Variety (November 1954)

36 KADIO-TELEVISION Pfc&IETY ' ■' - - r ■ . - . .... n 'll '.III ,11 <1 I .I f . I ■ - i . ' I II I . - Wednesday, November 24, 1054 T Continued from page 27. commentary with plenty of stills from the publications. .. Next came a story about an ariti- U.S; film being made in Germany; a picture layout ori milk-drinking French premier Merides-Frafice; a bit abbut photogenic French twins, and a .humorous. Austrian cartoon. It was an amusing 15 minutes, but Jt; could have been a lot more than that.' ” " Americans, are the best-informed, people in the world, but they know comparatively little, of what the rest of the world thinks of the U S. and . world problems. “Press Re- port” could .easily become an im- portant means of filling that gap if it weren’t so concerned With hu- man interest. There must be a large viewer group that would be interested, for instance,- in the tenor of somo of the foreign edi- torial comments; or slants in news reporting abroad. Scanning of the foreign press, even granting the necessity of re* tabling pictorial values for tv, should produce a plentymreaty commentary. Taking into account the brief time alloted the show, it might, easily concern itself with no more than a single topic of news and its treatment by the foreign press.; Viewers, who. tune ' on Sperber and this kind of program Would likely be more interested in a ’serious approach rather than a stress on pictorial, oddities; Hift.- CALL THE PLAY With Mel Allen Producer: Leonard Key Director: Joseph Kohn 15 Mins.; Sat.; 6:15 p.m. General Cigar Co. WCBS-TV, New York (film) (Young & Rubicam ) Mel Allen, who calls the plays on top sports events, has now sur- rounded himself with some old film clips and a flock of White Owl cigars for a 15-minute sports quiz show. The new series, tab- bed “Call The Play,” is an okay quizzer for’ the sports fans but those cigar plugs should be lini- mized or the viewers will start playing with the dial. Most of { how’s value is dissipated, by Al- en’s incessant hammering on the glories of White Owl. . Show’s format is simple enough. Three clips of major sports events are showcased for a few minutes and then stopped just before a decision applying to the rules of the game is to be made,. Viewer then is given eight seconds to de- cide what should be done. The clip is then unspooled to. give the answer. Final query is directed at a. viewer whft sends his name and phone number via an Ameche query. If he guesses right, it’s a $100 bond prize—if not its built on to the following week’s prize. On the preem show Saturday (20), clips from baseball, football: and basketball games were shown. The queries were tailored for those wellup on. the games and Allen emceed affably. It’s, when he switched to pitchman, that he be- came irritating. Gros, WEEKEND WORKSHOP With Jim Hamilton, Kay Westfall Executive Producer: George Heine- manit . Producer-Director: Paul Robinsoii 60 Mins.; Sat;, II a.m. Sustaining WNBQ, Chicago WNBQ, NBC-TV’s Chi o&o, is sending out to itk sister network stations along, the eastern, CQ-ax this hour-long do-it-y6urself week- ender, Angled for the home owner 'or renter with a fix-it yen, it’s sort of a kingsized “Walt’s Workshop” Which has been a WNBQ local fixture the past five and a half years. First lesson (20). indicated the project has the stuff to ■ catch., on. with a limited audience although its 60-minute span is big dose for even the most avid home craftsman/ With Jii Hamilton and. Kay Westfall counterpointing in a young couple homemaker role, it’s staffed by a duo of .competent; personable ad libers. The Curt Nations sets, practically a fullsize moc^cup of a house, give the de- monstrations a realistic dimension and Paul Robinson’s lensers come through, with the necessarily exact cutting. Framework • aside, the opener seemed to spend too much time stressing-the obvious in the various explanations. For example, too much of a production was made of Hamilton’s demonstration of how to clean rainspouts and. gutters. It’s doubtful any