Variety (August 1950)

Wednesday, August SO, 1950 MOHAWK showroom With Roberta Quinlan; Chieftains (3), Harry Clark trio; Robert Alda, guest; Bob Stanton, an- nouncer Producer: George R. Nelson Directors: Doug Rodgers, Clark Jones 15 Mins.; Mon.-Wed.-Fri., 7:30 p.m. MOHAWK CARPETS NBC-TV, from N.Y. (George R, Nelson ) Roberta Quinlan’s “Mohawk Showroom” returned, to" NBC-TV Monday night (28), after its sum- mer hiatus, with evidence that it's to get considerably more produc- tion backing-than it had fast year. And, judging from the preem, that's all to the good. In addition to adding the Chieftains, a male vocal trio, to the permanent cast, the bankroller is also apparently shelling out for more ambitious sets. As a result, Miss Quinlan gets a chance to move around the studio more, instead of being an- chored to her piano as She has been in the past. Petite blonde did her usual fine job on the new season’s preem, registering strongly with her per- sonality and tunes. She and an- nouncer Bob Stanton teamed on some special lyrics to welcome back the show and then she scored with “I Wanna Be Loved,” backed by the trjo. Guest Robert Alda, after getting in several plugs for liis old and new pictures, did an okay vocalizing job on “I Don’t Know Why” and teamed With Miss Quilan in a clever rendition of ‘ Blind Date,” which included pre- recorded ‘‘asides.” Harry Clark trio backed the vocalists capably. Stanton did his usual relaxed selling pitch for the sponsor’s prod- uct. Show is also using that “Carpets from the looms of Mohawk” theme, which caught on nicely last season as an identifier. Stal. ANIMAL CLINIC With Dr. Wesley A. Young, Oscar Franzen, Don Driscoll Producer: Gall Compton Director: Anthony Rhao SO Mins., Sat.; 11 a.m. Sustaining ABCrTV, from Chicago Situated in a veterinarian’s of- fice, ‘‘Animal Clinic” has enough on the ball to please both" adult and kiddie viewers who harbor pets at home. Show serves as a healthy information piece on the training and care of animals. Hold- ing down the~medicine-man chores on the broadcast is Dr. Wesley A. Young, Whose work before the cameras is executed naturally and efficiently. During the run of the show. Dr. Young takes Care of the needs of a few animals brought into him for medication and also answers questions sent in by pro- gram’s followers. . Show also devotes a portion of the proceedings to instructions in teaching dogs obedience. This seg- ment is handled by canine trainer Oscar Franzen. Supposedly spot- lighted for comic relief, Don Car- roll, portraying a general handy- man, doesn’t fare too well in the laugh department. Adding to the authenticity of the program, a nurse, decked out in a standard uniform, helps the doctor with his various assignments. On program caught Saturday (26), the doctor, among other things, took care of a canary that was having trouble grasping on to the swing in its Cage. Doctoring consisted solely of* clipping the bird’s nails, which proved to be a delicate task. He also offered some valuable suggestions to a listener whose Cat had sunk its feet in some lime. * Gros. CINCINNATI AT SUNSET With Anil Ryan, Corky Robbins, Gene Griffin, Rob Shreve, Bettie Clooney, Bill Thall, Bob Hamil- ton Trio, Joe Lugar orch (13) Producers: Bob Gilbert, Charles Vaughan 30 Mins., Tues. (15), 8 p.m. WLW-T. Cincinnati This was the first of two special sb o ws by Crosley’s WLW-T for NBC-TV feeding and Cincy’s first origination for a major TV net- work. Title, “Cincinnati at Sun- set,” was followed by slides and films of scenic landmarks without any attempt to portray historical and traditional aspects. Program permitted showcasing of some cur- rent members of the Crosley staff Which over the years has been a -spring-board-for-many-of--the~pres7. ent radio bigtimers. Bright and dull spots appeared in the No. 1 “Sunset” edition, Which did not measure up to the station’s standard- for regular vari- ety fare. Opening five-minute spot by the Bob Hamilton Trio, an in- terpretative dance act imported from the Lookout House, nearby Kentucky night spot, Was slow. Standout numbers were Ann Ryan’s “Black Coffee,” with her usual high class dramatics, and “Bam** boo” by Gene Griffin, baritone. Roll. . $. ; S. HOLIDAY With