It had ordered eight of the nine operational stations (including the barely-on-the-air Zenith station in Chicago but not DuMont’s experimental signal from Washington D.C.) to change frequencies. That meant new transmitters. But there was still a war-time shortage of equipment so some of the stations had to delay getting back on the air. And TV sets had to be modified to pick them up.
In New York, there was an exception. DuMont’s WABD wasn’t ready to air live shows because it was moving its studios. But it did broadcast some of the proceedings of the start of the U.N. General Assembly at the end of the month. NBC’s WNBT did it, too, but by closed circuit. And CBS’ WCBW ran into a continuing union power contest.
The other main development also involved the FCC and its seemingly non-ending hearings. It was to award four station licenses in Washington, D.C. For some reason, at first the DuMont station wasn’t one of them—and it was the only one broadcasting. Finally, Philco pulled out to allow DuMont in. And the FCC still wouldn’t act. It decided to hold another hearing, though it now had four applications for four spots and really had no choice.
The New York papers didn’t resume printing program schedules until mid-April and none of the other cities printed them at all, so you’ll only see news and reviews below. We note an unexpected appearance on a dramatic show of future children’s show host Johnny Coons.
Friday, March 1
WBKB Chicago
"LADIES BE SEATED"
With Johnny Olsen and Penny Olsen
Writer: Bill Bedford and Olsen
Producer: George Wiest
Director: Helen Carson
Cameras: Rachel Stewart, Esther Rajewski
20 Mins.; Friday (1), 8:45 p.m.
AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKE FLOUR WBKB, Chicago
(La Roche, Ellis)
Conclusive evidence that the audience participation format is a natural for television, the Johnny Olsen layout, in for a short stay from New York, closes out WBKB Channel 2 operation with a sock show. Pitching pure hoke after the fashion of the keystone cop era, Olsen douses participants with pie, seltzer, and other items never meant to be smeared on an adult face.
Using married couple almost exclusively, Olsen and wife Penny have wife feeding husband marshmallows and vice versa, when both are blindfolded: husband squirting himself with seltzer while thinking he's engaged in blindfold shooting contest with the spouse, wire egging Olsen on to dropping pie in reclining husband's face, and finally, two servicemen engaging in contest to see who can dress in femme clothes fastest. All for terrific aud reaction.
Outstanding in this program was the efficient use of, extremely limited studio space. Through proper spotting of the crowd, and smart camera work., director Helen Carson and camera, gals Rachel Stewart and Esther Rajewski managed to give the impression of a large audience, although the group was actually small.
This will probably be Olsen's last chance for a Chi tele shot for a while, since the program staff of "Ladies Be Seated" are skedded for return to New York before WBKB is back on the air. Tomm. (Variety, Mar. 6)
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Friday (1), 7:45 to 9 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining and commercial of WBKB, Chicago.
For its swan-song program before taking two weeks off to change frequency, WBKB did itself proud. It even had an experienced radio and television performer, Johnny Olson, do his side-splitting Ladies Be Seated program for a fitting final-curtain bow.
Olsen, who has done a video version of his ABC radio program many times on WRGB, GE's station in Schenectady, got as warm a response from his Chi audience as he has from Eastern viewers. His slapstick tricks, such as having pies fall on contestants, husband and wife feeding each other marshmallows, etc., had the audience laughing most of the time. His stuff might be slapstick and what some people call crude, but it's plenty good video because it's based on visual humor, supplemented by his comical line of chatter. Olson was tops here tonight, even tho he did not have any rehearsal, not even the walk-on type he usually has at WRGB.
WBKB had top talent tonight, but it did its part by handling the talent well. For one thing, lighting was noticeably improved over previous weeks. This was done by using more lights to best advantage, made possible because the station had hired new lighting experts who knew what they wanted and how to get it.
