Evening star., 1951-02-14
On the Air
On the Air
| Montgomery
Keeps
lon Trying
By Harry Macarthur

By Harry Macarthur
There are some appalling things
committed in the name of Uelevi-
sion entertainment. but few are
more appalling than those COM
mercials which confront the audi
ence of Robert Montgomery Pre-
sents" every other Monday night
at 9:30 (WNBW). It is unbeliev-
able that anyone could remain in
the presence of one for its full two
minutes without developing acute
nausea. It is incomprehensible
that they could have any salutary
effect on the sale of anything. with
the possible exception of seasick
remedies for people who have been
forced at gunpoint to look.
This complaint properly should
have been filed several weeks ago
when these inane jingles. dances
and foolish prancing to hold ciga-
rette packages in the camera lens
were employed in the slaughter of
Helen Hayes as she attempted to
play Victoria Regina" The dis
tress was just as acute this week,
however. when Mr.. Montgomery
sought to get through to the view
ers with "A Star Is Born"
Most commercials give you time
to go get a glass of water or open
can of beer, but these give you
time to build pousse cafe, though
what you'd want one for is an
other matter. The trouble is that
the sound follows you and your
impulse is to lock yourself in the
kitchen and spend the rest of the
night there.
x Y X x
1t May Be Impossible, But: That
this has had to happen to Mr..
Montgomery is unfortunate. He is
man of imagination, taste, dra-
matte perception and an ability to
tell story in pictures. There are
too few of these in television and
they should be allowed to operate
where their talent achieves the
best results.
It would be a happy thing for
televiewers II someone could ar
range a meeting between Mr..
Montgomery and United States
Steel. The thought was prompted
by the arrival, on the same day
that "a Star Is Born" was being
interrupted by the song-and- dance
acts, of the announcement that
"Theater Guild on the Air" will
be in Washington February Is to
launch the 1851 drive of the Red
Cross.
The radio show (WRC-Sun-
day, $3.50 PM has long been one
of the top drama programs on the
air. Its commercials have been in
good taste. Institutional adver-
tising naturally is quieter than
the blatant sales pitch to sell
something nobody needs but you
get the feeling. listening to
''Theater Guild on the Air" that
here the plays the thing.
Television is virtually inevitable
for both the program and its
sponsor and it would be hard to
find more ideal man for the job
than Mr.. Montgomery. What his
contractual obligations are and
United States Steel's TV plans
are not known of course. It would
be good to have Montgomery at
work, however. on show where he
could hold an audience without
having to capture it again at the |
start of every act.
~
Things to Come (Indefinite)
Burl Ives will appear as both
actor and singer in a new series
of half-hour television shows, on
film. The series will be titled
Famous Tales" and will be based
on fairy tales, aimed at an audi
ence of both adults and children.
The first, "Bluebeard," should be
ready in April The Hollywood
rumor is that Red Shelton has
completed five 24-minute films
for television, all on Kodachrome
|. Another rumor is that Faye
and Skitch emerson and Hend-
erson, of course) will do a Mr..
and Mrs. TV show.
X X X X
Programs and People: When
Victor Borge WNBW-Saturday,
Y p.mD came to this country 10l
years ago, he listened to the
radio in bafaed fascination. De-
cided to visit the NBC studios
to find out what it was all about
but gave up that idea when he
discovered it cost so cents. He
couldn't afford it Danny
Thomas, one of the four "ro-
tating" comics on -Four Star
Revue" tWNBW-Wednesday, 81
p.m). played four weeks at the
London Palladium last spring and
has just been voted Britain's No.
One stage personality of 1850 :.
That weekly program by Sheilah
Graham, The Stars Hollywood
columnist. is starting on NBC-TV,
but not in Washington yet.
WNBW has the Wednesday after
noon spot set aside for it, but
So for hasn't roccivad xror6 fro,,,