Variety (December 1952)

SO TEIJEVISIOIV HEVIKWS Wednesday, December 10, 1952 ♦ »4 ♦ » - » * » » »»» m ♦ 4 ♦ t m » >t.t »♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ > ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦■ » ■» t t , t - t t . t f w t t f t ,1 iiiOi l • • M » »M H I M ♦ ♦ ♦»♦ ♦ ♦ I ♦ » M♦ » +♦ +»* Television Followup Comment M >■ ? y : < s * f ) ” Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” on CBS-TV r Sunday. night was an unusual blending of Hollywood and TV. It afforded Sam Goldwyn a terrific nationwide trailer for his current “Hans Christian Ander- sen,” coincidental with “The Gold- wyn Story” (two-part videobiog of bus career), and it was worth it to Sullivan, Mario Lewis & C°., be- cause it enabled strong budget replenishment. * It was a ready made package visually. _ Sullivan s sketchy biographical skein tied the until then nobody knew me and cared less.” For Sullivan, of course, this is quite a coup, garnering some cream o’ the crop pix (in generous and intelligent excerpts; not just sketchy snatches) to round out two full-hour shows. Abel. I if ■ i t.i is. 1 I ('• , \r' T. . C; 1 3! , X I . a .ii .41 ;• *.f yii f V», & Appearance of Ethel Waters on the CBS-TV “This Is Show Busi- ness” brought an exciting few mo- ments to television Sunday eve- ning (7). It was one of Miss Waters’ infrequent appearances on TV in her role as a singer and the ova- .m5tl!ndT.pr^ent...GQldwyn. pix to- I tion she received. from _ toe studio cether as part of the "plot” hav- audience m tribute to a standout Sig to do with the Polish emigrant trouper upon conclusion of her who is taking his American «re- number (the seldom-heard “Sup- sponsibilities with great serious- pertime” song from “As Thousands ness. Certainly Goldwyn’s hit pa- Cheer’) was a moving experience, rade of pix, a few of which only (In fact Miss Waters herself was were touched upon, attests to an- s ° emotionally overcome that she other American success story. The was forced to make a hasty exit off- fact that the Goldwyn brand of stage a few seconds after she had celluloid is always distinguished seated herself on the “interview supports Sullivan’s script anent the rostrum” beside emcee Clifton producer’s responsibilities to his Fadiman), Fadiman handled the adopted land. incident with sensitivity and good Show, of course, was singularly t>* „ ,, lacking in “production,” being stanza ; overall, essentially a pieced-together se- _ eniin^Tv stu ^ mess quencing of film clips, interspliced n ' npn s t "With the emcee’s palaver and two S xn Kauf " meagre vignettes showing young y Furness Goldwyn taking the oath of citizen- p . ar f lcular J. y ship 40 years ago; and another c O !^r? r hn^rir 01 lir2j at f C0nstl " dramatizing the near-debacle when v idin*T S< art n< L/iH U !? 0 «Tr ^ eipen , ta * P™- “The Squaw Man,” pioneer Gold- t f lh £ 1 ° i th f Hal wyn production almost ruined h’’m pnTY1<a j a P d C eor 6 e Gobel dance- and his cousin, Jesse L. Lasky. comedy mserts - Rose. When Sullivan asked the studio audience how they liked it, they Dave ‘Garroway took over the • responded politely but not cop- emcee slot on NBC-TV’s “Your vincingly because this was one show Show of Shows” Saturday ($) and for which they could have stood kept the 90-minute sesh moving in bed-^coming in film form over at an amiable and brisk pace. Fact the iconoscope* is just as good at that producer Max Liebman sur- home as in the CBS playhouse, rounded Garroway witlr a firstrate Incidentally, pioneer lab techni- production and some topflight cian Sig Lubin (of Philadelphia) guesters helped bring the stanza in was kudosed for salvaging their strong. (Regular stars Sid Caesar investment. ’ and Imogene Coca are vacationing). Sullivan looked wan and hag- Gamway’s genial hosting and gard, and was accented by the com- slick monologing highlighted the mercial film clip, when he, in a program and gave the hour-and-a- grey business suit, contrasted to half a. comfortable glow. Repeat of his dinner jacket, looked stockier, the