St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 63

Hal Boyfe Ken Murray a Comedian of Many Projects His Latest Idea Is TV Show Featuring Movie Stars He Has Known; He Even Took Camera Along on Dates Life at 50: What It Is Really Like NEW YORK, March 23 (AP). WHAT IS IT LIKE to be 50 yean old? That question bothered me when I hit the half century mark a month ago. I feared the worst. I had a half-formed dread that, like the wonderful one -V 7 I ff i hose ahay, a fellow ran the risk of suddenly falling to pieces, worn out in every part. At the best, I figured, life would be dramatically and dismayingly different But after a full four weeks of being 50, I learned a surprising thing it isn't half as worrisome as being a teen-ager.

You may have fewer big dreams, but you have fewer big problems, too. At 50 you face up to the fact you are too old for President Kennedy to Invite you Into his worldwide new Peace Corps, but somehow this is a blow you are able to weather without undue bit HAL BOYLt 'A i- --s 1 Mil KEN MURRAY "There are a lot of comedians around saying funny things. A real comedian sayt things funny." It fort DiisHk Pltriii. be. Tske Red Skcltnn.

Ynu remember Freddie the Freeloader and you remember he la always very funny. But do you remember any of Fred- riU'a llnna Tkal'a what I mmm mi I .11 1 ill 11 ww'kihwI Oil I l'" down on the aofa and lighted one of his long, black cigars. He reslly smokes them. Murrsy always has and still does write most of his stuff. "Mainly," ha explained, "be-cause I can't find anyone who writes the kind of throw-away comedy I use.

Comedy has chsnged. There are a lot of comedians around saying funny things. A real corner an says things funny. That's the difference. "Trouble with too many of them today, the material becomes more Important than the actor.

You hear their phonograph records and you laugh at what they say. The hnes are very funny. But you don't know whether the man can be funny or not. "The comedian la more Important than the lines," Murray aaid at he puffed en his big clgsr. "Got to be; got lo mrsn, lt't the comedian you remember, and not the lines." And then there Is, as of now, a third type of comedisn, exem-plified by Jack Tear.

"You know what he Is?" asked Murray. "Paar la a funny listener. He gets laughs just hy the wsy he listens to people. That's tomething very rare." It was Inevitable, of course, that the conversation would turn to the Paar-Sullivan matter. "Just doing what comet naturally," ssid Murray.

"Same thing nf inu rHp nrfnrmAf wmiM terness. After all, It doesn't mean you are relegated to the wheelchair. You are still a bit young for that You are also still too young to park In the chimney corner and tart mumbling ever your bowl of gruel. Hera's what la really like to be 50 yeara young: Women of 40 become dangerously beautiful, and any girl nder 35 seems gauche and Immature. Instead of thinking old age aa beginning at 60, you decide it begins at 70 or 75 or maybe even 80.

You feel sorry for the young. They have so much trouble to go through which you yourself have already known. You decide that if you could have a second time you wouldn't want it. "Once around the barberry bush is enough." The boss, particularly If he la older than you, rises higher In your estimation. After all, any man smart enough to keep you on the payroll all these years can't be altogether dumb.

Maybe all along he knew what he was doing some days anyway. You appreciate your wife more, too. She has put up with a lot, and been loyal. Now and then you even catch yourself absent-mindedly listening to something ahe says and finding intensely interesting. When you think of some of the dames you might have married, you shudder.

You quit trying to tell your children how to run their livea. You tell them, "I brought you up this far you'll have to make It the rest of the way on your own." You are somewhat aurprised to find how much more relaxed this makes the whole family. There are more days when you don't want a martini, and fewer days when you forget to take your vitamin capsule. Retirement, which aeemed so distant, now looms nearer and nearer. Why, 65 It only 180 months away 179 178.

You begin looking around for a hobby of some kind. Doesn't everybody say a man ought to have a hobby? You hate to throw away an old suit, an eld pair et shoes, a favorite necktie getting ahabby. It disturbs you even when an eld enemy passes en. These things have beea part of your life. You don't want te lose them.

