Evening star., 1950-02-05
Television-RQdiO 7
Robert Montgomery's TV Debut
Results in q Fine Drama
By Horry Macarthur

Robert Montgomery's entry into
television as the producer-narrator
of a new biweekly dramatic
show (WNBW, Monday, $50 p.m0
was noteworthy event. It was
obvious from the opening scene
of "The Letter." starring Made
1eine Carroll in her. TV debut, that
Mr.. Montgomery was out to give
the home viewers dramatic enter
tainment of high quality. .
He achieved his aim with
notable success last Monday night.
1.-THE Letter" adapted from the
Somerset Vaughan story which
once served Bette Davis as a movie
vehicle, was given a fluid video
production by Mr.. Montgomery.
He used the electronic cameras as
effectively as he has used motion
picture cameras. From the tele-
viewers viewpoint, Mr.. Montgom-
cry is welcome man, since he
obviously is well aware that this
Is not visual radio, but medium
in which the picture is of prime
Importance and the word merely
q means of supplying supple
mentary information.
1.-The Letter" was well acted,
too. Miss CAROLS performance
was an excellent one and she had
some fine support from Howard
Wierum, Ted Newton, Ivan Mac.
Donald and William Post. jr. If
Mr.. Montgomery maintains the
high standards he has set with
his opening show, he is sure to
become one of television's more
distinguished fixtures.
There are, however, a couple of
exceptions which may as well be
taken right now. Neither has
anything to do with Mr.. Mont
gomery and, in fact, it is possible
that he already has made both
complaints. The greatest sin on
the show is committed by the
sponsors advertising agency. The
mood of the drama builds up
through an act-and Mr.. Mont
gQmery can do this expertly-then
is smashed suddenly by an out
rageously blatant, loud, long
winded sales talk. This is no cry
against commercial television, but
there is a limit to what a man
can take. After one of these
things you need a synopsis of act
one before you can get into act
two.
The other complaint has to do
with the scheduling of the show,
which pits it against ''The Gold
bergs" and Studio One" There
is not so much good drama on
televison yet that a man should
be forced Into making choice
between the Montgomery program
and Studio One"
*9x
A third color television system
will get into the RCA-CBS battle
this month when it is demon
strated here to the FEC by Color
Television, Inc.,i over WMAL-TV.
Like the RCA system. Color Tele-
visions is what the engineers call
"compatible"-that is, you can
get a black-and-white picture on
an ordinary receiver from tele-
casts in color.
Incidentally, there is a sensible
report on the status of TV in color
In the February issue of Coronet.
Don't get excited too soon is the
conclusion it reaches.
X X ~
The University of Chicago
Round Table, Americas first ad
lib discussion program and con-
sistent1y one of the best on the
air, starts its Goth year as an NBC
Sunday feature at 1:30 today. The
oldest continuous program on the
NBC network, the Round Table
has achieved considerable success
In attracting a large audience to a
type of discussion which usually
gets a more specialized one. The
last Hooper was So. which won't
frighten Jack Benny, but is better
than fair for the time and kind
of program.
y u X %
Telenotes: Robert G.. Lewis
again will substitute for Arthur
Godfrey on this Wednesdays tele-