Variety (April 1950)

14 RAmOf REVIEWS Wedmegday* April 26» 1950 lAND, SGA AND Am Writer: Lister Sinclair Directort Andrew, Allen $0 Mins.; Sun. 9 p.m. Sustaininff MBS> from New York IJnited Nations Radio, in cooper ntion with the Canadian Broadcast- MAN AND THE MACHINE ^ With Ben Grauer, narrator; Guy Repp; Ken Williams» Grey Mor» ton* Scott Tennyson, Kermit Murdock, Larry Blydcn, Peter Capell, Ivor Francis, Bill Griffis producer: Wade Arnold Director; Jack Kuney Lou Haiiam inc# rnrn and Mutual Broadcast-1 Writer; Lou Hazam ina nvnvided listeners with *a 1 25 Mins., Sat., (22), 4 p.^ ingj : provided listeners genuinely entertaining documen- tary Sunday. <23) in “Land,: feea and Air.” (Dne-hoiir transcriDed Sustaining NBC, from N Y. SEX OFFENSES IN WASHING- TON, D, C, - , With Joe Wershba, narrator; plus various civic authorities as guests Producer: Larry Beckerman 30 Mins.; Tues. (11), 10:30 p. m. Sustaining WTOP, Washington Radio moved oh to touchy ground Tuesday (11) when WTOP, Washington’s CBS amUate, airod^ Sex Offenses in Washington, P. C- B-nour xraiisciiu?:u| As the atomic age tends to awe But despite the fact that^the suh- • in With the sixth an- * people with its menace of war and ject ^is normally avoided, hy broa^ progiam tied with ^ the In-! destruction, so do the maninioth casters, . the station s^^direct and wrt^tinhal Civil Aviation Organs inachihes which man has invented forcefiU analysis oL the ternational Civil AviaX k begin to make him wonder prevented anyone from labehng ization, \\di6ther the machine age is taking the program other than a public to question service documentaiy. . the / late evening adea behind the show was to^ap- prise the American and Canadwn public how North Atlantic cpun- Vtries have joined to rnake tratis^ Atlantic flying safe by assigning some 25 weather ships to patrol lO stations in' the Atlantic sea lanes. ; This vva^ vadtt^ably ^ contplished . by dramatizing , the shipboard routine of a>U. Coast Guard Cutter on weath^ duty m pavis Strait, between Greenland and Labrador. V To the credit of wrUer Lister Sinclair there were lio phony dra- matic effects woven in the acripv such as a rescue of a plane forced down at' sea or similar catastrophic r incidents. Insteadv the cutter s humdrum routine Of, supplying w^eather reports, furnishing air- craft with radar fixes and standing by oh station for possible rescue Work or other emergencies pro- vided plehty of drama in itself;^ Particularly interesting was .the descriptioh of the crew s off-duty toutirie. Frequent refereiw^^ to crap games must have brought back memories to ex-servicememdialer^ While rolling the bones is frowned . upon by U, S, d^vy jegulatmn^ the .practice occasionally has t^jt approval of individual captains.: Di"- alog of the byerall aifer so ex- pertly done' that :.a hidden mike might well haye been installed aboard a weather ship. . Gdb* over. Man begins when he sees a fiurm tractor Moreover, operating automatically, hr a new broadcast time of 10;30 p. m. was mammoth calculator answer diffi- an ideal slot to reach ati audience cult mathematical problems elec- of parents; yet avoid the younger tricallyi in double-quick time. He elemeut whose impressionable wonders whether the machihe age minds might have been unduly af- is no longer the servant of man fected by such a show. Program but his masler.^^^^ y , was narrated-in a “spirit of re- These intriguing questions were by WTOP news staffer Joe discussed fascinatingly 6ri NBG’s Wershba. ««cA«;r fniiir “Man and the Machine’V program Saturday (22), as the second of two “Living—1950” documentary ex- but after ^ aminations of the impact Of the 15-odd ex- Johnston HOLLYWOOD STAR PLAY^ HOUSE ^ '■ With James Stewart; Herb Rawlm- son> narrator; Normain Broken- shire^ announcer • ^ . Writer's: Bpbcrt LibbptL - Frank ; Burt. Producer-Director: Jack 30 Mins.