Variety (June 1958)

41 V^^esday, fane 18, 195^; 1^Ri)tfY _ BABIO-TELEVISION Television Reviews S Continued from page 35 1 the children seemed to haiye an Independence' in school and that cultural subje£:ts>ete not neglect¬ ed. She spoke with respect of; Bus- sia’s schools of ballet, music, art and physicai education, citing the jarticalarly rigorous training in oallet: Parents go to school in spirit every day, and are held ac¬ countable for their children’s scholastic behavior, she noted. Prof. Bereday, a realistic, lorth- right speaker, observed-that the Russians were like a driven herd, all working for the same goal and with a sense of proprietorship of the changes they have effected. In our country, though we are a free croup, we have no visible direc¬ tion Kelly declared that Moscow U students were enthusiastic in their work arid their equipment excellent. Furthermore, there was a chance for individual initiative at the university. ; The American teachers felt there were no barriers between Russian teachers and their pupils. After viewing the educational programs of the USSR, they returned to this country with their faith renewed In our System of education. The speakers thouglit they should now concern: themselves among - other things with the elimination of our own poor and neglected schools. The tour of the Soviet schools con¬ vinced them that our nation could not afford to neglect the race for knowledge. , Ratts. JAZZ IN THE ROUND With Ken Nordine, Herbie Fields Quartet, Lurlene Hunter, Mike Simiwon Sextet, others Exec Producer: Frank Atlasa : Producer: George Ranisby Director: Barry McKinley 30 Mins., Wed., 6:30 p.ni, WBBM-TV* Chicago / ^ “Jazz In the Round" am t for the squares. No attempt, for a. change, to sweeten the pill for the uniniti¬ ated. This is strictly from the beat generation^ with a cast of unbilled charactersi looking straight oUt of a Kerouac riOvel; giving credence dn the group role of studio audi¬ ence seated In rounded bleachers that gird the performers arid mak¬ ing with the head arid shoulder tics that show they’re in orbit with the beat. This is a decided plus. Not only is there camera interest in the incidental studies of the devout onlookers; they fill out, more importantly, what seeriis to be ideal eriviroris for the showcas¬ ing of modem jazz on tv. This is jazz played on the home grounds^ with atmosphere. Though musically it may appeal to a liinited number, artistically it is a big video click. To frame the music deliberately in a circle of humanity is to spot the cameras a challenging handicap, arid director Barry McKinley comes through with colors. Apart from the show’s achievement as the neatest exec¬ uted and most ambitious iQcaler in town, it is also perhaps tile freshest stylistic Contribution to video the Windy City has made since the low-pressure effects, that were "once known as !’Chicago-style tele¬ vision,^’^ passed'from the bud to the bloom. First offering in the WBBM-TV series, which iricidentally preempts "Sing Along” on the CBS-’TV feed. ANNOUNCEMEIIT: COMEDIANS! Ord«rs now boIn« fiktn for Art Paul'* Punch L,lno no. 11 contoUilne over aat of tho nowost most ortfinal •••* by the fop croitlvo comedy mind. Sompio sits: Ho would've left his wife lent *fo If It wereit^ for the feet that she drives him to drink . . behind every successful man Is a woman. He couldn't afford one |f he weren't * Dracula fell In love, but had to five her lip . . . wasn't his blood, type. S«ld $3 to iMqht Uallllllted m W. 45th St., New York City COSMETICS • DRUGS VITAMINS • PARFUMS UbIm Cards ONd:. PROFESSIONALS RECOGNIZED CITY DRUGS t4S 7th Avt. (54 St.) Now York “■IGGiST LtTTIlR ORUG/STORi" Wg OILIVIR—Cl SS131 ORANGE COUNTY IS Mllds from N;Y.C. ^ ^ • LARGE ESTATE • ^ Bouse, II Rooms ; ^OWPLITILY iqUIPPKD I tdnUabed, flneat construcUi with fla^ono tcrrac4 had a combo of "ali stars” from the Duke Ellingtori orch and singer Lucy Reed, both acts delivering in pulse - rousing fashion. Herbie Fields’ quartet, on the. second show (11), was