Evening star., 1951-09-14
On the Air
NBC-TV Has
Plans for
Big Shows
By Harry Macarthur

py UutEy muCNItHuI
A one-night, coast-to-coast
stand Of South Pacific" may be
closer than you think. That's only
day dreaming right now, but NBC-
TV has come up with a program
idea, which could make possible
the televising Of such things as
the hit musical.
The plan. as reported in Variety,
the show business journal, is TO-
make a radical departure" in
|programming by presenting over
the NBC-TV network a series of
"Spectaculars." These would be two
hours long and would be staged
once q month in a prime time slot.
Sponsors of the shows replaced on
the one night would foot the bill
for the Spectacular" instead.
In addition to such things as
South Pacific" if a TV release
for that could be obtained, these
shows might be used for special
events, such as the TV debut of
Danny Kaye, an Nall-star Red Cross
show or anything else of an out
standing nature.
The plans for all of this still
are somewhat nebulous, but they
have reached the point where
'NBC-TV is thinking that Sundays
from 8 to 10 and Tuesdays from
9 to II would be good spots for
"Spectaculars."
*a**
Personal, Not Private-Helen
Hayes is the first star to be signed
for the new Playhouse Of Stars"
dramatic program, which will
start on CBS-TV (WTOP-TV) on
Friday, October S, at 9 9p.m. Miss
Hayes will appear on the initial
program, title of which hasn't
been announced, and on another
in the first 13-week series. !
Marie Wilson will be playing her
self, not Irma's friends friend
1rma, when she makes a TV ap-
pearance September 80 as a panel
member on Celebrity Time" !
Conrad Nagel. host on this Sun
day night CHS show, is a veteran
OF stage, screen and television who
never appeared in a Broadway
musical. He'll change that on
October 8. when Music in the
Air" opens at the Ziegfeld Thea
ter. 1t (the musical, not the the
ater) and Mr.. Nagel will be at the
.Olney the week of September 25.
/. Most fascinating booking of
the year: The signing of Jan
Peerce, the operate tenor, as guest
star on "The Comedy Hour" next
Sunday, when Spike Jones will
also be featured. Lew Ayres
will be making his television de-
but on the Ken Murray Show"
tomorrow night. He will narrate
half-hour documentary for the
American Red Cross. It will be.
In fact, Ayres' first professional
appearance anywhere outside a
Hollywood sound stage, as nearly
as CHS officials can determine.
|. Jack Carter, on the other
hand, will be making his motion
picture debut in MGM's "The
Merry Widow" His spot last sea-
son has been filled on NBC by the
mammoth "All-Star Revue" and
the network hasn't said much
lately about plans for Carter.
Week End Guests:
Saturday-Mary Mayo, on THE
Patricia Bowman Show" (WTOP-
TV-6:45 pmD. =. Senator Harry
Cain. on American Youth
Forum" (WNBW-7 p. m.) !
Peggy Lee and Lew Ayres, on "The
Ken Murray Show" (WTOP-TV-I
3 p. mo -. Olsen and johnson.
on 'All-Star Revue" (WNBW-9
p. m0 :. Anne Shelton, join
ing Faye Emerson in a salute to
London on Wonderful Town"
(WTOP-TV-9 p. No. Mar
Chapman, as guest host
ess on Your Show of Shows"
lWNBW-9 p. m0 Sara
Vaughan and Alan Dale, on
Songs for Sale" (WTOP-TV-I
10 p. m0.
Sunday French Gen. Jean
deLattre. on Meet the Press"
(WNBW-4 p.m). Senator
Brian Mcmahon, on Man of the
Week" (WTOP-TV-5:3O
p.m.) -. Senator James H. Duff.
on THE Big Question" (Will Eisen-
hover Run?' (WTOP-TV16 pm.
>. Andy and Della Russell and |
Lima Romay, on "Star of the Fam
lily" (WTOP-TV-6:30 p.m.) ;.
Connee Boswell, on "The PAUL.
Whiteman Revue" (WMAL-TV-|
z p. No. -. Mitzi Mayfair, LeueenI
McGrath, Johnny Johnston andl|
Frank Fontaine, on This ISL
Show Business" (WTOP-TV-N
1880 pm. :. Spike Jones and his
City Slickers and Jan Peerce. on
The Comedy Hour" (WNBW-8II
p. No. ;. Gertrude Lawrence.
Lisa Kirk. Dorothy Sarnoff, Mu-
riel Rain, Dolores Gary and
Richard Rodgers, in part two of
The Oscar Hammerstein Story. 3"
IN Toast of the Town" (WTOP-
rV-8 p. No. -. Carol GoodnerI
md Kent Smith, in "The Way
ward Season." on "Television
Playhouse" (WNBW-9 p. m.)
Jessica Tandy and Hume
Cronyn, on "The Fred Waring
Show (WTOP-TV-9 p. m.) ii
SloiSe McElhone, as an actress, on
'Plainclothesman" (WTTG-9:30