Sponsor (July-Dec 1950)

a series of specially written original teleplays; the writers of Roscoe Karns, Inside Detective base their scripts on materials in Inside Detective magazine; those of Treasury Men in Action on actual cases in Treasury Department files; no explanation is needed for The Adventures of Ellery Queen. Because of the vast store of detective and mystery literature to draw from, scripts can be obtained more easily for mysteries than for other TV dramas. Practically all mysteries are done live, but many use integrated film sequences to widen the scope of the story. A Times Square scene, for example, would be on film, as would an automobile chase. The transition between live and film scenes is made very skillfully and in most cases, appears natural to viewers. Sets are often a big factor in conveying realism. One mystery presented recently was supposed to take place in a coal mine; but the settings, one reviewer commented, failed miserably. Who ever heard of a coal mine with clean, level floors and flimsy walls, said the reviewer. But most mysteries avoid this kind of flaw. The supernatural type of mystery, of which the outstanding example is Admiral's Lights Out (NBC-TV), requires extra care and attention. For creation of that eerie mood. Lights Out uses a flickering candle placed before the narrator's apparently disembodied head. In the plays, men rise from the dead, travel through time and space, and generally comport themselves in weird fashion. To get supernatural effects like these requires all the cunning of a phony seance medium. To make actors disappear into thin air, for example, it is necessary to use two different sets of cameras. That these shenanigans are going over big is attested to by the consistently top ratings Lights Out has garnered since its debut last year. Stories with a supernatural touch are sometimes used by other shows, especially Suspense and Danger. On Danger, the "iris" effect is frequently used: a large eye-pupil fills the screen, then the camera backs away so that whole face can be seen. Or the other way: camera comes in from a long view to a large closeup of one pore. Mists, spectres, and shadows on the floor are put to good use. Sound is important, too, in creating a mood. A solo guitar provides eerie theme and background music for Danger; its He's always ready for a good scrap A vigorous and emphatic proponent of positive opinions, Fulton Lewis, Jr. thrives on controversy. His first-class reporting is responsible for some first-class battles; his scrapbooks (being scanned here with his daughter) are full of evidence of victorious results. As Mr. K. E. Myers of the Wilcox Buick agency wrote to Radio Station WHAI, both of Greenfield, Massachusetts: "We feel that the great service Fulton Lewis, Jr. is rendering his country in fearlessly exposing subversive and un-American activities must command the respect of even those who differ with him. "We, therefore, consider the Fulton Lewis program a great asset to our country and to our business." The Fulton Lewis, Jr. program, currently sponsored on more than 300 stations, offers local advertisers a readymade audience at local time cost. Since there are more than 500 MBS stations, there may be an opening in your locality. Check your Mutual outlet — or the Co-operative Program Department. Mutual Broadcasting System, 1440 Broadway, NYC 18 (or Tribune Tower, Chicago 11) . 23 OCTOBER 1950 59