Evening star., 1951-09-03
On the Air
Henry Passes
But Ezro's S
Still Alive
By Harry Macarthur

Ezra stone is Dig man IN the
broadcasting business and a big
man, too, in Bucks County. Pa,
when he is not broadcasting but
instead is communing with his
Ayrshire cattle. When he has a
complaint to lodge. it is only pru-
dent to let him lodge it.
His complaint today has to do
with recent report here that
progress had dealt him a sad blow,
that his long years as Henry AID
rich were at an end, with the pro-
gram giving up radio in favor of
television. Mr.. Stone appreciates
the condolences, but wishes to
point out that they are a bit pre-
mature. Hold the spade and pry
up the lid" he writes. "the corpse
is still breathing" He goes on to
document his case:
The big problem" the fall
season brings to me is whether
I'll have time for all the work
offered me and if I want to swap
my Ayrshire dairy farm and Co
lonial home here in Bucks Coun-
ty, Pa, for an orange grove and
swimming pool in Southern CAL
ifornia. Tough, eh?
have been preparing myself
for this sad reality" for three
years now. Two years ago. for
example, we reorganized the
whole Aldrich TV operation aft
er I completed a special 10
week assignment as producer
director. Among other less easily
explained improvements. we cut
weekly rehearsal time on that
show from % hours to Is. The
summer before, as stager and su-
pervisor, I experimental with
the first weekly, big-budgeted.
network TV variety show in the
special Seven-week Olsen and
johnson Buick summer series.
Your speculation that might
turn to directing" is mislead-
ing in one respect. I've never
turned away from staging, ever
since George Abbott gave me my
big chance in 1888 (after 4 years
of being a production ASSISTANT
to show Milton Berle how to be
a farceur in "See My Lawyer"
(his first Broadway legit appear
ance). Then came Reunion in
New York, This Is the Army"
January Thaw.' me and
Molly" ("The Goldbergs), AT
War With the Army" Mark
Twain's The Man Who Cor
rupted Hadleyburg" and many.
many service and hospital show
units, lecturing and directing in
leading universities from Co
lumbia to the University Of Vir-
ginia.
AS for finding other acting
roles. doubt it. Unless they
be of some special interest like
my two limited appearances at
New York's City Center as Sir
Epicure Mammon in Jose Fer
rer's production of THE Alche-
mist" and as Tony Lumpkin in
Maurice Evans production OF
"She Stoops to Conquer, with
Celeste Holm. Brian Aherne.
Burl Ives, Evelyn Warden and
Carmen Mathews. You see,
have always considered my act
ing success as fluke. I never
looked like Henry Aldrich in
my life, nor like "Mistol Bot
tome" in Brother Rat before
that. had to bleach my hair
red for three years for both
those parts and even paint on
freckles.
AS for playing Henry's father,
"Nope!" I'm not that type
either. despite the seven-year-
old son and five year old
daughter who call me Dad.
Besides, no one could be a more
perfect Sam Aldrich than House
Jameson.
AS for never playing Henry
anymore. hold tight. Right now
there are discussions of its re-
turning to the air after the
first of the year and, if not,
"Beware!" That cracked voice 4
might pop out at you when you
least expect it, selling Hadacol
or who knows what. I've never
been known to turn down an
easy earned buck, or a tough
one either.
AS if were being paid by the
word. I've taken all this space
just to say that here are the
projects which will pay the
Stone family's 1951-52 income
tax:
The E1ni1 D;~,a c1,o,., 800