Evening star., 1951-11-27
On the Air
| On the Air
Jack Carson
| Points WAY
For Comics
By Horry Macarthur

L
Jack Carson struck a clean
blow for the televiewers over the
week end. He proved on "All-Star
Revue" (WNBW-Saturday, g.
p.m) that a comedian can do
show for the home rather than
the studio audience and not
merely get away with it but be
better off for it.
That this should have to be
demonstrated at this late date or
even dwelt upon here is one of
the oddities Of television. You'd
think that a new invention would
be used for the purpose for which
it was invented, especially after
five years of trial, but there still
are hold-outs.
1t is hoped, with only the best
of wishes for him involved, that
Jack Benny was not still out on a
golf course at pm. Saturday,
Beverly Hills time. but was at
home taking a lesson from Mr..
Carson.
The Carson experience makes
an especially good case for tele-
vision-for- r-the-televiewers because
1t was only few weeks ago that
he was opening his TV season sol
dlSappointingly. On that occasion
he was performing a revue of the
type which has leaned toward mo-
notony this year. The theater
audience was expressing glee at
the proper moments in gratifica-
ton for the free show and Carson
was falling with a dull thud into
the living rooms.
( On his return last Saturday he
did a complete about-face, took to /
NBC-TV's big Studio 8-H, usually
the preserve of the big drama
shows, and called upon his con-
siderable movie experience. Up
wards of a dozen sets were used,
with cast and cameras moving
from one to the other. The audi
ence was thereto guide CarSon's
timing. but it was small, it obvi-
ouSly was watching the show on a
/ TV screen instead of the actual
performance on the sound stage.
and it was not allowed to get be-
tween Carson and his large living
room audience.
A clear example of the superior
ity of this new Carson technique
was to be seen in his employment
Of his audiences laughter for tim
/ ing. He used the movie rather
than the vaudeville method of
meeting the reward of comedy,
which consists Of taking advan-
tage Of it rather than pausing for
i it. Instead of standing there
grinning with self satisfaction un-
| til the laughter died Ca habit of
too many TV funsters, who think
that vaudeville has risen again.
Carson never paused but went
right ahead, covering the inter-
rtuption with some bit of business,
like the dialing of telephone.
I The result was a swift pace and
a continuity too often lacking in
television comedy.
/ IT wouldn't be right, of course,
to call the script employed by
Carson Saturday evening a COM
edy classic. That requires a de-
gree of inspiration not achieved
by this business of Carson playing
a TV star named Jack Carson,
who witnessed a hold-up on the
way to the studio, took flight from
gunman and wound up in a.
cannibal's stewpot on a South Sea
/ isle.
Still it was a servicable skeleton
and Carson and his cast James
Dunn. the Honey Brothers, ct all
managed to get a great deal of
good. healthy nonsense into the
proceedings. 1t added up, all
things considered, to an enjoyed
hour that left an afterglow of
entertainment hanging over the
living room.
! The best deed of all performed
by Carson. perhaps. was his DEM
onstration that a television studio
is better place for a television
show than converted theater
1t some of the other comedians
will only follow his lead, they may
take TV comedy safely past its
first severe attack of the doldrums.
Televiews-in-B Brief: NOne tele-
vision funster who doesn't have
to take a lesson from Carson or
anyone else is Red Skelton. His,
especially with 'Kukla, Fran and
Ollie" cut to Is minutes, is easily
the happiest half hour in tele-
vision. It's the fastest, too. About
the time you think the halfway
mark has been reached. Skeletons
saying good night. And he keeps
coming up with classic moments
like Sundays "Swan Lake" ballet,
which had Skeletons clowning
beautifully counterpointed by.
Mana Gollner's deadpan ballet
dancing. This lads commercials
are funnier than a lot of other
comedy shows and you can look
for him to top the ratings any
month now. Fred Waring in
vaded Ed Sullivan's "The !
Story" field Sunday with a TV
version of the Hart Song
Book. Mighty kind to the ears.
/. . Somebody ought to tell Robert
Preston, next time he performs a
master of ceremonies chore, as he
did Saturday on "Show of Shows.
that he doesn't have to frown at
us so intensely. Steve Aliens
impromptu comedy ON Songs for
Sale" is much better than that
written for him in those prepared
interviews with contestants. AS
when he told one of them (fem-
inine. naturally on Saturday
night, eff the world were only in