Variety (Aug 1948)

32 TKLKVISIOX REVIEWS Weilneday, August 25,- 1948 CRITIC-AT-LARGE With John Mason Brown; Brock Pemberton, Richard Maney. Marc Connelly, Russell Maloney; Wal- ter HeHlhy, announcer Producer: Ralph Warren 30 Mins., Wed., 7:45 p.m. Sustaining \w TV from N. i* John Mason Brown's informal living-room discussion of the arts including books, theatre, radio and newspaper—is a good show. It's appeal may be a bit limited, bv its very nature and type of euests to the intelligentsia or literati, but within its scope it s good tele. Premiere show Wed- nesday US), which discussed drama criticism, was animated, contro- versial, witty and entertaining. It will find its audience and amuse them. Show had its faults. There was a fuzzy quality on the screen, and ocS.al inaudibility from the Darticipants. Brown, who makes a witty! literate emcee, talks too fast in tne stress of getting h{f ."^as. into phrases, and also talked too much, not giving his guests enough time for comment on their own. Wednesday's show was enter- taining, because while it discussed the general subject of criticism in the theatre (which was interest- ing enough), it slipped happily out of hand frequently into personali- ties, with the guests laying about with a will at those most sacred of cows, the N. Y. drama critics. Frankest was pressagent Richard Maney, who found present-day drama reviewing in N; X. news- papers at "an all-time low, con- sidering the oldtime crowd of Percy Hammond, John Anderson and Gilbert Gabriel land including George Jean Nathan) as "giants compared to the "present midget crowd." Maney was a little incon- .sistent, at another time not blam- ing critics for the low estate of dramatic criticism, but rather in- dicting the publishers and editors, who "have only a mild scorn tor the theatre;" Producer Brock Pemberton said that 10 years ago he'd be hot and bothered about critics; now he doesn't care. "I take critics or leave them now," he said. I may never produce again—plays being so hard to find now—so I can speak freely." Pemberton felt that most of Broadway's critics didn t know their own emotions or feel- ings; thought the judgment of the N Y. Times' Brooks Atkinson "terrible," and singled out Kclcey Allen Women's Wear) for praise for bringing some life and wit to reviewing. „. . _ Playwright - journalist Russell Maloney thought the New Yorker s Wolcott Gibbs was in love with criticism, not with the theatre. In YOU'RE INVITED Starring Romo Vincent; euests, Norma Sfaephard, Myrna Gallo, Turner Twins, Stanley Burns. Galento & Leonardo Producer-director: Ralph Warren 30 Mins.; .Won.. 9-9:30 p.m. Sustaining- ABC-TV, from N. Y. Romo Vincent, the rotund comic, paces a fair half-hour vaudeo in an attempted informal setting, that of a house party. At best it's an awk- ward format, and when not deftly staged it's inclined to be stiff if for no other reason than that the per- ipatetic emcee, in contrast to the sitting-around-and-waiting-to- get-on "guests" (talent) suffer by comparison. Vincent opens rehearsing "Some- times I'm Happy" (fluffing one of the major punchlines) and closes with his standard cabbie song. In between he ad libs something about an excerpt from Irving Ber- lin's "Easter Parade," and the dusky Norma Shephard, who piano- logs throughout, says, "Yes, you mean 'Put It In the Box' " (which is from some other Warner Bros, filmusical). Then come Myrna Galle with a semipro ballet routine to a Chopin Waltz: the Turner Twins, from No. 1 Fifth Avenue cafe, whom the camera angle make appear chubby, not helped by mis- fit costuming, such as that choker with their high-necked jackets, but they struggled through a fair- ish routine. Stanley Burns next, working with one, then two dum- mies in an* okay ventriloquial rou- tine, but the video lens is such as to defeat .any attempt at inert lip- movements. It was • especially no- ticeable with the personable Burns who, otherwise, does a neat stint. Galento & Leonardo, hailed as from the Shoreham,- Washington, manage- a mild' ballroom routine of little distinction to "Moonlight Sonata," working in the parlor set, and qualifying just about that— parlor entertainment, although they've been around in the hotel circuits, etc. 1 The staging and production is KIFRNAN'S CORNER With Walter Kiernan Producer-Director: Marshall Diskin 30 Mins.; Mon., 8 p.m. .Sustaining ABC-TV, from N. Y. Walter Kiernan, one of the more capable adlibbers in radio and tele, preemed his latest solo stint in an atmosphere that would have been envied by N. Y. Post columnist Earl Wilson. Selection of the site of his initial telecast on his Monday night series was, of all places, a femme reducing salon. It might not have been the ideal selection for home consumption, but it must have been great in the bars and grills. There was sufficient humor in the camera work, and 'Kiernan, for a time, did a fine job of interviewing the femnies while all kinds of me- chanical gadgets rolled off pounds and inches. However, it's the kind of show that would have been terrific for a 15-minute stanza. It seems that ad- libbing for a half hour is too much to demand of anyone. After a while, Kiernan found himself ask- ing the same questions of the same people