Evening star., 1951-11-12
On the Air
|Howdy yDoody
Betroyedby
His Friends
On the Air
By Harry Macarthur

The betrayal of Howdy Doody
by his audience is probably the
last thing you'd expect to see on
television, but it happened the
other evening. 1t wasn't direct,
since the man Immediately
AFFECTED was Bob Smith, the for
mer announcer who has erected
la TV career on the child-appeal
of his freckle-faced puppet.
A blow at Mr.. Smiths sponsor,
though, is a blow at Howdy Doo-
Idy's, since the two are. in effect,
one intertwined personality. And
this blow must have shaken some
foundations and given at least
-four account executives and three
vice presidents whole new sets of
ulcers.
The foul deed took place when
lit was time to sell some grape
juice.
How would you like to join me
in a nice glass of delicious. nutri-
tious grape juice?" said Mr.. Smith
to studio visitor. aged 6 or 7.
mol" said the child firmly, with
an emphatic shake of the head.
\ Undaunted, Mr.. Smith tried the
second child in the front row with
the same offer.
"No!" said the second child
firmly, with an emphatic shake OF
the head. Still undaunted and
hiding his alarm, Mr.. Smith tried
the third child with his grape
juice offer.
mol" said the third child
firmly, with an emphatic shake
of the head.
Daunted, Mr.. Smith tossed off
the grape juice capella. If he
had anything to say to the little
bounders for this assault on the
very citadel of modern life. the
commercial, he had the good sense,
unlike that hero of radios famous
legend, to wait until the micro
phones were definitely dead and
the cameras definitely dark.
X x X
Ropey Men?-Note from MICS
press department reports that the
first Martin-Lewis telecast of the
season from Hollywood's El
Captain Theater disrupted traf-
fc, jammed the sidewalks for
blocks. :"
Heck, Orson Welles did that
one time merely by announcing
on the radio that the men from
Mars had come to get us.
Not too Personal - Edmund
IO'Brien of the Hollywoods is the
latest to sign with the CBS-TV
playhouse of Stars" His first
assignment under the exclusive
contract will be the lead opposite
June Lockhart in ''One Is a Lone
some Number" on November %.
Ethel Barrymore is to make
her TV debut by taking the jim
my Durante treatment on Decem-
Der /. NBC-TV, which has
had trouble finding a niche for
THE Goldbergs" since taking over
the CBS-TV show, may make it
regular weekly dramatic segment
of Kate Smiths Wednesday eve
ming hour. Hank Williams,
one of the Western singers, will
make his TV bow Wednesday
(WTOP -TV-7:45 p.m) with
Perry Como. That llama
which made a guest appearance
on the daytime "Steve Allen
Show" WTOP-Tv-12:45 pm.)
has been signed for a two-week
engagement, starting today.
Abe Burrows, who recently de-
cided to devote the bulk of his
activity to the theater, may re-
turn to TV on an ABC panel
show, "The Names the Same. "
Good man on any panel show.
Fred Waring will return to his
old. or non-guest star, formal for
next Sundays show, featuring a
production of A. A. Milne s
christopher Robin" Featured
in it will be Rex Thompson, who
is only temporarily available as an
actor, though he is one of the
outstanding theatrical children
Acting, 7-year-old Rex told War
ing the other day, is only a stop
gap until he takes up his career
as a jet pilot. Peggy Lee has signed
an exclusive pact with CBS-TV
and probably will become a regu-
1or IN A1lo,,,e