more a matter of personal taste, and Lurlene . Hunter, a fine singer, sang a inilkwater un-jazzy rep arid paid herself non flattery in a sack dress and t’ght ponytail coif. Ken Nordine, as interlocutor, flexes the muscles of his voice per usual, and though he has little to say in .many words he contributes somehow to the atmosphere. . Except for too much surveying by the zoomar lenses, which gets to be distracting, the show’s in fine sliape. From here on, it depends entirely ori. the talent bookings. Les, THE BIG GAME With Tom Kennedy, emcee; others Creator-Producer: Jackson Stanley Director: Bill Bennington 3Q Mins., Frt, 7:30 p.in. NBC-TV, from Hollywood I With the advent of summer, a number . of fresh' .web quiz game shows are beirig aired for a tiyout. Among the initial entries is “The Big Game," which preCiried on NBG-TV Friday (13) evening at 7:30> The half-hour show, judging from the. opener, doesn’t appear to have the muscle for the long pull. Jackson Stanley, for: 13 years head : writer . bn ‘‘People Are Funny,’’ packager :and creator of “Big Game,” has fashibned a rather Gomplicated game that just doesn’t seem to . spark sufficient interest. In teriris of riioriey handed out to contestants, the few thousand dol¬ lars won won’t stand up in compe¬ tition to “Other quiz shows, if moriey is considered the prime pulling factor. Eriicee Tom Kennedy handled his chores ably on the initialer. But he '^as . bogged down by the nature Of the game. Show could be doctored to better effect if more attention was paid to the contest¬ ants, human interest stuff which might lend some character tci the outing; r . ' Essentials of the game boil down -to this: Two contestants are pitted against one another answering questions of “average" caliber. The questions at times have. a funny twist and require multiple re¬ sponses. Each win on the part of a contestant allows him a “shot"’ at pegged transluseent animals of his opponent. The “shots” are dorie via peg boards and are a hit-or-; miss proposition, with the “hunter” Unable to see his targets, Baggirig the transluscerit animal of his op¬ ponent, wiris the epntestarit dough. The explanation indicates the complications of the game which, by itself, hardly makes for fun Viewing, The coritestants could be iriterestirig, but they are kept so busy “shooting” that they become mere marine<quins in the show. Telecast is in color from the net’s Coast studios. ^ Hero. NO MAN WALKE ALONE With Fredric March, Eli Wallach, Tom Scott mu»c,i others Producer: Carl Lerner Director: Julius Tarinenbanm Writer: Harriet Herhst . 30 Mins., Sun. (15),^ 8:30 pjri. WNTA-TV, New York A public service venture by WNTA. on SundaydS) showed a first rate film; on the training of a paraplegic in aiding film return to a near-normal life. The film traces the plight of a patient from the time he starts treatmerit for a brokeri: back through training in living with himself, adjustment to his physical haridicaps arid firially through job training. The film shows the teamirig of staff and patient in helping com¬ pensate for the handicap. The. upper part of the body has to he strengthened considerably to do the work of the crippled mfembers, the remainder of: the body has to become more supple; and above all, the iriind has a multitude of ad¬ justments to make. . All thfs is shown In an expres¬ sive half hour, with Eli Wallach narrating the feelings of the pa¬ tient; and Fredric March naiTaung the staff s side of the picture. All departments, writing, aetbg, production, are topnotch. The venture, put out by the National Paraplegia Foundation; does much to give a laymen an understanding of the plight of the paraplegic, and should be useful in buiMing a bfdGdeY^biaG>yoT support In cam-J paigks 4G»lprGvidfc..