Improved lighting was particularly noticeable during Commonwealth-Edison's telequizicalls. Better lighting here resulted in Emsee Bill Anson and his assistant, Meg Haun, being telecast in a picture that had excellent facial molding with just the right combination of highlights and shadows. Better lighting also resulted in clearer pictures of the merchandise given away on this telephone quiz. This program continues to be a top merchandiser and advertising production, but we believe new gags and stunts should be used. As it is now, the same combination of charades and stale jokes by Anson and map questions are used week after week. However, according to Adrian Rodner, producer of the series, new stunts will be forthcoming when the program returns after WBKB's frequency change.
An impressionistic, modern dance performance was another of the high spots in tonight's program. Written by Dorothy Harper, who along with Hester Phelan and Louise Vlasek gave dance impressions of stories narrated by Ruby Henson. This is the kind of video programing that can be produced inexpensively and still hold a major portion of any audience. Dances were based on fantasies brought to mind by contemplation of three paperweights, the type found in any home. It was imaginative, creative material and good.
One thing we did not care for tonight was the narrated between-scene-change intermission sequence utilizing Acme newspictures to illustrate a discourse on the things to watch for in building a home. It was dull and lifeless and indicated that until a video station can use movies, it ought to stay away from trying to use pictures to illustrate and help tell any long story.
As a result of seeing the Blue Jackets' Quartet tonight, we predict that in the future this Negro singing group which used to be part of the navy's Blue Jackets' Choir at Great Lakes, Ill., will have a bright future in radio and television. Proof that they are on their way up is the fact that they made some sides for Mercury Records Friday (1). Tonight's show proved that they had video presence. Radio ought to catch on soon. (Billboard, Mar. 9)
Monday, March 4
W6XAO Hollywood
The Don Lee television station W6XAO will present a special telecast Monday [4] featuring a program built around the latest developments of the atomic bomb. A government representative will speak on future bomb experiments in the Pacific and will be followed by a filmized telecast titled “The Last Bomb.” (Hollywood Reporter, Mar. 1)
Don Lee
Reviewed Monday (4), 8:30-10 p.m. Style—Vaude, interviews, films. Sustaining on W6XAO, Hollywood.
This wasn't much of a show. Live portion of the airer took less than a half hour, the remaining time being devoted to the usual cartoon film, Red Cross documentary newsreel and a feature film called The Last Bomb, produced by the Army Air Forces and dealing with events leading up to the atomic bombing of Japan by B -29's.
Tele producers were more concerned with the technical problems of this seg than with production, as it marked the first show since W6XAO returned to the air on Channel 2. The station is now broadcasting on 54-60 mc., lowest frequency permitted for high-frequency television broadcasting. Signal on the new channel appeared strong and steady.
Live show was dull, offering only interviews and a comedy spot which failed to click. Martha Wilkerson, fem disk jockey known as G.I. Jill, was interviewed briefly, followed by a spot interview of Viola Gallegos, who did the same kind of turn in Spanish for Latin American soldiers (overseas). Camera work and lighting on these bits were fair, biggest trouble being fuzzy close-ups. Johnny Mann, who followed, did a take-off on tele commercials of the future. Spot was too long and not very funny. Other live segment was an interview of Capt. James G. McLean; AAF, who told Arthur Van Horne the history of The Last Bomb, which followed. This was just another Don Lee television airer, no worse and no better than its predecessors. (Billboard, Mar. 16)
Thursday, March 7
Philco and DuMont, latter 40% owned by Paramount Pix, will battle it out in further hearing for right to Washington's fourth and last remaining video slot. The other three tele channels were tentatively earmarked for NBC, the Evening Star Broadcasting Co. and Bamberger Broadcasting Co. in FCC proposed findings released here last Thurs. (7). Little Capital Broadcasting Co., licensee of WWDC, lost out altogether in FCC proposal, on ground of financial weakness and Baltimore—rather than Washington—being the residence of its principal stockholders. (Variety, Mar. 13)
Friday, March 8
WPTZ Philadelphia
Philco Television Station WPTZ, which went off the air three months ago, resumed broadcasting Friday (8) from a new studio, situated atop the 24-story Architects Building in the heart of the city. Original studio was at Philco plant in northeastern part of the city. Transmitter remains in Wyndmoor. Pa.
