^ RAY 1 MILLAND: Afraid of TV? PETER POTTER Answers Loaded Questions Interview on Page 6 1 Z-lie A/task Is Off! By Ted Hilgenstuiller 1 T.‘'S nefinalelyG jeeneanprkinveng persuaded the officials at WING to try out her idea of a girl disc-jockey in real life—does not have show. Çthree eyes, no nose, or any The central idea was to provide other unusual facial char- moments of happiness for the listen- acteristics. ng audience via the soft-spoken "That's why many people thought ord and pleasant music. There was I wore the mask," she explained one a good reason for the format. Because afternoon at her big, lovely, and liv- o a calcium deficiency between the able Longridge estate. "It was just a• es of eight and fourteen, Jean a gimmick to attract attention. Like ing could not walk. She had never many other such ideas, its life span f rgotten those dreadful days of de- has ended. The mask is off — for p ivation and loneliness. good." Mask Is Born As a young girl in her native Dal- The idea for the mask came about las, Texas, Jean was a girl leader of hen Jean attended a stag party at the all-male band at Southern ayton, got some "inside informa - Methodist University, and also did ton" on some of the prominent men over 3.000 broadcasts on local sta- •resent, and "faked" a broadcast. tions. "When Iwas to come out on stage, ,dh, FOR YEARS the public wonde But the people from Texas, in gen- I knew I couldn't let those men what the masked "Lonesome Gal eral. were too "prejudiced" for Jean. cognize me. I think they would looked like and who she was. The mask She was even banned from a sorority ave killed me," Jean recalled, smil- is off Jean King now, and this exclusive because her father, a dentist, treated i g. "So I hurried to a nearby store, TV-RADIO LIFE feature tells the facts patients of a certain religious faith. ught a ten-cent Halloween mask, behind the story. She knew that some day she would •nd wore it when Imade my appear- leave Texas, and never come back. nce. It was a good idea, I decided hard at making "Lonesome Gal" a California Bound t. use it when pictures were taken •f me or I made a personal appear- success. Jean has been known to With their luggage packed in •nce. I still have that original do over 110 commercials in one single crates and cardboard boxes, teen- ask." day for a period of three weeks. She aged Jean and her mother and herself has written over a million sister first came to Hollywood in Although the brown-eyed brunette words of copy a year for the pro- 1937. Her first radio role was anted to return immediately to gram. ollywood, after winning the coveted that of a Texan in the "I Love Today, Jean and Bill, and their a Mystery series. This was not ilboard award in 1948 for having e top new show on the air, she felt two children, Patricia and Fargo, too unusual, except for the fact that live an ideal life in their huge Sher- Jean had spent over $3.500 for spe- •bligated to remain at the Dayton tation for awhile. man Oaks estate. Equipped with a cial courses in learning how to lose modern studio, (which saves an enor- her Southern accent! Finally, in 1949, Jean came back mous amount of money and travel- "There are two occasions when I California. On July 13, the greatest ing time), Jean does all her work at still break out with my Texas drawl." vent in her life occurred. She met home. Bill is also working on a Jean remarked. "First, when I lose ill Rousseau, who was then produc- documentary series for TV. my temper. And second, when Italk g "Dragnet." It happens to some eople this way, and right away Bill One of the many oddities about to another Texan." "Lonesome Gal," is that when Jean nd Jean knew they were meant for Although she apeared in various first submitted the idea to ABC, cer- ach other. radio and movie roles in Hollywood tain persons thought it was "too for ten years, the five foot-six inch, That same day they agreed to get sexy" to put on the air. Now, several 126 pound actress had to go all the arried. And three weeks later, Au- years later, Jean is not only heard way to Dayton, Ohio, to get started ust 6, 1949, they became man and on KECA regularly (for which she with her greatest venture, "Lonesome ife. "The Lonesome Gal" wasn't prepares a special, exclusive broad- onesome anymore. Gal." In 1947, she visited her married cast), but the ABC network is her sister in Dayton. While there, she Together, they worked long and biggest booster. TV-Radio 1Me (Formerly. Ratlio-Tele‘ision Life) th . 