Evening star., 1951-02-16
On the Air
Ion the Air
Toscunini
WGkS
Selling WRC
By Harry Macarthur

by harry MocAFtnuT
When a radio station deliber-
ately sets out to reduce its au-
dience to zero by telling it to tune
in rival station Immediately,
that is news. For awhile WMAL
did have on the air young hyp-
notist with a whining voice who
tried to put people to sleep, which
left the closing commercial in
rather a strange spot, but this is
something else.
Tomorrow night, between $50
and 1880, WGMS will play stand
by music only and has cancelled
all commercials. Any one who
tunes in will be told he'd be better
off listening to the NBC SYM
phony on WRC at that very mo-
ment.
This tribute to Arturo Toscanini
has been inspired, of course, by
the weeks announcement that to-
morrow nights concert would be
the conductors last radio appear
ance this season. Concern has
been expressed that it may be the
last appearance of his career.
"Our responsibility to the music
lovers of Metropolitan Washing
ton," said M. Robert Rogers. vice
president and general manager of
WGMS, "is to see that they join
Mr.. Toscanini's audience in the
greatest possible numbers -. In
this way as many Washington
music lovers as possible will join
in fitting tribute to the leading
conductor of all times"
You can take the cynic's view
that Mr.. Rogers knows as we'll as
anyone that Washington music
lovers who make up the faithful
WGMS audience are going to lis
ten to a Toscanini concert any
how, but this still is a noteworthy
tribute. WGMS wants everybody
to listen to WRC and you won't
find many radio stations acting
like that.
Later word from New York, in
cidentally, was less pessimistic in
the matter of Toscanini's career.
The conductor. who will be 81 on
March 25, is reported to have
hopes that his knee injury, which
caused him to end the season
early, will be cured and that his
health will permit him to return
to the air in the fall. Apart from
the injury, his health and energy
are fine.
Drama Department: LET Them
Be Sea Captains" an original
drama for television by H. r.
Hays, will be presented Sunday
night on "Television Playhouse"
(WNBW-9 PM. It's central fig
ure will be Margaret Fuller. a 10Th
Century feminist who thought
women could do anything men
can do, including be sea captains.
Miss Fuller will be played by Anne
Crawford and Horace Greeley
(maybe he said Let them go
west" in answer to Miss Fuller)
will be played by E. G. Marshall.
who owns one of the buster TV
talents.
Reptile Department: r. Marlin
Perkins, director of Chicago's Lin
coin Park Zoo, will have rattle
snakes, water moccasins, copper
heads, coral snakes and other
poisonous reptilian natives OF the
United States as his guests on
200 Parade" (WNBW-Sunday.
4:3O p.mD. The purpose will be to
compare them with non-poisonous
snakes which they resemble, so
you will know when not to be
scared.
You won't ever be, of course. if
you have Mr.. Perkins rapport
with the animal kingdom. He
demonstrated his affinity for
snakes several weeks ago, when he
appeared before the camera with
a small python wrapped around
his arm. After a while he noted
casually that the arm was getting
numb, asked casually for little
help, remarked casually that the
thing undoubtedly could have
taken him if left to its own devices.
His greatest triumph of love for
his charges came on later pro-
gram, however, when the cameras
were in the aquarium. "Ah," said
Mr.. Perkins, as a man-killing
monster swept into view, "our
friend, the shark" Let's say your
friend, Mr.. Perkins, but it's still
fine program.
X X
Program Notes: Follow Fat
Flora" a comedy. will be tomor-
rows offering on Faith Baldwin's S
Theater of Romance" (WMAL-
TV-1l ann Virginia Bruce
will be Sundays star on "Bigelow
Theater" (WTOP-TV-6 PM in
wedding Anniversary" ;. Song
stress Frances Langford will be
Sundays guest on THE Armed
Forces Hour (WTTG-8:30 PM
Martha Wright, the pretty
Mayflower Lounge songstress who
joins the South Pacific cast
soon, will appear on Celebrity
Time" (WTOP-TV) Sunday at 10,