DuMont’s WABD New York had been assigned Channel 5 by the FCC, but couldn’t broadcast on the new frequency—it had been on Channel 4—until it modified its transmitter. To do that, it had to go off the air. But in the meantime, the FCC had changed the rules and decided New York was to have four channels—and Channel 5 wasn’t among them. On top of that, DuMont had worked out a business deal with ABC that would have meant money, but that was off because WABD wasn’t on.
It’s September 1945. With the war over, the FCC evidently decided the time for large numbers of experimental TV stations was over, too. It denied more than a dozen applications for experimental licenses.
The big change at CBS was the departure of Gilbert Seldes, the noted author who was running the television department. His days were numbered when an ex-manager returned from the war. With Seldes gone, the Tiffany Network decided some programming changes were in order. Education was out.
WCBW began airing a radio favourite, “Casey Crime Photographer.” Radio’s Casey, Staats Cotsworth, didn’t come along but John Gibson, who played bartender Ethelbert, made the jump to the new medium.
This month, Miss America was crowned on TV for the first time, relayed to three stations. She was Bess Myerson, who had poise and class and a future career as a panellist on “I’ve Got a Secret.”
NBC brought in one of the greats to call play-by-play. Red Barber was at the microphone for a college football game. You probably know him as the voice of the Brooklyn Dodgers who trained a young man named Vin Scully.
Making what likely was her TV debut in September 1945 was funny character actress Mary Wickes.
Saturday, September 1
WNBT Channel 1
2:25-5:30 Baseball: Giants vs. Dodgers at the Polo Grounds.
NEW YORK, Sept. 1.—American Broadcasting tele department this week got into the video special events film swim (see CBS story elsewhere in this section) with a decision that it will continue to cover news events via 35mm. pix, beginning next week. Web is establishing a department under Director Harvey Marlowe which will cover news and specials as they arise. Danny Geis has already been hired on a retainer basis to handle film editing and free-lance union newsreel cameramen have been put on call. First test, designed to prove the practicability of the plan, was the recently filmed and televised Esquire all-American boys' baseball game. Pix taken of the game by ABC men were scanned at the Wanamaker-DuMont station, WABD, Thursday (30), and will also be shown over WRGB, Schenectady, and WPTZ, Philadelphia.
Miss America Shooting
Web's tele topper, Paul Mowrey, felt the test proved the idea could work and got a go-ahead on another shot, the Atlantic City Beauty Contest, which will be aired at Wanamaker-DuMont next Tuesday (4) and at WRGB and WPTZ at later dates. Net will try to get sponsors for the stuff it shoots but legitimate news stories will probably remain sustaining.
Interesting angle in the story is the fact that ABC is paying no "facilities" charges at Wanamaker-DuMont for airing of film despite the fact that station recently laid down the edict that no possible future competitor could use its facilities without paying a stiff charge. ABC has gotten around the thing by simply offering film and stations snapped it up. (Variety, Sept. 8)
Sunday, September 2
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Feature Presentation: “Another Language,” play by Rose Franken.
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (2), 8-19 p.m. [sic] Style—Newsreel, interview, drama. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Another Language, a television adaptation of the play by Rose Franken, was an auspicious beginning to NBC's fall dramatic season. An adult play, well presented and well acted, it was on a level where it can stand on its own merits as a drama without the added discussion of technical considerations.
In fact, there were only three places where it departed from an otherwise flawless performance by Director Ronald Oxford and his camera crew. One was a grouping in which a flower decoration hid the face of an actor. The second was a shot in which the edge of a table was so prominent in the foreground as to distract attention from the characters grouped around it. And the third was the flat lighting in the second act. Aside from those three things, Another Language came well up to the standard which Producer Edward Sobol set for himself (and, incidentally, for television) in previous successes.
Act one of the Rose Franken drama moved slowly in several spots, principally because too much time was spent in delineation of character and too little in exposition of the plot. From there on, however, the pacing and action was splendid. But more important than analysis of dramatic construction is the always evident fact that this was a play which went far beyond the purile bonds of most radio playwriting and almost all television. Another Language was a study of the rebellion of three sensitive minds, one of them a bit dulled perhaps against a group of petty, crass people. Even if it were not complicated with a love affair between a young man and his aunt, it would have been deserving of serious attention. Perhaps for Broadway it was not a great play, but for the vastly more commercial art of television it was a smash hit.
Jane Middleton turned in an intelligent, restrained performance as the Aunt Stella, and Jean Adair, as her dominee ing mother-in-law, was properly false and properly bitchy—a sort of aged Tallulah Bankhead. John Kane, as the good-time-Charlie brother, made a notable contribution despite his small role. Robert Wade's sets added a great deal to the effectiveness of the play, and the camera work (NBC policy, for some obscure reason, forbids release of the name of cameramen) was excellent. An interesting newsreel on the events leading to the surrender of Japan and a very dull interview about a sewing contest rounded out the evening. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Sept. 8)
"ANOTHER LANGUAGE"
With Jane Middlelon, Philip Foster, Bernard Carson, Jean Adair, Richard Barrows, Muriel Campbell, Paul Ford. Mary Michael, John Kane, Hugh Rennie, Helen Spring
Producer: Edward Sobol
Director: Ronald Oxford
Technical Director: Howard Gronberg
59 Mins.: Sun., 8:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
Although over a dozen years old. Rose Franken's play proved excellent television fare after a slow start. In fact the story was so absorbing that the medium was almost completely forgotten, which is theatre at its best. Once play got moving, except for a few gaps here and there when it became apparent that script had been written so long ago, drama was vivid, moving and homey throughout.
Stage play setting made this a natural for tele and tale was given full treatment that made lookers-on realize that video can give out with large-sized productions.
Jane Middleton scored as femme lead, turning in a splendid performance as a young married art student. Bernard Carson bordered on overplaying adolescent would-be architect, but saved it with his well-controlled voice. Supporting cast also rang the bell on opener of the fall season of WNBT's Sunday night tele dramas. (Variety, Sept. 5)
Monday, September 3
1:30 National Amateur Tennis Championships, Forest Hills.
8:00 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:15 Feature Film: “Crime Over London” with Margot Graham (Gaumont, 1936).
9:23 Film: “On the Trail.”
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:15-9:30 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
NEW YORK, Sept. 3.—CBS television will shortly inaugurate a new tele news department under the direction of Leo Hurwitz, which will use the net's own film cameramen to cover special events and news in New York. Department has been in the works for some time and it's expected that Columbia will get under way as manpower and materials become increasingly easy to get.
Hurwitz, rated as one of the leading directors in television, has handled Columbia's regular news shows for some time. In the past the web has been able to use only still pix, animated and still maps and straight commentary. With a film crew out daily, it is considered likely that the bulk of WCBW's news shows will be on film.
Production unit, according to the trade, will be headed by Al Kleban, one-time New York school teacher and presently tele cameraman at CBS. Personnel of the unit hasn't been selected as yet, but it's said that it will be drawn almost exclusively from technicians now employed at the station.
Crew has made a few trial runs, covering General Eisenhower's welcome in New York and V-J Day celebrations with rented 16mm. film cameras. Until cameras are in production CBS will continue to rent them and have film processed by outside sources. Later WCBW will probably buy its own cameras, 16 or 35mm. and develop its own processing facilities.
Hurwitz, who has extensive background in movies, will continue to edit pix and assign stories. Past experience has shown Columbia men that they can cover a story in the afternoon, process and edit the film and have it ready for airing at 8 p.m. (Billboard, Sept. 8)
Tuesday, September 4
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Play: Disburse Upon the Land.
8:30. Film.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
CBS
Viewers who saw the rather elaborate production which ushered in the first of the CBS-Encyclopedia Britannica The World We Live In series must have felt short-changed by the second of the series, Tuesday's (4) Disperse Upon the Land. Billed as a dramatic show, Disperse Upon the Land developed into an approximate total of five minutes of dialog surrounding a 10-minute film.
Granted that the film, one similar to the ones that used to be shown in college science survey courses, was an interesting one, and also granted that the dramatic bits fore and aft were fairly well handled, it was none -the -less a long drop from the fanfare glutted opening of the series. And that may not be too bad. Tuesday's show was acceptable. It was one-third the length of the previous scanning and it was undoubtly educational—even tho education in world affairs would seem more logical at this state in history than a film about seed dispersal. Perhaps programs of this type, rather than the whoop and holler, all out "epic" would better serve CBS's purpose in presenting public service and—better serve the public's entertainment needs.
