Evening star., 1952-02-21
On the Air
IfYou Want
Steve You
Tell John
By Harry Macarthur

By Harry Macarthur
Peace and quiet are a couple Of
things which never reign for long
in TV circles. If the actors aren't
seething about the critics, the
critics are stabbing the sponsors
and If that isn't happening. the
viewers are betting the networks
with complaints.
Just on the off chance that the
folks around WTOP-TV aren't
aware Of it, they have some irate
customers right now. The substitu-
ton of a pair of half hour mys-
teries for Steve Aliens Saturday
night Songs for Sale" has aroused
some of the citizenry. and under
standably.
Mr.. Allen is an amusing and
personable guy and there aren't
so many of these on television that
we are likely to become surfeited
with the type. He wears mighty
we'll.
The Allen admirers are not 60
ing to be made any happier by
the news that Songs for Sale"
still is not scheduled for WTOP-
TV when 1t expands to 80 minutes
in the near future to add the time
now occupied by "The Show Goes
On" (Robert @. Lewis supporters
may file briefs, but their pleas
will have to await the disposition
of the Allen matter.)
The only hope for the Steve
Allen fans Is a firm protest reg
istered with WTOP-TV. If this
is strong enough and numerous
enough. we may get the first half
hour Of Songs for Sale" when it
expands, or we may get a kline
scope Of at least part of it in some
other time period.
The man to address is John S.
Hayes. co WTOP-TV, Warner
Bldg. Thirteenth and e streets
NV.
He can't help you in the other
Steve Allen matter, though-the
cancellation at the end of this
week Of his daytime show. That's
a network problem and one which
probably won't be with us any
more when TV gets into its ex-
pansion after the lifting of the
FEC freeze In the case of
the Allen show, CBS-TV couldn't
clear time on stations in Boston
and Philadelphia, consequently
couldn't interest a sponsor, and is
turning the time period back to
local stations.
Other plans are being made for
something to occupy Mr.. Allen
during the day.
X
Kill or Cure-DuMont's mot
for Publication" (WTTG-Fri-
day. $3.50 p.m.) may end or COM
pound one minor area of con-
fusion. but it is entering into it
bravely. This weeks drama,
The Golden Voice." will have
Jerome CORTLAND and Jerome
Cowan as stars. They're far
apart in age and type, but those
names have confused more than
one. Retrenchment is hitting
playhouse of Stars" (WTOP-TV
Friday, 9 p.mD. due for pruning
to a half-hour come April. !
The switch from live production
to film is expected to follow
shortly. It's sort Of too bad,
in a way, that Art Bakers "all-
request variety program" "You
Asked for It." is not carried
locally now that it's moved to
ABC-TV. A man due on that
Monday is fellow named Arthur
Eagle, whose claim to fame is
that he is a normal-sized man
who can crawl through a stand
ard-size tennis racket. There's
great idea for a companion pro-
gram there. Something titled
who in the World Asked for
Another Veteran "voice of
Firestone," which could make al
fair dialectic claim to being the
Oldest program on television, has
just signed with NBC for its 25thI
year, ending next December 4.
. It hasn't been on television
that long. Of course, but it's been
on NBC radio Monday nights at
$3.50 since 1927. Margaret
who will guest on "The
Perry Como Show tomorrow
(WTOP-TV-7:45 p.m.), will be
the Capitol Theater's stage show
the week Of February
%. a. Dean Martin and Jerry
Lewis will stage a 24-hour mara
thon TV show over NBC in mid
March to raise funds for the New
York Heart Hospital. :. It will
in HolIvwood where
they will be to work on their next
Hal Wallis Aim to follow Sailor
Beware" Phil Harris has
been talking over his TV future
with NBC. Report is that he'd
like to do a series of guest ap-
pearances next season to feel out
the medium. Hope he brings
something to 1t other than his
of 1.-THE Thing" and
That's What I Like About the