Variety (December 1954)

86 RADIO-TELEVISION Wednesday, December 22, 1954 Television Reviews Continued from page 31 program are sent in by viewers, with contributors receiving cuffo tix if their queries stump the panelists. Preem show included questions on baseball, football, basketball, poetry relative to sports and topi- cal news. Answers to queries were generally elaborate and interest- ing. Jess. ROAD OF LIFE With Don McLaughlin, Virginia Dwyer, Barbara Becker, Harry Holcombe, Bill Lipton, Elizabeth Lawrence, Michael Kane, Els- peth Eric, Hollis Irving; nar- rator, Nelson Case Producer: John Egan Director: Walter Gorman Writer: Charles Gussman 15 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 1:15 p.m. PROCTER St GAMBLE CBS-TV, from N.Y. ( Compton) “Road of Life” is Procter & Gamble’s latest entry in daytime “serialities.” A 17-year radio weep- er, it continues in its aural groove on CBS at 1 o’clock. Since the vid- version is slotted 15 minutes later, a constant follower of the ups ’n’ downs of this particular “Life” is afforded a daily double merely by segueing from the sound to the sight knob on a radio-tv receiver. Lacking a combination set, the householder need only walk over to the video receiver to achieve her objective. (Presumably it’s “her,” according to the age-old sta- tistics). That the broadcasting duality may cause confusion as to episodes (etc.) on a given day is probably of no particular consequence. It is legendary that a hausfrau has that particular mental agility which en- ables her to put a dozen disaster operas into a mental sorting ma- chine and follow each chapter of each series each day with a com- prehension that could easily con- found the best of psychiatrists with a predilection for the whys and wherefores and the what-goes of daytime draymas. No reviewer should be obliged to entrap himself by appraising the story and performance values of a daytime serial. Neither should “Road of Life” be made a patsy. It’s sufficient to restate what is held to be a great truth: that if the captive-at-home didn’t want these programs, they wouldn’t have sponsors. This does not suggest that “Road of Life” is either good or bad. Smart poker players know when to pass. Show replaces “The Seeking Heart” for P & G. Trau. PEE WEE KING SHOW Director: McKinley 90 Mins.; Sat., 10 p.m. NATIONAL CLOTHING; GRAND CENTRAL MOTORS WBBM-TV. Chicago With WLS’ “National Barn Dance” a Windy City Saturday night rad’o fixture for more than two decades, there’s no reason to assume a Saturday night tv hoe- down won’t stir up some interest among the country and western cli- entele. Alfalfa entry has a big c&w name in Pee Wee King and his versatile gang of sidemen and an apparently lavish guest budget. Initial show (18) left a big ques- tion unanswered. That’s whether King’s regular gang and the as- sorted guests can keep the hayloft , jumping over the 90-minute j stretch. What with the padding of the two amateur square dance sets, and a couple of throwaway pro guest stints, the affair seemed about 30 minutes too long for all but the most avid barn dance patronage. King showed he’s no novice at this sort of thing, hosting the pro- ceedings with the proper flair of geniality without overdoing the drawls. He fronts a hep bunch of instrumentalists who stepped for- ward to join him in such King trademarks as “Slow Poke” and “Tennessee Waltz” for the eve- ning’s best moments. Name visi- tor this time was Lauri Anders, the “I Like the Wide Open Spaces” gal, who bounched through "Sure Fire Kisses” and “Mr. Sandman” in lukewarm fashiom. The Davis Sis- ters vocal due, raced through a brace of ditties for unexciting effect. Frank MacCormick spieled the overlong National Clothing pitches on the first hour and Bruce Rob- erts worked the Grand Central Motors blurbs. Dave. NALLE Piano * Organ 9 Celeste I REMEMBER MAMA e Radio Registry * Ing follows “Omnibus” pattern, with moderator introducing each segment. Opener on Giuseppi Ver- di “an essay for television” had narration of w.k. biographical facts done by Facenda to stills showing b.rthplace and town backgrounds, with musical excerpts from the operas. An exceptionally dated device showed Verdi, quill in hand, com- posing such scores as “Rigoletto” and “Traviata.” Not much better was another live contribution of three people, presumably seated in a box, nodding their approval to the flow of recorded melody. A frail rendition of the “Dies Irae" and a creditable ballet number by Jan Ozog (also a set designer) were other live features. The Verdi segment would have had practically the same effect if it had been done on radio, and seems too hard a try for the fledgling group. Less difficult and better nego- tiated was the second half “Sur- prise for Barbara,” a satire on office party collections. Barry Cassel had the lead with a support- ing cast recruited from Hedgerow. Although the general effect was more amateur than experimental, the idea behind “Montage” is sound. Opening program was well balanced in its contrasting halves. 