cameraman Howard Hays and Allan Lewis Kleban, he caught a number of beautifully spontaneous shots on the wing and in general handled a difficult assignment very professionally. With a number of participants on the stage, it is difficult to get close-ups of kids in the back rows, but he managed it. Particularly good were shots of kids trying to get the floor from the chairman. Future directors ought to get more of them. A few longshots were out of focus but this show was good enough to carry much sloppier camera work without losing its punch. To repeat a truism: "If the content is good, the form needn't be perfect."
We'd like for a moment to pay our long-overdue respects to WCBW for the public service job it is doing with war-message spots. Tonight's, a film and live combination pointing out how War Bonds will help beat Japan, was typical of what Columbia is doing. Other stations in this town could well afford to imitate it. Martin Schrader. (Billboard, May 19)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (10), 7:30 to 9 p.m. Style—Variety, news. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
Tonight's stanza of Commonwealth Edison's Telequizicalls, the second of the new series based on the old radio telephone quiz idea, had plenty of lessons worth noting by anyone seriously interested in seeking signposts that will indicate the roads down which the feature developments of television will travel.
First, and most important of all, the program proved the effectiveness of merchandising by television. Viewers who answer correctly the questions telephoned to them by emsee Bill Anson were given valuable electrical appliances as rewards. Each time the home contestant was entitled to a prize, various appliances on display were held up for his selection. The beauty and utility of the appliances as they were revealed by the video camera built up strong desires for the products in the minds of the video audience.
Secondly, tonight's program proved that the spoken commercial should be used very, very seldom in television. Program opened with a long vocal pitch about the merits of cooking by electricity. That was irritating. So were the commercials read at other points in the program. Just the sight of the appliances, the subtle sales method used by having some of the questions built around the use of electrical appliances, and the slogan which had to be remembered by the viewers to make them eligible to compete for prizes were sufficient.
Tho program also proved that telephone television quizzes will not have a prominent place in tele programing in the near future and immediately after the war. Program was loused up plenty of times because it was necessary for the viewers to leave their vices sets to answer the telephone and then run back and forth between the phone and the set to answer contest questions. Until television sets have projection screens in many rooms and thus are descernible [sic] from out-of-living-room phone sites, the telephone quiz is going to have tough sledding.
Tonight WBKB started a system of in between-program plugs for future shows. Idea was new and good. Slides called attention to a program that will be shown on future shows. Idea was excellent television promotion comparable to radio station break plugs for subsequent shows.
Also on tonight's program was Lee Phillip's magical mysteries and Don Faust's news commentary. Both men are improving their chows as the weeks go by. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, May 19)
Friday, May 11
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Lou Nova and Gunnar Barlund.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
Saturday, May 12
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: Film: “Emil and the Detectives,” (Gaumont, 1935); Live: Joe Madden, the Juggling Clown.”
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (12) . Style—Kid stuff. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
This was the first juve show that was actually played right to the tots in arms. It employed effectively an off-camera voice (Barbara Joyce). She was real and unaffected. After Jimsey Somers introed the children's hour, it used pantomime for an opening, with Virginia Barrett playing the girl who wanted to live in an enchanted cottage. The rest of her Laffing Room Only gang played a little boy and a giant dog. It was all very light and for the wee or never-never land ones. However, it wasn't played-down too much and Virginia Barrett's group were just as professional before the video camera as they are before the footlights. Joe Madden, the juggling clown, mixed in with the Barrett group for an extra plus. The kids loved him. This was a strictly "no adults wanted" evening before the television receiver—which is as it should be. There's too much kid stuff strictly for grown-ups—on the air and screen and in the theater. Let's save the juvenile Ike for the children themselves. That's the least we should give 'em. Fred Coe, who directed this has, if this is accepted as a sample, a flair for kid entertainment. All in all this was a plus NBC show. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, May 19)
Sunday, May 13
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live program: “The Family Upstairs,” play by Harry Delf.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Serving for Science.”
8:30 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allan.
9:00 WNEW Presents: “Pitied or Scorned,” a Meller-Dramer.
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (13), 8-9:30 p.m. Style—Travelog and drama. Sustaining over WNBT (New York).
Burton Holmes was an added attraction on WNBT with a Norwegian sergeant, Heide by name, and some films of pre-war Norway. Holmes ran a little behind his pic at times, but he had a Pleasant video manner and talked as tho he knew Norway, which is something. They started the trip on NBC's inevitable couch, but the sergeant was telegenic and real and—surprise, surprise, we almost forgot the couch.
The aged main-stem comedy, The Family Upstairs, was the main course. Camera work was swell and the play itself deadly. When it played Broadway it wasn't much in the way of production, and now cut to an hour for video it bored its audience to death. All the characters were old hat and none of the performers was good enough on camera to rise above the script. altho Patricia Wheeler, the girl, and Mikael Grant, the boy, almost took the wheezy script and made it come to life once or twice. It may be good radio to repeat everything time and time again, but stinking air-pic. Also, the most modern desk phone doesn't go with a play that talks about pianolas, and neither does a line about uncle coining home from the Pacific. M. Ray Kelly, prop man on this, takes the rap for the first, but no script adapter came forth to accept the latter. The play was so tired that you looked for teleboners and, as usual, found them. In order to date the thing still further they used title cards to establish passing time, etc., and threw the whole thing back to the nickelodeon days. Everything was there but a good play. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, May 19)
GE-Blue
Reviewed Sunday (13), 7-8 p.m. Style—Quiz, film, audience-participation. Sustaining over WRGB, Schenectady.
