Advantages of Tuning in Late

...The series began with Bailey cross-examining actor Tony Curtis at his home in Beverly Hills "Hello," said America's most famous criminal lawyer as he stepped out of his convertible in the Curtis driveway "We're going to see what they're really like," he explained of the line of questioning to be pursued with the celebrities "We think they're good company ". The opening sequence was memorable because it finally gave Curtis the opportunity to speak his mind on art "This is what you call a hard-edge painting," Curtis elaborated about a work by a French artist named Levy "It means something at least to me...

...As sound as my advice and its theoretical underpinning may seem, frankly there are times when even I doubt it helps much Then I tune m late on some program and I'm struck dumb anew by how well it works in practice...

...ON TELEVISION By Marvin Kitman Advantages of Tuning In Late Ifeel I owe an apology to anyone who followed my recommendations and watched the programs I praised so highly m my review of the new television season (NL, October 23) In my zeal to cover the season thoroughly, I forgot to mention a most important point The programs will seem quite boring unless you tune in after they have been under way for awhile...

...Q. Say, Hugh, this is a terrific swimming pool...

...Naturally, there's more to Good Company than stimulating conversation For example, Hefner asked Bailey during the tour of the Playboy publisher's famous bedroom, "Would you like a ride on my bed, Lee...

...I felt especially bad about not mentioning sooner this wonderful device for improving programs when I heard the depressing news that Custer is scheduled to bite the dust in January According to my records, this is the third month in a row I have praised the program A critic less certain of his judgment might feel this reflected on his lack of power with the networks But I see it as yet another case of the networks' bowing to outside pressures The Red Power movement hates Custer and has been lobbying vigorously for its death Less understandable is abc's decision to kill at the same time a show called Good Company (Thursday, 10-10 30 pm) As far as I can see, the only reason abc is down on F Lee Bailey's interview show is his low Nielsen rating Good Company is 81 st, or last, but everybody knows the Nielsens are inaccurate This show deserved to be 80th I had not written about lawyer Bailey's debut m show business for fear of influencing the jury while he was on trial Now that the verdict is in, I would like to comment on the injustice of it all...

...The next time I murder anyone, I will certainly think twice about hiring F Lee Bailey as counsel But there is still time for him to save his career All he has to do is act like a lawyer I don't mean asking nasty questions like, "Where were you on the night of 9" When a celebrity says "Now you just sit here a minute while I go bring in my wife and children," Bailey should open up a drawer or two and rifle the contents...

...The idea of reviving the person-to-person concept with Bailey in Ed Murrow's role came out of that hotbed of creative thinking in television today, David Susskind's Talent Associates This was the shop which also gave us this season N Y P D (abc, Tuesday, 9 30-10 p m ), the first police show to base its stories on the files of the New York Police Department--a marked departure from the classic police show which usually uses the files of the Los Angeles Police Department When I first learned about Bailey's going on television, I feared for him Being untrained in the law, I read Martin Mayer's book...

...The plot, as it is sometimes called, may be concealed in the weekly episode's title, m a line of dialogue, or even m an entire scene So it's pointless to arbitrarily suggest you miss, say, the first fout minutes of a lawyer show like Judd (abc, Friday, 10-11 pm, New Jersey tune) or the first 29 minutes of the adventure program Gentle Ben (cbs, Sunday, 7 30-8 p m ) You just have to use the hit-or-miss technique until you get your timing It's worth the extra effort...

...Q. Is this your bar, Hugh...

...Q. You really seem to have a lot of liquor here, Hugh...

...A. Yes, Lee, this is my bar...

...Curtis spoke about a lot of things, including the definition of success ("It means doing better than your best friend"), but he kept commg back to his passion for boxes Knowing Curtis' reputation as a comedian, I couldn't help feeling there was a private joke in there somewhere that Bailey had missed...

...Why the average program is improved by not knowing who did what, I'm not sure It simply happens to be the kind of mystery which can sustain any program, whatever its shortcomings of script, acting or direction My law on this matter is as follows The whole of a program is never equal to its parts Despite their different programming philosophies, this rule applies to all three networks...

...Q. Why do you keep so much liquor around, Hugh...

...It is unprofessional to solicit professional employment by circulars, advertisements, through touters or by personal communications or interviews not warranted by personal relations Indirect advertisements for professional employment such as furnishing or inspiring newspaper comments, or producing his photograph to be published in connection with causes in which the lawyer has been or is engaged or concerning the manner of their conduct, the magnitude of the interest involved, the importance of the lawyer's position, and all other like self-laudation, offend the traditions and lower the tone of our profession and are reprehensible...

...We also discovered that Curtis is an artist himself "I make boxes," he admitted, showing several of them while confiding he was inspired by the American box-maker, Joseph Connell "It will be difficult to explain the essence of what I mean with the boxes," he added...

...A. Yes, Lee, it is a terrific swimming pool...

...Good Company did not hit its stride until the interview with Hugh Hefner at his Chicago mansion I wrote down some of the exchange because I had never heard anything like it...

...Yes, I would like a ride," answered the great criminal lawyer And around they went on the motorized bed...

...Q. You mean you're a good host, Hugh...

...Before I found out why the two men had buried the hatchet, I received an even more starding history lesson At one point Yellow Hair saved Crazy Horse's life He apparently felt the need to justify this action "There is talk," Custer said between clenched teeth, "that you have white blood in you, Crazy Horse " Students of American history will recognize this as the 1870s way of saying, "That's funny, you don't look like an Indian ". Custer did not reveal the source of his inside information, presumably it came from the 7th Cavalry's G-2 But Crazy Horse went white with rage "Yellow Hair," he snarled, "don't you ever say anything like that again " Ciazy Horse stared hard at Yellow Hair's long golden curls, and I would not have been surprised if he had scalped him on the spot But that would have been historically inaccurate...

...Just how much of a program should be missed before it begins to seem interesting is a controversy I wouldn't want to get involved m However, I cannot stress too strongly the importance of missing the part where the writer explains what his story is all about...

...The Lawyers That told me more than I wanted to know about the profession, including Canon 27 of the Canons of Professional Ethics adopted by the American Bar Association It states that...

...A. Yes, Lee, I'm a good host...

...A. Well, people come to the house, Lee, and they like a drink...

...A. Yes, Lee, I have a lot of liquor here...

...I didn't fully understand that Canon, but was afraid the American Bar Association might think the show was nothing but a multi-dollar advertisement for Bailey's talents as an attorney After seeing him in action for several weeks, though, my concern is that he will go bankrupt as a lawyer...

...Q. How many bars like this do you have around your house, Hugh...

...A. Yes, Lee, just like this...

...The fifth episode of Custer (abc, Wednesday, 7 30-8 30 pm) may have bored some people to death But barging in late, I found myself an eyewitness to an amazing historical shuck For some reason Yellow Hair, to use Lieutenant Colonel Custer's Indian name, was fighting side by side with Chief Crazy Horse Just the week before the Sioux leader had sworn to kill Yellow Hair He had made the same threat a week earlier Yet now they had formed a popular front and were slinging lead at unidentified redmen and whitemen It was the first machination in the plot since the setres began in September For mort of the hour the two brave warriors shot at everything that moved, regardless of race, color or creed It warmed my heart to find the races could work together on something...

...A backlash of the premise at the 47-minute mark eventually gave away the secret of what this show was all about But the momentum of my confusion carried me through...

...A. Three, Lee Q. Are they all stocked with liquor like this one, Hugh...