Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-30
On the Air
He Backed
| Into This
| TV Role
By Harry Macarthur

he remains, his performance in
trigues thousands, maybe even
millions of viewers.
One of the continuing mysteries
|of television has been that hand
writing -on-the- wall on stop the
Music" (WNGAL-TV-Thursday,
Is PM. AS each contestant at
home is called by phone, as you
know if you've ever seen the
show, his or her name is magically
spelled out on a panel behind the
master of ceremonies.
Televiewers who have embraced
with ease the technical details of
such things as dot sequential and
field sequential color systems have
admitted bafflement at this stop
the Music" trick.
The mechanics of it are fairly
simple. actually, though the pro-
ducers won't admit anything more
than that the effect is achieved
on a piece of plate glass covered
with special paper with a felt
tipped pen dipped in special ink.
The real problem was finding
some one in the beginning who
could write backward legibly. After
prolonged research, Mr.. Holden's
fine Spencerian hand-i n-reverse
was discovered right there at
home CHS other job is assistant
national director of program pro-
duction for the ABC-TV net
work..
He gained the experience fit
ting him for the stop the Music"
chore-in case you're ever looking
for some one who can write back
ward-yearS ago when he was a
sign painter in Waterloo, Iowa.
Sign painters have to know how
to write backward to put gold leaf
on the inside of windows.
The moral is clear. Don't ever
let a stray skill get rusty; you
never know what use television
might find for it.
Unrest, Indeed: The Stars drama
critic, Jay Carmody, was COM
planning the other day of the plot
complications of the new French
film, La Ronde." If Mr.. C. thinks
that one was complicated, he
ought to stay home and watch
Hawkins Falls" on his television
set, though he's not likely to thank
anybody for the suggestion.
Life in Hawkins Falls" as re-
ported every day at S pm. on
NBC-TV (WNBW), ought to baf-
Ifie new viewer thoroughly, if
the document just received is g
fair description.
Since Doc Glib has been &C
quilted for the murder of Jerry
Collins" this blurb says. "the folks
in the town can't quiet down and
during the week of August to 10,
the chapters of the television
novel tell of the unrest.
In the first place, Doc has
moved into the Flagle's barn-a
move bitterly resented by Mile
Flagle. Laif's wife. And Belinda
Catherwood. representing the
Hawkins Falls Betterment and
Gardening League, and Randolph
Whitcomb, bank president, repre-
senting the Boosters Club, have
come to Doc to give him their
apologies for their conduct dur
ing his trial-and a cash gift.
"Knap Brewer has gone on the
road for his company, leaving
Iona a travelling salesman's
widow and Judge Sharp has ar
ranged for the brewers adoption
of Roy. But across the alley from
the brewers. at the Flagle's,
things just aren't good. Mile
thinks that Laif has quit loving
her and when Howard Harper, an
old boy friend appears, she de-
cides to use him to revive Laif's
interest"
If Hawkins Falls, pop. $500"
ever grows to pop. $3.50, things
are going to be completely out
Of hand on that show.
Secrets Out: When c. J. Holly,
now singing at the Statler EN-
bassy Room, first came to town
it was at the King Cole Room and
she wasn't letting anybody know
what the initials stood for. The
significance of the c., at least,
was revealed when Clariel j.
Weikart of Ashley terrace NV,
became one Of the semif1nalists
in WWDC's Miss Washington
contest. Clariel turned out to be
c. j. Holly.
Another entrant, incidentally,
in the Miss Washington and
WTTG's Miss Washington Tele-
vision contests, is Marcella Black.
Miss Black is q former continuity
director at VOL, now doing radio
and television writing and pro-
duction at the James S. Beattie
Advertising Agency.
+ X X X
Steady Job: When Singer Mar
garet Whiting turned up on CHS
TVS Guest House" the other
Sunday her major concern was
finding out how to get in touch
with Ethel Waters, whom she
was replacing as a guest star.
IT want to thank her." said Miss
Whiting. This is the fourth
show I've replaced her on this
week. I'm her Robert @. Lewis. /"