Variety (March 1954)

38 n AMO-TELEVISION Vdattdty, March 1954 McLendon Back in Ball Business As Dallas, March 9. Gordon McLendon, veepee of Trinity Broadcasting Corp., o&o- ing KLIP here and KELP, El Paso, announced he would resume his re-created broadcasts of major league baseball games over a new network of approximately 175 radio stations when the clubs open the new season. McLendon got the greenlight Friday (5> when the FCC denied a petition of the N. Y. /Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers ' and St. Louis Cardinals, aimed to eliminate Mc- Lendon's recreated play-by-play accounts. Radio exec claimed that once a game was broadcast it be- came public property, could be picked up and used. -»As in past year, McLendon will nave key men listening to local airings in major league cities. Wired play-by-play. reports to KLIP here will enable McLendon, yclept “The Old Scotchman," to recreate game accounts, to which he adds verbal color. He said the recounts will be only seven seconds behind the actual game. “This is the most Important vic- tory for the radio industry since the FCC gave it the right to edi- toralize,” McLendon claimed. “I’m ready to start broadcasting major league games as soon as the sea- son starts. This decision came too late for us to recreate any of the spring games, but we’ll open with the Brooklyn Dodgers-New York Giants game, first National League game of the year, onfQLpril 13." Hq plans to air a baseball game each* afternoon and night during the new season. FCC decision opens fields in other sports, he said. “We have no definite plans for football. How- ever, this should make it possible to recreate big football games, both college and professional. And there isn’t arty reason why we can’t recreate a basketball game." McLendon, who plans to begin operations of KL1F-TV this fall pn UHF Channel 29 here, headed the now defunct Liberty Broads casting System of 150 stations and got his start with re-creations of big league baseball games. His network in 1952 filed suit against 13 major league clubs, later in- creased the amount to $40,000,000 [ for being deprived of the right to air games from ballparks. McLen- don charged a monopoly caused his LBS. to fold because without major league contracts his web could not meet obligations. Trial of this suit, skedded for April, has been postponed until this fall. After the FCC decision McLen- don said, “I would’! say this new network is the successor of the LBS. I don’t know if it will be that successful. Let’s just say that this is the way that LBS started. I anticipate at least 175 stations car- rying our recreated ball games this year.’’ A PERSONAL STATEMENT During (ht paripd 1946-1949, my namn was included in lists of sponsors in ads taken out by organisations subsequently osposod as communist fronts. I did not authorize my name to be used by these organizations. It is a fact that I had no knowledge of the use>of my name by these organizations until the fall of 1950, some four years after the first use and one year after the last use, when it was brought to my attention. It is also a fact that had I been shown these ads when they first appeared, I honestly would have made no protest over the use of my name- iy their declarations, these organ- izations purported to embrace fundamental American rights, and the safeguarding of democratic principles. However, as has been revealed, they turned out to be un- democratically rigged and controlled by a small group of communists. They used the hopes of liberals for peace, friendship with Russia, and other catch-alls, for the furthering of their own cause. Korea proved to be the eye-opener. It exploded any chance for friendship with Russia. No American can apologize for communism after Korea. You cannot be neutral about communism; just as you could not be neu- tral about nazism. You are either for it or against it. I have never been personally called upon by any gov- ernmental agency, body, or committee for my views on communism, and thus have never publicly stated my feelings. However, it has recently been pointed out to me that since my name appeared publicly linked with communist fronts, a public statement defining my views was in order. I am not a member of the Communist Party and have never been a member of the Communist Party. On De- cember 1,1948, an advertisement sponsored by the Na- tional Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions, ap- peared in this publication. My name was listed as one of the endorsers, without my permission or knowledge* When this was called to my attention, my attorneys contacted the office of the National Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions to discover by what authority my name was used in such advertisement. They were cur **Y t®W. M lt would be Impossible to supply this in- formation because no record of such authorization exists". This organization, still in existence and cited as a com- munist front organization on May 14, 1951, by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, thus reveals its method of operations. Communist front organizations are a menace to Amer- ican democracy and the American way of life. Therefore, I have published the foregoing, as a free American, who hates communism and