Decline and fall of TV’s Indian warriors

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32612, 21 May 1971, Page 4

Decline and fall of TV’s Indian warriors

It was an evening largely devoted to trivia on Wednesday with Lucille Ball performing, then Alan Whicker among the lovelies of the Lido in Paris, and a collection of particularly stupid Indians appearing in the final story from “The High Chaparral.” Only at the end with the “New York Police Department” could life be taken very seriously.

While watching “The South Tonight” we were struck again by the general competence of the coverage of the solid news, but began to feel

it was about time "S.T.” forgot for a little while about events which are sometimes fully covered in newspapers, TV news bulletins and "Gallery.” "The South Tonight” has become a little dull and prosaic. But before the programme ended, thfere was Dennis Young, on the subject of tap dancing and sport. He was interesting and amusing. This is the sort of item "The South Tonight” should include rather more often. Of course, it has to record news items from its viewing district, but the air 15 full of grave announcements day by day and a little levity; a look at life’s little oddities, would be valuable.

Lucille Ball does not seem as funny as she used to be, but it is not her fault. Her Wednesday show, with Shelley Winters, was better than ■some of the recent programmes, although Miss WinIters produced one of the | most strident voices to have I come from a source which | has yielded many. i It was very disappointing, watching "High Chaparral,” to note the decline in the of simple abilities lamong the Indians. When 'galloping madly in pursuit of Victoria, Buck and Manolito, they poured out volleys of bullets and did not hit a thing. Then when the boys hid Victoria and drew the Indians off, the darned fools chased an empty buckboard while the pair from H.C. watched them go by. Poor Linda Cristal. She is certainly due for a rest. It seems that Victoria’s frail person has been in danger every second week. By now she has been captured by just about everyone in the territory. But at least this time there were a few hints of the stirring outdoor dramas of other days, and Manolito’s rescue job was

• up to the highest standards • of Tom Mix and those who ' followed him. I From Victoria in the cac- ' tus, we were taken to "BlueI bell” Kelly in the Lido, which , must rank among the very ; best reviews staged anywhere ,in the world. “Bluebell” ; Kelly trains and looks after , the Lido girls, and in about 35 years has had some 6000 , in her care. She is a remarkable woman, a strict disci- | plinarian; indeed, those who beat their breasts about girls who sometimes expose theirs must have been pleasantly surprised to learn something more about these English girls in Paris. They were very likable, very ordinary, and, one has no doubt, very well behaved. Alan Whicker was as much at home in the Lido dressing room as he has been everywhere else in his first-class series. The "New York Police Department” series produces brittle, sometimes brutal stories. They are not really detective stories, as they are labelled. They are more nearly case histories, and if one wanted to spend half an' hour watching a smooth, confident rapist trying to escape justice, this was probably very good.—PANDORA.