PAGE FOUR
Tirotofit NEWS
NOVEMBER 25, 1953
re
Voice Of Firestone Has 25th Anniversary
(Continued From Page 1)
Richard Crooks, Margaret Speaks,
Lily Pons, Nelson Eddy, Lawrence
Tibbett, Eleanor Steber, Christo
pher Lynch, Lauritz Melchior,
Gladys Swarthout, Rise Stevens,
Oscar Levant, Jussi Bjoerling,
Martha Lipton, Nadine Conner,
Thomas L. Thomas, Mimi Benzell,
Roberta Peters, Jane Froman,
Jesus Sanroma.
Dorothy Maynor, Todd Duncan,
Eugene Conley, Jerome Hines, Pat
rice Munsel, Vivian Della Chiesa,
Leonard Warren, Helen Traubel,
Jeanette MacDonald, Dorothy War-
enskjold, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Giu
seppe Valdengo, Frank Guarrera,
Blanche Thebom, Mary Van Kirk,
Nino Martini, Conrad Thibault,
Ezio Pinza, Elena Nikolaidi, Ye
hudi Menuhim, Igor Gorin, Dorothy
Kirsten, Cesare Siepi, Eileen Far
rell, Jan Peerce, Mona Paulee,
Licia Albanese, Stella Roman, John
Carter, Bidu Sayao, Helen Jepson,
Rose Bampton, William Primrose,
Charles Kullman, Josephine An
toine, Frederick Jagel, Richard
Bonelli, Rose Marie Brancato,
Frank Chapman, James Melton,
Gladys Rice, Franklyn Baur and
Vaughn De Leath.
When the program first went on
the air, Hugo Mariani was the
orchestra conductor. He was suc
ceeded by the late William Daly,
who died in 1937, Alfred Wallen
stein, who succeeded Daly, became
conductor of the Los Angeles
Symphony Orchestra in 1943, and
Howard Barlow took over the ba
ton.
The format of the Voice of Fire
stone down through the years has
consisted of four vocal numbers
and three orchestra selections. The
four vocal numbers are usually one
operatic aria, two ballads and one
popular song, which in this case
does not necessarily mean a cur
rent number. The orchestra selec
tions are a fast opening number,
a well-known melody and a bril
liant symphonic work.
si: * *
SOME people wondered why,
with this type of program. Fire
stone selects and pays the high
fees for operatic stars. The Com
pany believes that only the finest
singers in the country attain the
ranks of such organizations as the
Metropolitan Opera Company and
it believes that such people do a
superior job of singing any type
of music, popular as well as opera
tic. Nearly all of the artists who
appear on the Voice of Firestone
welcome the chance to sing a
variety of musical selections and
thus demonstrate their versatility.
This spirit extends also to the
members of the orchestra, many of
whom are also members of such
aggregations as the NBC Sympho
ny. In 1950, when Arturo Toscanini
took the NBC Symphony on tour,
several members of the Firestone
Orchestra were included in the per
sonnel.
Hugh James, the announcer for
the Voice of Firestone was selected
after auditioning more than half a
hundred applicants for the job. The
Firestone people believe that his
voice is more perfectly suited to
the type of announcements and
commercials made on the program
than any other voice in radio. In
deed, listeners seem to agree and
have unofficially named him “the
voice of the Voice of Firestone.”
November 29, 1943, marked two
more milestones in Firestone radio
and television history. On . that
date, the Voice of Firestone cele
brated the completion of 15 con
secutive years on the air, and that
HOWARD BARLOW, center, directed the Firestone symphonic
orchestra as Nadine Connor and the Firestone choral group (left)
sang on the “Voice of Firestone” simulcast June 12, 1950. Hugh
James, announcer, is shown in center background. This photograph
was one of the first over-all shots to be made during an actual
simulcast with an audience.
same evening Firestone became
the first commercial sponsor of a
network television show. The pro
gram consisted of an interview be
tween Niles Trammell, then Presi
dent of the National Broadcasting
Company, and Harvey S. Firestone,
Jr., then President, now Chairman
of The Firestone Tire and Rubber
Company. Beginning the following
Monday, Firestone began televis
ing a series of motion pictures on
the requirements, qualifications,
activities and future of various vo
cations, an educational campaign
designed to explain to the tele-
'rision audience what characteris
tics were necessary to be success
ful in various types of work.
DURlJSG World War II, the
£.nortage of material tor television,
ana tne concentration of the Fire
stone organization on tne manu-
lacture of war products, resulted
m a hiatus in the company’s tele
vision activities. Then, on March
21, 1948, the National Broadcasting
Company telecast its first musical
network program, featuring Tos-
anmi and the NBC Symphony
Orchestra. On the next day, Mon
day, March 22, when Firestone
moved into Studio 8-H to put on
its radio program, the lighting
equipment used in the previous
day’s telecast was still up. On the
spur of the moment, Firestone de
cided to telecast as well as broad
cast its show that evening. In a
flurry of excitement all the ar
rangements were made and wires
were gotten out to newspapers and
other publications. Announcements
were made on radio and television
stations and, that evening. Fire
stone became the first company to
telecast a commercially sponsored
musical program and the first
company to sponsor a commercial
simulcast on AM, FM, TV and
short wave.