After 11 weeks on WRGB the Blue's Ladies Be Seated seems to have lost just a bit of the tasteful quality that made it the best audience-participation show in Eastern television at first viewing. Tonight's gags just didn't click as well as they did last February, altho they still seem to sit well with Schenectady audiences. In fact, the best thing of Ladies Be Seated at this showing were the commercials for the new (and first) sponsor, Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee Products. And that, to a certain extent, is to damn it with faint praise.
The plugs run off by Beulah Karney, who does the What's Cooking? show on the Blue, and Hector Boyardie, the guy after whom the company is named, were simple, logical, effective, but the talk was halting, and Miss Karney seemed to be leading the Chef by the nose too often. But the demonstration of the preparation of spaghetti did hit the audience right in the taste buds—which is where it counts.
As far as Johnny Olsen's stunts are concerned, we feel constrained to say that two of them, a cloth's switch between a man and a woman, and a demonstration of silly women's hats, modeled by two servicemen, were distinctly not in good taste. The opening of the show, in which credit cards alternate with live shots of the strictly dead studio audience trying to look happy, could stand a shot in the arm, and emsee Olsen should be careful in the future not to stand behind a wide strip of cloth (part of a gag) while explaining the stunt to a participant. Direction and settings, under the hands, respectively, of Larry Algeo and Hoyland Bettinger, at GE's high level.
Program was reviewed on GE's new 18 by 24 projection model receiver. Set is exactly the same as RCA's, except for the fact that the screen lies flush with the cabinet when not ill use. It uses the Schmidt optical system, as in RCA's and has a five-inch tube. Picture, off the line, hasn't the clarity or the contrast of RCA's, But GE engineers explain that set isn't using sufficient power. Picture jumps on occasion, and the tube is slightly out of line, causing a small black spot at the lower right hand corner. This set, GE says, is not yet ready for demonstration, having been thrown together front old equipment around the plant. Nevertheless, it is far superior to anything else we've seen, excepting RCA's job. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, May 19)
Monday, May 14WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:25 Feature Film: “The Big Blockade” with Robert Morley and Michael Redgrave (UK-Balcon, 1942).
9:30 Film: “Ancient Cities of Southern France.”
The Don Lee television station W6XAO will present a commercial film as a feature of its program for the station’s Monday [14] broadcast with a five-minute filmized fashion show.
Sponsor of the presentation is the Johansen Brothers Shoe Company. The package is produced by the Sawyer-Feld Productions of Hollywood for the Anstenger Advertising Agency. (Hollywood Reporter, May 11)
NEW YORK, May 14.-DuMont's tele station here, WABD, will shortly add Thursday night to its transmitting schedule. Station will eliminate Sunday from its skeet to accommodate the new night. Move will follow production of Breakfast Club by the Blue Network and Swift & Company May 25. New night puts DuMont in competition with CBS on Tuesday and Thursday but eliminates competition with NBC except on Tuesday. (Billboard, May 19)
Tuesday, May 15
WNBT Channel 1
8:30 to 11:00 Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Allan Jackson.
8:15 Table Tennis, David Hawthorne and Dick Miles
8:45 Motion picture.
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 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre Players present “The Singapore Spider,” drama.
9:00 Motion Picture.
CBS
Reviewed Tuesday (15), 8-9:30 p.m. Style—News, film, sports, audience participation. Sustaining on WCBW, New York.
Columbia's ping-pong exhibition, ring-mastered by John Reed King and masterminded by Paul Belanger, was far front perfect. In fact, it was not far from being awfully imperfect.
The equipment at WCBW is old. It never was too good. Lack of a wide-angle lens on No. 2 camera, for instance, caused a woeful reduction of variety in the shots. And the fact that No. 1 gets a poor picture at any distance (plenty of distance was necessary to get the entire table on the screen and not lose the players too often) spoiled the long shots. There is, of course, no excuse for the bad lighting, and Belanger should have had the close-up camera back a few more feet so as to show more of the players and the table. The pic he got showed no compositional relation between the players and the game. It also seems passible that camera 1 could have been moved out of its almost stationary position at least once during the 15 minutes.
John Reed King did his usual good, corny and more than slightly funny job as commentator. And the playing, by the men's and women's singles champions of the U. S., was, of course, superb.
But the booby prize of the evening, we think, should go to the electrician who ambled in front of a live camera during the ping-pong show and then repeated his performance while the credits card was on for the Missus Goes A-Shopping.
Rudy Bretz took over for the ailing Leo Hurwitz on the news seg and did almost as well as the old master himself. One thing both Bretz and Hurwitz should be careful to avoid was all too evident in an animation of possible invasion routes to Japan. By the time half of the symbols had been put on the map the thing was so crowded as to be thoroly confusing. On one or two occasions, close-ups of Allen Jackson, who has improved tremendously since the last viewing, were badly framed. Otherwise the show was swell. The Missus Goes A-Shopping is still the Missus Goes A-Shopping which means corny but funny. Station has constructed a new set for the show which emcee King claims gives him greater playing area. It probably does, but a little space, like a little education, is a dangerous thing. Director Tony Miner had the devil's own time following King and his trained seals around the set. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, May 26)
Wednesday, May 16
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.”
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “I Challenge You,” audience participation program.
9:30 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
10:00 “The Magic Carpet”—At the Circus.
Thursday, May 17
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:25 OWI program.
8:30 “Young Women in Wartime:” Finish the Job.
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (17), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—Drama, news, variety. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
WBKB's plan of telecasting between programs slides calling attention to shows to be presented on future nights has been used for about two weeks, but tonight's slides indicated that the station still has some work to do to make the most of this good idea.