Aside for a need for more intense lighting or more careful shading (a blackboard background reduced light) the live bits were quite good. Thoro producduction [sic] would have eliminated the boys who ran in and out of focus as part of their stage business. Dollying a camera into the live movie screen as the pic began would have made the transition from live to film more effective.
A few new gags and his never-failing energy made John Reed King's The Missus Goes A-Shopping one of his funniest stanzas yet. Arriving with his trousers rolled up and a Buster Brown collar to celebrate the opening of school was corny but pulling a telephone out of a lunch box to do his regular phone routine was hysterical.
Josie, the pure South American duck who is replacing the departed and lamented Pierre, has all the attributes of the average starlet. She is pretty, no doubt, but she's no actress. After all, can Betty Grable act? Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Sept. 15)
“Pierre,” CBS tele duck who has appeared on WCBW for some months on “Missus Goes A-Shopping,” died suddenly the other day of a mysterious ailment according to officials of the Bronx Zoo. Before “Pierre” was cold, “Josie” a white South American duck stepped into the job. Outlet is also reported dickering with Goose Hollow Farms for a color-tele duck. (Radio Daily, Sept. 4)
Wednesday, September 5
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Motion Picture.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet.”
8:45 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Home Town, U.S.A” narrated by Santos Ortega.
9:30 Motion Picture.
Thursday, September 6
7:30 Children’s Program: Films; “Teletruth” quiz; and Feature Picture: “Straight Shooter” with Tim McCoy (Victory, 1939).
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Tom O’Connor.
8:10 Film.
8:25 O.W.I. Message.
8:30 “There Ought to Be a Law,” high school student discussion.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Thanks for Looking,” with John Reed King and Patricia Murray.
9:30 Films.
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (6), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—Religious commentary, music and simulated service. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
Tonight WBKB did an excellent job of handling a religious program with good taste, impressive production and the use of video direction and technique that was among the best shown by the station in many a month. And all of this was done in spite of the fact that the original format plan for the program was changed at the last minute when the AFM stepped in and stopped the use of union musicians.
Entire production was woven around an explanation of the religious ceremonies connected with Rosh Hashana, Jewish New Year and high holiday. Component parts were a commentary by Gil Hix; religious music featuring Jeannette Levin (Jennya) at the piano; religious chanting; excellent cello playing by Frank Miller, former first cellist with the NBC Symphony, and an explanation of the holiday as well as simulated services conducted by Rabbi A. E. Abramowitz. The way, however, in which Producer Jerry Walker and Director Beulah Zachery wove all of this together with good taste while utilizing fitting backgrounds and excellent camera work, made it top-notch video that was solemn and awe-inspiring.
Program opened with Gil Hix's discussion of the place of the Jewish race in history. Following this Jennya, with her usual masterly style, played religious music of the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths. It was during this portion of the program that some of the best camera work and lighting was used. Composition was of a high standard and lighting was shaded right so that there was just the right mixture of highlights and shadows. Shots of the piano keyboard had especially good composition.
Following this the Eli Eli was sung. Then Rabbi Abramowitz explained Rosh Hashana and officiated at a portion of the services associated with the high holiday. Good direction, with Miss Zachery choosing just the right shots at the right time was noticeable.
Closing portion of the program, Frank Miller's solo playing of the Kol Nedrei also was well packed with good lighting and camera work. One of the best television shots we have ever seen occurred here when a close-up of Miller's bow being run across the cello was telecast. Even the highlights caused by the lights shining on the cello were telecast with faithful reproduction that resulted in a beautiful (and we use that word in its true meaning) picture. ' Shots of the cellists moving fingers on the upper part of the cello were also included with excellent artistic effect. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Sept. 15)
For the first time in the history of the occasion, the Miss America Pageant at Atlantic City, N. J., will be televised by the American Broadcasting Company this week-end, sponsored by Tangee, Paul Mowrey, manager of the network’s television announced yesterday.
The activities will be telecast over WABD, N. Y., WRGB-General Electric, Schenectady, N. Y., and WPTZ, Philadelphia. The reception given the contestants by the U. S. Army and the breakfast of judges and participants will be highlighted among the events seen and heard over the air, as well as the selection activities that will take place Saturday.
Tangee will present a $1,000 prize to the runner-up in the contest, as an award has been otherwise arranged for the winner. (Radio Daily, Sept. 6)
Friday, September 7
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:20 Short Subjects.
8:30 Boxing at Madison Square Garden. Nick Moran vs. Ike Williams.
Resignation of Gilbert Seldes as Director of CBS Television Programs, announced last week and effective Sept. 28, is seen as the prelude to the reshuffling of the network's tele operation, which is now headed up by Larry Lowman. Seldes is quitting to freelance in the video field but will continue to do special work for CBS outside of tele programs.
It's known that for some time it's been a "too-many-guys" feeling prevailing in connection with the CBS video exec setup, and while a replacement is being contemplated for Seldes there'll be a revision in the top-shelf setup. Tony Miner, of course, will continue as one of the major sparkplugs of the operation. (Variety, Sept. 12)
Saturday, September 8
WNBT Channel 1
2:25-5:30 Baseball: Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
NEW YORK, Sept. 8.—American Broadcasting Company television programs will return shortly to DuMont's WABD following a recess of two months, according to informed sources here. Contract between ABC and DuMont is now being reviewed by the network's legal department, and web is expected to put final okay on the agreement Wednesday (12).
Understood that the contract calls for two half-hour shows to be presented twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, for 13 weeks starting October 2. Net will pay $625 a half hour (with three hours rehearsals) as a "facilities rental charge." Time for special events, whether live or on film, will be free. It is expected that ABC will try to sell all the time it gets on the station. Exact sked of the shows has not been set.
Deal which ABC has gotten from DuMont differs radically from the one originally offered by the television station. Two months ago DuMont, fearing that it was providing future competitors with valuable experience, decided to slap on stations and networks using its fa- cilities a "rental charge" of $1,250 an hour or any part thereof, six hours of rehearsal included. This time was to have been used only for one show.
Offer considerably reduced chances for sponsorship of the single program because few advertisers are prepared to spend the money required to fill a full hour, particularly when the time charges are added. By splitting the time, ABC has made it much more likely that clients will come in. Getting special events time free is an advantage which works both ways. DuMont gets special events, which it has always lacked, and American gets the added time, chance at sponsorship and, of course, prestige. (Billboard, Sept. 15)
Sunday, September 9
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Feature Presentation: “Victory,” play by Joseph Conrad with Uta Hagen, Edward Crandall, others.
"VICTORY"
With Uta Hagen, Edward Crandall, Gordon Keith, John McQuade, Richard Keith, Tom Seidel, John Robb. E. A. Krumschmidt
Director-Producer: Ernest Colling
Technical Director: Albert Protzman
60 Mins.; Sun. (9), 8:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC. N. Y.
Even Broadway's Uta Hagen didn't help WNBT's version of Joseph Conrad's "Victory." Instead of triumphing over the old and by-now hackneyed plot, the victory was lost to the over-melodramatic script. Though a commendable effort was made in tackling a production of this proportion in the first place. Sunday's (9) performance left much to be desired.
The play throughout was slow moving and when it did pick up towards the very end, it became very bad horse opera full of sound and fury, etc. Scene changes, which certainly were frequent enough for television, were too abrupt, should have been cleaner, and once a switchover flopped completely with background voices intended to be heard being entirely lost to the audience, leaving the actors on the set looking rather silly.
Conrad story has to do with English gal who manages to get on a small island in the Java Sea. Here she finds a Swede who likes solitude and lives on a still smaller island. Edward Crandall seemed to find the "ike" always in his line of vision, gave out with too much ham and appeared ill at ease.
Also helping the Java not to jive was John Robb, with a Scotch burr that kept slipping. Finishing touch was added by E. A. Krumschmidt, who overplayed a German hotelkeeper jerkily with a vigor that was disconcerting. With the exception of Miss Hagen, only femme in cast, the only other commendable performance was turned in by John McQuade, who handled his cockney characterization deftly and was about the only man who seemed to forget that people were watching. (Variety, Sept. 12)
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (9) 8-9:30 p.m. Style—Newsreels, music, drama. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Paul Alley's job of getting the newsreels of the Jap surrender to New York in time to scan them week after they were taken in Tokyo Bay is something. NBC's job of getting the Signal Corps officer who was in charge of taking those films, Maj. Arthur L. Gaskill, to act as narrator, was an added sock. While, naturally, there were many shots that didn't come thru the ike with the clarity desired, there were enough close-ups to make viewers feel that they were there at the signing. It was a swell opening.
