Evening star., 1951-04-02
On the Air
Hayes Fate
Could Hold
TV Lesson
By Horry Macarthur

BY Harry macarthur
It is too soon to know whether
or not NBC has bettered itself
but that is o surprising pair OF
casualties on its Thursday night
TV schedule. In case you hadn't
noticed, both "The Peter Lind
Hayes Show" and the Jack Haley
"Star Revue" have been cancelled
and will be replaced this week.
Mr.. Hayes sponsor now will take
up the tab for Treasury Men
in Action" and the people who
were paying Mr.. Haley will now
be paying James Melton, the star
of the new Ford Festival"
Both of the departing shows
had their shortcomings. of course,
but they were no more glaring
than the shortcomings of some
more successful programs. And
in spite of the shortcomings both
of them were mighty pleasant
or at least easy-viewing most OF
the time.
Mr.. Hayes made a noble try at
doing a show for television rather
than a televised stage or radio
show. He got off to a fine start
sagged for want of inventiveneSs
in the script department and then
seemed to be coming back strong
and finding the proper groove
when the axe fell. Mr.. Hayes ano
his wife, Mary Healy, are excep.
tionally talented people and they
were on the right track here. Il
will be too bad if this cancellation
changes their minds about the
nature of television entertainment
X 4. X X
Mr.. Haley's trouble was that
he never could completely con-
vince himself. apparently. that the
camera with the red light on rep
resented his audience. A more
serious trouble may have been
that he was quiet, non-effusive
and unobtruSive master of cere-
monies in a field where the Gus
toners are unaccustomed to such
calm and politeness on the part
of the people who introduce the
acts.
Some Of his comedy skits on
"Star Revue" were top-notch
though, Mindy Carson's songs
were bright moments in any week,
the guests usually were talented
and the production was slick
Many far worse things than this
have been perpetrated successfully
in the name of the intimate re-
vue on television.
There is a strong suspicion here
that television has just seen the
fight -fire-with-fire technique
which it inherited from radio,
continued to its inevitable con-
clusion. The foolish business OF
placing similar shows in opposi-
tion-of pitting comic against
comic. drama against drama, etc
may have just demonstrated
it's foolishness.
At s o'clock on Thursday nights
the noisy excitement of stop the
Music" (ABC) gets its customers
and leaves those in search OF
somewhat more sensible nonsense
divided between Groucho Marx
(NBC) and Burns and Alle,,
(CBS). This undoubtedly has
caused riffs in more living rooms
than any sponsor would care to
believe.
Then, when Mr.. Hayes and Miss
Healy came along at $3.50. they
found themselves battling "The
Show Goes On" (CBS). Since
both Mr.. Hayes and Robert @.
Lewis deal in humor and wit con-
siderably above the slapstick
level of comedy. this is really di-
viding an audience. No matter
which channel you're tuned to,
you hesitate to twist that knob.
Things were equally tough for
Mr.. Haley at 9 o'clock. His op-
position was Holiday Hotel
(ABC), a generally agreeable
revue. and Alan Young (CBS)
who is usually funny enough to
overcome the kinescope handicap.
While this was happening to
him, you might note, WTTG has
been sitting there fat, dumb Qike
a fox) and happy. with "Ellery
Queen" at 9, followed by boxing
at $3.50. There seems to be O
lesson here somewhere.
X X II u
Program Notes: 1.-THE Sym
phony" (WTTG-Friday 8 PM
will continue with a new set OF
films, starting this week. The
orchestra will be Rome's Santa
Cecilia Symphony, conducted by
Jacques Rachmilovich, with mar
ration by Milton Cross "Mys-
terry File" which has been an
ABC radio program, becomes a
television show on the network
tomorrow night at 8, under a new
title, "QED." Rights to more
than 200 stories by Sax Rohmer,
the Flu Manchu creator, have been
purchased by NBC-TV. List
OF program corrections from ABC-
TV includes this admonition
KILL Dick Tracy" Eight-to-five
no one gets away with it.