Entertainment. That’s what we need!
The bosses at CBS television decided to give it to audiences in October 1945, getting rid of panel discussions and educational programs (newscasts were spared) and putting on the air some old radio chestnuts and a few other brand-new shows. One was the “Turn On” of its day, the infamous ‘60s show from the producers of “Laugh-In” that made one appearance in some cities before being cancelled. In this case, a comedy sketch show that was to feature Buddy Hackett didn’t make it past one dismal airing.
Still, it was doing better than DuMont in October 1945. WABD was off the air so it could move to a new channel.
NBC’s WNBT was ambitious, continuing with live football and boxing broadcasts via remote truck, as well as some live dramas. It also unveiled new technology which didn’t need a lot of light to take a television picture. NBC president Niles Trammell told the FCC “Television is ready to go.” His station was on the air every night expect Tuesday.
In Chicago, WBKB covered the World Series—using cardboard figures. This month also marked the start of the TV career of newscaster Ulmer Turner, who became a fixture at WBKB.
The New York TV schedules are below, with news and reviews. We’ve left out stories about the endless FCC hearings to assign channels. No sooner was a decision made than another hearing was held to revise it. Some department stores were broadcasting closed-circuit TV. Theatres talked about picking up broadcasts; nothing came of it.
Monday, October 1WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film, “Wings of Democracy.”
8:15 Feature film, “Duke of the Navy” with Ralph Byrd and Veda Ann Borg. (PRC, 1942)
9:20 Televues: “Speedway.”
9:30 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Unbeaten Fred Schott vs. Johnny Thomas, ten rounds.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News and analysis.
8:10 Film.
8:15 Amateur boxing.
NEW YORK, Oct. 1.—CBS television's New York station, WCBW, will spend this month inaugurating eight new commercial-slanted shows, repeating a number of old ones and trying mass-appeal methods as part of the shift from public service to commercial program policy first predicted in The Billboard (September 22). Station switches its broadcast nights from Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, avoiding much of NBC's cornpetish and preems its first sponsored shows, for Lever Bros., during the month.
New sked completely confirms the predictions made in The Billboard, axing educational programs in favor of more salable ones, and retaining The Missus Goes a-Shopping, boxing and news. Encyclopedia show will be aired just once more and in abbreviated form.
October Sked
Columbia October sked, touching only on new programs, follows: October 2—Photocrime, adapted from the Look mag feature, starring Sidney Blackmer; October 5—Pop Ballet, based on the music of Hoagy Carmichael; October 9—Big Sister, sponsored by Lever Bros., adapted from the daytime serial; October 12—How to Keep a Secret, first of a How To series produced by Fred Rickey; October 16—a new comedy show; October 17—Bedelia, a comedy show produced by Paul Belanger—Colonel Stoopnagle may emsee this program; October 19—second of the series adapted from Casey, Press Photographer, Columbia radio strip; October 23—Three Houses, first of a three-part dramatic series; October 24 and 26—second two parts of Three Houses; October 30—sports show sponsored by Lever Bros.
Other nights will be filled with programs like news, Missus, There Ought To Be a Law, and repeats of new shows. Columbia, of course, will try its darndest to peddle the shows to various clients. (Billboard, Oct. 6)
NEW YORK, Oct. 1.—Competition is circling over the prostrate body of poor old DuMont, dropping down every now and again to pick off a hunk of commercial meat. Two clients already have been "lured" away from DuMont's WABD since it was announced that the station will be off the air for three months to adjust its frequency: Lever Bros. moving to Columbia's WCBW and U. S. Rubber taking its biz to NBC- WNBT. Agency cognocenti, who first pointed out the trend, see something familiar in the DuMont stripping, saying that it's just like the "good old days."
Goodyear, which signed with DuMont about two weeks ago, is getting a fast sales pitch, and other DuMont clients and prospects are being rushed like the village belle at a country club dance. Trade reports that Alexander Smith Carpets, Colgate-Polmolive-Peet [sic] and even Ben Pulitzer Ties have been approached by time salesmen.
What interests the trade is what will happen to the sponsors after DuMont returns to the air. If by that time the other two have gone off the air, it's a certainty that WABD will get most of its sponsors back. However, if the others don't go off (some CBS technicians, for instance, think that they may be able to adjust the frequencies without interrupting the skeet), DuMont has a fight on its hands. The whole thing is in a highly speculative state, with enough ifs in the pie to upset even the most carefully laid plans.
Sponsors may object to CBS -NBC production policies, DuMont may have established good enough client relations to get back its bank-rollers with no trouble, the frequency allocation picture may still be so complicated that no one knows who goes where, sponsors may be unwilling to sink dough into low-frequency video before HF is out or—and this is the trade's most pleasing prospect—there may be enough business to fill everyone to capacity.
“Call your color—or numbers.” (Billboard, Oct. 6)
Tuesday, October 2
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 “Photo Crime”: Death Comes to Broadway, with Sidney Blackmer
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
"PHOTOCRIME"
("Death Comes to Broadway")
With Sidney Blackmer, George Blackwood, Mary Orr, Sid Martoff, Robert Emhardt, Phil Kramer, Harry Gresham
Writer: Lela Swift
Director: Worthington Miner
Assistant Director: Cledge Roberts
Scenery: James McNaughton
30 Mins.; Tues. (2), 8:15 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
"Death Comes to Broadway," the first in the "Photocrime" series, added a little vitality video-wise to the medium. Inspired by the special feature of Look magazine, each program will attempt to teledramatize the photo stories that appear in each issue.
Based on the premise that criminals distrust each other and are without honor among themselves, the authors concocted their situation via the proverbial triangle: a penniless criminal eager to escape to another state or country, is forced to send his lame-brained wife to his colleague for funds. He is unaware of the fact that his accomplice desires his erasure, which the latter eventually accomplishes by promising the former's wife many luxuries if she will do the job herself.
Not very convincing, as explained above, and it wasn't. The blame goes directly to the script, making for a very mediocre production, from dialog to situation. The little vitality referred to was injected by the direction and performances. Two excellent settings, with the camera pointing them up to advantage. Musical backgrounds and transition were appropriate, also, "Photocrime" can be a natural for tele if the writers put a better grade ink in their pens. (Variety, Oct. 17)
Wednesday, October 3
WCBW Channel 2
8:00-8:15 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Film.
8:30 “There Ought to Be a Law,” high school student discussion.
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: “Teletruth,” quiz; Feature film: “Tumbledown Ranch in Arizona” with the Range Busters (Monogram, 1941).
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (4) 7:30 to 8:30.Style—News, variety. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
WBKB showed some ingenuity again tonight by using an inexpensive but effective simulated baseball field with "moving" cardboard figures representing players, to give a play-by-play resume of the second game of the World Series.
