Variety (October 1958)

so TELEVISION, ItEVIEWS P'S'RIEff GARRY MOORE SHOW With Gordon MaeRae, Janis Paixe, Red Skelton, Dni^rard Kirby; Howard Smith orch; others Producer: Ralph Levy Directors: Frank Bnnetta, Lewis Freedman Writers: Vincent Bogert, Will Glickman, Herb Finn, John Tackaberry (special material by Arnold Horwitt, Irvin Graham) 60 Mins,, Tnes., 10 pan. REVLON, KELLOGG CBS-TV, from N.Y. (LaRoche, Leo Burnett ) There’s nothing wrong with, hav¬ ing a new hour variety show on television—providing the material is there. For that matter, it’s long been the contention of CBS that, “if you give it to them good” there’s a place for any type format, be it variety, situation comedy, drama or panel show. Unfortunately, the new Garry Moore 60-minute night¬ time entry fell far short of the mark on its initial outing last Tuesday. Let it be said at once that Moore has come a long way since he went solo and broke away, from Jimmy Durante back in the days when ra¬ dio was still a bigtime thing. His years in daytime tv gave ample evidence of his talents. He’s a good, natural consistent perfor¬ mer, easy to take to, always affable in his manner. But few of these pi asses were in evidence on the premiere of the new “Garry Moore Show," which seemed to flounder as it tried to be all things to all people but wound up as a contrived hour of entertainment. Despite some formidable name credits, with head writer Vincent Bogert having an assist from such pros as Will Glickman, John Tack¬ aberry, Herb Finn, and with Arnold Horwitt contributing some special material, there was a sad lack of good solid material. Try as they might to conceal this lack by over¬ production and overstaging and glmmicking things up, the unorigi- nality and pretentiousness of the show stuck out like a sore thumb. Even the pretentiousness was cliche. But primarily it all goes back to the inadequate scripting, with result that Moore and his guests, Janis Paige, Gordon Mac- Bae (the latter substituting for Johnny Mathis, who bowed out), and Red Skelton, seguing in from own show on the Coast, never really got off the ground. The only time they did (literally) was when as a finale a troupe of Eskimos was brought on to toss Moore from a walrus hide blanket. A lot of what went on previously should have been tossed right out of the studio. In contrast to the overstaging of the production (some of the sets were even too big for the screen to take in), Moore is more at home within the confines of a simple, freewheeling format to best ac¬ cent hiiy distinctive talents. Here he was lost. So was Miss Paige, as the two engaged in a bedroom liturgy about moving to the coun¬ try which wasn’t particularly clever or witty. Producer Ralph Levy (who generally knows his way around in the video orbit) seemed to be trying desperately to achieve an offbeat'quality with overtones of a fading type of Broadway mu- sicomedy, as in the Horwitt-con- tributed “How Do You Build A Show” production number, and again, in MacRae’s street scene paen. Back in the early Max Lieb- man tv days both numbers would have been called imaginative stag¬ ing. s The regular longterm sponsors are Revlon and Kellogg, but by the time everybody including Moore, Durward Kirby, Nelson Case and Barbara Britton—got through with these and an assortment of throw- ins such as Esquire Shoe Polish and Pittsburgh Plate Glass, not to mention the station break plugs, it looked like a compounding of the “Playhouse 90” commercial evils all over again. * Rose. Hollywood, Oct. 7. • Bing Crosby’s ABC-TV premiere was nearly cancelled last week by’ the threat of a strike against the web by its NABET hairdressers and makeup men employees. Only a last-minute offer of new contract terms by the web kept the NABET group from walking off their jobs. Probability is that had the hair¬ dressers and makeup men struck, all other NABET personnel would have respected picket lines. The ABC-TV proposal was ac¬ cepted by a vote of the employees concerned. Final contract is now being worked out. j DANNY THOMAS SHOW With. Marjorie Lord, Sherry Jack- son, Rusty Hamer, Angela Cart¬ wright; Jack Benny, guest star Executive Producer: Louis F. Edel- man Producer-Director: Sheldon Leon¬ ard Writer: Arthur Stander 30 Mins.; Mon., 9 p.m* GENERAL FOODS CBS-TV (film) (Benton & Bowles ) Jack Benny, as guest star, helped Danny Thomas’ CBS return to a re¬ sounding kickoff which augurs well for another season of topratings for this well-integrated situation com¬ edy. This was a comedy tour-de-force by two seasoned experts Whose sup¬ porting cast was equally profes¬ sional in everything they did. The timing, the basic script, the longest 1 delayed “takes” (by Thomas) this side of Jack Benny and Edstar Kennedy, combined into a soiko comedy total. The guffaws clocked in this half-hour must be any come¬ dian’s delight. The laughs pyra¬ mided naturally and the audience reflexes seemed to work like a- charm. Opening quietly in the Gotham domestic scene, his boy scout-son announces the troop-had decided, after three years of “imposing” on Danny Williams (Thomas), not to bother him again and had, instead, gotten another star for the annual shindig. When Thomas learns it’s Jack Benny he calls on the latter at his Hotel St Moritz suite; there is a great comedy scene with some slow “bums” which carries over into a subsequent “apology” when Benny magnanimously calls, at his colleague’s apartment to make amends. The climax is “a 24-carat gold plaque of appreciation’ which, in turn, sparks Benny’s cupidity i and concern whether his Beverly 1 Hills Beavers mightn’t be similarly | “inspired” to do him honor. . The script plays legitimately and the laughs are honest hence to- bust. Even the well-integrated commercial for Post Toasties by Rusty Hamer, an expert little trouper by now, signs off on a high comedy note. It was dominantly Thomas & Benny’s show although Marjorie Lord’s foiling as the patient mom and the children combine into strong assist to a basically con¬ vincing framework. Fundamentally it’s sound because Thomas plays what he is—a professional cpme- dian whose domestic patience is frequently tried by an unpredict¬ able and betimes demanding brood. If the little girl wants to play cowboy it’s a natural for Thomas to express thanks she isn’t wear¬ ing spurs. ILrhe thinks the boy scout of the family is giving him the brushoff he acts righteously indignant, not to mention the blow to bis professional pride. Incidentally, Thomas has come a long'way from a standupcomic g ven to saloon hecklers, one- aers and “jack” stories. He’s .a polished comedian who knows how to troupe in the best theSpian tra¬ dition. He is constantly in charac¬ ter, handles lines with the eclat of a lammister from Equity, and withal sustains his role of the suf- feringly patient father all the way. **' Producer-director Sheldon Leon¬ ard’s pacing is excellent, under the executive production supervision of Louis F. Edelman and the story assist braintrusted by Arthur Slander’s staff. Robert DeGrasse’s lensing is likewise authoritative as are all the other credits. Abel. DECEMBER BRIDE With Sprinr Byington, Harry Mor¬ gan, Verna Felton, Dean Miller, Frances Rafferty; Edgar Bergen, Frances Bergen, others Exec Producer: Parke Levy I Producer-Director; Fred Be Cor¬ dova Writers: Lou Berman, Arthur Ju¬ lian, Bill Davenport 30 Mins., Thun* 8 pan. GENERAL FOODS CBS-TV (film) (Benton & Bowles) Spring Byington took a back seat to her guestar Edgar Bergen in the opening stanza of “December Bride” for the 1958 fall season. It was Bergen and not Miss Byington who got into the middle of flound¬ ering romance and straightened everything out by the half-hour finale vim his voice-throwing. “December Bride” has been a tv mainstay for the past several years primarily through the efforts of scatter-brained Miss Byington. Keeping her work at a minimum may seem like a good change-of- pace idea on paper hut it doesn’t work out too well on camera. Perhaps it would have if story line and humor had .a bit more body to it than the opener but the Bergen visit turned out to be noth¬ ing more than a routine situation enveloped in average dialog. Guesting along with Bergen were his wife, Frances Bergen, LAWMAN