For one thing, slides are merely lettered affairs giving the name, time of program and a "be sure to tune in plug." So far, station hasn't tried to build up its talent by giving the names of personnel on future programs. And there has been little descriptive material forceful enough to make the audience want to tune in. Slides should at least have few selling adjectives on them. Cartoons or photographs depicting scenes from the show could also be used as interest-creators. Station also hasn't timed properly its slides. Some are on for too short a time. Others are on so long they irritate.
Best part of tonight's show, as is usual just about each Thursday, was the Commonwealth Edison offering. Tonight it was another installment of Welcome to the Walkers. Adrien Rodner, author of this comedy-drama series, has been trying each week to make his program more representative of happenings in the average American home.
Tonight's sequence, built around problems of Mrs. Walker's budgeting efforts and Neighbor Murphy's attempt to help his son do his homework, was tops in naturalness. Murphy's son, a character talked about before but introduced in person for the first time tonight, was played by Stewart Sklamm. Stewart slowed down proceedings by stumbling over a few lines, but he shows plenty of promise for the future.
Rodner has also been carrying on an experiment that is making his shows smoother each week. Rather than writing lines depicting character which his actors and actresses do not have in their off-stage personalities, he is writing lines that will project their real personalities onto the video stage. This has made things much easier for his cast, and they are responding with acting that is entirely unforced.
Don Faust, tonight's show proved, is improving as a video newscaster. He is using more maps and is taking greater care to make his map talks informative and filled with the type of background interpretation best fitted to the use of maps. Thus, he is using the type of stuff that proves television's superiority to radio as a news disseminating medium. Lee Phillips continues to explain tricks he has done a week before and to present new tricks he will explain a week later. This format is becoming tiring. For a change of pace he ought to present a well-staged magic show, with good props and all the trimmings, sans trick explanations. Such a show has been successful on the stage. It could be successful in television. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, May 26)
STILL GROPING for further technical data on which to assign FM permanently, the FCC Thursday [17] allocated all segments of the spectrum above 25 mc except that portion from 44-108 mc, embracing the highly-controversial FM and low-definition television.
PROPOSED ASSIGNMENTS
ALTERNATIVE No. 1
TELEVISION—68-74 mc; 78-108 mc*.
ALTERNATIVE No. 2
TELEVISION–44-56 mc*; 60-66 mc*; 86-92 mc; 92-104 mc*.
ALTERNATIVE No. 3
TELEVISION–44-50 mc*, 54-78 mc*; 78-84 mc.
PERMANENT ASSIGNMENTS
TELEVISION—174-186 mc**; 186-216 mc*; 480-920 mc.
TELEVISION RELAY—1245-1325 mc.
* shared with fixed & mobile.
** shared with Government. (Broadcasting, May 21)
Stars of “Anna Lucasta” are the guests on the initial program of a new WABD television series title, “Broadway at 8:30,” conducted by John Chapman, drama critic of The News, starting Sunday night at 8:40. (Daily News, May 17)
Friday, May 18
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Harold Green vs. Frankie Terry.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
Celebration of the centennial of the opening of the first public school in Chicago will be introduced with a broadcast...on television station WBKB at 8 p.m. Friday, May 18. (Chicago Tribune, May 7)
WASHINGTON, May 17 (AP)—Palmer K. Leberman, president of radio station KRSC, Seattle, and Lois C. Leberman filed application with the Federal Communications Commission today for a commercial television station in New York City on Channel No. 10 (186,000-292,000 kilocycles).
Saturday, May 19
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: Variety, Live Talent and Films.
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (19). Style—Kid quiz and variety. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Fred Coe again did a swell job for the juves in a quiz which NBC called Fizz Quizz, and altho there's a temptation to say that it fizzed out, it didn't. In fact, Coe even integrated a De La Varre travelog right into the quiz routine so well that the tour conductor was better than he's been in the past, which as noted previously in The Billboard, has been plenty okay.
Coe started with the idea of doing a quiz at a soda fountain in a drugstore, with the soda jerk the question putter and the kids seated at the counter. Everytime youngsters came up with correct answers they got themselves a little more fizz water in their drinks. Walter Williams was the soda-dispenser quizmaster and altho script was pretty stilted and eyeglasses gave hint a school-teacher effect, he kept the quizzing going along at a swell pace. And what's more important he never made the kids self-conscious. They were as natural as the kids at home who were looking in. NBC used ordinary half-pints and not big brains, which was a relief to ma and dad. All the youngsters, Maxine Smith, Jimsey Somers, Jimmy Sommer and "Butch" Cavell were "adoptable."
Williams did a few bits of magic to entertain the youngsters and a bit of ventrilling too. Visitors to the drugstore during the Fizz Quizz included Corporal Buck, a war fund raising dog who not too long ago flopped on a video seg (he was okay this trip) and Sonny Rice, tap dancer. They kept Sonny in frame all the way, and if the camera angles gave her extra fat legs on the leg close-ups blame it on the aged ikes. Final touch was keeping the kids on mike all the way thru the showing of the De La Varro travelog. Their ohs and ahs and questions were so natural that the entire evening rated an AAA children's hour. (Kid age between 6 and 12 this viewing.) Joe Koehler. (Billboard, May 26)
Sunday, May 20
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live program: “Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” play by Robert Sherwood, part two.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Birth of a B-29.”
8:30 7th War Loan Program, live and film.
9:00 Film program.
"ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS" (Act II)
With Stephen Courtleigh, Wendel Phillips, Grandon Rhodes, Ralph Chambers, Vinton Hayworth, May Collins, Viola Frane, Lucille Fenton, Earl McDonald, Dorothy Emery, Kay Renard, Harry Bellaver
Writer: Robert E. Sherwood
Producer-Director: Edward Sobol (Don Darcy, assistant)
Technical Director: Albert Frotzman
Scenerv: Robert Wade
49 Mins.; Sun. (20); 8:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
NBC's television department has been engaged in an extremely interesting experiment that may cue fruitful discussion about programming and writing phases of the new art . A month ago, the web's television outlet, WNBT, put on Act I of Robert E. Sherwood's "Abe Lincoln in Illinois." Last Sunday (20), Act II was produced.
A series of questions arises immediately, Act 1 took an hour: Act II lasted 49 minutes. A month elapsed between the two acts; and another month, presumably, will pass before the telefan can find out how this play ends. Could the entire play be given in one session? Will television programming be so flexible that it will be able to put on an entire drama, regardless of irregularity of lengths that do not divide themselves neatly into 15 or 30-minute segments? Will the telefan sit through an entire three-act drama at one session?
If the answers to all three questions—and to many others that could be asked along those lines—are positive, what of television's lack of original dramatic writers? In this instance, television borrowed from the legit stage a Pulitzer Prize play, one of the very best in the American, dramatic kit, by a topflight playwright.
Could a Sherwood be persuaded to do a play of "Lincoln" stature for television alone? Would the serious drama lover be satisfied with seeing such a play on television, if given the choice between such treatment and life-and-blood performance on a three-dimension Broadway stage?
Obviously, the very possibility of so many questions arising out of this production indicates that the production of a play like "Lincoln" has not met the writing and programming needs of television as an art I hat could stand on its own two feet. Stephen Courtleigh is a splendid Lincoln, the supporting cast was on the whole excellent (even though Wendel Phillips was somewhat uneven, at times too preachy, in his role as Bill Herndon). Production and direction were good, sets were okay, camera work and lighting gave the play everything needed in those departments. But the audience was still watching only one act —and the weakest act at that — of a play seen before.
The very fact that Act II of this play is weak when seen without the emotional impact of Act I. and minus the climactic hypo of the third stanza, indicates that Broadway plays cannot be moved to the television studio without some adaptation.
NBC's courage in choosing thiss vehicle, its initiative in providing the play with an excellent cast and fine production, are praiseworthy and creditable. The production itself shows that television is a growing art seeking solution to its many problems. But the answers have not yet been found. Cors. (Variety,May 23)
Monday, May 21WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:24 Feature Film: “Prisoner of Corbal” with Nils Asther, Noah Beery, Hazel Terry (UK-General Film, 1936).
9:38 Film: “Cairo.”
9:48 “Cavalcade of Sports,” boxing from St. Nicholas Arena.
TRANSMITTER of experimental television station W3XWT Washington is operating on a temporary basis, making preliminary tests to determine field strength and propagation data for Washington and the surrounding territory. W3XWT is operating on channel 1, 50-56 mc, with a temporary antenna structure atop the Harrington Hotel, where the station has rented space on the top floor, and will construct a permanent antenna as soon as WPB permission is obtained. Station is owned by Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, also operator of video station WABD New York. Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith. Jr., DuMont director of research, is in charge of the field tests. (Broadcasting, May 21)
Tuesday, May 22
WNBT Channel 1
8:30 to 11:00 Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Allan Jackson.
8:30 Motion Picture “World at War.”
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 Players presents “Heritage of Wimpole Street.”
Wednesday, May 23
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Ike on Sports” with Tom and Bill Slater.
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “I Challenge You,” audience participation program.
9:30 Film program.
9:45 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
Thursday, May 24
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Film.
8:30-9:00 War Loan Program: Play, “Untitled” by Norman Corwin; John Hersey talk.
"UNTITLED"
With Michael Everett, Frances Fuller, Dick Hamilton, Frank Richards, Warner Leroy, Klaus Kolmar, Bess McComman, Frank Curran, Graham Velsey; also John Hersey
Writer: Norman Corwin
Director: Ben Feiner
Co-Director: Paul Belanger
Asst. Director: Fred Rickey
30 Mins.; Thurs. (24), 8:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
Norman Corwin's radio-drama, "Untitled," aired a year ago last April over CBS, had pretty much its full impact when televized last Thursday (24) on WCBW. Certain production details, because of studio limitations, caused a lessening effect. But the force and eloquence of Corwin's writing and the punch of his message are still so rare a thing on the video scene as to make last week's program an event.
The play is still Corwin's, with a tele production staff adding some details. The first Corwin work to be presented on television, it demonstrated how well suited his writing and style is to the medium. The story is that, of the dead GI. Hank Peters, who rises from his resting place on the battlefield to tell how he came there. Also used are flashbacks to show the home life that preceded his enlistment and death. His childhood, his mother and his girl, his GI buddies who survived, are all briefly limned.
The GI is aware of what he has fought for, aware of the enemy at home as well as at the front, and watchful and waiting for the reactions to his and so many of his buddies' deaths. "From my acre of undisputed ground," he says, "I shall be listening—for the password that peace is settling solidly." The program was as forceful in video as it was in radio—and much more timely. The defects were minor and inherent in the medium. The appearance of a GI rising to talk from a battlefield dotted with crosses, especially when the battlefield was a painted backdrop, had a stagey, unreal effect. The switches from graveyard to hospital were abrupt and unreal, in the Hollywood sense. They made the play a little static and preachy.