dentist’s sketch, which was His daily columns have been re- done by him previously, retained porting the columnist’s travail in its yock values and his description the hospital with an intensive of how a tele set works while build- physical checkup for ulcers. (The ing one out of an old shoe box and next day Sullivan checked into a milk bottle was tomfoolery at its Flower Hospital to recuperate, with best. his TV activities indefinitely de- In the guest department Wally ferred; see separate news story.) Cox built big howls with his sly The film excerpts were punchy character etchings. His reminis- all the way—Gary Cooper’s vale- cences of youth and army days, al- dictory (as Lou Gehrig) in “Pride though familiar to nitery-goers, of the Yankees”; a funny Eddie were surefire. Circus clown A. Cantor bullfight scene from “The Robbins, Jr., also clicked with his Kid From Spain” (1932); a great standard big-top routine. His panto Scene with Harold Russell, Fred- hit which includes the seemingly ric March and Dana Andrews from endless em*-tying of his coat and “The Best Years of Our Lives”; pants pockets of bananas and sun- • Geraldine Farrar in a 1915 film- dry other items remains a clowning versioned “Carmen”; references to classic. Goldwyn’s pioneering with big- Shows singing regulars, Judy name authors (as far back as 1919), Johnson, Bill Hayes, Jack Russell When he signed Rex Beach, Mary and the Billy Williams Quartet Roberts Rinehart, Gouverneur Mor- were in their usual tip top form; ris and Gertrude Atherton, and Miss Johnson with “Keep Your Stars like Cooper, Ronald Colman, Sunny Side Up” and again with Danny Kaye and Laurence Olivier; Hayes and Russell in a lively work- a 1926 excerpt from “The Winning pver of “Don’t Let the Stars Get df Barbara Worth” (Cooper-Col- in Your Eyes,” and the Williams man-Virginia Valli); the 1939 combo with “Why Don’t You Be- standout, “Wuthering Heights” lieve Me” and.“My Blue Heaven.” (Olivier-Merle Oberon); and a Terp portions were adequately socko Danny Kaye excerpt from filled by Mata & Hari in a striking his “Up in Arms” (1944) which, of Hindu dance and Pauline Goddard Course, tied it once again to the & Wallace Siebert who brought concurrent “Andersen.” This is a plenty of charm into their ballet dream trailer for any film produc- tale of “a girl who was told she er, especially since Goldwyn, at was homely.” The fable, inciden- first, wasn’t sure how his $4,000,- tally, was effectively narrated by 000 production investment would Garrdway. be received (and seemingly “Hans” Stanza wound up with a capsul- is boffo b.o. already). ized version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Sullivan introduced Goldwyn “ H : M.S. Pinafore.” Although not from the audience, also his wife, strictly m the Savoyard style, it Frances; playwright Robert E. came over okay. Gros . Sherwood (whose “Sh er'wood Story” was an earlier “Toast” two ; “Kuklb, Fran and Ollie” and the ££?i r) ’ and also Madeleine (Mrs.> other Kuklapolitans, with an assist !« 00d ’ f * r * + wh< L m l h ? r S £ a8 from a backstage gentleman named C ii l / 1 r< sl ^ y ' be j !u. ed ‘nJ ex Burr Tillstrom, unwrapped their ?J d ,^ 11 )^.McCrary and the Moss annual treatment of “The Mikado” ** ar , ts 9? I i 1 i sle) a ; s0 to ° k on NBC-TV Sunday (7). When the bows with the Goldwyns from the KFO company got through with audience. the Gilbert and'Sullivan handiwork Goldwyn is a TV enthusiast to it had really earned its classifica- the degree that, in one instance, tiori as a famous comic opera. It he over-stated the pix-wedded-to- was delightful fun from start to video cause, and got himself tan- finish and another example of the gled with exhibitor reaction. This amazing versatility of Tillstrom, Caused Goldwyn to reiterate that the .back-of-the-scenes mentor of quality pix belong in theatres dom- the puppet family, inantly. TV, of course as in the It would be difficult to single out case of his good friend, CBS’ .Ed one performance as the best. Fran Murrow, has been a good trailer Allison, of course, came through for 4 Andersen” In its shooting pe- with her usual scintillation that nods. Ex-Lt. Samuel Goldwyn, sparkled especially during her Jr. may align with Murrow and/or “Moon and I” solo. Kukla, handed TV in the new medium. the Nanki-Poo assignment, played Incidentally, Sherwood makes no the part with just the right degree bones about TV’s impact. As re- of wistfulness and did a fine job suit of his “Toast” appearances, he singing “Wandering Minstrel.” The states, he '‘arted signing auto- Lord High Executioner role was \grjapjip “liKfj .ft 1 d^by Oliver J. Dragop-.