Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr - Jun 1952)

film report Production . . . Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, stars on NBC-TV Colgate Comedy Hour, plan to produce and direct a half-hour TV film series titled Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Playhouse. Their Colgate contract prohibits them from acting in the series. An advisory board to select new TV talent comprises Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis and Jeff Chandler. * * * Jerry Fairbanks Productions, Hollywood, now shooting The Greatest Mother, a special half-hour TV film for Mother's Day presentation by the Family Theatre, has added Ethel Barrymore and Ruth Hussey stage-film stars, to cast also headed by Loretta Young and Gene Lockhart. Miss Barrymore, signed for series by Interstate Television Corp., will make this her TV film debut and read from the Scriptures. Miss Hussey, for the fourth time for Family Theatre, will portray Mary, Mother of Jesus. * * * Don Ament Productions, Hollywood, is now filming half-hour TV fairy tale series, Once Upon a Time, the first of which' is The Goose Girl. Each film is laid in the home of a woodcarver who, as he carves figures, relates stories to two children. Already cast are WOW-TV leads the way in Midwest Television * WOW-TV serves one of the fastest growing TV markets in the United States. * Every day an average of 125 families is added to the WOW-TV audience. * Present totalnow well over 125,000 sets! * Low-cost, high-rated participations now available. Wire or telephone your nearest John Blair-TV office or Fred Ebener, Sales Manager. WEbster 3400 WOW-TV Channel Six A MEREDITH STATION OMAHA FRANK FOGARTY, General Manager Lois Butler, young film actresssinger; Don Jorneaux, dancer with the Sadlers Wells Ballet; Maurice Cass, film actor, and Mary Scott (Mrs. Cedric Hardwicke). Muriel Brown, children's short story writer, is adapting the scripts and A. Barr-Smith, English producerdirector, is directing. Don Ament, Southern California artist, is the executive producer; Richard Avonde, is the producer, and Leon Chooluck is production supervisor. Reynolds Productions, Beverly Hills, has consummated deal for Screen Televideo Productions to film the first series of four halfhour TV programs for the duPont Co.'s Cavalcade of America on NBC-TV. Production is to begin within few weeks. * * * Allegro Pictures Inc., North Hollywood, Calif., and Bernard Tabakin, Beverly Hills TV program packager, have concluded arrangements with Jacques Gauthier, head of Enterprises Generale Cinematographique, Paris, for a half-hour TV film series to be produced in France. Allegro Pictures and Mr. Tabakin will supply the star, director, scripts and writer. Allegro will handle distribution in the U. S. * * * Werner Janssen Productions, recently formed in Hollywood to produce 100 three-minute color TV films, has filed incorporation papers listing Stanley Neal, industrial film producer, as president; Werner Janssen, composer-conductor, vice president, and Sobey Martin, TV film director, secretary. The firm is capitalized for $150,000. ** * * Sol Lesser Productions, Culver City, acquires 1,010,000-foot film library of Burton Holmes' travelogues to be re-edited and released as TV short subjects and theatrical features. The library also includes 26 features in color and represents Mr. Holmes' career as an adventurer-with-camera. His associate, Robert Mallett, joins Mr. Lesser to write and deliver narration for the re-edited releases. * * * Sales . . . Edward Lewis Productions, Hollywood, will begin series of 26 halfhour TV films on CBS-TV May 30 for Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co., Milwaukee. Featured will be Irene Dunne as narrator-m.c. and Dan Duryea, Eddie Albert, Jane Wyatt and Teresa Wright among others in leading roles. Hal Roach Jr. and Carroll Case, coproducers of Showcase Productions, Culver City, signed by Philip Morris & Co. for 26 more half -hour TV films in Racket Squad series. Shooting started last week. * * * Spratt's Patent Ltd., Newark (dog biscuits), has started Crusader