Variety (December 1951)

Wednesday, December 12,1951 PRmEfr TELEVISION REVIEWS 81 George M. Crtra.fr, toragurat- ,ne a new feature on - the Kate Smith NBC-TV show "Sons and Daughters of Favorite Show Peo- ple,* last Thursday (6), struck a nostalgic: note, with still pictures and comments »n the. Providence, r t home in which his lather was bom, on the Four Cohans,, and on his dad’s liking for "this kind of show," before he went on stage for a mediey of Cohan composi- tions. The ' junior Cohan, ..who bears Some facial,, and:, vocal re- semblance to his, father, although he is bigger and Keayier, said that his grandfather had told him George “was. born in the attic. The grandfather was “an bid mm-r strel man.” .. ' .- 4 . „ • v Cohan praised his father s mul- tiplicity of talent and "priceless” personality. “I don't think he eyer took a lesson in his life; he was too busy acting and writing plays to worry about technique.” The , likeable on camera but lack** ing some of his father's bounce and projectible personality, sang from the corner of his mouth, with : the always-used straw , dimmer and cane. Now that Chesterfield has de- cided to ditch its Sunday night “Sound Off Time” on NBC-TV, Fred Allen, who’s been struggling to hit a solid pace on the series, came up with what was probably his best show to date last Sunday night (9). He presented the clos- est approach yet taken by Allen’s scripters to his old radio comedy pattern, in that the comic served as more of a sideline observer than a participant in the skits, .While the result might riot halve been video at its best, it was certainly the best Alien on video. lt?s to«be hoped that NBC, which is now looking -for another show for the comedian, .will take it from where Sunday night’s show left off. Alien teed off with a monolog, good for some chuckles; in which panning on the latter's video pro- gram . Then; in sympathizing with an Italian restaurateur’s beefs , about TV shows, he presented a series of skits showing what ac- tually should happen on TV*-The “I Remember Father” takeoff was overdone, but the others, including the satire on shampoo commer- cials, were good. This, led into Allen's “City Billy” song, done with a male quartet, as a parody on the hillbilly numbers. Finale sketch, about the new gamblers' licensing, was. fair. Show, incidentally, ran overtime and Allen cut into that last skit to parry with the unseen stage manager about the trimming re- quired. It broke the mood of the show, and, while it might have been considered a part of TV’s informality, even that informality can be carried too far. Eddie Cantor took his “Colgate Comedy Hour” troupe to the El Toro (Calif.) Marine Base Sunday night (9) for the first transconti- nental video show to originate directly from a service camp. While the-show, aired via NBC-TV, might have concentrated too much on gags and skits slanted for his Marine Corps audience, there was plenty of entertainment in it for the home viewers too. Since the show was played on the stage of the base auditorium, there was naturally less production than would have been possible in a TV studio and, of course, it was lighted like a stageshow. But Cantor arid ms production staff nonetheless got in sufficient values for the purpose. In a reprise of his. one-man show material, for example. Cantor brought to life” the covers of the sheet music tunes featuring girls’ names that he introduced or helped popularize, such a£ f ‘Dinah,” “Ida/’ .Susie/’ etc,' Girls, each of whom a a need while he sang, brought the usual wolf calls from the audience. R? grooved his # ‘Maxie, the Taxi” bit this time for the Marines arid, With an okay payoff line, it came 9 ". well. Comic wound the show with more of his one-man stuff, yoing. a group of “request” tunes in his standard but always eriter- taining style. Trio of guest acts added to the snows overall quality. 