Variety (August 1949)

84 TELEVISIOIV REVIEWS Wednesday, August 17, I949 A COUPLE OF JOES W ith Joe Rosenfield, Joe Biuhkin, Joan Barton, Tom Shirley Producer: Allan Kent Director: Bobby Doyle 53 Mins.; Fri., 10:05 p.m. BI.ATZ M JZ I V, N. Y. {Kastor, Farrell, Chesley, Clifford) Here’s a new and novel tele- vision show with enough of an original format to make it a prom- ising future contender. On the preeni broadcast (12), though, the east and crew got mired in whal was probably the biggest me- lange of stunts yet attempted on 'I'V. Result was 55 minutes of sijoradie entertainment that was okay when it was working accord- ing to schedule but downright em- barrassing at other times. Show could also be trimmed profitably to a half-hour. Format basically is one of viewer participation, but with a number of new twists. Joe Rosenfield. all- night disk jockey on WOR-AM (N.Y.t and Joe Bushkin. ja/.z pianist, are the couple of Joes in question. With the help of vocal- ist Joan Barton, announcer Tom Shirley, and a soulful-eyed hound used for "atmosphere,” they offer the usual run of prizes for stunts and col lect questions. Initial show' teed off with a modified scavenger bunt in which viewers were asked to bring in such articles as a burned-out light bulb or an 8-ball, and followed with contests such as having viewers try to stump the (ast by phoning in songs. If none of the performers could sing or play the tune, the viewer got a pri/.e. First guy to bring in one of the scavenger items got a polite brush- oil before the cameras and was es- corted to a seat to await his prize. IMione call idea was okay except that the songs, to be acceptable, must have been named in a recent list published by a trade maga- zine. Since many of those re- quested were not on the list, Rosen- field would not even name them, which must have riled many view - ers. Then, when Rosenfield at- tempted to phone a viewer on the outside to spring a "Joe-Pot” ques- tion. the lines were all tied up with the incoming calls. Seems nobody had thought to provide another phone extension. Interspersed with ii all were some okay tunes by Bu'ihkin and Miss Barton. Hosenfield’s personality pro- jected well on TV but several limes he started to throw radio (lies to his director. And. while i( was not his fault that the show' failed to come off as planned, he was too obviously embarrassed Willi the snafus, Bushkin plaved and sang amiably and Miss Bar- ton, while thrusbing okay, .sbow’ed a tendency towards over-mugging. Sliirley, on tap to toss in the Blatz commercials, also took part in answering the phone calls. Hound, whimsically hamed J. P. Morgan, wagged his tail at the right times. Pjogram. when it could, showed signs of TV intimacy. With its novel stunts and in view of the current giveaway fad, it could work out into a good package. It’s oh- viouslv going to need considerable polishing, though. Stal. M.\RY KAY AND JOHNNY KUKLA, FRAN AND OLLIE With Mary Kay Stearns, Johnny With Burr Tlllstrom, Fran Allison Stearns, Jack Davis; Jim Steven son, announcer. Producer; Ernest Walling Writer: J. Stearns, Bud Nye Director: Joe’ Cavallere 30 Mins., Thurs., 8:30 p.m. Sustaining NBC, from N. Y. "Mary Kay and Johnny,” popu- lar video domestic comedy, switched back from its quarter- Producer: Beulah Zachary Director: Lewis Ciomavits Musical director: Jack Fasclnato 30 Mins., Mon.-Fri., 6 p.m. (CDT) RCA VICTOR NBC-TV, from Chicago (J. Walter Thompson) Burr Tillstrom, with Fran Alli- son, brought his collection of pup- pet characters back from vacation for their new stint for RCA Vic- hour setup to the original half- tor, this time screening over NBC- hour ses.sion it held last winter. TV from WNBQ instead of their In so doing, however, it has old stamping grounds, WBKB, stretched its comedy a little thin. The vacation did Kukla, Ollie and if Thursday's (11) ()pener is an in- their pals a lot of good, because dication. Whole airer was rather opw serie-s is sharper and fun- strained and obvious, to come off before. as vapid entertainment. Opening week’s