^E^ugh. said. The one-toothed wonder presentation for the Pearl Harbor fugitive hoWing^two^nuns as b? sl j’t given a bad performance in anni. . «.c Garc h” after their own church, the program was s Ufe. . declaeol on . bear cn auer on several counts o{ over- The supporting cast was likewise Joying unsuccessfu ly ^et te dramatics, over-direction and over- toprung. Fletcher Rabbit and Cecil nghte tc> Kon-Hki and / or cmar Qn the religious anj?le . Bill got things off on a rollicking ^enCame ™° n u ^ v As adapted by th e novelist her- start with their opening duet. . . David Shaw, was the self and retitled ‘’Mysterious Madame Oglepuss and Beulah . . pilot radar-man and a Ways,” the show presented a num- steoniii^^ou^^/^characte^^ng newspaperman (latter making an ber of trite lines and situations but pnm^h g tn some asldes tS nrnsi? observational flight) in an ordeal managed to.compensate for thesp enough to toss some asiaes io musi Navv co-operation, with a surprise ending which, even cal director Jack Fascinate) joined realism was achieved^ On the though it was highly incredible, forces (not too strong a word to f[ r ea ,\Jr™f or n example, ef- carried out the religious theme: describe Miss Witch s voice) with ?. was’made of a trans- Miss Barrymore, as. the mother i^/nth^iV/ehHnf^Thre^^Maids 6 from parent radar^screen plotting board,, superior who treated the criminal’s p^nrodiicUoi^ was stegS But the major click was in han- wounds tried to underplay the School. The production was stage ... f the raft in a set designed role to the extent required but her managed by Coion*! Craekie. Raff w!s mounted Huffs threw her^ff.^Paul Duhov AH m all, it was a typical KRG , on springs and a swivel stand, sur- umde his characterization of the attraction—throughfully conceived, r0U nded by thoughs of water and fugitive count, even though he refreshingly spontaneous and laced wd; h rear-screen projectors provid- over-emoted. Virginia Gibson was with warm, gentle humor. For this ing the sea scape. better as the second sister. “Mikado” special, an extra nod jj. was a technical feat, with the William Corrigan, although at should go to musical director Fasci- move ment of the rubber boat, fault in the direction, scored with nato for his work on the score. splashing of water and filmed his production, staging the show Dave. ocean background utilized adeptlyl on some fine-looking sets. Jimmy Up-and-down motion of the water Fidler, as program host, did his Martha Raye, who’s been the horizon was almost enough to usual intro job. Commercials for most consistent winner this season cause seasickness, and might have Ennds were jarring in their repeti- on NBC-TV's "All Star Revue,” been toned down a bit. Another tive quality ;and their at-odds whammed across another solid production accomplishment was atmosphere with the mood of the hour of clowning, buffoonery, song the flawless integration of film in- show* MaZ. and dance on the show Saturday serts (about 35 were used) with night (6). Dorothy Lamour was live action. * No# 2 0 f “victory at Sea,” the Miss Raye’s top guest but, backed Plotwise, Search had Gene ’paari Harbor disaster chaDter was by some imaginative story treat- Lyons as a film star now playing a ppropriately and topically repris- ment, it was Miss Raye s show all a real life hero and resenting the ed p ec ^ the Black Sunday of the way. From her now-standard presence of Anthony Ross as a war “j