Evening star., 1951-01-24
On the Air
Roberto.
Sees an End
Tou Phase
By Harry Macarthur

Robert @. Lewis will no longer
be classified as Arthur Godfrey s
permanent replacement" after his
current stint on Godfrey's daily
radio and Wednesday television
shows. This, at least, is what he
seemed to be saying firmly when
the question was put to him the
other night during a pause in his
whirlwind weekend stint here foI
the March of Dimes.
Don't you think it's about
time?" he said. After all. how
long can you go on? You know
This, of course. is a natural Sc
quel to the end of his exclusive
contract with CHS. He will con-
tinue on CBS-TV with 1.-The Show
Goes On" which recently cele-
brated it's first anniversary for a
well-satisfied sponsor. but the rest
of MIN probably will belong to
NBC.
The termination of his CHS
contract was done by mutual
agreement and was not attended
by the hard feelings some people
seem to have suspected. Mr..
Lewis just wearied of the push
ing around his afternoon show
was taking-15 minutes one
day and As the next and so on
and II had a legal out and I took
advantage of it."
The deal which will bring him
into the NBC fold has not yet. or
was not yet when he was here,
formalized by signed contracts.
That. however, is all that re-
mained-and the ink may be dry
by the time you read this.
The future Lewis plans are not
resolved. but he knows what he
wants. I'D like to do another
nighttime television show" he
said, "and a daytime television
|and/or radio show. I should say
and not or because I don't think
daytime radio is anywhere near
dead yet"
Televiewing: Studio One
(WTOP-TV-Monday. 10 pm.)
continues to be the most consist
emily good of the top-flight drama
programs. This weeks play,
THE Trial of John Peter Zenger."
was an excellent production in
every respect. The story of Mr..
Zengler may seem of special in
terest to a newspaperman. but it
shouldn't be. 1T is not the case
of John Peter Zengler,, as the
wise, old lawyer, Andrew Hamil-
ton, put it. 1T is not the case of
New York alone. It is the case Of
every free man in America"
Zengler was the immigrant 18th
Century printer, you know, who
suddenly found himself the center
of the courtroom battle which
established that the truth about
a political figure is not sedition
or libel. The story Of his trial
and victory provided an absorbing
hour Monday night.
X n X
Jack Benny was voted radios
champion of Champions" in the
18th annual Motion Picture Daily
Fame poll. This is the third con-
secutive year he has been voted
the honor by newspaper and mag
azine radio editors and columnists.
NBC. which suffered in the CHS
talent raids" of a couple Of years
ago. came back to tie the rival
network. each having 10 first
places The best public service pro-
gram. which both NBC and CHS
would like to brag about, was
Americas Town Meeting Of the
Air." an ABC sustainer. Town
Meeting" also was voted the best
educational program. Results of
the Fame television poll are to be
announced tomorrow.
Programs and People: Victor
Moore proved Monday night on
Musical Comedy Time" (WNBW)
that he is as funny on television
as in other entertainment fields.
What he needs now is a show
which isn't facing Studio One
for the last half hour. It was q
treat to see Irene Bordoni again
too, opposite Mr.. Moore in Louis
lana Purchase" Her version Of
Lovely Day Tomorrow" Is still
one Of the best treatments it gets
;. Washington's Evelyn Knight,
recently the vocal and visual dec
grafton of the Abbott Costello
Comedy Hour" appearance, will
make her first public appearance
around here in long time in the
not too distant future. She will
sing on the Capitol stage the week
of March /. The theater also has
booked whole string of radio and
recording favorites for coming
weeks, including Kay Starr (Feb-
ruary -, Kay Armen February
g., Gigi Durston February 15)
and Peggy Lee February 22)
Following Miss Knight will come
Patti Page. Connee Boswell and