N. B.—MacArthur, by the way, is not only a good narrator, even if he had to look at his script too often, but he's telegenic as well. That smile comes thru.
Before the main event, NBC presented two names in their specialties, Evelyn Knight and Romo Vincent. Evelyn did two swell numbers, Grandfather's Clock and The Lass With the Delicate Air, tho both numbers were done from disks with la Knight's pantomime. This was due, of course, to the Petrillo ban against live music on the air. However, she did such a swell job that most viewers would never guess that the singing was on disks. Only negative on this seg was the fact that she wasn't dressed for singing mountain music. Her dress was strictly Blue Angel (that's where she's singing these days). Romo Vincent told a few jokes, did a couple of impersonations (n. s. h.) and mugged a Harlem song which he had recorded. He was best mugging his tune.
The drama this evening was Joseph Conrad's Victory, videoized by Ernest Colling. It was one of NBC's better efforts. Camera work was, as usual, equal to Hollywood's. The acting, however, at times, wasn't, despite the hours of rehearsals. In other words, the cast went up in its lines and also in character, at times. The performance of the central character, Axel Heyst, played by Edward Crandall, was confused. He, no doubt, hadn't time to think the part out. On the other hand, E. A. Krumschmidt's Schonberg, one of the villains, was a complete characterization. Uta Hagen's Alma was a toughie to play, and most of what she was wasn't in her lines, with insufficient character development. She had to do her best, which she did, with lines that didn't sketch the girl who never had a friend, and who died when she found one, died that he might live.
The dual menaces, Gordon Keith's Jones and John McQuade's Ricardo, were a bit on the corny side, but they came thru the ike for what they were supposed to be, and that was on the credit side.
John Robb's (Captain Davidson) Burr dropped in and out of place. His Scotch sea captain was swell, but he went in and out of dialect, which wasn't what he should have and could have done. The use of his voice on disks, at times, to cover narration birdges [sic], i.e., when he was in the scene but at the same time telling the story, was beautifully handled.
What was really inadequate was the denouement. It all happened too quickly. If a viewer turned his head for a moment he would not know what happened. That's not good video. Also, the story of Victory, unfortunately, presents no character for an audience to love—or really hate—and that's not good theater, either. It leaves the viewer cold.
This evening was proof that television production hasn't stood still in the past few years. Sure, there was plenty of bad theater in this show, but it was a show; it was entertainment. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Sept. 15)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:13 Feature Film: “The Half-Way House” (Ealing, 1944)
9:33 Follow Thru.
9:43 Boxing From Madison Square Garden. Freddie Schott vs. Freddie Fiducia.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:15-9:30 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
The arrival in Washington yesterday of Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright was shown over NBC’s television station WNBT, New York last night [Sept. 10] at [9?]:45 p.m. The television camera crew were stationed at vantage points throughout the capitol recording on film the General’s triumphant reception by the President and his appearance before Congress. The film was then flown to New York, processed immediately and aired that evening. (Radio Daily, Sept. 11)
Don Lee
Reviewed Monday (10), 8:30 to 10 p.m. Style—Dramatic, film. Sustaining on W6XAO, Hollywood.
Tonight's W6XAO tele flesher spotlighted the timely topic of G.I. rehabilitation and indicated what the government is doing to help vets across the threshold from army to civilian life. An army major first explained to tele-viewers what the rehabilitation program is and then introduced various patients from Birmingham General Hospital, Van Nuys, Calif., as examples of what is being done.
A group of G.I. patients who are studying radio at the hospital put on a dramatic skit and did a smooth job on acting and sound chores. Boys were on par with many professionals. If their work tonight is to be judged at all as an indication of the rehabilitation program, the army is certainly on the right track in preparing vets for post-war jobs.
The skit, Cops Don't Get Married, was written by Paul Franklin, a civilian, and used the time-worn cops and robbers plot of where the cop and the robber turn out to be old school chums, with the law -breaker turning soft and begging to be arrested, and the officer getting even softer and refusing to nab him. The robber wins in getting himself arrested, and the cop gets to keep his badge. Altho mossy, the skit wasn't too demanding on the novices and proved a good vehicle. Radio actress, Inez Seabury, directed, and Mel Williamson supervised the production. Both devote their time to working with the vets and are doing a bang-up job for a worthy cause.
Also appearing was a guitar trio doing hillbilly songs, and a lieutenant from the hospital discussing handicraft work done by vet patients. W6XAO had good material for its tele show but failed to take full advantage of what it had available. Discussion of the G.I. handicraft work was carried on in radio fashion, with the various articles described at some length, ignoring the fact that the tele eye could show these items to the viewer. Close-ups of the articles or even a medium shot would have saved time and words. Boys enacting skit used their scripts thruout. This is understandable, considering the fact that they are studying for radio. How- ever, had this been treated as behind the scenes of a radio show, giving more shots of the sound man in action, producer. etc., it would have allowed use of scripts and at the same time proved more interesting. Looking at boys reading from scripts gets a little dull after a while.
To add to tonight's difficulties, something went wrong with the close-up camera, causing the image to motorboat up and down the screen. However, this mishap didn't discourage the boys in the control room from using close-ups generously, with the bobbing image proving most annoying to the viewer. It appears that tele-viewers could have been spared the strain of watching a fluctuating picture by entirely eliminating the use of the bum close-up camera and dollying in and out with the longshot camera. If stage conditions didn't permit this, then the whole show should have been carried on with longshots, with an announcement to the air-pic audience explaining reason for lack of close-up. As it was, no announcement was made explaining the trouble, altho the jumping close-ups were used numerous times after trouble was detected.
Program opened with three films; ended with two. Lee Zhito. (Billboard, Sept. 22)
Tuesday, September 11
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Milton Bacon, stories on Americana with charts, graphs and drawings.
8:30. Film.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
9:30-10:00 Motion Picture.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Film program.
9:00 “At Ease” variety show with Allen Prescott and guests.
Television has entered the Halls of Congress with a definite spot allotted for the NBC tele cameras, alongside of those of the motion picture newsreels. Yesterday [11] the House granted the first definitely assigned location in the Gallery, just to the right of the clock, directly facing the speaker. This assures all activity in line with the iconoscope. (Radio Daily, Sept. 12)
Deal was closed yesterday (Tues.) [11] between ABC (Blue) television dept. and Du Mont's station WABD in N. Y. for nets to use Du Mont's video facilities twice a week and for special events. Hubbell Robinson. ABC program veepee, announced the web will go on air via WABD on regular sked Tuesday and Thursday in 8-8:30 slot starting Oct. 2.
Contract, inked at $1,250 for two half-hour shots, is for 13 weeks with same period renewal clause. This includes six hours of rehearsal a week. Paul Mowrey, production supervisor, will handle shows.
WNEW and WOR are also negotiating for time on WABD, but no final action taken yet. (Variety, Sept. 12)
Wednesday, September 12
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Ike on Sports.”
8:30 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Winning the Game,” expose on trick gambling techniques.
Through the acquisition of three more television studios in Wanamaker's, downtown N. Y. dept store, by Allen B. Du Mont Labs, which was announced last week, station WABD will now have enough space to put on a maximum of 28 hours a week of live tele, to be used to start daytime programming.
Almost an established axiom in tele is that no more than seven live hours a week can be gleaned out of any one studio. Adding of three new ones puts Du Mont in enviable position of fuller time accommodations without necessity of moving out to Long Island or New Jersey for more space.
By the first of the year. Du Mont will start to go on air during the day experimentally using the new studios much the same as radio uses remote outlets. But break with radio experience comes here. Before station WABD actually begins beaming during the day, it will put to test survey data which it is now accumulating to determine best hours for video, considering housewife's problems. What with bridge playing, kids coming home from school, cooking and housework, the lady of the house doesn't have too much time, and cannot tune in video while she works as is case with radio. Current findings indicate that best time comes between noon to 1 and 1 to 2, broken up according to individual lunchtimes. Further research is being conducted before test is made to determine accuracy of findings. (Variety, Sept. 12)
Thursday, September 13
7:30 Children’s Program: Films, “Teletruth” quiz and Feature Picture: “The Sage Brush Family Trails West” with Bobby Clark (PRC, 1940).
