Evening star., 1950-05-14

1t may be that the neighbor-
hood movie theater is not so near
the end of its days as some would
have you believe. Radio never was
able to deal the film business any
serious blows. Now television,
adopting many of radios ways,
may drive lot of people back to
the Bijou in desperation. Tele-
vision is going to have to discover
some more agreeable way of pay
ing the freight for photoplays be-
fore it gives the corner movie
house too bad time.
This was made apparent the
other night while Alfred Hitch
cocks old masterpiece, THE 80
Steps," was being unreeled over
WNBW. Television doesn't even
let boy meet girl before it is
throwing the first commercial at
you. And at roughly 10-minute
intervals thereafter the actors are
stopped in their celluloid tracks
for sales talk.
TeleviSion has to be paid for by
some one, to be sure. but they in
termiSsion you to death during
these movies. 1t pays hob with
the telling of a story in pictures
and words and makes the building
of a mood impossible. Any one
who now has the impression that
1.-THE 80 Steps" tells of an inter-
national ring of automobile sales
men trying to steal Great Brit
aims laundry and dry cleaning
secrets is completely justified in
having that opinion.
Newer Hollywood films won't
help television if they have to be
bought and paid for on these
terms. 1t may be inconvenient
to put on your shoes and walk
three blocks to the corner movie.
but, even if the young behind
throw popcorn at you. the screen
won't throw commercials at you.
y X X X
Fiji D'Orsay's manager-hus-
band, Ricky La Ricos. was saying
when she appeared in Washing
ton recently that he may have
stumbled on one of the reasons
for some of television's ills. He
was trying to sell Miss D'Orsay as
an entertainer to woman who
has charge of all the programs of
q large-spending sponsor.
who's Fiji D'Orsay?" the
woman wanted to know. MI. La
Ricos explained that from 20 years
ago up to the war days she had
been we'll known in the movies
that she had played opposite such
people as Will Rogers. Bing
Crosby, Maurice Chevalier.
The woman interrupted.
who's Maurice Chevalier?" she
wanted to know.
Horace Heidi is todays visitor
in town for a command per-
formance" of his radio show
(WTOP-9:30 PM. Just re-
turned from a tour of CT bases in
Europe. Mr.. Heidi will present his
own troupe and a group of con-
testants from the services in q
three-hour Salute to the Armed
Forces" at Fort Myer. @-
The Heidi show will start of
q series of radio and television
programs by all the networks
pointing toward the observance
of the first Armed Services Day
next Saturday.
The military contestants ap-
pearing on the program tonight
will take part in the portion which
is broadcast, of course. The win
ner will remain in this country
on special furlough as long as he
stays on the show.
X X
Telenotes: Another of televi-
sion's contributions to Hollywood
is Irene Vernon, who has been
playing feminine leads in Fire
side Theater" dramas. Miss Ver-
non has just been signed to a
seven-year movie contract by Rob-
ert Stillman Productions, which
releases through United Artists.
Her first role will be opposite
Richard Carlson in THE Sound
of Fury" Bob Hopes next
holiday TV appearance will not
be on Memorial Day, but on
Saturday. May 81, on NBC-TV.
The show will be a Commute re-
view patterned after his Easter
debut program, for the same spon-
sor. Peter Lind Hayes and
wife, Mary Healy, are mentioned
as the most likely prospects to
star in the new CBS-TV program
to emanate from New York's Stork
Club. :. Actor Philip Loeb comes
forward to admit a preference
for television work over stage and
screen appearances. "On TV,"
says the Jake of THE Goldbergs''
CWOIC-Monday. $3.50 PM, "you
have a chance to develop a char
acter, but you never become stale.
Each week the script has a new
plot which can reveal new facet
of the character being portrayed" l."
Eyebrow-raiser of the week,
In publicity release: why
bother to take the children to
the ZOO when they can sit at
home Sunday evenings and watch
The Paul Whiteman Revue over
ABC-TV?" 1t turns out. of
course, that this is no slurring
reference to Mr.. Whiteman or his
musicians, but a reminder that
sundry animals have appeared on
the show.
X X y \
The 1850 Independence Drive
for United States Savings Bonds
will be ushered in tomorrow night
by two special shows-one on ra-