With John Russell, Peter Brown, Edward Byrnes, Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef, Bek Nelson, others Producer: Jules Schermer Director: Montgomery Pittman r Writer: Dean Riesner 30 Mins., Sun., 8:30 p.m. R. J. REYNOLDS, GENERAL MILLS ABC-TV (film)* (Esty; D-F-S) As. for distinguishing marks on “Lawman,” the new half-hour western series, which premiered on ABC-TV Sunday (5), there are none, at least none of any impor¬ tance. Yet the initialer was com¬ petent, even if the competence was partly in capturing the stylized terseness of the stock tv western. Mainly John Russell was the high-paid professional peace officer called in to clean up a town run I by bullies, Edward Byrnes, Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef. Russell, hiring the youthful Peter Brown as I his assistant, does the traditional job of humiliating the toughs be¬ fore he gunned them down in a familiar empty main street climax. It is fairly obvious that R. J. Reynolds and General Mills bought this Warner Bros, series not only because it can benefit from the preceding "high ratings of “Maver¬ ick,” but-because it expected War¬ ners to repeat the quality of the hourlong leadin. There is, how-j ever, more cleverness in the han¬ dling of the “Maverick” ‘storyline. Possibly “Lawman” is* just an- j other case of not being able to overcome the severe limitations time places on the script of a half- hour program. ' Art. THE PAT BOONE CHEVY SHOW¬ ROOM With McGuire Sisters, Bert Wheeler,' Cosy Cole, Ray Bauduc, George Wettling, Don Lamond, Jo Jones Producer-Director: Bill Hobin Writers: Jerry Seelen, Bill Gam- mie, Tony Webster 30 Mins., Thurs., 9 pan. CHEVROLET ABC-TV, from N.Y. ( Campbell-Ewald ) Pat Boone eased back into tv harness for second season of mu* sicalities without disturbing the general format that , proved suc¬ cessful last year. His easygoing and pleasant demeanor registers well and his handling of the intros for guestars and commercials are competent. Acceptable with rhythm numbers, Boone is in top form with a ballad and wisely re¬ lies on the romantic genre for the bulk of his solo vocallstic efforts. Both ‘Tor You” and “Ebb Tide” on preem (2) registered well. Bert Wheeler was season’s first guest and did an ok comedy dialog bit with Boone anent keeping up with new showbiz developments. He then went into a sof tshoe patter routine while' giving , instructions to the camera crew that came off in acceptable fashion. Boone next went into “Sweet; Georgia Brown” abetted by five guest drummers (Cozy Cole, Ray Bauduc, George Wettling, Don La- ! mond. and Jo Jones) for one of the show’s highlights. Number was imaginatively staged with each J drummer on a raised circular dais spotted around the stage and later lined up for a restrained solo by each pounder. Boone rejoined the group for windup chorus that made for pleasant viewing as well as lis¬ tening. McGuire Sisters were next up and after a somewhat draggy intro provided another highpoint with, a specialty, number, “Jefferson Davis Tyler’s General Store.” Group was joined, by Boone for “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” that was spritely and well done. Mc¬ Guires have proved their effective¬ ness as an attraction on the nitery circuit and should enjoy more tv guesting chores befpre the season is over. Show was generally well paced : throughout, although Boone’s ver- j balistics became draggy in the sec-1 ond half. Staging was simple and effective and served as an unobtru¬ sive compliment to the singer and guests. Choreography of the show’s one production number was j strictly routine. Commericals plugging the ’59 i Chevy were forcibly restrained since the new model doesn’t debut until the 16th; however, Boone handled the pitchman’s chores well and delivered the spiels with sim¬ plicity and sincerity. Syd . and his dummies. Also in, but briefly, were the show’s Dean Mil¬ ler, Ruth Henshaw, Pete Porter and Hilda Crocker. It’s Misa By¬ ington and her permanent party that have brought the viewing ■ crowdiethe series' and - the writers* i ought to spend more time with