Ernest B. Loveman, Philco veepee in charge of television, declared that WPTZ would expand its facilities and programming to take in dramatic, variety, musical, educational and news telecasts. The station's mobile unit, which has televised more than 50 football games in the past six years, would enlarge its scope and televise wrestling matches, boxing, ice hockey, baseball and other sports events. (Variety, March 13)
Monday, March 11
W6XYZ Los Angeles
Having gained FCC nod on its Mt. Wilson transmitter installations, Television Productions' W6XYZ (Paramount) will go into operation on Monday (11) with a series of field and equipment tests skedded to last until April 1. Director Klaus Landsberg will resume regular program transmission around that time, with a hefty slice of air-pix plans going to field work.
Transmitter was originally located on Paramount studio lot and was 750 watts. It will now beam via four kilowatts from what is believed to be world's highest video perch, about 6,000 feet. With boost in power plus Mt. Wilson location, Landsberg expects to cover largest area of any video outlet in the world. A relay transmitter (W6LA), operating on the 500 meg band, will be used to beam eye-ear programs from field pick-ups and studio to Mt. Wilson transmitter.
W6XYZ went off the air on December 15 to make the transmitter move. Since then it has shifted from channel four to five. (Billboard, Mar. 16)
Thursday, March 14
WABD New York
Film scanner is located at 515 Madison Avenue and film will be the extent (as matters now stand) of station's air contribution until the new Wanamaker studios are ready (W. sked is now set for April 15).
Wanamaker studios were shown to trade press and an invited audience of SMPE (Society of Motion Picture Engineers) Wednesday (13) with just a framework of the equipment installed. However, cameras were in the main studio, control room viewing kinescopes and board were installed and master control was all but working for the preview. Second and third studios, however, were still plastered walls, without any indication of what they'll be like come the day.
Air-Conditioning Works
New studio is air-conditioned (conditioning was working) and already gives every indication of being the first real air pic studio built in the entire U. S. Flexibility seems high, but real test of the installation will wait upon the opening and the pre-test airings which are skedded a week before official first airing.
Guest of the SMPE, naturally, was Dr. DuMont, who pitched for integration between motion pictures and television but at the same time put on the line just how different the film industry will be once video industry gets under way. ...
CBS is skedded back on the air within another 10 days with NBC set for a short period after April 1. Sets in the New York area are rapidly being reset for the new channels and a great majority of the 4,000 viewers will have their receivers working with three stations to look at once again, starting the third week in April. (Billboard, Mar. 23)
Saturday, March 16
WCBW New York
Under present arrangements, the station will televise live studio programs on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, including both new shows and former programs that have already proved their popularity. Wednesdays and Fridays will be devoted to film programs or remote pickups. Station will also be prepared to broadcast remotes on Mondays and Tuesdays if anything special crops up.
WCBW has purchased some new mobile, relay equipment, which will make possible an extension of out-of-the-studio broadcasts, including the man-in-the-street quiz programs on which Feiner is presently working. Equipment is already in and is currently being tested and whipped into shape by the station's technicians.
Station also plans to run film on 35m. projectors, as soon as the machines become available. Heretofore, all feature films were projected on 16m. machines, which do not throw as good an image as those running the wide-stock pictures. Station's newsreel cameramen, however, will continue shooting on narrow-gauge stock.
New Shows
Among the new shows already lined up is a "News of the Week in Review" program, which will be broadcast on Saturday nights. Besides up-to-the-minute newspots, this one will include five or six features, either live or film, such as comic strips, oddity of the week, fashions, sports, etc. Purpose of the show, according to Feiner, is to extend and develop news coverage, but to inject some human-interest angels [sic] as well. Emcee for the show has not yet been named. Program will also include filmed shorts of N. Y. activities of three or four minutes' running time, which WCBW's newsreel cameramen are presently shooting in and around N. Y. Feiner is also lining up a new merchandise show, which might wind up as a jointly-sponsored program by several N. Y. merchants.
