Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 110

8 TV Sec. Sunday, Feb. 7, '54 DETROIT FREE PRESS SAYS ELLIOTT LEWIS Radio Freed from Chains BY HAL HUMPHREY -It's always a pleasure to interview Elliott Lewis. He is one of the few creators in Hollywood whose intelligence qualifies him to pass judgment on the TV-radio scene, and who is not afraid to do so publicly. An unimpressive-looking individual with rather owlish eyes, Lewis currently is involved with producing and directing three CBS network radio shows Suspence, Crime Classics and Broadway's My Beat; producing and acting with his wife Cathy in a CBS radio drama series, Onstage, and playing himself on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye radio show on NBC.

LEWIS constantly is being asked why he doesn't get out of "a dying medium like radio" and devote his talents to television. His stock reply to this question is, "I'm happy where I am." OZZIE AND HARRIET Nelson take time out from filming their TV series seen on WXYZ-TV (7) Friday, at 8 p. to enjoy a corn roast near their Hollywood home. Amateurs Find Music in Headlines NEW YORK Harry Sosnik was fairly certain of two types of mail he'd be getting early in the new yearthe Christmas bills and songs about the Hutton -Rubirosa romance. "The amateur songwriters PROGRAMS FOR around the country lose no time in turning out ditties based on big news events," says the veteran radio and television composer and conductor.

"Some of them send their works directly to publishers, Saturday, Feb. 13 programs designed for children. Morning 9:30 A. M. ERWIN-Stu and.

June Collyer, variety. 9:45 A.M. 2-MICHIGAN DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE- -Farm and garden talk. 9:50 A.

M. 4-NEWS. 10 A.M. WIZARD -Don Herbert with scientific experiments. 2-JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SHOW- -Youngsters who have earned success.

10:15 A.M. TIME. 10:30 A.M. ED -McCONNELL-Ed tells a story of Guest Billy Gilbert narrates "Hansel and EXPRESS. 2-THROUGH THE MICROSCOPE- Wayne University; Dr.

Dominic DeGiusti with pictures of parasitic animals. 11 A.M. PATROL- Patrol trapped in "DeadRadiation FIGHTERS -Adventure. 2-STRETCHING YOUR DOLLAR -Wayne University. "Health in the Family Budget." 11:15 A.M.

11:30 A.M. OF BLINKEY-Film adventure. CADETS- -Interplanetary adventure. 2-FEATURETTE. 11:45 A.M.

CARTOONS-BiH Barker. Afternoon 12 NOON HUNTERS- -Youngsters compete in news quiz. 4-RFD NO. 4-John Merrifield with farm news. BIG TOP -Girl trapeze artist, jugglers, bicycle act.

12:30 P.M. UP TIME -Buffalo Bill, in 1 in "Reckless "Sheriff of Buckaroo; Medicine Johnny Bow'; Mack Bob Custer Brown in "Riders af the North." 4-MEET THE ARTIST- Filmed interviews. 1 P.M. 'EM Carl. Cederberg quizes high school students.

LONE -The Ranger tracks cattle-rustling sheriff. 1:30 P.M. -Western adventure. 2 P.M. 2-TV BANDSTAND Don McLeod host to Bunny Paul, Four Aces.

3 P.M. 4-PRO BASKETBALL -Match to be announced. 2-PIONEER PLAYHOUSE-Feature film. P.M; 7-MEET THE GOVERNOR- -G. Mennen Witliams.

3:30 P.M. 7-AMERICA BACK TO GOD Religious. 4 P.M. 7-PRESS CONFERENCE- -Free Press" newsmen interview Al Roger, Detroit Automobile Association. MOVIE PARTY- -Stunts, games, Willie Dooif.

4:30 P.M. 7-YOUR FAITH IS POWER- Religious; "The Master Key." 4:45 P.M. 4-VOCAL VARIETIES -Music. 5 PM 7-HEART OF DETROIT-Bud Lanker inter- Actually, his reasoning goes much deeper than that. "Radio gives the creative artist more freedom now, because all of the men who used to hold it back have moved into TV," says Lewis.