The device, worked out by Gladys Lundberg, of the WBKB staff, consisted of a large piece of canvas, on which . . .were cardboard figures representing players of both teams. Players moving around the bases were mounted at the end of long sticks, as was a small white globe that represented the baseball itself and was used to indicate the movement of the ball on various plays. Result was good, just about the best that could have been done to illustrate the series in a video fashion short of robot players or movies of the actual game. One mistake was made, however. The sticks to which the cardboard players and the ball were attached was not painted the same color as the board on which the base lines were painted. As a result the sticks showed and destroyed some of the illusion of movement of ball and players (CBS used its bretzacon to do the same job sans sticks, etc.).
Dance team of Claude and Andre, satirists of the dance, who have just finished a tour of officers' clubs thruout the country, gave a good change of pace program comedy stuff but they must still learn that working for television is a lot different than working on a stage. For one thing, they used so much space for their steps theye [sic] were out of the camera's field quite often. Of course that could have been the fault of the gal on the camera too, but the point is that Claud Andre could have helped a great deal by confining the area of their work. And for another thing, Claude made a few remarks, such as "Take a bow," to his partner during the performance. When the team is working on a stage these sotto voice remarks are not heard, but when they're close to a mike, as they were in the WBKB studios tonight, their private conversations detract from their performance.
We still shudder when we recall the last portion of tonight's program. Admiral Radio Corporation's Young Chicago episode. Each week Admiral presents students from various schools in Chicago, who go thru their paces before the television camera. Tonight students of the Jones Commercial School were on hand to try to explain, with reproduction of class room and recreational activity, just what goes on at Jones. It was disjointed, amateur corn and badly prepared in general. It was hardly worth the time of the students who were on hand. We still can't understand how Admiral, which some day will be selling television sets, hopes to stimulate interest in video with such poor program material. (Billboard, Oct. 13)
Friday, October 5
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Friday Night Quarterback.”
8:15 Lease on Life.
8:30 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Johnny Green vs. Jimmy Doyle.
CBS
Reviewed Friday (5), 8-8:30 p.m. Style—News, dance. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Feiner placed dancer Pauline Koner at the apex of several contrasting black and white lines, drawn together to give the impression of depth, and lowered camera No. 1 until it was practically on the floor. The effect, against an impressionistic backdrop (quite a job by set designer Jim McNaughton) was of great depth. Later he placed both cameras in a lap dissolve shot which gave the Impression of two dancers, one large and one small, both doing the same thing, with the smaller one above, behind and slightly to the right of the large one. This sequence was opened with a shot of a young man, nostalgically humming Stardust. He was thrown out of focus and the dancer faded in.
So much for the compliments. Both the opening and closing shot, as well as the general conception, were turgid, to say the least. The over-all theme concerned itself with on American in Singapore, a sort of dancing Humphrey Bogart, who plays the piano and dreams about dancing. He's a hep character and did a sort of impressionistic turn while taking at the ivories. The "he," a gent named J. C. McCord., should have stood in Singapore. To show the contrast between the culture of the East and American jazz, a sort of synthetic harem dance, done by a lady named Teiko, followed McCord. To the music of several weird instruments, mostly string and percussion, she whirled around a bit and then blew. We could have lived without that, too.
Despite the imagination he showed in the Stardust sequence, and its control over the technical phases of video, Feiner's handling of the two numbers mentioned above was far from perfect. The lighting was bad, appearing to conic from all one side, with its resulting shadows, and rarely did he show the dancer's feet, focal point of the art. A few good long shots showing the entire body would have given the viewer a feeling of cohesiveness, a feeling that this was a dance, not a body moving around the screen.
Feiner was assisted by Paul Belanger. Choregraphy was by Pauline Koner and Kitty Doner. Howard Hayes and Ralph Warren did a workmanlike job on the cameras.
For the first time in a long time the Columbia news show failed to live up to the high technical standards which viewers have come to expect from it. In Friday's edition, featuring Tom O'Conner, the lighting was poor and the cuing slow. In a switch from still put to live, during a World Series report the screen went blank for close to 15 seconds. Most of the light seemed to come from the side, throwing heavy shadows on the video newsmen. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 13)
Revision of the tentative assignments of channels for commercial television, including changes in the number of metropolitan stations permitted in many communities, as well as changes in the channel numbers assigned in some cases, were reported yesterday by the Federal Communications Commission.
No changes in the number of community stations assigned were announced by the Commission.
Stations were increased in forty-seven communities and decreased in twenty-three. [No change in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.] (Radio Daily, Oct. 5)
The Waltham Watch Co. has renewed for another 13 weeks its time signals over NBC’s television station, WNBT, it has been announced by Reynold R. Kraft, sales manager of the network’s television department. The two time signals on WNBT every Friday night consist of film and live commentary and end with models of actual Waltham watches showing the correct time. The agency is N. Y. Ayer & Son, Inc. (Radio Daily, Oct. 5)
Saturday, October 6
WNBT Channel 1
2:00-5:00 Football: Columbia vs. Syracuse at Baker Field.
Sunday, October 7
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Presentation—Live talent—“Airtight Alibi” by Walker Hackett; George S. Kaufman’s “If Men Played Cards as Women Do” with Leo. G. Carroll, Neil Hamilton.
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (7) 8-9:15 p.m. Style—Drama, comedy and opportunity. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Then came the stage wait, a pic short and then Anne Elstner and Gayne Sullivan in a little study of hate called Air Tight Alibi. It was a nice thing for the kiddies. Lady Anne hates her husband and decides to poison him. She does and the director steps in at the end and announces that he thinks the performances smell. They weren't that bad, but likewise a study of hate to live must be really out of this world, and Elstner and Sullivan weren't. By the way, the kids stay up these days at least till 10, and a study on how to give father rat poison is hardly a bedtime story. Don't misunderstand that comment. Adult stuff belongs on the air, but little theater crepe-banging doesn't.
Nimitz reception pix were next and then NBC's own video amateur hour. It makes no sense to stand a gal before a camera and tell her to give. That's not television. Sometimes the giving will come thru, but most of the time it shouldn't happen to the Cherry Lane Playhouse . . . or the local barn. Five NBC guidettes were given a camera chance. Claire Cundy danced in dreamt that wasn't made to frame. The Blue Danube, and the cameras made it worse by seldom catching her feet while she was dancing. It seems that NBC camera and dolly men just don't like to catch dancing feet, since this has happened to a number of pro terpists as well as poor Cundy. Out of the five tyros one girl Indicated that she had talent despite the handicaps. She was Betty Beuhlar, who did an excerpt from a play NBC scanned some months ago, and did it well. However, the camera and lights played her dirt and the close-ups squatted her face.
Yes, NBC's Sunday social was certainly a hell of a way to sell the family on buying that air pic receiver. Keep the auditions on the closed circuit, John. In fact keep everything on closed circuit until it rates going on the air with the NBC trade -mark . . . or else a lot of agency men are going to be sure they'll be needed to scan real entertainment, which, of course, the senior net with Men in White, Another Language and a host of other shows has proven isn't so. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Oct. 13)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film, “Wings of Democracy.”
8:15 Feature film, “Hard Guy” with Jack La Rue, Mary Healy and Iris Adrian. (PRC, 1941)
9:20 Televues: “A Man, a Dog and a Gun”.