Station's program execs are presently surveying various potential sites to replace some of the indoor sports programs during the summer months. Dance shows, highlight of WCBW programs during the past, will be expanded, the station's programmers believing that the dance is an integral part of video programming.
Most of the station's productions will be aimed at providing viewers with the kind of entertainment they can't get elsewhere. Feiner said. "We'll continue working on an experimental basis from the viewpoint of entertainment and good taste," he added. "We want to get inherently what is best out of the medium and not lift unsuited material from other media, such as radio, the stage or motion pictures."
All programming, moreover, will be pointed toward the possibility that ultra-high frequency color television might make its appearance soon. "CBS television is frankly and avowedly working for ultimate color," Feiner said. (Billboard, Mar. 16)
Monday, March 18
W6XAO Hollywood
Don Lee
Reviewed Monday (18), 8:30-10:30 p.m. Style—drama, films, Sustaining on W6XAO.
When a video outlet swerves sharply from a pattern of mediocre telecasting and emerges with a polished production, it's a pleasant surprise. Don Lee came thru with a sleeper and did a most creditable job.
Vehicle for tonight's video airer was presentation of stage play Not Since Eve, produced by the Pasadena Community Playhouse. A sophisticated comedy, the drama proved a good choice for an eye-ear production, being a one-set show, yet having enough movement to maintain interest thruout the condensed and "purified" version of the play.
Technical progress achieved tonight re-emphasizes fact that limited equipment does not necessarily mean second-rate video. Camera work hit a high mark, particularly well-balanced effect achieved on long camera shots. Unique set construction enabled lensers to follow action thruout the room and into cut-away ante rooms without serious break in video action.
Frequent switch from long to close shots all but eliminated bugaboo of visual monotony which so often mars tele airers. It was obvious to experienced viewers that considerable time had been devoted to camera plotting. It was time well spent. Only negative factor production-wise was inability of lighting crew to eliminate shadows, particularly in shots calling for across-stage movement.
Usual love triangle underlined the story, with the idyllic second marriage of Cathie and Eric threatened by unwelcome competition from Enid, Eric's first bride. Lois Kimbrell, as Cathie, and Mollie Ballantine, playing Ginny, another gal losing her husband to Enid, stood out in a cast of polished professional performers.
Direction for the Playhouse was handled by John R. Kerr and Jack Woodford, assisted by Tom Armistead. Jack Stewart was in charge of production for Don Lee. Film portion of show included cartoon, Red Cross newsreel and short subject on private flying.
Don Lee proved tonight that good tele isn't as far off as the public and trade is sometimes lead to believe. At the same time, the station has set its own high mark. (Billboard, Mar. 30)
Wednesday, March 20
WBKB Chicago
Balaban & Katz
Reviewed Wednesday (20), 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. Style—Variety and drama. Sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
WBKB's first show reviewed since the station went back on the air after frequency change, proved program staff had not allowed grass to grow during the hiatus. The program was far above those put on nights about six months ago and certainly above quality of practically all other programs aired during afternoons. Only faults were those in the engineering field which resulted in one camera blanking out completely at one time and dark spots at other times in the pix picked up by the same camera. One of the best performers we have ever seen before the video camera contributed the entertainment high spot of the seg. Dorothy Shay, singer currently appearing in the Empire Room of Chi's Palmer House, accounted for the part of the program deserving the preceding praise. With her songs about Tennessee hillbilly life (a bit risque for home consumption), a gal who gets shoved around by her lover, etc., Miss Shay provided plenty of entertainment. The way in which she "sold" her songs, with just the right amount of body movement and subtle facial expression changes, gave her that added something that combined with her well-modulated voice to make her a top viedo [sic] performer.