£ii*df:^lr rt^ search to. aid these victiins. J osg. Local Live Television Programming Teenage — Variety — Miscellaneous [CQ]VCLUblN& A FOUR.PART SURVEY] v ■ ■■ By LEONARD TRAUBE = After news and public service programs and kid shows, those segments which are addressed , to teenagers, shows with variety ap¬ peal, and miscenaneous; women’s, audience participation and- quiz fare are the chief components in live television presented by local stations. Previous studies- in .a cross-couiitry. survey of local pro¬ gramming Conducted by Varcety appeared on Jan, 22, March .5 and April 2. This is the concluding phase of a poll embracing “local live” without direct regard to spon¬ sorship or aiudience: measurement ami concerned only with -qualita- tiye aspects, as per the .stations’ own selections. Following are the highlights of teenage programming; . In Portland. Ore , KPTV pre¬ sents . “High Time” cross^he-board at 4:30 p;m., consisting of teen- I agers participating in and dancing to the top songs of the day; v/ith prizes awarded.. In Houston, KTRK-TV slots “Disk Jockey DCrby” at/3 p.m. Saturday, with latest pop; records played by: three Houston deejays and teenagers, invited to dance in studio, (Same stationi has “Kitirik’s Party,” unciesciribed . 3 p.m. cross¬ boarder ■ running since November, 1954.) In Columbia, S. C.; WNOK-TV’s “Jump Tpwn’Ms a 6:30 p.m. Sat¬ urday dance session with a differ¬ ent highschool spotlighted each week. Students dance to pop plat¬ ters played .by disk jockey. ,. Iri Madison, Wis., WMTV pre¬ sents“Dance Party” four-Z-week at 4:30 to. 5:15 p.m.,; described as: .“Top lb music for dancing with young people from a 50-mile radius participating in studio show :featut- irig dance steps, interviews, record surveys and premieres, film and records stars in. guest appearances, i fashiori previews pf teen styles,. I posting: of information Concerriirig events of interest to teen brackets and families in ra<iius,’.’ Disks. & Dancing In Mobile, Ala., WALA-TV offers “Dixpn on Disk,” hour show at 11:30 a.m. Saturday that’s neatly four years bid. John Dixon prb- grams the top records With ; teen¬ agers dariemg to them. There are guestars. In Springfield - Holyoke, :Mass., WHYN-’TV puts bn “Hires Dance Party” at 1 p.m. Saturday. It’s a teenage record hop with the latest; piattbrs, prizes for best dancers and winners of games. Participants gathered from local schools. Iri .: Montgomery, Ala., WCOV- TV’s“Tecn Party” Is a fib-minute show Wednesday at 9 p.m. with the youths dancing and perforriiing before an adult audience. . In . Shreveport, La., KTBS-TV’s “Refreshment Time” at 4 p.m. Sat¬ urday is G teenage talent shpweaser using pro and semipro talent . -^ “aimed at the mature teenager/’ In Baltimore, WJZ-TV’s ‘Ruddy Dean Show”'is that station’s No- . 1 local: livG contribution Slotted cross-the-board at. 2:30 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30, it is a disk jockey preseiiiatiOD with dancing teenagers, . visiting stars, arid contests. It’s staged in a “soda parlor." As ‘Romper Room” leads the roost in its. children’s sphere, “Top Ten Dance Party*’ is the largest syridicated; live teenage series in the. tv field. Packaged by the New York firm bf Victor & Richards and produced by Alan Sands, the show, was created in September, 1955, starting with three stations. It is now'in 15 markets. Sponsors Jn all .markets. are local soft drink bottlers; Goca-Cbia bottlers urider- write.-^Dance Party’’ in eight of the 15 and Pepsi-Cpia, Dr. Pepper and Royal Grown take it in the remaining cities. The packagers observe that “although the pro¬ -ams are- slanted for teenagers, it has been found that housewives comprise about 40% of the view¬ ing audierice.” .. Fprniat: Audience participation with teenagers as studio guests who participate in various dance contests, and in many of the audi¬ ence games arid stunts. All re¬ ceive prizes. Most segments are on Saturday for 60 minutes; some are half-hour and 90-minute shows. One. runs across-the-board, another is twice weekly. Markets; WSLS, Roanbke-Lynchburg, Va.; WFIE, Evansville, Irid i .WTEN, in the Al¬ bany, Schenectady, Troy, ,N. Y., and Pittsfield, Mass, area; WDEF, Chattanooga, Tenn.; WHEN, Syra¬ cuse, Utica, Rome, N.Y.; KOTV, Tulsa,. Okla.; WFGA, Jacksonville, Fla.; WHBQ. Memphis; WFAA, Dallas, Fort Worth; WXEX, Rich- mbnd, Petersburg, Newport News, Va.; kKTV,; Colorado Springs, Pueblo; WJBF, Augusta, Ga.; WTVD, Durhairi, Raleigh, Greens-1 boro, N.C.; WDXI; Jackson, Tenn.; j WDAM. Hattiesburg, Miss- 1 Parade of the Varieties j j Variety is the keynote at a number of stations. This mixed fareV crosses; over into other cate¬ gories, necessarily, but as as near¬ ly as can be determined. the fol¬ lowing are the cream of musical variety-type slottings among the stations responding to the survey: In Gharlestowri, W.Va., WCHS- . TV. presents “The Morning Show” five times weekly from 9 to 9:45 a.m^ featiiring Eddy Seacrist & Rollin’. Rockets, with Dick Reid as emcee, I In Lbuisville, WHAS-TV has been running “Hayloft Hoedown” siriCe June, 1951, spotted 8 p,m.; Friday. j . In Mason City, la., KGLO-TV’s “Super Valu Show” has been a fixture since August, 1954. Cross-, boarder at 4:30 p.m. devotes first half-hour to film, second half to Uve.: Consists of Staff music with guest tboters sitting In; Hobby cor¬ ner oa Monday, tv showcase on Friday/ In St. Louis, KSD-TV’s “Char¬ lotte Peters Show” is 12:30 p.ni. cioss-the-board. In Huntington, W*Va., WSAZ-tV bias “Saturday Night Jamboree” at 7 o’clock Saturday; running since 1952 with cast of 22 arid m.o., it’s a country .music segment with studio audience, two bands, four soloists, 10 dances and caller. In Portland, Ore., KGW-TV *lots “Circle 8 Hoedown” from 6 to 7 p.m Saturday, with local and na- tibnal names. Iri San Francised, KPIX’s “Del Gourtney Showcase” is a Satur-- day 5 to 6 entry presenting top names alongside new talent on a limited budget. Among recent guests have been Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Harlem Globetrot¬ ters, Carol Channing, Mort Sahl, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, Alvino Rey, 'Woody Herman, King Sisters. In Cleveland, KYW - TV’s "Through the Hooping Glass” at 4 o’clock Saturday is hosted by Linn Sheldon and fills the gap between NBC sports, using pantomiine skits, music, song, dancing, etc. At 5:3(1 that day it’s “TV Auction,” with A1 Wish as auctioneer, Paul Nakel m.c.; dancing and singing to Johnny Pecon & Polka Band. in Columbus, Miss., WCBl-TV crossboards “Mac Miller Show” at 3:30 . with music, guests, “spin the wheel” piizes. ! Miscellaneous Menus 1 Following are ampng the haiis- frau-quizzola-audience participation and miscellaneous shows indicated by stations as among their prime efforts (cross-the-board daytime unless otherwise mentioned): Mobile Ala., WKRG-TV: “Wo- .man’s World.” Atlanta, WAGA-TV; “Dean’s Partyline.” Columbus. Ga. WRBL-TV: “At Home With Rozell,” .since Novem¬ ber, 1953, Birmingham. WBRC-TV; “Petti¬ coat Partyline,” since 1955. . St. Paul, KSTP-TV: “Treasure Chest,” since 1955. Columbus, Mi.ss., WCBI-TV: “Arm C)hair Shopper,” Thursday at 4 p.m;- Charlestown, W. Va,: “Katie’s Kitchen,” since 1955. Asheville, N. C., WLOS-TV: “Carl Story Show,” Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Wilkes Barre, Pa., WIL-TV: “Hal ’n Nancy . Show,” music, quiz, chat,. pantomime; emceed by Hal & Nancy Berg. Baltimore, WJZ-TV; “Sunday at the Zoo”; “Your Romance,” oldie film with live personality as inter¬ lude. , Cincinnati, WCPO-TV: “Chasin’ With Chase/’ with Bud Chase. Milwaukee, WISN-TV: “Home¬ makers’ Holiday,” housewives quiz- comedy based on travel. Salem, N.C., WFMY-TV: “What’s Cooking Today,” since. 1953. . Lansing, Mich., WJIM-TV: “Lee Murray’s Coffee Break.” Fresno, Calif., KMJ-TV: “Nancy Allan’s Garden Clinic,” Friday at 10 :30 a.m^ Cleveland. KYW-TV: “Cash on the Lirie,” feature film broken up by historical contest segments, with Tom Haley; ^‘Window,” inter¬ views by Gloria Brown; “Lights, Camera, Questions,” Saturday 6:30. p.ni. quiz emceed by Phil McClean and featuring managers of four top Cleveland theatres answering ques- tiorik. about “movies and Holly¬ wood,” with audience prizes, . San Francisco, KPIX: “The Money Tree,” remote quiz via Montgomery Ward. * -Ti-