The turning sea.sona become a recurrent miracle. It Is as If time had peeled your eyes to a new freshnese. As spring comet on you note the sudden greening of brown grass, an opening bud on the tree outside your door, and you feel like hiring a brass band to serenade the first robin you see. At SO you are swept with gratitude for many things you took for granted before, because now you realize you won't know these sights and sounds and people and experiences forever. If you have a chance to become 50, don't pass It by.

It's worth wslting for. MURRAY in a scene from the TV series "Death Valley Days," hit first serious rolt. have done under the clrcum-ttances, once the matter came up and we tsw the possibilities. Nobody really gets hurt, but it makes all the front pages." hadn't wanted to try tomething different. "I was tired of radio," he explained, "and about 1942 I went to New York and taw a musical variety ahow called which waa doing a big bueinesa.

I aaid to myself, if this Is what they like, I'll do it in California. The result was the Blackouts. Well, after one aaid months ago, 'How about playing St. Louis for a week in and I aaid, 'Yeah, good Idea. So here I am.

"I ju.it finished a television ahow in which I played my first realty dramatic role. It waa an episode in 'Death Valley Daye' and I played a aeedy old prospector. Died In the end. Now I'm up for an Emmy award." Aa a matter of fact Murray'e performance as the old prospector gained considerable critical acclaim, and the story went around that he waa going to give up comedy and become a serious actor. "Not at all," he told me.

"It was interesting and it was fun, and I'd like to do it again tome time. But the main thing Is, I like to keep doing things that are different." During hla career Murray has been actor, producer and director, in vaudeville, radio, television and musical comedy. He it perhaps best known as the producer, star and chief dialogue writer for a ehow called "Ken Murray's Blackouts," which ran for seven and a half yean In Los Angeles and could be running still, Murrsy tays, if he By Dickson Terry Of iht Potl-Diipalrh Stuff. WE DROPPED IN on Ken Murray at Hotel Chase the other morning for a long talk about everything from home moviea to the Paar-Sullivan feud. That's the way It turned out, anyway.

I had never talked to Murray before in my life. But he's the kind of guy, once you're barely inside the room, you're acting like you'd spent half your livet together over the back fence. His two-room suite, which he had moved Into the night before, already looked as If he'd taken up permanent residence. He was wearing house slippers and an old plaid robe which, like the suite, had a lived-in look. "In the event you're Interested In what I Intend to do," Murray said, as he poured cream over a huge bowl of Cresm-of Wheat (that's ths kind of person Murray is, the Cream-of-Wheat type), "there's something I want to tell you about.

It's something I'm working on." That, we soon learned, Is typical of Murray. At 57 and after 37 years in the theater, he hi always getting enthusiastic about some new project. He deserted his ceresl, padded across the room and started digging in his briefcase. "This all started," he said, "with the fact that I'm a real corny person. I guess I'm the only celebrity In the country who still worships start.

Look at this," he aaid, taking out his wallet. Among the cards wss one showing that Ken Murray Is a charter member of The Original Bing Crosby Fan Club. Murray found what he was looking for, a loose-leaf notebook with a schedule of film clips, their titles and the length of time each one runs. "This goes back to 1927," he explained, "when I made my first trip to Hollywood. I bought one of those new-fsngled home-movie csm-eraa and Instead of sending postcards bsck home, I sent reels of Mm." Murrsy wss only 24 yeart old then, but he was already a head-liner in vaudeville.

He was pitying the old Orpheum In Los An-gekw, and in those days the movie atari loved vaudeville hows. "Sunday night was the big night." Murray recalled. "All the movie stars would be there and If they liked your act they would come backstage. When they came backstage to aee me, I always asked them If I could photograph them. So we'd make a date and I'd go to their homes, or to the studio and get a few hundred feet of film." Well, the yean passed and Murray pursued hit hobby.