“; Mon., 8 p.m. EMERSON DRUG CQ. CBS, from Hollywood (BBD&O) : ^ Filling the spot vacated by Tn- ner Sanctum,” this new^senes is dishing Up a slick brand of dra- matic fare starring top names .ot the film capital. Format p£. tms hirer; which is transcribed from Hollywood, is hewing to standard mystery, meller and comedy dra- mas With the main accent I being placed on the cast Values. Liiieup for upcoming shows includes .Such names as Broderick Crawford and Joseph Gotten. Initial stanza placed James Stew- art in the role of a hicktqwn postal carrier who stumbles across a murder plot, by accidentally opening ai letter. Although short on action^ script wove an interest- ing character portrait for Stewart. Titled “Nor Gloom of Night,” yarn was based on the general disbelief in Stewart’s suspicions until An actual attempt was made on^his life by the culprit’s hirelings. Pro- duction Was firstrate with Jeff Alexander’s orcli furnishing excel- lent background music. . ; Plugs for the • Bromo Seltzer product had the usual electronic voice with the loconiotiye pace as the trademark with Norman BrOk- ehshire making the silky pitches. . Herm. “Ford TV Theatre” last Friday night (21) treated video viewers to one of the most delightful dra-r matic -productions of the season with its hour-long presentation of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s “The School for Scandal.” It boasted a cast headed by Leueeri McGrath as Lady Teazle, Ian Keith as Sir Peter Teazle and Philip Bourneuf as Mr. Snake, and with such es- tablished legit vets as Ernest Gps- sart, Dorothy Sands and Richard Waring in supporting roles. No small credit for the polished production belongs to Marc Dah- iels, who not only exercised art ex- pert, exacting directoriid skill, but in his video treatment achieved a flawless balance of transpa^tion, that showcased Sheridan and his comedy Of ill manners with the additional benefits of a fluent and more imaginative TV staging. The movement that the cameras permitted in, picking up the ihul- of the impact of the tiple sets, for examA®, even ma machine on U. S," life the past half Pprts in the plausible the rather formal asides century. It was done in lively, f®*'®J. no .better off _ as to a in the coUoquiftl fashion, so that it Was standardized legit ^revivals of never pedantic or ; dull, -Serious e^®h the clergy^ vdjjAred as t sheridim. Coupled with thik TV problems Were treated briskly and me fluidity were performances that lightly, without sacrifice of in- were PoUshed, to a fine degree of t^rity^ oiuneaning,; at CmhoUc ® — Most of the discussion revolved around the new mammoth calcu- lators \vhich answer, the most dif- ficult of scientific* mathematical, medical or cheniical' problems, in -rnitted hv fheir nerDetrators. spUt-second, time,; ^sa^ « %n^he S S » Nor- and years of manual wmk^^There inan. Qerstenfeld urged^ that we is .one such machine at Hatva^, take a “curative and Me- and, another in Schenectady. The y^ntiye” approach to^ m offerer .Wflyy. Ii8is ■ us©Qon© ■ tO ' fiian r€fiV' ©iitir©lv iiDon questions about plane Hights, :mis^^ said, at ite most piature level si|e targets, etc. But j^phasis on jg thOj first. person to; W^^ should turn for insight as to the uses ,of such a machine^ and its possible effects on ^eur^social^M^^^ Wershba competently handled What mi^t haye a ,dr 3 ^ j,.g cleverly inte* academic discussion proved a lively,'. intellectual parlor game, and a'credit to all concerned. ;. Bron. • u "i perfection. The wonder is. with University, held that- psychiatry iitHp-'ppheap^fll time- and- Dah- gots sstiray if It ssserts ^‘mental renearsai nme ana wan illness is the chief cause of sex offenses;’;* He maintained that these sins were deliberately com- iels’ overlap on ^productions that even so -able a group of: actors could achieve a one-shot that could hold its own Witji any time-per- fected legiter. it was, too, probably the most elaborately costumed and costly “Ford Theatre” production to date. Here, in faet, was evidence of TV by the lengthy commercials, com- ing at one time at the rate of three a half-hour, In the Chi “Jack Carter Show’^ segment, the program had some gifted performers* who, however were badly spotted or matter-of- factly handled, to give off art un- inspired' effect. Jack Carter, as enicee, is ehergetlc ; and high- presstired, punching hard but hot always surely. Chi segment lacked the wit and finish of the