Evening star., 1952-03-18
On the Air
Tosconini
Among TVS
VitoI Sturs
By Harry Macarthur

By Harry Macarthur
Arturo Toscanini, nearing his
85th birthday. still is close to
being the most vital and COM
Ipelling personality in television.
This proved Saturday night
(WNBW-6:30) to be as excit-,
ingly evident today as it first was
IA few years ago when there was
"a lot less competition in bring
ing excitement to the TV screen.
Televising of Toscanini concerts
ranks among the most welcome
services television has provided
for the stay-at-home concert
goers. They have provided a view
OF the man at work that only his
musicians have seen before and
Ia most rewarding view it is.
The TV broadcasters usually are
plagued by the problems of find-
ing happy medium between a
too static picture and a distract
ing one in televising a concert, but
not in the case of ToScanini. A
static" picture of the maestro
weaving 100 separate musical ef-
forts into a concert is never
static. Neither is it distracting.
The music. in fact. takes on an
extra dimension, sort of physi-
cal feeling Of size and shape, as
he draws it out Of an orchestra,
strains it through his own per-
sonality and shapes it into won-
derful sound. He does it so deftly,
with pursing Of the lips in one
direction. a fierce concentrated
gaze in another, a lift Of an eye
brow in q third. Every muscle of
his mobile features Is used to
fash instant messages to his mu-
lSicianS.
This musician's-eye view of
Toscanini. in fact, gives you more
insight into the relationship be-
tween composer, music, orchestra
and conductor than you are
likely to get anywhere. outside of
four years at Julliard. He'll be
back next Saturday night and no
man ever gave a reviewer more
confidence in recommending some
thing in advance as sure to be a
most satisfactory hour.
Toscanini. incidentally. brought
q note of unscheduled comedy to
uncounted thousands of homes
last Saturday. merely by sched-
uling the William Tell Overture"
as his encore. Nobody knows how
many previously serene living
rooms were invaded by mis-
led young shouting "The Lone
Ranger!"
He'd DO It, Too-One of the
abler moderators of broadcast
discussion programs is Dwight
Cooke, whose current chores in
clude Peoples Platform" "You
and the World" and Gross Sec
tion, U. s. A." He has a special
technique for signalling speakers
when it Is time to stop, gradually
moving his hand closer to the
speaker. It works best when his
program participants have ad-
vance warning of it, which is
what Cooke failed to give Senator
Margaret Chase Smith on recent
broadcast. It not only puzzled her,
she told Cooke later, but he
almost put his hand between her
and her notes.
Senator, I have a surprise for
you" he told her. IF you hadn't
stopped talking when you did. !
would have put my hand right
ON the notes."
Solution-n you've been having
transit troubles, Dave Garroway
OF NBC-TV's Today and NBC
radios dial Dave Garroway,"
may have the answer for your
problem. "You stand at one end
Of a trolley or bus and say in an
authoritative voice, The people in |
this car have been selected for
jury duty. The man at the other
end will take down your names
and addresses. Have your identi-
fication ready"
Programs and People-Uniuuel
is easily the word for the honor
tepdered Ted Crank, moderator
OF American Forum of the Air"
on NBC televison and radio, Sun
day evening at the Statler. AL
mammoth surprise party was
tossed for him by the American
Trucking Association, not to an
nounce its sponsorship of the
program. but as a farewell gift.
It had. that afternoon, sponsored
american Forum" on radio for
the last time and this was the
first time a sponsor ever cele-
brated something like that. It
was quite an evening for Crank.
The guest list was largely con-
gressional, with Senator's Estes
Kefauver. Blair Moody, Harry p.
Cain and a host of others who
have appeared on Forum" paying
tribute to Crank. Margaret
Truman will make her next TV|
appearance in the same sure