version used Session concerned an uncle of material picked up this summer. Mary and Johnny’s, who was com ing to New York to engage in a ranging from sea shells to whaling pageants. Dragon Ollie provided prizefight, and was ^ most of the laughs with his whim- then apaitment as headquarters hedevilinp of the rest of the because the "V” was full up. Uncle ' bedeviling ot me rest oi me a lilglltlP'ovo^pSwerTng I Fo' n’o' .mchanged. Till- fnsisfed ihar.I^W hl/ the f n.anipula.cs the puppets tere life he did, sans smokes and ^fom below with a timely sense of drink, and even got Johnny and movement while Mi.ss Allison pro- Marv to do road work with him vides on-stage presence from her in getting into condition. On usual front-right position at an eye paper this may have read like level with the characters, funny business; on video it was KFO should retain its large au- weak. Johnny’s objection to dience of children and adults. In Uncle’s regimen occasioned one of fact, judging from the first week the few good gags of the session.' of programs, the show is more as w'hen Johnny said; "I’m run than ever an adult eye-catcher, dow n and tired — and I want to Gags and situations are wholesome stay that way.” I fun. and delivered with spontane- But otherwise, it was pallid ity. plus enough good sense to stuff, although Mary’s (Mrs. I tickle an elder’s funnybone. Johnny Stearns) breathless manner I Camera work on show is still and Johnny’s offhand approach at a high level, and catches the gave the lines the most they could , antics of Kukla. Ollie, Beulah get. Bron. Witch, Madame Ooglepuss, Fletch- 1 er Rabbit and Cecil Bill to good THROUGH KITCHEN WINDOW With Louis. Winsloiv sho«. lui.ni .r than eve r. Mart. Producer: Charles Ranallo I Director: Lucille Ryan 30 Mins., Tucs.-Thurs., 2 p.m. EAST OHIO GAS CO. WNBK, Cleveland < Ketclni))!, MacLeod & Grove) Below-Belt Video Television sank to pretty low depths .Monday night (15) when the NBC-TV "Meet the Press” video show. Maj. Gen Patrick j H urley and I, F. Stone, columnist for the New York Compass en* gaged in a name-calling slugfest that practically broke up’ th stanza and left the panel participants and viewers with mouth* agape. * Hurley’s crack at on€ point, calling on Stone to “go back to Jerusalem,” was considered not only off-base but entirely uncalled for. What precipitated the Hurley remark was his inference that Stone had called him a crook. ' The videocast, highlighted by a discussion of the recently-re- leased White Paper on China, was punctuated throughout by rancor and bitterness, with Hurley lashing into Stone as a follower of the Red line and working for a Leftist sheet. Things started humming in earnest when, at one point. Stone asked Hurley if he knew of any place ^i»*re there were biceer crooks than in China. Hurley: "You asked me if I ever saw any bigger erooks?” Stone; ‘‘That’s what I asked you. Even in the oil fields of Texas or Oklahoma.” Hurley; "Okay, kid. Yessir. . . . You go baek to Jerusalem- I’ll go back to the oil fields. But if you don’t want to fight, don’t start it.” Rose. TTWWWWWWWWWWW T j Tele Follow-Up Comment ii STOP! I.OOK! LISTEN! W'Ph Bob Trout, moderator; Drs. Morton E. Seidenfeld, Robert J. Neville, Hart Van Riper Producer-director: Tom Ward i WNBK makes its first regular M ns.; <»un. (14). 7:15 p. m. mid-afternoon introduction with , a well-turned-out 30-minutes of NBC-TV, from N. Y. home economics under the guid-' The brainchild of NBC staff pro- an'cc of Loui.se Winslow, formerly ducer Tom Ward, this show of New' York. The entire demon-1 emerged as a fine public service stration is from a specially-built, effort despite its lack of any of sludio at the East Ohio Gas Co., j the accepted entertainment fac- j and then brought to the station by! tors. In face of the current polio means of a coaxial cable, a half- epidemic and the resultant hys- block long. Construction and teria on the part of many parents, preparation of the studio were re-, tlie program delved honestly Into ported to cost around $100,000. ! llie symptoms and cure of the Miss Winslow’s debut (9) marked dread di.