Variety (July 1953)

Wednesday, July 22, 1953 TKLEVISIOX REVIEWS 31 EXPERIMENT one (T he Ties Have It) With Bob Kelly, Carter Wallace, Susan Levin, Joe Thomas, A1 Herndon, Earle Reeves, Wanda Robertson, Charlotte Rice, Phyl- lis Sapero producer-Writer: .Bob Kelly Director: Bob'Jones 30 Mins.: Sun., 10 p.in« Sustaining WBAL-TV, Baltimore WBAL-TV made a noteworthy attempt at essaying straight dra- matic fare with its Easter Sunday presentation of “The Stone/' a re- i tertalpment. ligious video play penned by Bob Jones, WBAL-TV staff director-an- nouncer. Encouraged by the suc- cess of this half-hour sustainer, the station is now experimenting fur- ther with a showcase for dramatic programming in this late Sabbath, evening presentation labeled “Ex- periment One.” . , A .• Tentative plans calling for a once monthly production of ' an original script; hinge on the avail- ability of Suitable material and here iS where the Station will find it expedient to proceed with cau- tion. Where Jones’ Easter opus projected a simple and direct theme with good visual appeal,, the current offering, written by an- other WBAL-TV director, Bob Kel- ly, will do little to further the sta- tion’s efforts to find an audience for locally originating drama.* Teleplay Was a confusion of sii- tire, fantasy and precocity that quickly encouraged viewers to seek more palatable viewing else-: where oil the dial; Plot dealt with a writer who specializes in plagiar- ism. Currently under the influence of Saroyan, he stumbles into a bar frequented by deliberately Sar- oyanesque characters. The title of the play refers to a pile of color- ful ties that the writer rises to suggest color to him. Finding in- spiration from various playwrights, he “writes color’’ into a young man’s life in the form of a girl and as the couple happily leave the bar, the writer resolves tp abandon Saroyan and write next in the style of Maxwell Anderson. Author could profit by . becoming more adept at the plagiarism that he is satirizing. Symbolism of the ties is far 1 too obvious. While acting for the Easter show was effective, Kelly’s . effort was hampered by uneven, thesping. In the part of. the writer, the author projected an affable personality but couldn’t disguise the basic weaknesses in his own /writing. Earle-Reeves scored in a small part though Stymied by camera work which confined itself for the most ; part to his back (perhaps a “di- rectorial touch”). Joe Thomas fered from miscasting as the tender while Carter 'Wallace Susan Levin were weak as young couple: Direction by Bob Jones was static. Sole plus asset of the en- tire layout was the authentic look- ing barroom . setting replete with beer On tap. The utilization, of local talent with- a more fundamental knowl- edge of theatre values could, ben- efit “Experiment One.” Fresh, discerning^personnel is what is. neededlmre,. 'Burnt, »♦ ♦ ♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦» ♦ ♦♦♦»♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ M * »♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦++♦♦♦4 + 4 4 4 4 4 44 Masterful and deeply moving performance by David Opatoshu on the Goodyear TV Playhouse Over NBC-TV Suhday (19) gave this series one of its highlights for the season and proved once again the tremendous potential of TV for presenting fine, dramatic - en- suf- bar- apd the p.m. FACTS ’N FEN With Shari Lewis Producer: Enid Roth Director: Jim Elson 15 Mins.. Sun., 12:15 WNBT, N.Y. “Facts ’N Fun,” latest of the TV entries designed to teach kids while entertaining them at the Same time, bowed in over WNBT, NBC’s TV flagship station in N.Y Sunday (19) and impressed more with its potential than with actual accomplishments. New 15-minute segment Stars Shari Lewis, a bright, pretty and pleasing young lady who worked . hard to Overcome the. handicap, of • h aVI ng fo face a vlrtually static camera for most of her quarter hour. Miss Lewis, who is best when she lapses into informal con- . versatiori with . her ..unseen audi- ence but can’t resist the tempta- tion to. exhibit her limited talents as a ventriloquist, has a good per-- sonality for this kind Of show: Un- doubtedly, as the series continues, she’ll learn to relax a little more. “Facts ’.N Fun” ih. its air. pre- miere appeared, to suffer from top: much material rather than too. lit- tle. Miss Lewis has hardly touched on one subject when she already had launched into, the next. Play was Paddy Chayefsky’s “The‘ Big Deal,” . a simple story which staked everything