Variety (January 1952)

Ncrrass Forty-tixlk Ufa&iWff jinmtoertary TedneiJay) jamiy 2, 1952 By WALT GREENE Hollywood. Thirtyeight years ago Jesse L. Lasky, Samuel Goldwyn and Cecil B. DeMille landed in Hollywood to produce their first feature film, “The Squaw . Man.’ Renting a barn just off Hollywood and Vine, they were key factors in establishing Hollywood . as the film capital of the world, Numerous other film producers soOn moved into the Hollywood area, setting up a claprtrap office building adjacent to open stages on vacant lots or. amidst orange groves, with the cast and crew painting and moving the canvas flats required. Today those days are recalled because for the past 18 months, Hollywood has been invaded by. another horde of ambitious producers —producers of television pix. Most, of them have short bankrolls and various degrees of ^know-how in film production, all determined to get aboard the gravy train of the new medium. Some are putting up their own savings . to crack the market, while others are struggling along hoping that they can uncover an" angel” to back their enterprise or idea "that Will make a fortune.” As a result, although there are no more stables or barns, available in the Hollywood sector, the expectant TV prod ucers having grabbed nearly all the vacant super-markets and garages available in the area to set up headquarters. On most of the main thoroughfares aside, from Hollywood Blvd., signs are continuing to sprout over former markets and garages disclosing new TV film headquarters. In contrast to the early days of pictures, when a small office and outdoor stage was required to, get into business, the present TV enterprise requires a much larger coin outlay . and greater overhead due to. the changing times. A 30by-40 foot stage can be acceptable for the present purposes, and with a .makeshift office and dressing rooiiis set up via panelboards it can adequately suffice for turning out-. a video pilot film or series. Ingenuity The newcomers who have taken over most of the abandoned garages around town are particularly ingenious in devising methods of laying out the several sets required for a half-hour TV show. In the contracted space available, t h e y generally telescope the two Wall sets outward from the rear walls to save time on the two-or-threeday shooting schedules available. Corners flange out in rotation as required by the script, so that when one set is completed, it is moved out with the next right behind. Only delay between scenes is moving in the desk, furniture and other props for the new setup. This method is possible because Trad* Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY, INC Harold Erichs, President 154 West 46th St. New York 19. N. Y Hollywood. 2$ 6311 Yucca Street Washington 4 1292 National Press Building Chicago. T1 612 No. Michigan Ave. London WC1 8 St. Martin’s PI.. Trafalgar So. SUBSCRIPTION Annual. .. $10 Foreign til Sfnglo Copies... ... ... . , 25 Cents ABEL GREEN. Editor Vol. 185 c No. 4 INDEX Bills . , . 250 foreign 192 Legit 267 Music 224 Obits ..... ...... 290 Pictures ...... . . . . . . ,T. 4 Radio-Television 99 Vaude , . . . i 247 DAILY VARIETY (Published in Hollywood by Doily Variety. Ltd.) $15 a Year.. $20 Foreign of the requirements of TV film shooting, which precludes the use of long shots to concentrate on closeup and near shots. One converted garage studio in the rear of an apartment is able to bring the cost down on regular video films to a price about half of that in one of the bigger plants. As Jimmy Durante so aptly says, “Everybody’s getting into the act.” Experienced filmites* such as actors, producers, directors* cameramen; film editors and others are continually