When color film came along he started photographing some In color. After the advent of sound he made some with sound. During the years he added to his eeven and a half years, television was getting big and Miltop Berle waa all over the screen making everybody laugh. I took a look at it and ssid, if this it what they like, I'll give It to them." The result waa the Ken Murray Show for Anheuser-Busch. "I was the guy thst put the horses on television," Murray recalled.

"I was In St. Louis getting resdy for the show. I saw those Clydesdale horses, and I said: There't your Murray had finished his Crrsm-of-Wheat and coffee. He aat Month-End Showroom Discounts J) IP (o) rV i accent! 1 collection films of stars he hadn't been able to photograph personally. Quite often he bought screen testa from Che studios, and one of his prized possessions ia a clip of Msurioe ChevaHer tinging "Louise" for his screen test.

The day came when Murray had thousand of feet of film stored in various placet around Hollywood, and not long ago he was invited to appear on the Jack Paar ehow. "I suggested we run tome of the film," Murrsy related. "Jack looked at me the way you look at idiots or amall children, and I -couldn't blame him. But I prevailed on him to look at a few of them. When he aaw them he agreed.

Well, we only did six minutes, but they went over to big it gave me an idee." Which brought us around to where we came in. The Idea la to have an hour television show and then perhaps go on the road with a two-hour show of Hhe film. "I'm looking for a good name," Murray aaid. "Someone suggested. 'Ken Murrsy't Home Among those who performed briefly for Murray were Rudolph Valentino, Doug Fairbanka Mary Pickford, John Barrymore and Dolorea Cost el lo, Lew Codv, Ted Healy, Alice White and IV.

C. Fields. "You know whst I used te do you won't believe this. I used te hive dates with girls like Betty Grable and Eleanor Powell. And I'd take my camera along.

I'd ring the doorbell then run like crazy eut lo the end of the sidewalk, get my camera set and photograph them as they came eut the front door. Oh brother, It's a wonder they didn't fur a around and walk right back la again." Murray is spending this week at the Chase CJub, assisted hy Marie Wilson end Leo Diamond, harmonica player. But he's not on tour, he explained. "I don't really have any achedule. I just plsy it by ear.

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at- FACTORY SHOWROOM DISCOUNTS Edyth Thornton Mcleod Beauty After Forty MY 16-YEAR-OLD daughter wants me to have a fashionable look. This worries me ss I am not at all Interested In clothes and have never been in a beauty parlor. Should I Just forget my daughter's advice, or should I try to change my appearance? I am 46. S. I think you would be a wise woman to listen te your daughter.

She wants you to look attractive, and you eaa and should. You also should be very hippy te hsve the Interest of your teen-ager. You will like yourself, and change Is good for you. Buy some new clothes and take your daughter along as "adviser," MY HUSBAND IS INVITED to a very Important dinner, and, as we never go out, we do not know what we should wear. My husband It 60 and I am 55.

The dinner is at a hotel at 7 o'clock. There will be some speeches bis! no dancing. We enderstsnd that the guest of honor, a man, will be In a business suit. Mr. and Mrs.

Yoa ahould wear a dressy outfit; the type dress called a "cocktail" dress er a "dinner" dress. Wesr long gloves, some attrsctive jewelry, and a fur stole If you have one. Have your hair nicely done and wear a veil on your hair. Your husband should wear a dark suit, white shirt, highly polished black shoes and a grsy tie. Have a good time and go eut more often.

You will enjoy life more. And, remember, the dress for the dinner should be street length. MY BODY SAGS and is not firm, ss I am no longer young, but reducing made me flabby. How can I help this condition? Bessie Y. The proper girdling and contouring of your figure win help a great deal.

