Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-21

e~Nf AA 80 AAA0ANS OAGNs A1NbA NbOa
1t was no gag. friend.
The Brinkleys and the Hunt
will be out where it's coolest
today-on roofs and platforms
and there's nothing like being
prepared for the worst.
The worst, by the way, could
include many unlucky things,
such as
. Announcer grabbing the
wrong networks mike. This hap
pened during the coverage of
the Inaugural Balls in So
. A tree limb directly in the
way of the cameras, as pictured
in yesterdays TeleVue. tThe TV
people finally solved the diem
ma of the wrongly situated plat
form near the Presidential re-
viewing stands. To give the
cameras an unobstructed view
unobstructed by the tree, that
is-a section of the platform
was cut off, lowering it beneath
the limb
. Poor timing. One network
was singled out for high praise
last inaugural because of its early
shots of the President. 1t was
the only network on at the time
and just couldn't help it.
Then there's the experience of
CBS's reliable Bob Trout, who
has been covering inaugurations
as long as any network man.
The one time the weather was
agreeable, Bob promptly came
down with the flu.
Bob is the fellow in whose
footsteps ABC's John Daly-then
with CHS - followed. Whose
footsteps did you follow" 1
asked Bob.
He thought for a moment.
There weren't any, I guess"
he said. He worked his first in
augural 1899 with Ted Hus-
ing, the sportscaster.
Anyway, good luck to all
they'll need it.
Weekend ScOrebOard:
Lee at Gettysburg" (Omni-
bus. That was a fascinating
look at the momentous battle of
Gettysburg on WMAL-7 last
night, and not the least re-
markable aspect of it was the
fluidity achieved by Director
Delbert Mann in the intrinsi-
cally static settings.
The 80 minute historical
drama. written in blank verse
by gifted Alvin Sapinsley, con-
centrated on the heroic figure
Of Robert E. Lee and his two
chief aides, Gems. Longstreet
and Stuart. Lee was played
with perhaps more vigor than
I anticipated by Actor James
DAILY, Sbut it was a generally
skillful reading.
The long delay in mounting
the offensive on the all-impOr-
tant hill held by Meade's men
was positively attributed in the
script to "OId Pete" Longstreet
Bruce Gordon, who was against
Lees tactics from the start.
Apart from the question of
blame, however. the script en-
phasized the devotion of the
Confederate soldiers to Lee and
his high regard for them.
Historians will debate some of
the points-such as the fact that
Pickett was at the head of his
gallant Virginians in the famous
charge. But this Omnibus script
was researched for two years and
with Bruce Cation GA Stiffness
at Appomatox") as consultant,
Lee at Gettysburg" was prob
ably the most carefully prepared
TV production yet. 1t should
lead to other T'V appraisals of
this historic period.
4 x 4
The Jerry Lewis Show (NBC-
4: Martin-lesS Jerry employed
two competent straight men Sat-
urday night in Jan Murray and
Paul Lynde and his two main
skits came off loud and clear.
The first of these found Jerry
struggling to win a bike on a
TV teen show and the second
found him disrupting a I'V pro-
duction conference. Jerry work.
ed hard but the scripting sagged
and the similarity in settings
didn't help. He was probably
funniest leading the Norman
Luboff Choir in Danny Boy"
4
The Ernie KOvacs Show (NBC
q: Ernie-s experimental mo
dialogue) show turned out to
be reprise of three of Ernie's
zaniest skits-but staged with
a snap and imagination that
was sometimes lacking in his
longer programs.
Ernie's adventures in the Sc
date mems club as squeaky -shoed
Eugene were simply hilarious.
Since there was no dialogue, the
laughs were obtained from Err
MES pantomime, an inspired
sound track, plus some irresisti-
able sight gags. At one point, Err
ME reached for a book to read.
He opened one on the Panama