Variety (December 1954)

Wednesday, December 8, 1954 -TELEVISION 25 LOTSA SLOTS FOR BON MOTS CBS-TV Laughs Last Hollywood, Dec. 7. Laughs to order, from a tiny titter to a crescendo of howls. It's that easy for CBS-TV comedy shows that use the “laugh machine” invented by Charlie Douglas, of net’s engineering staff at Television City here. Newest advance in canned laughter has i)i»en utilized by many comedy programs, live and film, but identi- ties are a guarded secret. Engineer on show using machine has c hoice of six control levers to eitlfer ride gain or taper off hysterics, depending on inherent laugh potential of spoken line or prop pag. By pressing all six levers at once, raising the volume, laughs can drown out every sound in the building. Maybe even bring whitecoated attendants with butterfly nets. Recorded sound fed into amplifier has been used to supplement laughter of live audience if reception isn’t raucous enough. Saving is affected on filmed shows, obviating necessity of showing picture to live audience just for recorded laughtrack. Producer of show and engineer generally get an idea of where big laughs belong at pre-show runthrough, but sync requires skilled timing lest jocks get out of hand and spill over to next laughter or titter. Douglas holds patent to laugh machine and now has two out on lease. He owns all rights outside its use at Television City and is now negotiating for manufacture and general marketing. Machine will cost around $1,000. Peak Price for Pitt Outlet A Bargain’ To Wliouse in DuM’s ‘Need for Cash’ IN & OUT OFTHE There’s far more to that $9,750.-4 000 that DuMont got from West-’ inghouse for WDTV, Pittsburgh, than meets the eye DuMont appears to have unloaded for a lot less than the VHFer was worth, reportedly to offset financial difficulties fac- ing DuMont Labs. While the WDTV selling price is the highest ever paid for any sta- tion. it is considered almost in re- verse ratio to normal selling pro- cedures; most station transactions are for two to three times the an- DuMont Survey* Itself Latest in the DuMont “to be or not to be” tele network pic- ture Ls that the Price-Water- house, N.Y. accountancy firm has been brought in to survey the web’s status. Meantime, the word is out that by virtue of the WDTV, Pittsburgh, sale DuMont already has written it- self off as a network. Conten- tion is that bankrollers only got into the DuMont lineup be- cause of the cushy Pittsburgh in a. ket. The Price - Waterhouse as- signment was stimulated in part bv Paramount Pictures (owning the entire line of B stock in .the DuMont Lab set- up) which is out to find out whether it pays to hold on. Stockton Helffrich who is NBC-JV Ump In Charge of Censorial Matters details how he Calls ’Em as He Sees ’Em * * * one of the many byline pieces in the upcoming 49th Anniversary Number of WSriety OVT SOOn nual billings. And this year, un- der DuMont, WDTV will gross about $6,700,000 with a profit not too far from $4,000,000 expected by the year-end accounting. Fully aware of these conditions, DuMont began the Weslinghouse negoti- ations six weeks ago and was then asking the more equitable figure of $ 14 , 000 , 000 . But, since it seemed beset with more immediate finan- cial problems, the web finally set- tled for over $4,000,000 less in order to get ready cash. DuMont Labs ran up net profit 'Continued on page 37) Godson-Todman Signs Heller; Fates as Veepee Franklin Heller has joined Good- son-Todman Productions as an exec producer. Heller will function primarily in an administrative capacity, serving as supervisor on “What’s Going On,” “Beat the Clock” and “The Name’s The Same.” Gil Fates will continue as exec director of programs, and effective Jan. 1, will become a veepee for Goodson-Todman of “What’s My Line” Inc. and “Two for the Money” Inc. By LEONARD TRAUBE Vfdeo ’54 may well go down in history as the year in which comics and comedy-gaited shows couldn’t make the grade or stand the gaff, with George Gobel the outstanding exception to the rule as of this Yule. The CBS camp is overwhelm- ingly in the forefront of properties whose props have been and con- tinue to be shot from under them, and within the last couple of weeks, with “on notice” option time due. the serious state of the laughland situation has come to a head. In all the travail, it cannot be said that the gallant Columbians are not gentlemen, since they dis- creetly arranged it so that the “everyone loves” Celeste Holm would be permitted the unique po- sition as a performer of cancelling out on her show. “Honestly Ce- leste.” The 9:30 Sunday nighter preemed a couple of months ago under less than formidable circum- stances, was loudly pounced upon by the scribes and has hardly got past the barrier since. Under this arrangement it left the sponsor. Bristol-Myers, stranded on the bases, although B-M went along with the “cancellation in reverse" for the benefit of the public rela- tions values. Interim Fill With the “Celeste” stanza vacat- ed as of Sunday (5>. CBS hurriedly went to work on an interim fill to play out the cycle. It grabbed off four of the “Authors Playhouse” vidpix series, shot on the Coast by Gross-Krasne for United Television Programs but now under the Music Corp. of America banner in latter’s UTP buyout. First of the skein will showcase Ethel Waters. Another CBS "comedy” invalid was put officially out to graze in the costly “Life With Father." mid- stream of its second season, its first in the 10 p.m. Tuesday spot it had inherited from “Danger,” which drew the 9:30 berthing. Now "Dan- ger” gets reinstated to 10 o’clock and Red Skelton finally is caused to scram his opposite-Berle-Hope- Raye exposure at 8-8:30 to take the position