9:30 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Billy Graham vs. Charley (Cabey) Lewis, lightweights.
Don Lee
Reviewed Monday (8), 8:30 to 10 p.m. Style—Dramatic, film. Sustaining on W6XAO, Hollywood.
This videocast had little to offer in either tele technique or programing. Live part of show was almost entirely devoted to Mutual's Johnson Family, with Jimmy Scribner, as usual, voicing the lines for about 20 different characters. While Scribner is good radio fare, he fizzles on tele. Trouble is not with Scribner so much as it is with the way his show was scanned. Looking at one guy enacting a score of parts is confusing. Viewers could follow plot of the skit if they could go by voice changes alone, but when they had to watch the same guy thruout as he went thru his vocal switches, they not only got tired of seeing the same face but were lost when it came to figuring out who was who.
Scribner was interviewed after the skit in which he demonstrated his multi-voice techniques, and showed how he can create the illusion of two characters talking at the same time. This proved Interesting but unnecessary, considering that he had already done the very same things during the preceding 20 minutes. Interview alone would have been sufficient in introducing Scribner to the air plc audience. With most radio shows falling flat on tele as is, W6XAO asked for a knotty problem in picking The Johnson Family for scanning, but did nothing about presenting it in a comprehensible manner.
CHICAGO, Oct. 8.—Station WBKB grabbed plenty of publicity the hard way last week when radio-tele actor Carl Kroenke swallowed real formaldehyde instead of "turpentine" he was supposed to be drinking. Script of X Marks the Spot, mystery drama, called for Kroenke to drink turpentine. During rehearsal, the formaldehyde from the studio darkroom was substituted by mistake.
Actor was administered antidote in Naval Radio Technician's School, then rushed to hospital for stomach pump. Story was plastered all over Windy City papers. Kroenke, who will recover, says realism is okay but— (Billboard, Oct. 13)
Tuesday, October 9
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 “Big Sister.”
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
Big Sister
Reviewed Tuesday (9), 8:15-8:45 p.m. Style—Dramatic. Sponsored by Lever Bros, Rinso), via Ruthrauff Ryan over WCBW, New York (CBS).
By spring of this year it became apparent to most television reviewers that New York stations had advanced to a point where common technical errors were a thing of the past. After a year or more of practice CBS, albeit not on a par with NBC, seemed to have struggled to a degree of experience where programs could be evaluated purely on the basis of entertainment without worrying about lighting, cueing, camera focus, the location of the mike, etc.
Such, apparently, is not the case. Big Sister was Columbia's first commercial. As such, it deserved special treatment, more precise direction, more professional work on the floor. Instead, Lever Bros. got a level of technical performance which was reminiscent of DuMont in the day of Bob Emory and the WOR Video Varieties. Three times during the program the mike popped into the scene and stayed there for periods varying from 10 to 30 seconds. On several occasions the cameras were out of focus. Once a camera was not set when it went on the air and viewers were treated to one of those fast, out-of-focus pans which distinguish the slovenly show from the professional. The lighting was far, very far, front good.
Trouble seemed to be that the floor lights were not where they should be, when they should be. To top it all off, Mercedes McCambridge who did a fine job as Big Sister, was cut off without credits, whereas the two other players were mentioned.
There is an explanation for all this, and it's one which seems to indicate that CBS has still another long training period ahead of it. According to several informed persons, there is a steadily growing discontent among CBS technical personnel, discontent which culminated in the resignation last week of two key electricians and general rumblings among the rest of the staff. The man who handled one of the mike booms, it is reported, had been on the job for exactly two shows and was hardly fitted for a commercial show.
All of this is not to be construed as meaning that Lee Cooley and Ted Huston, of Ruthrauff & Ryan, did not put together a good show. And for that matter director Tony Miner may have had a hand in the construction of what was an engrossing drama. Part of that credit, too, should go to writer Julian Furst, whose script, altho a bit talky, did manage to hold an audience. One of the few production faults lay in the fact that there was little variety in the camera shots. Perhaps 90 per cent of them were close-ups, making for a hard-to-view, rather disconnected program. The plethora of close shots also made it easier to commit mistakes, since the entire crew was working at close quarters. Anne Shepherd and Bob Stevenson did acceptable jobs in two roles. James McNaughton's sets were not up to par.
Commercials were limited to a short plug at beginning and end. The Rinso White jingle was sung live by the Jubalaires and a woman and a girl made gestures intended to indicate that their clothes were clean, easy to wash, etc., all in front of a six-foot-high Rinso box.
Because the control room and viewing rooms were turned over to a collection of undoubtedly disappointed Lever Bros.' and agency brass hats, the press was relegated to an office somewhat larger than a telephone booth containing a receiver, a desk and a set of chairs. All of which would have been all right except for the fact that the set was on a cue line. And during a short "songfest" film the press was treated to a snafued sound track which switched from My Wild Irish Rose to a less than stirring march (while the Rose lyric was still on the screen) and the confused noise of the studio. What fun! Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 20)
"BIG SISTER"
With Mercedes McCambridge, Anne Shepherd, Bob Stevenson
Writer: Julian Flint
Director: Worthington Miner
Cameras: Howard Hayes, Alan Kleban
Sets: James McNaughton 30 Mins.; Tues. (9), 8:15 p.m.
LEVER BROS. CO.
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
(Ruthrauff & Ryan)
Although the actors appeared distorted on the screen at several points, the show in general was well produced, with three well executed sets by James McNaughton adding to its merits. The cast, all experienced radio actors, demonstrated that soap opera sponsors will not have to go far afield for talent if the serials ever become daily television fare.
Interesting script, penned by Julian Funt, was typical soap opera drama. In this one, the "big sister," played by Mercedes McCambridge, smoothed over trouble in the family of a returning veteran (Bob Stevenson), who was disappointed when he came home to find his wife (Anne Shepherd) so enamoured of the business she took over when he enlisted that she refused to return to her housewifely duties. Disgusted, the veteran planned to reenlist until "big sister," a friend of the family, solved the problem by demonstrating the wife's folly to the latter.
The singing commercial, whose merit as a radio feature continues to be argumentative, was much easier to take via television. "Rinso White," in this instance, was plugged before and after the show. (Variety, Oct. 17)
Indianapolis.—The first television broadcasting station in this city is expected to come into being by Jan. 1. Construction of station W9XMT has been underway since March by the P.R. Mallory, Co., which has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for an experimental license.
It would be used on a non-commercial basis as a proving ground for television engineering and parts manufactured by the company. (Hollywood Reporter, Oct. 9)
Wednesday, October 10
WNBT Channel 1
Unscheduled broadcast of Admiral Nimitz.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00-8:15 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Film.
8:30 Amateur boxing bouts.
Admiral of the Fleet Chester W. Nimitz wound up his visit to this city yesterday with a visit to the WNBT television studio in Radio City at 8:40 A. M., after which, with his staff and Mrs. Nimitz, he was driven to La Guardia Field and boarded a plane for Washington.
