BIG CONTEST! E Win a Free Trip to Your Home Town! RADIO TV -AM -FIN LO 15E
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BIG CONTEST! e Win A Free Trip To Your Home Town! RADIO TV -AM -FIN LO 15e HANK WEAVER Dares Anything BOBBY TROUP Defends Musicians MARVIN MILLER Deplores Mediocrity JOE ALLISON und DEBBIE KAY of COUNTRY AMERICA Mrs. M.C.P., Fontana My husband and I had a discussion on the program Divorce Court. Would you please tell me if Divorce Court is real and does it have the actual people that are concerned with the problems. My husband seems to think that they are actual cases that are re-enacted. I think it is the real people with their problems. He's right. The problems are real, the people are actors and actresses. L.F., Glendale I think Darlene should quit the Mickey Mouse Club. She's above that kid jazz. What a real doll she was on that last Telethon. Wow! ALFRED HITCHCOCK . Durned Smart Feller? C.L.C., Los Angeles Wal by cracky, in all my born days I never wrot any complaint bout nuthin er nobody, sos I ain't bout to start now, but nacherly a fellers got his likes and dislikes. STAN KENTON I wonder did Jim Arness ever take a . Not Enough of His Jazz! good look at that rear pose he makes atop Boot Hill; if he ever does I betcha Mrs. R.L.H., Inglewood he quits it. We are, and have been for a long I do think tho that sponsers are so time, fans of Stan Kenton and his style considerate; they orter be given some of music. Twice now he has been on TV kinda medal mabe fer allus hirin folks with a very fine program, so we thought. to do their sellin talk who are so down And each time, just when he gets going an out financherly; fellers who never good, he gets taken off. had a chanct to make any money afore. If bands (?) like Lawrence Welk I mean, folks like Pat O'Brien, Bing can stay and stay, why can't a young Crosby and so on. Shur makes my old people's style of music stay and stay? heart glad to see that they are now get - tin a chanct to pick up a few bucks and P.H., Los Angeles keep that ole wolf from their door. I was never so shocked as when I Nuther thing: I can't figer out why read that letter by "P.A." of Pasadena shows have to have hosts - (I think saying that Dinah treater) Hugh O'Brian that's what they call em) just take up horribly. I was in the audience in the time and don't complish mithin', corse front row at that show and I know that I don't mind em, just brot it up fer Mr. O'Brian, who is certainly not a folks that likes to holler bout sumthin. singer to begin with, floundered all over Now take Alfred Hitchcock for ex- the place and Dinah saved his profes- ample. Knowin he's a durned smart sional neck. In fact, Mr. O'Brian came feller ya wonder how he can act so silly. over to Dinah after the show, right in Is he got a mouth full of baker juice or front of where I was siting, and thanked does he talk that way all the time? her and kissed her hand for stepping in Wal now, when I git a goin I pert and saving him when he forgot the near forgit to stop but when ya gotta, DARLENE GILLESPIE melody and forgot the lyrics. ya gotta .. If this silly person believes that . Above Kid Jazz? Dinah's ratings went kerplop without S.R., Riverside Hugh O'Brian, I am sure he has been Mrs. S.B., Los Angeles I think that American Bandstand and misinformed. I like Doreen Tracy very much. She Dick Clark's new show on Saturday are I cannot believe that anybody in his is a member of the Walt Disney group both wonderful. I also think that I Love right mind would say that Dinah Shore and should be given credit as much as Lucy is getting more and inure unpop- "outstaged" anybody on her show. Annette and Darlene. ular. TV-Radio Life (formerly Radio-Television Life). May 24, 1958. Vol. 37, No. 15. Evelyn A. Bigshy, Managing Editor. Published Weekly by Television News Syndication, Inc., at Los Angeles, California. Business and Editorial Offices, 1610 N. Argyle Ave., Los Angeles 28 (Hollywood Station), California. Phone HOBywood 4-9275. Single copies 15e. Subscription $5.00 a year, $8.00 for two years, $11.00 for three years. TV-Radio Life was entered as Second Class Matter, September 14, 1948, at Los Angeles, Calif., under Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, Television News Syndication, Inc. 195 Page 2 May 24, 1958 The Most Daring Show In Town? ANK