Phil Hanna, Holly Harris, Marga, Ralph Stantley, Reginald Beane, Minnie Jo Curtis Producer: Bob Loewi Stager: Dick Rose Director: Barnaby Smith 30 Mins.; Sun., 7 p,m. Sustaining DUMONT, from N. Y, With the same* cast and produc- tion crew that is associated with the hour-long “Starlit Time,” Du- Mont’s new “Si, S. Holiday” show is in reality Only a half-hour cap- sule version of “Time.” Show was reportedly cut to 30 minutes to pro- vide a showcase period for the re- maining half-hour for “Hold That Camera,” another new DuMont show which teed off Sunday night (27). “Camera” is to be moved into DuMont’s new Friday night lineup in a couple of weeks, at which time “Holiday” will be dropped in favor of the full-hour “Time,” . Judging from Sunday night’s performance, the show carried a decided amateurish tainti It’s ba- sically a variety program, with the pleasure bqat motif tossed in only as a gadget with which to Stage the acts, There was nothing either in the dialog or the acts them- selves however, to tie in with the boat atmosphere. In addition, the performers stumbled through their lines, making it evident they har beeri* told the general idea 6f the show without having any actual script to follow. From a production viewpoint, tlie cameras for some reason were dissolved slowly from scene to scene instead of being “cut,” which served only to slow the program’s pace to a walk. Talent, for what it could do, was adequate. Phil Hanna and Holly Harris sold their songs pleasantly and; Marga, a Latino Chanteuse, did okay with her single effort. Regin- ald Beane provided-a Couple of piano-vocal interludes, while Ralph Stantley and Minnie Jo Curtis were on hand for comedy relief. WILLIE THE WORM With Warren Wright Director-producer-writer: Wright 30 Mins., Mon.-thru-Frl., 5 p.m. Sustaining WCAir-TV, Phlla. “Willie the Worm” is an idea of Charles Vanda, v.p. in charge of television at WCAU-TV. As work- ed up by staffer'-Warren Wright, the show shapes Up as Grade A mopped fare. Program features a worm puppet which relates serial- ized animal stories. To test audi- ence pull* program shows drawings^ sent in by youngsters about various" activities of “Willie,” as well as suggestions for unique ties, which the puppet wears. Three film car- toons break up “Willie’s” appear- ances op the video screen. Wright, who also directs- Snellen- burg’s hour-long “TV Jamboree,’- does the voice and the puppet manipulations. HC has a pleasant, informal and seemingly extempo- raneous manner, find avoids the irritating loud* gags sometimes found on children’s programs. The worm puppet occupies most' of the screen: with tall grass as a background. Cleverly contrived,'! the puppet manages by its move- ments to hold visual attention While it tells the stories. Wright's voice is the compelling behind- scenes factor. Since its inception two months ago, “Willie” has caught on and outrates “Howdy Doody” locally, according to the figures from the American Re- search Bureau. Recently the sta- tion postponed . the program be- cause of a lengthy United Nations telecast, and the switchboard was swamped with complaints. Strictly for juves, its adult appeal is slight, but oldsters forced to attend a program with their toddlers won’t find it hard to take. Gagh. TELEVISION REVIEWS 27 LET’S HAVE FUN With Hank Grant, emcee; Elaine Neblett, Bill Savage; Julian Stockdale and All Americans Director: Bill Taylor 60 Mins.; Mbn.-thru-Fri., 11 a.m* GOLDBLATTS WBKB, Chicago First tele Venture by this major Chi department store isn't off to a very auspicious start. Show is a casually-produced mixture of mu- sic, quizzes and stunts that adds up to only fair entertainment. Because the series seems un- likely to create much audience en- thusiasm, it’ll hardly provide the, retailing- sponsor with a. fair test of video's in-home selling potency. Entire cast, on show caught (23), seemed as new to TV as the bank- roller. Technical handling of re- mote, which is done from store's own studio, was below par. The most noticeable improvisation was the lack of an Overhead mike, Emcee Hank Grant worked the en- tire segment with a hand mike, while the singers did their chirp- ing from behind a standup mike. Commercials for the co-op prod- ucts