'Norman' «ro\vn, a young drummer whom vantor introduced as going into the Army himself soon, wowed Avith a s ^o stint on the skins arid •rtqllowup dance on his bass drum. Nilsson Twins, blonde lookers, did wrih a special tune on why ihey hate folksongs. Tom Dandrea Larry Blake drew some laughs tMth their, sailor skit, but it could nave ^beeri trimmed for better impact; CBS-TV’s “This is Show,; Busi- ness * JU^t as with other of the better panel shows on the air, has worked itself into a position.' where the panel is how of primary im- portance, with the trio of guest acts each week, only secondary. And with George S, Kaufman and Sam Leyenson as permanent panel- ists, along with Clifton Fadimari as moderator, the cracks which ^Tftey come Up with each week (which CBS insists are ad libbed) prob- ably rate with the best of literate, adult humor riow on the . air. Kauf- man has been on the road for the last two weeks for the break-in of. his new legiter, '‘Fancy Meet- ing You Again,” with Ken Murray subbing for him. While Murray’s humor, is more, in the nitery-video emcee vein, he demonstrated Sun-, day night (9) that he ‘can keep; up with the others. Linda Christian held down the femme guest spot, on the panel last Sunday arid came up with the best crack ;of the session. Answering French singer Charles Trenet’s ‘‘problem” of how to make conver- sation with an American. girl after the initial “how-do-you-do/’ FacU- man asked Miss Christian what her husband, Tyrone Power, had said to her on their first meeting. She answered, “I don’t think I should say that on the air.” Levenson; while getting off his own bon mots, as usual served as his own best au- dience, laughing at each rif his jokes. But, that’s probably part of his successful delivery as a good showman. ; Guest acts were good Sunday night to round out a fine stanza. Trenet; in his video bow, displayed an easy personality in singing one of his own tunes with combined French and English lyrics. .Leo De Lyon scored With some fresh comedy material and impressed with his “dual voiced” .routines. Acro-dancer Elisa Jayne'was par for her course. Ed Wynn’s latest effort on NBC- TV’s “All Star Revue” Saturday (8) was weak. entry, suffering by comparison with the more in- formal half-hour stanza Wynn did when he started in video over CBS-TV. Chiefly this Coast-origi- nation lacked good material, al- though it offered, in addition to Wynn, a guest shot by Billie Burke, a turn by Danny Thomas, who also has his own show in the “All Star” lineup, and Lew Parker, Miss Burke’s appearance, as a flibbertigibbet shopper in the Christmas rush at a department store; was one of the better seg- ments of the airer, but also needed more script punch. Thomas did his Antonio dialect characteriza- tion, but the struggles of a for- eign-bom American with a. tele- phone only, provided some banal humor. Parker and Virginia Grey did another “Bickersons” sketch. This is a fattiiliar standby to AM and TV' fansr—recently is was a standing item on DuMont’s de- mised “Star Time/’ : with Frances Langford (unavailable now be- cause of her ABC-TV show from N. Y.) in the femme role. The marital woes of the bickering Bickersons have comic moments, but the Vehicle tends to be Over- worked arid drawn out. Modernaires quintet did okay by “Jukebox Saturday Night,” with nice interpolations of * carbons of Vaughn Monroe, Guy Lombardo and the Ink Spots. Young troupe of Marimbb Merrymakers had a tuneful turn and the George Pren- tice marionettes did an amusing Punch and Judy stint for the kids. A Switch in pattern during the absence of- a program s stars Was seldom more force- fully exemplified than on Satur- day’s (8) “Your Show of: Shows on NBC-TV. With Sid Caesar and imogene Coca taking a well-earned, two-week vacation, producer-direc- tor Max Liebman moved into tne Situation sure-foOtedly to frame one of the best blocks in Vecent Weeks* To acomplish the switch, some very visible ^rearrangements Were ordered. A big difference* top, was * the casing of special acts, since there Was only one sketch, It was a revue with lotsa vaude. OveralL .foPP^d the more recent: efforts of yi'e tw?“ star tandem; they’re tqps Jn. their line, but : the TV grindjobyiously consumes material at an alarming clip. And they’re not immune to the condition. What was^ bussing had nothing to do with the show proper; the air of expectancy that s around when the of C s are present. 