Evening star., 1951-07-24
| On the Air
Stu Cheers
"A Barbour
Fugitive
By Harry Macarthur

toned hour may not rank among
the racier experiences of hus-
bands on the loose, but as pleas
ant surprises go it went all right
The hour Saturday evening was
7::30 and the living room was fairly
quiet. Usually at this period in
the week it is full Of people who
would cheerfully put ground glass
in the family breadwinner's iced
coffee rather than miss one un-
believable word uttered by the
preposterous Barbours.
If you don't like suds you so
into the bedroom and listen to the
radio or into the kitchen and sit
in the refrigerator, which some
times seems a better idea.
But at 1881 on this Saturday
night there was a sudden. sweet
realization that the channel Sc
lector was not soldered to Chan
mel 4 and that no flying toma-
hawks would split a mans skull
if he walked over and turned that
knob.
It could be that "The Stu
Erwin Show" which WMAL-TV
has on Channel z at 7::30 pm
Saturdays, seemed better out OF
sheer relief at getting away from
the Barbours than it really is. II
was a much enjoyed half hour OF
easy-going comedy at any rate
4 Il X Il
1.-THE Stu Erwin Show" is nc
stranger to a lot of televiewers, o1
course, since it regularly is seer
in considerably more than 2 mil
lion homes. II you don't know
about it. however. the pertinent
facts are these. It's principal
figures are as you might guess
from the title. Mr.. and Mrs.
Erwin (June Collyer, the former
leading lady of the movies who
startled some of us young bloods
some years back by marrying the
comedian instead of a glamou,
boy and by staying married to
him). Their household, which
includes a couple of young daugh-
ters. is the scene of a weekly
crisis, which comes to light and
is solved neatly within the half
hour.
Judging from the sample seen
'The Stu Erwin Show" IS not
likely to provide the sort of COM
edy that will have you roaring in
your living room. It's probably q
little too close to life for that
1t has plenty of chuckles, though
and at the end of the half hour
you ought to feel a little better
for having spent it with the
ErwinS.
There can't be any doubt, any
how, that Stu Erwin, as family
heads go, is a lot easier to take
than the pompous Father Barber.
- y. X II
Sports Department: Teleview-
ers. it now appears. can be sure
of top boxing attractions in the
living room for at least one more
season. After mulling over the
possibilities for six weeks and deci-
ding that theater TV still is too
uncertain. for International Box
Ing Club has signed a new 35-week
contract with Pabst. It will start
October 3, bringing the Wednes-
day night IBC bouts back to the
old CBS-TV stand.
One condition of the new pact
Is that the IBC will not be al
lowed to knock any Wednesday
night fights off the home TV
schedule for theater television.
The IBC is expected to continue
to negotiate for large-screen
theater showing of some events,
but they will be seen also in tele-
vision homes If they're on the
Wednesday night schedule. 1t
seems quite likely-at least the
IBC thinks so-that a number of
fight fans will prefer the 15-by-
20-foot theater screen for major
bouts, even though these are avail
able on home receivers at the
same time.
The Friday night IBC bouts
sponsored by Gillette also viii re-
sumo, according to the Associated
Press, these on September z on
NBC television and ABC radio.
It is not disclosed, however,
whether or not the same condi-
lions with regard to theater TV
hold in this case.
II X
Music Department: The late
and much lamented Chamber
Music Society of Lower Basin
Street" of radio. will be turning
up this Fall as a DuMont televi-
sion feature. Gene "Dr. Gino"
Hamilton will return to mis- old
role to supply the commentary
and the orchestra will be conduct
ed by DR.. Henry "Hot Lips" Le-
vine. And a request is hereby
lodged that Sidney Bechet be
booked as soon as possible for a
guest appearance-playing Dear
Old Southland" NBC has
signed Lindley Murray Jones, jr.,
TO an exclusive television contract
for the 1951-52 season. Lindley
is better known as Spike Jones,
and his first appearance under
the new pact will be on "The
Comedy Hour" on September 16.
Jeanette Macdonald will ap-
pear on Toast of the Town" early
in August. introducing new song
written for her by her husband,
Gene Raymond. Cab Gallo
way, who has made IS Tv ap-
pearances without ever having
had a show of his own, will add
two more to the list in the near