He describes TV as a medium where they hire a guy for his taste and judgment to put on a show, but then proceed to tell him exactly what is wanted. "IT'S LIKE an automobile manufacturer calling in an expert designer to design a new model. After he has come up with it, the salesmanagers are brought in to look at it. 'Oh, this won't they say. 'It's got to have more chrome, and who ever saw a front end like that' "By the time these guys are through criticizing it, the manufacturer decides to keep last year's design.

"TV sponsors say they can't afford to gamble so much of their capital, but they're not gambling capital, It's their judgment they are putting on the line," says Lewis. THE MEDIOCRITY of most TV programs today springs from the sponsors' and networks' desire to reach all of the audience, according to Lewis. "They don't want to offend anyone, so they keep eliminating all of the conflict inherent in any good story. all of this super distillation, the TV men finally reach a group of viewers who are not offended, but become bored to death and quit watching anyway." LEWIS SAYS it reminds him of the time Helen Hayes stood by obediently while the producers of a play in which she was starring kept taking out lines and situations here and there. Finally, with her patience at an end, Miss Hayes asked him why he deleted a certain bit.

"It's just too corny," wag his reply. Whereupon Miss Hayes countered, "When you take all of the corn out of the theater, you have nothing left but inter-office memos." LEWIS BELIEVES as CBS' Ed Murrow, that TV should take the viewers' places. "How much longer are we going to be content sitting in our living rooms watching other people acting in their living rooms?" he wants to know. "When the creators are allowed to create, we get good TV like Jack Webb's Dragnet, the Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, Adventure and Murrow's See It Now," says Lewis. But he thinks it's a crime to put on a show for the sole motive of selling a lot of cigarets.

Even if the sales goal is reached, it usually turns out Applewhite Asked Berle for TV Break Charlie Applewhite is the latest example of how fast television can spot new talent. He's the singer hailing from Fort Worth, who already has made several appearances on the Milton Berle hour. Last December Charlie was just a guest, but recently he had an acting part opposite Martha Raye in addition to his songs. His style is reminiscent of several modern singers, but it has a distinction of its own. Although his Texas drawl may seem exaggerated, he, talks that way off stage.

that the viewers soon tire of the narrow formula which the writers have had to follow. "Sure, they've sold a lot of cigarets, but at the end of 39 weeks the producer, director and writers are out looking for jobs again," says the man who prefers to stay in radio, where things are relatively quiet now, but where the creator's mind is freer. but most of them aren't familiar with that procedure and consequently send them on to me and others in the musical field whose names they know because of our work in radio and TV. "The Hutton-Rubirosa marriage looks like a natural for the amateurs, although it would seem that Billy Rose took care of that years ago when he wrote 'I Found A Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent SOSNIK SAYS that the last previous event to bring 8 flock of amateur songs was the Godfrey-LaRosa affair. Practically all of the songs were built on the "humility" theme, as might be expected.

"That affair resulted in more songs than any event since Capt. Carlson and his effort to save his ship, The Flying Enterprise," Sosnick says. "Some of the songs on that subject that I received were 'The Dane That Dared The Deep' and 'He Gave Davey Jones The Deep "A few years back there were some songs inspired by the ball point pen. 'My Pen Is Writing Under Tears' was one title. Another was 'Get On The Ball Point Pen and Write I Love "Florence Chadwick, the English Channel swimmer, came in for her shar of attention at one time.

There were 'Watch Flo Go' and 'There's Nothing Fishy About "IT SEEMS A shame that people waste their time writing this sort of thing. Even if by a miracle one such song should be good, the event would be ancient history before anything could be done with it." ELLIOTT LEWIS ELLIOTT LEWIS BY STORER Station Limit Rule Challenged views guests. 5:30 P.M. 7-CRUSADE FOR CHRIST-Religious. 4-INDUSTRY ON PARADE -Business news.

5:45 P.M. 4-MICHIGAN REPORTS- -State news. Evening 6 P.M. 7-SPORTS SHOW- -Tommy Henrich. 4-THE BIG PICTURE -Armed Forces film.

2-DOLLAR A SECOND show. 6:15 P.M. 7-HOUR OF DECISION -Religious. 6:30 P.M. 7-LIFE BEGINS AT EIGHTY- -Jack Barry host of oldsters.