flDan »e greatest nerfidv” (FDR) opening number with the male correspondent from New York nyears totheday And whata dancing chorus to the lushly-pro- Pair acted well, but the script s hock» It’s Dart of the shock treat- duced finale, in which she amazed didn’t get full impact from the meht the world has been subjecting with a socko terp roujtin’e to a Cu- dramatic situation. Documentary ug al j vesterdav’s areh-enerhies ban mambo, the comedienne dem- aspects, however, were deftly han- Rerlin-Romd-Tokvo axis tndav onstrated the socko payoff of her died. Cast also featured Everett are our a ]i; es a gainst thp er<»atpr versatile talents. Chambers as the radar operator f^eat Communfsm TWs second Format had her m her usual ug- and James Gregory as a Navy stanza of the great Naval serieSi so ly-ducklmg role, off on a Car- officer. ... , socko edited, produced and scripted, nbbean cruise for schoolteachers,' Commercials for Goodyear were ^hmild rpnpntpd rint Pv^rv Dpp on which she thought she could have topflight. One, for Pliofilm, was 7 but ceveral timps in paoh^ vpnr her pick of the men because of the lensed through the material to L a ^if Tmiv in Ampriran dowdy schoolmarms along. It demonstrate its transparency and nreDaredness-or rather^ the a?k turned out, however, that Miss La- pitch for the sponsor’s car bat- /atrc) Tn another idiom mour, playing her film star self, teries was effectively factual. £ d Murrow’s per-usual slick “See was on the same ship. Way they gagged up the split-minute timing on such tours, with the conductors aying the lash to the tourists to Bril It Now” (CBS) series showed Korean closeups in anticipation of Bob Hope’s turn on the Colgate Ike’s advent (and since return). It geY 1 them 5 on "and" off "each' island “Comedy Hour” Sunday (7) re- fulfills the promise that TV can will nrobablv have numerous sulted in a mixed session in which (buUwe hope never will) bring the travel agencies and steamshiD lines the P rin cipal offenders were some battle-front right into the parlor. srmawkinv C fo nrp ahmit Unfair sketches that lowered the calibre Murrow practically did that last treatment But it made for fSnny of the show * However, there were Sunday. . Abel, treatment, uut it maae tor tunny. a couple of bitg that hit its mark In addition to Miss Lamour, who J? ® p ? re * „ TIie PJ st fl pttw matinpf joined neatlv in the fun but s ® rvice , was strong enough to MATINEE couldn’t outshine Miss Raye’s tal- f 4 ^ e ^ ow J? powerful closer With Jay^ Grill; ^Patty Prichard, ents, the star was backed by a f nd iS. Romance as per- Bob Ci good supporting cast, topped by Fr ? n 4 J es Langford others. Sara Seegar, who plays her neigh- v} n i ‘ a . Peasant Producer: Jay Grill bor. Most of the technical credit Unfortunately, the Balter for the show belongs to the writ- sklts were not up to that " lr « cl ® r * Baker . ing staff, headed by Nat Hiken, le ^i* ... . ... Mon * thru * Fn *» 2 who also directed, and including ^ u as • ma ? y Participating Billy Friedberg and A1 Singer. Leo ,ope left himself in the KGO-TV, San Francisco Morgan was producer, with Grey be w°nld stand or j , ano + bpr .i ftnnnnnn - n * Lockwood handling camera direc- c the T J, trength ? f his various Just another lonnnnnng hour of tion. Choreography by Herb Ross ^"- e f c hes. It s an untenable situa- yak yak variety, another TV ven- was fine, and George Bassman con- ca ses inasmuch as top ture into daytime dulldrums. Jay ducted the orch for topdrawer mu- one of the most difficult Grill, an ex-bandleader banes a hapirino ctn? things to obtain. It seems that , ex oanaxeaaer, Dangs a Hope generally does better on his neat P*ano. On other TV shows he standup comedy. His opening re- ba s turned out some musicated ma- As producer-director of the Wed- marks had charm and wit. It seems * e rial as good as any heard in this nesday night NBC-TV “Kraft Tele- that Hope, generally, can rely on area. But on this one he subjugates vision Theatre” over its five-year himself to furnish the major music and tries to