Evening star., 1963-04-24

We thought you might be intri
up with what seems like a skim
Here's the soft-spoken S
among producers, with frank
notes and views on variety Of
small screen drama topics:
On his producers role: ITO
get seven shows this season, we
got in touch with 10 writer's.
We had actual sessions with 35
and, roughly, we discussed IS
ideas with them. Out of the
rs, between rs and 80 were
possibilities. OF these, NBC and
Dupont killed 10 and the rest
apart from the seven-we elm
mated"
On dealing with playwrightS:
"You can't do 1t by phone"
On original scripts VS.. adap-
tatiOns: 1T would be a great
relief it you could find prop
critics you can adapt to 48
minutes, you can't"
On Upbeat Drama: Whats
needed are real, honest-to-G God
heroes. That's one Of the rea-
sons why TO Kill a Mocking-
bird was such a great success.
But nobody writes about them
any more"
On Tuesday Weld (who CO.
stars with Alfred Drake in
Schaffner's season finale, May
19): "We heard some stories
about her, too, but she worked
hard and co-operated beau
tifully with us. can report
in defense Of virtue-that in
a bathtub sequence which
presented a modesty problem,
Miss Weld was wearing a flesh
colored bikini. but still insisted
on clearing the SET"
On next season: Schaffner
projects include more TVI
dramas, plus a film for Ely
Landau c'The Pawnbroker")
and the shooting of a pilot for
CHS Of a series tentatively en-
titled, Ambassador -At-Large." ."I
He also hopes to have Broad
way play ready, based on the
best-seller, Citizen Hearst" for
the fall Of "a.
Back on the Beam Dept:
Edie Adams and director Barry
Shear. Her ABC-TV special last
week with Buddy Hackett was
a bright. imaginative half
hour reminiscent Of her earlier
shows this season. (Her last
two-the Las Vegas and West
ern bit-were extremely nom
specially
Mailbag: Rick NJ, of the 800
block Of New Hampshire ave-
nue., ought to be out in Holly
wood writing sketches for the
variety comedians. He writes
that a recent Ben Casey episode
with its "more-than-usual
medical jargon between Ben
and DR.. Zorba," inspired the
following:
DR.. 2: I notice thare's a
wound in the right shirley
temple.
DR.. C: Guess well have to do
an angie dickinson.
DR.. z: But a dagmar might
prove simpler.
DR.. C.: Yes, but it's liable to
endanger his lower tuesday
weld and cause bleeding of the
jason robards.
DR.. 2: Have you considered
the arlene dahl test?
DR.. c: Too riskyl OF course,
we could try the latest fabian
test, but I'd prefer taking re-
nata tebaldi samples.
DR.. 2: OK, but first, let's
try the new bess myerson drug.
%&A
On The Run:
From WWDC's Art Brown, in
Tokyo: Dear Bernie: You
have never reviewed a show till
you see "Gunsmoke" in Jap
aneSe."
Bob (Omnibus) Saudek will
produce the all-star ABC-TV
show MAY 81 which will pre-
view the new Lincoln Center
Repertory Theater's first sea-
son In the fall a.. Lined up so
far: Jason RObards, Marion
BrandO, Margaret Leighton,
Ella Kazan, Arthur Miller and
s. N. Behrman-to name a few.
For Identification purposes,
CHS has wisely decided to give
its offbeat news-public affairs
specials (Which alternate with
Fred Friendly's programs) a
title "Chronicle"-and a per-
manent host, Charles ColIing-
wood. Therell be eight
one-hour and IL half-hour