-^ca.sc, holding interest if a show that will attract attention, onlv because of its subject Opening performance was a neat | With the format consisting stint, with Mi.ss Winslow handling merelv of a roundtable discussion the commercials (gas company, amons three medico directors of stove and fixtures), as part of the the National Foundation for In- overall 30-minutes, of program- fantile Paralysis, it could have ming. She tells her audience in been presented iust as effectivelv advance that she’s already pro-; on AM. But Ward figured and pared much of the ba.sic work in. rightiv so. that many televiewers her program to be: the baking of a mighi mi.ss a radio discussion and cake and preparation of ham-rolled thus the TV program was a neces- asparagus. Her audience can sily. Bob Trout, as moderator, fed write in lor ri'cipes. l ight que.slions to the three t'amera-work w-as excellent: two docloi.s and the answers, while cameras biinging entire picture they pulled no punches, must have into play and showing fine bit of done much to allay both the fears preparation. Stage sets, built un- and misconceptions of the audi- Columnist Ed Sullivan returned as emcee on CBS-TV’s "Toast of the 'Town” Sunday night (14) after a three-week vacation, headlining a sporadic talent layout. During the last few months before he left, Sul- livan had been gradually improv- ing in his video work but, while he tried to.break through with some comedy Sunday night, it failed to come off. Talent lineup was marked by the ' fine work of Joe Laurel, a British pantomime comic, and the dull stint of*film actor Sonny Tufts. Laurel, one of the freshest vaudeo acts this year, started moderately with an eccentric dance but then socked across pantomimic imper- sonations of Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy. Tufts, brought up from the studio audience for an obviously- prepared skit, was practically tongue-tied. Despite his snafu of the act, the cameras were glued to I him and Sullivan, while maestro Ray Bloch, only one of the three to elicit any laughs, was out of range. Hazel Scott displayed her piano virtuosity with a couple of num- bers but her "Warsaw Concerto” played slightly overlong for TV. Hamilton Dancers, comprising two girls and a man, were good in some impressionistic terping and Grace Drysdale put her puppets capably through some standard routine^. George DeWitt showed a pleasant comedy personality in some crooner impressions but his act was too similar to several others for top impact. Buddy Rogers, who subbed for Sullivan during the first week of the latter’s vacation, looked well when brought up from the audience for Sullivan’s some- what fulsome gratitude.' • i 4 , V444-4 a melodramatic key with Nancy Coleman standout as the distraught suspect. Although the story wai basically static, good direction im- parted some tension to the play. Settings were neatly arranged. RIDER OF DREAMS ’tVitli Karamu House Gilpin Play- ers, Pesrgy Davenport, William f'ollins, Lloyd Gentry. Nolan Bell Producer: Thomas I. Ford Director: Gerald Marans 30 Mins., Mon., 10 p.m. WEWS. Cleveland The Scripps Howard station, first television outlet in this area, chalked up another first with the presentation of Ridgely Torrence’s ‘ Rider of Dreams,” a stoiy of Ne- gro folkways. .And to portray the story, the slation called upon the Karanui flouse’s Gilpin Playcr.s. an oul- .sianding croup of actors, who did a job worthy of network note. This was (ho first call made upon llie Gilpin group and if Monday's pri*s- entalion was any criterion, the sta- tion should call on them steadily IV.cRy Davenport, as laicy. car- ried her role of the conscientious, hard-workinc wife, well; IJovd Genlry, as Madkson. the dreaming husband, handled his portrayal with a fine touch. William Col- lins as (he .son, Booker, did mucli to sparkon the first scene. Nolan Bell, as l^ncle William, rounded oul I be ca.5t. Makeup could hav e been improved, and there were liisiancos of over-acting. Camera- wise. the