Evening star., 1951-05-16
On the Air
Playhouse
Doesn't Fear

By Harry Macarthur

This one will not be aimed di-
rectly at the movies, as was the
former, but will be an excursion
into a practice known in Holly
wood as getting the jump to take
the edge off," It's the sort OF thing
done all the time in the movie
business. Let it be known that
a major studio is readying 81
million epic on bear batting, say,
and another producer will rush
through less expensive film on
bear batting and get it into re-
lease first.
The producer of the minor film
Ireaps box Office advantage Of the
publicity which has been given
the epic. The 81 million pic
ture then comes along and suf-
fers because people think they
have seen it or don't want to see
another bear-baiting film so soon.
An example of this is in evidence
lin 1.-THE Bu1l-fighter and the
Lady," now being shown in the
Nations movie theaters. This may.
to be sure, have been conceived
and made without any reference
Ito 1.-The Brave Bulls" which will
be forthcoming in the near future.
It may even have been started
first, for all this writer knows.
There is a great deal of mention
Iof brave bulls" in the dialogue
in "Bullf1ghter," though, and the
result is sure to be that many will
think they already have seen "The
Brave Bulls"
X
"TeleviSion Playhouse" Is get
ting the jump on Hollywod-on
Paramount. to be specific-with
a drama titled Rescue" which
will be the story of the entomb-
Iment of Floyd Collins. It has been
adapted for television by David
Shaw from the newspaper dis
patches of William Burke Miller.
Collins was trapped at Cave
City, KY, in 1925, while trying to
find another entrance to nearby
Mammoth Cave. Millen, then a
cub reported for the Louisville
Courier journal, was assigend to
cover the rescue attempt. Be-
cause of his small size he was
called on to make a number OF
narrowing underground trips to
the trapped man.
The Collins rescue try became
the center of an amazing spectacle
Crowds swamped the little Ken
lucky town, special sightseeing
trains were run in, tents were
pitched, hot dog stands sprang up
hawkers sold earth from the Col
Inns cave as souvenirs. Rival
newsmen began to discredit the
sincere Miller attempt at rescue
and his stories. The report even
was circulated that Collins wasn't
even trapped, that it was all o
hoax.
Now there is movie, just COM
pleted at Paramount, named "Ace
in the Hole" 1t is not about
Floyd Collins. It is about a mar
trapped in cove out West. about
newpaperman's efforts to keer
the story his own exclusive prop
erty and about the adolescent fas-
cination such a spectacle holds fol
the human mob.
Rescue" will be shown on tele-
vision on Sunday, May 25. "Ace
in the Hole" will be released tt
theaters in July.
"Television Playhouse" come tt
think of it, is invading another TV
programs field as well as Holly.
woods. Miller won the Pulitzer
Prize for his 1925 dispatches from
Cave City, KY, which would have
made this fair game for pulitzer
Prize Playhouse" (WMAL-TV-
Friday, 9 PM if ''P. P. P" ha6
thought OF 1t f1rSt.
! X X n
Opportunity Taps Lightly: There
seems to be a bit of confusion
liaison has broken down some
where-about the talent hunt be-
ing conducted by Hollywood
Screen Test" (WMAL-TV-Mon-
day, 7:30 p.m). The talent search
lis going on, apparently, in con-
Inection with forthcoming film,
Hollywood Story" Locally. it
runs through Saturday night and
information and entry blanks are
supposed to be available at the
ITV sponsors dealers, but at least
one of these said he couldn't even
get the sponsors product. Your
best bet is a call to WMAL, where
ENTRY blanks and such informa-
ton as is to be had are available
X n X X
Programs and People: Jack
Benny, on his arrival in New York
for his fourth television show
(WTOP-TV-Sunday. 7:30 p.m0
disclosed that he plans a six
week tour of Korea. He would
leave to entertain troops in June,
subject to Washington approval.
Jan Murray has recovered his
voice and will appear tomorrow
night on James Melton's Ford
Festival" (WNBW-9). Doro-
thy Warrenskjold also will be on
hand. Gunnar Backs II pm.
InewScast on WMAL-TV has proved
popular enough to be expanded
to six nights this week, with the
addition of Saturday. And
Morgan Beatty's late nightly news
cast on WNBW has proved to have
range. A Topeka, Kans. viewer
sent letter completely describ-
ing the show, including dialogue
and commercials. Anybody out at
the Wardman Park checked to
make sure Beatty's not sneaking