and getting answers pre- viously heard. Because of the com- paratively small number of people in the room, Kiernan was forced to make repeat visits to each .stall. Show suffered because of its run- ning time. Some interesting camera angles were unavoidable. There were several Helen Hokinson types in the shrinking salon which could have been photographed with bru- tal effect. Fortunately, the cam- eraman was as gentle as possible in these circumstances. Kiernan got in a few good adlibs, but he wisely let the inherent hu- mor of the situation speak for it- self. Cutting this layout to a 15- minute session would, with all re- spect to Kiernan, constitute quite an improvement. Jose. who knows, perhaps greater lat- itudes. That's the magic of the along the lines of a house party au- electronic form of entertainment dition for a new Broadway show Vincent plans, and as he kudoses each it convinces nobody. At best, it's all very Fanchon & Marco. Which brings- up the talent cost problem again. As intra-trade knowledge it must be offered at this point that this 30-minute pack- age costs ABC around $1,000 in- cluding band (heard but unseen), etc. Acts figure around $65-$85 for singles, and'doubles are $110-$150. ever since talkers and radio reached full effulgence. That this doesn't apply, save in one instance, to this particular program is also beside the point at the moment. But it is apparent that quality -will always demand and command its just price. As this new video medium develops, this will be a natural evolution. Vincent, for example, who looks like Alfred Hitchcock but is as The emcee gets more. These are lithe as a lightweight boxer, is an QUIZZING THE NEWS With Allan Prescott, Ray Josephs, Arthur Q. Bryan, Albee Treider, Milton Caniff, Mary Hunter Producer: Bob Brenner Director: Bob Doyle Writer: Milt Subotsky 30 Mins.; Mon., 7:30 p.m. Sustaining ABC-TV, from N. Y. Video's adlib quiz sessions are still to find a group of sight-and- sound wise personalities, similar to the permanent cast that made ' Info Please" the first quiz show in i-adio for many years. Admittedly PEOPLE'S PLATFORM With Dwight Cooke, moderator Director: Frank Schnffiier Producer: Leon Levine 30 Mins.; Tues., 9:35 p.m. Sustaining CBS, from New York "People's Platform," which is al- ternating every other Tuesday night with "Presidential Straws in the Wind," has developed a power- ful television format, making it far superior to its CBS counterpart on the radio channel. The producers of this show are pioneering for all future forum shows on video. it's a difficult task, and until a They're aware that something has panel of that calibre is obtained,' - many off-the-cuff sessions are likely to be slow affairs. "Quizzing the News" is of the type that demands a sprightly panel consisting of trigger-mind personalities and an emcee who can fill natural lags with a bon mot or so. Unfortunately, this collec- tion of notables didn't measure up to video's demands. There were several holes that needed to be filled with some bright conversa- tion. However, the major fault was the selection of questions that fre- quently made dummies out of the quizzees. Show's modus operandi has quiz- master Allan Prescott asking a question with cartoonist Albee Treider drawing hints. If the first hint is ineffective, another cartoon is' drawn. Three is the limit, by which time the candidates should be in scoring position. There was one particular ques- tion which couldn't be answered due to faulty geographical place- ment of a country. There's also a listener incentive of having view- ers send in a photograph with the face dressed up to make identifica- tion difficult. Person sending in picture selected gets an automatic washer. Prescott does a fairly good job of keeping the show going but not well enough to put it in the hit class. On show caught, Prescott amazed by scratching various parts of his body while reading a script. In radio these things didn't matter, but it's not Emily Post on video. Jose. assured performer. He knows how to use his hands. He has repose and poise. He works to the audi- ence like he works in a saloon— the lens is his customers, and the studio the other three walls of a nitery. Abel. Inside Television arbitrary figures, until a standard is set, and for value offered there should be little argument from both sides of the iconoscope. If s apparent that many a Small act is . offered emergence into a fuller referring to his recent, short-lived J light via this new medium and, musical "Sleepy Hollow," Ma-1 loney spoke of "people 1 don't; consider my intellectual equals capping my show." I Playwright Marc Connelly kept TJlfJ'SSS^^lSS^^St' Capt. Bill Eddy, director of WBKB, Chicago, is reported to have d d taketoto sav tiethoufiht ; developed a new microwave relay tower that can be installed within that Atkinson Gibbs Tune's Louis ' three days. WBKB currently is extending its relay system in northern Kronenberger Post's Richard Illinois and Indiana. Capt. Eddy, inventor of many radio and tele Watts, Jr and Brown (Saturday improvements, is an owner of Television Associates, which manufac- Revievv of Literature) were good ■ tures video equipment at Michigan City, Ind. < critics. ! Informal