16, 1953. 1'01. 26. No. 9. CARI. M. intr,snv, Publisher. Published weekly at Los .1ureles. California. Business and Editorial Offices: 6361 Sel a Ave., Los Angeles MI (Hollywood Station), California. Phone 1101lynund 1-9275. TI-Ittulle 1.ife was entered as Seeond Clams Matter Septembe 14, 1948, at Los Angeles, under Art of Mareh 3, 11179. Page Two .411> 44 October 16, 1953 IT'S A FINE POINT IN THE SCRIPT AND EDDIE CANTOR'S SUGGESTION makes sense to Jim and the rest of the attentive cast, which includes Dinah Shore in the "thinker's pose." Discussing Bob Hope's performance are Jim, producer Al Capstaff and NBC's production supervisor, Edward Sobel. (NBC photos.) "Fibber McGee and Molly's" S'on Offspring Makes Good fim Hits Big Time On Television... By Mildred Ross IM and Marian Jordan, "Fib- dimmed by his many active and full the inhabitants of the rural com- ber McGee and Molly" to years in show business. munity (where they were vacation- you, are proud of a certain Self-effacing Jim Jordan is reluct- ing) had radios they didn't seem to young man in the entertain- ant to talk about himself. Instead know about "Fibber and Molly's" ment world. He happens to he prefers to talk about television. program. When Jim Jordan asked the be their son, Jim Jordan. He is as overwhelmed by TV's pos- inn proprietress if she had ever As director of NBC's "Col- sibilities as he is enthused about the heard "Fibber McGee and Molly" on gateJ Comedy Hour," for the past two medium. the radio, her reply stopped him cold. seasons. young Jim has been asso- No, she said, but hum me a few ciated with some of the greatest Jim has been on both sides of the bars. comics of all time. He has gained camera. During his teens he worked in radio and films as an actor. After "If this is what happens after be- respect for his TV know-how from ing headliners for thirty years, I'll Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, Donald his military service he worked at RK0 as an actor and cutter. In 1948 stay behind the cameras, direct a O'Connor and others in the Colgate show to the best of my ability, and lineup. Although he is many years he went to New York and got his forget about the limelight. It's not their junior his technical knowledge first taste of television as stage man- for me." is rarely questioned by these veteran ager for a series of NBC shows. In showmen. On the other hand, Jim is 1950 he directed the first NBC live smart enough to know that these coast-to-coast show starring Eddie comics have developed their own Cantor on the "Comedy Hour." This 1111> JIM AND MARIAN JORDAN styles and consequently he lets them first microwave telecast had the ("Fibber McGee and Molly") the alone. "I'm strictly a technical di- same significance as the first trans- proud parents of Jim, Jr. They leave rector; I'm not the kind of a guy to oceanic telephone call. television for their offspring while they tell these greats how to read their Having been both actor and direc- continus in their eighteenth year of lines." he says. tor. Jim prefers the latter. "I haven't broadcasting. "Each celebrity has his own ap- the temperament to be an actor, be- proach to the medium. Hope, a stand sides there's too much insecurity in up comic, likes to angle his perform- that end of the profession," he ance as if he were playing before a opines. theater audience. Cantor favors re- Jim lives in Encino with his wife, vue productions. He likes to put as actress Peggy Knudson. and their much of the Ziegfield extrrî vaganza three children. Their favorite diver- into his telecast as possibl. O'Con- sion and big luxury is their swim- nor, on the other hand has o precon- ming pool. Jim likes to putter in his ceived ideas and keys his produc- garden and to read books having his- tions to bring out the best advan- torical backgrounds. He has a quiet tages possible for the TV camera." tense of humor and his favorite anec- Jim has nothing but praise for the dote concerns the regional fame of stars. He marvels at Cantor's vitality his renowned parents, who have been and enthusiasm. The veteran per- in show business for thirty years. former's interest and curiosity about "Fibber and Molly" were on a fish- people and things has never been ing vacation in Arkansas.