Variety (April 1953)

PjUriety 33 Wednesday, April 29, 1953 ETHEL AND ALBERT With Peg Lynch, Alan Bunce, Henry Jones Producer: Thomas Loeb Director: Walter Hart Writer: Miss Lynch SO Mins., Sat., 7:30 p.m. Sustaining: NBC-TV, from New York Now that those longtime radio fivps Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce, f more familiarly “Ethel and Albert ” have reached the point on tele where rthey have their own show there’s no reason why they Shouldn’t become a permanent video fixture. Show was shaped ud by NBC-TV, on whose -Kate Smith videocast ..the pair did their first tele strip, on the premise that Ennds would sponsor, but when the bankrolling bowed out, the net- work went ahead with the show anyway. , ,, , . Sponsorship should be no prob- lem though. Program has all the appeal that it had on radio, and the video setting, a home With all the charm and simplicity of the characters themselves, adds to that sense of the delightful common- place that was a trademark of the Aivi’er. Program faces one serious prob- lem, though, that’s plagued many another video show. That’s the question of time. It remains to be seen whether Miss Lynch, as scripter, can come up with a solid half-hour of material every week. The preem was a neatly worked- out bit stemming from a phone call for Albert. She couldn’t remem- ber who called,, but said the name reminded her of an animal. Re- mainder of the show had Albert calling up various friends with names like Wolf, Fox and the like. Complications caused by the calls included a pitch by their insur- ance-salesman friend and a family argument. It was an entertaining segment, but toward? the end, the animal bit was beginning to be overcrowded. Program’s charm lies in its trivia, but 30 minutes worth of trivia can prove a little wearing. Test will lie in Miss Lynch’s scripting ingenuity. In the thesping department, Miss Lynch and Bunce were tops. They displayed an -ease and naturalness before the cameras that made the situations come alive. Henry Jones was excellent as the statistic- minded salesman. Walter Hart’s direction was smooth and facile. Thomas Loeb’s allover production was tops, espe- cially the two-room homelike set by Tom Jewett. Only thing miss- ing was their oldtime theme, “Love Nest.” Chan. THE CARUSO SHOW With Ray Caruso, Dorothy Caruso, Ken Nordlne, Adelina Tremta- due, Leonard Balsamo, Sasha, Giordano, Ed Cooper Producers: Bernard Goodman, Bill Goodman Director: Dan Schuffman 30 Mins.; Wed., 8 p.m. HUDSON-ROSS WBKB, Chicago (Herbert S. Laufman) Teevee show pilots Bill & Bernie Goodman waste little time in capturing audience attention —an entire company of artists burst into song with the Sign- on. Camera then switches to Ken Nordine, who takes an “inconspic- uous” seat in the studio and intros the theme of the show. Nordine is a natural in his role of a Chi- nese prompter. Thinness of plot is not a nega- tive consideration with this brand of casual capsule songfest. Stress is on the informal warbling of Italian folk tunes and classics. Show’s technicians turn in an ex- cellent job. Cameras are cleverly utilized as a support to the story telling, Leonard Balsamo’s tale of a previous conversation with Gior- dano is backed with as superim- posed image of Giordano, a fine aid for the unimaginative of the televiewers. The acoustics, how- ever, would probably be more beneficial if the telecast took place in smaller quarters. Although all the vocalists de- liver well, a more balanced show could be had with fewer featured performers. Viewer identification would be easier and continuity would be tighter. Aside from a good voice, so- prano Dorothy Caruso delivers her numbers with dramatic quality. For comic relief, Sasha, lone Rus- sian of the troupe, robustly bari- tones “Played Fiddle for the Czar.’’ Leonard Balsamo duests with mezzo Adelina Tremtadue, which come s over f-airly well, except for ° Pitch vocalizing of tenor. This group, which plies the F a( m of restaurant singing, is headlined by pizzeria proprietor Jtay Caruso. Obviously, spaghetti isn t the only forte of tenor Ca- ruso. His .rendition of “Piscatore” is excellent. C°°per does an adequate job 2,, ha . n ?MR6 the Hudson-Ross plugs.' rue telegommercials, however, are long enough to be annoying. Arne. THE MAGIC HORSESHOE With Bob Williams, Eliza Palmer, guests Producer: Walt Framer Director: James Elson 30 Mins.; Tues., ThUrs,, 6 p.m. Sustaining 9 WNBT, New York A junior version of “Strike It Rich,” with the western trimmings of “Bobby Benson,” this frankly imitative stanza for the lollipop set lacks even the distinctive corn- ball flavor of its predecessors. As a giveaway sHow, it’s devoid of any real competitive spirit, and the kids are apt to resent its obviously faked up questions. As a pseudo- western, it misses because the juveniles have no character they can genuinely identify themselves with. Choice of Bob Williams as the emcee, Cowboy Wishbone. Hardy, was a bad case of. miscasting. He’s a presentable fellow who usually pitches TV commercials for Camels and Willys-Overland, but his slick, smooth style, good for announcing, isn’t calculated to strike a sympa- thetic chord with youngsters. 