on the skill of the performers; who did, however, have an expert and in- telligent script to work from. Even if one recalls the more impressive in the Playhouse, presentations, last Sunday’s stanza appears to stand a head above the others. And while the rest of the cast gaye the strongest support, it was Opato- sliu’s show. He played a map. of 52, a one- time . “bigshot” as ; he called him- self, who yens for the days When he was a good- architect. Now he must rely On the financial support of. his daughter. While he dreams of. great projects. He is, offered jobs but refuses to take them be- cause he has his heart set on an- other. wild idea. But he needs $4,- 000. And he finds no one will lend it to, him. Gradually he .be- comes conscious of the fact that he is a failure and as he: loses; his self-respect, he comes close to a breakdown. In the end, the^real Na- tion that there are: human .values he has overlooked makes him ac- cept a low-paid job as a building inspector. As Opatoshu played the part, the tortured man chasing his past and never catching up with it be- came almost painfully real. Not once was there a false note, a mo- ment of overacting. He made Joe Manx a living person that no one could doubt and With Whom everyr one had to sympathize. Opatoshu, who has. been on the Playhouse before, is one Of the, stars of the Yiddish Theatre and was last seen on Broadway in “Flight Into: Egypt.” His Playhouse perform- ance Sunday lestablished him as one of. the fine actors' on TV. As his wife, Joanna itoos gave valuable support that relied on ex- pression as much as. the spoken word. Anne Jackson stood Out as the daughter whose quiet self- assurance and understanding in the end provides her father with a solution to his problems. In a difficult part? Miss Jackson con- veyed the impression of a strong, well-balanced. person who, unlike her, father, accepts things as they are. James Westerfield was good as Opatoshu’s orie-ti me partn er who now is offering him a minor job;-. r - ■; With so brilliant H cast and Chayefsky’s uncommonly percep- tive : script to work with, director Vincent Donehue achieved strong impact and .perfect pacing - Cam erawork was particularly good and helped in the building of the rriov ing and wholly natural climax wtiich left one with a lump iri the throat. This was one. show the Playhouse can be proud of for long time to come. . ' Hifi. haying Foote working in tele- vision, where audiences of millions can experience his fine work. In “Death,” the man of the title, Who had spent his life helping others and. consequently has no.l material wealth, lies oii his' death- bed worrying about the welfare of his unmarried (laughter, aging and yet untrained to make her own liv- ing, and their old hired Negro hand; When his soils, through selfishness,, renege on their prom- ise to. take care of. their sister Rosa, the man’s life seems to have been wasted,. for he, was leaving no heritage but that of helping others. . Afrivol of a cousin, how- ever,; vindicates, the man’s life,. She too., had . been , helped, by the man, but she hiso had been infected by ] his faith and so offers.to share her home and life with the gentle two jing left' behind. , Tremendous, emotional impact was achieved at ’ the end of both acts. In the first, the man, bitter hat his sons had failed him, hates he world from which good—at his final moment of departure-^ seems to have gone, while above aim the just-arrived consiiv (.Mil- dred Natwick) cheerfully recalls all the good he had done in his life; At the play’s end/ assured that his life had had meaning, the man' dies in-peace as. f.h : e, camera fades as slowly as a ..man . finally closing his eyes. Play, which: could have; been static, was given ; fluid; ihoveriient If further proof was needed that serious drama can be presented on television With taste and distinc- tion, then conclusive evidence, was offered on NfiC-TV’s ‘‘ 1 st Person’ last Friday (17) in the Fred Coe production of Horton Foote's orig- inal teleplay, “Death of the Old Man/’/ Drama had two most unusual as- pects. With the program’s specia use. of a . subjective camera, the viewing audience found itself in the position of seeing events hap pen from the viewpoint and bed positiori of the man who lay dying (he was never seen but his thoughts Were articulated by. the voice of William Hansen). Effect was the fullest audience idenlifi cation with the play’s major char aefer, with the viewer taking par in the unfolding drama; Secondly, the subject of death rarely given serious treatment On tele (as. opposed to the. multitudi nous murders 6h.crime shows) was given sensitive, moving and noble expression. Many. : literary critics have; been deploring, the cynicism _’i _ / • • ' * a /...iMiiw.vvi! ..k - .