Other highlight in the program was the presentation of an original eight-minute video drama written by Jerry Walker and directed by Beulah Zachary. Titled Well, Goodnight, the drama had a cast of only two: Brighton Lewis and Mary La Roche of Laffing Room Only. Because it sketched, in mood-indicating highly dramatic form, a good night routine between a girl and a boy and because it used a small cast that could be easily handled without expensive sets, it was excellent video material. If writers would spend more time writing simple dramatic programs for video, stations and advertisers would never have to worry about the expected high cost of video. And if other video directors would use techniques exemplified by Miss Zachary's use of a shot of the boy's and girl's hands moving closer and further apart on a porch rail, there need never be worry about a requirement of mass casts and elaborate sets to tell stories.
Also on the program was an interview of Harry Wagstaff Gribble, co-producer of Anna Lucasta, and a narrated biz illustrating changes in women's fashions since the early 1920's. Gribble was interviewed by Harriet Hester on one of her regular Tea Time shows. Altho the interview was interesting enough, from a video production point of view most notable was the way in which the introductory titles were superimposed on a shot of a tea pot from which Miss Hester was pouring tea. (Billboard, Mar. 30)
WRGB Schenectady
Paul Mowrey, ABC's video chief, plans to deb the web's drama programing with ABC Tele-Theater Wednesday (20). Name Broadway talent will be recruited for the half-hour melos. First play to be offered will be The Devil on Stilts, by Florence Ryerson and Colin Clements, and will star Beverly Roberts, who recently appeared in Ten Little Indians. Mario Dwyer and Pat McClarney will support.
Four dramatic segs will originate from WRGB, General Electric outlet here. Ben Kaufman and Tony Farrar are producers, Bobbie Henry the director. (Billboard, Mar. 23)
"THE DEVIL ON STILTS"
With Beverly Roberts, Mario Dwyer, Pat McClarney
Adapted from play from Florence Ryerson, Colin Clements
Producers: Ben Kaufman, Tony Farrar
Director: Bobbie Henry
30 Mins.; Wed. (20), 7:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WRGB (ABC, Schenectady).
Ever since he took over the reins for the ABC television department, Paul Mowrey has contended that 30 minutes is plenty long enough for any kind of studio presentation. "The Devil on Stilts," the web's initial venture into the dramatic form of video art, offered good support for this contention. With a small but capable cast working with a well-written and closely-knit script, the show appeared on the viewing screen as a smooth, nicely paced and highly entertaining affair that held audience interest until the signature.
Story revolved around the wife of a successful romantic novelist who gets her husband out of an alienation of affections suit, all the while cashing in on the newspaper publicity involved. Script followed close-all the rules of good playwrighting [sic], setting the stage with a good intro for the events to follow, then building smoothly into a suspenseful climax and sliding into an amusing denouement, rendered all the more palatable by an O. Henry twist.
Cast, composed of three attractive femmes, all gave good performances in their first appearance before a video camera, under the capable direction of Bobbie Henry. Beverly Roberts demonstrated the ability that made her a star of stage and screen in the lead role of the novelist's wife. Mario Dwyer, last seen on the legit stage in "Good Night, Ladies," was highly effective as the society dame who learns that the affair she had with the novelist forms the subject of his new book. Pat McClarney, as the flighty gal who fakes the alienation suit to capitalize on the publicity, evidenced that the two Hollywood studios who screen-tested her last week might do well to hand her a contract.
Producers Ben Kaufman and Tony Farrar embellished the show with good production mountings, including an eye-pleasing set and some of the best title cards yet seen on television. Duo's lineup of camera shots was partly stymied by the stereotyped lens work of the WRGB staffers. Cameramen seemed to be afraid to dolly in for a closeup and the t.d. several times missed the boat by failing to switch from one camera to another, resulting in the actresses giving out with dialog before they were within camera range. Stal. (Variety, Mar. 27)
Despite refusal of the newsreel companies to allow television broadcasters to participate in their pool coverage of the atom bomb tests, video stations might scoop them on coverage anyway.