them* Gro*. . / # Wednesday, October 8, 1958 THE RIFLEMAN With Chuck Connor*, Johnny Crawford, Dennis Hopper, Leif Erickson, Sidney Blackmer, . Charles Arnt, R* G. Armstrong, Mickey Simpson. Producers: Jules Levy, Arthur Gardner Director: Arthur Laven Writer: Sam Pfeckinpah 30 Mins., Tnes., 9 pan. PROCTOR & GAMBLE, MILES LABS, RALSTON PURINA ABC-TV (film) (B&B, Geoffrey Wade, Gardner ) Looks as if Jules Levy, Arthur Gardner and Fouf* Star have a winner in “The Rifleman.” It’s a western, all right, but it combines an offbeat type of character with a plausible and delicately handled family relationship and crisp, well- defined action in a pattern that arrests and retains attention. With Chuck Connors cast, as a gent who can handle a rifle with more agility (and fast accuracy) than anyone can equal with a pis* tol, the offbeat premise is estab¬ lished. And with Connors doubling as a widower father to young Johnny Crawford, an unusual fam¬ ily'is set .up. Connors registers strongly in the parental aspects of his role, and young Crawford is ap¬ pealing without the stereotyped good looks and is exceptionally convincing in his adoration of Connors. ^ As for the action, scripter Sam Peckinpah accomplishes a remark¬ able job of introducing his char¬ acters and locales and setting up his premises-, yet filling the first script with a fastmoving story line culminating in some fine action se¬ quences. Story has Connors & Crawford spotting an attractive ranch as they move west, and entering the local town’s turkey shoot in order to get enough prize money for a down payment. Connor’s presence is a threat to the local strongman, who’s had his bets placed on a touring pistol expert he’s quietly brought in for the occasion. When the strongman threatens Crawford’s life, Connors blows the match, but when he then backtracks on his agreement with the pistol expert and kills his uncle-manager, Con¬ nors moves in and cleans out the heavy and his entire gang in an unusual action windup. Connors is perfect for his role, and Crawford, as aforestated, is fine 8s the youngster. Dennis Hop¬ per, as the amiable pistol expert, registers strongly and Leif Erick¬ son is a convincingly menacing heavy. Supporting cast is fine, with Sidney Blackmer as the town judge, Charles Arnt as the uncle and R. G. Armstrong as a weak sheriff. Director Arnold Laven turns In an expert job of staging the action and directing the cast He keeps the story moving crisply, and brings off the father-son scenes with restraint but effectiveness. There’s a topflight musical back¬ ground by Herschel Burke Gilbert, recorded in Europe, that ought to rate plenty of attention for the disk market. Other technical credits are fine. ABC-TV’s slotting of the show seems perfect, since it’s a natural to follow the “Cheyenne-Sugarfoot*’ and “Wyatt" Earp” Tuesday night sequence. It should prove a strong leadin for “Naked City,” and the. entire lineup should have the im¬ petus now to make Tuesday an ABC night all the way. In the past, the web has been able to maintain leadership only until 9 pan* Chan. NAKED CITY With John Mclntire, James Fran¬ ciscos, Suzanne Storrs, Alison Marshal, ethers Producer: Herbert B. Leonard Director; Jerry Hopper Writer: Stirling Silliphant 39 Mins., Toes., 9:!t pan. BROWN * WILLIAMSON ABC-TV (filmT (Ted Bates) Screen Gems’ “The Naked City” is banking heavily on its all-New Yorrk location filming as a dialer lure. Such cityscapes cannot hurt, especially in the outlands, but in interest value they must be sub¬ ordinated to story cast and direc¬ tion. Judged on the basis of last week’s (28) first installment. Red Skelton and NBC’s Bob Cummings are not exactly threatened with oblivion. First of the series was a routine cops & 'robbers, complete with chase. It was pegged on a couple of underprivileged young Puerto Ricans being brought to bay in the town’s Coliseum. What human inter¬ est there was revolved around a uniformed man, James Franciscus, breaking in as g'plainclothesznan under veteran lieutenant John; Mclntire. Producer Herbert B.' Leonard, director Jerry Hopper and writer Stiriing Silliphant are capable of better than that for a starter-offer. 