Variety (January 1952)

.+♦++♦ ♦♦♦ coaitest’s “Big Top*1 bad its first birihday^Saturc&y (26) and did it ,,iy with' typical fanfare in Its noontime hour-long niche over CBS-TV. program originates from. WCAUtv in Philly (transmitted out of nearby Camden, N. J.) and, while imed at the moppet trade, plays in the tradition which gives it appeal for “children of all ages” as the saying goes. “Big Top” presents more and generally better novelty ^acts than any block in teevee. With one whole year under its .belt it , can easily go on forever with that kind of display; That's natural because there is no dependency on spoken material; and: the format, being more or less orthodox circus; tailored for camera catching and not merely a show that the. medium has to adapt itself to, ' its own best testimonial. Last Saturday’s teeoff after parade arid hoopla was Janet’s dogs and ponies, a good turn, with some of the canines cutting up as acros. But that was the extent of ani lal offerings in the 60-minute frame. It Was a display that begged to be put on somewhere in the middle, thus providing a change Of pace. Even so, the smallfry audience whooped it up for this arid the Other performers all the way through. After that came an Interesting succession of ground and aerial stanzas in which even the Commercials for ^Sealtest products were rigged to circus stuff. The Don Wallys, a neat hand to hand and'] foot perch duo, were followed by the Sils Sisters working on the Spanish web in postures, pullups, one-foot . hangs, upside-downery gymnastics and a fine marching whirlaway finale. Next in the processional was the Paris Trio, consisting Of two boys and a. girl operating with salvo effect on a trampoline. Linda & Constant, a mixed pair in a repertoire of balancing and tumbling tricks, clicked with a stint on a shoulder perch held by male. Closing act was a real sizzler, the Six Tokayers in fast teeterboard exercises which included a mid-air triple by one of the sextet to the proverbial high chair. Invthis and the other aerial performances the cameramen seemed to be at home; working in some good closeups as well as effective medium perspectives that quite a few major variety shows have trouble with regularly when casing circus acts on arid off the ground. About midway, the large Quaker City String Band, part of the w.k. Philadelphia Mummers, got in a 'couple of numbers ending in a razzle-dazzle march in the ring. Functioning as ringmaster for “Big Top” is Jack Sterling. Although his accoutrements arid, voice are in circus character, he really works in comparative low key, is as unobtrusive as necessary arid is in there pitching— offscreen and on— to intro the acts and to put in a word here and there in pinpointing top tricks for viewers. Clicko production all around. the unfolding itself was the decision by producerndirector Alex Segal and exec producer A. Burke Crotty to exhume "Christie” for TVIewers. There is nothing in this hard-hitting drama to stir the interest of anyone below the. upper teenage brackets. There is little or no designed humor in it? The plain' fact is that there was precious little in it for the CeJanese staff but a letter of commendation —a “well done” and “beyond the call, of duty” citation. ' The Norman Lessing adaptation of a trio in conflict among themselves and with the basic forces of nature— rbarge captain * Chris Christopherson; his daughter, the prostitute: Anna, arid her bold and violent lover, the sailor Mat Burke —was faithful in spirit and mostly m letter, to the original. The old TV bogey of trying to beat the rap on condensing a full-blown legiter to ari hour (less the commercials) was not as successful. : For instance, between, the opening scene in a New York waterfront saloon and the barge at anchor in the outer harbor of Provingfetown, Mass., there is a 10-day gap. In that period, Anna, portrayed by June Havoc, reacted to her new-found life on the sea. with her erstwhile errant father by undergoing moral rejuvenation. The transition was weakly bridged in the face of every possible physical advantage, including decor arid the fog to go with it. The whole play depends for its big point