WCBW Channel 2
Special coverage. Motion pictures of General Wainwright’s arrival and welcome throughout New York.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Thrills and Chills” with Doug Allan.
8:30 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Thanks for Looking,” with John Reed King and Patricia Murray.
(Note: NABET engineers staged a wildcat strike this evening against NBC owned and operated radio stations. Radio Daily did not report if television was affected).
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (13), 7:30 to 8:30.p.m. Style—News commentary, music, dancing. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
Herb Graffis, local Times columnist, stole this show by his natural delivery and good horse sense in discussing what is happening in the world. Graffis, who has never been on video before, acted as tho he were thoroly trained in the art, looking at the camera at the right times and rarely consulting his script. His extemporaneous style, devoid of nervous mannerisms, is perfect for video newscasting.
Program originally scheduled was called off at last minute, something which has happened with monotonous regularity at B. & K. of late. However, Jenda, staff pianist, and Rolletto, staff dancer, filled the gap with usual grace. Jenda's rendition of DeBussy selections received good encomiums from the studio audience. Camera work, showing hands at piano, was particularly effective, tho some shots were vague.
Jenda introduced Jackie Van, neat-looking singer of pops, in a surprise shot after the classicals. Jackie is easy on the eyes and her voice measured well in some oldies like Zing, Went the Strings of My Heart. Appeared a bit nervous at first but warmed up quickly.
Roletto danced amid Grecian temples and fountains looking every inch the sylph she was supposed to be. The fact that the Grecian temples were composed of white paint and brown wrapping paper costing about 50 cents merely proves the old adage that good authoritative-looking video settings can be furnished very cheaply indeed. Herb Bailey. (Billboard, Sept. 23)
Friday, September 14
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:20 Short Subjects.
8:30 Boxing at Madison Square Garden. Danny Bartfield vs. Willie Joyce.
Saturday, September 15
WNBT Channel 1
1:35-5:30 Baseball: Yankees vs. St. Louis Browns at Yankee Stadium (double-header).
Sunday, September 16
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Feature Presentation: “Beachhead at Louie’s,” play by Mort Green.
"BEACHHEAD AT LOUIE'S"
With Joe Julian, Marion Scanlon, Ken Best, Emily Ross, Mary Barthelmess, Arthur Honeycutt, Bernard Hoffman, Diane Courtney, Jay Norris, Kenneth Tower, Douglas Gordon
Producer-Director: Herbert Graf
Script: Herbert Graf and Mort Greene (from Greene's radio play)
Technical Director: Albert Protzman
Scenery: Robert Wade
37 Mins.; Sun. (16), 8:17 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC. N. Y.
Another WNBT slow starter turned out to be a slow finisher, too. Purporting to be a play dealing with the problems of rehabilitating returned servicemen, "Beachhead at Louie's" dealt with no real problems, and didn't show even the faintest indication of rehabilitation. After scoffing at meaningless use of high-sounding words, it proceeded to use high-sounding words without meaning. Trying vainly to impress the audience that the "war wasn't fought to get back home and eat apple pie.'' the show just about succeeded in proving that it was.
Lots of talk but no action. Television cries for action and there's no excuse for its absence. But absent it was Sunday night except for beaten-up newsreel shots, which were too frequent and too lengthy. Apparently, whenever the action of the play bogged down, a newsreel shot was thrown in—simple if not effective.
The greatest beef is that the ex-serviceman "problem child" in the play turns out to have no problems. That is, no genuine ones. All that bothers this guy is that he doesn't want to gab. He has no worry about a job. He's got one. He loves his pretty wife, she reciprocates. Even his kid is very patient with him, and he thinks the world of his mother. But he insists that he has problems because he doesn't feel "readjusted."
So down he goes to "Louie's," which turns out to be a little bar run by a fellow named Sammy, who is Louie's brother. Louie is lucky but doesn't know it; he's in the Army and doesn't have any problems. Inside, when a toughie complains about rationing, Attlee and Stalin, the hero. Shorty, suddenly talks up and gives him what for. Naturally this makes them both great friends and eliminates Shorty's problems. The two of them almost embrace before the final fadeout, although for awhile it looked as though they would slug each other. All very peaceful, but senseless.
Strictly a no-plot story, "Beachhead" is full of service-training film propaganda, and phrases such as "kill or be killed" almost screams "basic training" rather than "battle."
If play intended to show that some GIs will have psychiatric problems, it was wasting time. Everybody knows it already, and there has been entirely too much of this kind of chatter spread around as it is.
Shows intended to genuinely help the public understand and, in turn, help the ex-GI, should deal with real, not imaginary problems, like finding jobs, resumed schooling, vocational guidance, beneficial legislation, etc. "Beachhead" was just cashing in on a popular theme, had nothing constructive to say.
Script, which was adapted from a radio play, certainly showed it: it had little to offer to a visual audience. Everything could have been just as fully received by ear as by eye, which hardly speaks well for a telecast. Actors were all capable, live sets and lighting fair. (Variety, Sept. 19)
"Beachhead at Louie's"
Reviewed Sunday (16), 8:20-9:05 p.m. Style—Drama. Sustaining over WNBT (NBC), New York.
NBC, which isn't given, generally, to experimental television, went full hog with Beachhead at Louie's, with recorded spoken thoughts, a kaleidoscopic semi-dissolve to effectively picture a man's whirling thoughts, and a combination of film and flesh that should have built a top-notch drama. While the show held attention, the faults were plenty—and they had their lessons for NBC in the future and for all who are about to step into the "fine" art of air pix.
Beachhead is a radio play reconverted for television. It was therefore not sur- prising that it was pictorially static, without true visual movement. Herb Graf, opera director, has been proven in the past not gifted in creating visual movement—he wasn't tonight. Every pic was an animated still-shot and that was all. True, the mental study of a vet, Shorty, played by Joe Julian, who hasn't made the transition back to civilian thinking and how he does get that blue serge suit feeling isn't a natural for movement—you have to work the movement out. Graf didn't. Three times the vet turned the radio on and off—which might have been a must on an ear show but was just unnecessary pictorial duplication in an eye and ear pitch. When his (the vet's) mental working found audible sound he mugged and grimaced. Julian proved himself n. s. h. before the cameras this time—maybe he had too many costume changes in no time flat. The part needed a Burgess Meredith. In order to snare time for changes the film, which was scanned to establish the beachhead idea, was permited to run about 50 per cent too long. When the vet, Julian, goes to sleep in the chair his collar is in place and his tie, tied. When he wakes up his collar is open and his tie loose. He had to jump from a wounded-in-bed dream sequence shot back to his chair asleep, and since video has no script girls to check these details, the tie and collar were boners. How the production was ever produced in NBC's tiny television studio is another of those modern miracles. Six sets, including a living room and a fox-hole, were used.
The timing of the recorded spoken thoughts was perfect, as was Diane Courtney's mouthing to one of her recordings perfectly synchronized. However, where the USO hospital circuit gal was supposed to be carrying the ork that backed her as she visited and sang at each of the beds is something to con- jure with.
However, the boners are not important at this stage of television production. What is important is that Beachhead underlined the fact that video needs actors who really can handle tough roles like this returned vet assignment, and that scripting must be designed to permit time to make costume and scene changes in order that film bridges don't seem over-long, and finally that pix without motion smell up the air.
And one final word, a psychological study must be written by a damned fine scripter, Mort Green didn't prove himself to be one in this. You just didn't believe the thing at all. No one snaps out of "it" as quickly as this vet and the war worker. When you're all mentally mixed up, no abracadabra brings you back alive. Most of the cast should be forgiven for this uninspired performance. However, Arthur Honeycut as Sammy the counterman at Louie's, and Jay Norris as Shorty's friend, were real.
It's hoped that Diane Courtney doesn't see herself before the ike in the dress she wore this evening. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Sept. 22)
Monday, September 17
WNBT Channel 1
8:13 Feature Film: “Made For Each Other” with Carole Lombard, Jimmy Stewart (UA, 1939).
9:40 Away With the Wind.
