Evening star., 1950-12-24

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This miracle. you will discover
sets up a strange compulsion
When the set is a newcomer tc
your living room you find yourself
forced to look at programs merely
because they are there. This, il
will cheer you to learn, is a pass
ing thing. 1t will wear off. In
time you will discover that dark
viewing tube does not make you
nervous. You will even be able
to return to reading books now
and then. or even to conversation
with your mate.
CompuIsion to Look
Eosier on You Now
Right now you are fortunate to
| be one of the first 10 million in
stead of one of the pioneer tele-
vision owners. A couple of years
ago this compulsion to look be-
cause there's something to look
at would have given you some
strange experiences. You would
have gone on tours of scenic
Pennsylvania. studied coal min
ing. investigated bee-keeping.
animal husbandry, horticulture,
fire prevention. tree surgery and
a number of other subjects about
which free motion pictures have
been made.
Things are different now. The
first thing you will discover is
that vaudeville was not dead at
all during those years when
everybody was saying vaudeville's
dead. 1t was alternating. It is
back now and you will find it
somewhere on television every
afternoon and evening.
You will not find this an un-
mixed blessing. however. even if
you are an old vaudeville fan
who thought life stopped when
Keith's Theater gave up on
round actors and locked the stage
door. The trouble is that there
aren't enough vaudeville acts to
go around. There are some lively
turns. of course, but there also
are some tiresome ones and some
which will soon become too
familiar. There seems to be, for
example. only one dog act left
in the vaudeville which uses
television as its stage. Busiest
dog act you ever saw, but that
proverb about the old dog and the
new tricks apparently is correct.
TeIevision at Its Best
In Presenting Drama
1t is in the field of drama, you
will discover. that television is at
its best so far as regular program
ming goes. A program called
Studio One" (WTOP-TV-Mon-
day. 10 p.m) probably has main
tanned the best average. It is
not as experimental as it once
was. but its sponsor apparently
allows nearly as much freedom as
was permitted when it was sus-
tanning and it turns up with some
corking shows week after week.
Another veteran which con-
tinues to maintain high entertain
ment standards is "Television
Playhouse" which you will find
on WNBW tonight at 8. This has
turned from adaptations of past
Broadway plays TO dramatizations
of novels. so fast does TV use up
material. and 1t is one you can
depend on almost every week.
Ford Theater" (WTOP-al-
ternate Fridays, 9 p.m) ranks
high among television's blessings,
too. The scripts are intelligent,
well-acted, imaginatively directed
and the production is tasteful.
This, If you don't meet it sooner,
will bring you face-to-face with
an example of radio foolishness
transplanted to television. This
lis the practice of dividing the
audience by spotting like pro-
grams at the same hour on differ
ent stations. On WMAL-TV at
8 pm. on Fridays. you will find
Pulitzer Prize Playhouse. This
lis devoted to adaptations of
Pulitzer prize plays and to drama
tizations of other works by Pulitzer
prize winners and it is highly rec
commended.
II takes man who never had
to chose between Ford Theater"
and Pulitzer Prize Playhouse" TO
tell you that "the programs aren't
any good yet on television."
There's q Long List
Of Shows to SompIe
AS a matter of fact, it is lust
daWning on us that things are
enough improved over last year
IN television entertainment that
there is only room left to skim
lightly over some recommends
tions. Here, then, are some of the
things you new televiewers are
advised to sample. You can't like
them all. but all are worth in
vestigating.
Sunday - American Forum of
the Air" $3.50. meet the. Press
"a, Zoo Parade" (4::3O), Com
edy Hour" (8y. "Television Play
house" go and "Garroway at
Large" (10) on WNBW; "Our
Secret Weapon" (7:3O) and "Par-
ty Time 90 on WTTG; Super
Circus" 60, "The College Bowl
(6). Paul Whiteman. Revue" CD
and Marshall Plan in Action
(9:30) on WMAL-TV; capitol
Cloakroom" (5), "Mr. I. Magma
tion" $3.50, This Is Show Busi-
ness" f:30). "Toast of the Town
(8), Erred Waring Show" 90 and
whats My Line?" d0:3O on
WTOP-TV.
Monday =" Voice of Firestone'
$500 and Robert Montgomery
Presents" or Musical Comedy
Time" (9:3O) on WNBW; Arthur
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