on this moral renascence. Nonetheless, the cast managed to overcoirie this pre-midway obstacle by a lively rendering of the O’Neill lines, arid enactment of closeup action, Miss Havoc*, displayed . competence in an ultra-serious role. John Qualen, as her father, with his incessant “dat ole davil sea,” Was effectively restrained. Richard Burton, as Anna’s bombastic but: simple, honest stoker-man intent on marrying her despite her past, was as dynamic as Dr. O’Neill ordered. Doris Rich did a neat job . as Marthy, Chris’ mistress. All the technical aspects of the 30-year-old work were of first-rate calibre. Jimmy Durante’s video splash ith Mickey Rooney, more, than ever, proves that Durante is a lady’s man. He, seems to do so much better With femme type . performers, especially when their last names start With the letter “T” (Traubel, Truman* Tucker). The Schnoz didn’t measure up to the usual standards with the Sat. (26) session on NBC-TV. The usual Durantesque flavor was missing, but it’s evident to' viewers that a fair Durante divertissement is worthy entertainment, Rooney tried hard to register. He did a bit of everything proving he’s versatile, entertainer, put his solo material didn’t: hit too well. Rooney was punching, he tried valiantly,, and under other circumstances, might have made a deep “udjence dent inhis Video debut. The inevitable nitery scene provided the highspot of the show. Durante and Eddie Jackson hit it with their usual stride. Bob Hope hiade a brief appearance. Impact of his surprise entry made any maw terial that he offered anti-climactic. .Broadway’s rekindled interest in Eugene O'Neill finds TV tagging along. With “Anna Christie” and Desire Under the Elms” revived on the stem after an absence of more than a generation. “Celanese Theatre” turned to the for.iust Wednesday (23) as its St^Hi^htly contribution over ABCiv It; marked, the series’ second essayship of an O’Neill play; last October it led off With “Ah, Wilderness;” A shade more important than Jack Benny devoted most of his third ' CBS-TV show of the season Sunday night (27) to a sketch, and it emerged as orie of his better TV programs to date. With Barbara Stanwyck, in her video debut, arid Ray Noble on hand , to assist him, Benny scored solidly in a funny lampoon of Patrick Hamilton’s “Gaslight.” Sketch was replete not only with bright lines and dialog but With a number of visual gags, riorie of Which was overdone. And, while the overall effect was slapstick, the trio underplayed the burlesque sufficiently to provide maximum impact. Benny, of course, played the infamous husband, trying, to drive his wife mad in order to get at the jewels he had secreted during a previous marriage in an upstairs room. Dressed in a bowler, long sideburns, etc,, he deadpanried the role neatly, evidencing once more his terrif sense of timing to milk each line. Miss Stanwyck, as the wife, might have been essaying a straight melodramatic role, which contrasted excellently with the zany dialog. Noble played the Scotland Yard man who captured the husband, and he too entered into the spirit of the thing. Benny opened the show With his usual socko monologging, with Noble coming on to register at the piano with a medley of some of the tunes he’s composed. Don Wilson Was also in for a short bit, to. team with Benny, in a funny Lucky Strike plug. That commercial, incidentally, was much easier to take than the opening blurb, in which Dorothy Collins again gave out that “sweeping away all claims” .routine. Luckies has already worked the plug to death, arid it’s about time the firm embarked on a new sales pitch. Ed Sullivan, prior, to his ‘‘Toast of the Town" via CBS-TV Sunday night (27), ballyhooed that the show would.be devoted to the “Ted Lewis Story/’ But, as the show came off, it Was a straight vaudeo presentation, in which Lewis held down the final 15 minutes with a cayalcade of some of the tunes he’s helped popularize down through the years with his unique style of selling. Although that style might be considered schmaltzy in comparison with modern-day trends, it’s still sock showmanship and Lewis registered all the Way with his “Is Everybody