Because so many of my readers had this same condition, I have written a booklet on the subject. If you wish a copy, send ma a long cent stamped, self-addressed envelope and Include 25 cents In coin. I win also send you a copy of a little leaflet en "How To Have The Custom Look." You will look younger when your body It nicely contoured by the right girdle and bra. Bill Vaughan Says THE FIRST DEEP PROBE In the Mohole project to find rut what's Inside the earth la about to be made. Our own feeling It that there's a lot of stuff down there that's not giving us any trouble, so why look for it? AN ACQUAINTANCE who has been portraying Abraham Lincoln In vsrious Civil War pageanta has thrown himself so wholeheartedly into the part that his wife is afraid to ait next to him when they go to a theater.

NATIONAL LAUf.H WEEK occurs next month, as does the Income-tax desdline. And does anybody remember bsck when the income tax was considered a laff riot? PERSONALLY, we would have no particular objection to living to be 120 years old, but we doubt if our lifetime fountain pen could make It. SUGAR SPRINKLED on the lawn, according to one who ahould know, gets rid of the nematodes. We can hardly wait to eprinkle sugsr on our Iswn so the nosy neighbor will come cut and say, "Hey, that looks like tugar you're aprinkling on Jour lawn," 2930 GRAVOIS lot Arttnall 'Cf tan rtici ISIOSftANIZIOl 2 JEF-ALUM PRODUCTS TV Summer Diet: Re-Runs 50 Tears of Satisfaction coMwiTf mun ire outsiti COMSISTINe OS TWO TWIN IIOI, 1400K 4MB U4S0 SAIL By Cynthia Lowry ALUMINUM AWNINGS FIBER GLASS AWNINGS RAILS ALUMINUM SIDINGS WINDOWS OFIN AM ACCOUNT PR. 6-0162 Measuring Service HniiYwnnnRFnsmor EAGLE STAMPS you a not OISPIAT Soom oriM SALI SICID I tT I DO NOT SOLICIT OVIR THI S49.95 wftw iS: ANTIQUE SALE! $54.95 now $59.50 how CBS also hat some empty pots to fill, but will give us a Wsyne and Shuster situation comedy, "Holiday Lodge," during Jack Benny's vacation; "Brenner," a police-action aeries which hsd a brief run once before.

And among late-starting shows which will present new material will be "Way Out," a dramatic anthology (which replaces Jackie Gleason't show next week) and "Danger Man," a new cloak-end-dagger series. The network will also rpest Playhouse 90 shows of other years on Tuesday nights during wsrm weather. Just about the only new material scheduled for ABC Is old, old movies on its "Silentt Please" aeries. "I think there are more reruns than usual," aaid a network executive. "I think it'a because of the recession it made everybody careful about spending money trying out new shows on the smaller aummer LosfOurLease Every Hem Reduced NEW YORK.

March 23 (AP). IF YOU WONDER what televi-aion't aummer viewing will be like the answer Is one word: re-runs. Out of the 100-odd prime-time TV programs on the three msjor networks, more than 80 will mark time during the hot weather months with repeats of winter shows. Even the Ed Sullivsn show, which used to boast about ire year-round new shows, will serve up eight retresds. NBC's schedule still contains some holes, including-Perry Como's replacement (and at this writing, even the Como orgsnizs-tion doesn't know whst will put In the spot).

Most of NBC's new shows will come on Fridsy nights "Whispering Smith," an action series with Audie Murphy; a return of "The Lawless Years," a police-action aeries, and "Preview riayhouse," a collection of pilot films that failed to tell. Full Twin C.hanArlirrt unit Ltimpi 30 OFF 20 30 40 OH' OFF OFF lllllli'llUHlll'IIM 650 Chippewa I open) Thursday 7020 W.FIonssant W0HDy OPEN TUES. A SAT. TIL 1:30 CLOSED ALL DAY WED. Fr Dtli'try is Mitrepstltts St.

lou All SU Final Heirloom Shop Omi am. 'tit 1:10 a m. 15067 DELMAR 9 lo 5:30 wfSV IFO. 7-81801 720 Wye'swa. Cl.yUa Vi Rlecb ef H.al.y fi ST.

LOUIS 1961 3 OPEN 18 A.M. 4 r.M. EXHIBITION CMLT.