Radio: Tribute to a Composer

The warmly sentimental, eternally commercial heart of show business throbbed for a full hour this week on an NBC-TV show called America Applauds; An Evening for Richard Rodgers. Out of friendship for Composer Rodgers (and, incidentally, to plug the women’s shoes made by Sponsor U.S. Shoe Corp.), Mary Martin made her first TV appearance, accompanied by Rodgers at the piano, and singing I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy. Bing Crosby crooned It’s Easy to Remember from Rodgers’ 1935 movie Mississippi, Valerie Bettis danced the Slaughter on Tenth Avenue ballet from 1936’s On Your Toes. Other singers and dancers ran through assorted Rodgers numbers dating from his 1925 Garrick Gaieties to his current South Pacific.

The sponsored public tribute to Composer Rodgers was the idea of Producer Henry Souvaine, who rounded up the stars and then sold the package to advertiser and network. Its announced purpose: to celebrate Rodgers’ 25 years in the theater. Another advertiser, Philco, got into the act by donating large-screen TV sets in honor of Rodgers to 25 U.S. veterans’ hospitals.

Souvaine, apparently more interested in sentiment than mathematics, shrugs aside the fact that Rodgers’ first Broadway show (A Lonely Romeo) was produced 32 years ago; his first hit (Garrick Gaieties), 26 years ago.

Producer Souvaine sees a great future in tributes to other talented artists, is currently planning TV testimonials to Oscar Hammerstein II and Cole Porter. In a day of rising costs, personal tributes have the compelling attraction of bargain rates: “On this show we’ve got about $60,000 worth of talent, but, naturally, we’re not paying anything like that—the stars are getting practically nothing.” Souvaine adds: “Richard Rodgers is very much touched.”