Television: Dec. 4, 1964

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Wednesday, December 2 CBS NEWS SPECIAL (CBS, 7:30-8:30 p.m.).— Japan's top cameramen explore the lives of five Japanese from different strata of society, all beset by the problems of adjusting to the nation's increasingly Westernized way of life.

Thursday, December 3 THE DEFENDERS (CBS, 10-11 p.m.).

Guest Star Robert Redford is an escaped convict intent on killing his court-appointed lawyer (E. G. Marshall), whom he blames for his life sentence.

Friday, December 4 BOB HOPE PRESENTS THE CHRYSLER THEATER (NBC, 8:30-9:30 p.m.). Roddy Mc-Dowall plays a dizzy young scientist in a slapstick comedy of errors. Color.

12 O'CLOCK HIGH (ABC, 9:30-10:30 p.m.). While a stowaway on a bomber, a young clerk (Brandon de Wilde) is forced to operate the turret gun.

THE JACK PAAR PROGRAM (NBC, 10-11 p.m.). Guests are the brilliant Elaine May-Mike Nichols team, and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Saturday, December 5 EXPLORING (NBC, 12:30-1 p.m.). The sun as a source of energy is explained to children. Color.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES (NBC, 9-10:43 p.m.). Spencer Tracy and Robert

Ryan in MGM's Bad Day at Black Rock,

1955. Color.

Sunday, December 6

LOOK UP AND LIVE (CBS, 10:30-11 a.m.). Freedom inside and outside the Roman Catholic Church is discussed by a leading layman and two Jesuit theologians, Father John Courtney Murray and Austria's Father Karl Rahner.

DISCOVERY (ABC, 11:30 a.m.-12 noon). A study of the human brain.

DIRECTIONS (ABC, 1-1:30 p.m.). The crassly commercial side of Christmas is sniped at in a play that finds Santa Claus bedeviled by consumer researchers and pitchmen.

WILD KINGDOM (NBC, 5-5:30 p.m.). The life of the golden eagle, America's largest preying bird. Color.

G.E. FANTASY HOUR (NBC, 5:30-6:30 p.m.). An animated musical comedy based on the saga of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Color.

PROFILES IN COURAGE (NBC, 6:30-7:30 p.m.). The story of Richard T. Ely, the University of Wisconsin professor who was charged in 1894 with teaching subversive ideas.

Monday, December 7 SLATTERY'S PEOPLE (CBS, 10-11 p.m.). A reporter's right to keep secret his sources is examined when state legislators threaten criminal libel proceedings.

Tuesday, December 8 THE BELL TELEPHONE HOUR (NBC, 10-11

p.m.). Maurice Chevalier plays host to

Stanley Holloway and the puppet cast of

Les Poupees de Paris. Color.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (NBC, 8:30-9:30 p.m.). As usual, utterly preposterous, but fun for that reason. In this installment. Agent Solo (Robert Vaughn) is ordered to destroy some germ-loaded missiles that are being used to goad the U.S. and the Soviet Union into atomic war.

THEATER

On Broadway

POOR BITOS hinges on the visceral French political sport of right-baits-left. With more intellectual acuity than passion Jean Anouilh goes back to Robespierre to perform a masterly autopsy on the revolutionary mentality. As Bitos-Robespierre, Donald Pleasence is phenomenally good THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT, by Bill Manhoff, is as timeless as a Punch-and-Judy show and as timely as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Diana Sands as a sexy pussycat who claws and Alan Alda as a bookish owl who screeches, fill the evening with good, vulgar, neurotic laughter.