4 Succeeding episodes are bound to be an improvement Trail. YANCY DERRINGER With Jock Mahoney, X. Brands, Kevin; HageriTJuHe Adams, oth¬ ers Executive Producers: Don Sharpe, Warren Lewis Producers: Richard Sale, Mary Loos Director: Richard Sale Writers: Mary Loos, Richard Sale 30 Mins., Thurs., 8:30 p.m. JOHNSON’S WAX CBS-TV (film) (Needham, Louis & Brofby) Maybe the second episode of “Yaiicy Derringer” can help the new series get off thp ground, but the prospect isn’t too promising judging from the over-contrived and hackneyed writing that went into the preemer. First chapter was downright boring and got the series nowhere except past the ex¬ position of who is Yancy and how did he get that way. Yancy, it turns out, is a roguish riverboat gambler straight out of 10c pulp fiction who can outsharp anyone and who is watched over at all times by Lady Luck and a stone¬ faced mute Indian armed with a double-barreled rifle. A former captain in the Confederate army, Yancy is a reconstructed Union man at the end of the first install¬ ment, with an aim to help settle down New Orleans to law and or¬ der just after the Civil War. The show’s singular difference, among tv’s potboilers, is its milieu, but anyway you look at it it re¬ mains a western in southern cloth¬ ing. Derringer doesn’t carry six- guns, hut he seems to have knives and midget pistols everywhere on his person. He is handy at judo, and when he plays poker he draws, but naturally, four aces. Premiere episode found Der¬ ringer coming back to New Orleans after a long absence, in response to a telegram from his old flame (Julie Adams). En route he is continually running into three un¬ savory character^ who keep trying to bump him off. Lady friend tells him they are hirelings of a power¬ ful man named Colton (Kevin Hagen), who wants to erase Der¬ ringer in order to buy up the old family plantation. But the girl turns out the heavy and Colton the honest john city administrator. In the end he enlists Yancy as his personal agent, working un¬ derground. to help him clean up the town. Jock Mahoney is the right physi¬ cal type for the role of Yancy, and the performances in general were all right considering the imr probableness of the script. Dialog was too crisp and too cute, and the sign-language communication between Yancy and his Indian chum (X. Brands) was plain laugh¬ able, but wasn’t meant to be. Let . BEHIND CLOSED DOORS (Cape Canaveral Story) With Braee Gordon, host-narrator; Joe Maross, Jaeqneo Aabuchon, Peter Whitney, others Producer: Sam Gallo Director: Paul Wendkos Writer: Paul Monash 3i M ins.; Thors* 9 pjn* WHITEHALL, LIGGETT ic MYERS NBC-TV (film) (Ted Bates , Dancer-Fitzgerald- Sample) No more authentic-seeming scene of a rocket countdown is recalled than the one launching “Behind Closed Doors,” the NBC series produced for Whitehall and L&M by Sam Gallu and Screen Gems. The story itself, while it showed- more ingenuity in the telling than the few other weekly tv cloak-and- dagger shows there have been, did not carry even a portion of the bang that the documentary footage had. “Doors” is to be a series of tele- filmed episodes Thursdays at 9 p.m., reportedly based on the , counter-espionage files of Rear. / Admiral Ellis M. Zacharias, former wartime Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence. For one thing, “The ' Cape Canaveral Story” could only have happened after the warrano, if it is to be assumed that the initialer was based on a similar story of World War n, then it can be criticized for not conveying a sense of reality. As a meller, the half-hour was okay. Joe'Moross was a little too suspicious as the true-blue Amerit can fishing boat skipper, although the actor who played the intelli¬ gence man was more credible, espe¬ cially since he carried off with considerable believability his tran¬ sition from a would-be Villain to that of the program’s level-headed hero. T)he Paul Monash script gave no reason to believe in the truth of the story, but he kept throwing in ■ enough little surprises to make it an interesting enough melodrama.