ENTERTAINMENT
AND
RADIO LOGS
FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK
m
IMPOSSIBLE TRIO — After hearing Roberta Peters sing, Benny dentes,) dreams that he and Don
Wilson appear with her in an opera on “The Jack Biiuty Program’’ Sunday at 9;^0 on K1VF, Channel 11.
THUNDER ROAD DRAMA OF WHISKEY WAR
The moonshiners of the south
eastern mountain area, descend
ants of Elizabethan Englishmen,
believers in the divine right of
every man to make his own
whiskey, sworn enemies of the
rreasury Department revenue
men—these are the people who
are the heroes and villians of
•‘Thunder Road,” opening on
Wednesday at the Lacey Street
Theater through United Artists
release.
A bang-up suspense melodrama
dealing with the modern aspects of
the billion-dollar whiskey war be
tween moonshiners and revenooers,
‘Thunder Road” was filmed on loca
tion in the environs of Ashville,
North Carolina.
Robert Mitchum is starred in
‘Thunder Road,” and Gene Barry
and Jacques Aubuchon are co
jtarred. Heading the featured cast
ire Trevor Bacdette, Keely Smith,
Sandra Knight and Jim Mitchum,
the last three named all making
auspicious film debuts. Rounding
aut the cast are such players as
Betsy Holt, Francis Koon, Randy
Sparks and Mitch Ryan.
“Thunder Road” is a DRM pro
duction, this being the designation
of Robert Mitchum’s own indepen
dent movie-making company. The
screenplay was written by James
Atlee Phillips and Walter Wise from
an original story by Mr. Mitchum.
Top Cat And Pals
In Futile Search
For Warm Home
Wintry winds force T.C.'s alley
pals into what is a futile search for
shelter until they try Officer Dib
ble's hospitality for “The Long Hot
Winter” on “Top Cat” Wednesday
at 8:30 on KFAR-TV, Channel 2.
T.C. brombeats Dibble into ar
resting them for unlawfully dwell
ing on municipally owned proper
ty, then—in front of the police cap
tain—tricks him into an invitation.
Dibble’s plan to evict his guests
is foiled when T.C. tips Strife
Magazine on how the noble officer
is befriending the unfortunate.
The three film debutantes of
“Thunder Road” deserve special at
tention. Best known of the lot—per
haps the only one who is really
known—js Keely Smith (Mrs. Louis
Prima in private life), who has been
wowing television audiences in re
cent months.
Dramatic Role
A Norfolk, Virginia, girl who
sang with several name bands be
fore achieving nation-wide fame as
a singer w’ith Louis Prima’s combo.
Keely plays the dramatic role of a
nightclub singer who is in love with
Mitchum in “Thunder Road.”
Sandra Knight is a pretty, red
haired, nineteen-year-old who makes
her show' business debut in “Thun
der Road.” The daughter of a stu
dio cop at MGM, Sandra was chosen
out of several hundred aspirants for
the poignant role of Roxanne in the
film.
Jim Mitchum is sixteen years old,
an inch taller than his distinguished
father’s six-foot-one, and the pos
sessor of the patented sleepy, half
shut Mitchum eyes. In the picture,
oddly enough, he plays the role of
Robert Mitchum’s brother.
"Babes In Toyland" Shows
Waif Disney Movie Magic
Wall Disney s own special brand ol fantasy, usually reserved
or his animated cartoons, is being used to enhance his newest
i'echnicolor live-action production, “Babes in Toyland,” and trans
orm it into one of the most unusual and enchanting musical com
dics ever filmed. It opens Thursday at the New Empress Theater.
i ne sort ot mecnamcai Jegerae
nain that has gone into Walt's
nagic kingdom, Disneyland, is used
o put the make-believe world of
Victor Herbert's immortal musical
omedy on film.
Trees that in cartoonland would
;ain breath and movement through
he medium of pencil and paper are
irought to life on the Disney sound
tages through the means of foam
ubber, blow torches, paint, and in
ide operators.