Michael Everett's performance the GI had poignancy and conviction, with the supporting east up to standard. Co-directing trio, Ben Feiner, Paul Belauger and Fred Rickey, was obviously aware of the drama and message of the Corwin play and was able to translate it satisfactorily to their medium. WCBW staged the play in cooperation with the Treasury Dept. for the bond drive, with author John Hersey adding a bond pitch at the close. Bron. (Variety, May 30)
CBS
Reviewed Thursday (24), 8-9 p.m. Style—News, film, dramatization of Norman Corwin's "Untitled." Sustaining on WCBW, New York.
With bated breath and every other platitude in the critic's kit he waited to see this, television's first, attempt at telecasting one of radio's classics, Norman Corwin's Untitled. This, as most everyone will remember, was, in Corwin's inimitable narrator style, the story of the late Hank Peters, Pfc., U. S. A.
As heard on CBS it was a listening highlight. As heard and seen on WCBW, the CBS video outlet, it was a tribute to Corwin's wizardry with words. The words lived and breathed; the speaking, playing and production were as irrelevant as the vapor exuded on a frosty morning.
Despite a narrator whose voice was just too lowbrow, too obviously an attempt to be a "meat-and-potatoes guy," Corwin's words carried the listener to emotional peaks, which the video portion of the program did not match.
There is, as most everyone knows, a sweep, a scope, a movement to Corwin's writing which, when the author does the producing on the air, at least stirs the listener, slowly at first, then faster and stronger until the audience gulps, cries or goes Guru the emotional wringer in some other fashion. In this television presentation, the words had the same affect to which the visual presentation neither added nor detracted.
The video producer used every obvious trick in his bag, film, slides, stills and live bits, and therein his work was weak since it was just expedient. With a great literary work, such as this, the production cried for the scenic and dramatic ability of a Capra or Eisenstadt. To which television can answer, "we did the best we could do." To which the obvious answer is "then don't tackle anything as good as this unless television can add something."
Score 100 for effort, 0 for results. The balance of the show was routine, Dwight Cook in the news and a short. Cook is shy on video personality in appearance and voice, the animation for the news was Grade A, the short was just a stage wait. Lou Frankel. (Billboard, June 2)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (24), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—Drama, news, variety. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
It was expressive impressionistic dancing that told a story. It was tops in the school of modern dancing. But still it was not good television. It was not good television because it could hardly appeal to the mass audience of all ages that will some day watch video thruout the country. That just about summarizes a dance act presented tonight by Lee Lindsay and Loretto Pagels.
Loretto and Lee's dance was titled Baruk Tempo Dance. Danced to only the rhythm of the drums, it was a portrayal of primitive love. Both the participants were scantily clothed, and their movements left no doubt of sexual implications.
We're not trying to say that there was anything obscene about the routine. Far from it. True art can never be called that, and this was in the realm of true expressive dancing artistry. All we are trying to say is that we doubt if each member of a family audience would appreciate or understand the dance. And since television will eventually have to appeal to a mass audience of all ages, it could never have general popularity.
After the dance, station presented slides that were War Bond buying plugs. Contrast between mood of dance and theme of "Buy War Bonds" was too great. A subtle transitional device should have been used.
Commonwealth Edison's Telequizzicalls was good video tonight, just as it has been in the past. However, tonight's episode of this video version of radio's telephone quiz programs used two questions that had been used before. We would prefer to see new questions each week. One of the questions concerned the price of electricity used by various appliances and the other was built around the technique needed to read electricity consumption meters. Obviously these questions were reintroduced to re-emphasize two important Edison selling and client relations problems. But if the company wants to make those two questions a part of each program, it ought to introduce them in a special manner by making them worth an additional reward or it should use variations of the same basic question formats each week.
Barbara Brewer deserves special mention for the manner in which she gave the advertising plug extolling the merits of cooking by electricity. Program producers wisely had her stand in front of an electric, stove during her sales talk, but she did her part by putting a lot of force, charm and pleasing personality into her explanation.
Don Faust did the newscast. He ran about 18 minutes, and that is too long for a video newscast made up of commentary and map talks. Also, station ought to co-operate with Faust by giving him more varied backgrounds. Each week he is pictured in the same setting the danger of monotony is increased. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, June 2)
Friday, May 25
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30-11:00 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Harold Green vs. Frankie Terry.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News analysis.
8:10 Motion picture.
8:15 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
WABD Channel 4
8 a.m. Blue Network presents Special 7th War Loan broadcast of Don McNeill’s “Breakfast Club.”
"BREAKFAST CLUB"
(Blue Network)
With Don McNeill, Jack Owens, Nancy Martin, Vagabonds Quartet, Walter Herlihy, others
Supervisor: Paul Mowrey
Director: Harvey Marlowe
Writer: Charles Speer
60 Mins.; Fri. (25), 8 p.m.
SWIFT & CO.
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
In line with the contention of most observers of the advancement of television programming, Don McNeill and his "Breakfast Clubbers" proved that audience-participation shows provide sock entertainment for the video medium last Friday night (25), when they appealed on N. Y.'s DuMont outlet.
One of the most popular morning shows in radio, and one of the oldest on the air (consistently on the Blue network for the past 12 years), this initial appearance on television for the "Club" provided, through the performances of McNeill and his cohorts, professional entertainment all the way.