desires to do whatever is requested of him by his country in the fight J;o save democracy. A/at ettiken. Jay Makes Hay Actor Jay Barney's roles last week, this week and next: As Major Clark on “Philip Morris Playhouse" (4); as General —Gates on “Omnibus" (7); as a junior exec on “Kraft TV The- atre" (10); and as a blackmail- er (intermittent running parti on “Woman With a Past" (16). Between those chores he’s- rehearsing as standby for LouiS' Jourdan’s homo role in Billy- Rose’s production of “The Immoralist" at the Royal Theatre, N. Y. ^ TEXAS TV TACKLES JOVE DELINQUENCY Fort Worth, March 9. A new series of programs to combat juvenile delinquency has made its bow here on WBAP-TV and it’s being telecast every third Sunday for a half-hour. Series is titled “Youth Court." Telecast takes place in a set ar- ranged as a court room, complete with judge and representatives from both sides. Two to four teen- agers from local high schools *rep- resent the younger set while par- ents, teachers and juvenile author- ities present the adult point of view. Each program deals with an actual case from the files of .the Tarrant County Probation Office, and strict courtroom procedure is followed throughout the program. Tele Reviews Asm Continued from put U 5S=. the hausfrau seeking a few laughs and some easy-to-take musical doodling. Since these free-wheel- ing, casual formats have been known to slip off into chaotic hodgepodges for lack of proper planning and overseeing, the prob- lem here is to avoid any letdown in the blueprinting department. Show introduces Kenny Bowers to Chi tv and the musician-come- dian impresses /as a very handy guy to have around. His clowning should wear well via video if he doesn’t push too hard. His clarinet ad libbing with the Modulators, instrumental trio, adds spice as does his keyboarding and buck and wing throwaways. The lad will make his dent with this enter- prise if he and producer Dan Schuffman- can keep coming up with the tricks and gadgets with- out stretching the off-the-cuff mo- tif too thin. (Jimmy Lee takes over emceeing duties on Monday. Wednesday and Fridays with a slightly different format.) Shirley Scott, chirping member of the Modulators, also fits nicely into the proceedings, sharing songs and skits with Bowers. An added attraction worked for some effective sight gags are Bruce Malin's sketches limned as back- ground for the tunes. If the pacing is kept at half- throttle as befits its afternoon slotting and if all concerned re- member 'that even “unrehearsed spontaneity” requires rehearsings, this tidbit should earn itself rec- ognition. Dave . ' Color TV Review ! i BRIDE & GROOM (NBC) Program subject matter aside, there is no question but that “Bride & Groom” ties the knot better with color .added. The pre- ceremony, marriage rites and segue back to post-interview of the couple were topflight in every par- ticular, last Friday (5). Greek Or- thodox ritual with its liturgical chant was impressive, the hues giv- ing it a mildly theatrical quality. The stained glass windows, vest- ments of the reverend, clothing of the goodlooking couple and assem- . blage supplied : rich tones to the proceedings for ah all-around click by NBC’s color corps. As per usual, the commercials (Jergens-Woodbury) were firstrate, as Were the loot items. Even the “white” values were enhanced. Chalk up another winner for the web in its series of tint exposures. Trau. Gilbert’s KHOL-TV Post Omaha, March 9. Jack Gilbert, formerly program manager, has been named assistant station manager of KHOL-TV, Holdrege. Neb., manager Duane Watts announced last week. Gilbert is former station mana- ger of WTTV, Bloomington, Ind., and news editor of WSBT in South Bend,,Ind. . . , > Tele Followups SS555 Continued from page 39-gas they could-Instead go much beyond that and say there probably wasn't a dry eye in millions of houses. The Arthur Arents adaptation of Sylvia Regan’s play about a- Lower East Side (N. Y.) • family could have been a pretty embarrassing and maudlin affair; instead, it was a real and moving chronicle of the ups and downs of family life over a 20-year span. Credit for this should go to all. involved In the production—to Arents (and of course, Miss Regan), to Segal, to the Theatre Guild and mainly to the cast. But Miss Berg (recently otit of a sickbed, by the way) was chiefly responsible for giving It truth and coherence. The ordeals of widowed motherhood, of losing two children, seeing a third’s marriage almost on the rocks and witnessing a fourth turn- ing into a ruthless and domineer- ing person, were socked home by a- restrained but powerfully under- standing and sympathetic perform- ance by” Miss Berg. Topnotch assists were turned in by the supporting cast, notably Jo Van Fleet (in what’s an offbeat role for her) as the oldest daughter, spurned in love and becoming the hardboiled and unloving business- woman. A fitting counterpart to Miss Berg was Oscar Karlweis as her patient and understanding, suitor and boarder, who after more than 20 years finally wins her hand. Marilyn Erskine and Pat Breslin, as the other daughters; Fred Sadoff and Sid Armus, as son-in-law: Anatole Winagradoff and David Winters were all topflight in sup- port. In every facet, “Morning Star* was television at its