-i : j by Arthur Pehn’s expert direction arid the expressi Ve act ing: oI’ a uni- formly fine cast. Cameras, as tire eyes of the dying man, probed at the room occupants arid, new ar- rivals arid revealed their emotions in good closeup. as while leaning over the bed. Entire east was. cX- cellerit: Miss Natwick, as the cousin who liad inherited the mart’s faith; Hansen, as the voice of the mart; Katherine. Squire, as the gentle, daughter; Alonzo;Bosan, as= the hired hand; Robert Simon a,nd Allen Nourse; as the selfishly concerned brothers, .arid Nell Ilar- risori, as a distant relative. “ 1 st Person,” a summer replace- ment by Gulf for “The Life Of Riley,” deserves a special spot on NBC-TV*S year-round schedule. The halfthour dramatic’ series is oric of television’s best. Horn. There’s little wrong with the new Friday night NRC-TV “Camp- bell Sound Stage’’ series Ural a good, believable script can’t .cure. It was apparent on the opening of the series a couple weeks.back and again last Friday when, the second i nstall merit o f t he sou p-s pqnsored dramatics offered an item ' called “Something for An Empty Brief- case.” Under the (Campbell production setup there are .alternatlng direc- tors for the series, Garry Simpson having mogged the intro show, with Don Medfbrd as last Friday’s alternate director. Martin Hoi-re 11 is the producer. Whatever .short- comings the “Briefcase’’ unfold- ment possessed were inherent , in the story values.. themselves, for production-wise the ..stanza enjoyed a proper ,scope and dimension that bespoke of some qualitative pro- ducer-director, credits. “Campbell Playhouse” should i find itself, however, when it sinks its teeth into a worthwhile script. This one by S. Lee Pogostin, with Susan Douglas and James Dean in the leads, was out. of the Dead End Kids school of literature and con- cerned a kid just finished with a four-month rap as a first offender deciding On one last petty larceny job to get enough bucks to buy a briefcase; To him that’s the .sym- bol of ■■.respectabilityand going straight; even though an empty briefcase. He picks on .a neighbor.-, hood, cutie fa ballet studerit) as. his intended victim but instead of rob- her succumbs to the gal’s drawing room psychology im- plausible characters placed in an implausible situation, all adding up to an almost plausible drama because of slick production and direction and • some winning per- formances. If the whole does not add up to the surii of its best parts* it’s be- cause the’■Characters were written sketchily and too much of the in- herent action, which might, explain their behavior, had' happened off- screen before the play began,;As a result, the play never created a world of^ its own. ; but was sur- rounded instead by an atmosphere of skilled theatricality, which al- most,: but riot quite, disguised its flaws “Mari” Was the story of Douglas Dick, son. of a French father and Boston mother (now both dead), who seeks to find himself in Paris, He fails in love Willi Lydia St. Glair, who had loved his father and hated his mother. After, she magnanimously gives him up, Dick returns a, sadder, and wiser man to Boston, where 1 lie is Welcomed home by the girl he left behind. Georgiann Johnson, and ids step- father, Melville Ruick,. .who; have meanwhile established a plat on ie friendship ami.. iindersl a ml ing in their loneliness for the absent /yopth; . Since the reasons for the youth’s st range behavior and his ..latent Oedipus complex, were hardly ex- plained, ‘‘Man” was; more than a psychological puzzle. Disparity be- tween ages of Dick, and Miss SI. CI al r also iri i 1 i tat ed against accept - a nee, except as an emotlonjil de- viation that "needed fuller exiiloii a- t ion. The older woman’s motives were clear in Elliott’s script, hut not the young man’s. .. Miss St, Clair was adroit in a role that was mainly .'