Variety (December 1953)

I Decfmbfr 2, 1953 Sylvania Hands Out Annual TV Posies: Steiger No. 1 Actor Continued from page 41 Continued from rue* rator even as current radio tvvo-a- stint. To realize historical b-.ekground and characters, 15- ml ni,te script employs cartoons. In stanza caught ‘22) story dealt with fi -t medical use of X ray through efforts of Buckeyes Dr. George W. Oilo and Professor Dayton C. Miller. To carry through the ef- j,. r tive realization of time and his- j (l , v, stanza used J5 cartoons from clever pen of Jack Richards. These air dissolved with Olmstead's nar- ration so that the overall effect is # blended smooth, well-paced pro- gram. Cartoons give the video •Ohio Story” the punch the cur- rent radio series lacks. Fortunately, program is a 15- nnnute production; just long enough for the type treatment be- ing presented. Neat job of editing film helps maintain clearness. Nar- ration by Olmstead is top quality and script was ably done. Commercials by Ted Malone, veteran story teller, are sensible and pleasantly short. Mark. TWIN CITIES PRESS CONFER- ENCE With John Ford, Wally Mitchell, Roy J. Dunlap, State Senator F. G. Childs, others * Producer-director: Don G. Kraatz 30 Mins.; Tues., 10:30 p.m. SW AN & MOODY, INC. WTCN-TV, Minneapolis This well handled local replica of Meet the Press.” sponsored by a dealer in securities, like other similar panel shows has the avowed purpose of bringing infor- mation and elucidation regarding vital issues on the theory that a well-informed public is the back- bone of a strong democracy. It employs two Twin Cities newspa- permen as regular panelists and a pair of additional professional people to grill a guest—an office holder, politico or other prominent personage—on controversial sub- jects. John Ford, a leading WTCN personality, introduces the discus- sion subject and opens the door to • he room where the guest faces the Interrogators. Regular newspaper panelists friend, Veldes, used poor judgment in subpoening Truman. He also admitted the Republicans were on the run before the Truman-White "expose,” but now, he said, they’re taking the offensive. He sought to justify his support of McCarthy's across with little more than that The fault may ha\e been largely the script's. It never bothered to go beyond the surface of routine action and reaction* in a setting that hardly lent itself to,,much excitement. Within the context of a domestic drama, harping on a theme that required a lot more sensitivity than it was given, "Tin Wedding” held the interest and even had a certain amount of emotional im- pact. But director Alex Segal, one of the great craftsmen in his field, never went hex oml going through the motions, and Ins occasional touches of originality couldn't save the day. The various characters had the routine stamp all oxer them There xxas the jealous, si heni'iig itiaich n- sister, ably played by Audrey Christie; the loving mother. I.emia Powers, who knows what the score is but xvon’t interfere until driven into a crisis-corner, and the lonely hairdresser. Billy Worth, who has an affair with Albert.*»ot knowing he is a married man. Albert, as a xxeak fellow whose wife won't let him dream lus dreams and xx.ho then goes to someone whose responses are moic satisfactory, somehow didn't sound believable and things went from had to worse xx lien the program reached the remorse and. finally, the comili.it ion stages Climax xxas a long time mi the coming and bronchi no spr nil sat i ‘action xxherf it did arrive Settings were simple Imt imagi- native. Ihe C S Steel commer- cials are tip-top desoite th • lectur- ing quality of tin* plugs as deliv- ered by .super-dignified George links ' Hilt xxith both North and South but morally obligated to align them- selves xxith the Confederacy Walter I’ronkite maneuvered Ins cadre of CMS correspondents in the usual sure-handed stxle and Sidnex Lumet's direction xxas dis- tinctixe Thole xxero "interx lew xxith General Sherman, xxith Jcl- ferson I'axis and xx.ilh a "man in the street" Iroin N Y who felt hit- ter about the President And there was a scene m Boston, in the office ol a group of abolition- ists xx hose tempers xxere wearing thin ox er the slow mm rx ol "Lin- coln \nd. of course, there xxas the Gettx shurgh address, delivered el- tectixelv and in unvarying close- up tor a sock finish “You Are There” might have concentrated a little less on broad issues and m little more on the intimate details of which people have less «<>t a chance to learn'^Th the history hoi kv Be that as it may. the Sun- day show still held plentx of strong interest. Ili.tt j\>ixania television Awards were officially announced yesterday (Tues.i and came as an anticlimax since names of most of the win- ners have been known for about three weeks due to a steady suc- cession of leaks. The 16 on the judges committee headed by com- poser-author Deems Taylor unani- mously tapped Rod Steiger