Evening star., 1951-02-07
On the Air
Song Took
3 Minutes;
154 Hours
By Harry Macarthur

~S~SA~s
Show" (WTOP-TV-Sunday. 9
p.m) singing a song entitled II
Remember the Cornfields." While
she sang. Nadine Gae and Marc
Breaux performed a dance.
There is nothing unusual about
finding three minutes of Mr.. War
ing's easy-to-take hour occupied
thus and there is nothing unusual
in the preparation behind Miss
Wheatley's song. The extent of this
preparation, however, should give
you an idea why television is not
only the newest but also is the
most expensive of the entertain
ment arts.
Before Miss Wheatley opened
her mouth on the air that Sunday
night, a number of people had
occasion to remember her corn
fields well. The special arrange
ment, to start things OFF, took one
man 7 hours. Copying the music
took two men hours each. and
the rehearsal kept 80 men occu-
pied 2 hours each.
Other labor included the dance,
two dancers 2 hours Zach; scenery
design and painting, six men 5
hours each: cameras. eight men /
hour each; sound, six men l hour
each; lighting. five men l hour
each; Stagehands, Is men l hour
each: wardrobe, three persons 2
hours each; makeup, two persons
l hour each. and one hairdresser,
l hour. The total. according to
Mr.. Waring, was 81 persons work.
ing on the song, In addition to
the girl who sang it. for a total OF
154 man-hours.
And. after all of that, Miss
Wheatley's song. with the excep-
tion of the kinescope telecast on
the West Coast. is ended.
Television is making the scout
ing of night club acts a lot easier
1t is, at any rate. for Max Lowe,
who books the entertainment for
the Shoreham Blue Room. He
brought Harbers and Dale, the
dancers in the current show, here
after seeing them on Ed Sullivan's
Toast of the Town" while back.
A couple of Mondays ago Mr..
Lowe was one of number of tele-
viewers enjoying Irene Bordoni
and Victor Moore in Louisiana
Purchase" on Musical Comedy
Time" Miss Bordoni hadn't fin
ished "It's a Lovely Day Tomor-
row" before the Shoreham's man
realized along with every one else
watching that she still could put
that old emotional wallop into a
song. Result: Miss Bordoni has
been booked to appear at the Blue
Room, starting next Monday night.
If you have had any fear that
Ralph Edwards might run out of
ideas in the contest, or get-rich-
quick field of television program
ming. you just put that little, old
fear to rest. He's thought up an
other one. which involves a PAN
ming shot of the prizes offered and
phone calls to viewers. First viewer
to list all of the prizes pictured
will be saddled with them. This
should start happening this week
on Truth or Consequence"
WTOP-TV-Thursday. 10 p.m).
The publicity release from a girl
named Sue Clark in Hollywood
says it will come along sometime
soon via WOIC. You wanna bet,
Sue? p.
Programs and People: Jane
Froman and Mimi Benzell have
been signed as permanent cast
members of "The Paul Whiteman
Revue" (WMAL-TV - Sunday 7
p.m0 to appear on alternate weeks
!. . Pug Wells, the American Air
lines hostess who told her life
story to Director William Weliman
and inspired the movie. Three
Guys Named Mike" will be in town
tomorrow and Friday for a number
of television and radio appear
ances, among other things /
Danny Thomas, one of the stars
on NBC-TV's Wednesday night
-Four Star Revue" is teamed with
Benay Venuta, whose comedy is
known to radio listeners, in the
new Betty Cradle musical, Call
Me Mister" Bob Cummings,
the movie star. will turn vaudevil-
liam tomorrow night at 8 when
he joins Jack Haley In "Star
Revue" (WNBW.) In case you've
forgotten, he was a song and
dance man earlier in his career,
and for Ziegfeld, too.
X X * X
Van Heflin told Tommy Bart
lett, Of MICS Welcome Travel
lers." that he was a seaman on a
merchant ship before he turned to
acting. His first Broadway role was
that OF a merchant sailor. Lost it
after five days of rehearsals. Didn't
look the type.