1 Togged up in western regalia, Williams and his singing cowgal Eliza Palmer introduce five kids, called “lucky buckaroos,” and their mothers. The small fry are pre-. selected according to the good deeds their letters read aloud claim they’ve done, like washing the dishes for mama or selling papers after school. Each buckaroo is quizzed with three questions. When the youngster answers the puzzlers correctly, he rubs a horseshoe and makes a wish. Amid a blinding cloud of smoke, a cadaverous voice cries aloud, “Abra-cadabra.” Out of the cave pops Miss Palmer with the desired roller skates or gym set (supplied free by a heavily plugged manufac- turer). At the finale, all five are asked to guess the answer. to a vaguely generalized question. The winning halfpint is rewarded with a jackpot consisting of $1,000 worth of loot (the contributors again lavishly credited). ^ On the second program of this twice-weekly half-hour series caught last Thursday (23), it was obvious to any smart moppet over the age of five viewing that the' contestants had been coached in their roles. A couple of the kids answered even before the questions had been fully posed. And although some of-the questions weren’t too elementary for that age bracket (“If you’re sailing up the Nile, are you in England or Egypt?”), it was tfeyond the mathematics of luck that each kid should answer all three questions accurately — and without a second's hesitation for thinking, at that. Walter Framer hasn’t stinted in giving it an elaborate production, but, unfortunately, a flashy setting is no compensation for an unim- aginative format designed for adult cupidity rather than a appeal to a child’s point of view. Rash. BOB & RAY SHOW With Bob Elliott, Ray Goulding, Audrey Meadows, Paul Taubman Producer-director: Grey Lockwood Writers: Elliott, Goulding 15 Mins., Mon., 7:30 p.m. Sustaining NBC-TV, from New York Bob (Elliott) & Ray (Goulding), NBC-TV’s peripatetic property, are back on a new time and a new day but with the same format. In the past couple of years the comics have developed a following which will pursue them all over NBC’s programming sked for a glimpse of their satirical antics. This slot- ting seems perfect for the show and its devotees, and everybody should be happy — that is, until the order to move is issued again. Until then, the Bob & Ray cult- ists should have no complaints. The humor is sharp and • bright. The pace is'fast and the material is zany. On the preem show Mon- day (27), for example, they at-; tempted to teach the viewer how to play a completely incomprehen- sible new parlor game, enacted a ridiculous playlet for their Teen- age Clinic sequence and parodied sportscasters with a stinging gab- bing and interview sesh. Each was a comedy gem. Team received neat support from looker Audrey Meadows and Paul Taubman’s organ backgrounding. Producer-director Grey Lockwood kept it brisk all the way. Gros. Tele Museum Ted Cott, WNBT, N. Y., veepee, is readying a new show called “The TV Museum” for the NBC-TV flag- ship. Program, to be half an hour, will be in effect a television museum, exhibiting collections of stamps, coins, photographs and other ob- jects of art. TELEVISION REVIEWS i JACQUELINE SUSANN SHOW With Jacqueline Susann, hostess; Bob Santa Maria, Billy Austin Trio, Sam Levenson, guest; others; John McKnight, an- nouncer Producer: Dick Randall Director: Roger Shope 30 Mins.; Sat., 10:30 p.m. VIGORELLI SEWING MACHINES WABC-TV, N. Y. This variety and fashion show, which preemed last ^Saturday (25), can be a sprightly half-hour if the sponsor will chop those tediously long,, dull commercials. The entertainment components* are okay. A low-budgeter, the program nevertheless has an interesting shift of three scenes—entrance through a doorway formed by two screens, the musical site for the hot trio, and a couch on which Jacqueline Susann, with growing-' out poodle cut and fetching gown, chats with the guest. Opening had a fast intro of everyone on the show through the doorway. Bob Santa Maria had two songs, “In My Heart” and “Don’t Ever Cry,” and he sold both well. Be- sides backing the singer, the trio —piano, bass fiddle and drums— did a snappy version of “Get Happy.” In the fashion section, with Miss Susann commenting, presentation was varied: dresses, strapless bath- ing suits and furs by femme models and suits and topcoat -by three men. Show gave guestar Sam Leven- son his cue to dip into his memory for sewing reminiscences of his mother, who reconverted his sis- ter’s bloomers into boy’s knickers and remade drapes into a sailor suit for brother Albert (who wore it so long that he was picked up by the Shore Patrol). Levenson’s appearance was cut short by run- ning out of time. But those commercials! In one, McKnight sat before a sewing ma- chine and discoursed almost end- lessly, including phone numbers to call. Another commercial was on film. And