as the No. 1 actor of the year for his work in the title role of Paddy Chayefsky s "Marty” on NBC-TVs "Television Playhouse " The "time- ly" nexxv coverage palm on the Queen Elizabeth coronation went to ABC. BBC and CBC. Goodson- Todman "What’s My Line?'” was cited as the outstanding panel show. "Ding Dong School,” xxith Dr. Frances Harwich WNBQ-Chi- cago> romped off with the juvenile education award Donald O'Connor was judged the most versatile variety performer for his xx oi k on "Comedy Hour.” Kdward R. Mumm's "Person to Person" on CBS-TV was named foremost new TV series. The wreath for local educational pro- gram went to Dr. Frank Baxter of L’.SC ikNXT. Los Angeles» for the Shakespi arcan sen*** Top comedy scries was "Make Room For Dan- ny," starring Daniix Thomas Best script was "Marty." with thd award to Chaycf’-ky. Outstanding discussion stanza xxas Theodore Granik’s “'American Forum ol the Air" on NBC; lust law enforcement scries. Jack Webb's "Dragnet" on NBC; best written tele adaptation. Irving Gay- nor Neiman's "Appointment in Samara.” from the John O'Hara book, on MIC's "Robert Mont- gomery Presents"; for their work on Ford s roth Anniversary Show on NBC. producer Lelarul Hay- ward. director Clark Jones, and choreographer Jerome Robbins, with Marx Martin cited for her performance on seme program. For outstanding < outl ibution to advancement ol creative television move against the Ford Foundation and in answer as to w hat the im-! plied charge that Truman had been 1 a traitor would do to our foreign relations, he said that such rela- ; tions are what publicity and "mis- chievous” columnists make them. He also reiterated hie opposition to educational TV and progressive education and explained his rea- sons. This is the type of program likely to appeal to potential cus- tomers for securities. The brief and to the point bond house spon- sor's commercials were creditably intelligent. The NBC’s stations in Gotham (WNBC-WNBT) are giving Christ- mas the most practical of touches by playing host to 1,000 orphans who'll be given $5 each and the run of the place at Gimbel’s. Em- porium will open its doors about an hour earlier on Dec. 11 for what's being billed as, “Orphans Xmas Shopping Tour” that will start in the form of a promenade on West 49th St., where the net's “Today" will do a pickup for ihe shoxv that morning. Kids from all denominations will be loaded on buses and go direct to Gimbcl's for their five-buck spree, with the store supplying gifts as well. A few of the orphans will he spotted on the Herb Sheldon, "Tex 8c Jinx” and other programs that day and both stations are doing ex Ipnsixp nn-the-air promotion winch includes "Radio-TV Parents" drawn from the talcnf larder ' Faye Emerson, Skitch Henderson, et al . Town's Jr. Chamber of Commerce is cooperating in the plan, which was devised by Bill Berns, news and special events director, and Steve White, program manager for the outlets. Most of the money for the or phans is being raised by donations from tuner-inners. In addition, there are such gimmicks as Jackie Robinson getting the entire Dodger team to autograph a baseball which will go to the highest bidder on each show where the party is being played up. Detroit, Dec*. 1 D. troll's most minsal advertis- ing agency, Ross Roy. Inc. is ex- pansion minded and hopes to get it. to the television act which cur- rently has the Motor City jumping, Although in business about 30 years. Ross Roy has only been sp| up as an ad agency a relatively short lime. It p'aces perhaps $3.- nnotidO a year in newsprint adver- lisiiie deducting the customary I.V, commission But the hulk of its aclixity is centered on copy p ep.uaiion tor automotive ami oilier industrial brochures ami iiiatrr’ia's used at point-of-sales. I'odnder Roy xxas once a t'liiyv- 1 1 *i auto salesmen He branched out as a specialist in comparative “You Are There" op CBS T\ Sunday ?!*' undertook the diffi- cult task of rcetealmg Lincoln Gettysburg addle > on tfiat era* Nox ember altornoou in Id. 13. While the sh< »w larked drama. it was extrcmelx xxHI (tone and held fascination for anyone interested in the Civil War period and Abra- ham Liiu (dn. political writer Wally Mitchell and Twin City A.P. bureau head Jack Mackay. On show caught, however. St Paul Pioneer Press columnist Roy J. Dunlap substituted for Mackay. A Minneapolis and St. Paul attorney represented the citi- 7i my. With the Harry Dexter White case under discussion. State Senator G. F. Childs, legislature conservative Republican leader, small-town newspaper publisher and admirer and pal of U.S. Sen- a'or Joe McCarthy, underwent the third degree as he defended his own legislative record. U.S. Attor- n» x Humphrey's handling of the White matter, and the McCarthy. G al, manner of conducting the fight against Communist infiltra- tion into our government and into oilier American life phases. .Many of the undoubtedly inten- tionally embarrassing