9:43 Boxing From Madison Square Garden. Jack LaMotta vs. Georgie Kochan.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:15-9:30 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
NEW YORK, Sept. 17.—CBS's New York telestation, WCBW, faces a major shift in program policy as a result of a series of conferences held this week between television v.-p., Lawrence W. Lowman, and video manager, Worthington Miner, according to authoritative reports in the trade. The new policy, it is reported, will take the position that Columbia has over-emphasized public service and educational shows at the expense of viewer-interest and potential sales, and that the situation will be remedied.
It is expected that a number of public- service programs will be axed, and commercial packages, produced within the org and purchased from outside sources, will be substituted. Of the present sked, it is said that only the amateur boxing bouts, John Reed King's The Missus Goes a-Shopping, and the news show are secure. All the others, including the new Encyclopedia Britannica series, have a better than two to one chance of going.
Agency men take the view that the line-up of heavy educational public-service features is one of the two reasons why CBS has sold no time to date, aside from four 20 -second time signals to Bulova Watch. That sale has been the only known sponsorship of a CBS period since the net "went commercial" July 16.
It is pointed out, of course, that Columbia's allegedly vague policy on who will produce sponsored shows has been the major drawback.
Another reason for Columbia's switch is the fact that the station's audience research reports, still confidential, are alleged to show that WCBW's audience is considerably smaller than that of WNBT, the NBC station here. Most shows are not overly popular. These reports are not yet complete, but the industry says that enough of them have been done to justify the contention.
It is understood that change in program policy was the chief bone of contention between the recently resigned Gilbert Seldes, ex-program director, and the management. Seldes, it is rumored, favored a sked in which the bulk of the programs were public service. Lowman and Miner are said to have differed with him, and Seldes resigned when he learned that he would have to change the tenor of his shows.
Neew [sic] Policy will probably go into effect within the month. (Billboard, Sept. 22)
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Commando, with Bill Underwood.
8:30. Film.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 “Here’s How.”
8:30 to 9:30 Motion Picture.
Wednesday, September 19
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Motion Picture.
8:30 “The Magic Carpet” trip to Evangeline, Nova Scotia.
8:45 Motion Pictutre.
9:00 “Our Native Land,” Americana series with Helen Parrish.
"OUR NATIVE LAND"
With Milton Bacon, Charles Lang, Helen Parrish, Jimsey Somers, Casey Allen, The Jubilaires, others
Producer: Lee Cooley
Director: Ted Huston
Writers: Milton Bacon, Ted Huston
26 Mins.; Wed. (19), 9 p.m.
LEVER BROS.
WABD-DuMont, N. Y.
(Ruthrauff & Ryan)
First of slated new series for "Wednesday at Nine Is Lever Bros. Time" started with "Story of the South." Milton Bacon narrated in friendly fashion, although material was too reminiscent of travelogs, and throwing slides on screen didn't help liven it up any. Roaming through various sections of the south, telling this"ll make yuh homesick" yarns about North Carolina, Virginia. Alabama and Kentucky, show was badly paced until live quartet, The Jubilaires, woke up viewers with a sock rendition of "Carry Me Back to Ole Virginny," encored with lively spiritual. "I Didn't Know My Trouble Was So Hard," also solid.
With Bacon glibly chatting about food customs of south, commercials were very neatly tied in, showed off sponsor's product to best advantage. Questionable taste, however, was displayed in depicting Negro children eating watermelon and stealing chicken fried in Spry, for very unsubtle and unnecessary overtones.
From there on show turned dramatic, portraying live scenes from life of Major-General George E. Pickett, C.S.A., famed for Civil War's Pickett's Charge. Skit showed his marriage to Sally Corbell, whom he met when she was a child and wed 13 years later. Satisfying but imperfect production. Child actress scored heavily with engaging performance, while lead actor lost out to bad lighting, but turned in a good performance, as did supporting cast.
Overlooking makeup deficiencies in evidence throughout show, interesting portrayal was that of Lincoln. "Our Native Land" has a good chance of surviving in commercial tele and should please sponsor, except for slow opening. (Variety, Sept. 26)
Television Productions, Inc.
Altho a camera cable broke while W6XYZ was on the air, tonight's telecast went thru sans a hitch and with televiewers totally unaware of the quick patch-up job done by the telemen. Load was carried by the other camera for a brief spell, proving that tele can take emergencies in its stride when the boys in the control room are on their toes.
A combination style show and vaude revue was tonight's main eye-getter. Director Klaus Landsberg has long held that fashion tips to the gals is a top tele topic. He has tried out various methods of showcasing stylers but has hit on a skit tonight which proved to be the best yet.
Tonight's lesson treated fern accessories (hats, handbags, gloves, etc.). Skit has guy and a gal dancing in a night spot. Gal is topped with a broad brim hat which keeps poking her partner in the eye, messing up his hair and sparking his anger. Oversized handbag doesn't help the situation, and gal soon having to pick between keeping her partner or her fancy accessories. "Problem" is brought before Paramount pix fashion designer Edith Head, who patches things up so that style-conscious fem is satisfied as well as her partner's comfort. Couple then supposedly return to nitery just in time to catch the floorshow which ushers in vaude part of skit. Acts are introduced by the hat-maddened guy who reads off their names to his companion from a program.
This form of presentation sugar-coats the styles and packs enough interest for male viewers to keep them from yawning. Smooth patter by the pair (Dick Lane and Roberta Jonay) keep skit from lagging and pulls enough laughs to make it entertaining. Only trouble was there was a little too obvious a break between the style and vaude portions. If Lane had mentioned the hats. etc., a few times while reading the vaude program to the gal, thereby tying in the first to the second part, skit would have had more unity. Idea of having Lane emsee vaude acts by supposedly reading them from the program to his gal proved to be a good twist and saved air-pic audience from having to suffer long-winded intros.
Vaude part proved good tele fare and included Herb Bruce in his Haunted House act in which he makes miniature furniture In a toy house move around by sleight-of-hand; Helen Mary Watson in an acro routine in which she picks up a cigarette with her toes, puts it in her mouth; the McLanes, an acro dance duo, and the Philharmonicas, a Bluejacket harmonica trio.
Telecast followed usual W6XYZ format, starting with Paramount News (slide films) voiced by Jack Latham, news commentary backed with map work also handled by Latham. followed by the skit. Show as a whole moved along at a good pace, was well lighted and held the eye thruout. In a few spots camera work wasn't quite up to W6XYZ level but this didn't mar the show. Lee Zhito. (Billboard, Sept. 29)
WABD formerly went out on old channel four beaming from 78 to 84 megacycles. New channel five will entail moving down to 76 to 82 megacycles. DuMont station's last show will be tomorrow (20) after which, at 9:30 p.m. it will shut down.
The station will require a minimum of six weeks, although they asked FCC for three months, because they wish to experiment to the fullest, bringing in their newly-acquired studio facilities at Wanamaker's.
Tele channel changeovers for all stations have been in making for weeks and, precipitated by DuMont's application, may be through by Friday of this week, or early part of next, according to FCC officials. First of year is to be probable date set for all video stations to adjust to new channels. (Variety, Sept. 19)
The American Broadcasting Company’s television department announced this week that following conclusion of telecasting activities at Du Mont’s station WABD this week, television operations will be carried on from station WRGB, Schenectady. American now offers two shows weekly from WRGB, and it was made known that WPTZ, Philadelphia, is available for remote control television programs and special event shows. It was announced at the same time that John Reed King begins a 13-week series for American over WRGB on Sept. 25, titled “King’s Music Shop.”(Radio Daily, Sept. 20)
Chicago—Lum & Abner, radio veterans, made their television debut over WBKB, Balaban-Katz station, last Wednesday [19] as guest artists on the fall premiere of “The Treasury Hour.” Veteran comedy team were adjudged good television artists and other programs by them will be produced later. (Radio Daily, Sept. 20)
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 Children’s Program: “Teletruth” quiz and Feature Picture: “Texas Renegades” with Tim McCoy (PRC, 1940).
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Tom O’Connor.
8:15 Motion Picture.
8:30-9:00 Crime Photographer.
WABD Channel 4
8:00 Motion Picture.
9:00 “Thanks for Looking,” with John Reed King and Patricia Murray.
Casey, Press Photographer
Reviewed Thursday (20) 8:30-9: p.m. Style—Mystery drama. Sustaining over WCBW (CBS) New York.