handyman worth his salt learned much new. Ditto with Miss Westfall’s wall painting sequence., Somewhat more promis- ing was the attic insulaition visual “lecture” with the help of a specialist guest; Dqve. DAVID BRINKLEY’S NEWSROOM Director: Frank Slingland 15 Mins., Sun., 12:15 p.m. Sustaining NBC-TV, from Washington This is leisurely, pleasant review of the Week’s news, with a mini- mum of . the standard breathless, stop-the-presses approach, and a maximum of human interest and personality appeal. A recent en- try to web’s news show from the capital, it should score with Sun- day audiences looking for a new twist to the news. Show. is an effective combo of film and live commentary by staff newscaster . David Brinkley; It represents the. cooperative efforts of the news staff, -with Brinkley . wrapping it up with his pleasantly relaxed style. Presented in three segments, it. makes the news palat- able and understandable to the av- erage listener. First segment on shoyr- caught featured the man-in-the-street re- action to “peaceful co-existence,” the Brinkleystyled “slogan of the month.” Technique is borrowed straight from Hollywood, with TV FILM PACKAGERS Want to sell your filmi to New York advertising clients? Share FLOOR New York office bldg. with established Hollywood film producer • Fully air-conditioned • sprinklered * carpeted • Newly decorated 4 cutting rooms • 35MM interlock •' 16 mm projection • screening room • print storage and shipping faciliti •■. switch- board • offices. Convenient for Agencies and Clients Only Facility of Its Kind in New York RENTr~$500 PER MONTH AND UP Box 112254, Variety, 154 W. 46th St., New York 36, N. Y* each subject appearing in clpseup and rattling off his or her reaction to this potent $64 question. Elim- inating the routine of a stock in- terview format is: smart program-, ming and makes for variety of sub- jects and points of view. Second segment, a straight in- terview portion, was right on top of the news and had particular hu- man interest value.’. This was a filmed interview with, and in the home of, “security risk” Fr^nk L. Dbbbins, ex Bureau of. . Printing and Engraving employee fired for alleged Red sympathies. Case, based on what appears to be the flimsiest of evidence, has become a “cause celebre” in recent weeks, so selection: was especially timely. Brinkley, handling i ntervie w chores, gave his . subject his head without intruding himself unnec- essarily to score with fine tv interview. lifthal portion, consisting of an offbeat, feature, wrapped up. the quarter hour show with a soijie- thing-foiveverybody feeling. Based on the current Library of Congress exhibit of the works of photOg- raphy-pioneer Arnold Gentha, seg- ment consisted of a series of the more interesting Gentha stills flashed on tv screen with Brinkley filling in details. Such photp^greats as Gentha’s studies - of the young John Barrymore, the early Sin- clair,Lewis, ap early Tallulah, and the famed photo of Greta Garbo' which won her a Hollywood test,' couldn’t miss with most viewers. Show is thankfully free of an- alysis or ponderous commentary, and has an. unusual quality for new shows—audience appeal as well as good editing. Flbt, WEIGH YOUR WORDS With Rev. Edward R. Glaviii, Sister Mary Rosina, Jerome R; Walton, others Producer: Angela McDermott 30 Mins/, Mon., 10:30 a.m. Sustaining WRGB-TV, Schenectady Informative, interesting pro- gram, covering many facets in which the proper • use of words is important, features faculty mem- bers of College of St. Rose in Al- bany, students and others on one of the 10 half-hour weekly seg- ments which WRGB allots for “TV Schooltime.” Opener of the series showed im- agination in the employment of video for education: a sketch,, with the voices of Prof. Jerome R. Wal- ton and their children, off screen, and . puppets on camera, demon- strating how choice of and empha- sis op words can create family har- mony. or disharmony. Despite the sometimes slightly uncertain han- dling of the puppets by two col- lege girls and several