Evening star., 1951-01-03
On the Air
On the Air
Mr.. Keuton's
MusicGets
Him q Job

talented WNBW singer. may be
looking for a new accompanist be-
fore too long,. Charles Keaton is
currently filling the post on WAR
ner's Corner" Mondays at 1890
and Thursdays at 10:45 pm0, but
it begins to appear that this won't
last forever. It is not that Mr..
Keaton is anything but popular.
He is. in fact, whiz at the key
board of an electric organ. His
musical horizons, however, are
broadening.
News of this comes, it might
surprise you to learn, from a new
member Of the North Carolina
State legislature. This may seem
a roundabout way to learn about
WNBW's Mr.. Keaton and his fu-
ture, but the explanation is fairly
simple.
The legislator is Joe King, who
will be remembered by pre-war
Washingtonians as the ventrilo-
quist half of one of the towns
more popular entertainment teams.
The other half was his attractive
singing wife, Earline, and the two
assets of a number of stage and
night club programs.
Several years ago the Kings paid
what they intended to be a short
hometown visit to Winston Salem,
N. c. They made the mistake,
however, of letting a friend see
a portrait Mr.. King had painted
and a chain reaction set in. It was
no time at all before Joe found
he had a full-time career going
as one of North Cardinals leading
portrait artists.
The new career did not take so
much of his time, however, that he
was left none for dabbling in play
writing, which brings US back to
Mr.. Keaton. Mr.. King wrote the
book and his friend, Keaton, the
score for musical comedy.
Blood, Thunder and Kathryn"
which was tried out in Winston
Salem last October.
1t not only was tried out in VIM
ston-Salem, but now has been
taken over by the Shuberts, who
are aiming it at next fall. Even
before then Mr.. Keaton's musical
name may become known on
Broadway. Lee Shubert liked the
Blood, Thunder and Kathryn"
music so we'll that he assigned
Keaton the chore of composing an
incidental score for THE Man
Who Corrupted Hadleysburg,"
dramatiZation of the Mark Twain
story, which will open in Phila-
delphia in March.
Whether or not Keaton and
King ever assume a place along
side Rodgers and Hammerstein,
Mr.. King has discovered what
three-horned dilemma is. He can't
make up his mind now whether
to concentrate on being a play
wright, a portrait painter or a
politician. Wouldn't want to con-
fuse him, but he seems ideally
fitted for a television producers
job.
# ~ a-iea
Programs and People: "PulitzerI
Prize Playhouse" (WMAL- ~
Friday, 8 p.mD has added a third
production unit. giving each ont
three weeks to prepare each weekly
show. WNBW has signed an
exclusive 14-month contract with
Snader Prescriptions which gives
1t the Washington rights for more
than 400 brief films for television.
These run three and half min
utes and feature such well-known
musical stars as Peggy Lee, Mel
Torne. Patricia Morrison, Nat
King" Cole, Count Basic, Cab
Galloway, the Harmonicats and
number of others. Kitty Car
Isle will be tomorrow nights star
on "Airfyte Theater" CWTOP-TV
-10:30 pm), playing the leading
role in Oscar Straus operetta,
waltz Dream" Lauritz Mel
choir will be the first stellar guest
on Star Revue" when the pro-
gram is launched tomorrow at 8
pm. on NBC-TV (WNBW). Regu-
lars on the program will be Jack
Haley and Mindy Carson. ). That
was Fague Springman on Eddie
Cantor's show Sunday, all right.
Lee Fairfax is the stage name he
uses. II he (under either name)
will get in touch withrthis depart
ment. incidentally" he will-how
does that phrase go--learn some
thing to his advantage.