living room atmosphere Mutual-Don Lee television, KTSL, Hollywood, was forced to cancel helped the mood and setting, and plans for televising Ringling Bros., Barnum Si Bailey Circus Sept. 4, Brown kept the conversational ball when list of studio performers slated to appear became ponderous: AT OUR HOUSE With Jim and Edie Dexter Producer: Don Faust Director: Dick Rider Writer: Sue Ray IS Mins.; Tues., 9 p.m. Sustaining WBKB, Chicago Household humor of standard brand is the substance of this one, showcased on WBKB by Television Advertising Productions. The frau is pert and impractical, if not featherbrained. Her husband is vaguely harassed and expository. Their grade-school son, Junior, owing to budget restrictions," has yet to materialize on the screen, existing meanwhile via script al- lusions. They're all working out familiar situations on the apparent premise that what has caught on with radio listeners will catch on with tele viewers. to be added to the usual flow of palaver to hold the viewing audi- ence. The fundamental improvement on this program is its use of news- reel clips to add dramatic point to the problems under consideration. Integration of the live and celluloid portions into a compact unit per- mits a flexibility and range which would be impossible to achieve with straight studio techniques. On the kickoff show Tuesday (17>, with the House un-American Activities Committee being spotlighted in the discussion, the insertion of news- reel shots from the Washington hearings was a striking bit of show- manship. The verbal encounter between Rep. Emanuel Celler and Henry D. Dorfraan, his Republican opponent, was amusing, if not instructive. Rep. Celler, who bitterly critized the House committee for its alleged whipping up of hysteria, made some sharp comments but had a tendency to mugg in front of the camera. Dorfman didn't mugg but he was badly confused in his think- ing. Dwight Cooke made a com- petent moderator who let the de- baters wrangle between rather wide limits. Cooke's attempt, how- ever, to sum up the discussion with a couple of catchwords on a black- board was grade school stuff inap- propriate for an adult public af- fairs program. Herm. MAJOR EVENTS With Jerry Doyle, Harry Robert Producer: Bill Sears 15 mins., Mon., 7:45 p.m. . Major Oil Co. WCAU-TV, from Philadelphia (Shaw & Schreiber) Topical value of the cartoonist's art has always been a newspaper asset. It's problematical just how effective the same medium is on television. Jerry Doyle, whose pen and pen- cil skill was so integral a part of the editorial policies of the late Philadelphia Record, has- turned his considerable graphic talents to video, in "Major Events." With Doyle in the 15-minute illustrated news- stint is Harry Robert, former sportswriter for the Record and also an illustrator of some ability. The men go in for editorializing with their choice of cartoon ma- terial. Robert does niost of the spiel and Doyle wields "the char- coal. On program caught, the sub- jects picked were the Dixrecrats, in which Doyle cleverly converted rolling, lapses. in spite of occasional Broil. STORY LADY With Mrs. Elizabeth Doubleday, Berenice Ledford Producer-Director: Bob Wahl 19 Mins., Sat., 7:20 p.m. Sustaining. WF'I.-TV, Philadelphia Curtis Publishing Co., which has been flirting with television in an experimental way, is behind "They o , r .,_.*.» _ ii, ■ ... —^«...»... I Performers under contract with studios, for the most part, are pro- hibited from appearing on TV. KTSL had planned to shoot around them but realized the impossibility of doing so when list started grow- ing. Circus is a one-night benefit affair for the purpose of adding a wing to the St. John's Hospital. Show sighted (17) had to do with a mimeographed newspaper that; a bellows into a Southern rabble- invisible Junior, the boy editor,' f°user with a couple of deft was passing out to neighbors. Pay- off came when it was learned that ! he had spiced up his sheet by pub- I lishing some of Pop's old love ] letters to Mom. In between Mom I poured Scotch on the mimeo- i graph machine when Pop asked | her to put alcohol on it, and per- formed odd vocal exercises in prep- touches; a price-control study, which showed how Congress was giving it to us by the simple process of turning the cartoon up- side-down, and a picture of Uncle Joe and Uncle Sam, with the rats (Commies) finally finding "the right uncle." Doyls has great facility at con- Sight and Sound: The "closeup" mania of tele's technicians is re- sponsible for the poor job being done on dancers, especially the girls doing ballet or tap. Pictured from the waist up or down the camera gives .both the dancer and the viewer" the worst of it. Heavily muscled legs, are not pretty. ,The girl tapsters better learn to keep away from short skirts or,-perhaps, adopt operaiiength hose to slim down the legs. Story Lady 4 '* a 10-mmute program' 5 But the'cameta can accomplish the most by screening the full figure slanted for Philadelphia moppets, \ If that was Jack Lescoulie's video debut the other night (WJZ) he which WFIL-TV airs Saturday eve- \ didn't do himself any favor by making his first entrance chewing gum. nings at 7:20. Another example for