Variety (December 1953)

Published Weekly el 154 West 46th Street. New tors 36. N V . tty Vane' fintered as second class matter December 22. 11)03. at the Post oflus » f . Inc., Annual subscription 910 Single topic* i> cents. New Voik. N Y. under <ha act o( HUuh 3 IH/g ALL It It HITS RESERVED COPYRIGHT. 1053 BV VAHIKTY. INC NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1953 PRIC E 25 CENTS By LEONARD TRAUBE By IIOBK MORRISON Scrabble Versions ScrabbU*. the new word game which has been selling out in the shops for over a Apropos Story on Dec fi ‘ llonino." starring Ezio I'in/a. will l>« "llonino does Dm k Hunt ini'. Basso will sing "A Hunting I Will do." Show's rancelled after the Dec 20 TV 'in g. Princeton. N. J. t Dec. 1. RCA pulled another of its by- now familiar feats in electronic showmanship mated to the need potential by unveiling magnetic tape in color and monochrome for television and other commercial uses that may eventually revolu- tionize a multiplicity of industries. RCA-NBC board chairman Brig, den. David Sarnoff was host at a press and inter-trade demonstra- tion attended by about 200 drawn from every conceivable element in the photographic-electronic firma- ment including upward of 00 from the motion picture industry and related elements, the latter look- seeing a special second demonstra- tion. The M-tape preem was held in the parent company’s David Sar- nuff . Research Center here this morning and afternoon (Tues.i, with Dr. E. W. Engstrom. vp. in charge of the Lab Division, carry- ing the explanatory burden be- tween telecastings and presiding at a followup question-and-answer session which reflected the ail- consuming interest that the inno- vatory tape method of transmission already has sparked in this, its maiden pre-operative outing. Two 14-inch receivers were set lip in the demonstration hall for a cross-checkered program indicative of M-tape's potential. Many tecli- (Continued on page 74> “These cycles come and go" That’s Lawrence Langner's atti- tude toward the current downbeat year, is now established as a fad. As such, variations have developed. Flayers in New York, Hollywood and Chicago have their own enthusiasms. New York plays all-psychia- tric words. Hollywood plays all dirty words. Chicago plays for gambling. "I’m not discouraged," says the co-direclor of the Theatre (Juild and a leading figure in legit for the last quarter-century "This present situation is purely tem- porary II could jump back in a single season." "During my years in the theatre I’Ve seen this sort of tiling many times It’s unpleasant, of course, blit no occasion for panic. These slumps have always passed, and this one will pass, too. Conditions actually aren’t as serious as they appear at first glance. "On the basis of present indica- tions, I anticipate a real improve- ment next season. In I he mean- time. don’t write oil this season. The present season is by no means over yet. The situation can change a great deal before next spring." During 1930-37, Langner recalls, the Theatre (.»uild-American The- atre Society, subscription setup (Continued on page 7!E New York’s radio and television stations did a landolliee business during Ibis week’s strike of photo- engravers against six of the sev« tl Gotham d uties. Stations pulled in much of the retail adveitsirig busi- ness ordinarily carried by the. dailies, picked up additional coin from film companies, theatres and legit offices, and sold still more time via expanded news schedules that were gobbled up- by new > minded advertisers eager to reach news-hungry listeners and vievveis. Degree ol business varied Imm station to station, with some com- pletely eschewing the fast buck m favor of strict public service and others going all out to capitalize on the news and advertising shortage Video caught less erf (lie additional biz than radio, with fact that some of tin* TV outlets are in a near SRO status contributing to then reluctance to go after the sliike created coin Virtually all stations, however upped their news coverage- and at the* same time- instituted spe« l d 'Continued on page- ;>o» Minneapolis. Dee. 1. Exhibitors here feel that the present boxoffiee resurgence