in the signoff, a sewing machine was placed before Miss Susann and Levenson for some more sponsor patter. The machine has a dancing needle, but the com-^ mercials drag their feet. Horn. JOE E. BROWN SHOW Director: Mike Meltzer 10 Mins. CAMELS WPIX, N. Y. ( Esty ) N. Y. Yankee hierarchy has done well by its fans this season, from point of view of television cover- age. Npt only is it telecasting some of its road games, but it’s brought in vet comic and longtime baseball aspirant Joe E. Brown to handle the fore-and-aft segments of its games. Brown has a 15-minute warmup period and a 10-minute post-game segment. Latter was the one caught, last Thursday 123). Brown displayed his customary good humor, an ability to put his guests at ease, and a working knowledge of the sport. Perhaps the good humor wa£ due to fact that Yanks won the game that day, but Brown’s countenance rarely bears a frown anyway. Show had an air of timeliness too. Guest on tyhat day was Mickey Mantle, who had won the game with a homer in the ninth inning. Brown discussed the game with Mantle, plugged the young slug- ger’s new book, asked about his family and displayed, a picture of Mantle’s two-week-old child, whom the young slugger hasn't seen yet. All in all, hg put the player at his ease and completely humanized him. Yanks’ third baseman, Loren Babe, also appeared briefly. . Camera work, of course, is ele- mentary but well handled by direc- tor Mike Meltzer. Camel and Cava- lier commercials are on film. Chan. TALK OF THE TOWN With Jimmy Blaine, Ray Malone, Elise Rhodes, Louis Nye, Bill Williams, Donald Richards, Sin- clair & Spaulding, Buddy Weed combo, guests Producer: Milton Douglas Director: Ray Abel Writers: Jack Raymond, Stan Burns 60 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri.; 11 p.m. KNICKERBOCKER BEER WABC-TV, New York (Biow) It’s been a couple of years now since New York viewers have had a full-hour, late-night variety seg- ment. In hopes of luring the now- proven large late-hour audience away from feature films, Knicker- bocker Beer has poured a lot of coin into this cross-the-board va- riety segment. Judging by the ini- tial show Monday (27), some fun- damental changes are needed be- fore the formula can pay off. That WABC-TV, ABC’s Gotham flagship, has rounded up a solid lineup of talent is indisputable. But its showcasing of that talent is another question. Program is a broad medley of variety, news, sports, weather and gossip column reports, guest interviews and an overdose of commercials. The vaudeo segments were good, but they were so offset by the other miscellany that all sense of pacing and direction was lost. Show as constituted displays neither the relaxed intimacy de- sirable for a late-hour revue nor the sharp pacing so necessary for good vaudeo. First order of busi- ness would be to cut*out some of the unessentials. Second, commer- cials could stand some revision, in number and presentation. There were about 10 of them, of the so- called “integrated” type, during the course of the show. They not only slowed down the pace (a filmed spiel here and there would help), but they proved distracting. Jimmy Blaine made a pleasant, albeit a bit stiff, emcee. Nervous- ness and self-conscious should dis- appear after awhile, and his fine singing along with his cleancut manner should make him a late- night fave. Ray Malone, well re- membered for his footwork on “Broadway Open House,” has lost none of his ingenuity and skill. He was tops in a couple of routines. Comedy combo of Louis Nye and Bill Williams came up with a cou- ple of topnotch bits. Nye is a broad, expressive comic whose hu- mor is characterization rather than physical, while Williams is an ar- ticulate straight man. Songstress Elise Rhodes is a pert blonde with a good voice who should remain a fixture here. Guests included Donald Rich- ards, who scored with a medley of hits he sang* in “Finian’s Rain- bow,” while terp team of Sinclair & Spaulding impressed with'their modern dance - ballet-ballrooin style. Blaine 4 also interviewed Dodger pitcher Joe Black and par- ried with ‘Henny Youngman. Bud- dy Weed combo did a fine show- backing job, along with couple of solid instrumentals. Production is an expensive one. from point of view of both talent and physical setting. Group must find its metier, though, before maximum use can be gotten out of the expenditure. Chan. WBKZ-TV to Preem Detroit, April 28. The Booth Radio & Television Stations, Inc., announces that WBKZ-TV, ' serving the Battle Creek-Kalamazoo area, will be on the air May- 22 with a full sched- ule of programming. The test pat- tern begins May 15. Station is an official basic outlet of ABC-TV network and also DuMont. ORIGINAL AMATEUR HOUR With Ted Mack, others Producer: Mack, Lou Goldberg 30 Mins.; Sat., 8:30 p.m. PET MILK NBC-TV, from N. Y. ( Gardner ) The return of Ted Mack and his tyro troubac^ors must be a heart- warming item throughout the country for several reasons. It’s a show that has long held onto a sizable set of staunch admirers. It’s