probing for ideas that might be sold to TV agencies and sponsors for a series. Few have been able to make the grade. Most of the cameramen are bent on turning out travel series, figuring that the films can he shot between regular studio assignments. Others who have part time available haVe rented an office, installed a telephone and gone on the prowl for a* backer or ad agency who has sponsor connections. But on the whole, it’s the boys with connections who grab off the lush contracts for TV series. Greene Book for Major Hollywood. Producer David Lewis, who recently purchased Graham Greene’s bestseller, "End of the Affair,’’ will package it with John Beck of the William Morris office and submit it to a major. He definitely doesn’t plan to make it as an indie. Greene is currently . in Indochina, but is due here for a fortnight to huddle with Lewis about scripting. Under deal with Lewis he will participate in the. profits. WILL MAHONEY THE INIMITABLE Just Concluded Beverly Hills Country Club Covington, Ky. Currently Shoreham Hotel Washington, D. C. Represented by ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORP. PARIS MAKES MERRY IN YULETIDE SEASON Paris. Despite harassing economic conditions currently prevailing here, escape-seeking Parisians, spearheaded by ah unusually high number of tourists during Yuletidei made merry and proved free spenders. Restaurants and nitery prices on the average were advanced about 30 to 40% over last year. Legiters gave the usual tilted-scale extra shows. Some of the well-heeled crowd remained absent, finding they could get for their money as much fun by spending the holidays in resorts, either in France, on the Riviera, or abroad. Show Biz— 1952 Last year Variety’s 45th anniversary editorial discussed color TV, theatre TV, TV vs. the b o., or just TV. Little new has been added outside of the coaxial cable, and that was discounted last year,. However, there still can’t be any forgetting the imminent show biz showdown between pix and TV. Next to boy-meets-girl, TV and radio, pix is the greatest and cheapest form of mass entertainment. Hence the boxoffice barometer must be Hollywood. Film showmen reprise with authority and statistics the fact that a good show will make the public desert the fireside and TV screens. But it takes more than just another “A” picture to make 'em brave the parking hassle, the overall bother and the cost. Since every entertainment— be it film or round actor— can’t be a blockbuster, the evolution of the industry forecasts more and more a mating of the two mass media— pix and TV, However, give ’em good shows in theatres arid nothing will keep them home this side of a honeymoon. The coaxial cable, of course, has further dramatized the film studios’ inevitability of "joining; ’em if you can’t fight ’em.” One thing remains certain — no other nation is so keyed to entertainment and showmanship as is America. It’s now cliche that every American has his own business— andl show business; First it Was Hollywood that gave the world mass entertainment of a calibre never before experienced. Radio carried it still further. The Hollywood and Broadway gossip columns grew with and helped develop the upsurge of soundpix and radio, and now that TV. has brought the greats from all the crossroads of the Lively Arts into the home, every Main St. is as privy as the Broadway first-nighter. It is this show-wise public that creates a constant challenge for quality.: The tradition and nostalgia impact of a veteran star personality becomes accepted as a matter Of course. Just as quickly, however, some young "upstart” becomes a household legend. That’s the magic of this electronic form of show business. Talents may be