WEAVER'S KABC- "We try to pick subjects that are adult TV Main Street to Malibu and provocative," Bruce Lansbury add- has done a show on nud- ed, "but we are not trying to be contro- ism (with some bare versial. In contrast to some late night parts of anatomies in TV shows we do not believe in the CO -PRODUCERS Bud Widom, left, and Bruce evidence) , it has done a `Let's have the controversy bit.' We Lansbury, right, confer with Hank Weaver on a show on burlesque, on the Lonely don't intend to knock down established script for their KABC-TV show. Hearts racket, and others of equally names just to be knocking them down. controversial nature. Small wonder this We'll never sacrifice good taste for a late -evening production has begun to rating. And we heartily believe that on the show than we can use - and all names, so getting the catch on. there is an audience for good taste at a they're big Producers Bruce Lansbury and Bud late night hour." talent isn't a problem - it's finding Widom filmed the nudist sequence Main Street to Malibu was no sudden places for them. Of course, we do have themselves and had to do the disrob- afterthought because of the success of the situation where we set a talent for - an a ing bit while they worked. As Bruce other late night TV shows. Hank Weav- appearance. Maybe even build remarked subtly, "It was an extraor- er had been wanting to do this type show around him - or her. And then at dinary experience." And indeed this of program for some time, and when he the last minute the star doesn't show. particular show was for viewers who replaced Tom Duggan for two weeks We had one Las Vegas comic set for an stayed up late enough to catch its re- while Tom was back east, the response appearance and an hour before show he vealing aspects. he got was so good that immediately time he called to say wasn't feeling "Our Lonely Hearts segment was per- afterwards the wheels began to turn well and couldn't make it. We then had haps the most interesting of all," Bud for his own show. Incidentally, Hank the awful problem of trying to fill in the Widom remarked. "We had an inter- still has never met Tom Duggan. suddenly vacated time. view with a pathetic little man who said "Naturally, we have our share of "In addition to these guest names, he had spent $12,000 in the last five problems with a show like this," Bud we also have panel shows at times years on his dates. He had only had continued. "Our primary problem is get- with well-known personalities who bat three in that time. And yet he said he ting five hours of varied entertainment around such subjects as censorship of had made just $10 a week. We couldn't a week. We are the only local show movies and obscenity. And we have get him to explain his particular math- trying to present something different. discussed unsolved crimes at times. So ematical deduction here, but he was a As such, we're trying to avoid any stiff you see how wide our field is." graphic picture of a man who was format. It's this kind of look that makes local bilked by these Lonely Hearts Clubs." "We have more guests wanting to get TV big time. Not Filling Anybody's Shoes HEN JUDGE YOUNG- a few test cases to judge to see how he'd ER had to take his leave react and how he would handle them - of Traffic Court due to and then was given the nod. the prima-donnaish an- "We wanted someone who was youth- tics of some of his frus- ful, someone who had authority," Pete trated judicial cohorts, Robinson remarked. "We were not - KABC-TV was faced with no small and are not - trying to fill Judge problem, namely: who can ever take the Younger's shoes. We wanted a younger Judge's spot on what is a popular local person because we felt that Traffic Court show. was not a stereotyped show - and we Seven weeks later and after interviews didn't want any grey-haired Judge. We with over 200 retired judges and lawyers also were looking for someone who DEAN JONES, his wife, Helen, and their seven living in Los Angeles, Edgar Allen could hold the audience we have al- children. Jones, jr., Assistant Dean of the Uni- ready built because we feel ` that the versity of California at Los Angeles show has kept hundreds of thousands his youngsters - all seven of them - Law School, was named for the vacan- of Californians apprised of changes in that he was going to be on TV.