Addressing service men in the various local hospitals, Admiral Nimetz cautioned his audience to “help prevent future wars by keeping our fighting forces so strong that aggressor nations will fear to attack us.” The admiral was both heard and seen by television in ten hospitals equipped with a total of fifty-nine receivers installed by the National Broadcasting Company. ... Following his television appearance—his first, it was said—the party was sped to the air field in a Navy station wagon pressed into service when a staff car intended for the trip failed to appear at the appointed time. (New York Times, Oct. 11)
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: “Teletruth,” quiz; Feature film: “Trailing Double Trouble”> withthe Range Busters (Monogram, 1940).
Teletruth
Reviewed Thursday (11), 7-7:30 p.m. Style—Quiz. Sponsored by the Book of Knowledge over WNBT, New York.
Teletruth is billed as a children's quiz show, and it lives up to its billing. The average adult watching it would fast discover that the bouncing, saccharine technique employed by the over genial emsee, Pat Barnes, was enough to turn his stomach, not to say his dial. It may be that the children of the atomic age enjoy Mr. Barnes. That, too, seems highly improbable.
His program is another matter. Teletruth, despite its corny name, is the first video quiz this department has seen so far which was 100 per cent visual and perhaps 85 per cent entertaining, Format is relatively simple. A quartet of those always insufferable brats, brain trusters, are seated behind a long desk. In front of them are cards, bearing point scores. As each one answers a question correctly he is given a dime and 10 points. Highest point score becomes king (or queen) for the next week.
Teletruth could be improved considerably if a few things were done to it. Signs with the contestants names should be more visible, the point score cards should be large enough so that viewers can compare totals in long shots, and the screen where the kids see the questions should be shown. This last point would help preserve informality and establish a sort of relationship between viewers and contestants.
Most of the questions asked on Thursday's stanza seemed a bit too simple for most youngsters, and one stunt In particular was in rather bad taste. In that one the four kids were asked to break a hard-boiled egg on their foreheads and eat it. Fastest one wins. It might have been funny in the sadistic humor of childhood, but adults looking in probably didn't go for it one bit. One of the contestants, quite ill a girl, seemed to be after it. Ronald Oxford did a decent job of direction. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 20)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (11), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—News, variety. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
Some of the top camera work ever done at WBKB was that which was responsible for a major portion of the artistic, entertaining—and video—success of the portion of tonight's show featuring piano playing of Jenya. We have often thought that Jenya's renditions of the classics and the popular was not equaled by accompanying camera work and direction. But tonight Jenya received the kind of handling she deserved. And it was all brought about by the simple process of placing a large mirror at a 45-degree angle with the keyboard and then focusing the cameras on Jenya and on the mirror to bring about some startling and very effective shots.
Mirror was almost as wide as the piano, and about four feet high. All of Jenya, as well as her hands at the keyboard, were reflected in it. By focusing the cameras on the mirror, it was possible to get shots that looked as if the camera were pointed at the front of the pianist, over her head, to the aide, and right over the keyboard. Cameras were placed in back of the pianist, pointing in the direction of her back and facing the mirror. Cameras were not reflected in the mirror because the angle of tilt of the mirror made the mirror reflect only the area in front of the pianist and a few inches in back of her. Cameras were placed farther bock than that and low enough to be pointing up to the mirror at a sharp angle. WBKB production staff proved tonight that it had the creative imagination that will be so necessary in television.
News on the program was handled by Don Ward, who did nothing worthy of special mention. It must be noted in passing, however, that lighting during the newscast was poor and resulted in heavy shadows on Ward's face.
Admiral's Young Chicago program, depicting the student activities of Lindbloom High School was a little better than last week's but there still is plenty of room for improvement. We think it would be a good idea for Admiral to spend a little money to hire some professionals who could put on a show that would not hurt the reputation of a television set manufacturing company. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Oct. 20)
Friday, October 12
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Friday Night Quarterback.”
8:15 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Allie Stolz vs. Pedro Firpo.
WCBS Channel 2
8:00 News with Tom O’Connor.
8:15 “The World We Live In.”
8:30-9:00 “There Ought to Be a Law,” high school student discussion.
Television Productions, Inc.
Reviewed Friday (12), 8:30-9:30 p.m. Style—News, auto show, comics, boxing matches. Sustaining on W6XYZ, Hollywood.
A first-rate eye-catcher, subject was presented in a well-paced, interest-building manner that would make a sponsor beam. Presentation was handled In skit-interview form, and opened with Dick Lane and car company rep driving onto the set. Motor was allowed to idle for a half-minute to let home viewers lend an ear, while Lane, in the meantime, admired auto's gadgets.
Lane, full of enthusiasm, then started firing questions at the company rep as to how the various gimmicks work. As the car man answered each point, the tele eye moved in for a close-up view of what was being explained. This showed how front-wheel tire can be changed by lifting car hood; that rear wheels can be reached thru unhinging fenders; how unbreakable plastic windshield slides in and out, etc. Mention of car's price (less than $1,000) was slipped in during the question-answer patter. Whole thing was rounded out nicely by having the pair say they're going for a spin, and drive off just as they came in.
Car's high luster and light color offered a tough lighting problem, but the juice boys took it in stride. Beams were toned down so that kickbacks were eliminated, yet allowed highlights to come up clearly. Camera crew did a bang-up job in showing auto from flattering angles, keeping focus while car was in motion, and moving swiftly in close-up shots. Latter, more than anything, kept pace at high key.
Tonight's scanning proved three things: (l) Air-pic medium is a natural in car peddling; (2) selling can be handled by building buyer interest instead of knockdown drag-out plugs; (3) auto shows all make top-notch tele fare and prove almost as interesting when viewed at home.
Telecast opened with Paramount News (film-slides), backed by Keith Heatherington's more-than-adequate narration. Boxing bouts (2) staged in studio held the last slot, with Dick Lane doing a good job in the running commentary department. Telecomics (slides) were on the upgrade, with cue kinks ironed out so that voicings synochronize smoothly with slide changes. Lee Zhito. (Billboard, Oct. 27)
Saturday, October 13
WNBT Channel 1
1:00 Pre-game ceremonies.
2:00-5:00 Football: Army vs. Michigan at Yankee Stadium.
Sunday, October 14
WNBT Channel 1
2:20 Football: Boston Yankees vs. N.Y. Giants at Yankee Stadium, Arthur Daley play-by-play.
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Variety show.
Washington, Oct. 14.—Manufacture of color television receiving and transmission equipment is already under way, Peter Goldmark, CBS video engineer, testified at second day of the FCC hearings on proposed new rules for video.
"Receiver development, both direct viewing and projection," said Goldmark, "is now being carried out in the CBS laboratories. The General Electric Company recently entered into cooperative arrangement to take CBS receiver developments and turn them into commercial products. First GE receiver samples will be available by the end of January. All receiver manufacturers will have an equal chance to obtain designs and licenses under the Columbia patents."
Goldmark disclosed that Westinghouse is already producing CBS color video equipment. CBS will install color television transmitter in the Chrysler Building in New York, he said. (Daily Variety, Oct. 14)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film, “Wings of Democracy.”
