Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 137

'Combat Sergeant9 Was Shot Four Years Ago flat at Iron but Bees no chance to do any Dante stories i the near future. "Had a couple of offers for Dante," he says, "but had to pass them up this time. I think I'll be able to do them next year, though." With two thumbs in the "Zane Grey Theater" pie as performer and as part owner of the production company Powell is busy enough for most men, but in addition he is beginning a 10 year commitment at 20th for seven feature pictures. eeU Good Stories "I'm mainly concerned with finding suitable stories now," he says. "After I get that started, I should have more time for acting.

"Stories are a problem even on the "Zane Grey Theater," he adds. "This may seem straiige when you consider that we have all the vast output of wonderful action stories from Zane Grey's pen. But if you ever tried to compress a novel into half an hour of storytelling on television, you'll know what I mean. "Some of the books we won't be able to do at all because we couldn't do justice to the stories. Some we can condense without affecting the story or the dramatic content.

Others we'll have to forego doing, or else take parts of them for our stories. Zane Grey's books lend themselves well to this kind of treatment, and we have some wonderful scripts." XT I Jrr'rd I 1 By HAROLD STERN While most of New York City trembled this week, I gathered with actor Mike Thomas in cool comfort buzzing through mid-tewn Manhattan on the back of his 50-mile-an-hour Lamberti motor scooter. Mike, an ex-bad man in cowboy films, and now co-proprietor of a sign-painting ship in Greenwich Village, is the star of ABC's new series, "Combat Sergeant." Actually, new series is a misnomer. As Mike explained while we jounced along pavement that looked far smoother than it felt, the "Combat Sergeant" films were shot four years ago but never released. "They were produced by a di; vision of Universal-International," he explained.

"-But at the time, it was considered bad form for a movie company to compete with itself on TV. So the series was packed away in mothballs." It wasn't until ABC needed 13 shows to fill in for vacationing Ozzie and Harriet Nelson that the fi'ms all centered around World War II action in North Africa were resurrected. Thomas' title role in "Combat Sergeant" is a demotion for the rugged looking actor, a former Marine diving champ. He served from 1941 to 1945 in the South Pacific as a First Lieutenant. course, this top-kick I play is unlike any sergeant that ever kept out of the stockade," Thomas noted, as we threaded our way between a pair of trailer trucks.

"I tell the brass how to run the war. And I never get a normal assignment. It's always a secret spy mission, or a perilous infiS tration of enemy lines. Of course, who'd want to tune in if I was on KP?" Has Mike seen any of the four-year-old dramas? "Yes," he answered. "My wife and I watched the first two at home.

It was rather a spooky feeling, like visiting a town you'd been away from for years. And I couldn't remember, before tuning in, whether the first show was one of the good ones or a dog. "It was a dog," he added petulantly. At this point, both the scooter and the conversation stopped while a traffic cop reminded Mike of the New York City speed limit. "These things," Mike noted as we pulled back out into traffic, "have great pick-up.

You ought to buy one." Getting back to "Combat Sergeant," Mike confessed he was a bit surprised by the show's fine critical reception in New York and Hollywood. "They were done real fast," he confided. "The schedule called for turning out two or three a week. Which is sheer madness. They kept changing writers on us.

One day we'd -get a script, and the next day we'd get fifteen oi twenty pages of new dialogue to memorize. "Then, after all that work, none of the films were shown. So, I packed up, came to New York, and took a flyer at live TV and stage work. To keep a little money coming in, I went into the sign-painting business. POWELL TURNS COWPOKE, but you won't see the popular Dick often on your TV screen this season.

Being host of the new "Zane Grey Theater" wilt per Hal March will have the chief comedy role in "High Button Shoes" when NBC offers its spec version of the Broadway musical Nov. 24. Nanette Fabray is the leading lady. mit him only an occasional role, he says. Dick Powell Dons Chaps For Zane Grey Chores -V (' Children's Preferences Influence TV Viewing LOS ANGELES (INS V-Perhaps children should be seen and not heard, but they apparently make themselves heard on the question' of what the family is going to see on television.

A survey taken in the Los Angeles area showed in nearly one-fifth of the homes where there were children their preferences influenced TV viewing. The survey of more than 3,000 families was carried out by Woodbury College for a leading manufacturer (Admiral) of television sets. "What can you do in seconds?" lie asks wryly. "I've got to try to be entertaining, informative, and interesting, all in less than a minute. Another thing a self imposed task help.

make it tough. I'm determined not to be one of those hosts who ruins the show at the start by giving away the plot. "I consider myself as sort of president of a club dedicated to stamping out the practice of telling the viewers what they're about to see." Powell will star in at least three and possibly six of the "Zane Grey Theater" stories. His first one was broadcast Oct. 26, titled "The lying Road Home." He joins a distinguished company of actors and actresses in the series.

Robert Ryan had the leading role in the first of the series Friday, Oct. Ida I.u-pino, Jack Palance, Lee Cobb, James Whitmore and others are already set. and more of their caliber are on the way. "We're doing everything we can to get. the best stars in the business," Powell says.

"As a matter of fact, I picked a heck of a time to get out of the acting trade. Actors are more in demand than ever." Ixves That Dante Powell hasn't forgotten one of his favorite roles that of Willie Dante, the gambling-casino owner with a heart of gold and Dick Powell, the man who had to overcome the great handicap of being one of the movies' most popular singers to become an actor, will limit his appearances on television this year to a few roles in CBS Television's "Zane Grey Theater." Since his motion-picture activities will be limited also strictly producing and directing the "Zane Grey Theater'' roles and his hosting appearances on. till the Zane Grey shows Will be the only opportunity for Powell fans to see their man. Powell, who had to fight to get out of the slick-haired crooning roles he was doing' in the 30s and early 40s. had built a large following as the star of the moribund "Four Star program on CBS Television and as the rugged ael ion-type actor in movies.

"Right now," lie says, "my feature picture commitments at 20th Century-Fox make it impossible for me to do any more. But I'm looking forward to doing more television acting er" Hosting; Is Hard The most difficult" thing he's had to do, he says, since he broke out of the casting mold and changed from crooner to actor i the brief host appearances he. fnakCji jt Grey Theater. EXPERT REPAIRS Plus Parts 2 'a- Hr Tape Recorders High Fidelity Phonographs 3t8 TRUMBULL ST. Near Main CH 4-2549 Fr FffkJnu Ai 51 Chapel Opf, "Tif $.

'Til 4 A STAMP OF DISAPPROVAL: A stunned Harry Morton (Larry Keating) stands by as neighbor Gracie makes ready to mail an ordinary letter with one of his most treasured stamps, on "The George Burnt and Gracie Allen Show," Monday at 8 p.m. on Channel 18. Now' fno fme to repace ffco- I V. ii ADVANCED MICROWAVE I HELIX DESIGN PACKS MORE 1 PICTURE P0VM .1 INTO YOUR SET I DwmriE High school at home EARN DIPLOMA IN YOUR SPARE TIME Endorse by tending educators. Thousands of uocful tiav Ia hltr 1ha.

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