vacated by “Danger.” That resolved, CBS will pit the new Phil Silvers telepix series, “You’ll Never Get Rich,” against the Tuesday-at-8 triumvirate — ironic in a personal sort of way since Silvers and Berle are pals in private life (but chances are they’ll still exchange pleasantries (Continued on page 30) BBD&Q to Webs: If Radio s Bigger n All of Us, Let Have the Cold Facts’; Agency’s Tailor-Made ‘Assignments’ Humorist Sam Levenson has tom* iatarastiag doiMpi on Family Portraits * * * a bright bylina piaca in tha forthcoming 49ill Anniversary Number of J^rieTy ovt soon ABC Won’t Give Up on‘Breakfast’ Video Version Chicago, Dec. 7. In the wake of Philco’s decision to pull out, ABC is mulling new sales approaches for the tv ver- sion of simulcast “Breakfast Club.” Despite the fact that the Phileo bowout, as of Dec. 24, leaves but two quarter-hours sponsored weekly on the hour crossboarder, web execs aren’t ready to give up on the video portion, and still have hopes it will duplicate some on the lengthy success of the radio side. ABC would like to be able to anchor some blueprinted tv day- time projects to the early morn- ing “BC” strip and is reluctant to give up on the property, al- though It’s not paying its way. It’s understood the show. may be opened up for participation sell- ing rather than sticking with the more rigid time-period offerings. Although dropping its Monday, Wednesday and Friday tv identity, Philcp is staying with the AM side. Lone tv bankroller is Quaker Oats with the Tuesday and Thursday counterpoint to the Phileo slot. DuM’s 3 Sponsors For Pro Griddery DuMont has inked three bank- rolun s on coverage of the National football League championships to )0 played either at the end of De- cember or on Jan. 2. Buick has ooiight the second half of the game, "'tn lirst half going to Atlantic Kenning in 31 northeastern mar- cts and to Miller Brewing (a sponsor since ’51) in the rest of * ne country. Incidentally, this ™ y bo . DuMont’s last pro grid since lack °* sponsor suc- s s this year has helped veto an- chor season of the same. Bunk’ via Kudner, ordered a heln a lon ,ineu P. with 111 having vrmV < a . r °d at * ast report. Mathis- • inked for the brewery and N. Ayer for Atlantic. OUT SOON! The 49th Anniversary Number Of Forms closing shortly Usual Advertising rates prevail Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office NEW YORK 3$ HOLLYWOOD 21 ~«H|CAGO 11 LONDON. W. C. 2 154 w. 44th $t. 4311 Yacca St. 412 N. Michigan Ava. I St. Martin's Piaca Trafalgar Sqaara The four radio networks were put in an unprecedented position last week when BBD&O called them in to make a joint presents-^ tion on radio to the ad agency’s account execs. Few authoritative industryites have questioned the future of radio generally (with net- work radio something else again), but BBD&O “limited” the nets to pushing a “radio only” cause by asking them to avoid raising com- petitive angles with each other, with national spot or local radio, or even with television. The agency, in what it considers the first move of this kind along Madison Ave., called salesmen and sales development execs from each of the four radio nets, giving each web an “assignment” in an “at- tempt to clear away a lot of nebu- lous thinking on what is still a vital medium so that we may be in a better position to discuss the matter with our clients should oc- casion arise.” BBD&O told CBS to show up with a “nose count” (Politz> on ystenership; NBC to dis- cuss radio’s use as a basic medium and as a supplementary medium to tv and print: Mutual to present “relevant positions” via the recent J. A. Ward survey on where peo- ple listen and what they listen to, and ABC to give a previously un- published report on media impact showing the respective impact of visual and aural messages. BBD&O carefully explained that the unusual meeting, held a week ago for its account execs, did i ot constitute an endorsement of radio. The agency angle, instead, w;urthat since there's still considerable radio coin kicking about, house accounts should be supplied with the “pros & cons” data in making buying decisions. Since there’s been considerable talk about other agencies coming out strongly against radio at intramural meets, some of the webs are mulling the idea of taking the joint, hourlong lecture to other camps besides BBD&O. It’s understood another agency is aiming to follow up on the idea. KFO Shoots For Co-op on ‘Moons’ First major holiday show to be offered on a co-op basis will be the “Kukla, Fran & Ollie” version of James Thurber’s “Many Moons” on ABC-TV Christmas Day. It’s also likely to be the largest single co-op lineup ever offered by a web, with a total of 111 stations having re- ceived notice that it will be avail- able for local sale. Show was first plotted as an of- fering for national sponsorship, with word that if no bankroller could be found, the project would be d opped. However, KFO’s cur- rent cross-the-board show is aired on a co-op basis in 36 markets, and it was figured that some of show’s regular local sponsors might want to take on the one-shot. Final fac- tor in the decision to co-op it was Gordon Baking's decision to pick up the holiday special in its three markets, New York, Chicago and Detroit. Hour special is based on Thurber children’s story about an Indian princess who wanted the moon to play with. Burr Tillstrom is doing the vidaptation. Show, which will air on a coast-to-coast basis, is slot- ted at 6 p.m. ‘3 Steps’ to Heaven “Three Steps to Heaven,” NBC morning telesoaper, is being dropped. Web is figuring on replacing the 10:45 crossboarder with Sheilah Graham's gossipcast out of Holly- wood, as a better lead-in to tha “Home” show.