A giant machine of odd and awe
aspiring proportions, living it up
/ith myriad flashing lights, whirl
ng cyclotrons, swaying antennas,
nd glistening varied-colored glass
ubing. turns out to be a high-pro
luction contraption capable of
oughing up at the push of a button
nough toys to make a world of
hildren tntirely happy.
Wild Contraption
This wild contraption was built
ind wired by a team of 23 electri
ians and special effects men. An
trmy of experts controlled from a
janel of something like 400 switches,
its final, earthquaking demise ap
jears enough to set automation back
i thousand years.
The second most complex innova
ion to spring from the Disney
nagination is a fountain of danc
ng waters Ray Bolger must com
iete with in a fantastic solo num
ier, “Castle in Spain.” The quick
noving streams of high-arching and
iiobile waters are played against
Jolger’s dancing feet by means of a
ull piano keyboard which, in this
ase, produces the sight of move
nent instead of the sound of music.
Even the live actors seem to be
ouched by Disney's special brand
rf magic.
A completely new and different
Bolger emerges in the role of the
eomic-villain, Barnaby. With pat
ent-leather black hair and waxed
moustache, sleek black suit with
flowing satin cape, and elongated
stove-pipe hat, he is as shifty a cul
prit as ever sneered his way across
the screen.
Young Lovers
Annette and Tommy Sands, the
young lovers in the Disney story,
could be compared to any of Walt's
cartoon heroes and heroines.
Dressed in their bright, fanciful cos
tumes, these two attractive young
people are truly the storybook char
Son Asks Where
He Came From
Six-year-old Ritchie asks his par
ents the inevitable “Where did 1
come from?” question on “The Dick
Van Dyke Show” Wednesday at i
on KTVF. Channel Eleven. (This is
the first episode of “The Dick Var
Dyke Show” broadcast in its new
time period. The program was
previously broadcast Tuesdays.)
The explanation is delivered ir
flashbacks, showing how Rob go
a black eye, lost his pants anc
smashed the family car while try
ing to get Laura to the hospital.
acters of Mary Contrary and Tom
Piper come to life.
As the Toymaker, the incompara
ble Ed Wynn creates one of the
screen's most unforgettable comic
characters. Combining his zany
characterizations of “The Perfect
Fool” and "The Fire Chief,” to
gether with a little of “The Mad
Hatter,” the veteran actor returns
to his original forte, comedy, after
six years of acclaimed dramatic per-'
formances.
“Babes in Toyland” stars Bolger,
Sands, Annette and Wynn, and co
stars Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran,
Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon, Mary
McCarty, Ann Jilliann and Brian
Corcoran. Jack Donohue directed
the Buena Vista release.
TEEN-AGE STAR — Annette,
teen-age actress and recording
artist, is starred ill Wait Disney’s
first live-action musical, ‘‘Babes in
Toyland.” Hie sparkling Techni
color production also stars Ray
Bolger, Tommy Sands and Ed
Wynn. Buena Vista releases.
Hate Monger Has
Venom Spreading
Plan On Route 66
Dan O'Herlihy stars as a hate
monger whose plan to spread his
venemous “Awake America’’ cam
paign rocks the Nation’s cradle of
liberty and ensnares Tod Stiles and
Buz Murdock in “To Walk With
the Serpent’’ on "Route 6G” Friday
at 8 on KTVF, Channel Eleven.
Martin Milner, as Stiles, and
George Maharis, as Murdock, en
counter John Westerbrook, played
by O'Herlihy, while they are visit
ing the historic sites of Boston. The
rabblerousing Westerbrook decides
the two men can be of help in his
plan to attract the attention of the
entire nation.
Federal agents led by Ben New
combe, portrayed by Simon Oak
land, are trying to uncover what
Westerbrook intends to do at a
mass meeting called for the Paul
Revere Mall. Contacted by the gov
ernment men, Stiles and Murdock
realize they must help, although
their double role endangers their
lives.
MANY DO
Samuel Goldwyn Jr., is making
preparations for a picture on the
charge-it practice. It's titled “Live
Now, Pay Later.’’