.unsuitable, for her. Dick, as the moody youth, added 1 ittie to his one-di.nensiojiaI part. Claude Dauphin was con- vincing as a friend and contem- porary of Miss St. Clair, a Parisian • playwright - d i r e c to i* who offered advice and counsel, in a part of comba-ratively. minor import ance.. Rulck did well as the stepfather who -Was truly pi a Ionic (in the play’s context, a viewer might have another May-Decemher Miss Johnson,, om* of expert of the younger lent credibility and some a girl wlio loved expected romance), the more actresses, depth to ANYONE CAN WIN * With emcee Al Capp, Ilk^hase# Patsy Kelly. Jimmy DyfcjRS Produecr-dlrector: Sylvan Taplin- ger Executive producer; Everett Roseri* thal 30 Mins,; alternate Tuesdays, 9 p.m# CARTER PRODUCTS CBS-TV, from New York i Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & BayU'i) ' Now’ that. Al Capp, cpmicrstrlp - creator Li't Abner, . seems to have joined the. panel-show: emcee corps on a more or less, permanent basis fin addition, to- this debutlrift? j “Anyone. Can Win,” he sits iri the central chair of DuMont's “What’S : The Story?”), he can no longer be .: viewed as a dilettante but must be . weighed as a pro. . As a pro emcee, Capp, one of the top masters of the comic pen (along ;. with Walt Kelly); can stand a lot of improvement. Chief fault is poor articulation. At premiere of ‘’Any* . one Can Win” Iasi Tuesday (14V not only., at lionie was the question.. “What he say?” frequently asked,, but: the panel-—actress-writer Ilka Chase, coiriedienrie Patsy Kelly, Philadelphia Athletics manager Jimmy Dykes arid an. arionymous guest probably uncomfortably hid- den under a giant iriask of the Capp character Hairless Joe—stralried its ears trying to hear tile questions. Capp caii use elocution lessons. ... Another anhoyaiice was Cnpp’s .. tossoff of casual: asides in. the samo invifiled Voice. Digs weli* shai’p . vvlu’ri. caiight, but it was a struggle to cut tluough the. muhNirness of delivery, which resulted in yet an-* other flaw, Capp’s almost solitary laughing at his own little Jokes (maybe only lie hc.irtbthcm);. Ollier major iiiipressibn left by . the show was sioppiness of cliree- lion, for instance:Iwoi cutoffs while , -Capp was speaking to switch to the filmed coirimerdals (on Arrid, .Car- ter’s LltilC: Liver Pills and Nalr) arid shots of .Capp gaping and unaware that he was on camera. “Win”—a Bernard; J. Proekter .pr.i)(l’uction-r- 70 .fhc'rwlse;;ls a panel show with a new audienee parlici- pat ion gimmick, Menibefs Of tho' si ndio audience' choose to back one of the four panelists, oh whom ; . score is kept by a ladder of num- bered lights, and those selecting the winning panelist of the nlglit : (Miss Chase was the brainiest first show out i share $2,000 , airiong them. According lo lightning cal- culation, Miss Chasers backers won $29.41 each. . .To keep the home audience happy iri the prospect of winning loot, Capp puts through a phone iderility of the call asking, tin. much ; inystery celebrity, disguised as - and expected less in return. . • Hairless Joe, on .whom some clues .hniies. Sheldon’s .direelion was 1 arc given. • First viewer' phoned good, although ire overdid the use : missed, with prize upped to $1,000. of wipes. Device of two eluhinep. | Also IVome . viewers W<**’e asked to ostensibly viewing . part of the! write in tlielr selection of .the drama from a vantage point acrosswinner on the next show, with.un- disclosed. cash, prizes .presumably going to right guessers; Beyond tire facts that lights in front of the.panell.sls, ostensibly to Jet them and the audience know which one had to answer the ques- tion of the moment, were mainly . unseen and ignored, and that Capp the street from the you! Iris Boston ! home, was.. Wasteful.■ and. imnooes-' sary as action bridges: John llag-; gott was the producer. . . ., i June Graham, sumnier replace 1 - 1 ment for Betty .Furriess ori 110* * Westirighousc Corimiercials.' did a trim .Fiirncss-Iike job. She seem. to have been, selected for her' to- j twice called. Palsy semblance to the -Inat usim!:W(-st- Jit I h* more to say. inghousc regular. In addition to a physical similarity, her voice was a ringer for Miss Furness' crisp tones. Horn. bible^inspired invocations and ad- j s.chmaltz^for :whammo; ; resists.. —-• • ii-- 1 o.u n<> [ 0 p hat and sing Varices.. Before the fadeout. the guy gets himself mussed .up by Ralph; Meeker, the last Of this summer’s emcee replacements for. Ed Sullivan on CBS-TVY “Toast of tlie Town,” was out of his ele- ment on the. Sunday (19 1 vaudeo hour.. Meeker may be the .life of i the “Picnic” but he’s no great ' shakes as a tele host. Diction and ! poise are open for. improvement : and although he cuts a neatcaper ; hoofing arid crooning; his emceeing : left much, to be desired. . | Session was saved by the lineup ■ of top calibre guesters; Headed