Evening star., 1951-02-09
On the Air
Helen Hayes
Sees Theuter
Saved by TV
By Harry Macarthur

By Harry Macarthur
Television will be the salvation
of the theater, thinks Helen Hayes,
a woman who is all for the saliva
ton of the theater. This thought
has been suggested before, OF
course. by others who have pre-
dicted that TV theater would Gre
ate an interest in and an appetite
for the living drama on a stage.
The development of new acting
talent, however. will be television's
great contribution to the theater's
future, Miss Hayes has told the
North American Newspaper Alli-
ance's Harold Heffernan.
Radio never served such O
purpose" she said, because 1t has
no movement and was bad for
both stage and screen training.
Television will be like mighty
TRANSMISSION for the legitimate
theater and look for Broadway
in the near future to regain the
proud place it held in the '20s."
Television also, Miss Hayes has
admitted, is what brought her
back into the movie fold. The
actress, you remember. said re-
Gently that she took the role she
will play in my Son John" (Which
starts filming March y because
it would be so comfortable to for
get glamour and relax in the por-
trayal of a woman past so. 1t was
those TV appearances in "The
Late Christopher Bean" and "Vic-
toria Regina" which sold her.
it seems.
IT was frightened to death about
returning to films until I saw my
self on TV," Miss Hayes told Mr..
Heffernan. when I was in Holly
wood 20 years ago for Farewell
to Arms and The Sin Of Madelon
Claudet' I was always worrying
about my appearance and make
up. had one bad side that had
to be nursed. But after looking at
myself on the TV screens I can
come down to earth. Both sides
of me. and the middle, too. are
bad now"
This, of course, is q dim view
no one but Helen Hayes could get
away with. It might even be a
slander on television, but there
can be no complaint about any
thing which brings Helen Hayes
back to the movie-goers, who do
not see very much Helen Hayes
type acting.
II X II Il
Afternoon at the Opera. The
next presentation of the NBC Tele-
vision Opera Theater-it will be
the third this seasons sched-
uled for Sunday afternoon at 8.
Puccini's one-act comic opera,
"Gianni Schicchi." will be sung
uncut, with Ralph Herbert in the
leading role and Peter Herman
Adler as musical and artistic di-
rector. Virginia Haskins and
Robert Marshall will sing the
other top parts. "Gianni Schic-
chi" will be done in English. as
are the other operas in the NBC
series. Townsend Brewster did
the adaptation.
Cinderella Department. When
"A Star Is Born" is televised Mon
day night on Robert Montgomery
Presents" (WNBW-9:30 p.m0, a
star very well may be born. A 20
year -old Cinderella named Kath-
leen Crowley has been selected
by Mr.. Montgomery to play the
leading role which Janet Gaynor
did in the original film. Miss
Crowley's experience includes stud
les at the American Academy Of
Dramatic Arts, a little stock COM
pany experience in Maine and q
few minor roles in television.
OF Programs and People. Garry
Moore, who believes In giving all
to his art, is allowing himself to
be sawed In half Monday (WTOP-
TV-1:30 p.m) by Magician MIL
bourne Christopher. Mr.. Chris
topher, who has his own TV show
on a Baltimore station, has done
q lot Of local cabaret work. J. Ed
gar Hoover once told him, II don't
know whether to take you into
custody or put you on the pay
rolf. Fred Allen, who prom
ised not to do any more television
this season, may 60 before the
image orthicons again. This isn't
guaranteed, but don't be surprised
If he turns up in place Of Sid
Caesar on "Your Show of Shows"
two weeks from tomorrow night,
for one performance only. g.
Otto Kruger is to have the leading
role in Curtain Call" on next
weeks Lights Out" (WNBW-
Monday, 8 PM. Lauritz Mel
chior again will be the guest solo,
ist on Voice of Firestone" Mon
day at $3.50 pm. (WNBW. WRC)
The rumor that Milton Berle
may switch next season to an al
/, ternate week basis is around
again. The hardest rumor to
believe is the one that Claudette
Colbert may enter television.
Would she ever trust o television
director not to sneak up on her
and catch what she has for years
considered the wrong" profile?