Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr - Jun 1952)

"^ff* film report RIGHTS to the title, Calling All Cars, acquired by Gene Autry's Flying A Pictures, Hollywood, for a projected radio and TV film series, will take the firm out of a strictly western classification. The title headed a CBS Radio Pacific Coast program from 193745 for Richfield Oil Corp. whose agency, Hixson & Jorgensen Inc., concluded the deal with Flying A. The TV series will start upon completion of the scripts. Prepared audition discs for the radio series, starring Lamont Jackson and Jack Moyles, are being given agencies and networks. William Burch, producer-director of CBS Radio's Gene Autry Show, has performed similar duties from scripts co-written with Richard Carr. The firm has completed 52 halfhour westerns for television starring Mr. Autry, 52 half-hours in the Range Rider series and is currently filming 52 half-hour Annie Oakley westerns. Already completed by Hal Roach Jr., Culver City, is the pilot film of a half-hour CBS-TV film series, Passport to Adventure, with Caesar Romero portraying an American diplomatic courier. Roy Kellino, British feature film director now in Hollywood, directed from a script by Robert Dennis. In production is the pilot to The Dramatic Hour, an hour-long TV film In a deal similar to their ABC-TV Troubles With Father series, Hal Roach Jr. and Roland Reed Productions, Culver City, are filming 12 half-hours in My Little Margie series as the summer replacement of CBS-TV / Love Lucy series for Philip Morris & Co. and its agency, Biow Co. The series, a light sophisticated comedy, features Charles Farrell, early motion picture star, and Gale Storm, young film actress, Ik RADIO and TV STATIONS Profits Depend on Efficient Personnel Our Graduates are Cheeked for . . . Ability and Enthusiasm Appearance and Personality Integrity and Showmanship Trained bv . . . Network Professionals Trained to . . . Do more than one job well Understand your operational problems Trained with . . . Complete TV and Radio Commercial Equipment Trained under . . . Actual Broadcast Conditions For Promot free Service Call, Write, or Wire DBPT. H Personnel Division SCHOOL of RADIO TECHNIQUE 316 West 57 St.. N. Y. • PLaza 7-3212 XT IF Page 78 • June 2, 1952 with Hal Yates directing from scripts by Frank Fox and George Carleton Brown. Messrs. Roach and Reed receive $10,500 per film and retain all resale rights unless Philip Morris decides to continue the series. / Love Lucy was budgeted at $25,000 per film. * * * Because of a similarity in names with another company, Pennant Productions, Hollywood, has changed to Pennant Television Productions Inc. Capitalization from original $200,000 to $1,000,000 has also been increased, according to Edward Woodworth, president. He explained additional funds were necessary in cooperation setup to provide money for the initial TV film series Date with Destiny, scheduled to start next month, and a new group of films titled Fiction Theatre. * * * Production . . . General Foods Corp., New York (Swans Down products), will start Our Miss Brooks on CBS-TV this fall in addition to CBS Radio. Filming will begin July 1 at Desilu Productions, Hollywood, with Eve Arden, star of the radio version, recreating Connie Brooks for TV. Robert Rockwell will portray Mr. Boynton, replacing Jeff Chandler of radio series, whose motion picture contract precludes TV appearances. Young & Rubicam Inc., Hollywood, is General Foods agency. Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati (Ivory soap, Crisco, Duz, Lilt), starts Boss Lady, a TV film series, on NBC-TV, Tues., 9-9:30 p.m. (EDT), for 13 weeks from July 1 as summer replacement for Fireside Theatre. Lynn Bari is featured [B»T, May 12]. Jack Wrather Television Productions, Hollywood, has completed six of scheduled 13 films. Screen Gems Inc., Hollywood, completing half-hour TV film, Samuel Morse, for duPont. Film actors Eduard Franz, Don Gibson and Tom Brown Henry, are featured with Jules Bricken, producer-director. * * * William F. Broidy Productions, Hollywood, has started a new halfhour