magically projected with j et propulsion, but one fundamental need remains and that’s Showmanship; If it’s a showmanship that has been created accidentally without benefit of talent, it usually evaporates as quickly as some fleeting vogue for deep-V glam femmes on TV. The durables that will always remain are born* of quality conception. It is this show-? manship which is bringing, closer together such divergent media as films and TV, the stage and TV; music and TV— and almost everything else and TV. This doesfi’t mean TV is taking over. Far from it. But there is no disputing its quick grip on an already highly sensitized and savvy public. And the more savvy the customers become, the better for. show business. It can only excite the need for better entertainment to satisfy that discrimination. Abel. The By-Liners In This Issue (Regular Staffers and Correspondents Omitted) Julian T. Abeles 36 Harry Ackerman ......... 107 Joey Adams 247 Peter Herman Adler. .... 273 John Abbott. ............ 224 Fred Allen 10 Neal Arden :.... 117 Ned Armstrong .......... 273 Art Arthur 26 Belle Baker 36 A. J. Balaban. . .... ...... 15 Barney Balaban ......... 5 John Balaban . 17 Harry Bannister, ..... . 106 Robert Baral . , . . . ....... 251 Charles C, Barry ..,109 Jack Benny...,..*...... 105 Mac Benoff ......... .... 45 Benjamin Berger . ....... 63 Maiirice A. Bergman 28 Claude Binyon. ....... .. 27 N. J. Blumberg , .... . . ... .6 Capt. Billy Bryant 228 Richard Brooks . .. ........ 49 Eugene Burr ............ 267 John Byram ...... 270 Eddie Cantor. .... ... .... 9 Jimmy Carhartt* ; 13 Teete Carle 98 Carroll Carroll 102 Bennett Cerf 6 Milboume Christopher... 103 Sir Charles B. Cochran. 271 Lenny Colyer. ........... 247 Reg Connelly.... 244 Bob Considine 6 William F. Craig . ... . . .... Ill Mark Curtis ............. 251 A1 E. Daff. . 33 Eddie Davis . . . 100 Maxime De Beix . . 192 Ned Depinet 5 Paul Douglas 49 Dr. Allen B. DuMont. , . . . 113 Orrin E. Dunlap, Jr..... 56 Phil Dunning . .... . . . . . . 271 Mrs. Gus Edwards 225 Charles Einfeld . ; . ; ... 28, Ken Englund 8 M. L. Ernst 3 N. V. Eswar 194 Eric Fawcett 118. Frank Ferrin ........... 118 Martin Field 53 John Firman 250 J. J. Fitzgibbons . .. ..... 14 George Freedley 272 Harry B. French . . ... . . . 17 Sir Henry French .... ... 195 George F. Gaal. ........ . 222 Hy Gardner ..... 10 James J. Geller . .. ... 228 Robert Gessner ...... . . . . 49 Victor Gilbert ....... , ; . 248. Kenneth S. Giniger . . . . . . 61 Marty Glickman 113 William Goetz . . . ; . ... 15 John Golden 6 Nathan. D. Golden 103 Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith. Paul Gordon Eric Gorrick Lester Gottlieb Billy Grady .... .... James R. Grainger. . . . /. , Charlotte Greenwood Walt Greene Leo Guild Bill Haliigan N. L. Halpern ...... . . Oscar Hammerstein 2d . . , Bob Hawk Peter Lind Hayes ....... William Heineman Frieda B. Hennock Burnet Hersihey . Harry Hershfield ........ C. E. Hooper A! Horwits Earl J. Hudson ....... . ... Rupert Hughes ......... Clem Humphries ........ Edward L. Hyman ........ Alan Jackson Jeff Jefferis Senator Edwin C. Johnson Eric Johnston Richard Joseph Milt Josef sberg Benjamin Kalmenson Hal Kanter Nat Kv.rson . , Alan Kayes ....... Ralph T* Kettering Henry King Robert E. Kintner Ken Kling . . . * . ... . . . Arthur Knorr Arthur Kober .... Andre Kostelanetz Stanley Kramer . . . ...... Arthur. B. Krim ... Abe Lastfogel Joe Laurie, Jr. * . . . . . . . , Jerome Lawrence ....... Paul N. Lazarus, Jr. Robert E. Lee Sam Levenson Jerry D. Lewis . . ........ A1 Lichtman . Perry Lieber Max Liebman Alan Lipscott , . , , . . . . . Morris Lqewenstei Bert Lytell . , . ...... . . . . Ted Mack ... ...... . . . . . Cecil Madden Ira Marion ............. Arthur L. Mayer ........ Joseph H, McConnell . . . . Horace McMahon . . . . . .. Maggi McNellis . ; ..... • • Noel Meadow .'. . . ; . . . . . • Richard Mealand Blanche Merrill .... ... . . » E. C. Mills ....... Worthington Miner Abe Montague 116 Ken Murray 107 197 Abram F. Myers 15 194 A. C. Nielsen 117 100 Edward J. Noble ....... 113 272 Tom M. P. O’Brien .... 195 28 Robert J. O’Donnell .... 16 272 Col. Barney Oldfield .... 196 4 William Ornstein 57 48 Val Parnell 192 22 Jerry Pickman . . ... . . ... 40 48 Fortune Pope .... . .. .... li6 11. Jimmy Powers .......... 107 100 Theodore Pratt 36 45 Georgie Price .......... * 251 5 Martin A. Ragaway 27 112 Jo Raiison ........ 56 56 Norman Reader ........ 68 105 Sidney Reznick ......... 107 111 John Roeburt 41 92 John F. Royal 13 63 Harry Ruby . . . . ........ 20 1 1 Adrian Samish ......... 108 194 James Santer ........... -20 17 Dore Schary 7 13 Charles Schnee ........ 45 14 Alfred W. Schwalberg . . 33 109 Ai & Sherwood Schwartz. 103 52 Maxwell Shane 57 267 Max Shulman ..... . . .... 27 101 ,George Sidney ......... 53 63 Seymour N. Siegel 110 101 John L. Sinn. 115 190 Charles P. Skouras. .. . . . 14 Spyros P. Skouras..;.... 7 269 h. Allen Smith .......... 52 , f? Harry G. Smith ........ 247 115 Paul Gerard Smith ...... 104 27 Bernard Sobel* ......... 269 .104 Russ Splane. 197 10 Bill Stern. .. ......... 115 224 Ashton. Stevens. . 249 53 George Stevens. 48 Al Stillman . . . . . . • . , •• . • 22 20 Robert Stolz. . . . . . .. . . 228 . 248 Ezra Stone . .. . . . . . .. .* ;. . • 102 99 Hannen Swaffer. ........ 268 40 John Cameron Swayze . ; . . 103 99 Herbert Bayard Swope . * • 40 105 Davidson Taylor. . , .... . • 110 13 St. John Terrell . . . . . . . • . 273 33 Sophie Tucker. . ... 247 40 Terry Turner. . ........ •• 96 107 j. l. Van Volkenburg.. ... 109 112 Ray Walker. ....... .. . . . 227 .63 Hal Wallis . ... ....... ... 7 271 Jim Walsh . .. .... ... 226 106 Jack L. Warner. . ;.»••••• 12 218 Sir Philip Warter. ....... 197 117, Robert M. Weitman ...... 12 16 Frank White. . .. ........ 110 HI R. B. Wilby 17 61 Charles Williams. . . . .. . . 26 112 Nicky Winter. . ......•• 13 196* Sven G. Winquist. . . • . . . . 194 22 Jacob A. Wiser *268 114 Herbert J. Yates. . ... ... . 5 106 Max E. Youngstei 41 108 Darryl F.: Zanuck. ....... 6 33 Maurice Zolotow. ....... 12 Demonstration Unit Of Eidophor for N. Y. Test Twentieth-Fox will import the. first demonstration unit of its Eidophor system of big screen color television next week, with showings planned for the 20th homeoffice screening room immediately afterwards. Company engineers, who have been working on the model at the U. of Zurich i Switzerland together .with the Swiss inventors, are confident that the system has been developed to a point of commercial acceptance, and will fly back with the initial unit. It was originally planned to stage the demonstrations at the Broadway Roxy, 20th’s deluxe New York showcase. Prexy Spyros P. Skouras decided, however, that it would be preferable to hold a series of screenings and, since that would have tied up the Roxy for too long, the ,20th screening room was chosen instead. While plans for the actual demonstrations are still indefinite, it’s believed almost a certainty that 20th will stage its own programs, since there is no commercial color; TV now available from any of the networks. N. Y to L. A. Abel Green Mark Leddy Europe to N. Y. Guy Bolton Clifford Cutzon Myra Hess L. A. to N. Y. Clarke Vera-Ellen Mel Ferrer James A. FitzPatrick Jim Jordan Marian Jordan Joseph H. McConnell Mame Sacks Zachary Scott Helen Tamiris Forrest Tucker Jane Wyman N. Y. to Europe Anna Neagle Herbert Wilcox