Evening star., 1951-01-05
On the Air
|HondPuppets
| Didn't Lure
| Mr.. Blum
By Harry Macarthur


him you never would know that
Bob Blum is man carrying
around great sorrow. Mr.. Blum
is a WNBW producer and a most
imaginative one when putting
television show together. Generally
he presents a cheerful front to
the world, except when his mind is
crossed by thoughts of ad agency
representatives in the control
room or some performers, he hav-
ing something of Alfred Hitch
cocks opinion of actors.
Mr.. Blum, however, does have
his secret serrow-secret up to
now, at any rate.
There was a time when he was
working not for WNBW but for
WPIX, operated by the New York
Daily News. This was in the golden
days of WPIX, when the News
thought it could have the best
televiSion station in the land
simply by hiring as many high
priced and talented people as it
could find to hire. The News dis
covered, among other things, that
this was a sure way to have the
most expensive television station
in the land, whatever else it was.
In short order after this discovery,
a number of people, including
Mr.. Blum, found themselves off of
that overloaded payroll.
Having recently annexed a
bride, Robert was willing to listen
to reason, up to a point in the
matter of television job. One
place he turned up was the Office of
a large New York advertising
agency. There was producer
needed, he was told, for show out
in Chicago and since the coaxial
cable was going through soon it |
might turn out to be good
thing.
Chicago, eh," said Mr.. Blum,
with a lack of enthusiasm born
of wintering there during his
school years. What sort of a !
show?"
WELL" said the agency man,
Its a sort of-er-to be frank, /
it's puppet show. Hear good re-
ports about it, though. Hand pup
pets
Hand puppets!" shouted Mr.. |
Blum. Chicago and hand pup
pets. too? Deliver me No thanks -
Mr.. Blum now is the only man
with an appreciation for the
imaginative who watches "Kukla,
Fran and Ollie"-that's the show
it was-with mixed emotions.
Late word on Jack Benny's de-
layed second television show for
CBS-TV: 1t seems to be set now
tentatively at any rate-for Sun
day. January %. The time, as
previously reported here, will be
the 7:30 half-hour usually oc-
cupied by This Is Show Busi-
ness" which also is sponsored by
Bennys sponsor.
Programs and People: Report
on Jack Haley's new Star
Revue" which made its bow last
night at 9 on WNBW, must be
deferred. Edith Piaf appeared last
night at the Shoreham Blue
Room. Wouldn't expect a man to
pass that up. would you? t.. The
dance team Miss Piaf brought to
this country, LYDIA and Yianni, is
scheduled for an appearance on
Hazel Markets Talk O. the
Town" (WTOP -TV - Sunday, 2
PM on January IA. They're ap-
pearing at the Old New Orleans
Sazerac Room and you may have
seen them the other night on
WNBW on Warmers Corner" :.
And Miss Markell, next Sunday, /
will be made an honorary captain /
OF Capital Airlines. Bob Hope |
has just signed a new long-term
radio and television contract with
NBC. He's been with the network
since his present program started |
in 1888. And fie on the first man
who says he's been using some of
the same jokes since then, too. :.
Those "Tugboat Annie" movies |
made by Marie Dressler will be
released to television soon.
X X X
Report from Great Britain says
that the BIC is going to try, with
the aid of infra-red lights, to tele-
wise the ghost of Catherine How
ard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, as
she walks the bloody tower, with
her 'ead tucked underneath 'er
arm. Infra-red lights they need
~ "