Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-11

q case in point. Most of the ia
Western we're there; the rugge
town boss and the inevitable
showdown.
Yet they were involved "A q
neatly directed yarn that had
some imaginative twists and
crisp. lean dialogue that at
least brought some Of the char
acters into realistic focus. It's
a rare Western Tv town these
nights. for instance, where the
sheriff admits he's outnumbered
by the hoodlums.
"Why don't you turn In your
badge" the grim hero asks.
"What good would that dO?"
he replies pleadingly 'Tf I'm
still sheriff. maybe l can do q
little good"
I'm not submitting the above
exchange for a Nobel prize. but
in this season of do-it-all
badge-men and Superman gun
singers, these and other lines
had a refreshingly honest swing
to them.
The ending was according to
the book, however. The hero.
trying to clean up a saloonful
of all-thumb shooters, got help
at the last minute from his
former rival and you knew that
the hero was agonna git that
ranch he and his boy were
looking at so fondly when they
rode into town.
+ \ 4 +
Big Chuck Connors. who once
had a cup Of coffee in the big
leagues, batting .23a in 60-odd
games with the Chicago Cubs.
tipped his batting average in
this one. He handled his rifle
there's a SWITCH and his lines
Icleanly. Some pretty fair city
factors were involved in the
fray; Left Ericsson as the boss;
Sidney BIackmer as an honest
Judge, and young Dennis Hop
per as the friendly gunslinger.
From the caliber of cast and
story, it's obvious that the Zane
Grey producers were "preview-
ing" a TV series possibility for
next season. II the implications
haven't sunk in. podners, here
II is in a nutsheIl-the Westerns
are fully capable of reproducing
their own.
TV Reflections:
Gypsy Rose Lee was Jack
Paar's guest on Tonight last
Friday--and the Gypper. you'd
have to say, was never in better
form.
Frank Sinatra should invite
his Friday guests back again;
Edie Adams and Stan Freberg.
who introduced his new puppet.
Orville, were delightful.
Orville. the pliable puppet from
outer space, took a look at
Sinatra and promptly identified
him as a horse. Sinatra
came over to sing in Orville's
ear and Orville promptly added:
Hes a sick horse"
**
Moscow Missions Dept:
Bob Hope recently got the
ok. here Cat the Soviet EN-
bassy) to film a TV show in
Moscow and now it's xiv Pro-
auctions announcing an agree
ment with the comrades.
In return, some Russian pic
lures will be selected for use
on American TV screens. Zip's
Joseph M. BRANDED. the pire
STORY relates, IDiu 90 to Russia
soon to choose them.
The Russkies picked three xiv
series for showing: Sea Hunt,
starring Lloyd Bridges: Favorite
Story, with Adolphe Menjou as
host. and Science Fiction The
later. Menjou, an actor who has
consistently fought undercover
Commies in the arts, must be
Smiling.
&&&
On the Run:
CHS confirms the DUPONT
"Show of the Month" renewal
flor next season. -. And Just
in case you've a calendar handy
for marking, here are the next
three shows on this excellent
series:
March 81: Tale Of Two Cities.
April 10: The Red Mill.
MAY 8: WutheFing Heights.
Arthur Godfrey has a bulle-
tin, too. =. His Talent Scouts
series will shift to Wednesday
nights in the fall, $3.50 to 9
l--"For Sometime Speei,