Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Newspaper Page Text
ON THE AIR Well, They Said It Wouldn't Last By BERNIE HARRISON Star TV Critic It seemed pretty fantastic back in ’52 and ’53 that Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz, TV’s top stars, would ever wind up in the divorce court. We all loved Lucy with a passion. Any doubts that the public would not accept a situation comedy built about a round-eyed, red-headed comedienne and a bandleader husband with a frantic Latin “occent," were promptly dispelled by their very first show. It made the top ten—and several astonishing months later. No. 1 on every rating card in the land, including water meter readings in a large northern city where water con sumption was noted as dipping to a weeknight low between 9 and 9:30 o’clock on Mondays. Everybody was watching; no body was washing. ** * * It was in October, of 1952. that the script revealed that Lucy was expecting a baby. (She really was, too, in private life.) And in January of the fol lowing year, the script was one of their all-time best—the one in which Lucy told Ricky that her time had come. In the mad cap episode. Ricky arrived at the hospital in a wheelchair while Lucy carried her own suitcase. It was a boy in the script— and a boy in real life. A few weeks later, Lucy re ceived the Emmy emblematic of her selection as TVs out standing personality (over Berle. Godfrey, and an out sider named Adlai Stevenson.) “Gee, Desi, we got it," she said, holding the Emmy hap pily. Desi planted a kiss as the onlookers roared their appro val. ** * • The show went on triumph antly from year to year, holding on to No. 1, but dis quieting reports were being heard. The performers were getting a little tired of the YOU GET MORE WITH THE BIG FOUR Here s what we mean: 1. Highest liberal dividends consistent with safety. 2. Dividends paid and com pounded 4 times a year. 3. Insured safety at Wash ington’s first insured savings association. 4. Four conveniently located offices. Columbia Federal Savings AND LOAN ASSOCIATION MAIN OFFICE: PENNA. AVE. OFFICE: CHEVY CHASE OFFICE: ALABAMA AVE. OFFICE: 730 Eleventh St., N.W. 1726 Penna. Ave., N.W. 5301 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. 2826 Alabama Ave., S.E. REpublic 7-7111 Republic 7-7111 EMerton 3-1100 LUdlow 2-7000 roles. Lucy wanted to quit and [ direct, one story reported In ; 1955. Desi meanwhile was busily involved in managing • the growing Desilu TV empire. Said Desi, of Lucy’s desire to quit, “there’)! never be an I ; Love Lucy without Lucy.” I It was said that the TV show saved their marriage. Deal's band tours about the country and Lucy’s film work meant a long-distance mar riage. When the show went off and Desi became increas ingly involved in his TV busi ; ness deals, a new restlessness began. To keep busy, Lucy convert ed a studio on the Desilu lot ' <the old home of RKO) into ' a complete theater workshop ’ for promising actors. *• » • There are some prophetic remarks by Lucy in an inter -1 view in 1949. before her TV series, with Sheilah Graham. "I couldn’t be happy with only a home life,” she said. ‘‘l’ve got to have both. Fortunately. ! I'm married to a man who understands that completely." Observed the Hollywood- ■ wise Miss Graham: "If it came to a choice be ’ tween home and career, I ■ think Lucille would choose the ; career. I just can’t see her ■ in a rocker knitting, or even cooking . . .” When I Love Lucy began, ■ the other top situation com . edy and comedy-drama shows were Burns and Allen, the ; Goldbergs, the Aldrich Fam “ ily and Mama. All are gone. ’ The filing of the divorce suit BBBBBBBw AND AWAY WE GO! Jackie Gleason “two-steps” with Kate Smith during a rehearsal break for tonight’s musi cal half hour (7:30 o'clock, WTOP—9). 