Variety (November 1955)

34 TELEVISION REVIEWS T^rieW Wednesday, November 23, 1955 CAINE MUTINY COURT MAR¬ TIAL (Ford Star Jubilee) With Lloyd Nolan, Barry Sullivan, Frank Lovejoy, Russell Hicks, Ainslie Pryor, Robert Gist, Charles Nolte, Raymond Bailey, Herbert Anderson Producer: Paul Gregory (as di¬ rected for the Broadway stage by Charles Laughton) Director (for CBS): Franklin Schaffner Set Designer: Robert Tyler Lee 90 Mins.; Sat. (19), 9:30 p.m. FORD CBS-TV, from New York (color) (J. Walter Thompson) Paul Gregory’s production of Herman Wouk’s “Caine Mutiny Court Martial” was transferred to the video screens last Saturday (19) as the third in the CBS-TV “Ford Star Jubilee” color spec series, and it wasn’t at all surpris¬ ing that it came off as one of the most arresting and rewarding dramas of the tv season. This was the same cast of prin¬ cipals (Lloyd Nolan, Barry Sulli¬ van, etc.) who appeared „in the Broadway production, with the exception of Frank Lovejoy, who assumed the role of Lt. Stephen Maryk as successor to the late John. Hodiak. And with Franklin Schaffner, on behalf of CBS, fol¬ lowing Charles Laughton’s direc¬ torial blueprint for the stage, it was a faithful legit-to-tv trans¬ formation of one of the standout Broadway dramas of recent sea¬ sons. It proved anew that there’s nothing wrong with tv when sea¬ soned showmen, aided and abetted by a good play and fine acting, take over. It also proved, as in the case of “Peter Pan,” that a pretested- for-tv Broadway run doesn’t hurt either. If anything, television’s ability to give the home viewer a “front row center” privilege is something, the legitimate theatre can never top, for the rapport established by finely executed closeup camera treatment can, as in the case of “Court Martial,” intensify the play as a whole. Wouk’s one-setter Is a dramatic argument that depends neither on trick camera work nor clever production, yet the mobility of the camera, used judiciously and with restraint, actually height¬ ened the tensions. THE DEVIL’S DISCIPLE (Hallmark Hall of Fame) With Maurice Evans, Teresa Wright, Dennis King, Ralph Bel¬ lamy, Jada Rowland, Margaret Hamilton, Leo Britt, Logan Ram¬ sey, Ian Martin, Somer Alberg, Bernard Tone, Morton L. Ste¬ vens, Michael Hogan, others Executive Producer: Jack Rayel Producer: Evans Director: George Schaefer TV Adaptation: S. Mark Smith Costumes: Noel Taylor Scenery: Robert MacKichan 9(1 Mins., Sun. (20), 4 p.m. HALLMARK CARDS NBC-TV, from New York (color) (Foote, Cone & Belding ) George Bernard Shaw’s “The “Devil’s Disciple,” which Maurice Evans revived on Broadway a few years back, was recreated anew for the 90-minute “Hallmark Hall of Fame” color spec on NBC-TV Sunday (20), with both Evans and Dennis King (as General Burgoyne) again having themselves a romp in company with Ralph Bellamy and Teresa Wright. That’s a big- league theatrical effort in terms of tv and the end result made for some pleasurable moments both for Shaw devotees and the ordinary Sunday afternoon television viewer. When last seen on Broadway “Disciple” enjoyed a fair measure of success. It faithfully captured the Shavian humor‘in its gentle jibing of the moral hypocricy of the sanctimonious New England Colonists in the days of the Revolu¬ tion. Shaw’s mockery was predom¬ inant and his social derision made for enjoyable comedy. And so, too, in this tv version- as adapted by S. Mark Smith there was the essence of sparkling live theatre, with all the appropriate nuances of subtlety and satire translated to the video screen. One might quibble that at times Evans was overdoing it and playing it too broad; that he might have been mouthing some of the words with¬ out too much conviction; that it was more romp than morality (if you looked close, enough you could almost see Evans winking at the camera), but overall Iris tv inter¬ pretation of the light-hearted rake had the elements of good, reward¬ ing theatre. Technically, too, the production was full of plusses and a lot*of Hallmark coin went into dressing up the piece. The sets