also a reconfirmation of the power of letter-writers. Show had been oft: for some time, but appar- ently mail flaying everyone con- cerned for keeping this show urN der wraps never stopped. Result was a Pet Milk sponsorship. The Ted Mack regime is an out- growth of the original Major Bowes display which started as a radio show over WHN, N. Y. (now WMGM). That show helped start such performers as Frank Sinatra, Robert Merrill, Mimi Benzell, Vera-Ellen, Ray Malone, Muriel Smith, Paul Winchell and many others. With the advent of video, Mack started helming the show and had a successful run under Old Gold auspices. The format hasn’t changed at all. Mack puts the amateurs through their paces. There are all types of performers vying for mail, telephone or telegraphic votes. On the initial show there were a pair of yo-yo spinners, an Irish step-dancer, a blind pianist, a minstrel-bone team, a boy so- prano and a quartet comprising four moppets out of an orphan’s home. Mack doesn’t emphasize the sympathy angle, but it’s apparent- ly important in determining the winner. The cast offers a pictur- esque brand of performers, many of them being of the type not readily seen in professional cir- cles. Mack handles himself excellent- ly. He gives the impression of a kindly, soft-spoken gent who’s sympathetic to the aspirations of the sirrfon-pures. He’s got the mien to appeal to vast sections of the country. He also gave the im- pression of being a do-gooder, hav- ing just returned from Korea with messages from the boys to their loved ones which he’ll distribute shortly. Also his method of pres- entation of the contestants is fine. There isn’t the cruelty of the gong that the late Major emphasized, and there are indications that Mackes choices are tyros instead of occasional pros, as was employed by the Majoh Mack also has a good feeling for the dramatic. His choices in tal- ent and presentation of them can set up some lively conflict in the minds of viewers. Although 7 only a half-hour, Mack’s show has a great deal to commend itself and seems like it’s in a position to do a service for the sponsor. On his preem, Mack accepted a commendation from the Army Special Services for his work in Korea. Jose. BOB & KAV SHOW With Bob Murphy, Kay Westfall, Art Van Damme Quintet Director: John Hinsey 30 Mins., Mon.-thru-Fri., 12:30 p.m. Participating WNBQ, Chicago. After surviving the tempests of a teevee shuffle, the “Bob & Kay” ship has navigated itself through the tele channels and found a well- balanced berth on WNBQ. The lengthy, former WBKB program has been condensed into a tight, sparkling format in its new slot. Co-hosts Bob Murphy and Kay Westfall intro with their usual bit of trivia. Topics, however, are well- chosen for the noontime housewife appeal. The pleasant chatter is a result of the genial, easygoing Murphy personality combined with lovely Miss Westfall’s conversa- tional charms. Guest interviews are interesting and educational. It’s during these tete-a-tetes that the show seems to deviate from the atmosphere of relaxed informality. Simple source of the digression lies with the in- terviews being conducted from a standing position — giving the viewer, the impression that the guest is still being introduced. This uneasiness could be readily alleviated. The Art Van Damme Quintet, as backstoppers, turns in its usual ex- cellent performance. Combo’s fine casual quality blends well with the show’s informal format. Camera di- rection is also above par. The di- rection- is especially adept at high*? lighting instrumentalists during the quintet’s delivery. Arne. ‘Family’s’ 21st Birthday “One Man’s Family” celebrates .’its 2lst?birthday on NBC radio to- y (29)/ . ; \\\ Program is now A;7:45 p.m. strip, Sponsored by MilOS Laboratories. NBC’s ‘Variety’ Awards Salute NBC-TV whipped up a snappy 15-minute program Tuesday (21) evening, expertly emceed, per usual, by special events expert Ben Grauer, built around the Variety Showmanagement Awards. Dove- tailing film clips from the kudosed shows, and integrating a savvy exposition about the trade paper’s annual spotlight on the broad- casting industry, it was a pardonably personal plug for the net- work, a coincidental plug for Variety as the authority for the sundry honors, and above all an entertaining program for mass consumption. It packaged such variegated NBC highlights as “Victory At Sea” (with suitable film excerpt), WNBQ’s “Ding‘Dong School,” “Meet the Press,” A1 Capp’s show (also excerpted), “Through the En- chanted Gate,” Carl Sandburg'(another kinescope, and excellent rededication of the historian's Lincolniana), and fittingly capped by another kinie, this time Gen. David Sarnoff. The RCA board chairman’s historic prognostication on the future of electronics in the home, like most other Sarnoff forecasts, wilrtundonbtedly.be realized within our time. It was a very worthwh^d> institutid$al reprise for NBC’s'A'M&TV highlights of the pAst/season, matfe plausible by the fact that an objective medhiiViWde'tnife' kliftdijtfg* : M,Ss Ab&ir