Evening star., 1951-03-08
On the Air
An Alert Man
IsPress Agent
PfunstiehI
On the Air
By Harry Macarthur

By Harry Macarthur
Cody Pfanstiehl, who handles
press information for WTOP and
WTOP-TV, is an alert and enter
prising young man. No matter
what a columnist mentions, Mr..
Pfanstiehl is sure to come UP with
something along that line which
just happens, by coincidence. to
mention the name Of a WTOP
personality. You comment that
some one has displayed horse
sense and within "a hours there
is a story on your desk about
Arthur Godfrey's favorite stallion.
He can stretch even further
than this, this Pfanstiehl, and it
keeps columnistS busy trying to
think up things he can't tie up
with WTOP's ratings. Gle men
tions these more often than those
of WTOP-TV largely because the
shadow of WNBW settles over him
like cloud whenever he begins
his rating TALK
y X " X
Anyhow, a note here the other
day about shortages and give
away jackpots brought forth i'm
mediately an excerpt from a
script broadcast recently by Gene
Klavan, who is on WTOP-TV and
WTOP less frequently than only
Godfrey. It doesn't have much
to do with the original subject,
but it is a fair sample of the
style of Mr.. Klavan's humor. to
wit:
IN. c.: Here we go with today'S
great presentation Of Half Of
Nothing But first, a word from
our sponsor, Shortages. Inc:
Ann: The makers of Shortages
welcome you to this little show
frankly because you help us more
than we help you. We don't want
to sell you anything: we just want
to spend money to help knock
down our taxes. Look at it this
way: If you buy whatever we sell
we've got to make good, right?
We've got to put it in attractive
containers. right? We've got to
pay some high-priced idea man to
think up slogan, right? We've
got to make sure its outstanding,
mild, leaves no dulling soap film
and is dry and beery, right? Well,
who wants to bother! This way,
we don't load up your shelves
with a lot Of cans and bottles.
We don't send you out to the
store on rainy days and increase
your shopping burdens, right?
Therefore, since we do all this for
you, we feel you should do a little
something for us. Send money.
If we aren't completely satisfied
with what you send. we1l return
the used envelope and you will
give us double what you paid the
first time"
Come to think of it, Mr.. Pfan-
stiehl, you'd better keep that on
file until some one writes a piece
about the inanity of some radio
and TV commercials.
X X X X
Inconsistency, Thou Art No
Jewel: A forthcoming script for
1.-THE Billy Rose Show" (WMAL-
TV-Tuesday. 9 pm) will tell Of
Osso, a famed magician who hit
the skids when his hands became
paralyzed by arthritis. Cold. hun
CRY and forgotten, he wound up
seeking shelter in church, and
almost became q pickpocket. A
pickpocket with paralyzed hands?
In Good Company: Ruth Hus-
sey's supporting cast in the 1851
Family Theater" Easter drama
on television, Hill Number One"
has just been announced. Miss
Hussey will play Mary. and others
will be Joan Leslie, as the wife OF
Pontius PLATE; Gene Lockhart. as
Matthew; Jeanne Cagney, as
Mary Magdalen; Left Erickson, as
Plate, and Regis Toomey, as the
Pharisee, Nicodemus. The film
now being made for Family
Theater" by Jerry Fairbanks Pro-
will be shown on all tele-
vision stations during Easter week.
Locally, all bookings of it are not
complete, but WNBW has it
scheduled for three Easter week
end showings.
X X X
Programs and People: Sponsor
of "The Great Gildersleeve" is
now looking at TV tests made by
the radio cast 1--WE Take Your
Word will be q television show
again, starting tomorrow night at
l0:30 on WTOP-TV. AS on the
separate radio version. John K.
M. McCaffery will be the word
master" and Abe Burrows the per-
manent member of the panel {.
NBC-TV News Commentator Rob-
ert Mccormick is getting ready
for a European jaunt to bring
back first hand reports for
Battle Report, Washington" and
News Caravan" Ruth Crane.
Of WMAL and WMAL-TV, has
launched her 1851 Modern
Woman of the Year" contest.
Nominations can be made by let
ter addressed to Miss Crane at the
station and you can nominate a