were fine, the costuming brilliant, particular¬ ly in its tinted version, and overall production reins were in capable hands. Since there’s no great element of surprise in the fact that Nolan, Sullivan, et al., were standout in reprising their longrunning legit performances, perhaps the major credit for this stunning tv presen¬ tation belongs to Gregory in “adapting” the production and Schaffner for his directorial con¬ trol within the framework of a tv studio. None of the character de¬ velopment, mounting tension or dramatic force that were inherent in the stage play were lost in the process of the tightening up for tv. In*, fact, the final scene of Lt. Greenwald’s espousal of his beliefs and condemnation of Lt. Keefer was brought into sharper focus by the telescoping of the dialog. As on the stage, “Court Martial” was an actor's holiday. Nolan once more gave the “perfect perform¬ ance” as Commander Queeg, skip¬ per of the minesweeper Caine who slowly deteriorates under the adroit questioning of Lt. Green- wald, attorney for the defense. As the petty tyrant Who takes the stand against his executive officer, cocky and secure in his unblem¬ ished naval record, only to betray himself by his weaknesses, Nolan held the viewer spellbound, and once again the camera can take a bow for bringing all the nuances of this emotional upheaval to the tv audience. Barry Sullivan was deeply mov¬ ing as the defense attorney. His was a role that involved a warmer and more emotional character, yet the perfect balance that he dis¬ played in his performance con¬ tributed enormously to the overall tempo and excitement. Frank Lovejoy was a wise choice for Lt. Maryk, the executive officer on trial for mutiny. His was not an easy role; the nervousness he dis¬ played under examination w'as be¬ lievable and tense. Robert Gist as Lt.. Keefer, the novel-writing offi¬ cer who maneuvered Maryk into mutinous action; Russell Hicks, as the presiding judge of the court martial; Herbert Anderson, as the psychiatrist, as well as others in the fine cast, gave topnotch per¬ formances. Robert Tyler Lee’s set de: vras a sensitive reproduction of stage setting. The Ford comr cials were not too obtrusive. < rectly spotted, they did not disl the continuity. The color, inch tally, served a more useful fi tion in the “big sell” The F< never looked better. Ros Dennis King as Burgoyne was perfect casting. The General is a fantastic and at times absurd cari¬ cature, yet King's masterly- per¬ formance of this effete Britisher gave Shaw ample opportunity to laugh at army protocol. Ralph Bellamy played the preacher-turned-militiaman but he didn’t appear too comfortable in either role. Teresa Wright was adequate as his young and at¬ tractive wife w'ho loses her heart to the scandalous, gallows-con¬ demned Evans. And Margaret Hamilton as the mother was the epitome of all things Puritan. It’s unfortunate that the colors wavered and there were times in the camera switches when the tint was lost completely. The Hallmark Hall Cards on the other hand were a beautiful and consistent sight to behold. It’s very possible that the RCA-NBC “compatible boys” are getting remiss on the show proper. This is hardly the time to slacken up, when the bi& Xmas sales push of color sets is just around the corner. Rose. MIDNIGHT With Roger Kent Producer: Ken Barry Djrector: Bill Garin 15 Mins.: Mon. through Fri., 12 p.m. Sustaining KSTP-TVj Minneapolis Exerimental in that it’s the first local tv disk jockey show and that it carries video past 12 p.m., “Mid¬ night” looks like a sure success. At least, it furnishes an agreeable pop musical quarter-hour in a fashion that’s offbeat for this sort of fare here. Assuming that enough of the many local dialers who stay up for Steve Allen’s “Tonight,” reaching here at 11 p.m. and continuing for 60 minutes Monday through Friday and which it immediately follows, prefer not to rush off to bed im¬ mediately, it should land a sizeable audience and bankroller without too much difficulty. Roger Kent, the jockey, is a personable, poised young