Forced to work out their own plans for filming the tests, skedded for Bikini Atoll, in the Marshall Islands, in May, six major television broadcasters have received permission from the Joint Task Force to send a film cameraman along. Under present plans, the cameraman, yet to be selected, will leave from San Francisco next month and will take shots of all interesting events, both while the ships are en route and during the actual tests.
All film will be forwarded by Navy planes back to Anacostia, D. C., where they will go through official channels at the Navy Photo Science labs for developing and security clearance. Upon approval of the Navy, the films will be forwarded to the participating broadcasters, who will select whatever footage they desire and then put the film on the air immediately.
Participating in the television pool are NBC. CBS, ABC and DuMont in N. Y.: WPTZ (Philco, Philadelphia), and WBKB (Balaban & Katz, Chicago). Plans for video coverage were worked out with brasshats of the Joint Task Force in Washington last week by a special television committee composed of Jack Hartley, NBC: Harvey Marlowe, ABC, and Bob Bendick, CBS.
In addition to the film taken by their own cameraman, the video broadcasters will also have available to them all film taken by Army Signal Corps. Navy and Coast Guard photogs. Since the newsreel companies print only two editions weekly, whereas the television stations are on the air nightly, it's believed that video viewers will see the I events on their receiving sets several days before the same events appear on" theatre screens. (Variety, March 20)
Saturday, March 23
Altho NBC has said that its WNBT will be back airing in April, facts are that the earliest official date on NBC engineers logs is May 5 and the slide-rule boys are willing to admit that even May 5 is a shooting date, not an actuality. NBC's reason, altho not officially given, is that it also plans to come back with plenty of image orthicons and orthicons rather than iconoscopes in the cameras and it wants to prove just how good black-and-white picture transmission and reception can be.
B&W Vs. Color Basis
Fact is that trade realizes that b&w and color battle will be fought also on the basis of actual pix being delivered into the home and stations returning to the air will have to deliver a good constant signal—or else.
Same reason that is holding up return of stations to air is holding back tours of NBC and CBS. In the case of the former, equipment is only now coming "off -the-line." In the case of Columbia, something has to be done to reduce the time that's necessary to "set" the receiver over which the "test audiences" see the programs. Time, according to editors, who happened to be in the room ahead of the group invited to a showing, runs from a minimum of 15 minutes to as long as a half hour.
On the resetting of home receivers thus far less than 10 per cent can receive the new channels, except Channel Five which is old Channel Four. Resetting must be speeded up, which is a toughie since there isn't a large group of trained television servicemen available. So it won't be only DuMont that won't hold to its sked. (Billboard, Mar. 30)
WCBW, CBS' N. Y. television station, plans to resume broadcasting from its studio about April 4 with something new in the way of video shows—a full-blown ice ballet.
Despite the success of icetravaganzas in niteries and sports arenas, video broadcasters heretofore have steered away from them through fear that the intense heat generated by the studio lights would melt the ice. Company appearing in the CBS show, however, reportedly put its ice through a stiff test under the hot sun of the Arizona desert, and came through okay.
Paul Belanger, WCBW dance director, will stage the ice show, tentatively skedded for the 8:15 to 8:45 slot on opening night. (Variety, March 23)
NEW YORK, March 23.—Altho not ready to release facts or figures on the percentage of commercial time it will have signed, sealed and delivered when WNBT returns to the air, NBC has already signed up more than two hours of time. Indication that the trend towards follow-the-master is still very strong at ad agencies is fact that five 15 percenters requested figures on news programs following announcement that Esso would sponsor news segs on station.
Advertisers are being given a tentative airing date starting with May 5, but are also being warned that equipment supplies being what they are that the May 5 date may not be kept. (Billboard, Mar. 30)
The New York Public Library, for one, is taking television seriously.