8:15 Feature film, “Fiddlers Three” with Tommy Trinder. (UK-Ealing, 1944)
9:20 Televues: “Winter Sports”.
9:30 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Tiger Wade vs. Ossie Harris, ten rounds.
Tuesday, October 16
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 “Laughtime.”
8:45 Motion picture.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
Laugh Time
Reviewed Tuesday (16), 8:15-8:30 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Laugh Time just wasn't funny. It was decently directed and used at least one interesting special effect (its closing shot), but it was slapstick vaude on video, and as such it didn't register.
Billy K. Wells wrote a blackout script (based on his Scandals skit, Floogle Street) which was at least as good as the stuff that used to wow them on the two-a-day. Buddy Hackett, a roly-poly comic, did a better-than-average job as a Class A schlemiel. And the supporting players, Hildegarde Halliday, Marcella Markham, Paul Brilliant, Herbert Graham and Mr. King, were well up to snuff. While the camera work was far from perfect, it was not bad enough to really detract from the script. And even the bad lighting didn't ruin things completely.
But what probably did louse up the show was the fact that it transferred vaude into tele making no allowance for the difference in medium. While none of the material was even slightly blue, most of it was suited for a large theater, not a living room. The gags, routines and slaps lacked the intimate quality that video seems to ask in all except dramatic productions. There may be a lesson for television in this. Altho legit method, have fairly well proven themselves at NBC and elsewhere, variety has always been a problem. And now at least one attempt at a blackout skit has flopped.
Show was produced by Bud Gamble and Bob Loewi, with Tony Miner calling the shots for CBS. Howard Hayes and Ralph Warren were on the cameras; Jim McNaughton did the sets and Blanche Hunter handled the make-up. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 27)
Wednesday, October 17
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Films of arrival of the Fleet in San Francisco and New York.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00-8:15 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Film.
8:30 Amateur boxing bouts.
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: “Teletruth,” quiz; Feature film: “Fugitive Valley” with the Range Busters (Monogram, 1941).
Balaban & Katz
Thursday (18), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—News, vocal, drama. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
If the professional radio and stage actor of today doesn't bother to learn the tricks of television acting, the hard-working amateurs who are not sparing effort to learn the fine points of video techniques could natty take over and above the professionals out of the television race. That was the lesson pointed out during tonight's program on WBKB, when a group of actors from the Central Radio Workshop of the Board of Education did sonic of the finest video acting ever seen on WBKB.
Vehicle used to demonstrate this lesson was a television adaptation of a drama originally written for radio by George Jennings, acting director of Chicago's Board of Education Radio Council. In addition to kudos for the high school amateurs—none more than 18—who did the acting, a bow should go to Robert Miller, who adapted Jennings' script for television, and to Beulah Zachary, who directed the video drama.
The drama, a story of what happened to people who possessed a certain ring in ancient times in the Far East, utilized six characters (two of them merely off-stage voices), and had a simple story line with only two scenes. Utilization of this simplicity of structure was in itself good television programing, for it gave the actions of the characters and excellent camera work a chance to work to the best advantage in projecting a dramatic impact that was not ruined by the distractions of extraneous details.
In the two scenes, one laid in a Far Eastern street and one in the shop of a goldsmith, the complete story was told of how possession of a cursed ring brought trouble on the heads of two beggars and the goldsmith. The beggars were played by Richard Thorne and Malcolm Reeves, the goldsmith by Joseph Glasner, and a soldier by Robert Gigante. Offstage voice of a merchant was that of Robert Miller, and the voice of the ring, which acted as narrator, was that of Dolores Mohrbacher.
Use of the off-stage voices was good programing on the part of Miller and Miss Zachary. It carried the drama along utilized only a few persons in each scene and thus made possible some good close-up shots that were very effective.
Total coat of the program was $30, and that for rental of costumes. Effective backgrounds were painted on brown wrapping paper. Background detail was clear and gave the illusion of being third-dimensional.
Cast rehearsed about eight hours before coming to the WBKB studios and then rehearsed about two hours in front of the cameras. Even if the cast had been paid AFRA rates, costs, considering there were only 10 hours of rehearsal, would not have been prohibitive for commercial sponsorship in the future when there are plenty of video receivers here.
Preceding The Ring drama was a bit of video programing that was plenty bad. Thelma Gardner, dressed in typical cowgirl clothes, sang some folk tunes. Her voice was far from the best, and the background behind her was not of the right shade. Often her hat and the edges of her dress seemed to blend into the background. About the only worthwhile bit of television here was the camera work, which included some very effective angle and close-up shots.
Program was rounded out by the newscasting of Don Ward, who also interviewed Milton D. Cohn, national commander of the Dsiabled [sic] American Veterans. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Oct. 27)
Friday, October 19
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Friday Night Quarterback.”
8:15 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Tony Janiero vs. Al Guido.
WCBS Channel 2
8:00 News with Tom O’Connor.
8:15 “The World We Live In.”
8:30-9:00 “Casey, Press Photographer.”
Washington—Three FM applications and four commercial tele applications to the FCC have been withdrawn at the request of the applicants.
Filene’s Television, Inc., Boston; Central Ohio Broadcasting Co., Columbus and Cincinnati Broadcasting, Co., Cincinnati, all of whom had applied for both FM and tele stations, withdrew their applications.
The application of Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories, Inc., Boston, Mass., for a commercial tele station was returned at Du Mont’s request.
Speculation here is to the effect that numbers of teleapplicants might withdraw their applications for commercial stations because of the proposed ban on television towers. (Radio Daily, Oct. 19)
Saturday, October 20
WNBT Channel 1
2:00-5:00 Football: Columbia vs. Colgate at Baker Field.
Sunday, October 21
WNBT Channel 1
2:30 Football: Giants vs. Pittsburgh.
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Feature Presentation: “Bedelia,” play by Vera Caspary.
Bedelia
Reviewed Sunday (21). 8:15-9:45 p m. Style—Drama. Sustaining over WNBT (New York), NBC.
Once again Fred Coe labored and brought forth a production that couldn’t have held an audience in the home for half the period it was on the air. True, Coe can't be blamed entirely for the lack of holding quality, altho his jerky scripting of Vera Casparay's novel, Bedelia was one of its faults. The major fault lay in the fact that the lead parts required star performers and instead had adequate ones. Either the part Bedelia was a well-etched characterization or there was no show. Fay Ball indicated that she wasn't certain in her own mind what manner of a woman the girl who killed her husband was—and came thru the scanning that way. The same criticism can be leveled at Thomas Hume's Charlie Horst (her final husband). When one of the performers was sure of himself, the play came to life as in the case of Walter Coy's detective Ben Chaney. Coy was real. Even when he went up in his lines he still was Ben Chaney. NBC, or some one in its television department, must have a yen for plays in which wives poison husbands: Bedelia is its second poison air pie in three-weeks.