As localed, the cameras found members of the cast around a table, with-about 50 members of the studio audience surrounding them on either side. McNeill, as m.c., introed the show and started the ball rolling by having everyone sing the "Breakfast Club, Good Morning" song. Show then was patterned after the radio stanza, with Nancy Martin and Jack Owens vocalizing couple of tunes each, backgrounded by records in the case of Miss Martin, and the Vagabonds behind Owens. However, the networks better settle with Petrillo purty soon, now, if they ever want to get started on ways and means to provide good music for television programs. Miss Martin's chore wasn't helped one bit by the musical, recordings that backgrounded her.
Other segments carried over were: the daily prayer and poem; the educational feature: the cruising crooner routine where Owens sang to women in the audience, cameras following him around (one of the best parts of the show); Sam and his comical capers, most of which fell flat, and the interviews by McNeill with members of the audience.
Technically, the entire proceedings were spotty. When certain portions of the show were carefully rehearsed, it was obvious that coordination between director Harvey Marlowe and the camera crews had the situation mastered. But when spontaneity was required, then Marlowe and his cameras floundered somewhat and poorly focussed video came through. But on the whole it wasn't a bad job on the technical end—in fact, one of the best from a DuMont crew in many a moon. Sten. (Variety, May 30)
WITH the theme "Radio's Widening Horizons", the third annual conference of the Northeastern Radio Council was held in Schenectady Friday evening [25] at WRGB, General Electric television station, and on Saturday morning in the Hotel Van Curler. Part of the conference program was televised and broadcast.
Talks by a number of prominent educators present were televised plus a production by the Yale School of Drama. An entertainment spot was furnished by the Blue network. Other subjects on the agenda were a panel discussion on the San Francisco Conference by local high school students broadcast over WGY and a discussion of the panel by an adult board of critics. (Broadcasting, May 28)
WASHINGTON, May 28.—Television has green light in D. C. after, a zoning restriction struggle that will be repeated in other cities of the United States before video gets a substantial head start.
Zoning Commission Friday (25) amended a zoning regulation to permit erection of television towers in the national capital's residential areas. Action followed appeals at public hearings earlier by New York television experts who predicted that Washington would be one of the most progressive cities in tele field if high ground, located chiefly in residential sections, could become available for antennae towers.
Representatives of Bamberger Broadcasting Company (New York) have announced readiness to build tele tower and station here that will bring entertainment to D. C. front New York.
While zoning amendments have been made, specific proposals for sites for television stations and towers must now get approval of Board of Zoning Adjustments and National Capitol Park. To help their case, video companies are promising to build structures with an eye to beauty, probably using Georgian architecture. (Billboard, June 2)
Saturday, May 26
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: Variety, Live Talent and Films: “Fizz Quizz,” “Fun at Girdner’s.”
NBC
Reviewed Saturday (26), 7-8:30 p.m. Style—Kid stuff and travelog. Sustaining over Station WNBT, New York.
Second Fizz-Quizz wasn't as much fun as the first. They were trying too hard and the cameras weren't. Camera movement was jerky with the close-ups far from clear. The kids also seemed hurried and a little tense. Add to the plus of the show, the fact that Walter Williams didn't use his glasses on camera and therefore revealed a telegenic phiz. Questions weren't as juvenile as on the first shot, in fact, several of them were plain adult. Jules Leni replaced Maxine Smith among the kid-fizz-quizzers, which wasn't too good as two boys and two girls are better than a three-and-one balance.
Williams only did one bit of magic which isn't enough and he dropped his "double voice" bit which the juves loved last week. The idea of rewarding the kids with extra fizz water for each correct answer is good, but Williams said that the one with the most fizz in the glass would win—and then threw the judging to a puppet. Kids don't like to be misled nor do adult viewers . . . and since the kids drank the fizz, the amount of water in their glasses couldn't be an index to winning—no how.
Keep the money award ($10 in War Stamps) out of the stunt—keep it as plain fun for fun. Also don't say that the models will be dressed as comic book characters and then have them come out bearing placards with drawings of the characters. That's fooling the kids again and they notice it, but quick.
Worked into the drugstore routine were the Mary Chase Marionettes.... The first NBC marionette act that was good video. The figures always seen close-up were beautifully articulated and manipulated. The piano playing Negro figure had real bounce in his fingering the keys—you actually believed he was playing, and Butch, ono of the kids, almost fell off his stool following his every move, Mary Chase is okay plus. Andre De La Varre was back again with his travelog. It's tops for making geography interesting to half-pints.
It's a shame that the fizzing wasn't as good as the first try. It's a—video idea (credit a young lady named Dorothy McFadden with the idea. She "sold" it to NBC—and credit Fred Coe for getting a lot out of it). It still needs a scripter—Fred can't write and direct it, too. No one is that good. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, June 2)
Sunday, May 27
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Live program: “Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” play by Robert Sherwood, part three; inaugural program, American Museum of Natural History.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Defeat and Victory,” live and film program. 8:30 “Thrills and Chills,” with Doug Allan.
9:00 WNEW presents “The Story of Bess.”
Last week. '"Variety" reviewed NBC television's (WNBT, N. Y.) presentation of Act II of Robert E. Sherwood's "Abe Lincoln in Illinois." The reviewer wondered whether it would be another month before the tele fan would see Act III, since four weeks had passed between the first and second chapters. However, Act III came sooner than anticipated, WNBT putting it on last Sunday (27).
