Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-25
ON THE AIR

quite enough for a TV weather
forecaster to put up with. For
what seems like some time now
almost every televised guess on
the nature of tomorrow's weather
has been prefaced by an expla-
nation of why last nights guess
was outsmarted by the elements.
But springtime's unpredictable
fronts are not the only foes OF
the television weather man; the
people who run resorts would
like word with him. too.
The resort folks. it should be
noted, have no bubble with the
likes of Louis Allen, who knows
what he is talking about. Nor do
they object to girls like Tippy
Stringer and Aletha Agee, who
repeat prettily and without panic
the information the Weather
Bureau has passed along.
Their beef. voiced at the
American Resort Owners con-
vention in. Atlantic City the
other day, is against "TV and
radio figures who present
weather information as though
they were competing for Holly
wood Oscar" These thespians
cost resort owners in the United
States, Canada, Mexico. Ber-
muda the Virgin Islands. the
West Indies and Hawaii mil
lions of dollars a year." it was
charged.
The resort men do not wish
weather news suppressed. What
they deplore is tendency
toward THEATRES in reporting i'm
pending blows (WHICH has
heightened its spread of fright
and confusion. d" In one case
cited, these Theatres caused
hundreds of weekend ski en-
thusiasts to stay at home on one
of the finest days of winter for
the sport. :"
The resort owners felt so
strongly about this sort of thing
that they appointed a subcom-
mittee and charged 1t with
lodging "a complaint with the
proper Government agencies in
Washington, D. c." 1t is not the
intent of this department to
throw cold water, or cold
weather, on the resort owners
schemes, but this committee
can't do much about the real
problem.
The real problem centers
around the passive nonresist-
ance Of those members of the
television audience who believe
whatever they are told. The
weekend ski enthusiasts. for in
stance. who sit at home on a
fine, bright, sunny winter day
because some man on the tele-
vision last night said it would
rain.
CRITIC - Among the other
things you probably never knew
about the Army is the fact that
it is an astute drama critic.
That's what someone in the
Army is. at any rate. For the
Army, or someone in it. took a
look at Rod Servings drama.
"The Rack" on the ABC-TV
~. S. Steel Hour" a couple Of
Tuesdays back and decided that
more people in the Army ought
to see it. A kinescope recording
was requested and the presen-
tation was scheduled for this
morning at the Pentagon. L. M.
Parsons. Washington Philadel-
phia vice president of U. S. Steel
presenting. Major Gen. Gilman
C. MIDGET receiving. Gen.
Mudgett is in charge of Army
information and education.
What the Army especially
liked about the Serling drama,
apparently, was its complete and
dramatic Qualification of the
essence Of the problem Of the
returned POW who once broke
under Red pressure. Many un-
doubtedly have felt that the reg
ular Army has been shy of per-
spective, to say the least, in
throwing the court martial book
on a safe, well-fed stateside
base at some who collapsed be-
fore Red brutality.
The reason why is what Mr..
Servings drama searches out.
The kinescope recording was
screened the other day for this
reporter who missed the original
and 1t turned out to be one
Of the years memorable tele-
vision dramas. It was superbly
played by Marshall Thompson,
keenan, Wynn and Wendell
Corev. directed with his usual
srispness by Alex Segal.
The Rack" Ia the story Of a