N. Y. side. [Carter’s gags were corny, in the -'main../. . V- His guests were good. Virginia O’Brien waisn’t too attractively garbed or gotten lip. but she filled her specialty nicely In her deadpan rendition of “Virginny.” Theiper- sonabie Donald Riehards sang some snatches appealingly from “Fini- ari’s Rainbow.” Show, however, hit the bigtime with Eddie Brack- en’s Veiy amusing pantomime of a baseball pitcher and Victor Borge’s gifted fooling around a piano. The De Marios were a neat adagio dance duo, and the Maschinos a fast-tnOving, fascinating aero quin-; tet. Camera, woric ort both the dance and aero sequences rates special mention. So does direction of the N. y. segment, Including the crowd dahees, choreography, etc. THE GOVERNOR REPORTS With Gov. Allan Shivers, Capt. N. W. Jackson 15 Min., Mon., 7:15 p.m. CST KABC, San Antonio A folksy report on affairs of With Columbia Records picking up the tab for the last half-hour, of “The Show Goes ^Onj” Robert —. V xv j j i. . Q, Lewis went slightly overboard grated the recorded comments of night (20) exploiting that butter -up - the - bankroller g a g i of the Washinj^on Social Hymene Lewis* moreoveri tended id oveiv iSociety, and ^Federal Judge .Alex- ggjj[ the product witii his homey- ander HoltzOff Into fne overall pro- type pitches for Columbia’s 33rpm gram, ^thal, iL was a di^ifiod system. Lewis was evidently fore- session that probed _ scientineally ing nis usually: effective natural and never sensationally. KANSAS CITY BLUES With Larry Kay government, with a touch of Texas. [MUEHLEBACH BREWING CO., IRON CURTAIN FORUM With Julius Firt, Stefan Korbon- ski, Bogdan Raditsa; Joe Mi- chaelsi modcratpr; Guy Wallace, announcer; . 30 Mins ; Sun , 9:30 p.m. Sustaining WFDR^FM, New York Idea behind this stanza is vto analyze hews from , the other side of the Iron Curtain, The com- mentary is given by three. Middle Europeans: Julius Firt, pre-war Czech editor Who left Rrague for the U. S. zone of Germany; Stefan Korbonski, a Pole who fought the Russians in 1921 and who escaped from the Soviet police in ,’45; and Bogdan Raditsa, prC-war Yugo- slav press attache at Athens who ; was condemned to death by Tito, •Although this is billed as a forum, It is more a symposium among men of a generally similar point of view and, of course, united in their antipathy to Communism. Stanza caught Sunday (23) coVr ered the dosing of the U. S. in- formation . bureau in Czechoslo- vakia, the church laws in Poland hikory and a lesson on how to get a driver’s license* made up this first of a new sefies of radio talks for wbich the Texas State Network is giving free time. Programs are’nt supposed to be political in nature. First airing, originated here at KABC where Gov. Allan Shivers had gone to participate in the an- nual pilgrimage to the historic Alamo shrine. Purpose of the airings includes asking Texas citizens their advice on state affairs as well as to an- swer any questions the people may have on these affairs. About half of ; the opening show was devoted to a question and answer discus- sion with Capt. N. -W. Jackson, chief examiner of the driver’s license division of the Texas Dept, of Public Safety. Governor has a pleasant speak- ing voice and entire airing was in an informal style which Texans go for. He also told his radio audi- ence that he would talk about the State Prison next week and invited people to send in their questions and he would have a guest from the State Prison System to give + SJtltSWPT*® Future airings will originate at the executive mansion at the State Capital in Austin* Andy. COOK PAINT & VARNISH GO, WHB, Kansas City (R. j. Potts, Calking A Holden) delivery. As emcee, Lewis had also better guard against the frequent repe- tition of sucli cliches as “fabulous*” That’s wonderful,” etc., in inter- viewing the guest talent-buyers. He also fell into a trap in chatting with a traveling Salesman and Play-by-^play coverage of the dredging up the-familiar farmer’s Kansas City Blues In the Ameri- daughter innuendos. Nothing, came can Assn, is under a new setup out of his reaching for a laugh and this year; with new sponsors and Lewis would have