Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-26

the second, another documentar,
on the tabled Orient Express,
which will be seen Tuesday.
January z. via WRC-.
Hazam's is a fun documen-
tary, a spool of a favorite
setting for the international
intrigue stories Of yesterday and
our clouded crystal ball tells us
that E. Newman, the narrator,
will be rediscovered by viewers.
critics, and maybe even his
own network. He has a fine,
light touch which NBC has
made no use of-Since the con-
ventions, in fact-and comes
through famously.
Show Magazine, in Its January
issue, churlishly gives away the
very funny ending but don't rob
yourself Of a delicious surprise
by reading about it first.
Wen have more to say
about the Orient Express
(Which, incidentally, still makes
the Paris to Istanbul rum in the
TV Magazine prior to its show
ing. Mark it down now on yolIr
calendar-January7.
THE Making Of the Presi-
dent, $780," is something else
again, a production which is so
close to the tragic fact of the
Presidents death as to make
critical objectivity impossible.
/ am glad that Producer Wolper
and Writer White did not go
back after Dallas to change
anything in the 9O-minute docu-
mentary they had just completed.
There are unavoidable poignan-
cies, Of course, but there is
about the show a criSpneSS and
detachment that is admirable.
l found it a firSt-rate, often
brilliant TV adaptation of the
book.
This is important to state at
the outset. It is not Whites
book in the sense that it reflects
the magic of the authors ex-
ceptional literary style. The
words of the TV documentary
are his, but the narrative must
be sustained, in the main, by
the pictures they were able to
find of the key events.
On the whole, this has been
marvelously done.
Oh, we have some minor res
eryationS. You won't get the full
impact of the West Virginia pri-
mary segment-and Senator
Humphreys losing campaign
unless you've read the book.
This is not only one of the most
moving chapters in the book,
but one of the most revealing.
But enough is suggested by the
pictures that were found to
make it work in the documen-
tary, particularly with the re-
sourceful film whenever the
pictures are missing) Of Whites
words, as read by Martin Gabel.
Another reservation concerns
the background music which we
hope will be reduced in volume
before the showing time. The
southland I'm darned if Il
remember the violins Leonard
Lyons was referring to in his
column the other day as a fea-
ture Of the program-tended to
OVeEpOWer some OF the KEY
words In the script.
It is not the book but, as
White said himself, "The Skele-
ton Is there; only the flesh
hangs differently" 1t is still a
study Of power, of a power that
is uniquely given by Americans
to one American.
Why they gave it to John F.
Kennedy should be abundantIy
clear In the showing. Don't miss
this one, either.
. &&
Christmas Note: As luck
would have it, two Of the finest
Christmas eve programs were
unfortunately pitted against
each other. The Gallaudet Col
lege dance show (WTTG), we
understand, was one of the most
appealing shows featuring this
neglected performing art meg
lected by local TV, l mean |
ever done by Washington sta
ton. At the same time, Channel
26.lwas showing a National Edu-
cational TeleViSion production