Evening star., 1952-04-01
On the Air:
Solutions
Only Follow
Problems
By Horry Macarthur

|FrODIemS |
By Harry Macarthur
One of the newer variations on
the television panel show, ABC-
TVS "Foursquare Court" left one
viewer frankly confused Sunday
night (WMAL-TV-7:30 p. No.. j..
When this program first was an
nounced the impression was left
that it's object was to help solve
the rehabilitation problems of for
mer convicts and at the same time
give home viewers some insight
into these problems. That wasn't
exactly what it was doing Sunday
night. however.
"Foursquare Court" does. to be
sure, have its points of interest.
Norman Brokenshire is the mod
orator. Sunday nights panel con-
sisted of a Catholic priest, a prison
warden and two masked, uniden-
titled PAROLES who apparently had
solved their rehabilitation prob
lens.
Two witnesses" also masked
and unidentified, told stories of
their alcoholism and recovery with
Alcoholics Anonymous aid. One
had killed his employer during an
alcoholic blackout and now, out of
prison. was getting along well in a
respectable job. The other was a
widow who had been an alcoholic
for years. but now was happily
cured and working at a good job.
Questioning by the panel brought
out that both blamed alcohol for
their downfall. were glad they no
longer were addicted and thought
it easy to slip from social drink
ing into alcoholism. The warden
put forth the theory that alco-
holism was a crime cause only by
releasing inhibitions on criminal
tendencies already present, be-
cause a large PERCENTAGE of alco-
holics are arrested for drunken
ness alone. The former criminal
members of the panel took excep-
ton by claiming that apprehended
criminals often refused to admit
addiction to alcohol.
Not much came Of this diff
ference of opinion, however, and
nobody even pointed out that
demonstrating all criminals to be
alcoholics does not prove all
alcoholics to be criminals. Not
much came of anything, as a
matter of fact. The fat, factual
stories told by the two witnesses
were dramatic, but the program
had no direction, as a documen-
Itary on the good work done by
Alcoholics Anonymous or any
thing. else.
In the end Mr.. Brokenshire
thanked the witnesses" for tell
ing their stories and said he hoped
the panel had helped with their
problems. This may have been a
slip of the tongue but it may also
have been the key to the reason
I"Foursquare Court" didn't seem
ito be going any place. You can't
solve problems unless you have
people with problems and these
two witnesses" seemed already to
have solved theirs satisfactorily, at
least for the time being.
HOME TOWN GIRL-A recent
visit to Ruth Cranes Modern
Woman" television show (WMAL-
TV-Wednesday, 3p.m.) has a
former Washington actress now a
Washington housewife looking for
her spot in television. She is Janet
Coon Smith, who, as Jane Coon,
was a Roadside Theater come
Idienne when that revered summer
enter prise was fourishing out on
the Rockville pike.
She also was an actress with the
Drama Guild. the Arts Club, the
Civic Theater and the Takoma
Park Little Theater before going
to Hollywood and a scholarship
with Max Rheinhardt's theater
IWorkhop. It was while on the
West Coast that she met and mar
Iried DR.. Robert Lincoln Smith,
now senior surgeon of the United
States Public Health Service and
pit was as Mrs. Smith that she
spent the past three years in
Puerto Rico. While there she had
two regular radio programs, "For
the KiddieS" and "For the Ladies. "
While she was a busy non-pro-
fessional actress here, Miss Coon
talso was a busy radio performer
mostly with novelty bird whistling
Mrs. Smith will be back on Miss
Cranes program tomorrow after
noon to demonstrate this latter
speciality.
| + X Il y
SPORTS NOTE-The Kentucky
Derby will be seen by the biggest
audience yet when it is run al
Churchill Downs on May 3. Louis.
vile now is linked to an outbound
coaxial cable and the derby will
be telecast live over the CBS-TV
network for the first time. Pre-.
viouSly it has been on televisior
at home only, with other cities
seeing it later via film.
RADIO NOTES-Something o1
a new departure in guest stars is
scheduled for dial Dave Caro-
way" W WRC-M Monday through.
Friday. 11:45 ann, which fire.
quently features visiting recording
II