were well-spaced and ably de- livered by John Dunham. Dave, NBC-TV’s “Masterpiece Play- house” series presented a good, workmanlike adaptation of Shakes- peare’s “Othello” Sunday night (27), but the morbid drama was enacted a trifle too flamboyantly and too much in one key for best results. While producer. Fred Coe utilized a unit set lor the produc- tion, which made it possible for the cameras to operate from the- center of the action, he seldom succeeded in establishing the rap- port with viewers which has been achieved with other Shakespearean plays on video. The audience, in other words, was seldom drawn into the action. Stephan de Baun scripted the ay for the video presentation, and succeeded in retaining the most .dramatic segments while providing a smooth continuity. Toren Thatcher played the tortur- ed Moor and, while his gestures were a bit too accentuated for TV's requirements, he nonetheless made his characterization extremely be- lievable. Alfred Ryder, on the other hand, underplayed his por- trayal of Iago and, as result, scored with much greater impact. Olive Deering was fine as Desdemona. The scene in which she fought against Othello’s a11empt to strangle her was vividly presented. George Keene made a good Cassio, and John Seymour, Muriel Hut- chinson and A1 Sheean registered in supporting roles. Oast and cameras were reined deftly by Delbert Mann, and Donald Pike turned in a perfect assist as technical director, Coe’s production mountings were stand- out, including the neatly functional sets designed by Otis Riggs and a special score composed and con- ducted by Harry Sosniki Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” missed fire Sunday night (27) via CBS-TV mainly because of a lack of standout acts, and be- cause the show closed with a straight novelty turn which not only has been seen before ori TV but which lacked the' strength to hold down the curtain spot. Pro- gram spotted such name talent as Vincent Lopez, the Berry Bros, and Metopera soprano Eleanor Steber, but none of them carried the necessary punch which* Sulli- van has usually managed to get in one act each Week. i Miss Steber did a fine job on “Un Bel Di” from Puccini’s “Mad- ame Butterfly,” coming back later in the show to strum a guitar for an Am eric a n folk-tune. . Lopez scored with a couple Of his fast- tempoed piano solos, but went into* too long a chat with Sullivan in explaining- how he first broke into show biz. Berry Bros, flashed little of their usual terping talent, con- fining their work mostly to work- ing out individually rather than, in Unison. Tom and Jerry impressed With some dazzling aero work on the parallel bars, , and Allen and Blanche. Lund registered solidly with their brace of terp routines. Comic Henny Nadell drew plenty of yocks from the studio audience with his routine on a nervous draftee, but that skit too has been seen too often before on TV. Finale had Lenny and Margie Ross in a bag-punching exhibition, which might be good vaude- but wasn’t good vaudeo, especially in ‘the im- portant closing spot, For stage dressing, Sullivan brought sports- caster Mel Allen up from the studio audience for a bow, following Allen’s “Day” earlier in the after- noon at Yankee Stadium, N. Y. First half of the “Paul White- man TV Teen Club” on ABC-TV, Saturdays, at 8- p.m., has been picked up by the American Dairy Assn. It has good possibilities for selling the under-20 set on drink- ing milk in lieu of soda pop. Slo- gan; “for the lift that lasts, drink milk,” comes over nicely and was given a strong pitch via "One pro- duction number. In this a Vocal quintet of four girls and a boy sang tne saga of “Home-Run Harry” who went into a slump, from which he emerged by taking the milk cure. Segment was amusingly done. The half-hour is hypoed by a tal- ent contest in which the young per- formers compete for Philco radio and tele sets. As is to be expected, level of performance ruffs the gamut from good to indifferent, but there’s a variety of acts and most of them are exuberant. Whiteman makes a topflight host and his teen- age daughter Nancy helps make it* the kids’ own show. EdRh Fellows is star of a 15- minute film made by World Video titled “Beauty and the Bistro.” Pic