uneven mo- ments in the skit, the “lesson” came off very well. A charming picture of the Walton family, with the Sister-commentator, lent a warm touch to. the finale. Children of lay faculty members appeared on another block caught. Several Originations in which the. black- board-and-pbipter approach was used did not register as effectively, video-wise. Angela McDermott competently •produces this well-planned series targeted at outside as well as . at school-room lookers. Jaco. NBC-TV Sal. Ayem 555S5 Continued from page 27ss (just like for "the grownup casings) in building the program. The show wasn’t particularly intellir gent stuff but it. was entertaining. It zipped along and used many “adult” variety elements, not the least of which was conductor- clown (i shirtsleeves) Milton DeLugg. Except for principals WinehelL and dummies, Mahoney, Knuckle-' head and Irving the mouse, who either wore collegiate sweaters and FUNNY BONERS With Jimmy Weldon, Easy Marvin, others Exec. Producer: Ralph Edwards Producer: Leslie Raddatz Director: Stuart Phelps Writers: Gil Howard, Raddatz 30 Mins., Sat,, 11 p.m. Sustaining . NBC-TV, from N, Y. beanies or just looked funny, no great attempt to follow standard juve costumery lines was made. Young gal terper-slnger, Maybin Hewes, wore blue jbans, for ex- ample! Winchell worked with Ma- honey on his knee, but there were portions of the casing devoted to his wooden cohorts in conversa- tion, where human hands were in- serted in the .dummies’ baggy sweaters, thus making them seem more alive. It was Surprising to note the great number of little/ touches; including, tlie band as uri- Appearance of French Premier Pierre Mendes-France on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press” on. Sunday (21) was not without its prelude and propaganda. Prelude: Mag publisher Gardner Cowles threw a gala for the prime minister in New York last week. Among bigwigs present was RCA-NBC board chairman David Sarnoff. Sarnoff was asked to lead off in questioning Mendes-France on foreign-policy, etc. But the general, with, a canny view of public relations, is understood to have said, “Let’s save that for ’Meet the Press.’ ” Propaganda: Instead of the traditional glass Of water, the Frenchman’s tumbler contained milk, he having suggested, the switch himseif to further his campaign to encourage his countrymen to drink less of the. hard stuff,. One phase of next Sunday's (28) CBS-TV “Omnibus.” will draw its creative talent from web-N. Y. flagship \YCBS-TV. Paul Tripp, the fixture of “Oh the Carousel,” kid. educationaler, and author of “Tubby the. Tuba,” has scripted a 20-minute segment titled “Music Lesson,” visual history and demonstration of the French horn,'with historical treatment in cartoon form. The Three Ber Bros., symphonic triplets, will be the instrumentalists. Staging the piece will be the station’s Roger Englander,, whose current variegated output includes “Space Funnies,” “Jr, Sports Session,” “Our Goodly Heritage,” “Rain or Shine” and “Sports of the Night.” Englander, a ■ student of the French horn (he ? s a Julliard grad), wijl also stage the remote coverage from the Cloisters of Vienna Boys’ Choir, slated for “Omnibus” Dec. 19; Incidentally, the show’s treatment of Beethoven’s Fifth via batonist- annotator Leonard Bernstein (widely kudosed and earning a nod for “Omni” exec producer Robert Saudek) drew a layout in this week's Life mag, which had .arranged it in advance, in the hope that It would, be what it turned out. Tex & Jinx McCrary will be cited by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for their “humanity” work in radio-tv at. DeC. 9 dinner of the organization; . The duo, via their WRCA-N.Y^ “Tex & Jinx Show,” will pull a switch tomorrow (Thurs ). by saluting the work of the Foster Parents’ Plan for War [Orphans and launehiitg a campaign to enable i,000 childreh abroad to enjoy their first “real” Christmas, Joi ing them on the stanza' will be Tallulah Bankhead and Lookmag’sFleuf Cowles. Incidentally, WRCArplus-tv are cooperating