While, to a mystery fan, Casey's tale, Diary of Death, wasn't worth looking at, it was better than fair video entertainment. From the identification, Casey snapping the picture of the tele audience, to the curtain parade of players, it was camera stuff and a credit to Frances Buss, who directed, and her assistant on this seg, Lucille Hudiburg. Jim McNaughton's sets were adequate; not up to NBC standards, it's true, but sufficient background for the Grade B pic story.
What carried the air plc whodunit was the swell job of playing done by the entire cast, who appeared to have stepped into their roles as if they knew the is formula. . . . And all of the parts were prototypes of standard characters. There was Anne Williams, feature writer and sweet on Casey (Ruth Ford); Casey, the photog (Oliver Thorndike); Ethelbert, the suds dispenser (Johnny Gibson); Eunice, the victim (Marilyn Erskine); Metho, the menace (Gregory Morton), and Horse Halloran, tool of the murderer (Bernard Hoffman).
On the credit side were the murderer being seen only from his back until the denoument, the running newspaper presses for bridges and the continuous a use of close-ups (more than ever seen in a drama air pic before). Negative were the actual murder scenes in which Miss Erskine did a burlesque horror double take, the so-called sophisticated by-play between Casey and Anne Williams (first-rate drip) and the climax which fell flatter than a bride's pancake.
Last week on NBC the comment was made that air pix demand better than adequate acting. This week the CBS comment is that there has to be first-rate scripting, too.
Smooth camera work of Howard Hayes and Ralph Warren was noticeable. Whoever did the shading job on the controls, however, forgot that you have to ride that shading so that the close-ups and the medium shots have the same quality of light and shade. They didn't on this job. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Sept. 29)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Thursday (20), 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Style—News, educational. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
Everything that WBKB presented tonight was above average but the presentation still fell short of being a complete television show because it did not have variety. There just wasn't enough there to make it stand up as a well-rounded evening of video that the public here is beginning to expect and want.
Entire offering consisted of a news commentary and one of R. Marlin Perkins' discussions of the habits, structure and behavior of various animals. Perkins, who is director of the Lincoln Park Zoo here, brings various snakes, toads and reptiles into the WBKB studio and presents them for close scrutiny by the television camera. Perkins' informative discussion together with use of such tricks as having a snake walk a rope, made for a show that was attention-holding and educational. Perkins, however, went for about 40 minutes. Result was too much of a good thing.
WBKB would do better to present Perkins once every two weeks in a regularly scheduled 15-minute program.
Only other material on tonight's program was commentator Ward who uses his head to figure out video props to add interest to his programs. Tonight he used a blackboard to explain relative standings of baseball teams. That added a good touch. And then, for his best idea, he worked out a series of graphs and charts to explain the dangers of inflation. As Ward went thru his commentary the camera was switched from him to the charts. Ward's background explanation plus the graphic charts made for the vivid type of explanation that showed what video could do to bring easy-to-understand information into the American home.
In line with its new policy of attempting to improve its program content, WBKB this week for the first time is using a male announcer instead of the gals it used in the past. Result gives a new note of authority to the station's program structure. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Sept. 29)
Beginning Tuesday, October 2, CBS television station WCBW will be on the air Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, each week, instead of the current schedule of Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The amateur boxing bouts now telecast on Mondays will be offered Wednesdays at 8:15 p.m. EWT. (Radio Daily, Oct. 20)
Friday, September 21
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “The World in Your Home.”
8:20 Short Subjects.
8:30 Boxing at Madison Square Garden. Tony Janiro vs. Johnny Greco.
"TELE TALES FOR CHILDREN"
With Ireene Wicker, others
Producer: Paul Mowrey
Director: Babette Henry
Technical Director: Edith Kelly
Writer: Ireene Wicker
20 Mins.; Fri. (21), 9 p.m.
Sustaining (ABC-Blue)
WRGB-GE, Schenectady
Those who viewed the Singing Lady of radio strutting her stuff in video for ABC last Friday were more than entertained—they were convinced that television had found itself. For here was a show that was fun for kids and adults alike and moreover had a liveliness that no other medium could afford.
Veteran showman Ireene Wicker told her story of "The Three Little Pigs" as though she didn't anticipate anyone watching but kids, yet managed to keep show moving at terrific pace. Best part of the evening came with reaction of kids who were listening to Miss Wicker's tale. With a barrage of voices, lavish gestures and a few quick-change routines. She had the youngsters agog with excitement, and in several spots so keyed to her chatter that they responded ad lib.
No small part of the fun was watching avid faces of kids, but Miss Wicker was certainly the main attraction. Her moronic pig must be seen and heard to be appreciated, and her mother pig voice is silly enough to make anyone giggle. Although she works hard in her routine, it is not without reward for both her intimate audience, the kids, and the lookers-on, who also are in for a good time. Friday's show, third of a series, may be start of a new venture for her and ABC tele dept. Whoever picked her out of the ether to star in tele rates a bow. (Variety, Sept. 26)
For the sixth consecutive year, Philco television station WPTZ, Philadelphia, will televise all of the University of Pennsylvania’s football games at Franklin Field this season, it was announced this week.
E. B. Loveman, vice-president in charge of Philco’s television broadcasting division, will supervise the grid telecasts, with Paul Knight, program manager, directing.
The telecasts will be presented in co-operation with the Atlantic Refining Company and N. W. Ayer & Son, advertising agency. (Radio Daily, Sep. 21)
Washington—Recalling its statement of May 25th that insufficient frequencies are available below 300 mc to provide “a truly nation-wide and competitive television system,” the FCC yesterday issued its proposed allocation of frequencies among the rural, metropolitan and community telecasters. The Commission called for a hearing Oct. 4, at which industry representatives will be heard in objection to any of the Commission proposals, which are for the most part little changed from those agreed upon during the engineering conferences early in the summer.
A six-hour minimum operating schedule is proposed, limitation of the number of tele stations to be singly held to five, with no more than one serving a single area, application of the network rules, sharing of antenna sites where necessary and an allocation plan as outlined last summer. Use of Channels 1, 12 and 13 for community stations is provided, Channels 2 through 11 for metropolitan stations, with rural applicants required to demonstrate that they will not interfere with other broadcasters.
This scheme would provide six tele stations for Los Angeles, but only four for New York and northern New Jersey. Five channels would be available in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco.
The Commission also invites comment of “the desirability of requiring an appropriate announcement to be made when motion pictures or other mechanical reproductions are used,” and on “whether station identification means by aural means, by video means, or by both, and how frequently.” (Radio Daily, Sept. 21)
Saturday, September 22
WNBT Channel 1
2:25-5:30 Baseball: Giants vs. Boston Braves at Yankee Stadium.
Sunday, September 23
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Variety show.
"DIARY OF DEATH"
With Oliver Thorndike, Ruth Ford, Johnny Gibson, Marilyn Erskine, Gregory Morton, Bernard Hoffman, Charles McClelland, others
Producer-Director: Frances Buss
Writer: Lela Swift (from original radio play by Chuck Holden)
30 Mins., Thurs. (23), 8:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WCBW-CBS, N. Y.
This television version of radio's "Crime Photographer" CBS series, which features adventures of crime photog Casey, indicated that tele can play whodunits as well as radio. It also served to warn against quickie adaptations of airers, lest video medium go to waste.
Show had earmarks of careful camera planning, showed up well in what otherwise might have been dull spots through constantly shifting camera and well-angled shots of no-action sets. Corny dialog betrayed little script-planning with a minimum of good writing, lack of exciting situations, suspense.
Starting in the Blue Note Bar, scene familiar to radio stanza, yarn has Casey and his galfriend sobsister, Ann Williams, embroiled in a weak murder take with a mentalist for the heavy. Ann gets charged with murder of mindreader's daughter because she was last seen talking to her. Casey comes to rescue, gets Ann off by showing dead girl wasn't daughter of phoney who hired someone to throttle her. Razzle-razzle plot results in confusion for viewers, but little nail-biting.
Tip-off shot of murderer's scarred hand missed fire because of poor lighting plus ineffectual makeup of scar. Small talk at beginning and end, apeing airer, was too long and had little to do with main story and might just as well have been cut down or eliminated. Acting was adequate with no one shining.
