Evening star., 1950-12-29
On the Air
Jack Benny's
Date Is Still
Indefinite
By Harry Macarthur

The date Of Jack Benny's Sec
ond network telecast still has not
been set, but some arrangements
are being made. When he did
the first show couple of months
ago, it was announced that he
would be back at eight-Week in
tervals, but something happened
to that plan.
1t recently became known that
the second program had been in
definitely postponed. The diff
Guilty of fitting a 45-minute show
"a period which Benny seemed
to prefer-into a schedule COM
posed of hour and half hour pro-
grams was listed as the primary
snag.
There also is the possibility
that the comedian was not COM
pletely satisfied with his first net
work TV effort after examining
the kinescope. 1t would be un-
derstandable. Benny realized
something like so per cent of
his possibilities on that first show.
He wisely assumed that the TV
audience might not know him as
well as his radio audience and
made sure that his miserly radio
character was established, def
nitely and right away, in the new
medium, which was good.
Comedy skits were brought off
with complete satisfaction, too. on
that first Benny show. thanks
largely to his superb timing and
his knack for reading a comedy
line. On the other hand, there
were long stretches when it was
obvious that his many radio years
had turned him into man who
like Bob Hope, George Burns,
Frank Sinatra and some others
can't resist the temptation to milk
the studio audience for laughs and
to heck with any possible laugh
ter at home which he can't hear.
That may or may not be good
radio. but it definitely is not good
television.
This much is definite about the
next Benny television appearance,
incidentally. He will do a half
hour show on a Sunday night
at 7:30 in the spot occupied regu-
larly by This Is Show Business.
also supported by Benny's sponsor.
Thorough enjoyment once more
Of The Late Christopher Bean"
and The Barretts of Wimpole
Street" have not been the only
results Of Helen Hayes recent ap-
pearances before the television
cameras. These appearances seem
also to have given her the yen to
get before those other and older
cameras. the movie ones, again.
At any rate she is making long
delayed return to the screen in
Paramount's MY Son John" her
first picture since 1886. This will
get under way in March, with
Leo Mccarey directing. Until |
then Miss Hayes will be busy di-
recting Sir James Barries Mary
Rose" scheduled for Broadway
opening on February %.
In case you missed the report
elsewhere in the news columns,
all is sweetness and understanding
between NBC and Arturo Tosca-
mini. The conductor will return
to the podium of the NBC SYM
phony on January 27 and, even
though he will be 81 on March 25,
he also has plans for a spring
concert tour. If you'd like to
know who wins when Toscanini
argues with corporation the size
Of NBC, the orchestra will move
from Monday at 10 back to Sat-
urday at $50 in Carnegie Hall
and there will be no studio audi
ences. The January q concert is
an exception to all this, however;
it will start at and there will be
an audience for Verdis "Requi-
en-" since this will be a benefit
for the home for aged musicians
which Verdia founded in Milan.
Programs and People: Starting
Monday a daily Fashion Fea-
ture" will be part of Ruth Cranes
Modern Woman on Television"
(WMAL-TV-3 PM. Earl
Goodwin. WNBW- -WRC new COM
mentator, finally was talked into
accepting a Christmas bonus"
Took the holiday off and missed a
regularly scheduled broadcast for
the first time in IA years. :.
There is report from New York
that the reaches of MICS con-
verted Studio 8-H are so
great that the TV stage hands
travel from set to set on roller
skates. Barry Fitzgerald
will be Don McNeil's guest tomor-
row night at on WMAL-TV. ;.
Red Foley, Minnie Pearl and other
favorites of the Grand Ole Opry"
radio troupe, will appear at Uline
Arena Sunday night for 9 pm.
to 2 m. celebration of New Years
eve. Therell be dancing in addi-