Evening star., 1951-11-21
Ion the Air:
|AHedgein in
| Time Saves

BY Harry Macarthur

cause the TV critic is more cau-
itious than others. He, in most
cases, Is as ready as the next man
to toss an opinion out into public
view where it is likely to be
slammed right back in his teeth.
The nature of television does
make q man wary. though. The
movie critic knows that the mo-
ton picture he sees today is 60
ing to be the same tomorrow and
next week, barring unforeseen
depredations by people with shears.
The drama critic knows that a
play, though individual perform
ances may vary, Is not going to
change materially from night to
night. except in such isolated in
stances as John Barrymore's per-
formance In my Dear Children" i"
The television critic just knows
when he is well off. which is sell
dom, so he hedges. He does not.
if he is at all prudent. make bon
fires out of the bridges behind
him.
This open-door policy, this re-
tention Of way out. never looked
better around here than 1t did this
week. On Sunday there were
some words of high praise here
for Studio One" This is one of
the most dependable programs on
television, but some subConscious
caution kept a way Of retreat open
and none was ever handler than
the comment that the program
comes a cropper now and then"
That resounding thud heard
Monday night was "Studio One"
hitting bottom. 1t would strike
terror to your heart If 1t were not
inevitable that Studio One" will
bounce right back to its old high
level. In fact. there is almost no
direction for Producer Worthing-
ton Minor to go but up from that
one.
Whatever direction he goes, 1t
will be all right with us If he goes
without that actor who was play
ing a villain in an alleged murder
mystery Monday night and who,
in tense moment. got tangled IN
his lines and burst out laughing
at his own blunder.
4 4 +
Movie Time Again-Of all sad
words Of television films, the sad
dest are these, 1T might make
everything a little clearer If I
started with George and Marian
Kirby"
+ r 4
No Time for Comedy-Molly
Goldberg (Mrs. Gertrude Berg
was in town the other day making
personal appearances to advertise
the dress line which bears her
name and displaying a calm not
often found in the broadcasting
business. Her television program
is. as you know, one Of those for
which NBC-TV has been unable
to find a time slot, but its writer
star is unperturbed. So far she
has successfully resisted two sug-
Igested times - one on Friday
nights opposite Mama" and the
other at II pm.-and she is rea-
Isonably hopeful that things will
open up for THE Goldbergs" after
Itelevision's first 13-week cycle of
the season is over. Meanwhile, II
|NBC can afford to go right on
paying her salary, and she thinks
it can, Molly Goldberg isn't going
to worry about what an expense
she is to the network.
"The Goldbergs" is not the only
program with this particular prob
lem after being a success last sea-
son. Sam Levenson was up against
the same difficulty until CHS. in
desperation. put him on a panel
show where the best Of his talent
is not reaped. Victor Borge is
another and NBC apparently
plans to use him now as one of
its many rotating" comics.
Don McNeill also has had his
troubles with this same problem
of finding the proper outlet on
television for his talents and has
advised ABC that his "TV Club"
would be discontinued after the
December 10 show.
Il share (the sponsor's) con-
cern," Mr.. McNeill said in Chi
cago, "over the networks ability
to clear only 10 live stations and
20 delayed stations. many of which
are unsatisfactory as to time of
oroadcasts." (Mr. McNeill's ma
jor competition on Wednesdays at
9 pm. comes from "Television
Theater" and Strike It Rich"
and there are only IL cities in the
country with three or more TV
channels now occupied.)
In addition" he added, ''I have
been unhappy with the restrictions
OF television, especially the way it
affected our Breakfast Club tray
cling schedule in the winter and
spring."
McNeill hopes later, he added.
Ito have the opportunity of doing
an occasional television show that
contains the human, uncontrived
elements which have made so
many people like the Breakfast
Club"
Thanksgiving Specials-Holiday
programs tomorrow will be both
religious and festive in mood. A
major project among the televi-
sion observances of the day will
be the Family Theater" motion
picture, THAT I May See," which
has a large cast headed by Ruth
Hussey. 1t is being shown several
times during the Thanksgiving