Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

r Outrates all syndicated shows! San Francisco — highest rated syndicated program (22.7, Pulse, 2/57) outrating George Gobel, Gunsmoke, Zane Grey Theatre, Jackie Gleason, Lux Video Theatre, etc. Twin Cities— highest rated syndicated program in MinneapolisSt. Paul (16.0, Pulse, 11/56) outrating Warner Brothers, Father Knows Best, West Point, etc. Outrates all competition in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Portland, Oregon, etc. Stage 7's a dramatic anthology which can do a fine-rating, fineselling job in your market, as it is already doing in more than a hundred others. Better check Stage 7 for your market today. Write, wire or phone collect for availabilities. IN REVIEW Television Programs of America, Inc. 488 Madison Ave., N. Y. 22 • PLaza 5-2100 Page 16 ♦ May 6, 1957 THE KATE SMITH HOUR KATE SMITH has brought that moon over the mountain for 26 years and it's become show business gospel that the hosting ability can keep any program from falling below a certain level. The one-hour musical-variety presentation April 28 typified this, with Miss Smith sparking a show replete with acts that ranged from excellent to disturbing. A Benny Goodman jam session was a refreshing contrast to the rock 'n roll and calypso that currently saturates the airwaves. An appearance by the Billy Williams Quartet also vied for top honors. But after this, the quality deteriorated. Molly Berg's lovable personality almost rescued her sequence, but the hackneyed theme appeared to be too much. A puzzler was Boris Karloff in an appearance to speak the words of "September Song" to an orchestra accompaniment. Ed Wynn may have stirred old fans of the Texaco Fire Chief with his gags and puns about his "inventions," but it appeared a bit flat. Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were there too. However, television's penetrating eye again revealed Mr. Bergen's failure to control mouth muscles in his ventriloquism. This distracting factor offset most of the palatable patter. Production costs: Approximately $100,000. Sponsored by Youngstown Kitchen Div. of American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corp., through Grey Advertising, on Sun., April 28, 9-10 p.m., EDT. Producer: Ted Collins. Director: Greg Garrison. Writer: Gordon Auchincloss. THE MIKE WALLACE INTERVIEW FROM last October when Mike Wallace became chief inquisitor on Nishtbeat, a 11 p.m.-midnight item on WABD (TV) New York, numerous "celebrities" as well as prominent citizens ran a gauntlet of almost merciless cross-examination. It's apparent from here on in they have little to fear from Mr. Wallace but fear itself. The Mike Wallace who made his debut on ABCTV the night of April 28 is a far cry from the questioner who made hat designer Mr. John wince when he brought up the topic of homosexuality during the WABD days. Mr. Wallace may be as gallantly irreverent as ever, but the claws seem retracted if not manicured. When he was grinding out two interviews per night for four nights weekly in New York, the research was detailed fully and the hour ripe for "confessionals." The first guest of the network series wasn't controversial; she was the faded ex-movie queen Gloria Swanson. Mr. Wallace, if he had run true to his former track record, would have been expected to take note of Miss Swanson's ill-fated film vehicle, a post"Sunset Boulevard" comeback attempt; probe into her marriages, of which there were many, and take a plunge or two into a pool of other available material. This Mike Wallace, who has done much to pave the way for a new art in tv interviewing, may be just as sharp off-camera as the old headline-maker, but we can be fairly sure he won't delve into the sexual proclivities of the "international set," nor have a Robert Harrison (publisher of Con fidential magazine) stripping to his wais to show viewers his shotgun scars. It's sad that Mr. Wallace's original pre gram, a video version of Confidential wit some of the pages torn out, got such wid notoriety to begin with; it's tragic that th hubbub catapulted the show onto a networl | only then to be watered down. Production costs: $22,500. Sponsored by Philip Morris Inc., throug ! N. W. Ayer & Son, on ABC-TV, Sunday April 28, 10-10:30 p.m. EDT. Producer: Ted Yates, Jr.; director: Jac Sameth; researcher: Al Ramrus. CINDERELLA LIKE comedian Ernie Kovacs, the balle "Cinderella" can do without the spokei word. For both, the picture is paramounl and the sound system is used for somethin; more beguiling than speech. The Royal Ballet's account of the fair; tale, as choreographed by Frederick Ashtoi to music by Serge Prokofiev, was a fascinat ing addition to what is becoming a televisioi album of fairy tales. Choreographer Ashton fitted a world o soaring grace into the compact space die tated by television. One pas de deux b; Cinderella Margot Fonteyn and Prince Mi chael Somes took no more than 12 feet. A other times the stage was filled with dancers But the television eye view, compressed a it was, was in many ways more satisfactory than the long-range view of the theatre. Di rector Clark Jones, his cameraman anc designers can take credit for this. The skill of the Royal Ballet needs nc restating. It scarcely ever seems to vary Miss Fonteyn recreated the heroine in move ments of beauty and incredible precision Her fairy godmother, Julia Farron of swan like neck and figure, was a memorable vi sion of delight. Mr. Ashton and his col league, Kenneth MacMillan, played a hilari ous pair of stepsisters, a pair not too prouc to resort to slapstick. Alexander Grant wa; indispensable as the ebullient jester. Sequences of "Cinderella" were reminis cent of some classic motion picture ballets The transformation of the fairy godmothei from an old woman, the woodland dances the starry and snowy scenes all demonstratec once again how much ballet and the mov ing camera arts — whether on a cable or or film — have to give to each other. Production costs: Approximately $250,000 Sponsored by RCA-Whirlpool through Ken yon & Eckhardt, and John Hancock Lift Insurance, through McCann-Erickson, am colorcast on NBC-TV, Monday, April 29 8-9:30 p.m. EDT. Executive producer: Mort Abrahams; asso date producer: Leo Davis; director: Clarl Jones; conductor: Robert Irving; settings Otis Riggs; costumes: Jean-Denis Malcles NBC costume supervisor: Robert Fletcher production supervisor: Shelley Hull; as sistant director: Dean Whitmore. Royal Ballet appearance under S. Hurok'i management. Ninette de Valois is direc tor of Royal Ballet, Mr. Ashton associate director. Broadcasting • Telecasting