4 Few performers in the medium have racked up such a score as that made by British comedienne Flor- enco .Desmond, guest hostess. Her s (Continued on page 34) ». S. TELEVISION FINALS With Buddy Rogers, Ken Nordine, Robert Trendler orch Producer: Walter Schwimmer Director: Don Cooke WMIns.; Wed., 9 p.m. HOLEPROOF HOSIERY DUMONT, from Chicago/ (Weiss A Geller) Although more fluff than sub- stance, the national finals of the Video search for Miss U. S. Televi- sion of 1951 beamed from Chicago ; via? WGN-TV last week (5), came off as a moderately diverting hour. Because of the city-by-pity bally- hoo attending the local elimina- tions Which climaxed on the net- work show, the bankroller likely got his money’s worth on the one- shot hoopla. t firi , alists ' vying for some $13,000 worth of boodle, were se- lected and judged on their talent as Well as looks. The gals were all attractive, both in their strapless gowns during their performances and in their bathing suits for the finale cheesecake Walkon, ^ fbe main, the talenf exposed was good by amateur standards. The ses- sion w^s pretty topheavy with chirp*, frs. There were seven vocalists and two singers-instrumentalists/There were two pianists, a tap dancer and an impressionist. Phyllis May- gers, Miss Baltimore TV, was se- lected as the national winner. Except for the bathing suit se- quence, which got fouled up earn- er a wise, the: femmes were neatly showcasedand worked against a variety of lush individual sets. The affair was capably emCeed by Buddy Rogers. It was a difficult assignment considering the num- ber of cues and introes. Each gal was preceded by film shot and brief commentary by Rogers on the city she represented. Smoothly inconspicuous musical support was provided by Robert Trendler and the WGN Orch. At- tractively mounted visual commer- cials : were backstopped by Ken Nordine's glib selling job. Dave. FAMOUS JURY TRIALS With Jim Bender, Larry Robbins, Truman Smith, Spencer Davis. James Windsor, Helen Gillette, Clara Cedione, Patricia Jenkins Producer: John L. Clark Director: David Lowe 30 Mins,, Wed., 0 p.m. Sustaining DUMONT, from N. Y. “Famous Jury Trials,” which preemed on TV last year after a 15-year tenure on AM, resumed on DuMont after summer layoff. New series parries on in the estab- lished groove of fictionalizing actual courtroom dramas, It’s presented with, a minimum of dramatic fireworks, but the straight-forward exposition is a plus which makes the stanzas okay . Viewing. Forpiat brings the viewer into a courtroom for an loh-the-spot ac-, count of the battle • between pros- ecutor and defense'attorney over a case, usually involving myrder. Both present their briefs to the home viewer- and the dramatic portion is brought in Via flashback stories related by the witnesses. It holds interest all the way. Qn show caught (5), the case of “The People vs, Frank Matts” was re-enacted. It was a tale of jeal- ousy, deceit and blackmail, with the defendant as well as the state's witness under suspicion of murder; Although both the cases for the prosecutor and the defense seemed sketchy and inadequate, the pro- gram was brought to a reasonable conclusion. Direction and thesping, aided by good camerawork, kept the session well paced. Jim Bender and Truman Smith, as prosecutor and defense attorney, respectively, were especially effec- tive, arid James Windsor was im- pressive as. the defendent. Other cast members made the most Of their roles; David Loew’s direction was firstrate. Gros. WEEK IN REVIEW With Howard Hei]T~ 15 Mins.f Sun., 10:30 p.m. ROXY CLEANERS & DYERS WrGB-TV, Schenectady (Gold?mm, Walter Sc Kanrid.V ^ News o£ the week is recapped Via live and filmed material on WRGB’s only Sund&y night pro- gram covering current. develop- ments. It is a competent though hot distinguished Summary han- dled by Howard Reig; Reig, who apparently uses contact lenses on these, blocks, should strive for more, flexibility and facial line. He also would do well to. check an Occa- sional hollowness Or dullness of tone; June Youman, in the commercial part, features a smiling, persuasive approach thaf sometimes shades to cloying sweetness, filmed shots Of the. sponsor’s plants are