Evening star., 1951-04-06
On the Air
Somebody
Here Isn't
Being L-oyoI
By Harry Macarthur

Testimonials to the popularity
of "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" turn
up in the oldest places. Man from
one of the towns television sta
tions, which doesn't carry TX. F
g. o." was just on the phone.
Were you by any chance watch
ing us at 2 o'clock last night?"
he wanted to know.
"Of course not" was the only
obvious answer. "Why?"
WELL" he said. 1--WE had some
thing else on in place of the pro-
gram that was supposed to be on
and I'm trying to find out what
lit was. I can't find anybody
around here who saw it."
It's a picture to inspire any TV
producer or engineer with a dia-
bolical turn of mind. An expert
mental man might put almost
anything on the air at z pm. now
that it is certain what his su-
periors are doing. They're all
sitting at home, assuring them
selves that some one else is surely
keeping tab on their station while,
behind drawn blinds, they watch
''Kukla. Fran and Ollie" on the
opposition air.
X u Il X
Pay-as- YOu-G0 Plan: Another
method for making television pay
for itself is being nurtured in the
minds of some Hollywood men.
Their system involves a COIN in
Ithe-slot gadget attached to the
television receiver. The drop of
the coin opens up a circuit in
the set which permits the viewer
to tune to channel he other
wise couldn't get.
According to Variety, the plan is
to televise a series of motion pic
lures for a considerable period
during the day. One coin permits
a certain period of watching and
1t you want more. you have to feed
more hard money into the slot.
Sounds feasible, if too many
people don't take to cutting ice
cubs in the size and shape of
quarters to make vanishing slugs.
There is a possibility, of course,
that authorities might frown on
a plan to turn every home tele-
vision set into a slot machine.
When you drop a coin in a slot
to get a TV program, you are not
buying a sure thing. You are
gambling, brother. And there are
more lemons than jackpots on
this kind of a slot machine, too.
X X X
Weekend Guests:
Saturday: John j. Anthony
and son, on "The Sam Levenson
Show (WToP-TV-7>p.m.). ]
Phil Silvers. Kitty Kallen, on "The
Jack Carter Show" (WNBW-8I
p-mo. Douglas Fairbanks, on
The Ken Murray Show" (WTOP-
IV-8 PM. Dagmar and
Frank Fontaine, on "The Frank
Sinatra Show (WTOP-TV-s
PM. =. John Conte, on "Your
Show of Shows" (WNBW-9
Sunday: Don DeFore, Ruth.
Warrick and John Howard in "a
Woman's Privilege" on 'BielowI
Theater" (WTOP-TV-6 pm.
The Hampton Institute Choir. inI
a tribute to Stephen Foster on
The Paul Whiteman Revue
CWMAL-TV-7 p.m.). +. Olivia
de Havilland, in a scene from her
New York production of Romeo
and Juliet" on "Showtime 1
U. S. A." (WMAL-TV-7:30 PM
Claude Rains in scene from
Darkness at Noon," along with
presentation of the New York
Drama Critics Circle awards, on
Toast of the Town." (WTOP-TVI
D pm. Bob Hope, Lilli
Palmer. Rex Harrison, Janis Paige
Arthur Treacher and Sugar Chile"
Robinson, on "The Comedy Hour"
(WNBW--8 pm.). ;. Billy Greene
Frank Maxwell. Jim Westerfield
and Emily Lawrence in Routine
on "Television Play
house" (WNBW-9 PM. A
set of British contestants, a
British mystery guest and British
guest panelist, Don Iddon, u. S..
correspondent for the London
Daily Mail, on Whats My Line?"
(WTOP-TV-10:30 PM.
Monday: Mady Christians. on
Hollywood Screen Test" CWMAL-
TV-7:30 p.m). Laraine Day in
Column Item." on +'Video Theater"
(WTOP-TV-8 p.m.). :. Cesare
Siepi. on Voice of Firestone"
(WNBW-8:30 p.m.). +. Helen
Forrest, on 'The Arthur Murray
Show" (WMAL-TV-9 p.m.). :. !.
Richard Greene in Stairway to-
Heaven on Robert Montgomery
Presents" (WNBW-9:30 PM. :.
Beverly Whitney in Shake the
Stars Down." on Studio One"
(WTOP-TV-10 PM.
Radio Department: Mrs. Frank