man who, sitting in an easy chair and smok¬ ing a pipe, intros and comments neatly on the disks which are ac¬ companied by film or live action that provide various effects. These effects, flashed briefly, are continuous during the playing of the recordings and they serve to accentuate the musical numbers’ moods in a pleasant manner cal¬ culated to increase listeners’ en¬ joyment of the tunes. Rees , SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER (Omnibus) With Michael Redgrave, Barbara Jefford, Walter Fitzgerald, Her- mione Gingold, Rex Everhart, Maria Brit-Neva, Fritz Weaver, Victor Wood, James Millhollin; music, Paul Maynard; Alistair Cooke, host Producer: Robert Saudek Director: Elliott' Silverstein Stager: Redgrave Adaptor: Maurice Valency 90 Mins., Sun. (20), 5 p.m. SCOTT PAPER, ALUMINIUM LTD. CBS-TV, from N. Y. (J. Walter Thompson) Perhaps the sedate, sometimes austere atmosphere of “Omnius” militates against the presentation of comedy on the show. This, if recollection serves correctly, is es¬ pecially true in terms of farce, as witness last year’s adaptation of “The Man Who Married, a Dumb Wife” and last Sunday’s (20) full- program treatment of Oliver Gold¬ smith’s “She Stoops to Conquer.” The Goldsmith play, as annotat¬ ed, in an introduction by “Omnibus” host Alistair Cooke as a farce, was delivered in drawing-room style— far too genteel and restrained to fit the category and the 182-year- old script. With Michael Redgrave not only starring but staging the Maurice Valency adaptation and Elliott Silverstein directing, the end result was diverting, but hard¬ ly a pace-setter in terms of comic action and caricature. Redgrave, doubling over (with Barbara Jefford and Walter Fitz¬ gerald) from the Broadway “Tiger at the Gates,” tended toward too much reserve in his flippant mo¬ ments in the play and toward un¬ derplaying as the stammerer. Her- mione Gingold as Mrs. Hardcastle played on a broader base and wasn't averse to clowning, but her difficulty seemed to lay in the ex¬ ecution rather than in interpreta¬ tion. Miss Gingold, who seemed unable to escape that high-pitched articulativeness which serves her so efficiently in a modern revue but begins to grate in a full 90 minutes in the same role, progres¬ sively lost her comic impact as the play wore on. Of the entire cast, only Rex Everhart, as Tony Lumpkin, real¬ ized the potentials of his role, turn¬ ing in a lively and uninhibited per¬ formance as the 18th Century ver¬ sion of an overgrown Peck’s Bad Boy. Miss Jefford was pert and skillful as Kate and Fitzgerald properly outraged as Mr. Hard¬ castle, while Fritz Weaver, Maria Brit-Neva and Victor Wood were good in subsidiary roles. Production-wise, the presenta¬ tion was given a solid ride, with substantial and goodlooking sets by Henry May and a special harp¬ sichord score written and per¬ formed by Paul Maynard. But in the Radio-TV Workshop’s and pro¬ ducer Robert Saudek’s avowed aim to spread culture and cultivation, there seems at times the inference that they tend to take themselves and their work too seriously. Chan. CLEVELAND BROWNS With Ken Coleman, William Ship- ley, Frank Jay, Anne Huston Producer: Chet Cooper Director: Milt Most 150 Mins., Sunday, 2 p.m. MAINLINE & CLEVELAND SANDUSKY BREWING CO. WEWS, Cleveland (Paul Warren) Ken Coleman, back at the tele¬ casting of the six out-of-town Cleveland Browns’ football games, does a truly professional job with the' pro teams. His long-standing four-year background ' with the Browns is reflected in his free and easy handling of the plays and his intimate knowledge of the individ¬ ual players. In turn, he can inject tidbits of valuable information when the occasion so warrants. At the same time he remains impar¬ tial in his handling of the oppon¬ ents. The stanza caught (13) was the pickup from Philadelphia with the WFIL-TV crew handling the technical and production chores with savvy and for tops in tv proj¬ ection. Stanza has a dual sponsorship, with William Shipley handling for Mainline products, while Anne Huston and Frank