Evening star., 1951-10-08
By Joy Cormody

But no Jne has to apologize for
Big Ten football. especially nli-
nois VS.. Wisconsin.
Bill Stern was calling the game.
He was trying something inter-
esting, namely directing attention
constantly to the defensive teams
formations, the player calling de-
fensive signals, and to the work
of individuals on the they-shan-
not-pass side of the line. This was
all to the good. although the de-
fensive signal callers sometimes
betrayed Bill by doing the un-
predicted (as distinct from the
unpredictable).
To enjoy football to the utmost.
viewers in the stands at home
have to know about defensive tao
tics. Prof. Stern was conducting
an illustrated lecture. Considering
the mercurial nature Of his sub
ject, it was ably enough done.
A Highlight Ignored.
Perhaps it is carping to bring it
up, considering the total nature OF
the Stern performance. but there
was one dramatic detail he left for
the newspapers to cover the next
day. How he could have missed 1t
right there on the field when 1t
was so visible on the television
screen is hard to understand.
To be sure. Bill could have been
looking up at the weather at that
particular moment, getting ready
for his next periodic forecast, but
the fellows in the pressbox were
more alert.
What Bill missed, even If the
audience did not, was that fine
impromptu scrap between a dark
jerseyed Illini and white-clad
Badger. These two came together
in a sharp midf1eld scramble.
bounced of each other, and then
waded in for brief furry of arms
and fists. There was a sudden leap
into the scene by a couple of off,
cials. A second later the culprits
were seen leaving for their re-
spective sidelines.
The cameraman was interested
in every split second of it even if
Stern was not. The latter never
even said that a couple of the
boys were more high spirited than
the other 20 on the field. He
did not say what happened to
them, although it was pretty OBJ
vious what would happen to them.
He did not say that one was an
outstanding Wisconsin back, the
other a star nlini end and that
their play would be missed in
the second half by the respective
teams. He never even mentioned
the incident.
In no spirit Of bloodthirstiness.
but of wanting to know the dra-
matte details Of what he is see
ing, the viewer reasonably wants
to hear about things like this.
Those old-fashioned press box
characters covered it quite amply
the next day. Just a couple OF
sentences in their Sunday pieces
and every one knew the whole
story. 1t was thoughtful Of them.
Roz in the Laboratory.
Regardless Of the entertain
ment medium in which she works,
Miss Rosalind Russell is one of
the most intelligent women in It.
To look and be as keen as she
manages is impressive.
The quality of her thinking is
going to be maintained when
she moves into television Oct. 19
as star of CBS's Playhouse of
Stars with the comedy, "The
Newest Profession" This is new
dramatic work, definitely set for
television, but also a probable
Hollywood production later. The
idea is that the latter also will
star Miss Russell, who has made
no commitment, and will make
none. until she has had a chance
to weight its merits after the tele-
vision performance.
There has been a lot Of talk
about this sort Of television pre-
testing of dramatic works. Miss
Russell is not content merely to
increase the volume Of talk.
Frankie-the- Berle- Killer.
Columbia Broadcasting System
is not one of Milton Berle's fans
and thinks a lot of others are
aching to resign from the Berle
fan club. This is the premise1
on which it has carefully built
tomorrow nights most dramatic
hour on television-8 pm. when
Frank Sinatra comes out against
Berle, NBC-TV's man.
This is the first serious chal-
lenge to Berle's modest descrip-
ton of himself as Mister Tele-
vision" To give it potency. CBS-
WTOP-TV has armed Sinatra
with such high-powered guests as
Perry Como and frankie Laine,
among others.
To provide Sinatra with a pro-
ducer of proper caliber, CHS has
gone into the legitimate theaterI
and hauled out Max Gordon.
Gordon, producer Of such stage
hits as "The Band Wagon
"Three's a Crowd" Born Yester-
day." "Dodsworth" and Junior
Miss" is nobody to be awed by
Mister Television." Max was
here first and he expects to be
here longer.