is due in large part to the accelerated rate at which youngsters, teen- agers and the 22 to 28-year-old groups are being weaned in part away from TV and returning to showhouse-s for additional and dif ferent entertainment. There is no disinclination to give credit to 3-D. widescreens and CinemaScope for this revival of public interest in motion pictures in theatres. But. among others, Ev Seibel, Paramount circuit ad- vertising and publicity head, be- lieves that heavier pre-selling of pictures has had much to do with (Continued on page 73> Cantor in Defense Of TV Star Huckstering: ‘Too Much Coin at Stake’ Boxoffiee draw of a TV name, already demonstrated in strawliats, is now apparently registering on Broadwav for the first time. De- spite unanimous critical pans for the show, Arlene Francis, a panel- ist star on the “What’s My Line" tele series, has carried the legit comedy. "Late Love." into its eighth week currently at the Booth, N. Y. Show is doing modest business, but is the only opener of recent months to receive solid pans and survive at all. Indication that it’s primarily (Continued on page 82• Eddie Cantin' lias a different conception about IV stars huek- .tenrig their current spun or \s pioduet ‘if it is done with in* r-Mi - g- nee ” The vet comedian agn i , with tip- agencies that "tia!a\. with the kind of money actors ate getting, tin- spun oi can’t afford to have some eaitoon spot eomrnct- ctals or some strange annum eer ell mg the corrilm»<lit\ ’’yperi-liy if that profe's; ional -ru-et, two hours later, or Hie . ■!> is peddling some oHmt *'> Ware- lienee the p: ic e spun J .deiififieation mu i re i with the RCA Sets 300G Adv. Drive for C-Day (Color) —To Boost Black & White Living Quarters Under Drive-In Screens, With Ladder to Count Hou:e Omaha. Dee I Cooking for a place to live’' 'I r y your neare-t drive in theatre Manager-, Allen L. Vernon and Gope Pedicino* ol the Compa - Theatre chain in Denver oj.eO their housing problems by (no\ing in on the screens of the East and West ozoners. respectively Their apartments are 11 ' 2 leet wide by b*l feel long on tin- ground level beneath the screens. How ever, arrangements could lr- bet ter. Rooms are laid out in row bedroom, living room, hallway and front door, hath, second bedroom, dinette and kitchen Vernon constructed a 50 foot lad- der from the master bedroom to the top of the screen “It gives an excellent view of the city aryd helps in counting the house." •c of open- The day that the Federal Com- could have munications Commission approves unanimous the compatible RCA color system, t, yet man- that company plans a $300,000 ad- >\v requests vertising campaign to herald the continuance of black-and-white ormanee of television set production tor some to explain time to come. Tins is in answer to ted that tie dealer concern because of the con- lasterpiece. version problem, as must eventu- ally at a ate not only with RCA hut to other vehicle tor manufacturers utilizing the trade- lit je>. Pcq- approved standard system for TV tickets on color. u-e. just to However, despite dcaler-cuslorn- cs in Mary er relations tfmt black-and-w hite er video will he a continoing bysT- ltcs these ness; that 14-inch tinted TV set- living their will cost S8OO-$L.OO0; that produc- that seems tion will be necessarily slow, the ■v. wlro act public has slowed down on new- >ir money’s set buying. Excepting tor the new d with the TV markets, where stations have xud\ Miss just Opened, there is no appreci- ns. and the able traffic in new sett Due to - e 80 i 'the spectrum TV oi cour-e. Buss-Men’s TV Holiday During Martin A Lewis' spe- cial Muscular Dystrophy tel- ethon show from Holly wood last Wednesday night, over ABC-TV. not one girl was kissed — but Dean Martin kissed Jerry Lewis; Phil Sil- vers kissed songwriter pianist Jule Styne; Dean Martin bussed pianist Sammy C’ahn— I but Sammy Cahn didn’t kiss Jule Styne. Osculation among the males is increasing and proves only one point — that comics and singers on TV are an affectionate little group. Jane Wyman, as pretty a bun- dle as ever faced a lens, en- tered. did her hit and exited without even a handshake. Is this the beginning of a | trend?