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4 i ' SATURDAY, ocTopeER 15, 1960 i ONTARIO TODAY Bill Isbister plays an accomplished piano, BY BILL DRYLIE TAR, standby or institution -- which one is Juliette, the CBC's wealthiest cigarette girl now launched on another season of sweet songs on late Saturdays? Her salary says she's a star -- nobody was ever paid $750 a week as a standby, not in Canada in any event. Nor does a sponsor, even a cigarette firm, pay that kind of money just because it can't kick the habit. But Juliette Augustina Cavazzi still isn't a star in the Shirley Harmer, Sylvia Murphy tradition, She is instead still CBC television's ham-and-egg singer who, like matronly Marge Osburne, can sing her way into a million living rooms and be invited back the next week. There are perhaps another million families who dial her out but she retains a large and loyal following across the country, Juliette at 33 has twenty-odd years of showbusiness behind her. She began in Win- nipeg pushing her way into amateur contests and hasn't lost her push yet. At the CBC she's known as a prima donna who demands and gets her own way on her show. It has a pro- ducer, Bob Jarvis, but the producer is Juliette, She's sensitive to criticism and a few years ago was reported to have gone in tears to Bob McGall, head of CBC-TV's variety programming, demanding that he do something about a Toronto television critic who had roagted her, Juliette denies it -- laughs the story off today, but her eyes say different, pr Until Juliette ate too many pizza pies and it began to show on the television screen, - not many people paid too much attention to her, But then came the Juliette diet -- she was fat apd knew it and cut herself off high- calory Italian foods she and her 'husband loved. For a while "Juliette" was a household word and she even branched into private business. My Pet brassieres began to appear in stores but it turned out Juliettes name wasn't a household name in enough households and the business never made her a million dollars. She's been the centre of another contre- versy although this one never had the country talking about her out loud, only whispering about how badly dressed she was on televi- sion . . . not cheaply dressed, but badly. Over- dressed is the way the women viewers saw her, especially the women in urban areas who were up on fashions of the day. A critic's remark again 'almost sent Juliette up in a puff of steam because, unlike some CBC per- formers, Juliette doesn't have anything to do with CBC wardrobe girls. She buys her own gowns and they're expensive. Last season her gowns improved although she still appeared in fussy things that should never be worn by plump gals. As for her singing, which has brought her fame and wealth, her critics claim she Most dazzling smile in television, can only put over a sweet song, something with a message which has to be happy. I can't re member ever hearing Juliette tackle a sad song and one reason might be that she sold herself with the most dazzling smile in TV Drop that and she might be in trouble. Her program this year promises to be. no better and no worse than previous years, | Once called a short cigarette filler, the show is now a half-hour long, giving her more vocal work and maybe a dress change or two. She'll have Bill Isbister back with her to conduct the orchestra and play what is known as a fine piano. It isn't likely the show will cause any controversy or upset in the home -- it'll be its usual easy-going, uncomplicated sugary- sweet self aimed at a particular audience happy to relax after the fever of Saturday night hockey. Juliette got her start on CBC television alongside Billy O'Connor, the harsh - voteed Irishman who soon found he had another star on his show where there was only room for one --him. After a season of snarling and snapping, Juliette moved out on her own, took over the time spot and O'Connor found himself out- side the door wondering what had happened. Since then O'Connor has appeared infrequently on television. : Juliette naturally never did publicly belt Billy around. Not only would it be unladylike but it wouldn't fit in with the television per- sonality she pours over the living room screen. O'Connor's reaction when he's questioned about that year of the big Saturday night fights: "Oh! that woman!" But "that woman" is a fabulous success. And how do you knock success?