up 1 by t he • indestructible Ted Lewis. * the CO niinutesiiioyed ahing al "a. neat clip. Lewis, who was saved i for the closer, belted out his His cane,, battered song delivery are : su refire he a rt- Uiere is Lftherew<‘r<» s<xme quest ions that had more im- portance than those asked at a grammar-school spelling bee, they were not; heard. Obviously, “Any- one Can Win” has reference to everyone except,, the concoctefs of this show which, on Ideas and •execution, can be listed among the also-rans of this season’s over- crowded field of panel-show entries. Horn. With such unbelievable story ;V . content and a casting choice for. ^^ YPm the rnale lead that was confusing;i L 10 ., ■ ^ it would have taken more than, ah■ omil.es At. elaborate, street setting and the; other scene switches to Vbring forth MUSIC SHOWROOM With Iris Douglas, Art Bergman, Bob Wellman, Bob Will, Bud llooven, Buddy Motslnger. Producer; Doug Elleson Director; Dave Fulmer 15 Mins., Tues., Thurs., 7:30 p.m. Participating KRON-TV, San Franciw;©- . A. musical showcase to whet 111o - int crest of discerning viewers. Here are. 15 tcievistic mi riut.es' laced with - sharp vocal . talent, a. .tunewise five-piece.' coui.bo, iin<j.gi 7 . • native production and. turnstile . ameras to Jens, the lively action. Headliner. .Iris' Douglas, .P.et.i ; te- The Boss but succeeds in breaking { .bikers. . He. s got the technique n .away from;his iniquitous past. I ;; ( *9 es c- . Wlfh Qiiph • iirihpliAvaihlp '«tnrv . With such .standard repertoire itenis — . . . ; .. mrself,”.‘.'Sunny Side of. young lady with a Sarah Vaughrus! t” and .“When My • Baby \ rone quality, brings a lilt, to local ..Me.’’ ' , •' sinumm' teey( v c doldrums. Gal has. | despair and futility of. most mod- ' g telling production. Neither, the j ern ^; writers of . serious ■..riGt'iop... dialog nor the thinking was the ^he extraordinarily lMri-| have been looking for. f.n this ■'?:j,'ad previoaslV made^''no attempt- . ited space in Which . she. had to ■ play, he explores the experiences j to i e i Ve >h e life Of nettv gangdom ) “Blow Gabriel Blow” \yas a vibrant Work, and the uninspired direct] pf life^ and death and in them finds ' His mugeirie and reDetitive hand pace-setter. . Lon Which ;Jim Elsori provided, it . affirmative hope for mankind. Like were on the ludicrous Production trappings again -all.came, off -.quite-well •even'-'if."'the.: others-: Of Foote’s teleplays .of the =' if "• tfieir'intent"'Wa<j' : to’^how topflight. Producer' hiSr® 1191 V?lues were s0mewh ‘ lt tgouih^ :and 'sehsitivity and SropW ' musical director mdden. , . ;••. - - i RounlifuL”-.. “-The; • :Qil. Well and - ^ud/ientv awakened thief Rose; fate extra nods for .. Miss Lewis started off at a some-i “Y'oung Lady of Property” 0 p . suaoemy aw a e g , v . v, . .•; -sia-hy^i" mote than a filler, aura, what fast pace, twisting balloons -Coe’s Philco-Goodyear Television; . ^: 1 .. Gros. Into various animal shapes to il- Playhouse—r“Death of the Old T a . —— lus t rat e the stor y of Noalr arid the- Man” had. a surface quality of ; Locke Elliott adaptation -of _a Alay • theme of “Magic.in the Bihlev’^She sensitiveness to human eiriotions ; One Summer Theatre^ fast Mon- rr(r , followed up this neat act b'’introv! and an unyielding belief in the es- day (20•, was one of those plays ■ ■ .. S •••••/,.... . ia . (Continued' on. page 40) I sential dignity of man. It’s good- described; .as, studies. In fictional 1 (Contm.uea on page 40) of the lineup included such had-showbiz experience vvith Anson vaudco'"stalwarts as Professor Ba.ck-; vyeeks, Ray' Anthony;, etc. ^he Wards, Amin Bros., and ven.tro' snuggles into a..-song, with w.armtli ■ Save.cn, Front legit, spotted in the . yn( i sincerity—Tpurictuating -lining opening frame* .stanza feature: notes witlr solid.'effe>*:t.iv(*pcs’s;'Bob:; Helen Gallagher. Ifer.'■.rendition: of WtdlinariVforiher.'Jack -Firia .vintpTi. were Mario- Lewis Ray iJlo('h giving tlic Ilcrlihy has been "ATrisLeTflanr mr Ming in .\V/s r B'l-- cross-11 1 e-boidc r. -^i n balant’cs the. vocals-, .with:. a, \ ich bariforie; •• .• -'•' : - '• •' ; ‘ Camera c/Tccts Weii*. especially stimulating bn preem '7' -Sirch smoke -arid . COb'.v.cb - illii-ion . o/H/k- «row riding We)IUia/rs' i*endil.ion pi -Old: Black Magic.” Miss Dbugla;. w a r 1) 1 in g * ’ J C o v er t li e. - VV a t e r fra ml, wa-> given . lojmofch product ion in a Waterfront :-reno. . . —CoTWtTn^rlovrbte-r= t i imienis, lending Acrvaii bongalog. it v 10 Tone.