Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-07
ON THE AIR
Anne Jeffreys Amazed
At Color N BustIe
BY HARRY MACARTHUR

This being headquarters for
actresses about to take the color
television plunge, the reply was
a quick yes when the man from
NBC asked if a telephone talk
with Anne Jeffreys sounded like
good idea. Miss Jeffreys, ia
miliar to you as an evanescent
friend of Topper" is playing a
leading role in Max Liebman's
production of THE Merry
Widow" on Saturday night at 9
(WRC-TV.
She turned out. when she
materialized over the phone, to
be quite happy about the whole
thing. She's in New York, which
is home; it's spring, and it's a
wonderful part in a wonderful
show.
I'm sort of thcater person
anyhow" she said, land it's good
to be back" The last time she
worked in New York was two
years ago, in an act with her
husband, Robert Sterling, at the
Waldorf Astoria. Before that she
had been a Broadway actress in
"Street Scene" kiss Me Kate"
and Three Wishes for Jamie. ~
Making those films for the TV
topper" (WTOP-TV - Friday,
$3.50 PM keeps the Sterlings in
Hollywood about half of the
year.,
1--WE start in September" Miss
Jeffreys said, land finish the 80
shows about the end of March.
AS soon as we finish the last one,
I catch the next plane for New
York"
Miss Jeffreys has done live
television shows before, but
nothing on the scale of one of
MICS color spectaculars. She
was not prepared for the elab-
crate production behind one of
these Max Lehman Presents"
eXtravaganzas.
Our shows in Hollywood"
the actress said, "are done just
like any other movie. We shoot
each one in three days-of long
hours and very hard work-and
we do two a week.
This is completely different.
It's like rehearsing for Broad
way show. Only we rehearse
10 days instead of five weeks and
we only do it once and that's
it. 1t has to be right. No re-
takes. Of course, I did The
Merry Widow once on the coast
with only 10 days of rehearsal.
but that was in a theater. We
didn't have any camera angles
or any other TV problems to
worry about.
I'm amazed at the organiza-
ton here" Miss Jeffreys went |
on. II don't see how they do it
in 10 days. OF course, I know
that lot of work was done be-
fore the cast was assembled,
but I'm still amazed"
x n II X
Miss Jeffreys proves to be
quite press agent for her fell
low cast members. She is high
in her praise of Brian Sullivan,
Helena Bliss, Edward Everett
Horton. John Conte and the rest.
In couple of instances, she re-
vealed, her appearance in "The
Merry Widow" has given the
long arm of coincidence slight
twist.
Brian Sullivan" she said.
twas in the first play ever did
in New York-'Street Scene
back in the 1867 season. And
Eddie Horton was in the first
movie ever made. My only
regret is that I never worked
with John Conte before. He's
such a charming man."
It turned out to be not her
only regret. She had one other.
This should be quite lovely
show" Miss Jeffreys said. 1--WE
have some gorgeous dancers.
It's such lovely score, too. and
I think the music is being used
eXcellently.
II wish I could see it, in fact.
I've never even seen coler tele-
vision"
The television star had one
more thing to bring up before
she went back to work for Mr..
Lehman.
Can I put in a personal plug
for my husband?" she said. He's
a fine actor. Watch him on
Studio One Monday night. He's
taking over the role Louis Jour
dan was to play"
1t was suggested that, since
she is doing THE Merry Widow"
on Saturday night and he is
uoing Studio One" on Monday.
the Sterlings won't see much of
each other this week end.
mo, we won't" she replied.
1T 4. seems strange. too, after
working together on the Topper
aims, to be rushing of to differ