Rabbit, TV cartoon film series produced by Jerry Fairbanks Productions, Hollywood, on WCAU-TV Philadelphia for 13 weeks trial run preceding national distribution under the same sponsorship, scheduled for September. Agency is Paris & Peart, Philadelphia. * * * Harris Tuchman Productions, Hollywood, completed series of eight TV film commercials for Louis Milani Foods Inc., Los Angeles (Cimarron Sauce, Buccaneer and Thousand Island Dressing). Agency is Leonard Shane Adv., Los Angeles. * * * Film People . . . Edward Arnold, film actor and star of Mr. President, on ABC radio, and Diana Lynn, film and TV star, have joined National Repertory Theatre Inc., Hollywood, on a partnership basis. The company is producing TV films to be released by Interstate Television Corp. George Stevens, motion picture director and 1952 Academy Award winner for Paramount's Place In the Sun, has been signed to direct the first TV film in Hal Roach Studios, Culver City, The Dramatic Hour series. * * * Screen Gems Inc., Hollywood, signs Rhys Williams, Elizabeth Risdon and Regis Toomey, stage-film actors, for half-hour TV film, Crossroads, U. S. A., now being produced by Jules Bricken for American Petroleum Institute. Bing Crosby Enterprises, Los Angeles, signs James Agee, co-author of the screenplay for African Queen, to adapt script of pilot film for Trauma, a half-hour TV series. Original story, The Chase, was written by Bernard Girard and Richard Doroso, producers of the series. Screen Gems Inc., Hollywood, subsidiary of Columbia Pictures Corp., has signed Arthur Franz, stage and film actor, for leading role in Government Is Your Business, second in series of TV films which company is producing for the Christophers, Catholic study group. Featured in film are Tom Powers, Douglass Dumbrille and Minna Gombell. Teleplay is based on writing of Father James Keller and was adapted by David Dortort at Cyril Hume. * * * Phillip Terry, film actor, signed f< leading male role opposite Glor Swanson in Short Story, first half-hour films in new TV serie The Gloria Swanson Show, pre duced by Tele-Voz Co., Mexico Cit for distribution by Simmel-Mese vey TV Productions Inc., Beverl Hills. Allan Miller, vice-president, MC^ (Beverly Hills talent agency) mo tion picture department, and Georg< Stern, radio-TV department, trans fer to Revue Productions (subsi diary MCA), in charge of production. * * * Clayton Moore, star of Lone Ranger TV film series produced for General Mills by Jack Chertok Productions, assigned a role in Columbia Pictures Corp. feature film, "Son of Geronimo." SAG-ATFP PACT Negotiations Continues WHILE collective bargaining negotiations continue for a new contract covering actors in TV film, Screen Actors Guild's new daily and weekly free-lance minimum salaries of $70 per day and $250 weekly, will be put into effect May 8 in an agreement worked out between the guild and the Alliance of Television Film Producers. Besides ATFP members, in agreement also are Hal Roach Productions, Roland Reed Productions and Cascade Productions. Previous salaries were $55 and $175. Additional money agreed upon will be held in reserve by the producers until Wage Stabilization Board approval is obtained. Bargaining continues on all SAG proposals including rates for weekly free lance actors in multiple pictures, and additional payment to talent for re-use of television films in which they appear. Present SAG contract with these producers expires June 24. Actor Retains Rights RADIO and television rights to his own services are retained by Broderick Crawford, in a new contract negotiated by the actor with Columbia Pictures Corp. New agreement replaces his original seven year contract. Under agreement worked out by his representative, Al Melnick, the film star is to make two Columbia pictures yearly for the next seven years and also be available for one outside movie per year, but reserves all radio and TV rights for himself. f ANGERTONE BEST FOR'TV FILMS STUDIO FILMS, INC. 250 Pettibone Road, Solon, Ohio SYNC-SOUND RANGERTONE 73 WINTHROP ST NEWARK 4, N. J. Page 84 • May 5, 1952 BROADCASTING • Telecasting