In closing this tabbing, there's a word or two to say about technical production slips. There were more than usual in this presentation. The camera caught a floor man, suspenders and all at one time. Off-stage noises were distracting at least eight times. In too many of the two-shots, the focus was on the wrong player, with the one upon whom the attention was audience-focused lacking in clarity. There were bad shadows thruout, shadows that wouldn't have existed in a home, but would have with an amateur taker of still pictures. When a girl's hands have well-defined veins, they shouldn't be used for a close-up—or should be made up to avoid that artery look. These errors give you some idea of what went on.
Credit Bedelia as a good college try for NBC. If air-pic had no novelty it would have been turned off after the first 15 minutes. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Oct. 27)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film, “Wings of Democracy.”
8:13 Feature film, “Prison Girl” (aka “Gallant Lady”) with Rose Hobart and Sidney Blackmer (PRC, 1942).
9:21 Televues.
9:31 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Pat Scanlon vs. Gus “Pell” Mell.
Chicago.—The first television show to be presented by the Army will be produced over WBKB in Chicago by the Sixth Transportation Zone Nov. 13.
S/Sgt. Saul C. Korkin, of the public relations office, will write and produce the show, entitled “The Transportation Corps Brings ‘Em Back.” (Hollywood Reporter, Oct. 22)
Tuesday, October 23
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Comedy: “Three Houses.”
8:30 Motion picture.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
Three Houses
Reviewed Tuesday (23), 8:15-8:30 p.rn. Style—Dramatic. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
CBS has a most interesting television station. One week (as in the case of Big Sister) the level of technical performance will drop to awesome depths. And other weeks, as in the case of Three Houses, director and crew will comporte themselves with commendable skill. Never a dull moment.
What Three Houses made up in technique, however. it lacked in writing and, to a lesser extent, in production. First of a three-part strip, it suffered from a bad case of wind and even worse case of construction and a touch of coyness. Writers Peggy Mayer and Marian Spitzer came up with a script which was far too talky and far too static. And being the first act of a dramatic series, it should have done a better job of catching audience interest. Since it was intended as a sort of cliff hanger, someone should have been left hanging on a cliff.
But no. After an almost interminable session of talking about a conflict (between new neighbors and old settlers), it concluded with a bit of something about: "Well, we'll see what happens."
Producer Ben Feiner went cute in his opening, using a gag which might have been effective if It hadn't been so long. Three drawings of the three houses were mounted on a horizontally revolving drum. With a camera focused on it, the drum was moved back and forth as an off-screen voice told about each house, its occupants and generally set the scene. Now all of that might have gone well, but it ran so long and had such a coy stir about it that most viewers probably settled down to hate the show from the very beginning.
Most of the cast, which included Marty Miller, Janet Megrew, Bonnie Baken, Henry Barnard and Dulie Cooper, turned in better than acceptable performances. However, Russell Collins, as a sort of Mr. Aldrich, seemed stiff. In his effort to play the wise, tolerant, pipe-puffing panto, he went way overboard.
Jim McNaughton did a fine job on the one set, the front of one of the three houses, givtng it an effective outdoorsy feeling. Howard Hayes and Ralph Warren pushed and focused their cameras with skill. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Nov. 3)
Wednesday, October 24
WCBW Channel 2
8:00-8:15 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Domestic Comedy: “Three Houses,” part 2.
8:30 Film.
8:45 Amateur boxing bouts.
WNBT Channel 1
7:00-8:30 Children’s Program: “Teletruth,” quiz; Feature film: “Billy the Kid Wanted” with Buster Crabbe (PRC, 1941).
"KING'S RECORD SHOP"
With John Reed King
Director: Bobby Henry
30 Mins., Wed. [Sept. 25] 8
WRGB, Schenectady, N. Y. (ABC-Blue)
Show cooked up by the ABC (Blue) production department for presentation over General Electric's Schenectady outlet gives staunch support to a vast sector of the industry which believes that while video is in the toddling stage, programming keynote should be simplicity.
"King's Record Shop" provides a punchy argument in that behalf. There are no complicated picture patterns to divert from essential entertainment factors and as a result the show moves at fast pace. Show is based as a listener-participation stunt with beholders phoning in names of either singers or songs of records played by John Reed King. Disk is selected by studio visitors.
Effectiveness of the show is amply attested to by the fact that in few cases did more than 10 seconds elapse between phone calls during the time disk was spinning. Also bearing out contention that at present accent should be on audio values is borne out by fact that an FM listener telephoned in, which indicates that aural values can pull in more than the relatively small number of listeners on tele receivers.
Much credit is due to King's handling of the proceedings. Working without a script, he ad-libs effectively and pulled off a stunt that would do credit to "Truth or Consequences" by getting" a middle-aged couple in the booth along with a sailor, then blindfolding the femme to see if she could detect the one making advances. Jose. (Variety, Oct. 31)
NEW YORK. Oct. 29.—Most sensitive television tube yet manufactured, the RCA image orthicon, which picks up a picture by the light of a single candle, a match, the glow of a cigarette or infrared ray light, was demonstrated to the press and industry here by RCA and NBC Thursday (25). New tube, available before the war, but held secret by request of the War Department, will be used by NBC television at first chiefly to telecast news and special events outside the regular studio.
Developed by three RCA research men, Dr. Albert Rose, Dr. Paul K. Weimer and Dr. Harold B. Law, in co-operation with the entire RCA research and engineering staff, the tube works on a principle of electronic multiplication. As electrons are emitted from the primary puree, the photo-sensitive face of tube, they are guided to a series of targets known as "dynodes," each of which then emits two electrons for each one which strikes it. By doubling the number of electrons which strike the target or targets, the signal is greatly strengthened. When all the electrons reach the signal plate in the back of the tube, the light value of the picture is doubled by each dynode it has struck.
Detail Loss and Flare
Pictures demonstrated to the press Thursday scanned by very faint light had a tendency to lose detail and flare around the edges. However, the important fact was that they could be seen at all. Ordinary iconoscopes and orthicons would show no picture under similar circumstances. Dr. E. W. Engstrom, RCA lab's research director, explained that ordinary light, under which this tube is expected to work most frequently, would practically eliminate the flare and that there would be much greater detail than in the demonstration.
Dr. Engstrom also pointed out in response to a query that the amplification of electrons can be controlled so that bright sunlight would not mean too much light and a consequent over-brightness on the receiving tube.
RCA expects to be able to make deliveries of the new tube, built into a compact, lightweight camera, within six months.
Most interesting part of the demonstration, but the one which RCA engineers expect to have the least practical value, is the fact that it can pick up a picture under light not visible to the human eye. Infrared rays were projected on the stage in the NBC studio where the demonstration was held. And even tho the studio was in pitch darkness, a good, fairly bright picture was received on sets located in various parts of the room. (Billboard, Nov. 3)
Friday, October 26
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Friday Night Quarterback” with Lou Little.
8:15 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30 Boxing at St. Nicholas Arena, Cleo Shans vs. Humberto Zavala.
8:00 News with Tom O’Connor. Guest, Admiral Munroe Kelly.