Novel touch at end was cast review at finis, with, all actors taking a curtain call—a production note worthy of emulation. Principals got best of deal in natural setting while others lined up. (Variety, Sept. 26)
NBC
Reviewed Sunday (23), 8-9 p.m. Style—News, film, variety. Sustaining over WNBT, New York.
Odd Occupations, Ed Sobel's switch from the sublime to the ridiculous, aside from its odd title, was about as good a variety show as one could get in television at this stage of the game. And this stage of the game means no live music, no large budget for top-flight talent.
The title of the program seems peculiar because it implies a sort of occupational Hobby Lobby, and, incidentally, a dull session. But Odd Occupations was neither. In general, it was well paced and fairly amusing. Certainly it was ingenious in its solution to the Petrillo music ban. Producer-Director Sobel used recordings as background, certainly nothing out of the ordinary, but for production numbers he called on film and presented a pair of old but still effective soundies. The dime-a-number movies were certainly no substitute for a studio band, but they did help.
The only other odd thing about Odd Occupations was one of the acts, Tanit Ikao, who hypnotizes animals and walks on spikes. Miss Ikea used to do a vaude turn in which she was buried alive in several tons of sand and her act, altho changed, probably amuses the local yokelry as much now as it did at the old Jamaica Theater.
Sobel had behind the cameras what sounded like a studio audience which should have done one of two things. Either it should have been shown on the air, or else it should have been told to keep its collective mouth shut. If a studio audience is to be used, it should be used not only to end the confusion of the viewer at home, but also to increase his enjoyment of the program. Radio has proved that the laughter of the studio audience helps make a listener feel that he is part of a group, sharing a group experience. The same effect, greatly magnified because of its visual quality, can be achieved in television. But if the audience is not to be seen. it should not be heard. Its laughter and applause, in television, lacks an intimate quality and merely sounds like a great deal of studio noise.
In general, the production was on a high plane, but it slipped badly in a few spots. The most obvious was at the close of Doodles Weaver's second appearance. Weaver, after telling a very dismal joke, proceeded to bounce off the stage-right into the camera. His grinning, out-of-focus, wildly weaning face was probably funnier than his material. but not good television. Director Sobel lost his pace during a dance sequence by Daro and Corda by allowing the pair to stretch their eccentricities, far beyond the point where they had lost their humor. A basic axiom of show business is to leave the audience wanting more, but all the audience wanted by the time Duro and Corda had finished was to see them leave the cameras.
Joey Fay was about the best of the crop of entertainers, being very foolish and very low-brow in a routine about two wrestlers. A good deal of his humor depends on raw corn, like a chest wig, but it was good nevertheless. Robert Wade contributed a couple of acceptable sets to the proceedings. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Sept. 29)
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Film: “Wings of Democracy.”
8:13 Feature Film: “Taming the Wild” with Rod LaRocque, Barbera Pepper (Victory, 1936).
9:10 Blue Bloods.
9:20 Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena.
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:10 Film.
8:15-9:30 Amateur Boxing Bouts.
Tuesday, September 25
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Dwight Cooke.
8:15 Photo Crime: “Death Comes to Broadway.”
8:30 Film.
9:00 “The Missus Goes A-Shopping” with John Reed King.
Tales To Remember
Reviewed Tuesday (25), 8-9 p.m. Style—Drama. Sustaining over WCBW, New York.
Analysis of Tales To Remember, a monolog-drama directed by Rudy Bretz, falls into two categories, entertainment and technique. Entertainment-wise it rated an A, technically it rated a C, and neither factor was strong enough to cancel out the other
Basically, a 15-minute program with a tala teller sounds like a static, talky session. But such a surface opinion takes into account neither the talent of Milton Bacon, the tale teller, nor the ingenuity of the director. First impulse of a producer of this type of program is to put Bacon before a camera and let him ramble. Fortunately, Bretz resisted the impulse. Instead, Bacon carried on a running conversation with two young girls, directing his stories as much at them as at the viewer. Second, parts of the program were dramatized and others visualized thru use of cartoons and sketches. Now if the stories remain short, if the cross-talk becomes a bit more informal (it seemed rather stiff last Tuesday), and if the dramatizations remain as full of suspense as on Tuesday, CBS has a pleasant program, one which probably won't be too hard to sell.
However, there are things which should be done and things which shouldn't. For one thing, the cameras should be on the faces of the listeners at the climax of each short bit, rather than on the face of the man telling the story. The following should not be done: Grouping of the three characters should not be so deep that someone is always out of focus, cameras should be set before they are switched, cameras should be ready for various moves of characters so they do not walk out of focus. All those things happened Tuesday night and none of them contributed anything of value to the program.
Jim McNaughton built a fine set for an outdoor, side of a mountain scene. A huge outcropping of rock looked so real that viewers could have sworn it wasn't in the studio. All that was done was to photograph a rock in Central Park, blow it up and put it in front of a white flat. The result was perfect. Marty Schrader (Billboard, Oct. 6)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Tuesday (25), 1 to 1:40 p.m. Style—Educational. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
CHICAGO Board of Education's first television program intended for in-school use as a teaching aid and an aid to regular curriculum, proved that from technical educational standpoints video still needs plenty. Program, a literary quiz show, The Battle of the Books, indicated that as an educational tool, television could eventually surpass radio malty fold. But it also indicated the day of video's becoming a top-notch educational weapon for use by schools is still in the future.
Instead of viewing the show at the WBKB studios, this reviewer, in order to get a first-hand pic of how the program fitted educational requirements of teachers and students, witnessed the program as it was received at the Goudy Elementary School.
Most noticeable defect was the screen size of the receiver used. Set was 1938 model RCA-Victor type with the image reflected on a mirror, showing a picture about 12 by 14 inches.
Because of the small size, none of the children except those in the first few rows of desks were able to distinguish details of background nor were able to read titles nor recognize participants. Result was that some of the excellent staging, production and camera work that was arranged by Producer Jerry Walker was of no avail. Children admitted after the program that they were unable to distinguish much that was portrayed on the screen.
Program content, too, was not the best in the way of strict education. It was more on the glamour type and could have appealed to adult audiences because of its entertaining content. It was a quiz a la Quiz Kids, with two teams of contestants answering questions about books studied as part of the regular course of study set up by the Board of Education. It satisfied some of the children's curiosity about television, but it didn't have much that was in the nature of instruction.
After the program many of the children and some of the adult educators present declared that as a motivator the program had educational value. Many of the children said that they were going to read the books discussed on the show. Therein was the eventual value of television as an educational medium pointed out.
Idea of having actors and actresses act out parts of books about which the contestants were being questioned was good. And the way the idea was handled was good too, because all of the scenes were presented as close-ups and thus most of the children in the room could clearly see the characters. Program proved that given a receiver with a large screen, given producers who did not emphasize glamour at the expense of education, and given teachers who knew how to integrate shows with regular course, television could do wonders as an educational medium. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Oct. 6)
Washington—The FCC yesterday threw out 16 applications for experimental tele and developmental FM facilities on the ground that clear need for these to carry on meritorious research plans was not shown.Warning was give also that future application for such facilities will be closely examined from the viewpoint of actual need. ...
The six tele applications turned down follow:
Earl C. Anthony, Inc., Mt. Wilson Peak, Los Angeles, Cal.; Pacific Coast Broadcasting Co., transmitter site not specified; Twentieth Century-Fox F[i]lm Corp., Boston, Mass.; General Television Corp., Brookline, Avenue, Boston, Mass.; Midland Broadcasting Co., 1330 Baltimore Ave., K.C. Power and Light Bldg., Kansas City, Mo., and National Broadcasting Co., Inc., Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. (Radio Daily, Sept. 26)
Chicago. Sept. 25.—WBKB, Chicago's only television station, will have a rival by April of next year when WBBM, CBS, gets under way with actual telecasts via mobile unit equipment.
Arrangements have been completed and contracts signed with General Electric for a color television transmitter and equipment to be delivered and installed by Feb. 1, 1946.
Station plans an intensive public buildup for the reception of CBS telecasts with the placement of 1,000 receivers, which will be delivered at the same lime by G. E., in key spots such as banks, hotel lobbies, department stores and other choice spots, with shows also skedded to be televised on a special 12-foot screen outside of the Wrigley building for promotional purposes.