show lacked nothing, and scciicrv was well done. Mark der dircclion of iVNBK’s Jerry Gentile, is attractive, Arrango- j ment of fixtures and lighting is a ( I edit lo Gas Co.’s engineers. Mark. ctu c Stal. ouiz-0 ^ With Bill Mulvey, Louise Wood- ruff. Guests Director: Arnold Wilkes CAPEHART DEALERS WRGB-TV, Schenectady New program rates praise for ingenuity, but the format appears loo ambitious or involved for a smooth 30-minute local telecast. It covers musical identifications —- sung or played by live local artists .Schenerfady — WRGB made a special eight-hour daytime telecast Tiio.sday (16) from Adams. Mass., where a farm was to be trans- formed from its old layout into a modern soil conservation field sys- tem. as a feature of the Berkshire Farmers Field Day. Bill Givens .supervi.sed the telcca.st. picked up hv WRGP.’s new eight-tone mobile tran.smiller. PET SHOP With Gail and Gay Compton Writer: Gail Compton Producer: Lou Cowan Director; Don Meier 30 Mins., Thurs., 9 p.m. Sustaining WNBQ, Chicago This is a folksy series designed —propounded to both studio* to appeal lo pot owners and animal tesiants and home viewers, and the lovers. Theme is a pet shop com- solution, by on-the-.sceners, of a plete with live specimens of fish, dramatic puzzler acted out.’ With flesb and fowl, w'hercin proprietor picntilude of commercials, time Gail t'omplon show's how to take .segment is hardly sufficient. One (•arc of ailing pets; entertains a mishap throw’s the running out of stream of visitors with pets; and gear—as happened at start of last picks an animal each week for a stanza soon. Longer rehearsals are "heroism award.” possiblv the answer. Only other regular cast member Murder mystery, neither a bad is his eight-.vear-old daughter, Gay. nor a brilliant piece of writing and who answers phone calls and per- acting, lost some punch when forms stooge jobs around the shop. iJolice inspector—played bv David But neither Compton is a TV Kioman of WGY—lacked time to match for the animals appearing exfilain where woman contestant on the program. Such scene-steal- coming rio.sest to correct .solution CIS as wistful puppies, bored dogs missed Interview' with 13-year-old and greedy monkeys dominate the voungster. here only a fortnight enlertainment angle of "Pet Shop.” from Italy, was clipped after per- 1'here’s not much continuity to soiiable youngster did a piano the show, but it doe.sn’t need much, accordcon solo, for studio tabbing Camera work is the mo.st important Binal bit. featuring an excerpt part as the lens catches the weary from "Samson and Delilah” bv expression of a dog being muzzled Doloies ITarvev, 18-year-old Al- and bandaged: a monkey warily bany Negro with a promising voice snatching a tidbit from Compton; came olf well. Audrey Ellis wh() a no(k of caged finches Indignant won a singing contest at WPTR over being disturbed and a trio of guested previous week cute puppies with that "take me Kmcee Rill Mulvey. good-look- liome, mister” look. ing ingratiating and easy reeled II s a good show for kids and off a solid if overlong midwav adults. Some improvement could (ommercial. T.ouLse Woodruff be made In Hie dialog, which gels didn’l have loo much opportunitv a lillle |»'esome "t times. But on lo sliow. Closeups were moderately the whole. Pet Shop” looks like a dear; medium shots, less so natural lor a sponsor in the net Camera should sweep stuilio aiidl lood line. Mart. enie at lea.st once. Jaco, Interesting attempt to answer Variety’s contention that TV is starved for cheesecake failed to pan out Saturday night (13) on Four Star Showcase,” hour-long vaudeo presentation on the N. Y. Daily News’ WPIX. Answer was to have been given In a leg con- test, in which model Lola Montez and announcer John Tillman meas- ured the gams of a group of gals. But camera closeups of a single leg with the skirt hiked to the thigh made them look like an un- exciting piece of beef, no matter nice the leg actually was. It might have been cheesecake but it certainly not presented palatably. Cheesecake theme was carried