Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

CAPITAL TYPES #23 THE GOSSIP Social activity centers around the cloak room: adept at starting rumors when authentic material runs thin. Female acquaintances consider her awful, keep her booked solid for luncheon weeks in advance. Avid reader of historical novels. Keeps two diaries, three cats, and nine rubber plants. Once played the cello but gave it up as unladylike. Fancies people talk about her. But there's nothing fanciful about the success of WTOP Radio. Small wonder. ITOP gives its advertisers (l)the largest average share of audience (2) the most quarter -hour wins (3) Washington's most popular personalities and(4)ten times the power of any other radio station in the Washington area. Operated by The Washington Post Broadcast Division* Represented by CBS Radio Spot Sales IN REVIEW POLITICS AND PRIMARIES WITH Dateline: New Hampshire, broadcast from 9:05 to 10 p.m. last Tuesday, NBC Radio launched a special spring series of programs that will cover the pre-primary activities in eight states: Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Oregon and California, as well as New Hampshire. To present the political status report on New Hampshire, NBC newsmen Herb Kaplow and Art Wakelee spent a week touring the state with a mobile unit, recording interviews with citizens, ranging from the lowliest voter to Gov. Lane Dwinell, picking up town meetings, political debates and corner store conversations. The listener learned: that New Hampshire is traditionally Republican and not likely to break with tradition this year; that with Ike's announced candidacy, the conservative and liberal Republican factions in the state have joined forces to back what they consider a sure winner; that the Democratic primary fight is the more interesting, more intense and more suspenseful, with Sen. Kefauver's personal campaigning balanced by the skill of Gov. Stevenson's backers in securing better known, more influential New Hampshire personalities as candidates for delegates. The appeal of this special NBC Radio series will doubtless vary in direct proportion to the listener's interest in the political primary fights in the various states. To one who can take politics or let it alone, 55 minutes was a little too much. And while merely presenting the various viewpoints and letting the listener reach his own decision is probably admirable, this listener would have appreciated a summary by a commentator with political savvy. Broadcast sustaining on NBC Radio, March 6, 9:05-10 p.m. EST. Supervisor: Joseph O. Myers, manager of NBC news; overall producer: Reuven Frank; producer: Arthur Wakelee; director: Jack Sughrue; script writers: Elliot Frankel and William Hiel; production assistant: Pat Trese; narrator: Herb Kaplow. CAESAR & CLEOPATRA FORTUNATE indeed was the fact that ABCTV shrewdly scheduled J. Arthur Rank's 1946 film of "Caesar and Cleopatra" on its Famous Film Festival a week ago Sunday. Otherwise it would have been difficult to follow all the excitement on NBC-TV's live and tinted version of the same play some 24 hours later. Overwhelmed as we were by the galaxy of stars that paraded across the 21 -inch screen, by some of the lushest scenery on tv since the Metropolitan Opera telecast its "Aida" several years ago and by the brilliant costuming, we couldn't help but feel that something was missing. Say, a plot. Certainly, the chaff that remained following Joseph Schrank's surprisingly brutal editing and Sir Cedric Hardwicke's hesitant and inaudible reading of Caesar, bore little resemblance to what Shaw had in mind when he wrote the play. Spectacular television, yes; good television, no. In contrast to the performances of Sir Cedric and Claire Bloom, the rest of the cast — Cyril Ritchard, Judith Anderson, Jack Hawkins, et al. — boasted some good acting and, we suspect, universal discomfort. Production costs: Approximately $200,000. Sponsored by Ford Motor Co. and RCA Victor, both through Kenyon & Eckhardt, N. Y., on NBC-TV's Producer's Showcase, HARDWICKE, RITCHARD, BLOOM March 5, 8-9:30 p.m. EST. Cast: Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Claire Bloom, Judith Anderson, Jack Hawkins, Cyril Ritchard, Anthony Quayle, Farley Granger, Thomas Gomez. "Caesar and Cleopatra" by George Bernard Shaw; adaptation: Joseph Schrank; staging: Anthony Quayle; supervisors: Donald Davis and Dorothy Mathews. Director: Kirk Browning; assoc. director: Dean Whitmore; assoc. supervisor: Andrew McCullough; unit manager: Perry Cross; technical director: Jack Coffey; settings: Otis Riggs; costumes: Guy Kent; music: George Bassman. THE GORDON MacRAE SHOW GORDON MacRAE sang, laughed and lounged through the first quarter-hour of his new NBCTV series in the fashionable California "casual" manner. That is, he wore no tie and delivered his songs from a replica of his den at home, with side trips to the backyard to join Phil Harris for a few swings at a golf ball and a few choruses of a song. Of Mr. MacRae's musical ability there's no question. His songs are pleasing enough. His manner is, too, and incredibly relaxed. (Crosby and Como may be "out-casualed" yet.) Producer and star have a format that looks like it will wear well. Production costs: $10,000. Sponsored from Hollywood on NBC -TV Mondays, 7:30-7:45 p.m. EST, by Lever Bros. Co., for Lifebuoy, Pepsodent, and Lux Liquid through BBDO. Producer-director: Irv Lambrecht; musicians: Cheer Leaders quartet and orchestra under Van Alexander. UNCLE JOHNNY COONS NBC-TV's latest offering to the youngsters lacks originality, but through the performance of its host retains enough backbone to rank as a hot Saturday morning competitor. Uncle Johnny opens his show with the standard "Now I see some of you boys and girls sitting too close to the tv set" . . . or . . . "some of you didn't brush your teeth this morn Page 12 • March 12, 1956 Broadcasting • Telecasting