CBS has been laying a strong groundwork for its video activities here, and is reputed already to have exclusive signed contracts for the televising of baseball, basketball, football and hockey games, in addition to other sporting events. (Variety, Sept. 26)
Chicago, Sept. 25.— First television show to be devised by Ruthrauff & Ryan's new video director, Fran Harris, is scheduled for production next month, a half-hour program for the Acrobat Shoe Co., division of the General Shoe Co., Nashville, makers of children's shoes. Tentative arrangements call for its being aired from WBKB here.
Program will utilize the company's animated trademark "Tumblin Tim," with commercial interwoven as an integral part of the program. Idea is that of a children's fantasy with real circus clown, animals and special animated effects. (Variety, Sept. 26)
Wednesday, September 26
no television programming.
WNBT Channel 1
7:30 Children’s Program: Films, “Teletruth” quiz and Feature Picture: “Texas Renegades” with Tim McCoy (PRC, 1940).
WCBW Channel 2
8:00 News with Tom O’Connor.
8:15 Motion Picture.
8:30-9:00 “There Ought to Be a Law,” discussion by high school students.
Lever Brothers products to be advertised are Rinso, Lifebuoy and Spry. Ruthrauff & Ryan is the agency in charge. (Radio Daily, Sept. 27)
Friday, September 28
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 “Friday Night Quarterback” with Lou Little.
8:15 “The World in Your Home.”
8:30 Boxing at Madison Square Garden. Rocky Graziano vs. Harold Green.
NBC
Reviewed Friday (28), 8-8:15 p.m. Style—Sports. Sponsored by U. S. Rubber Company, placed direct, over WNBT, New York.
Neither Mr. Hooper nor Mr. Crossley have ever taken a special poll of radio listeners to determine how many of them are football fans. If they had, it's logical to assume that the percentage would be relatively high. That percentage will like U. S. Rubber's new NBC tele show, Television Quarterback, no matter what its merits. And the rest of the viewers, it's safe to say, will have nothing to do with it.
That about sums up all that can be said about the program which U. S. Rubber decided to sponsor only this afternoon (28). Chief protagonist on the show, Lou Little, has been associated with Columbia University for lo these many years but seems never to have absorbed a trace of good diction. And yet, no matter how harsh his voice, no matter how his "S" sisses, the magic of the little name will draw football fans, a hardy lot at best. Even the fact that the films used in this particular stanza were newsreels of last year's games will not deter genus gridironus.
Technically, there were no glaring errors In Friday's show. Cameras were handled capably, masterminded by Producer-Director Ernest Colling. Set, a locker room, was authentic. In fact, everything was fine—for football fans. Marty Schrader. (Billboard, Oct. 6)
The first death reported in a television studio during a broadcast was reported by the Balaban and Katz station in Chicago, WBKB. The deceased, “Herman,” died just before his big scene—on the Lincoln Park Zoom program. Herman was a trained lizard. (Hollywood Reporter, Sept. 28)
Saturday, September 29
WNBT Channel 1
2:20-5:30 Football: Columbia vs. Lafayette.
COLUMBIA-LAFAYETTE FOOTBALL GAME
Announcer: Red Barber
Producer: Burke Crotty
120 Mins.; Sat. (29), 2:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WNBT-NBC, N. Y.
Some topflight camerawork by NBC's video special events crew captured the crowd atmosphere and the action in practically full scope during the first football telecast of the season last Sat. afternoon (29).
True enough, game was one-sided, with Columbia's more powerful romping over the team representing little Lafayette college by a big score, but the lenses tallowed practically every play, including long passes and punts, in surprisingly clear fashion, resulting in an enjoyable two hours of viewing.
Main fault (and this was probably due to the equipment which, of course, will be improved in time) was the fact that the numbers on back of the players were not distinguishable. Therefore those at their sets could only depend upon the announcer to give them an accounting of who was carrying the ball. But each play as it was made was discernible, even lateral passes and intricate cross bucks behind the line of scrimmage. One wonders, though, since lighting is an important factor in the garnering of a good picture in a television screen, whether the coming snowy, rainy days will distract from the enjoyment of football telecasts. Due to the dismal background, the cloudiness may well deter from the garnering of distinguishing earmarks by the camera.
Reason for this last statement is that during the contest videoed last Sat. it started to rain, and the picture that came through on the screen, while not bad was not as clear as when it was not cloudy. Set owners got a kick when the cameras picked up shots of the crowd leaving their seats and scurrying for shelter during the rain, while they were at home sitting in easy chairs and viewing the goings on.
With the addition of football, NBC's special events television department thus videos some sporting event at all times during the year. In summer it's baseball, fall football winter basketball, and for 52 weeks boxing at Madison Square Garden or St. Nicholas Arena, N. Y. The web plans to pick up some important Army grid games to be played at the Yankee Stadium, which might set an all-time high for viewers of television broadcasts. Audiences will not be disappointed with what they see. Sten. (Variety, Oct. 3)
NEW YORK, Sept. 29.—CBS stepped into the confused television picture last night (28) and added strength to its arguments for high-frequency television when it gave a select group of FCC commissioners and Columbia brass hats a sneak preview of color television, a move which strengthens the rapidly growing conviction that the upstairs regions will be the eventual home of video. Ever since the commission decided that there was room only for a very restricted number of stations In present channels (four in New York, live each in Chicago, San Francisco and Boston and six in Los Angeles) the trade has been convinced that the FCC intends to eventually shove everyone upstairs.
The Columbia showing, according to industry leaders, was set up for two reasons. The first was to strengthen the commission's stand on eventual HF. The second was to make sure HF comes soon, while CBS, its chief exponent, still has leader- ship over the opposition. Broken at a strategic moment, two weeks before the FCC is to hear oral briefs on tele allocations, and at a time when the industry is in a tizzy, color television, even off the line like this demonstration, is bound to have a profound effect on the commission's thinking.
Reaction of the commissioners during the two-hour demonstration, tour and lecture were said to have ranged from "favorable" to "excellent." The showing was held in three parts, one at CBS research labs, 485 Madison Avenue; at CBS tele-station WCBW, 15 Vanderbilt Avenue, and it's understood at the Chrysler Building, location of CBS's transmitter. (Billboard, Oct. 6)
Sunday, September 30
WNBT Channel 1
8:00 Newsreel.
8:10 Feature Presentation: “Rings on Her Fingers” by Charles Hoffman; press photographers, guests.
Ring on Her Finger
Reviewed Sunday (30), 8:15-9:15 p.m. Style—Drama. Sustaining over WNBT (NBC), New York.
Everything about this production, except the smooth camera work, was amateurish, and it also was out of focus frequently. The cast was big and bad. There were plenty of scenes, from a Mexican mountain to a modern living room. They meant nothing. There was even a touch, unusual with NBC, of bad taste. It seems as tho the wife, Sheila (Mary Alice Moore), held her husband at the end by pretending she was going to have a baby—and then 'fessed up that it wasn't so—upon which hubby, Peter (John Howes), took her into the bedroom to do something about the matter. Think of the little ones looking in—ouch!
It was a script stinker to start with, and Fred Coe's direction didn't help it an iota. The cast muffed lines and hadn't, for the most part, the slightest idea of the motivation of the characters they were playing. Only one fem, Daisy, as played by Mary Wickes, seemed to be alive, the rest weren't even good puppets.
They used an elevator frequently, the effect being obviously achieved by two window shades on the back of trans- lucent doors. Idea was okay, but after the shades went up once or twice on both doors at different levels, even a four-year-old realized that nothing went up and down, but window shades. They backed love scenes with music (someone must have seen a movie recently), but forgot that you're supposed to fade the stuff in and out and not bring it in full.
Just to make everything perfect, the maid, Justina (Nora Whilles), took her accent on and off like a pair of Ill- fitting gloves.
Maybe Charles Hoffman's play that was adapted for video had something, but Fred Coe, who scripted as well as misdirected this opus, successfully made it seem like elementary school sophistication.
Definition in the receiver, over which this was caught, was far better than it's been in weeks. It was a shame. Joe Koehler. (Billboard, Oct. 6)
"Johnny Gibson" who played Ethelbert in the TV Casey Crime Photographer, was almost certainly the same person as "John Gibson" who played him on the radio.
ReplyDeleteLou Little (September 29) was, at that time, in the midst of his very long (1930-1956) run as the head coach of Columbia University's football team, and he had a very good season in 1945, going 8-1, with the Lions being ranked #20 in the final AP poll, the next to last time they ended a season with a national ranking.
ReplyDelete