throughout the show by WPIX pro- gram chief Warren Wade, who pro- duced. Variety’s Page One, which carried the story last week, was blown up for a backdrop and all the femme acts were introduced as cheesecake specialists, although the w-ay they were presented would not have scared even a Lindy’s busboy. Best of the acts was Kusly Arden, who scored with some neat impersonations of w.k. gal singers. Gail Meredith sang a ^uple of tunes acceptablv and Dorothy Wenzel and the Aibertas nandled the dancing chores okay. Norman Jensen, who has the regu- larly-scheduled "Mr. Magic” show on the station, impressed with his leger(|emain and the Jerry Jerome orch backed the acts well. New.s’ upcoming Harvest Moon Ball was plugged through appearances of three groups of contestants. Wade’s production and direction by Clay Yurdin were good. 1 **^®*8*^* Theatre” maintained its level of competence In staging "The ' «i Lock” Monday night i (15). Play, written by Harold Gold- i man and adapted by Jack Bent- j k(>yer, had a straightforward plot' • with a last-minute twist giving it! a windup sock. Yam involved a I murder in which the ingenious as-1 , sassin traps himself by a slight slip 01 memory. Thesping was okay in. Elliott Roosevelt is following in the latter day family tradition with his show business assignment as emcee on "Broadway Spotlight” as replacement for the vacationing Dick Kollmar. His father, the late president, was probably the No. 1 draw on radio for many years and his mother and sister constitute an important discussion team on ABC. In conjunction with his wife, ac- tress Faye Emerson, P^lliott Roose- velt does a passable job as co- conferencier. There are times when lie kills the point of a story with a fluff, but generally he is acceptable. At this early point in his show business career, Roosevelt has learned the show biz maxim "the show must go on.’ Earlier in the afternoon, he was bitten on the face by a spider. He was one of three casualties. Joey Faye had a swollen arm because of a pene- cillin allergy, and Eric Thorsen sang despite an inf(*ction in his vocal chords. Two medicos were standing by in the wings. Despite these mishaps, show played comparatively well. Prod- ucer Martin Jones shifted the Faye’s spot in the domestic skit to Jack Gilford, because of his in- ability to move around. Thorsen couldn’t put his full power into his rendition, but came off well, although somewhat over-ballyed. Major guest was Jackie Robin- son, of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was Interviewed by a Negro ven- triloquist dummy. Candy Mont- gomery had a passable voice, dre.ssed up with excellent lighting, and Margo Wade did w'cll in her tap stint. Conrad Thibaiit. now permanent emcee on Jacqiu's Fray’s "Music Room,” provides considerable dressing to thi.s show. Tlie essen- tial charm of this layout has been retained w'liile drive has been in- creased. "Music Room” has under- gone a slight change of format .so that program plays like a concert varieties. Talent is still culled from classical ranks while tunes and terps are ainu'd at the Red Seal erow'd. Initial program under the new format was well produced with some excellent talent. Ann Ayar* registered with the Musetta ana from La Boheme. Frcdell Lack showed some fiddle virtuosity with a Smetana piece and a P*'))*’ of dance teams, Nicolai. Paul & Sari and Pow'cll & Walker, did some tasty terps in I lie classical tradi- tion. . "Music Room" is a diverting m* terlude being a vaiide show w'lth a longhair tw’ist. Show eaters to a type viewer that gets little from video these days. ABC-TV’s Exclusive On FilzPalrick Travelog* ABC television has parted for exclusive video rights to James A. FitzPatrick travelog', villi a 13* week series sel for launching on the web’s four ow necl-and-opcratc stations early next month, showing will mark the fu'.Nt ventur into TV of Fitzpatrick, who I'a** years released his oiu'-ro "Travel-Talk.s” llirougli Metro. Deal also gives ABC’ some privately-filmed f o o t a g which the proiliicer is now Icnsing in Europe.