Happy?” routine. Tops on the list, of course, was his “Me and My Shadow,” but he scored With them, all, aided by. the show’s regular six-girl line : miming his (Continued ' on page 38) MEET CORLISS ARCHER With Lufene Sanders* Irene Ted row, Bobby Ellis, Fred Shields, Lois Corbet, Ken Christy, Gloria McMillan, others Writer: Jerry Adelman Producer: Helen Mack Director: John Claar 30 Mins.; Sat., 6:30 pun. Sustaining CBS-TV, from Hollywood “Meet Corliss Archer,” which preemed on CBS last season as a replacement for the Alan Young show, returned to the net Sihirday (26) with a brand of comedy that adds up to a surefire early evening entry. It will have scant difficulty in stimulating the risibilities' of .either teenage or adult audierices. Based .upon characters created by F. Hugh Herbert, ^be Jerry Adelman script nicely builds a series of humorous situations in the' household of the Archers, who could be. called a “typical American family” without fear of inaccuracy, Hollywood originated show leaped frbm the opening barrier as a iriirth-crammed session. Story-line for the initialer revolved around convalescent Mother Archer, just returned from a hospital; daughter Corliss and ;boy friend Dexter, who cut up in bonafide teerirage fashion; the. wellmeaning but interfering maternal and paternal grandmothers, the harried Father Archer and a distraught cook, among other characters. Action came off in a sprucely decored living room set and a lengthy east made the most of Adelman’s lines. Lugerie Sanders is pertly wirisome in the title role, Irene Tedrow arid Fred Shields are well cast as the parents and Bobby Ellis scores handily as the love-sick boy friend. Other players lend good support under John Claar’s breezy direction. This James L. Saphier package should have little trouble in snaring a bankroller: GiZb. BOUQUETS AND BONUSES With Steve Douglas, Betty Madigan, Georgia Reed, Nelson. Baker, Ray Girard Producer: Nelson Baker Director: Paul . Kane Writers: Nelson Baker, T. Hamlin Reese, Jr. 30 Mins.: Sun., ,4 p.m. ALLIED FLORISTS ASSN. OF BALTO. WAAM, Baltimore (St, Georges & Keyes) This is a smartly devised quiz show with extra trimmings by way of injtfirpolated vocals arid dramatized commercials pointing the importance of flowers in the business of everyday living.' Backgrounds are elaborately floral and the queries along with musical backgrounding and highlights, all touch on the pretty things that provide the bankroll for the doings. Steve Douglas is a suave and boutOnniered inquisitor and the guests who are invited from the audience are supplied with cash to put in a bowl when they fluff or add to when they guess right. A final jackpot twister takes all. Pace changes smartly With good vocals by Betty Madigan arid some attempt at humor is made in the skits providing the commercials •which are enacted by Nelson Baker and Georgia Reed. Latter are a bit contrived but the overall effect is pleasant arid completely professional from the teeoff. Burm. TIME FOR BEANY With Daws Butler, Stan Freberg Producer-Director: Bob Clampett Writers: Lloyd Turner, Gordon Mintner % 15 Mins;, Mon. -thru-Sat., 5:30 p.m. FLAMINGO ORANGE JUICE WCBS-TV, New York “Time for Beany/’ a Coast originated show Which has been a thrice-weekly tenant on WOR, N. Y., until recently, has moved on to CBS-TV where it goes six -times a week. Indications point to the fact that there’s enough material in this kirinied series to warrant the additional time. There’s a/ nice sense of humor running throughout the program. Like riiost puppet shows, lot of it seems to be for adult consumption. Some of the gab seeriis to be too hep for the kids. The time slot (5:30) will militate against a grown-up set of viewers. Show originates on KTLA, Hollywood. “Beany” looms like an imag? inative bit of finger-manipulation. The characters are fancifully contrived and have some alliterative names such as Cecil, the singing seasick sea-serpent; Caboose Goose and others in that category. There’s a thead of a plot running through the story, although each episode seems, to be able to stand on its own. Sets are good arid the voices by Daws Butler and Stan Freberg give the