Very artistic best. Chan. There's room on television for a series based on last Sunday’s (7) “American Inventory” segment on NBC-TV. The Sloan Foundation- backed stanza, in cooperation with Stork Features, attempted, with a good deal of success, an inspira- tional show based on the experi- ences of several famous Americans. It was a switch on the customary type of “misery” story line, in im- peccable taste and likely to prove a source of interest and comfort to a goodly portion of the audience these days. Bill Nichols, editor of This Week mag, hosted the Bill Hoddap-pro- duced session, with hotelier Con- rad Hilton and thesp Peggy Wood as his guests. The three related stories of how several top Ameri- cans overcame troubles and infirm- ities to rise to success, with the stories told simply and straight- forwardly. Best was a filmed seg- ment dramatizing the time when President Eisenhower, as a young- ster, almost had a leg amputated but won out by sheer force of per- sonality. Such a series has been done, quite effectively, In radio. But tele, at least up to now, has draped its attempts at this sort of thing in drably commercial trappings. “In- ventory’s” version showed refresh- ing honesty and simplicity. Chan. “Person to Person" on CBS-TV last week (5) concerned itself ex- clusively with showbiz personali- ties as Edward R. Murrow inter- viewed Lilli Palmer and Rex Har- rison at the St. Regis, N. Y„ and Ezio Pinza and his family at their home in Stamford, Conn. With all parties cooperating to the hilt, the show came off very well despite some minor flaws. The Palmer - Harrison combo faced the inquiring cameras first and, as might have oeen predicted, proved interesting subjects and completely at ease. Questions asked of them by Murrow didn’t exactly cover the entire range of in- terest that attaches to the acting couple, but he did bring out some colorful anecdotes. Miss Palmer, a tv vet, told some cute stories, in her personable if slightly harsh manner. If there is warmth in the lady, the tv camera doesn’t bring it out. Harrison, on the other hand, without saying much, managed to be a lot more human and more humorous. Being an actor of considerable stature, he is able to convey a lot by little movements and facial expressions which came across well since he was held for the most part in close- up. Murrow spent a surprising amount of time discussing hotel room living, a subject normally not of outstanding interest. If he was looking fqr any specific reaction from the Harrisons, he didn’t get it. He did much better vvhen he discussed their little boy, who’s in England, and their recent work. The little interplay between Miss Falmer and Harrison on the prob- lem of actress-wives being directed by their husbands was as amusing as it was revealing. If there was nothing routine about the difficulties of bringing the tv signal out of Pinza’s home in Connecticut, the content of the interview didn't quite match the technical accomplishment. Again, it was in part Murrow’s fault. Per- haps the show should on certain occasions be wholly devoted to a single subject. Certainly, a per- sonality like Pinza both deserves such extended treatment and could stand it in terms of interest. Anyway, the audience met the Pinza family and then followed the singer into nis basement for a look at some pictures and out in front of the house for some shots of his self-built stream bridge. Questions asked of Pinza didn’t give him any chance to reveal much about him- self except In surface terms. While camera handling was excellent on the whole, the opening. shots had him badly placed so as to makd his hands appear disproportionately large. , Pinza’s family might have de- served a little more attention and Murrow Should have permitted the actor to ramble on on his own, a process which might have gar- nered a lot more color material; Camera visit through the Pinza house was much too jerky to per- mit viewer appreciation. Thanks to Mutrow’s talent for keeping a conversation going, even at a distance, “Person to Person" rarely if ever lapses into periods of silence. But one gets the un- comfortable feeling that, on occa- sions, it comes close to it. And here the distance between inter- viewer and interviewee intrudes. painfully and to obvious disadvan- tage, for Murrow fs in the studio and conducts his conversations via ajnonitoring screen. Whatever its shortcomings, ‘‘person to Person’’ is still a feather in Murrow’s cap. Hift. Capacity for ABC-T1 Harold V. Hough, v. p. of Ca ter Publications and operator ( WBAP and WBAP-TV in F Worth, last week joined the AB Television Stations Advisory Con mittee. Hough was chairman < the Stations & Planning Commi tee of the southwest district ( ABC Radio in 1943 and was on th committee until last Decembe when-he resigned. He's a member of the Televisio Board of the National Assn. < Radio & Television Broadcastei and one of the. authors, of tli NARTB Television Code. Eileen BARTON Currently Latin Quarter, Boston CORAL RECORDS Dir.t William Morris Agtncy at the 0/ • ofc ( Currently "SUSPENSE" "MAMA" "WINKY DINK AND YOU’ BILLY NALLE Radio Zngiitry | OPTICAL EFFECTS For RUNG STUDIOS Chicago and Hollywood by RAY MERCER & CO. 4241 Normal Av«., H’wood 29, Cal. Sand for Fret Optical Effects Chart