Evening star., 1951-07-02
| heater TV
Wont End
lit At Home
By Harry Macarthur

unqualified success of theater
television now that the second
trial of 1.-THE Murphy-LaMotta
fight-proved so satisfactory at
the ticket window. 1t is not time
yet, however, to sound the death
knell of television in the home,
nor does this new gimmick yet
represent the saviour of the movie
theaterS.
It is true that Murphy's splat-
tering of LaMotta did attract an
estimated 1900 persons to Keith's
here, 1900 of whom got in. This
is about all the people you can
get into a theater with 1889 seats,
give or take few pews in the top
balcony which could have been
uprooted without being missed
during most regular movie show
ings in the past few years.
It also is more people than most
Hollywood products are able to
lure into a theater at one time
these days. A fight on theater
TV does this only once, however.
It would have to do it five times
a day seven days a week to make
a motion picture theater resemble
the comfortable real estate in
vestment it used to be.
There will be a lot more of this
theater television, of course, since
the sports promoters are eagerly
passing up immediate for future
gain to prove that it works. There
was a guarantee of $4,000 for the
Louis-Savold fight and it is doubt
full if the actual theater-TV take
went above it. $4,000 comes out
of the petty cash box when a
sponsor is putting fight on the
nationwide radio-television net
works.
There will have to be more than
100 TV-equipped theaters-maybe
125 or more-to bring fight
promoter a cut of 100000, which
is what Gillette paid to put the
Louis Charles fight on the air.
Showing all major sports events
solely on theater-TV would not
cause any great numbers of home
television sets to be junked. There
were more than 265,000 television
set owners in the Washington area
who did NOT want to see last
Wednesdays fight badly enough
to be even among those turned
away at Keith's. They preferred
to take their chances at home with
a film of previous fight,
wrestling or Break the Bank" p"
There even are people who can sit
at home and not watch a fight.
The sports promoters may find
themselves up against a brand
new TV problem soon. They may
discover that no television in the
home hurts them more than
television. They may have their
old clientele to the death but new
generations will be growing up IN
TV homes unaware that there are
any spectator sports but wrestling
and the Roller Derby.
x x x
The Cure Worked: Arthur Bud
ney, Detroit baritone who recently
won top honors on Arthur God
frey's Talent Scouts" (WTOP-TV
Monday, $3.50 pm) can safely
apply the word unique to the cir
cumstances which started his sing
ing career. Three years ago when
he went to a doctor for help with
a serious speech impediment he
had no idea of becoming singer,
or even the faintest notion that
he could sing. The doctors rec
ommendation for the speech de-
feet, however, was vocal study and
all of sudden there Budney was
"a baritone.
Summer Fare: Several new tele-
viewing items will be turning up
tonight, among them:
TVS Top Tunes" which will
have Peggy Lee and Mel Torme
filling in for eight weeks for the
vacationing Perry Como, Mondays
Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:45
pm. on WTOP-TV.
"Pantomime Quiz" a TV cha
rade game with Adele Jergens
Jackie Coogan, Fred Clark and
Hans Conreid competing against
Virginia Field, Beverly Tyler
George Macready and George
O'Brien, on WTOP-TV at 8 pm.
"United-Or Not?" a news con-
ference which will have members
of the United Nations Correspond
ents Association questioning U. N
delegates and other leaders ir
world affairs on WMAL-TV at
pm. Sir Gladwyn Jebb. head ot
the British delegation will be the
first to face the question barrage
"It's News to Me- new show
which will have John DAILY a!
referee of a contest between tht
studio audience and personalit!
panel, on WTOP-TV at $50 pm
X X x
Programs and People: Tha
Murphy -LaMotta fight will b.
seen by home viewers-a weel
late via film (WTOP-TV-
Wednesday, 10 p.mD. Spik
Jones is scheduled for five full
hour television shows for NB(
next season. Frank Sinatra i
rumored near parting with CBS
and comforting with NBC.
Add planned TV film series: "Bet
and Board" starring Charles Co
burn and Spring Byington. . Bill
Goodwin, longtime announcer TO
Burns and Allen" will leave tina
show next year to start his owl
daytime TV program. On
thing color television may meal
is more color movies in theater
as a box Office lure. 1t also mean
that there is good excuse ono
again to write that summer stand
by piece known to entertainment
columnists as "the Technicolo
column" . Among other name