Cinema: Feb. 3, 1961

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Circle of Deception. An ingenious spy thriller, set in pre-D-day France, that raises some subtle and uncomfortable questions of political morality.

Facts of Life. A satirical, sometimes wonderfully nutty comedy of manners—and the funniest U.S. film since The Apartment—casts Bob Hope as a middleclass, middle-aged philanderer fumbling after Lucille Ball, and perhaps after the meaning of marriage.

The Wackiest Ship in the Army. A World War II farce about a rickety schooner's passage through a Jap-infested ocean is floated only through the splendiferous shenanigans of Jack Lemmon.

Where the Boys Are. A corny, raucous outburst of sorority sex-talk on a Florida spring vacation that intellectual movie-goers will loathe themselves for liking.

Ballad of a Soldier (in Russian). A journey through war-weary Russia, full of bone-jarring energy and creative gaiety.

Make Mine Mink. British Comedian Terry-Thomas' usual weedy charm and blithering idiocy wonderfully enliven a piece about a retired major turned modern Robin Hood.

Other notable current attractions: The Angry Silence, Tunes of Glory, Exodus, The Sundowners and The Virgin Spring.

TELEVISION

Tues., Jan. 31

Expedition! (ABC, 7-7:30 p.m.).* Part II of a BBC-sponsored safari to the Kalahari desert to find "The Last of the Bushmen."

Bobby Darin and His Friends (NBC, 9-10 p.m.). A special splash—and also splish—for the 24-year-old singer. The "friends" include Bob Hope. Color.

The Square World of Jack Paar (NBC, 10-11 p.m.). Filmed segments of Paar's recent grand tour during which he fought a bull in Spain, gondolarked through Venice, touched down in both zones of Berlin.

Wed., Feb. 1

Armstrong Circle Theater (CBS, 10-11 p.m.). "The Spy Next Door," a dramatization about Soviet intelligence operations in the U.S.

Thurs., Feb. 2

CBS Reports (CBS, 10-11 p.m.). A study of contemplated medical care plans, including interviews with A.F.L.-C.I.O. President George Meany, A.M. A President-elect Dr. Leonard W. Larson and former Senator Herbert Lehman.

Fri., Feb. 3

The Bell Telephone Hour (NBC, 9-10 p.m.). Paul Whiteman conducts Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on a show also featuring Roberta Peters, Carol Lawrence and Polly Bergen as hostess. Color.

Sat., Feb. 4

Palm Springs Second Annual Golf Classic (CBS, 4:30-6 p.m.). Live coverage of a pro-amateur tourney teaming the game's top stars with show-business personalities.

Sun., Feb. 5

Meet the Professor (ABC, 12-12:30 p.m.). Narrator Harold Taylor, former president of Sarah Lawrence College, launches the series visiting Amherst College Historian Henry Steele Commager.

The Sunday Sports Spectacular (CBS, 2:30-4 p.m.). "Auto Racing from the Bahamas" during the Seventh Annual Nassau Speed Week.

The NBC Opera (NBC, 3-5 p.m.). A reprise of the fine network-commissioned English version of Beethoven's Fidelia. Color.

Palm Springs Second Annual Golf Classic (CBS, 4-5:30 p.m.). Another day, another chance at the $100,000 in prizes.

Omnibus (NBC, 5-6 p.m.). "Abraham Lincoln: The Early Years," a repeat for the superb James Agee script, starring Joanne Woodward and Royal Dano.