in- cluded. Jato. YOU ASKED FOR IT Art Baker, others Producer; Darrell Ross Director: Allen Buckley Writers: Crani Chamberlen, Maury Cohen. ROSEFIELD PACKING CO. 30 Mins., Mon., 9 p.m. (EST) ABC-TV, from Hollywood (Guilds Bascom A Bonfigli) ABC’s first west-to-east telecast is a ^armless little variety item gimmicked Up with variations that have been inspired by. several ra- dio shows, Original basis of the show* has viewers writing in recol- lections of some of the things that amused and amazed them some years ago. Program attempts to re- create these instances. All of them have a degree of entertainment, but little to put this show into a major tele achievement. Art Baker is conferender. He’s a familiar phizz to film-audiences, be- ing one of thosp performers that Virtually every theatre payee-knows by sight, if not by name. He does okay in. this department and at- tempts to dress up every act even beyond its Intrindc value. Highlight of this show was the viewing of the Duncan Sisters, an important team during the vaude heyday. This dqo can still bat out a song with plenty of showmanship; Only drawback is that they’re be- yond the age where they can act cute and get away with it, Other items included an artist who Can do and oil painting in less than a minute; a Navajo hoop dance, a ceiling walker and a film clip showing a dog. that a donor had . given to an institution to be trained to lead the blind. Jo se. IN THE PARK With Bill Sears, Paul Ritt, Mary. Holliday Producer: Charles Vandal Jr, Writers; Ritt, Halltday 30 Minis;; Sun. 12 (noon) Sustaining CBS-TV, from Philadelphia This Philly-originated show has the lightness and universal appeal that has beebme traditional with puppet shows. Like its intellectual ancestor,: “Kukla, Fran Ollie,” it’s a moppet show, but there’s a lot of stuff that’s too fast for juve- nile minds and fit only for adult consumption. It’s a likeable show with a lot of charm; Bill Sears is a guy Avho talks to residents rif the zoo. The animals are collaborating on the problem of buying this gent an Overcoat be- fore, the cold spell hits town. There are some cute ideas passed back and forth and some literate dialog is delivered. The puppet manipulations are excellent and the production is well done. The animal characters are well conceived. “In the Park* ’is A fine addition to the Sunday afternoon spectrum and has enough appeal to rate sponsorship. Jose. CELEBRITY PAR ADR FOR CER- EBRAL PALSY ' TV Coordinator: Irene Adams Exec Producer: Charles Holden 15 Hours; 9. p.m.-l2 noon (8-9) Sustaining WJR-TV. N. Y. The proverbial big heart of show- business was given a long workout over last weekend when a virtual' “who’s who” of the entertainment world showed up for cuffo appear- ances on the United Cerebral Palsy video show. It was a 15-hour marathon, opening Saturday night and closing at noon on Sunday after some TOO guest emcees, vo- calists! comics, hoofers and several musical crews did their stints for charity. For viewers with a pen- cil ant for variety layouts, this show was a king-sized dish of vaudeo. Show was extended one hour late. Sunday, morning, As formatted, the program was designed to raise funds for tJCP from dialers who were stimulated to make large donations by a sysr tem of- giveaways; The largest donors during each .hour were awarded Sundry merchandise gifts ranging from a year’s supply of cigarets to automobiles. Bids of the donor were relayed into the studio via direct telephone connections and dialers were kept privy to the. size of the competing . contribu- tioris. It was an effective fiirida raising pitch, which raised over $275,000 for UCP; Pitches for the UCP drive Were, also made direct to the dialers by the ..various emcees who handled the phone conversations with the donors. During the early hours of the show, emcees John Reed King, Jan Murray , and Ed Sullivan were oh the studio end of the phone line to wheedle bigger contribu- tions from the caller-inners,; In ad- dition, straight pitches. were de- livered by Ezio Pinza, Clifton Fadiman, Tex & Jinx McCrary, Ed & Pegeeri Fitzgerald, Jane Pickens, Maria Riva', among others. Straight Cntertaimaeht was also spread