8:15 Comedy: “Three Houses.”
8:30-9:00 “There Ought to Be a Law,” high school students discuss.
"THREE HOUSES"
With Marty Miller, Henry Barnard, Julie Warren, Wynne Gibson, Bonnie Baker, Richard Via, Paul Kornspan
Writers: Peggy Mayer, Marian Spitzer
Director: Ben Feiner
Ass't director: Cledge Roberts
Cameras: Howard Hayes, Ralph Warren
Sets: James McNaughton
30 Mins.; Tues. (23), Wed. (21), Fri. (26), 8:10 p.m.
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
Following up its recent televising of a sponsored soap opera, the CBS tele programming department continued its experiments along these lines with "Three Houses," the first serial of its type ever attempted via video. Presented in three installments, the latest programming wrinkle evidenced that video audiences will get no more tired of viewing the same actors every day than radio audiences now get of hearing them and that serialized soap operas might fill the bill for "live" shows on future matinee television.
Plot of "Three Houses" was amusing but trivial, with credit due the directors for keeping the show moving. Penned by Peggy Mayer, radio script writer, and Marian Spitzer, who worked on the script for the "Dolly Sisters" film, the material gave mundane incidents in the lives of three neighboring families. Action revolved around Karl Bentley (Marty Miller), diminutive star of the show. A precocious "'fixer," the youngster brought his talents into play to straighten out the squabbles between two of the families and to make sure his sister had a date for the big dance.
Script writers did well with the continuity of the three chapters and managed to maintain interest by cutting each installment at a crucial point in the story. Acting was adequate for the story, but members of the cast missed their cues several times. Sets were excellent, with the cameras displaying them to full advantage. Given better scripts, the installment plan of televising could be used to good advantage for such programs as educational features, besides its soap opera potentialities. (Variety, Oct. 31)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Friday (26), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—News, variety. Sustaining and commercial on WBKB, Chicago.
WBKB's program tonight was a hodgepodge of variety; some good, some bad.
On the acceptable side of the ledger may be included a newscast by Ulmer Turner, Commonwealth Edison's Telequizicalls, and some excellent harmonica playing by Ernie Morris, former member of Borrah Minevitch's Harmonica Rascals.
For the Ernie Morris harmonica playing, the camera gals did some good work, moving in at just the right time, taking some unusual, effective, from-the-floor angle shots. Holding of the goad shots just long enough was noticeable as a part of the good direction done for Morris. Morris's playing, itself, was above criticism. Only mistake was that of having him wear a dark suit. Morris's dark skin should have been set off with a light suit.
The Commonwealth Edison quizicall has improved since we last saw it a few months ago, with Emsee Bill Anson improving his camera presence, and his new assistant, Meg Haun, doing almost as well as her predecessor, Barbara Brewer.
One of the worst parts of the program tonight was a station-break time commercial for Elgin Watch. Lighting on Joe Wilson, who gave the pitch, was bad, and as a clincher, the watch caught in a full-screen view had the wrong time! Wilson's pigskin predictions were bad, too, but that was the station's fault and not his. Principal and only trouble (but that was plenty) was not showing as he read his predictions. Only shot during the predictions was that of a slide with a drawing of a football player and a title. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Nov. 3)
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 26 (UP)—If George Munger, Penn’s ailing coach, is unable to attend the Navy game tomorrow, he will witness play through a television broadcast into his hospital room. Munger is suffering from grip and his physicians say he may not be well enough to attend the game.
Westinghouse Radio, Inc., now has the FCC green light to experiment with stratovision—new method proposed to broadcast FM. television and facsimile programs from airplanes strung together in a Coast-to-Coast network. Under an FCC authorization Friday (26), company plane construction of five developmental stations for use anywhere within the U. S. to test out the new broadcast method....
FCC members, whose provided visit to the Westinghouse Baltimore plant, where most of pioneer work in stratovision was and is being done, had to be canceled early this summer, are now looking forward to a rain-check invitation for a first-hand look at the new radio baby.
Under the proposed system, Westinghouse will install four transmitters in one plane which flies over a designated area at approximately 30.000 feet. Two of the transmitters will broadcast FM, a third will be used for video testing, and the fourth, for relaying test signals and programs to another plane. A fifth station will be located on the ground to relay signals to the plane in flight. (Billboard, Nov. 3)
Hollywood—Walt Disney Productions Inc. has applied to the FCC for a license to erect and operate a television station at the organization’s studios in Burbank. Transmitter for the proposed station would be atop Mt. Lowe, approval for which has been granted by the Dept. of Argiculture Forest Service. (Radio Daily, Oct. 27)
Saturday, October 27
WNBT Channel 1
1:15-2:00 Navy Day programs including commissioning of carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Truman at Central Park.
2:00-5:00 Football: Army vs. Duke.
8:00 Navy films.
Special receivers had been set up in Army and Navy convalescent hospitals around the New York area so that thousands of convalescent members of the army forces could view the President. The Navy League dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria also was telecast by the new cameras.
Other N. B. C. motion picture cameras recorded the other phases of the Navy Day ceremonies including the commissioning by the President of the carrier, Franklin D. Roosevelt; the parade from the Battery to City Hall; ceremonies aboard the battleship, Missouri, and the review of the fleet. The films were processed during the day and were flashed on television screens last night. (Herald Tribune, Oct. 28)
CBS television cameraman Alan Kleban will make full use of modern air-and-sea developments tomorrow [27] when he photographs the Fleet from a Navy blimp. Kleban will take his pictures, encase the films in a watertight container and drop them via parachute to a waiting tug. From there the films will be rushed to CBS studios for presentation that night. (Radio Daily, Oct. 26)
STANDARD OIL Co. of New Jersey, New York (Esso Marketers), sponsored NBC’s television newsreel coverage of the Navy Day celebration in New York, with films being telecast both Saturday and Sunday evening on WNBT New York, WRGB Schenectady and WPTZ Philadelphia. In addition to newsreel showing the commissioning of aircraft carrier “Franklin Delano Roosevelt”, the parade and President Truman’s address in Central Park. the program included views of the fleet at anchor taken from a Navy blimp. Films were dropped into the Hudson River where they were picked up by a Navy crash boat and rushed to processing labs. R. M. GRAY, manager of the advertising-sales promotion department of the company, called the Navy Day program “A good example of the news service Esso marketers expect to furnish to television audiences on a regular schedule.” (Broadcasting, Nov. 6)
Sunday, October 28
WNBT Channel 1
2:20 Football: Giants vs. Washington Redskins at the Polo Grounds.
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Feature Presentation: “Winterset,” play by Maxwell Anderson, with Jon McQuade, Eva Langherd and others.
Winterset
Reviewed Sunday (28), 8:35-10:10 p.m. Style—Drama. Sustaining over WNBT (New York) NBC.