Jay do the suds. Not a free moment ts passed in plugging the products, neverthe¬ less the trio do it without effron¬ tery* Mark. More TV Reviews On Page 36 CHICAGO BY LYON With Herb Lyon, Len Stone, guests; Bob Trendler orch Producer: Ted LiSs Director:; Don Kane, 30 Mins.; Sun., 6:30 p.m. BULKO GAS WGN-TV, Chicago (Malcolm-Howard) Now that Herb Lyor, conductor of the Chi Tribune’s Tower Ticker, has made his debut with this Sun¬ day night guest showcaser, three of the four Windy City gossip scribes have parlayed their col¬ umns into subsidiary tv careers, With his apparent nervousness this go (13), Lyon demonstrated anew that, the transition from typewriter to television isn’t an easy one and that the success of the enterprise will have to depend largely upon the visitors' impact. Show’s budget, permitting the use of Bob Trendler and the WGN orch and an actual working stint by singer Sylvia Syms, gives im¬ portant added scope to the half- hour. Present for the typical quiz¬ zing on their current activities were Betty Hutton, accompanied by Chez Paree co-owner Jack Schatz to underscore the nitery plug, and Fran Warren from the “Pajama Game” legiter. Despite the host’s too frequent interrup¬ tions, the ladies acquitted them¬ selves nobly. Session winds with an “Ahead of the Headlines” prognostication bit by the columnist. Lyon predicted Adlai Stevenson would win the Demo presidential nomination and that heavyweight Rocky Marciano would not retire. Hardly big items in the crystal ball league. Gas commercials are given a sin¬ cere spiel by Len Stone from the sponsoring family. Dave. GENE CARROLL’S SONG SHOP Producer: Gene Carroll Director: Earl Keyes 30 Mins.; Mon.-thru-FrI. 11:30 a.m. Sustaining WEWS, Cleveland Utilizing as a background a song shop format,. Gene Carroll of “Gene and Glenn” fame, employs j a half-hour daily stanza to hypo new talent and at the same time, through song and chatter, give the housewife a chance to get her pre¬ luncheon chores done without be¬ ing glued to the tv set. Daily rundown includes opening the mail with idle chitchat between Carroll and Vince Haydock, who also plays the drums, a few mo¬ ments of light banter with pianist Blance Albritton, and then the first of the day’s amateur offerings is introduced. On stanza caught, Darlene Villari sang “I Got It Bad” and “If I Could Be With You.” Easy on the eye, Miss Villari has a potential with trio or quartet with her sexy, sultry offering. Sec¬ ond act was Foley-Lawrence, a tap- dance team that could really score if they are serious about taking their snappy routine into profes¬ sional circles after their collegeiate career. Foley has ease and grace of movement while his femme partner shows charm and know¬ how. Carroll’s chatter-singing is of the stuff that has kept him rolling along. Okay, too, for Haydock and Albritton on the musical assists. Show, however, could use more amateur talent to help create a faster pace and ease out super¬ fluous yachity-yak. Mark. Webb’s Day & Date Continued from page 31 — ■ - had the opportunity to ,explore such a system in detail, he felt it might be the way to bring the pro¬ ducer more production coin, with¬ out which higher quality can’t be achieved. “There’s no use in anybody kid¬ ding ourselves. None of the arts can be accomplished on a time basis. Never has an artistic triumph been created with the limi¬ tations of time and money we now have in tv. I don’t mean we should go hogwild in the other di¬ rection, but there is a middle ground where we could make bet¬ ter pictures at . more mon^y, yet on an economically feasible basis. The sponsor is limited in what he can spend, and if we’re going to come up with a pure art form we’ll have to do it in a different manner,” he said. Webb, who last week began shooting the last 55 “Dragnets” of his contract, said he would never again star in a series of 195 vid- pix, the total he will have canned under his present pact. "I repeat what I’ve said before; no one should do more than 104 telepix in a series. Nothing is forever, par¬ ticularly in