concerns an American girl who wanders alone into A Parisian Apache cafe. smilinv ed McConnell Producer-director: Frank Ferrift Writers: Hobart Donovan, pick Miller 30 Mins.; alternate Sais., 6:30 p.m. BROWN SHOE CO, NBC-TV, from New Y9rk (Leo Burnett) t . Smilin’ Ed McConnell, whose AM show is heard on ^Saturday mornings, launched a televersion on alternate weeks Saturday (26). It’s a vidplc production complete- ly, which is required by the nature of McConnell’s characters, Froggy the Gremlin, Midnight the Tabby Cat, Squeaky the Mouse and Old Graridie, the Talking Piano. The animals, who came on only brief- ly at the end of the show, are animated by stop-motion and other techniques and are the kind that should please the young set. Squeaky’s working a music box and Midnight’s playing the' bass fiddle come off as good juvenile fantasy. Bulk of the show Was taken up by a filmed adventure story, with Ghanga the elephant boy as cen- tral figure. It was 'a transparent yarn, dealing with an evil gardener who knocked out the kid, stole a ruby he was carrying and left him to a man-eating tigress. Elephant saved the youth, who then brought the thief to justice. Production showed evidence of a low budget via avoidance of actual fighting scenes, etc. But for the moppet audience it may. appeal. McConnell registers as somewhat Condescending. Commercials were strongly pitched, asking the young- sters to wear Buster Brown shoes back to school. The Buster Brown trademark, in which Buster and his dog come to life, should click with the kids. Bril. THAT McMAHON’S HERE AGAIN With Ed .McMahon, Dave Stephens ‘ Quartet, the Velvetones, Richard Caulk, Natalie Nevins, Marge Holban Producer-director: Alan Bergman Writers: McMahon, Bergman 30 Mins.; Mon,, 9:30 p.m. Sustaining WCAU-TV, Phila. “That McMahon’s Here Again” was presented as a one-shot in WCAU-TV’s series “Do You Like This?” which is aimed’at selecting fall programs. The McMahon show (21) has a song and dance format. Instead of the emcee device, Ed McMahon acted, as a travel agent tb cue the sets—the Netherlands, Mexico, a fantasy world and Lon- don’s Soho. Songs were obvious choices such as “Wilhelmiha;” “La Cucaracha,” “A Little Bit of Heav- en” and “Limehouse Blues.” Richard Caulk and Natalie Nev- ins, the boy and girl Vocalists, showed up nicely, both Vocally 'and visually. The Velvetones, who have been working clubs, were more finished and professional and clicked on. two numbers. Dave Stephens, the pianist who leads the WCAU - TV band, gave solid back to the chirpers with his miartet. Obvious weak spots were the tapdancing bits. ’Lighting and camera work were interesting, using fadeouts to ef- fect act changes, but the sets were noticeably skimpy and a iipoff to the sustainer budget McMahon is one of the tireless workers on the WCAU-TV staff and always Can be" counted on to come with another idea. In the present quickie* the idea was okay but its working out needed more originality and elab- oration. Gagh. » ► • , . 1 • TODAY—NEWS AND SPORTS» With John Wingate, Kevin Kennedy Director: Roy Meredith 15 Mins.; Wed., 8:45 p.m.; Thurs.- Sat., 8:30 p.m. Participating WOR-TV, New York Format of this 15-minute news segment is an interesting one. Program is departmentalized into war news, Washington news, local bulletins and sports, Each segment is introduced by a short trailer, newsreel style. Departmentaliza- tion serves a number of good pur- poses—= clarifying the news, pre- venting show from becoming static and giving good visual effect. John Wingate handles all but sports news, with Kevin Kennedy reporting sports results briefly. Wingate's commentary is generally okay, but he could -tighten his script a bit. Since he doesn’t ana- lyze, crisper and terser presenta- tion is-ealled- for. Wingate’s work with maps in war news department is excellent, With newscaster draw- ing in lines on the near-blank map to show troop concentration and drives. Voice and appearance are pleasant. Camera work isfft up to. par. At one point on show caught, ■= Ken- nedy turned the show over to Win- gate, but camera stayed on Ken- nedy for a moment, and latter had to force a silly smile. Maps and scoreboard are nicely constructed and easily readable. Qian, THE