questions, designed to put Childs nn the spot, were fired by Mitchell, an ag- gressive, informed and skillful in- terrogator whose cpieries indicated hm own dislike of "McCnrthyism." But under what amounted to a stiff lT ^^-examination. Childs remained *ool and calm and he parried well. Panelists did wring from Childs pn opinion that the Republicans ought have overplayed their hand In the White mailer and that his and unfortunately in other*-, mu in- ter Leslie Slotc iim d 11 k* addles- as a pivotal point to present the nolitical climate ot the day as seen throm'h the exes ol various per- sonalities In *o dom:'. he pin \ ide^ insight into the hoi l me km- Iroxefsies ol Ihe day .hpl actual lx' provided huh* iuloriuTt ion about the a dd re *s which after a IF xxas hi*- topic. The.! e w as no »* I« renee to t he manner in which d xxas coin posed in a lonclv hotel room and on hits of paper, m a Presidential railroad coach There x* as only passing mention of the reception accorded the speech and the various mis ouniations that re idled from it There was no good indication ol how the President himself |e|t about the address which xxas to he come an American heritage There was. however, a iixealm series of glimpses about a (uunli’ that expected much from 1 the Presidential addre In New York, sympathizer of Hie South had rioted for th) ce dax 'I lie Southern • armies • < re beginning to feet the pinch ol a la# k ol -UP plies. The Southern 1 1 in"** area drawn into the conflict cut the side ol the sere- mm 1 \* c-i ■ la "in ning to he mihappv about tlicit po -ition which sav them di aeiecih'.’ Radio Workshop of the Ford Foun- dation directed by Robert Saudck —"Omnibus” on CBS and "Excur- sion" on NBC. 'The awards were made at a din- ner last night ;d Hotel Pierre, mt ion for salesmen. Something that definitely makes his Dehot * Imp tniinur in t!rs lie ha about 30(1 eitrploxes and that si/e rtaff xxoulil nrdiuarilv float an at" m y doing $3(1.00(1 000 hillings To auixe at an estimate ot Ross Roy. Inc. relative to rtiaighl LV r a-'eiK ics. the IK*0 (Hid. more or li ss, collected pi l-c haxe to he translated into < -i nines at 15'< " I ing t hat kind c>( aril hmetu* 1 li lilt iply ing by (I - l h<* lion r is doing • u Hie- con pal able to $14 OOt* 050 TV Unit Review ^ Continued (torn p.if;r 41 some of those actually rendered by Dragon & Co. seemed vaguely fanilTffnT at least they bore evi- dence of circa lf). r )3 T.V. ‘Tillstrom Version). If a man can’t steal bis oxxn stuff, the Milton Ibufes would have a field day exclusivity. What gave tlu* performance the sterling tag was (lie impact xxith which the flesh illusion— t -lhe feel- ing of "live” theatre—emerged as vivid reality. It's a "new act” for America's town halls or tents, xxith this playout a N Y. debut that’s hound to produce I S A. reaction. The pretenders, xxith the J nelson O'Neill 8 Judd division of Colum- bia Artists Met at the helm, xvill he playing.'some elates along the way One ol the D'r.-t ol llicse will he in connection xxith the Arthur Fiedler Boston Pops oreli's hooking at the Chicago Civic Opera on Feb. KOMO-TV Preos Preem ‘Inspiration Please’ Spots Cuffo to Video Stations “Inspiration Please,” a series of one-minute spots dramatizing the meaning of faith and prayer in Ihe lives of saints, scientists and statesmen during the past nine centuries, is being released with- out cost to TV on stations this month by Father Patrick Peyton's Family Rosary. Time for soles Wilmington, Delaware Hundreds of local ond notionol odver* fixers use WDEl-TV consistently... proof positive of its profit potentiol Write for information. Channel 12 NsS» York CSicege lei Angelet ten trenciice Sc'tJ *eprej*nfoNvt 28, with another-in SI Loo in the* making. They could win a lot of money, but equally as important bring an nnu-ual type of all-age entertainment Jo the country sparked by a pro-built audience stemming from the oi thir onmng towers. Details of the performance? No appraiser presumably in his right mind would chance* that. I lus is one show that lias to be seen as a living stage product to be believed But the tipoff is a ballet — lust a mere incident in a long program but a tour jete-propeile <1 that r unlet put those other entrechat troupes out ol business in a hurry 7 ran. European Specialist hat EXTENSIVE CONNECTIONS EUROPEAN SHOW BIZ FACILITIES AND PERSONALITIES. Thoroughly familiar with FILM - TV • LEGIT - VAUDEVILLE-THEATRE AND MUSIC PUBLISHERS, iicparianca on both continents in CASTING AND OR- GANIZING. U S. citizen now in New York will accept position as REPRESENTATIVE er TALENT SCOUT with U.S. firm or agency. Box V-185 Variety, 154 West 46th St., New York 36. Selling Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton WLEV-TV Bethlehem, Pa /the \ 'only single iriedium reaching the \ entire , Eejtrn > VO* * Bethlchtm Repreienfed by ROBERT MEEKER Associates New York Chicago las Angeles Son Proncisce