with the Young Men’s Board of Trade in a drive to collect funds for 'ahother 1,000 N.Y. kids—orphaned and underprivileged—who’ll be sent on a Xnias shop-, ping spree Dec. IQ. Execs and personalities from the twin outlets attended a kickoff lunch last week to spark the campaign; Lifting of the tv freeze has given National Assn, of .Radio and TV Broadcasters a tremendous upsurge in membership. A. handbook is- sued by the Assn, last week revealed that as of ;Oct. 1 active tv members (stations and four networks) totaled 261. This, is nearly triple the tv membership of two years, ago. NARTB’s radio ;fold has also. expanded, active members numbering 1,12.7. Only ABC among the radio nets is not listed. Growth of tv has increased the associate membership of the organ- ization to 117 of which 24 are vidpix producers and distributors. Pittsburgh’s oldest radio show, “The Amateur Hour,” sponsored by the, Wilkens Jewelry Co., began its 20th year of broadcasting over the weekend as well as its fifth year on television. It was the first live show to emanate from Pitt’s first station,; DuMont o.&o. WDTV. It is simulcast on KQV. Program’s, lost distinguished alumnus is Dean Martin,, who Was then living. iii : Steubenville, O., and got his start on “The Amateur Hour.” First m e. was Bernie Armstrong. He was followed in turn by Brian McDonald, now with “Ice Capades,” Lang Thompson, a bandleader, Davy .Tyson, presently an early, morning, deejay on Pitt’s WCAE, and the present emcee, A1 Nobel. Larry LeSueuer was erroneously listed as the producer, of LoriginesV Wittnauer’s CBS-TV “Chronoscope” in Variety’s chart of program costs. The.name slipped in by virtue of LeSueur’s permanent identifi- cation as panelist of the three-a-week series.. Producer is, of course, Alan Cartouri, Sighia Delta Chi, national professional journalism fraternity, at its recent convention, officially heralded KDKA of Pittsburgh for carrying the first political newscast oh the air when it broadcast the Harding- Cox presidential returns in 1920. , Sigma Delta Chi voted to present station with a plaque commemorating the event arid will do so next November with appropriate ceremonies when the silver anniversary of the historic occasion rolls around. disguised adults, that are so typi- cal of stuff for above-age-12 ap- peal. The last show, at 11, was quizzer “Funny Boners” starring another ventriloquist, like Winchell, named Jimmy Weldon; A Coast-emana- tion, it was built on preem like a juye version of. truth or conse- quences, seltzer bottle and all. Here some very fine things and some very bad things took place. Weldon and his dummy Webfoot Webster charmed the kids. Duck- like Webfoot is probably the cutest durnmy to be seen on the video screen today. Like Mahoney, he played the cocky kid that re- portedly holds so much appeal for juye viewers. On the definitely downbeat, side is. the occasionally •patronizing way clean-cut south 1 -’ efner Weldon bent to his pewsters. Worst facet, but one that probably won’t be repeated since it had to do with guestar Johnny Mrick Brown, Was a lack of preparation and overemphasis on weapons. Weldon tried. to compensate for the anticipated gun slinging tricks of Mack Brown by throwing in ineffectual morals like “Go on green” and “Guns are bad.” Portland, Me. — WCSH and WCSH-TV have uhdergone key staff shifts within the past few days, with, managing director Wil- liam H, Rines calling the shots. Charles R. Brown was Upped to technical topper for both the radio and tv stations.. Arthur Ovsens was upped from program boss to di- rector of radio operations arid Bernard Poole is new program and production chief at WCSH-TV. I GET YOUR COPY NOW / • JUST RELEASED ! • THE EDDIE DAVIS t PERSONAL GAG FILE ; Eddie Davis has written for suoh “greats’’ ' • as Eddie Cantor, Milton Berle, Jackie Glee-, son, Jimmy Durante. Danny Thomas, Martha • Raye, Rita Bros., Olsen and Johnson.- • A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF • . COMEDY MATERIAL ! 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