dolls a deal of character. Jose, THE CONTINENTAL' With Renzo Cessna; Ivan Dltmars, music Producer-writer: Cesana Director: Ed Leftwleh J0**. Thurs., 11:15 p.m. CAMEO HOSIERY CBS-TV, from N. Y. (Hirshon-Garfield) In any competition for the riiost needless "-program on television, this one would rate high. Obviously patterned as a TV counterpart of radio’s widely-publicized “Lonesome Gal/’ who pitches her dulcettoned late-night: woo to the male listener; this new Tuesday night (11:15-11:30) CBS-TV quarter-hour stanza joins the “libido sweepstakes” in reverse, designed to send the frustrated femme viewers shuffling off to bed with romantic illusions/ It’s called “The Continental” and. it’s a one-man show starring Renzo Cesana, whose business it is; to make like Carl Brisson, Ezio Pinza arid Charles Boyer all rolled into one. It’s more snobbish and silly than sexy, with’ its visualization of the TV Romeo “at home” with an imaginary dame as he hands her 15-minutes (with time out for Cameo hosiery commercials). of soft-soap fluff. His supposedly old-world flavored verbal romantics are being tossed at the off-camera "babe” as he navigates, the swank upholstered “den,” albeit designed to create the illusion that the “babe” in question is the home viewer. He rhapsodizes on the virtues of “chairipagne that doesn’t tickle the nose”; on the wondrous marvels of , girl’s smile, especially late at night when a guy’s making a play for her; and isn’t beneath knocking off a couple commercials on his own as he extolls the “babe” in the best traditions of Europeanaccented romanticism on the virtues of Cameo stockings and what it does to . the legs. If one stays with it long enough; one ban get the "Late Show” feature pix attraction. Rose, ELECTRIC THEATRE With Lawrence Verdicr, Thomas Yager, Shelda Sklar, Jean E. Reid, Christime Harrington, William C. Homhart Director: Peter Strand Producer: William Merrill Adaptor: William Merrill 30 Mins.; Wed., 7 p.m. DETROIT EDISON CO. WXYZ-TV, Detroit This third in a series of “live”, presentations of the “Electric Theatre/’ which features films the other three weeks of the month, did not live up to its predecessors. The play enacted by local talent was Percival Wilde's "Once to Every Man,” adapted for television by William Merrill whose strawhat “Will-Q-Way Playhouse” has been a summer theatrical favorite in the Detroit area several seasons. The -main criticism involves the stilted performance of Lawrence J. Verdier as Paul Strickland, the investment broker who was going to head for the hinterlands with his customers’ money until smitten by his Conscience. Verdier, Whose face was before the cameras almost the entitre 30 minutes, was excessively Stiff, failing to catch the harried, runaway look of a crook ready to scoot with $300,000. The other performers were right for their jjarls but, since Verdier dominated every scene, their efforts were not enough to lift the production out of its straightjacket. Film clips were nicely integrated into the studio, scenes and the direction and camera-work were excellent. Tew. AMERICA’S TOWN MEETING With George V. Denny, Jr., moderator; Sen. Oweq Brewster, Seri.. Wayne Morse, guests Producers: William Traum, Elizabeth Colclough Director: Robert Doyle 30; Mins. ; Snri., 6:30 p.m. REICHHOLD CHEMICALS ABC-TV, from New York (Mac Manus, John & Adams) “America’s Town Meeting,” which has been on the air for some 17 years, has made the transition to tele, and at a time when interest in forum shows, is specially high due to hot pro-and-con on foreign affairs and the upcoming Presidential election. In George: V. Denny, Jr., “Meeting” has an apt moderator, , Kickoff show was on a political question: “Eisenhower or Taft— What Are Their Chances for ’52?” Sen. Owen Brewster (Maine) was in there plugging for Taft arid Sen. Wayne Morse (Oregon) was* stumping for Ike. Give-and-take was interesting, since each solon quoted the other’s past statements against his present views or his candidate’s: policies. Ih the main, Brewster hit at the general’s: lack of a specific domestic prograi arid Morse rapped the Ohio senator’s conservatism. They saw eyeto-eye in their