There's little to add to the previous reviews. All the way down the line, the work was tops on this ambitious undertaking. And Stephen Courtleigh, the man who played Lincoln on the television screen, deserves superlative credit. In all three acts he maintained an even tempo, rising to ever greater heights—even as his subject did. When the play was over, and Lincoln started for his destiny, one felt that the destiny of the actor too had been mapped. Just as the legit version of Sherwood's great drama will be forever associated with the name of Raymond Massey, so television's greatest play to date must be 'tied in with the name of the man who grew before your eyes and insinuated himself into your heart—Stephen Courtleigh. Cars. (Variety, May 30)
AMERICAN Museum of Natural History has started a monthly telecast on WNBT, NBC television station in New York, combining dramatizations with discussions of scientific subjects, and using both live talent and films. First telecast, titled "Men of Science", featured half-hour film on the inside operations of the Museum and its various expeditions. (Broadcasting, May 28)
Monday, May 28
8:00 “The War as It Happens.”
8:12 Film: “Isle of Spice” (Van Beuren, 1936)
8:25 Feature Film: “The Terror” with Wilfred Lawson, Bernard Lee, Alastair Sim (Associated British Picture, 1938).
9:23 Film: “Trinidad.”
PHILADELPHIA, May 28.—Further developmental work in Philcos proposed television relay network, linking Washington, Philadelphia and New York, has been approved. The FCC has granted construction permits for new relay stations to be operated in Central and Northeast Maryland, Southeast Pennsylvania and Washington and authorized power increases of from 15 to 40 watts for relay stations now in operation.
Grants provide for a new experimental relay station to be operated in various areas between Philadelphia and Washington; power increases, addition of A3 emission, antenna and transmitter changes of three stations in Philadelphia to include operations in Washington and New York; authorization to change power to 40 watts (peak) visual, 40 watts aural of seven portable-mobile experimental relay stations; authorization to increase power to 40 watts and add Al emission to portable experimental television station now operating in New York and to operate the station also in Washington and Philadelphia. Philco dedicated its Washington-Philadelphia link in a special telecast from the Statler Hotel, Washington, April 11. (Billboard, June 2)
COL. LAWRENCE W. LOWMAN, CBS vice-president on leave with the armed forces since 1942, returns to the network July 1 as vice-president in charge of television, Joseph H. Ream, vice-president and secretary, announced last week. Col. Lowman will have overall supervision of television. C. Worthington Minor continues as manager of the television department, heading up production and operations. Gilbert Seldes is director of programs. (Broadcasting, May 28)
Tuesday, May 29
WNBT Channel 1
8:30 to 11:00 Wrestling at St. Nicholas Arena, the Blimp vs. the Swedish Angel.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Allan Jackson.
8:15 Film.
8:30 Dwight Cooke reviews “Unconditional Surrender” by Ev Holles.
8:45 Film.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
7:55 Teleshopping.
8:00 The Blue Network presents “Letter to Your Serviceman.”
8:30 War Bond Rally with Rex Stout and Bea Wain; Film: “Fury in the Pacific” (Warner Bros., 1945)
9:00 WOR’s Brownstone Theatre Players presents “One What Came to Gettysburg.”
Wednesday, May 30
WNBT Channel 1
3:00 Baseball: Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers (doubleheader). Bill Stern announcing
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Fashions Coming and Becoming.”
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
8:45 Motion picture.
9:00 “I Challenge You,” audience participation program.
9:45 “Thanks for Looking” with John Reed King.
N. Y. YANKEE-DETROIT BASEBALL GAME
With Bill Stern, announcer
Supervisor: Burke Crotty
110 Mins.: Wed. (30), 3 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
Burke Crotty, head of field broadcasts for NBC television, has been in the Army the past two years, and during that time little, besides the regular wrestling and boxing shows videod over WNBT, has come from outside the web's studios. Now that he is back at his civilian post there will be more and more special televents on the network's video outlet than heretofore.Initial on-the-spotter that NBC’s ikes lensed under the new setup was part of the first game and the entire second contest of the N. Y. Yankees-Detroit Tigers doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on Memorial Day (30). But there's still a war on, and there's still a terrific shortage of engineering manpower, and there's still equipment that hasn't been refurbished in a couple of years to contend with in picking up remote telecasts.
This was proved last Wednesday. When the cameras were set up at the Stadium, the technical crew ran into difficulty trying to get one of the two lenses in order. And the trouble stumped them all day. Result was that only one camera was used throughout the afternoon, and the viewers at home saw some fairly good pictures of two exciting baseball contests, but undoubtedly the entire viewing could have been much better if the two cameras were in order. The equipment being used today, when it is in order, picks up a better picture than anything in video that has gone before. This was proven by the shots of outfielders, hundreds of feet away from the ikes, catching flies and the action when players were running the bases, beating the throws to the particular sack. Unforturately, though, with only one camera being used, viewers saw the batter only, and the play resulting from the batter's actions, camera panning through, if more than one thing was taking place on the diamond at the same time, the audience at home missed any activity except where the camera was focused. However, Crotty hopes to have everything ship-shape when NBC televises its next game Saturday (9).
As for sound, announcer Bill Stern, a new hand at describing athletic contests over television, had a tendency to mention the obvious too often, using his radio technique, rather than letting the viewers think things out for themselves and filling in at less-frequent intervals. However, undoubtedly he, too, will get into the swing of things with the next baseball telecast. Sten. (Variety, June 6)
NBC
Reviewed Wednesday (30), 3 p.m. Style—Yankee-Detroit baseball game. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Announced to take the air at 3 p.m. with the second game of a doubleheader, the fan, who tuned on his set at that time found only a card being televised; a card saying, in effect, the second game would start in 20 minutes. Later this was changed to a card saying five minutes.
There was fine music to listen to while watching the exciting note to "come back later," but television audiences want action not recorded music. To make it worse the "five-minute card" was up for all of 12 minutes; then the game came on . . . in the second half of the first inning with two men on base.
