Evening star., 1951-10-02
On the Air
Miss Hayes
Anywhere
Is Magic
By Joy Cormody

| Ed Sullivan, the Toast-of-th
Town man, is not merely a vet
eran of the television business by
now, he also is a crafty one. "Craf-
lty" in the flattering sense, nat
urally.
The second most deadpan of all
the Sullivans-the other is fell
low named Fred Allen who re-
christened himself-is now doing
television biographies and if there
is better way of getting fasci-
mating names on your show, where
is it?
Sullivan's career as a video Bos-
well began with Oscar Hammer
stein II and barely had the echo
Iof that ones success begun to
fade before he was back with
Helen Hayes. The first was a two
installment affair which means
that even if he decided to make
the formal his exclusive work.
Sullivan would not soon run out
Iof material. Moreover, if and
when he could induce a subject
like Tallulah Bankhead to release
her life to him. Sullivan might
have a six, eight or 10-install-
ment show. Since Miss Bankhead
is competitor, this is unlikely
but there are so many others
without her.
\ 4 \ X
A Lovely Mite of a Queen
Not even in Mr.. Hammerstein
could Sullivan have found q more
beloved subject than Miss Hayes
whose story was told on SUNDAY
night. Miss Hayes, whose greatest
role was that of Queen Victoria.
Inherited from the long-runnine
play something of Victoria's own
capacity to generate affection for
herself. 1t would be hard to name
a more queenly American, a mite
OF lovely woman more qualified
10 inspire warmth, loyalty, and
admiration.
therefore. even more than in
the Hammerstein case, Sullivan
picked himself an irresistible
television biography subject. Name
a name with more magic in it.
She Makes A Camera Glow
Life stories on television are good
entertainment even if they are
not SC much life" as work stories.
There is neither time nor oppor-
tunity for the minutes of environ
ment and experience that make a
heroine what she is, as in pains
takins literary biography. Even
the movies. with which life stories
are a passion, have scope for more
detail than television.
The latter is limited to high
lights. anc when these are as high
as in the case of Miss Hayes, one
has nc right to ask for more.
1t was one of the cleverest tricks
OF Sullivan toast to Miss Hayes
that 1t made such generous use of
her background screen material,
the extracts from the films of
Victoria Regina" and Arrow
smith" These represent produc-
ton at its best. and acting that
takes time to find the exact shade |
OF feeling and meaning. They were
bright assets to the first install.
ment Of Tine Helen Hayes Story"
Best Of all the features Of the
show and far better than the
movies with their need to sub
stitute limitations for the real
thing-is the presence of the sub
Ject herself on the show. A tele-
vision camera focused on Miss
Hayes doing anything, acting
telling an anecdote, or talking
with Ed Sullivan is a beautifully
revealing instrument.
She has a glow that never fails
and L there is anything wrong
with Sullivan's choice of Miss
Hayes as his STORY" subject, it'll
is only that he is beginning sol
high that well, what can one
say?
Red Was Bound To Whit was
a foregone conclusion that Red
Shelton would give established
televis'on comedians f1ts-and al
huge audience delight-with his
first appearance on NBC-WNBW
1t always has been something of
a surprise that such a visual
clown as Shelton could get along
SO trlumphantly on the mere
SOUND of radio. Add the sight of
him, and the result was inevitable
the one that happened Sunday
night.
1t was ordained here some
Is years ago when a younger
lither Red took his first calculated
fall into the Capitol theater's Or
chestra pit-and virtually brought
down the house.
Perfect Timing-Celebrity Time
may continue through II genera
tions Of celebrities without ever
again coming up with the pin
point perfection Of chosen guests
reflected in Jackie Robinson's ap-
pearance Sunday night. A full
week before his pennant-savingt
catch In the last game with the
Phillies, and his pennant-tyingI
homer in the 14th inning, Celeb
rity Time had Jackie on its up
coming show.
II there was more celebrated
celebrity so few hours after that
ball game, he was not in this
hemisphere.
This COrnuc0pia What will
happen to man-hours and women
hours Of work during the next
week or 10 days is something tele-
vision and radin do mt ho1,a -