Television, Cinema: may 23, 1969

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TELEVISION

Wednesday, May 21

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MOVIE (ABC, 8:30-11:05 p.m.). Deborah Kerr, as Governess Anna Leonowens, squares off against Yul Brynner in his Oscar-winning performance as Siam's petulant but engaging monarch in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and 7(1956).

JACK BENNY'S BIRTHDAY SPECIAL (NBC, 10-11 p.m.). Ann-Margret pops out of the cake while Lucille Ball, Lawrence Welk, Dan Blocker, Dennis Day and Jerry Lewis clown around to make Jack forget he's — you guessed it — 39. Repeat.

Thursday, May 22

NET PLAYHOUSE (NET, 8-9:30 p.m.). "Let Me Hear You Whisper" might seem a vari ation on the old frog-and-princess tale: it's the story of a scrubwoman (Ruth White) who strikes up a friendship with a porpoise, played by a life-size puppet and Puppeteer Bil Baird's voice.

Saturday, May 24 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME OF THE WEEK (NBC, 4 p.m. to conclusion). St. Louis Cardinals v. Los Angeles Dodgers, at Los Angeles.

WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS (ABC, 5-6:30 p.m.). World light-heavyweight champion ship, with Bob Foster v. Andy Kendall, live from Springfield, Mass.

CHARLIE BROWN AND CHARLES SCHULZ (CBS, 8:30-9 p.m.). Co-Stars Schulz and Brown, live and in animation, with friends and admirers Astronaut Walter Schirra, the Royal Guardsmen (singing excerpts from Snoopy and the Red Baron), Vince Guaraldi (playing his composition Linus and Lucy) and Rod McKuen (growling out his theme music from a forthcoming Charlie Brown feature movie).

MISS U.S.A. BEAUTY PAGEANT (CBS, 10-11:30 p.m.). One of the nonevents television does so well, this 18th annual competition comes from the Miami Beach Auditorium. June Lockhart is hostess; Bob Barker emcees.

Sunday, May 25

WHITSUNDAY SPECIAL (CBS, 10-11 a.m.). Highlights of Duke Ellington's Sacred Con cert, featuring the timeless Ellington, his orchestra, four vocalists and three choirs. Repeat.

GUIDELINE (NBC, 1:30-2 p.m.). Hatred and tension between black and white and ways to dispel such troubles are the subjects under discussion on "Race and the Church: A Priest and a Nun."

A.A.U. CHAMPIONSHIP TRACK AND FIELD MEET (CBS, 3-4 p.m.). California relays from Modesto, Calif.

THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS WITH LEONARD BERNSTEIN (CBS, 4:30-5:30 p.m.). Bernstein is billing Hector Berlioz's still fascinating Symphonic Fantastique as "the first psychedelic symphony in history."

CHILDREN'S THEATER (NBC, 6:30-7:30 p.m.). Sixty-three young dancers from the Children's Ballet Theater in a new version of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, choreographed by Christine Neubert. The original score is by Robert Maxwell; Geraldine Page narrates.

Monday, May 26

HIGHLIGHTS OF RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS (NBC, 8-9 p.m.). Top acts, hosted by Arthur Godfrey with his good old horse Goldie. Circus stars include Animal Trainer Gunther Gebel-Wil-liams, the Four Brizios Clown Act, Rogana, the Queen of Balance, the Mickey Antalek Chimps and the Lindstroms, high-wire unicyclists.

THE DICK CAVETT SHOW (ABC, 10-11 p.m.). A new prime-time talk and variety series that will broadcast on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Truman Capote, Liza Minelli, James Coburn and Candice Bergen will drop by to help Dick with the premiere.