Evening star., 1950-06-25
TeIevision-Rodio
Jerry Strong Finds the Rewards of TV
Are More Than Merely Monetary
By Harry MocArrtrur

Jerry StTOng mas QlSCOfSIeC
that the rewards of television are
not all monetary. AS a matter of
fact, the rewards of televiSion are
not too imposing from q monetary
standpoint. but they are sufficient
for Mr.. Strong to take and count
or weigh when he has time and
sufficient for him to stay happy
between the moments when he is
savoring the richer rewards Of his
contacts with humanity.
Right now Mr.. Strong is most
enthusiastic about his newest Tv
project. Saturday night WNBW
show titled Fame Forecasts"
which gives local amateurs a
chance to try for a trip to New
York and an addition for Ted
Mack's Original Amateur Hour"
He is still busy every morning on
WINK and he has other projects
too numerous to mention lest the
very thought tire a radio editor.
but Fame Forecasts" which
made its debut a week ago last
night, is his pet at the moment.
1t drew gratifying response of
more than 5000 votes from tele-
viewers on its first showing.
1t also gives Mr.. Strong the op-
portunity to make telephone calls
like the one he made the other
morning to inform 15-year-old
Nancy Austen that she was the
first winner. Miss Austen, whose
speciality was an imitation of
Beatrice Kay to record accom-
paniment, was Speechless, at least
for as long as a woman could be
expected to be Speechless.
I'm the winner?" she finally
gasped in amaZement. Then she
turned from the phone. II won,
JEANNE, I won." she could be
heard calling to some one, a sister
perhaps. Then she came back to
Mr.. Strong.
II did. honest?" she demanded.
you certainly did," he told her.
II can't believe it," she main
tained. Makes a man feel good
to make some one that happy.
Mr.. Strong also likes to come
across dramatic stories like the
one he finally got out of a con-
testant on last nights program.
The contestant was Anthony Van
Zwaren, a student at George
Washington University. who stud
led medicine for four years in his
native Holland before the war
came along. Taken prisoner, he
shortly wound up in BuchenWald,
which was the end of the road
for a number of people.
One day Mr.. Van Zwaren came
upon guitar hanging on the
wall, took it down and a girl who
was a. fellow prisoner undertook
to teach him to play it. He
mastered the thing and, after
awhile. he was assigned the task
of forming a band to play for
the commandant.
Learning to play that guitar,
Mr.. Van Zwaren told Mr.. Strong,
is what saved him from being
another victim of Buchenwald.
Jerry also likes to think of an
experience he recently had on his
afternoon WNBW television show,
now off for the summer. He stuck
a metal tube over a finger one
day in preparation for playing his
own guitar. Twisting it absently,
he caught a gasp from the studio
a udience. They thought he
couldn't get it off and that gave
him an idea for running gag
that he kept up throughout the
show. a4.
What surprised him was the
flood Of telephone calls he got
after the program. His feminine
viewers all over town we're calling
to give him pet recipes for re-
moving metal tubes stuck on
nngerS. He even had offers to
send doctors around with medical
aid. He thinks it was pretty nice
of everybody.
n II X
Some award for bravery will
have to be thought up for the
WMAL-TV staff which is taking
on a new show to be titled That's
My Baby" Its featured perform
ers will be children under the age
of 4 and children under the age
Of 4 are likely to be the least