denunciation of the Truman., administration, which didn’t live up to tile Town Hall principle of providing a forum for widely diverging views, Denny added, however, the Democrats will get a chance on a future show. Airer didn’t open too smoothly, it seemed to take too long until the show got into the debate. However, the idea of filmed mari-inthe-street opinions is good; Departure from the radio format, in which each side makes a formal statement of its views,, in favor of ad lib argument makes for a mor dramatic presentation. Questioning from the studio audience is also carried over from the AM edition, with 10 minutes allocated for the citizens’ queries; On hand for the preem was Socialist Norman Thomas, a frequent guest on past Town meetings. There was a cute (but seemingly planted) bit when one spectator, asked whether he had something to. say, quipped, “Me? I’m for Truman.” . Show is sponsored by Reichhold Chemicals, which puts most of the major discussion series under the bankrolling of large industrial corporations (Bohn Aluminum has “American Forum” and Revere Copper backs “Meet the Press”). Commercials for Reichhold, at beginning and 'end, touted the firm’s size, its global setup of plants and. the theme that creative chemistry serves the nation. Ray Morgan, delivering the spiels, was somewhat stiff, Bril. WORLD ADVENTURE SERIES With George Pierrot 30 Mins., Sun., I p.m. EARL B, BRINK WXYZ-TV. Detroit This is rich escapist fare for an idle Sunday afternoon. One week you’re in Alaska, the next in Sweden, next in Brazil, etc. All the pix are topnotch, being taken from films on the travelog circuit, and which will be shown that, same afternoon in their entirety at the Detroit Institute of Arts., The program easily could become a come-on for the Institute show and, to a certain extent, it is, of course. But George F. Pierrot, managing director of the series, has. taken care hot to let the TV show become, a trailer. By judicious cutting and selection, the film, for the TV show is complete and satisfying. During the showing of the film, Pierrot questions the photographer about the scenes, his problem getting the shot, conditions he found interesting in the foreign land, etc, Pierrot’s adroit questioning provides interesting and, at the same time, informal commentary. In the show caught, the film was titled “Alaska’s Big Gai . and the photographer was Cecil Rhode. ST. PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL PARADE With Charles McEwen, Daryl Laub Producer: Sherman Headley. Director: McEwen 12.0 Mins., Sat. (26), 2 p.m. SCHMIDT BREWING WTCN-TV, Twin Cities WTCN-TV did a highly meritorious camera and descriptive job in bringing to set-owners the huge, colorful daylight parade that got the annual St. Paul Winter Carnival,-a frigid mardi gras, off to a brilliant start. Staffers Charles McEwen and Sherman Headley matde their, running commentary interesting and informative, emphasizing features which wouldn’t register on home screens, and adding to viewers’ enjoyment. Lensers caught many closeups of beautiful girls on floats and elsewhere and human interest shots among the crowds, despite the 15-above temperature. Interest was held the entire two hours, and the time passed swiftly. McEwen punctuated his de? scriptions with a recital Of the Winter Carnival’s legend and by introducing several of the St. Paulites. who had played prominent parts in arranging the festival. The “City Beer” commercials, scattered through the ■ telecast, were brief and riot at all disturbing. Rees. MOTOR CITY FIGHTS With Fred Wolf 60 Mins., Sat.;, 8:30 p.m. PFEIFFER BEER WXYZ-TV, Detroit The professional bouts On “Motor City Fights” are staged expressly for. television. No attempt is made to get a ringside audience at the sriiall Motor City Gym, but since the series started the gym’s 400seals have been filled; Young and promising boxers in Detroit and nearby states are featured in th bouts. While not; polished boxers, they work at their work hard, providing plenty of action. Which sometimes is lacking in nationally televised fights. “ Camera work is. especially, good. Because of the small gym, thp (Continued , on page 40)