done much bet- new* station, but with the same ter by exercising the originality of voice, that of Larry Ray, at the passing hy the whole subject; mike. Past five seasons Ray has These flaws, however, only been at KGKN* Arthur Capper out- slightly detra;cted from an other- let here, but in February moved wise solid variety session. Par- oycr to WHB, Mutual affiliate, ticipating acts included t number with a new policy emphasizing of standout peiformers. Bobby sports there. ; Lucas, 17-year old Negro crooner. Virtually unknown in this area scored strongly with “Black when he began here in 1945, Ray Magic” while Jack Russell showed now has a large, steady and loyal big musical comedy possibilities following. Reason is simple enough, with his version of “A Cow, A for Ray has what it takes—a store Plough and U Frau.” Holly Harris of lore and statistics, knowledge also registered With a novelty of the game and figures associated vocal although that bump routine with it, Of late he’s improved on was out of place on video, some of the finer touches, holding down the excitability, repri^^^^ Last weekend’s (22) session of the score and details frequently, nbC’s “Saturday Night Revue” addmg on the color about was definitely top-drawer tele, with m£rA the fcw lapses mote than offset by more than any other segment of gome superior presentations. As usual, thc first-hour viewing from by-play reports^ and th®ir apprpv- Chicago was cbmpletely outdone al IS .widespread in this case. . hv fViA suKcAniiAnf oh miniifAe fr^ArA THE CORRAL Denny* Anna Marie BARN ON With Dave Thomas 45 Mins.; Mon;-thni-Fri., 11 a*m. ' Pariicipating wptr; Albany Hillbilly dpo, who for a time presented an all-night show over the 50,000-watter; are now ;fillihg three slots:, the 11 a.m., spot, 6-8 aim., and 12 M.-l am, (tran- scribed).- Their songs,; plaintive, romantic, lachrymosal and humor-r oiisv will entertain devotees of the genre. The advertising of a vari- ety of articles—apparentiy for some sort of a mail orders house — is long, inteiTUpting: and tiresome. Dave Denny sings ballads best. Anna Marie Thomas is also a smooth Avarbler, alone and in duet. The casiialness and the impromptu are overdone: longer off-air prep- aration and closer routining would tighten the broadcasts. It and the Yugoslav attitude to Tri-' seems probable too much 'air este. ’frio of speakers were steeped time causes a letdown; Pair sing in the political hi^ory and cur- well when they get down to busi- Yents in Central Europe and the ness, this being particularly true Balkans and lent their personal of Denny, He emphasizes requests reeoilections and knowledge to the will be filled and invites listeners discussion of current issues. i to .studios. Plugging does riot 'measure up to singing. Jaco. Moving of the broadcasts to WHB was a big bite for the sta tion, making a $90,000 package for the season, including club fees, air time, Ray,;promotion, line charges and technical details. It ob- viously too large fOr a local or regional sponsor, and so was of- fered in three segments. Miiehle- bach Brewing and Cook Paints have taken up twenthirds of the package, with the other third be ing devoted to public service—and open for a later sponsor. Station is making itself a mecca for baseball broadcasts this seasori, by the subsequent 90 minutes from N. Y., ’which In the main comprised a reVue that Broadway could envy. Latter session (“Ybur Show of Shows”) had Melvyn Douglas in a return engagement as emcee, to do a smooth, glib job; Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca for the backbone of the session, and such guests as Jan Peerce, Mata and Hari and. Mar guerite Piazza for fillips., Miss Coca and Cabsar engaged in two stock burlesques, one the funny bit about a French perfum- ery salesmari trying to win oVer an arch XJ. S, tourist customer, the also carrying Mutual’s “Game of olber thq sharply satirical picture ♦» - Or ai. ooiinlA Af n u/AH#1intf the Day; of a couple at a .wedding, tearing bride, groom and the whole affair apart. Miss Coca also did a gem of a ^lo bit as an unhappy torch singer; Caesar had two solo bits, one a very amusing takeoff