4-WINCHELL AND MAHONEY-Variety, guests. 2-SATURDAY NEWS. 6:45 P.M. 2-DETROIT THIS WEEK-News review. 7 P.M.

7-STAGE SEVEN -Carla Balenda in "Lady, Dance No More," as ballerina periled by Crooked psychiatrist. 4-STARS OF TOMORROW Amateur talent, star. 2-RED SKELTON -Comedy. 7:30 P.M. 1-LEAVE IT TO THE GIRLS--Feminine panel grills masculine guest.

4-ETHEL AND -Family comedy. 2-BEAT THE CLOCK -Quiz show. 8 P.M. 7-PANTOMIME QUIZ -Charades game; JohnBarrymore, Jr. 4-SPIKE JONES -Music, comedy.

2-THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW -Music, riety. 8:30 P.M. 7-JUNGLE Barrier," film. 4-AMATEUR HOUR-Ted Mack host to amateur talent. 8:45 P.M.

7-STRANGER THAN FICTION -Film of unusual happenings. 9 P.M. 7-BOXING -Middleweight bout: Garth Panter vs. Jesse Turner. 4-SHOW OF SHOWS -Imogene Coca, Sid Caesar in comedy skit.

2-TWO FOR THE MONEY Herb Shriner; comedy quiz, 9:30 P.M. 2-MY FAVORITE HUSBAND--Joan Caulfield, Barry Nelson as the Coopers involved in a big battle. 10 P.M. 7-ON YOUR WAY-Parel quiz. 2-MEDALLION THEATER- 39th Steve Cochran, Geraldine Brooks.

10:30 P.M. 7-WHITE CAMELIA- -Film drama. 4-HIT PARADE Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson sing week's top tunes. 2-THEATER-Film drama. 11 P.M.

7-FEATURE FILM- -To be announced. 4-CAPTURED -Film drama to be announced. 2-AMERICAN NEWS. 11:15 P.M. 2-SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE DATE "Cover feature film.

11:30 P.M. 4-SATURDAY SHOW -Joan Maude, John Stu- art in "The feature film, 12 MIDNIGHT 7-FEATURE FILM- -To be announced. 12:45 A.M. 2-FEATURETTE. 12:50 A.M.

4-NEWS. 12:55 A.M. 2-WEATHERVANE. 1 A.M. 7-MOVIES 'TIL THREE Hank Daniels "Burning Gross," feature film, Storer Broadcasting owners of WJBK radio and TV in Detroit, have challenged the Federal Communications Commission's power to limit the number of broadcasting stations under the same owner.

In a petition filed for review by the United States Court of Appeals in Washington, the Storer company alleges that the FCC has mis-applied the anti-trust policy of Congress in ruling that no single owner may control more than seven radio, seven FM and five TV stations in the VHF band. The multiple ownership ruling was adopted by the FCC on Nov. 25, 1953. The petition also questions the right of the FCC to count that a one per cent interest constitutes control of a station. THE STORER Company, headed by George B.

Storer, of Miami, now owns radio stations WGBS, Miami; KGBS, San Antonio; WAGA, Atlanta; WSPD, Toledo; WBRC, Birmingham, WWVA, Wheeling, as well as WJBK. TV stations owned by the company are, in addition to WJBK-TV. KGBS-TV, San Antonio; WAGA-TV, Atlanta; WBRC-TV, Birmingham, WSPD-TV, Toledo. According to a company spokesman, the action has no relation to Storer's recent purchase of TV stations WXEL (TV), Cleveland and KPTV (TV) Portland, Ore. The company will comply with FCC regulations by arranging the sale of two stations to keep their total at five.

Charlie is 21, and the story of his landing on the program goes about this way: Passing Berle's office one day, he walked in to proclaim: "I'm a singer from Texas. Want to hear me?" Berle told him to "Go ahead and sing." which he without music. A three-show contract resulted. Date for his third appearance has not yet been set. Except for local experience at Fort Worth and in other ments, this is Charlie's first taste of what it is like to co-star on a network.

His folks are chicken farmers. Scouts Honor Garroway Dave Garroway, NBC-TV star, has been named honorary Boy Scout Mayor of Pontiac as part of the Boy Scout Week celebration starting Feb. 8. The announcement will be made on Today, Garroway's morning show, on WWJ-TV (4) Monday..