emulate the span (which makes it the “daddy” strength of a show. cutups of the Ralph Edwards-Bert of the hour-long dramatic show- Vocally, the program hit better Parks-Art Linkletter school. He cases on video), Stanley Quinn has, than par with Martin and Miss tries, that is. in his own quiet way, built the Langford in supporting spots. Mar- On a normal day he’ll interview program into one of the major fm,.of course, is one of the best a couple of housewives, feature a drama entrants on TV. Particular- legitimate singers around, and Miss “Celebration Table” where aver- ly in the last few months there has i ,a 1 l ! I g v rd i S been a staple in this age folks or celebrities spout their been a qualitative level in the act- P eld for a j 0 ng time and general- latest excitements, follow with a ing, script material and produc- ly acquits herself admirably. “stump the experts” quiz round tional facets that puts the Kraft Jose. and taper off with a “Thought For entry on a level with the best of The Day” voiced "by representa- *St Wednesdays (3, presents- den0mlnati0ns 0n r0 ‘ original John'^T^ ChaDmaS P 1 ® 38 . 1 "® m usical sessions on For some reason, possibly Jay’s calfed “The EmiVv HnnS h “ P TbA Aside from Com o’s savvy J ack of emcee experience, the fun cast e was T itrirtl^ nff thp Wlt i? a song * the singer’s elements, just don’t humorize—un- felit W toD<fhelf tlJ inHi crS po u . nb orried, casual air lends the less he has a wit like Jerry Lester Straight P Henrv 1 1?af- lght kl ” d of intimacy and convic- or Sammy Davis, Jr., aboard. Phillips and Pat Breslin’ As script- On I Mondav'« < }«f'^i er ’ h0 r r seg jn en t. However, when Jay seats him- ing originals for TV go it was^ a rnilfmh? a ay nS S 5° W ’ dimmy Boyd, self at his piano, that’s different, mature work an d g iensSl Here he’s in his own element. He brought forth, thanks to Quinn’s SawMommv^Kissinl^qaJffriL, » zm gs a mce finger movement and expert directorial touch It was a whiVh ic u n * a ^ ai i^’ ge ^ s due ^ assistance from his part- tale of a^auScrath^^outherr^fa- year’s ner ’/ immy Diaraond * at the Ham- ther and his three daughters, with kid handfed himself weir ^ mond organ, overtones of “Barretts of Wimpole was spotted on “I’m Never Satfs° He features two promising sing- Street” and Henry James’ “Wash- fied,” “Yours” and ^Pennfes From t rSt Pa l ty Pochard and Bob Calla- mgton Square.” Miss Straight as Heaven,” also assisting in the ? an< T ^, ey chi J p the lat ^ sts P°P S * the eldest of the trio of daughters Chesterfield plugging with thp f F e( l u f, n Uy work out little dramatic who finally breaks away from the Fontane Sisters. Show was framed vlgne J te ? to fit A tlje lyrics. Patty ia yoke of the father’s dominance, In a well-designed street setting pl easm 8ly pretty; Bob is a bounc- but only after tragedy strikes, was which* had, however little relation i 11 ^ ea 2 er heaver of the Jslck Smith particulariy effective, as was Miss to the tunes on the show. Berm? type * P i 11 *u Ips - ln the l ess_ helievable role j, The uninhibited ad libs by IVtiy of the jealous sister who provokes . , and Bob are the saving ararr ol the tragedy. Noae. NB^V's^^y^ood^^enl^ It ^ ° £ ‘ h * 5h ° W ' ?f Night” Monday night (8) but ap- M A MAmJ .1 _ J A 1 I . “ Ambitious technical experiment parently was not feeling ld to hpr Grill still might make a go* ’ was successfully tackled by p— *u- u l. j -• “ ducer Fred Coe and director E._ irAloa bert Mann on “Goodyear Televi- Barrymore several times forgot and pfiri °r games and stressed sion Playhouse” over NBC-TV Sun- her lines and her confusing at- what hc does hast—pop music. ^•lv'^iu ed r? e i rcb - > and deal " I® mp ts to recover threw the entire With two daytime movies com- lhg with the efforts of the Navy show out of kilter. Not that the Peting against him, there’s an open to rescue a trio of fliers adrift on show would have been much any- field for music at this hour—and a life.?aftp^ ^ 91 -^timely way.«; Yarn abppt i * < desperate, lots of. it* ^ ,,« -* 'Dwit.