Why the delay? No one knows! Unless, of course, there was a band playing some unexpected and uncleared music.
Bill Stern did the running description and good, too. His voice was low and calm and perfect for background. But too often he had the wrong man at bat or on base. However, it's obviously a bit different doing a play-by-play for television as compared to radio.
NBC will do better in the future—and there'll be a Yankee ball game once a week when the Yanks are at home. Burke Crotty, director of field broadcasts for NBC tele and fresh out of the army, supervised the production. As he gets his hand back these programs should improve. Lou Frankel (Billboard, June 9)
Hollywood Television Productions, Inc.
Reviewed Wednesday (30). Style—News commentary, puppet, drama. Sustaing [sic] on W6XYZ, Hollywood.
Latest gimmick for whetting viewers' appetites for nets on this station is the use of Paramount Newsreel title which is flashed on the screen immediately after Klaus Landsberg gives his opening announcement. Titles give following news show, made up of still strips from Paramount News, a classy send-off.
Timing between narrator Keith Heatherington and slides has been improved so that now there is smoothly flowing continuity thruout the whole seg. Shots selected were timely, with picture quality constantly improving.
Jack Latham's weekly news shot, Scanning the Globe, was up to its usual high standard. As has been noted before, Latham has an informal style that makes his commentary more of a friendly discussion rather than. a rapid-fire blast of bulletins disgorged by many radio reporters who step over for a shot on video.
Southern Puppeteers put on Cinderella this week, making this the best show they have presented in their series. Since first showing, Landsberg has constantly been trying to improve sets and puppets themselves. In previous puppet telecast, Landsberg found that paint on puppet faces was too bright. He used a new type of paint which took off the gloss. Also furniture on sets was made larger so that it showed up better.
One good scene was where Fairy Godmother casts the spell over Cinderella. In giving this a visual effect, Landsberg changed the contrast level, which dressed up the hocus-pocus. Sound effects were used to good advantage—horses' hoofs, rattle of stagecoach wheels, etc.
In working with puppets and trying to get the most out of these dramas, Landsberg is slanting toward the not-too-distant day of commercials. He believes that puppets will be one of the strongest commercial possibilities and that viewers will stand for a puppet giving product a plug where they might shy away from an announcer. He feels that this will be one of the most effective methods of sugar-coating commercials. Dean Owen. (Billboard, June 9)
Thursday, May 31
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis by Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Film.
8:30-9:00 “Opinions on Trial:” Tipping Should Be Abolished.
CBS
Reviewed Thursday (31), 8-9:30 p.m. Style—News, film, documentary forum. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Tonight's presentation of Unconditional Surrender, a documentary with Dwight Cooke, based on the book by Everett Holles, former CBS television news analyst, while not the very best show seen on the air does open up, for the medium, a type of program which should be a success provided it is handled as capably as Director Leo Hurwitz handled this one. The type of program of which Unconditional Surrender is a forerunner, is the video book review, a sure-fire hit so long as it does not degenerate into a gab-fest between author and critic.
To review Holles' book, Hurwitz used almost everything in the book-his book of news tricks and special effects. Animated maps, still maps, still maps with points penciled in, still photos, music and sound effects. Holles' volume, we presume, is an analytical history of the late and unlamented war against the Western Fascist powers. The show followed that pattern and succeeded in making clear the points which Holles stresses in his book. The direction was precise with few exceptions. Light trouble spoiled some of the shots and a habit of walking in front of floor lights, recently developed by some members of the crew, spoiled some of the others. Studio noise, by the way, was as bad as we have ever heard it at CBS. Cooke fluffed his lines in a few spots, a not uncommon error, and he has not yet learned the trick at which Holles, his predecessor, excelled, how to read a script without looking at it.
But the one big fault with Unconditional Surrender lies not in its technical presentation, but in the materials used in that presentation. Hurwitz had before him the raw clay of history, of drama which exceeds anything the earth has seen since Genghis Khan first swept into Eastern Europe, But he made little of it. It had no punch; it had no real climax. Proper use of music, film clips, sound effects and, of course, a narrator who hits hard, could have made a good show splendid. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, June 9)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. [May 31] Style—News, variety, drama. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
What with one act not showing up, the use of an inexperienced video news commentator and poor camera work thruout, tonight's television show was, in the main, rather pitiful.
Act that didn't show up was the Riffs, amateur juvenile instrumental group. As a result of their not coming thru according to promise, station ought to bar them from future appearances. Television has no place now or later for the undependable.
Commonwealth Edison Welcome to the Walkers episode was ruined by poor camera work that had the cast out of focus much of the time. About a fifth of the script was devoted to a discussion of Mrs. Walker's trouble with a bank account.
This wasn't amusing enough to warrant such lengthy treatment. And while we're in a critical mood, we might as well say we're getting tired of opening shot: hand knocking on, door which is opened by Mr. Walker before he goes thru his routine, "Those people are here again, Polly (his wife); those people all over Chicago." After this has been seen week after week it becomes monotonous and slightly corny.
Jerry Saxon's news program could not have been worse. He read his stuff most of the time, camera angles were very bad. At one point he pointed for a moment to the map. When he called attention to it after his discussion he turned unconscious comedian.
Best part of the show, considered from the viewpoint of what is good all-round video, was a short dance by Loretto Pagels. Her work, modern interpretative dancing, was simply titled, Moods. In about three minutes she managed to depict many human moods of emotion from sorrow to joy. Altho she was offered as definite segment of program, we think her type of work could be most usefully programed as a mood setting introduction or mood depicting part of a dramatic video production. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, June 9)
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