tv. I am guilty of be¬ ing in too mapy telepictures, and I feel I’m wearing out my wel¬ come.” (New Hearts For Old) Producer: Grant McLean Director: Jean Lanauer 30 Mins. NATIONAL FILM BOARD CBC-TV, from Ottawa If the rest of the 26 stanzas in the National Film Board's tele- filmed video series titled “Perspec' tive” are up to the quality level of “New Hearts” For Old,” the sample under review here, Cana¬ dian television audiences are in for a standout circuit of docu¬ mentary shows for the next seven months. Shot at the Institute of Cardiology in Montreal, “Hearts” follows a 36-year-old garage me- chanic through a heart attack and subsequent .treatment and surgery The thrill peak happens in closeS)’ shots of an actual heart operatioS with the finger of the surgeon * miniature scalpel taped to itfplung. ing into the patient's. exposed, vafve° g bear ^ °Pen a damaged The story ‘is solidly built but retains plenty of documentary flavor by touring the Institute’s equipment available to heart suf¬ ferers and gives the channel- hunters a full idea of its methods and research activities. NFB’s Norman Kihl is narrator, appearing in the film only when necessary or advantageous. An unbilled male as the cardiac patient, gives a sound, convincing performance and the production by Grant Mc¬ Lean, former NFB cameraman keeps the stanza always movin* and m nice balance. John Foster’s lensing, expertly edited by Denis Sawyer, is socko. This item will jnevitabiy be parelleled with Medic but it’s a stronger stint than the w.k. United States series principally because it takes time. to retain its status .as a documenta¬ ry' item without damaging its dramatic values. « “% s ,?^ ve \ wi11 be carrie d on the CBC-TV web, preeming on six stations Dec. 4 and the rest of the 23 within the two weeks following. Other subjects included are re¬ habilitation of released prisoners, a smalltown carny outfit, the growth of Canada’s prairies, a legit road company playing to high school audiences, people on night shifts, others. NFB is also releas¬ es a . Fren ch-Ianguage counterpart, titled “Passe-Partour.” Gorin, IT’S CHRIS With Eugene and Rosalie de Chris¬ topher Producer: de Christopher Director: Carlyle Stevens 30 Mins.; Mon.-tbru-Fri., 3:30 p.m. CHRIS-CUTS WGN-TV, Chicago Artist Eugene de Christopher and wife Rosalie would seem to have it made with this daily 30- minute art instruction course beamed toward the tot and teen¬ age groups. It’s apparently a self- employment deal bankrolled by the company that produces de Christopher’s Chris-Cuts drawing kits. Nucleus of the format is the continuihg series of sketching con¬ tests in the two age brackets with the weekly winners grabbing off $500 defense bonds and remaining in the running for the two $5,000 grand prize bonds which cap the 13-week cycle. Entry blanks for entering the drawing sw r eepstakes are included in the art packets pitched on the show. Although the actual blurbs for the products are done by a staff announcer, the de Christophers stack up as effective sales people in their owi> right in their handling of the tyro studio artists. They have a warm, friendly manner about them and on the install¬ ment seen (18) they had the kids really interested in their efforts. It’s obvious de Christopher has had plenty of teaching experience to backstop his own drawing skills. Same show ran for 18 months on KGO-TV, Frisco. It’s all construc¬ tive fun even though a lot of Windy City mommas and pappas are going to have to come up with either $2.98 or $3.98 (plus 25c for handling charges) for those kits. Dave. CBS-TV Mulls Fine Arts - Series in Col. U Tie CBS-TV public affairs is explor¬ ing a fine arts series to be done in conjunction with Columbia U. If it gets the department’s approval, it’ll be used as a llalf-hour semi¬ documentary, and, like Museum of Natural History’s “Adventure, sometime during the weekend. Columbia U. was talking sevei al months ago with DuMont to use its Electronicam as a means to film a regular series starring university s professors. Idea fell through.