NEWS AND ITS MEANING With John Daly; Bill Hamilton, an* nouncer; Maj. George Fielding Eliot, guest Director: Ted Marvel 15 Mins.; Sim*, 1 10 p.m. B. F. GOODRICH CO. CBS-TV, from New York (BB.Q&O) Intended only as a five-week filler until Goodrich’s “Celebrity Time” resumes telecasting, the ini- tial segment of this 15-miqute re- view of the week’s news and spot developments showed enough strength to merit continuation as a permanent feature. John Daly got an astonishing amount and variety of information into the short time allotted him. He opened the show with spot war news, using some excellent maps. Then he 4 gaVe a review of the week’s news, using newsreel shots and stills. He interviewed the weekly guest, this time Maj. George Fielding Eliot, on whether air power alone can win a war. He closed with hints of developments to watch during the coming week. And managed to find: time for a Commercial too. General tone of the show is au- thoritative. Daly delivers his news and analysis tersely and concisely. Newsreels are cut for essentials only, and stills bearing only on newsy topics are shown. Purpose of all pictures is not simply to snow a scene, but to implement the spoken word. Commentator’s interview with Eliot was quick and to the point, yet got all necessary opinions and information. It was a fine job of interviewing. Preview of news to come was specific, not Vague. There wasn’t too much for the .cameras to do, since a good part of the show was newsreel and stills, but they did catch Daly and Eliot well. . In line with Goodrich’s intention of publicizing the rubber situation in the present crisis, announcer Bill Hamilton did an excellent job with a documentary commercial showing development and present condition of the synthetic rubber industry and supply in the country. Chan, THE REAL McKAY With Jim McKay, Mac Perrin, Ellen Parker; guests Producer: Jack Lescouli Director: Rod Mitchell Writer: Frank Mortality 90 Mins.; Mon.-thni-Fri.; 2:30 p.m. Sustaining WCBS-TV, from N. Y. As its initial regularly-scheduled early afternoon program, WCBS- TV, local CBS outlet, bowed last week'* with “The Real McKay.” Program, running 90-minutes daily, has an adult and casual manner that should find favor with after- noon viewers. Made lip of tunes and conversation, show sports a homey atmosphere that makes for relaxed and Pleasant viewing.: Adding most to show’s effective- ness are the contributions made by its three regulars. These are Jim McKay, around whom the program is built; Mac Perrin, singer-pianist, and Ellen Parker, songstress. Latter, however, should taper off on responding to all lines as though they were yock material. McKay, the central character in this mid- day series, displays a pleasing per- sonality. Perrin, Whose keyboard work is tops, also demonstrates an ease that puts him alongside of McKay in the personality depart- ment. Miss Parker, except for her excessive tendency towards laugh- ter, makes a nice appearance and rounds out the trio in tasteful fashion. Located on the porch of McKay’s home, program sustains a friendly mood throughout. Format has vari- ous guests dropping in to chat with McKay. These talks usually turn out to be interviews, with-the host offering intelligent questions that promote solid answers. Besides confabbing with the guests, McKay, Perrin and Miss Parker discuss various subjects among themselves which make for light and breezy conversation. Another segment of the show which came over nicely was the reading of suggestions sent in by the listeners and bringing these forth for discussion. About 10 musical numbers were offered on show caught Thursday (24). These included solo rendi- tions by McKay, Perrin and Miss Parker, McKay displays a folksy manner in his singing, While Perrin vocals as Well as plays the piano in neat style. Miss Parker also comes though capartjlyrin ibe^ chirp department. Gros, Dallas — Martin B. Campbell, general manager of WFAA-TV, an* nounced that the outlet Will tele* cast six high-school football games this Season, with the opener set foi Set, 16. All games will be tele- vised from Dal-Hi Stadium. Georg< White, sportswriter and commenta tor, arid Carl Mann, WFAA-Tl sport announcer, will describe tin contests.