of a kid at his first dance, and then seen five years later, and the other a so-^so monolog as a Russian; officer . This New York sessionVas a better integrated one. than Chi’s WAYNE HOWELL SHOW 30 Mins.; Sat., 5 p. tin. DYNAMie STORES WNBG, - N. Y..... i Sternfield Godley) : This , disk-spinning session pre- sided over by Wayne Howell looms as a half-hour stage wait. It’s a _ _ collection of triphammer high- with finer assisting talent, too. to pressure commercials urging lis- gubrite PiazzalentherlOvely so- tenei’s to call for immediate; delivr- prano to the “Something to Rc- ery on a television set. Except meniber You By” sequence; Mata for the'announcement of the name and Hari did a smooth buiTesque of of the record, there’s nothing else in Indian fakir dance, and Met in the gab line.. • ' tenor Jan Peerce made a solid ' Neither is' the collection Of bis- impression with a distinguisilied cults' anything that will- entice rendition of “Vesti la Giubba” Ac- diskbphiles; The 10 records play- cent this session was bn humor ed bn preem were unimaginative- to make it a very funny show ly selected. Jose. I Some deadening effect was created <Cbnilniiing its use of legit pei> fbrmers; “Philco Television Play-. ; house’’ presented a suspenseful drama with some supernatural overtones in “The: Man in the Black Hat” Sunday (23). Cast iri- cltided Broadway narties Robert Webber, Virginia Gilmbre, Les Tre- mayne and Tom Pedi, Production alsb used the talents of Nplsbn Olnasted in the double chpaci,t'y of adaptoi^ a\iJ titl^^ rolis^ Adapted fromiMhe tochael i^es- sier meller, story was that of a: habitual gambler, played by AVeb- ber, whose streak of bad luck was broken by a mysterious stranger in a black hat and who several tiines finds his life saved by the latter’s intervention. Plot involved Webbers fetiding with Tremayne, ilht club owner and gambler, oyer debts and the affections of Miss Gilniore, with Webber finally realizing that what he fears and is trying to escape is Death—In the. person of the black-hatted Olmsted. Pedi, as the restaurateur’s finger man, rubbed but iWebber and then Olmsted, the philosophical, poetry- quoting minion of Death, ushered, him to his fate!. While not one of the series’ best vehicles, the drama had impact and an interesting production. Par- ticularly effective was the back- ground ; music, provided by. the Norman Paris tno. Group, Which h’ad a literal raison d’etre as the ensemble for Tremayne!s cliib, played a repetitious, hauntirig theme reminiscent of “The Third Mail’s” moving zither and had a similar effect in creating a mood of impending disaster. SATURDAY night SUNDAE producer: Ed MacMahon Director: Paul Ritts 30: Mins.; Tues., 8^8:30 p.m. WCAU-TV, Phlla. “Saturday Night Sundae” is a lively juve talent show, sbt up by a talented and obviously very • earnest group of high school teen- agers, who are prepared to do any- thing they can to put the program oyer. Show was prevlousiy tele- vised on Saturday night, but w.'iS moved to the Tuesday evening slot because, of a shakeup in Sateve programming* Ed MacMahon. WCAU-TV staffer, is In charge of the production and furnishes tl'e kids with script and a skein of plot ott; which to hang the variety bits.; Actual work, however, is done by the group, which calls Itself th e Television Guild of the local branch of Junior^ Achievement. ; Show is strong on song and dance, weakest in the comedy de- partrifient, although there is some gobd-natured shenahigans istaged in the drug-store setting. Only laugh act was a recording takeoff. Youngsters all run through their respective routines with zest, and the group Works well together in simulating drugstore hangout; at- mosphere, dancing to the jukebox, chatting in booths, etc.. The teen- agers built the set and apparently worked hard at rehearsals, as there were ho fluffs. Different young- sters get breaks in each show, and while the others who are not on act as backgrbund* At end of, prograih, boy in t he Cast made an effective spiel asking, for a sponsor. The comer drug- store angle would make program a natural for soft-dririk ■mahufac- iurer or Ice-creaitt firm. Gayh.