Library has just set up a television script service. Scripts of all New York video shows are now being placed on file and are available for reference. (Variety, March 23)
Monday, March 25
WNBT New York (not for air)
UNO Debut
Question of immediacy replacing showmanship was answered by this telecast. It doesn't. Question was also settled on the point that a one-camera scanning of a forum (that's what the UNO is despite all the heavy import) is n. s. h.
The event was short (50 minutes), but heavy boredom hung over both 8G Studio, in which most of the press viewed the program, and Room 980 where the chairs and atmosphere were more conducive to contemplative viewing.
Ben Grauer's commentary was in keeping with the occasion-heavy-handed-and he contributed nothing to the audio comfort of the scanning. The business-like delivery which has made Grauer a top moneymaker in the spieling profession seemed uninspired.
Okay, RCA-NBC spared viewers a trip to the Bronx, but sooner or later video is going to learn what news- reels already have discovered-even VIP occasions have to be staged, or the audience languishes for lack of mental food served in a showmanly manner. (Billboard, Apr. 6)
Tuesday, March 26
WBKB Chicago
"BUTCHER OF HANOVER"
With Bill Vance, Kurt Kupfer, Johnny Coons, Wiley Hancock, Dick Good, Art Young
Writer-Producer: Vance
Director: Helen Carson
20 Mins.; Tuesday (26), 8:30 p.m.
Sustaining
WBKB, Chicago
Excellent example of dramatic programming hypo plus imagination, this shot served to mark the present upswing at the Balaban & Katz outlet. Also significant was the fact that limning was done entirely by radio performers, a couple making their initial camera appearance, and was tops all the way.
Story concerned an infamous German murderer who dealt in the black market meat of his victims, more than 40 of them, all killed in Hanover at the close of World War I. Narration, segging into dramatic scenes, was expertly done by Bill Vance in the best "Inner Sanctum" manner.
Three separate sets in the tiny studio had the actors practically rubbing elbows, but the crowding wasn't apparent, on the screen. Smart lighting held the illusion of a street scene at night. Wiley Hancock made a convincing villain. Tomm.(Variety, Apr. 3)
"KRIEGIES-PRISONERS OF WAR"
With Col. C. R. Greening, Maj. J. J. Fischer, Capt. Byron Morrill, Lt. Raymond Brooks, Lt. Harold Hiltgen, Don Naughton, Charles McCann
Producer-Director: Lorraine Larson
Cameras: Rachel Stewart, Esther Rajewski
20 Mins.; Tuesday (26), 7:45 p.m.
Sustaining
WBKB, Chicago
Following their switch from Channel 2 to Channel 4, the Balaban & Katz contingent continues to surprise with top-notch shows, as contrasted with some pretty poor efforts which preceded the two-week vacation.
This stanza was a dramatization around a prisoner-of-war exhibit lifted in its entirety from Marshall Field & Co. department store. Working in front of a set representing the barracks-room of a German prison camp, Stalag-Luft No. 4, the thespers played their own parts after memorizing a hastily-rehearsed script.
Included in the stint were gadgets invented and "manufactured" by the P.W.'s to occupy their time, with a complicated maze mousetrap, a map, violin, and artificial leg for one of the inmates who had lost his original. Thesping was as good as could be expected from inexperienced people and the setting was good.
Double-dissolve into a silhouette with American flag background didn’t work out so well because of bad timing. Tomm.(Variety, Apr. 3)
Wednesday, March 27; Friday, March 29
UNO Pix
Reviewed as scanned by American Broadcasting Company over WPTZ and WABD March 27 and 29. Style—"Feature" News Sustaining.
ABC did its usual intelligent pic shooting on the opening day of UNO's Hunter College meeting. Instead of endeavoring to catch all the "epoch-making" welcome speeches, the ABC camera men, under direction of Harvey Marlowe (ABC UNO television contact), caught the color—the kids waiting to get in, the outdoor checking room, the frisking of "public" visitors, and notables in their off moments. Not as much close-up filming was done as might be desired and there are negatives on the insertion of still pix in the scanning, despite the fact that the commentator, Walter Kiernan, got over the still hurdle by saying that they were "freeing the action" for the moment.
