Evening star., 1952-02-08
ION the Air
Its Not Easy
|Ad-Libbinq
| In French
BY Harry Macarthur

of them are perfectionists, nc
matter what you think OF the
end results of their art. A tele-
vision comedy show in most cases
/ is not written, but rewritten and
the process sometimes goes on
right up to air time.
This places a considerable
strain on performers. who learn
one set of lines. then have to
unlearn these and learn a new
set. And If it places a strain on
performers whose native language
is American, you can imagine
what it must be for one to whom
this is a foreign tongue.
There is, for instance. Helene
Francois, the singing sister Of
Denise Darcel, now back at the
Sazerac Room Of the Old New
Orleans here, where she made her
American debut last summer. Be-
tween her two appearances here,
Miss Francois, who is both photo
genie and talented. had something
of a guest star furry on television.
visiting Ed Sullivan'S Toast Of
the Town." Faye Emerson's
Wonderful Town" for a salute
to Paris. and, most recently.
Jack Benny. The latter show gave
her the most trouble.
"Mr. Benny was always chang
ing things" Miss Francois recalls
with a shiyer. IT'D go to rehearsal
and MIR. Benny would say We're
going to change the lines I'd
say, oh. no. and he'd say. oh,
yes
This was YER difficult for me
because I still think in French.
I have to. translate q line into
French before I know what it
means and when I say something
I think it in French before I
translate and say it in English"
An ad-lib going through this
process would have thrown chaos
Into even Benny's famed timing.
Portent, Perhaps?-Never let it
be said that this department leaps
|on trends before they get under
way, but there is an item Of news
today which is definitely in the
Iman-bites-dog class If it isn't
downright ominous. Mary Sin
clair, who became teleyisianis first
official star when CHS launched
Its TV star system awhile back.
has asked and been given release
from her contract. She is signing
IA seven-year deal with Para
mount to make those old-fash-
ioned entertainments, movies.
E* =
Week End Guests:
TomOrrow-Ray Middleton and
Bethel Leslie, on "The Ken Muir
ray Show" (WToP-Tv--8 PM.
|. Danny Thomas, with William
Bendix and Fran Warren, on "All-
Star Revue" (WNBW8 p.m).
!. June Lockhart and Robert
Merrill, on 'tYour Show Of Shows"
(WNBW-9 p.mo. Songs for
Sale" is being replaced by two
new shows on WTOP-TV, Tales
of the Black Cat" at 10 and RE
bound" at 10:30 p.m.)
Sunday-Senator Estes Kefau-
yer, on Man of the Week"
(WTOP-TV-10:30 AMI DR..
Kingsley Davis, discussing "The
Future Of the Worlds Population, !"
on Horizons (WMAL-TS-1
pm0 Jayne Meadows and
Douglas Montgomery. in Woman
With a Sword" on Hall Of Fame"
(WNBW-3::30 p.m0 Carl
Sandburg, on "See It Now"
(WTOP-Tv-3:30 PM :. John
Foster Dulles, on Meet the Press"
(WNBW-4 p.m.) =. Jackie Glea-
son and his two daughters. on the
returning Sam Levenson Show"
(WTOP-TV-6:30 p.m0 :. Fred
Allen and Perry Como, on Royal
Showcase" (WNBW-7 p.m) >. .
Mimi Benzell, on "The Paul
Whiteman Revue" (WMAL-TV-
n p.mO Betty Furness, Mel
Torme and Elaine Dunn, on This
Is Show Business" (WTOP-TV-
7:30 p.m9 ;. Dean Martin and
Jerry Lewis, on "The Comedy
Hour" (WNBW-8 pm3 =. Au-
drey Hepburn, star Of "Gigi,"
on "Toast of the Town"
(WTOP-TV-8 pmD 5. Grace
Kelly, Phyllis Kirk and Gene Ly-
ons, in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Rich
Boy" on "Television Playhouse"
(WNBW-9 p.m) Paul Hart
man and Florence Chadwick, on
Celebrity Time" (WTOP-TV-
10 PM Leland Hayward, on
the panel on whats My Line?"
(WTOP-TV-10:30 p.m).
Monday - Arlene Francis, in
Accident" on Hollywood Screen
Test" (WMAL-TV-7:30 p.m9 .
Vincent Price. in '"The Game Of
Chess. on 'Video Theater"
CWTOP-TV-8 p.m.) :. Ferruccio
Tagliavini, on "Voice of Fire
stone" (WNBW-8:30 p.m..) .
Signe Hasso in "Cries the String, !"
on Lights Out" (WNBW-9 p.m0
Richard Greene. in an adap-
tation Of Wilkie Collins The
Moonstone," on Robert Mont
gomery Presents =" (WNBW-
$50 pm9 :. Sono Osato, in PA
goda," on Studio One" (WTOP-
TWO PM.
4 + \
Via BBC-For the second time
the funeral Of a British monarch
will be described over American
radio networks when services for
King George vi are held one week
from today. Arrangements are
/ q =. 4 NTE4fV IAn