Maxwell Anderson's Winterset having passed then two lives, across the footlights and screen, came this evening to the picture air and proved good enough to rise above uninspired production and playing. Don't be mislead. Winterset was good video. You didn't want to get up and leave the room to pour yourself a drink, not even during the two-minute intermissions. But what was inspiring and thrilling on the stage, what with gripping on the screen, came thru the kinescope as just fair drama. The televised play was simply a camera reporting job, with a few screen shots thrown in for realism, since the sets, for almost the first time on NBC, just didn't seem real.
Anatole Winogradoff, who played Esdras in the original version, played the part again this evening. He seemed real in the theater—he seemed false on television; removing the footlights does things to performances that can't be ignored. The part of Esdras was an excellent example of what happens when the medium is changed and the playing isn't. Jon McQuade, who played Mio, the Burgess Meredith part, was good. At times better than good. For the most part, however, his performance was earthbound and the character isn't. The same was true of Eva Langbord as Mirianne (the Margo part).
What was most at fault might be found in the fact that none of the characters came then the scanning real enough to grip your heart—it was all too impersonal. Winterset either gets to you or it fails. Trock (Peter Cappelle), for instance, was a carbon copy of some thousand-odd bad men that have walked across the screen and snarled across the footlights. Judge Gaunt (Gordon Rhodes) wasn't searching for anything but the next line he was to give forthwith . . . And so on. It was most unfortunate that no attempt was made to really present a television version of Winterset thru the use of slides, tabbing each scene they managed at times to slow down plot movement to a walk. Too often they permitted the tube to stay at black level, when the play was crying for speed. The composition of many of the camera shots was poor to say the least, with parts of legs, heads, bodies and even faces of characters who were not "on camera" intruding on the viewer. Then, too, almost 60 per cent of the scenes were played profile, the toughest way for any actor to play an emotional scene.
Still the Maxwell Anderson play held in spite of it all. The 10 years since it opened at Martin Beck Theater (September 25, 1945) haven't dulled it, altho Producer-Director Ernest Colling's complete cutting out of way Mio's father was really executed (his so-called "radical" leanings) certainly didn't help the Anderson script. The scanning magnified its faults and diminished its virtues (the two out-of-this-world youngsters, Mio and Mirianne).
Television doesn't advance, even a shadow, when it transcribes entertainment from another medium. The “art” of presenting air-pic has something all its own and, during these days, NBC should be in there developing it—or at least someone should. Even Hollywood has done things for motion pictures. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Nov. 3)
"WINTER SET"
With Jon McQuade, Eva Langbord, Peter Capelle, Thomas Nello, Ralph Ahearn, Anatole Winogradoff, Grandon Rhodes, Syd Martoff, Anthony Blair
Writer: Maxwell Anderson
Producer-Director: Ernest Colling
Sets: Robert Wade
Technical Director: Reid Davis
90 Mins.; Sunday (28), 8:45 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT, NBC, N. Y.
Programmers at WNBT made a wise choice in selecting Maxwell Anderson's "Winterset" as the first full-length legit, production to be televised since the station began its post-war Sunday night broadcasts. With two simple sets and its chief attraction not the action but the poetic quality of Anderson's dialog, the play is especially well suited for television, and suffice it to say that Ernest Colling, producer, made the mast of overcoming whatever limitations were imposed by the small size of the television studio, as compared to a stage.
It's unfortunate, however, that the cameramen could not use the new super-sensitive tube, since the lighting was bad at several points with the images hardly discernible on the screen. Another disappointing aspect was the use of a narrator to announce the intermissions. Only heard between acts, the narrator followed his announcements with a persuasive speech to stay tuned for the next act—a "don't-go-way,-you-ain't-seen-nothing-yet" sort of thing, which could have been done much better by merely flashing the announcement of the intermission on the screen.
Now-familiar plot of "Winterset" is said to be based on the famous Sacco-Vanzetti case. It was a whale of a east that Colling assembled for the show but tops among them was Jon McQuade, with a moving portrayal of the idealistic Mio, whose entire life had been frustrated by the shadow of his father's execution. Eva Langbord, who replaced Margo in the feminine lead in the original Broadway production, was also excellent. Anatole Winogradoff was capital in the role of Esdras, the old Jewish patriarch, which he portrayed in the original Broadway cast, and kudos are also due Peter Capella as the gang chief.
Accompanying musical score did much to heighten the emotional mood. Robert Wade's two sets were fine, with the backdrop for the Brooklyn Bridge scene especially praiseworthy. (Variety, Oct. 31)
Monday, October 29
8:00 Film, “Wings of Democracy.”
8:13 Feature film, “A Yank in Libya” with H.B. Warner, Walter Woolf King, Parkyakarkus (PRC, 1942).
9:20 Televues.
9:30 Diary of a Sergeant.
9:52 Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Tony Riccio vs. Vinnie Rossano.
Tuesday, October 30
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Bolero.
8:25 Milton Bacon, stories of Americana.
8:40 Motion picture.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
Wednesday, October 31
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Herald Tribune Forum: Sec. of State Byrnes, Sec. of Labor Schwellenbach, Dr. Vannevar Bush. WCBW Channel 2
8:00-8:15 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 “Laughtime” with Buddy Hackett.
8:30 Film.
8:45 Amateur boxing bouts.
Second in the video series of four vaude sketches entitled "Laughtime," scheduled by WCBW (CBS, N. Y.) for Wednesday night (31), was cancelled at the last moment as "not ready," after critics had given such a terrific panning to the show's first installment two weeks previously.
Series is supposedly a "test of the effectiveness of established American vaudeville humor when adapted for television." Indie producers Bud Gamble and Bob Loewi packaged the show for CBS. (Variety, Nov. 7)
ABC-Philco
Reviewed Wednesday (31) 8:20-9 p.m. Style—Film, Sustaining over WPTZ, Philadelphia.
Just about the best film record of New York's Navy Day celebration and the events preceding and following it that this department has seen to date was aired over WPTZ by the American Broadcasting Company in co-operation with its affiliate, WFIL, in Philadelphia Wednesday night. ABC took the barebones of the celebration, the Truman speeches and the fan-fare, dressed it in a thick layer of human interest and came up with a warm, interesting film.
ABC's camera crews, starting with the arrival of the Enterprise and Monterey on October 24, specialized in shots of men rather than machines. interlarded it generously with spectator reactions, some really fine shots of the ships, kept verbiage at a minimum and wound up with a documentary that hit all the high spots of New York's five days of nautical neurosis. The net's report went farther than simple reporting of all the speeches, reviews, motorcades. etc., and instead shot a film which is a fitting document of our navy and the public's reaction to it.
A very special compliment should be paid to Walter Kiernan, ABC commentator, who handled the narration with his usual calm, dry wit. Kiernan, a sort of Arthur Godfryish character, found no need to resort to the hushed tones or the gee whiz! school of reporting which seems to thrive on this sort of thing. He was human and turned a human job.
About the only thing wrong with this ABC job is the fact that the sound was recorded on wax rather than film. In spots this produced a commentary which was not in sync with the picture but the lag was not so great as to ruin the show.
Coverage of the celebration was directed by Harvey Marlowe, ABC producer, and Paul Mowrey, ABC tele division manager. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Nov. 10)