The "report" moved quickly and entertainingly without a yawn. It even covered the translation periods-without the translations. There were some grey shots and some groups that seemed out of focus at times, but none of this hurt the over-all impact of the scanning.
Walter Kiernan's commentating was top drawer, but he has to learn to get on the ball and not be talking about a shot that the camera has caught and passed. That's a sign of an inexperienced "dubber" in the news picture biz. However, Kiernan's humor was fresh and if he was late, the humor wasn't—so most viewers were prone to excuse him—even if it made them conscious of the fact that he wasn't there when the pictures were actually being taken.
ABC is developing a formula for news coverage, via 16mm. pictures that has something special for video. Not having any previous newsreel experience, they're not tied down by fetishes, rules or regulations. ABC Video News is as different from the other webs as Lou Lehr [sic] is from Lowell Thomas. (Billboard, Apr. 6)
Immediately, the regular newsreel men (IATSE) notified the UNO organization that they would refuse to cover the shindig unless the men who, they claimed, were non-union (in so far as as [sic] their photographing was concerned) were refused the run of the hall. Immediate ache was passed over by an agreement whereby an IATSE man was featherbedded for every IBEW man on the assignment. UNO, which had been plagued by plenty of jurisdictional disputes, agreed to pay for the extra men- at least until the dispute was straightened out.
Rattle in Reverse
Last battle was in reverse. It was at a Columbia broadcasting studio where a Fox Movietone newsreel crew was refused permission to take sound off the broadcast monitor unless an IBEW man was employed for that job while the newsreel was being shot in the studio of the County Fair broadcast. The pic has still not been taken, but at the time, Charlie Calame, business manager of the Radio Division of IBEW, compromised on the featherbedding idea for that one-shoting. That round went to IBEW. Previous fracas went to IATSE when an IBEW crew (CBS) withdrew from shooting a March of Dimes banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in order to avoid newsreel crews nixing coverage of the event. Press noted that the dispute would go to Prexy Green of the AFL, but trade feels that the entire matter of jurisdiction hasn't built definable areas as yet—and clash after clash would occur until each AFL union knew just what it wanted.
Both NBC and ABC use regular IATSE union picture crews when shooting film footage, and IATSE has made no attempt to interfere with the National Association of Broadcast Electricians and Technicians employed in live video camera work at NBC. Only area of dispute seems to be in the photography. Backstage crews at CBS and NBC are all IATSE, and in the case of DuMont, all are IA members. (Billboard, Apr. 6)
Friday, March 29
WASHINGTON—Withdrawal of television applications at Federal Communications Commission continues apace with latest permission to dismiss without prejudice given Scripps Power Radio of Pittsburgh, Oklahoma Television Company and Philco Products of Philadelphia. Withdrawal of Philco Products application for a D. C. television station leaves the scene clear for FCC to issue final grants for the four local channels to The Evening Star, Bamberger Broadcasting Company, National Broadcasting Company and Allen B. DuMont Laboratories as soon as assignment of channels is determined.
By permitting Philco to withdraw its application of Friday (29), commission evidenced a change of heart over earlier announcement (22) that FCC "is not taking any action" upon Philco's request for withdrawal made March 20." A second letter from Philco repeating wish to withdraw resulted in FCC's decision. Final grants are expected soon. (Billboard, Apr. 6)
Saturday, March 30
NEW YORK, March 30.—Duane Jones will present their first application of video to package goods advertising on the preem presentation of DuMont's WABD telecast from its Wanamaker studios April 15 from 9 to 9:30 p.m. Program will be tagged Let's Have Fun, with the Goldwyn Girls, Audrey Marsh, June Graham (Carousel) and Art Gentry, one of the Eaton Boys.
Sponsor is Mueller Macaroni Products and the agency producer will be Walter Ware, with Tom Hutchinson calling the shots. (Billboard, Apr. 6)
No comments:
Post a Comment