Radio-TV mirror (Jan-June 1953)

■-Jllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllmlmmll; I -SS8? nllllllllllimillllllllllllllllllllllllllllilillllK THIS GORGEOUS BOOK IS REALLY . . . HOLLYWOOD IN REVIEW Again the editors of Photoplay Magazine bring you Photoplay Annual 1953. This year Photoplay Annual 1953 is more exciting than ever! It is a treasure-mine, of information about the stars ... a .real Who's Who in Hollywood. Here is just a brief description of this truly lovely book: Hollywood star directory— vital statistics and pertinent information on rrtore man 500 stars — their rolea and lives in 1952. The addresses of the leading studios. Now ybu will know where to write your favorite BEST LIKED MOVIES OF 1952— Captivating Scenes from the greatest movies of 1952 — here are movie memories you will want to keep! COLOR PORTRAITS OF THE STARS— Gorgeous 4-color photographs of Debbie Reynolds, Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Esther Williams, Tony Curtis, Susan flayward, Dale Rpbertson and Robert Wagner. EVENTS OF THE YEAR— The parents of 1952 pictured with their youngsters — memorable weddings of the year — divorces of the year that made headlines — the final curtain, death robbed us of some of the nation's entertainment greats. NEW STARS— 30 new stars that made their mark in '52. Pictures, as well as a thumbnail description, of these newcomers. See and read about them here, and then follow their exciting careers. PORTRAIT GALLERY— Thrilling full-page pictures of Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, Mario Lanza, Jane Wyman, Gene Nelson, Virginia Mayo, Ann Blyth and Cornel Wilde. You'll get all this and much, much more in Photoplay Annual 1953. This valuable collector's item sells t>ut every year. Get your copy at once. only SO* at newsstands or use this coupon PHOTOPLAY Dept. WG-353 205 E. 42nd St.. New York 17, N. Y. Send me copy (copies) of PHOTOPLAY ANNUAL 1953 at 50c each' postpaid. I enclose : $ Name: (Please print) Address: City: State: :j 76 Happiness to Share (Continued from page 73) members were scattered across Chicago. Now, with the exception of Jack Fascinato — who, with his lovely wife and two small daughters, lives farther north — all have moved within walking distance of the Gold Coast coach house which Fran and Archie occupy. It's typical of the way the Kuklapolitans pool their talents that, as each one found a new apartment, Joe Lockwood supervised its decoration and each of the others contributed their skills. Right in the center of this community is the Kuklapolitans' official home. Down the street from Fran's and Archie's, Burr leased another coach house, which he remodelled. The lower floor is a workroom and the second, originally built as the ballroom of the adjoining mansion, now holds a tiny corner kitchen and offers magnificent space for entertaining. For all except the largest parties, there's a typically family division of labor. Burr and Mary, who like to cook, take over the kitchen. Cathy and Joe set the table. Gommy sees there is wood for the fireplace and sets up the movie projector. Jack plays the piano, Fran sings, and Beulah is hostess. Not even a business conference can get grim when sponsors and stars sit down on facing sofas in front of a fireplace so huge a man can stand upright in it. There, too, have come the famed guests who are ardent fans of Kukla, Fran And Ollie. Reflections of the parties given for them are often seen and heard on the air, for the little people tend to do on stage the same things the for-real family does in its ordinary living. Only once has such a carry-over brought difficulties. When Tallulah Bankhead presented a Confederate flag, it never occurred to Burr that mentioning it might create a problem. He assumed that everyone had reached the same accord which exists between Fran (brought up on the songs of the Grand Army of the Republic) and Beulah (who never has been heard to refer to that long-past unpleasantness as anything other than the War Between the States). Yet no sooner was Miss Bankhead's flag unfurled before a camera than protests deluged NBC. Letters from the North carried references to treason. Those from the South objected that the Kuklapolitans had made light of a sacred symbol. Burr was hurt. It was the only time the Kuklapolitans' faith in peace and goodwill has failed to be contagious. Far as this spirit has extended to all who love the program, it takes its most easily visible form in the WMAQ studio just before the broadcast. Where many shows reach the air with a tension which can be felt by the bystander, Gommy's signal, "Okay, stand by," puts a smile on every face from cameraman to orchestra members. That across-the-studio smile is a more eloquent testimonial to the way the Kuklapolitans live than all the millions of words written about them, for it is always the crew which is most critical of programs. Other people may wistfully regard their spirit as Utopian, but those who work closest with Burr, Fran, Beulah, Gommy, Jack, Mary, Cathy, know they constitute a truly happy family with the gift of making others happy, too. Lucky Am I (Continued from page 72) home town, too. The breaks started coming her way twenty-five years ago when she was born into the Fowler family, one of eight brothers and three sisters. Being a Fowler was what Patti (named by her parents Clara Ann) calls a very good start. It was the kind of home where children were loved but not coddled. The fact that there were so many other kids around taught Patti how to share joys, sorrows and responsibilities. When Pat was a little girl, the family moved to Tulsa and she attended high school there — interested mainly in dramatics and art. It was the painting talent which earned Patti a scholarship to Tulsa University. But the Fowlers found it difficult to keep Pat in school, even with the scholarship help, so she decided to get a job. Once again, her painting talent came in handy, and she started working for a local station as a staff illustrator. And then another big break came along. Patti Page, a singer on the station, fell ill, and Clara Ann Fowler assumed the name Patti Page and sang as her substitute. From that time on, Patti Page was Clara's name, and from that first song on, things really began to happen. A band manager, Jack Rael, heard Patti singing on the radio, and ran all the way down to the studio to offer her a contract singing with his group. Patti accepted, and it wasn't long before Jack had enough confidence in her talent to give up all his other commitments and manage her exclusively. Jack and his protegee went to Chicago, where Patti got a job on ABC's Breakfast Club — following that up with her own show on other networks. Mercury Records offered her a contract soon after that — and, on one of her first record dates, Patti and Jack dreamed up the idea of dubbing a harmony part to her own voice. That little idea became the record "Confess." The disc speedily shot up to third in total retail sales of all phonograph records. The success of "Confess" led to nightclub appearances throughout the nation for Patti, and it was followed by hit after hit — culminating in the record which sold more than any other platter had ever sold before — "Tennessee Waltz," Patti's all-time favorite song. Miss Patti Page had really arrived in less than three years of trying. Suddenly, she found she could really afford the things she'd only dreamed about for herself and her family. She became the proud owner of a sleek Cadillac — a gift from Mercury Records. And Patti took possession of a plush Park Avenue apartment. The little lady from Oklahoma has come a long way. But, despite her great success and popularity, Patti still looks like a well-scrubbed college girl when she's off-stage. She's easy to talk to, easy to like, and a lot of young men think she'd make a swell wife, too. But Patti frowns on romantic rumors about her just now. She's so busy that she rarely gets a chance to go out on a non-singing date. She does feel, though, that when the right young man comes along she'll recognize him. Any time Pat gets a vacation, she spends it with her favorite family, the Fowlers of Tulsa, Oklahoma.