Following this first experiment
in simulcasting, Firestone felt that
it might be better to have separate
radio and television programs and,
on April 12, 1948, Firestone began
sponsorship of a quiz program
called “Americana” which featur
ed high school boys and girls with
Ben Grauer as quiz master. How
ever, the idea of simulcasting had
not died in the minds of the Fire
stone people. Their reservations a-
bout the experimental broadcast in
March, 1948, were based chiefly on
the fact that straight pictures of
the orchestra and artist would be
come monotonous after a few pro
grams. Therefore, much thought
was given during the coming year
to ways and means of making the
program as interesting to the eye
as it was to the ear. During the
summer of 1949, many of these
problems were solved and, on Sep
tember 5, 1949, simulcasting the
Voice of Firestone was resumed on
a regular basis and it has been con
tinued ever since that date.
IN pioneering a musical simul
cast, J^'irestone ran into many dif
ficulties. In order to avoid monot
ony from week to week. Firestone
used four cameras instead of the
usual three and insisted on perfect
timing of the shots to pick out the
section of the orchestra which was
carrying the melody. Orchestra ar
rangements had to be made with
television requirements in mind
and, for the vocalists, stage sets
and background had to be selected
and sometimes constructed. Make
up problems arose and costumes
became an important factor which
required hours of study, discussion
and experimentation. And all this
time, production and network costs
were all out of proportion to the
number of television-equipped
homes.
However, NBC soon perfected
rear screen projection of both
slides and movies and this resulted
in marked economies in the use of
stage sets and back-drops.
There is a tendency to think of
the Voice of Firestone as a radio
program which is being televised.
This is a natural conclusion, be
cause the Voice of Firestone start
ed out on radio. On the contrary,
however, the Voice of Firestone is
really a television show in which
a few unimportant compromises
are made to make it as attractive
to the radio listeners as it is to the
televiewer.
Simulcasting has made it neces
sary to abandon the radio Voice
of Firestone policy of using only
one or two regular artists during
the year. In radio, people seldom
complained about hearing the same
artists week after week; but in
television, the public complains
bitterly about seeing the same
faces too frequently. Consequently,
when Firestone’s talent contracts
expired in May, 1950, it began a
new policy, scheduling more artists
and using no one artist more than
five times a year.
Coming Events |
An instructors class in bridge
playing started Monday, Novem
ber 23rd, at the Girls’ Club. The
class will meet alternate Mondays
for a total of four meetings. After
the completion of this instructors
course, a bridge club open to all
employees will be organized.
Basketball practice is being held
each Monday, Tuesday, and Wed
nesday at 4 p. m., in the Gastonia
Armory. Employees and employees’
children are invited to participate.
Full information concerning bas
ketball league play, which starts
soon, may be obtained from Rec
reation Director Ralph Johnson.
Bingo is back, and popular as
ever! There’s a place for you—
and prizes too—at the next party,
Friday, December 11, at the Girls’
Club. The grand prize at both the
10 a. m., and 7 p. m., parties will
be a turkey.
The Community Sing continues
to meet each Tuesday night at 7
p. m. in the Recreation Center. All
who can sing—or want to try—are
invited to participate; those who
merely want to listen are welcom
ed.
sa cu
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson L. Bradley,
Jr., announce the birth of a son on
November 12, at the Gaston Me
morial Hospital. Mr. Bradley is
the son of Mrs. Gertrude Bradley,
reclaimer, and Bill Bradley.
Mr. and Mrs. George Pender
grass announce the birth of twins,
Terry and Perry on October 10th,
at the Gaston County Negro Hos
pital. Mr. Pendergrass works in
the Shipping Department.
3n iWemoriam
JOHN H. HYDE
Mr. John H. Hyde of Robbins-
ville, N. C., recently passed away.
Mr. Hyde was the father of Mrs.
Daisy Williams, reclaimer. The
employees extend their sympathy
to the family.
MRS. MARY A. CARPENTER
Mrs. Mary Amanda Carpenter,
mother of Miss Minnie Carpenter
and Mrs. Mattie McDaniel, both of
Spooling Department, died at her
home on South King Street, No
vember 7. The employees of the
Spooling Department extend their
deepest sympathy to the family.
For Suggestion Week Winners
PRIZES for the winners in the Suggestion Week Contest just
completed include, as shown above: 1st prize, a Firestone Clock-
Radio; 2nd prize, a Firestone Deluxe Champion 6.70 x 15 tire;
and 3rd prize, a Presto Steam Iron. Winners will be announced as
soon as the Suggestion Board can examine all suggestions submitted
during Suggestion Week.
SEC. 34.66 P. L. & R.
U. «. POSTAGE
PAID
GASTONIA, N. C.
PERMIT NO. 29