performers of.what not to do on tele.. . WPIX's Elizabeth Doubleday, in the title 1 wrestling narrator and phrases like "that's what I call raw courage" role, sings for children, interviews, is edging him into the "gee whiz" class of announcers... .Bill Harring- a couple of young guests and then | ton probably won't linger on WJZ's "3 About Town" show very long, narrates a bestseller juve yarn j The boy has appearance, sings too good a song and plays a nice piano from the pages of the Curtis maga- • am i accordion. He looks like musical comedy material.. He also sings zine Jack and Jill. Appropriate i tne eas i es t and smoothest tune of any of the boys now being screened illusUations for the visual part of and iVs , pleasure RyL p story i r el H ng i lre furnished by j Maggi McNeills femceeing the Crystal Room, ABC's Sunday night Sterv whichi is miior oart of vaudeo, was relaxed enough, but the device of table-hopping was con- m-ogrim is^conventSfarefor I t rived - Hour sh - ow wouId have P laved better in 3 » minutes. Willie juniors Opus heard was geared Shore did his entire routine OK, but it was a case of overdoing a good for the very young audience and thing. Fifi D'Grsay's "Oh Johnny'* version, with its s.a. overtones, evi- conccrned "Prince Roland and the | dences the great need for self-regulation by acts going from the niteries Six Words" recited to a. back- j to the ike. Earl Wrightson sang his ballads well. WNEW's all-night ground of organ music. Mrs. , disk jock Art Ford screens well but that hyper-affected gal in the Doubleday's delivery- was remark- camera proximity, when the lens picked them up, was emoting all over •-ably clear and well calculated to; the place. The Crystal Room, incidentally, is being extended ad lib hold auditors in the four tp eight until World Video Theatre (dramatic show) is ready, years range. ' i its evident that many of the nitery acts have an awareness of the Programs, so far, have been ar-! new medium's more conservative standards. If it's a case of bamps, ranged to suit a different age ; the gals don't do the grind or torso-tossing as strenuously when before 'fP u S each week, running from. the video medjum . other al fresco habits, long deemed standard on IlS rJSf .«£.;lV» the rostrum or floors/must be moderated for telecasting. By the tianf (silhouette-^) token - the c °n« e «» ital mike singers find themselves a bit ata loss ,W putting across the punch situa- ' "> th * new medium, i.e., when deprived of the clinging-vine mike tionk H Cagh, I stance, since they work via overhead or footlight amplifiers. aiation for her speech at a femme keying an important idea visually. ' But the impact, which is so vital club. Show has neat bookends, using I a factor in a newspaper cartoon a window with a rising blind for the intro and a downed blind for the close. Pop, who has five o'clock shadow, prologs out of cam- j era range and then joins Mom in j the kitchen. Single set and two j characters make for low budget, | but situations built on non-existent j Junior should be used sparingly, i If he's planted too strong, as in ] this one, his appearance becomes j obligatory. As a gambit to circumvent steep costs, "At Our House" has merit was missing as one saw the thing develop before one's eyes and sus- pected its final message long be- fore the drawing was completed. Robert's conversational byplay was far behind inspired, and the pair failed to keep the dialog bounc- ing, which made for a number of dead spots. A good script, which i could be studied beforehand, 1 would do lots for this one. Commercials are films showing a lot of happy locals, who achieved that blissful and secure state by TAP currently is putting it on j "sing Major Oil. They were in teresting and very well-done. Gogh. film for national sale Baxt. TELE-PUN I With Johnny Bradford, Ray Mich- i ael; others i Director: Vance Halleck : Writer: Boyce de Gaw i 30 Mins.; Sat., 8:30 p.m. j WNBW (NBC), Washington j NBC and Boyce DeGaw, packager of Tele-Pun, have a TV natural in come out of the local soil and serve to prove the old adage that "every- one wants to get into the act." Show's format is simple and fun making. Contestant is brought be- fore the court for "errant punsters" and charged with punning in public places. He is defended by the At- j this one. It takes full advantage of < lorney for the Defense Ray Michael the visual and at the same time co- land acts out the pun he is charged ordinates everything that is sale iable in the audio medium. It in- corporates a quiz show with con- tinuity, a mixture of amateur pres- entation, has audience participa- tion, and pays it off with prizes. Basically the show is a charade quiz with props, but its freshness stems from the fact that there is a show within a show when contest- ants from the audience act out their visual puns. The contestants with commiting. These puns rep- resent geographical designations, famous sayings or people, proverbs, titles, but they must be puns. Show also has a viewer partici- pation gimmick. The "Tele-Pun of the Week" is acted out progres- sively during the show, and at the windup the completed pun is of- fered to the viewer for: solution. (Program is now on fuU NBC net- work).