'Treasure Island' Gets Happy TV Treatment Cheeking the week end’s specials: That was a rousing adapta tion of Robert Louis Steven son’s "Treasure Island," that old blood-and-thunder friend of our youth, on the Show of seems but the final rueful re minder of the impermanence of TV programming. It is hard ly the kind of problem that Ethel and Fred Mertz would have helped solve so amusingly in the next installment. s the Month series Saturday night iWTOP-9.) The players seemed to get a t big charge out of playing the 1 familiar roles, a feeling that f happily carried over in the . flavorful direction. Dan Petrie is probably the ■ real hero of David Susskind’s » well-mounted production. Di- ■ rector Petrie looked freshly at ; an old story and caught the 1 spirit of derring-do with skill ' and relish. For example: that striking cross-deck scene as CRITIC'S VIEW Showcase Psychiatry Only So-So By CYNTHIA LOWRY Auocltted Pre>« Tel«vl«lon Critic NEW YORK, Mar. 7. It’s a little difficult to know exactly what author Alfred Bester was trying to tell us last night In “Turn the Key Deftly." The message seems to be that all of us have more than one personality, really, but that in show-business people It may be more obvious. NBC’s Sunday Showcase con cerned Itself with schizophrenia In a traveling circus. The back stage life was colorful with acrobatic acts, fat lady and strong man. So far so good. Then there was the plot. Gerard the Great, the troupe's magician, dies, and his long-lost son, Peter, returns to the circus Peter promptly falls in love with the company ballerina and steps into his father’s shoes. Before the first commercial most of us are perfectly aware that the lovable Francesca, with whom Peter is in love, is also the spiteful Simone, inamorata of his late father. The wise circus folk know, too. That leaves only Peter confused. When he finally finds out, he tries to free Francesca by mur dering Simone. Then he goes mad. Elementary psychiatry, my dear Watson, and although Julie Harris played Francesca- Simone and the backgrounds were fascinating, it was sort of a silly hour. Long John pushed the mate overboard. Hugh Griffith’s Long John Sil ver may have lacked the meanness of Robert Newton's in the movie, but it was long on cunning and a winning ef fort. Richard O'Sullivan was fine as Jim Hawkins and Boris Karloff contributed a lusty Billy Bones. *• * • Art Carney’s special, poking fun at the awards bit which is so firmly entrenched on every level of our culture, was a joyous show that moved like a shot—a cannonade. I thought the theme lampoon ing the Miss America Contest was the funniest; especially the contestant who offered that awful dance routine. There was a lot in the show and some of it didn't come off. The ‘ Room at the Top" scene was amusing but rather point less. The “Peace Prize” award, for sheer abandon, was the wildest. Roddy McDowell, Betty Garrett and Beatrice Arthur were splendid in sup port and could possibly be in line for, er, awards. —B. H. - - Y . ' ' • -;i< i • * IT TAKES 2 TO TANDEM •> w j ■ . ? f 5 ”: v * 4 • I ''V jr z tJI B’mßß BB I- I HBLvIi - IT’S ENTERTAINING • DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE IN WASHINGTON RADIO 6:00 to 9:00 am Monday thru Saturday WMAL Radio 63 10 More Firms Accused by FTC Ten more record companies were accused by the Federal Trade Commission yesterday of getting plugs for their records by giving illegal payola to disc jockeys. The FTC has now brought payola charges against about 70 companies. Those named in the latest complaints were: United Artists Records, Inc., New York City; State Record Distributors. Inc., and Whirl ing Disc Record Distributors, Inc., Cincinnati; Indiana State Record Distributors, Inc., In- • • • when they’re cleaned by BERGMANN’S \ Copvright \ •’■Bergmann s dianapolis, and Ric Records, Inc., New Orleans. Astor Records. Inc., Pitts burgh; Interstate Supply Co. . and Roberts Record Distribut |ing Co., Inc., St. Louis; Mutual , Distributors. Inc., Boston, and ’ All-State New Jersey, Inc., . Newark, N. J. Each company was accused of giving payola to radio or t television disc jockeys. In ad t dition, Astor, Roberts, State, 1 Whirling Disc, Indiana and Mutual were charged with . making payments to other I broadcasting personnel. • Mutual also was charged , with making an illegal pay-! > ment to an unidentified radio - station. ! • THE EVENING STAR Wosbington. 0. C. *K Monday, March 7, 1960 • ■— 1 TODAY'S R4D/0 HIGHLIGHTS 8:35, WOL—Broadway Show Time. The cast of "Music , Man," with Robert Preston, will be featured. I 10:15, WWDC—United States ! Army Band. Maj. Hugh i Curry conducts a program ' of semiclassical favorites. A-11