over the 14 1 ours via a ro- (Continued on page 36 ) THE NAME’S THE SAME With Robert Q. Lewis# moderator; Abe Burrows, Meredith Willson, Joan Alexander, others; John Reed King, Lee Vines, an- nouncers Producers: Mark Gdodson, Bill Todman Director: Jerome Schnur 30 Mins.; Wed., 7:30 p.m. BEN0IX, C. A. SWANSON ABC-TV, from N.Y. ITdthavi'Laifd) “The Name’s the Same” is a show with jots of laughs and the framework for even more. It has an extremely good hook for throw- ing star names around, via appear- ance of plain joes and janes who bear headliner monikers. Such a setup can produce fun or fall on its face; this one preemed with its phizz ;up; What gives “TNTS” some nifty TNT are four permanents in mod- erator Robert Q. Lewis and panel- ists Abe Burrows, Joan Alexander and Meredith Willson; Prbduc- tion tandem Mark GoodsomBill Todman did right by their format when they carrie up with this quar- tet. They’re all hep and not ultras precious. Miss Alexander, a radio- TV actress, is a charmer who can talk. Lewis is a bit more business- like than per custom, and that’s all to the good; Burrows and Willson pitch contrasting speech and witti- cisms, A welcome relief is that none tries to top the other. Curtain-raiser (5) had nomen- clature counterparts of film ac- tresses Jane Russell arid Margaret O’Brien, arid United Mine Workers’ boss John L, Lewis. Having two screen names in succession—both femmes-^was poor spotting, Panel threesome Were allowed 10 queries each-^-back and forthr-rto iaentify contestants. Each, donated a check for $25 on a missoqt after reaching the question limit. The “real” Maggie O’Brien was presented and was herself grilled as to whom she would like to be— guessed Correctly as Jimmy Du- rante. This and other names were flashed for viewers. Best round was on Jane Russell, drawing such questions a$ (from Willson) “ard you famous for arty ^outstanding physical characteristics?” and (from Burrows) “are you famous for more than one thing?” Lewis handled it wisely and got. off that quick. Having question-throwers repre- sented as paying .out the coin didn’t add up. For. Viewing purposes, this should come from the sponsor rial treasury,^ especially since no one is; fooled by the largesse indi- cated in the other pitch. Composcr- batonist Willson worked in a neat personal touch by what seemed an off-the-cuff remark that Miss O’Brien flower-girled his wedding. Incidentally,, the ex-moppet star, while beginning to show her womanhood, has a small voice, with childlike quality, and a quiet charm that’s very winning. John Reed King operated live for Bendix’s automatic washer; middle plug had company’s dryer on film; end commercial was for Swanson’s poultry. Latter alter- nates Weekly, with Bendix paving the Way. The obvious come-ori- applaUse after King’s washer build- up was foolish. Such milking makes a fine show look like it’s in a rut at the start. But overall, this pro- gram is going places if they main- tain the smartness and pace displayed at the bow. Trau . SPORTS ROUNDUP With Roily Joh 4 , Jack Hurley Producer: Sherman .Headley * 15 Mins.; Fri., 10 p.m. BROWN CLOTHING CO, ’ WTCN-TV, Minneapolis This is a well-presented sports show which follows the Friday night televised boxing bouts. It has Rollie Johnson, WTCN sports di- rector, arid a guest, some promi- nent sports! figure, discussing the televised fight that just preceded arid other blatters of interest to sports farts, Johnson is telegenic and personable, with *a gift of gab and the . poise and assurance to. go with it. What’s more, he usually has decided opi ions arid, minces no words expressing them. He chooses topics that are timely and brings in -notables whom most sports followers would be anxious to see and hear. As a result,. the show has enlisted a considerable audience. For his. guest at show caught. Johnson had Jack Hurley, pilot of Bob Matthews, light-heavyweight, who was here for a Twin ’Cities bout. They talked interestingly and expertly of the Gavilan-Branton fight that had just been televised, discussing the scrappers’ styles; bout’s highlights, and the decision. Show’s only faults are the overly- • long comrriercials. Rccs.