1 he WCAU-TW newcomers appear too steeped in the cliche* of their elders. A littie more originality, or some venturesomeness would have compensated for the lack of professional gloss. Gagh. Television Chatter ‘American Forum’ Continued from page 31 slant than from a layman’s view. The kickaround group consisted of NBC prexy Pat Weaver, comic and author (“Treadmill to Oblivion”) Fred Allen, N.Y. Daily News radio- tv critic and author (“I Looked and I Listened”) Ben Gross, and BBD&O radio - tv vicepresident Robert Foreman. On network radio: Weaver didn’t offer any panaceas for the main- tenance of web radio although hint- ing at a blueprint in this connec- tion. He admitted that it must New York John Alexander, who created the “Teddy Roosevelt” role in the play, film and on radio, will again do the part in “Arsenic and Old Lace” on CBS-TV’s "Best of Broadway” Jan. 5 . Bob & Ray pacted to do the Piels Beer plugs on WCBS-TV's two-hour “New Year’s in New York” show (Dec. 31-Jan. 1). Inci- dentally, the singers with Tito Rodriguez, one of the orchs play- ing the talent-evaded show, will be Josephine Madera and Marilyn Winters . Julius Bing cast for NBC-TV’s “The Hunter” Sunday (26) ... Legit producer Clinton Wilder granted Bob Downing leave of absence from "Tender Trap” for one night so that he could lee it to Philly to appear on Mike Ellis’ WPTZ show. Ellis and Downing were in the Boston company of “My Sister Eileen” in ’41 and were together on several other legiters . . Clancy Worden, ' PubAffairs chief of WCBS-TV, to Acapulco, Mex., for three weeks of fishing. .. Jay Barney featured on DuMont’s “The Stranger” Friday (24) Al- lan Melvin in a longterm pact on the Phil Silvers telepix skein .. Jim McKay’s WCBS-tTV pre-Bowl sizeup on New Year’s Day backed by Consolidated Cigars. Station’s news review of ’54 for a half-hour that evening, consisting of film clips out of CBS Film Sales for the one-.,hot syndicate circuit, will be narrated by Ron Cochran, the “News of the Night” recapper .. Rod Serling’s “Save Me From Trea- son” set back a week to Jan. 4 on NBC-TV’s “Armstrong’s Circle Theatre.” Dec. 28 show will be Carol Warner Gluck’s “The Way Things Happen.” Same night, ABC- TV’s “Elgin Hour” will present George Lowther’s “Falling Star,” and with Miss Gluck and Lowther both repped by Blanche Gaine, lat- ter is struggling with her con- science as to which program to view. (Suggestion: Do what’s be- come a tv habit; start with Arm- strong at 9:30, then turn the knobs MONTAGE Producer: WCAU-TV Experimental ' Theatre Director: James Lindemuth 30 Mins., Sun. (19) 3 p.m. WCAU-TV, Phila. Charles Vanda, v.p. in charge of television at the WCAU stations, turned over a half-hour of Sunday matinee time to the newly-or- ganized Experimental Theatre, to showcase new ideas and techniques of the “young men” on the staff. “Montage” is their first effort. Al- though it turned up nothing avant garde in either writing or lensing, the training ground concept should prove worthwhile. Scripts and problems of production are han- dled without assists from regular personnel, the lone exceptions being announcers John Facenda and Barry Cassell. Composed in two sections, offer- change its form, perhaps leading to at 10 to Elgin’ for the last 30 min- a diffusion” of listenershiD. Fore- utes.).. James Blumgarten’s “Let Nothing You Dismay” on DuMont's The Stranger” last week was his listenership. Fore man blimod both ad agencies and networks for not knowing how to capture large audiences currently, saying it’s still an important me- dium. Gross said the “golden era” of radio will never return, dpubted the survival of the network setup, but saw the auralsphere as a great field for music, discussion of im- portant issues and other programs gaited to local or community ap- peal. On talent: Allen, speaking as an actor and writer, said no one in the business Ls interested basically in the development of performer, scripter and other talent. Foreman countered by saying that there’s no future in the esthetes of radio, that no one is going to throw his dol- lars into the medium against such values, to which Allen countered that without esthetics (through the building of performers, writers, etc. “you have no medium.” Weaver pointed to the NBC Coc- edy Development Plan, admitting it was concentrated in tv, so that Allen’s key question remained un- answered as far as radio is con- cerned. On spectaculars: Weaver 24- shected* his web’s 90-minute big ones, again chiding the critics for making an adjective out of the word (as per his recent extended remarks on the Steve Allen “To- night” show) and said the specolas are here to stay. He thought the load of doing a show every week is “terrible” and enthusiastically endorsed the occasional show (or spec) for bigtime talent. Foreman, on the other hand, said that the weekly, habit-forming exposures should not be “written off.” Allen, playing with the frequency idea, thought conditioning the audience to a monthly show presents diffi- culties, while noting the “dangers” of steadier exposure. Gross de- clared the specs were a “good idea” but wondered whether audi- ences needed these “tremendous spectacles.” On color: Weaver said RCA’s 21- inch color receivers are coming off the line; Foreman, that even a bad show in color is “tremendously ex- n 11 1 n ffoml ♦ L n 4 Aiinnt.Ui, J.. ...ftl • _ _ eighth script in the series; he al- ternates with John Gay . Jinx Falkenburg will present her “Wom- an of the Year” in a special hour show on WRCA-TV Dec. 31. Jackie Robinson replacing Marty Glickman for 10 weeks as emcee of “Junior Champions” on WRCA- TV while Glickman tours the coun- try doing play-by-play on NBC- TV’s pro basketball series. . Harry Townes set for the innkeeper role on Kraft’s production of “A Child Is Born” tomorrow (Thurs.) on ABC... David Cole will star as David Copperfield on “Robert Montgomery Presents” Monday (27) in the production of the Dickens novel . Leslie Nielsen planed for the Coast over the weekend for a role in Paramount’s “The Vaga- bond King”. . Alfred Drake signed for Max Liebman’s production of “Naughty Marietta” on Jan. 15... Frank Baxter did another “See It Now” commercial last night (Tues.). Lou Goldberg’s (“Original Ama- teur Hour”) music box collection, planned as nucleus for a museum, showcased Monday (20) on DJVe Garroway’s “Today” . . . Doreen Lang on “The Stranger” Friday (24) . . . Producer Arnold Wolff sailed yesterday (Tues.) on the Caronia with his wife for 12-day holiday cruise to the West Indies and South America . . . With Renee Wolf, timekeeper on “Mas- querade Party,” to absent herself next month to have a baby, Janice Gilbert, the * teller on “Break‘the Bank,” will pinchhit . . . Bud Pal- mer telecasting the finals of Holi- day Festival basketball tournament from Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve via NBC . . . Be- fore hitting out for H’wood and a pair of film commitments, Louise King will play femme lead on “Studio One” Monday (27). Everett Chambers directing his initial video program this Sunday (26) on NBC’s “American Inven- tory.” Megged Equity Library presentation of “Doughgirls” few weeks back . . . Cantor Moishe on material and execution . . Larry Storch will head up NBC- TV’s 8 to 9 Tuesday nighter Jan. 4 . . . NBC-TV veep John Lanigan will appear on CBS-TV’s “Omni- bus” in mid-February in a curling session, he being a master at that sport. Victor M. Ratner, onetime CBS v.p., has been upped to veep status at the McCann-Erickson agency . . . Milton Douglas, former exec producer at ABC-TV, joined packagers Barry, Enright & Friend- ly in the same capacity . . . ABC’s John MacVane elected president of the Assn, of Radio News Analysts, succeeding H. V. Kaltenborn . Eric Kirkland, eight-year-old son of Gypsy Rose Lee, guesting a piano stint on Ted Strater’s WABD show tomorrow (Thurs.). Chicago Chi NBC’er Alan Beaumont, got the directorial nod from the Ted Bates agency for Sunday’s (26) “Comedy Hour” showcasing of the “Hollywood Ice Revue” from the Chicago Stadium . Packager Jules Power has opened production shops in Detroit, St. Louis and New Haven Snyder & Sons, appliance dealer, is reviving one of those tv wedding displays Sunday noons via WBBM-TV with Franklyn MacCor- niark and Patricia Vance as the co- hosts .. With Janet Brace off to fill an engagement at the Blue Angel nitery in Manhattan. Judy Jones has signed on as one of the femme vocalists on Tom Duggans WBKB daytimec . Kling Films shooting an animated color film for the Par- affined Carton Research Council which is being scripted by staffer Ruth Ratny and scored by musical director Jerry Abbott... Lincoln Park Zoo director Marlin Perkins, who conducts NBC-TV’s “Zoo Pa- rade,” has joined forces with ex- NBC-TV producer Reinald Werren- rath Jr., in an indie packaging firm Sig Sakowicz working the blurbs for City & Suburban Heat- ings Thursday night WBBM-TV telepix series ..WNBQ music su- pervisor Larry Johnson vacation- ing in Mexico. Galveston—Robert S. Wilson has been named general sales manager for GUL-TV, it was revealed by Paul E. Taft, prez of the outlet. Wilson comes here from the Katz Agency, New York. 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Lester Lewises and Alex Segals off to Cuba for winter vacation next week . . . Bob Sammon and John Horn to Rye for Xmas Eve “Person to Person” on John Daly . . . NBC holiday party at Toots Shor’s today (Wed.) with comic IT’S NEW! FOR YOU! Introducing the COMP CUT using the latest Parisian electrical wave-comb technique. Long- er lasting, smart casual lines, treated in a coiffure especially for YOU. Where is this personalized service? Visit: Henrietta Beauty Salon 380 Main Street, Hackensack. N. J. Plione: Dlmnnd 2-1618 INTERESTED? Lawyer and Public Relations con- sultant, varied theatrical experience, willing to invest money and full time services in established entertainment organization or related fields. Write BOX V-121754 VARIETY, 154 West 46 St., New York worry about if his product sells; Lee Melis as entertainer . . . Jack and Weaver, that ratings are tools Carter skedded to join Imogene that should not be substituted for Coca siiovv as regular. . . . 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