Evening star., 1938-01-23
Frog Project
SnarlS N.B.C.
Staff
Also Bamed
By Fearless
Towel.

- YER sensitive to the unseen
- currents that settle the fate
tor hash) of nations, your COR
- respondent at Radio City has
ripped the veil of secrecy from an
incident at the National Broadcasting
Co. that is likely to 60 down in his
tory as the turning point of Ameri-
can television. The incident will
doubtless be known to future genera
tions as 'rAffaire Sleeping Beauty"
According to usually well-informed
sources, the affair has its origin in
secret plans by the N B. c. tele-
vision directors for elaborate expert
mental dramatiza ton of a tale known
as The Sleeping Beauty" Fur
therance of the scheme. however. de-
manded an odd assortment of talk
ing frogs, spiders spinning webs on
spinning wheels, flies, bugs, rabbits,
butterflies, etc, all to work their
miracles in front of the Iconoscope
camera sometime within the next few
weeks. The writer has a photograph
Of unquestionable authenticity show
ing one of the spiders at work on his
spinning wheel. 1t will be published
as soon as it can be smuggled out of
Radio City.
The story is told in three confden-
tial memoranda, the first of which was
sent by Thomas Hutchinson, tele-
vision program director, to an ac-
complice. 1t is quoted in full:
will you please provide the fol-
lowing items for television produc-
ton of The Sleeping Beauty: One
frog to talk, wink, go to sleep and
catch flies; one handkerchief to speak
and show pain, one tulip to open and
reveal baby. three flies for frog to
catch, six little spiders spinning webs
on six little practical spinning wheels,
one goose to play solitaire, one grow
ing rose hedge. one deer, one horse
and assorted bugs, rabbits, butter
flies, squirrels. ETC."
The agent, w. c. Eddy, shortly de-
livered the following report of his
activities:
Il. Animated frog project-Now
emerging from the amoebic stage. We
definitely feel that the no mama-no
papa. status Of this project has slowed
down its evolution. Frog can now
yawn Editors note: And so can we). l..
"2 Handkerchief that cries and
shows fear-This project is at present
all wet and has been turned over to
our submarine department. FIRE.
quent inoculations of fear have been
made intravenously in the starboard
hem during the morning.
g. Tulip and baby -Consid-
cradle thought has been given this
subject. Each phase considered sep
arately presents no apparent difficult
ty. Referred to our mixing oil with
water department.
=. One dozen assorted flies for frog
to eat-Our fly department appears to
be fresh out of flies. The whole SUBJ
ject gets In our hair.
IS. One goose (here the report Is
blank.
g. Might we suggest that this de-
partment now has on hand a COM
plete stock of calibrated measuring
worms (metric scale) as we'll as a COM
plete assortment of eight balls?"
The Eddy memorandum Is accom-
panied by a supplementary report
from the operations supervisor, F. A.
Wankel. Mr.. Wankel slyly proposes,
in the most diplomatic of terms, sub
stitution of some stock material,
which would greatly improve the en-
tertainment value of the program,
provided your Mr.. John Gihon (chief
television script writer) could rewrite
the script, utilizing these items" The
available properties follow:
"One crying towel, complete with
glycerine tears Slightly used by sound
effects group; foul balls named
Louie, Negley and Reeves (unidenti-
f1ed) for frog to catch; assorted bugs
available throughout television sys-
tenn.
This seems to complete the list
except for the frog. The construction
and animation of this is a MASTER
piece All the requested features have
been included. It speaks only French,
however, and has the annoying habit
of sleeping with its eyes open. One
animation. strangely enough. seems
to be beyond our control. Whenever
any member Of the television produce
ton stan approaches within 10 feet
Of our frog he rolls over and howls
with hysterical laughter"
(To be continued in our Soup to
Quite Nuts" issue.-Ed.)