color TV film adventure series, The Phantom Pirate, shooting exteriors on and from a 100 foot boat, The Avenger, in the vicinity of Catalina Island. Starred in the title role is Robert Stack, film actor. Frank McDonald is directing with script writers Bob Bailey and Hugh King acting as associate directors. Cass Duchow, illustrator and book designer for the Anderson-Ritchie Press, Los Angeles, has designed costumes and will create pirate designs for a merchandising tie-in campaign. Wesley Barry is producing with Mr. Broidy, who is the executive producer. * * * Breakston Stahl Productions, Hollywood, will produce 26 halfhour TV color film series, Safari Bill, on location in British East Africa and the Belgian Congo. The films, produced simultaneously with a feature picture, will get under way around June 18 and be ready for fall release by United-Artists. George Breakston and C. Ray Stahl will co-produce-direct from scripts by Mr. Stahl. Featured in the cast are Richard Denning and Martha Hyer (Mrs. Stahl). Associate producer is Irene Breakston with John R. Carter named technical executive. * * * With the signing of Charles Winninger, stage-screen actor as star, Bing Crosby Enterprises, Culver City, starts a new half-hour light comedy TV film series, Those Were the Days. Story-line was created by Richard Dorso and Bernard Girard, serving as co-writers-producers with the latter directing. Featured in cast are radio-film actors including Arthur Q. Bryan, Ted Thorpe, Howard Erskine and Doris Singleton. Lucien Andriot, the firm's cameraman on Rebound series, assigned to similar duties on Those Were the Days. * * * Sarra Inc., Chicago, has completed two industrial safety films for the National Safety Council, same city. Films are being telecast. They concern freight handling and safety "IQs". Negotiations are underway between Forrest Judd, independent film producer, and Ernest Haller, cinematographer, for production of halfhour color TV film series, as yet untitled, to be filmed in India. Film People . . . Ruby Rosenberg, production manager for Don Sharpe Enterprises, Beverly Hills, has been named first vice-president of Unit Production Managers Guild. * * * Michael Luciano, film editor for Revue Productions, Hollywood, goes to Adrian Weiss Productions, Los Angeles, as film editor for Craig Kennedy, Criminologist TV film series. Production on three more half -hour films started last week. * * * Jay Novello, Hollywood radio actor, has been signed by Phillips Lord Productions, North Hollywood, to play the part of Willie Sutton in three films in NBC-TV Gang). busters series. * * * Billy Gray, young film actor, signe by Gene Autry's Flying A Pro ductions, Hollywood, to portra Annie's kid brother, Tagg, i Annie Oakley TV film series. 5% FORMULA HALT To Be Asked by AFM Loc AMERICAN Federation of Mus cians executive board, which mee today (Monday) in Hollywood i fa a preliminary to the union's n; tional convention this Friday Santa Barbara, will be asked I Los Angeles Local 47 executivi to repeal or modify the 5% we fare fund formula imposed on T film producers. The Los Angeles musicians coi tend the fund setup, to which film producers must contribut prevents musicians from gettir work because it discourages filn ing of video shows with live musi An appeal with petitions fro: Local 47 was made to James ' Wi Petrillo, AFM president, in ear 1 May at which time he promise to take the appeal under advis< *a ment and consult with the nation p-? board [B»T, May 12]. WTVN (TV) CENTEl Opened Last Wee] WTVN (TV) Columbus' new tele vision center, which opened las; week, is the largest and mos complete TV facility in Ohio, ac cording to Edward Lamb, presiden The TV station's new windowL less building contains three studiofj for live production and a livl film studio, the main studiL. 50 x 50 ft. and the smalle! . studios, 20 x 30 ft. each, with j central control bridge lookinl down into all studios and the fili| room. Mr. Lamb's properties irl/l elude WICU (TV) Erie, Pa., an the Erie Dispatch; WTVN (TV WTOD WTRT (FM) Toledo an WHOO-AM-FM Orlando, Fla. Mr. Lamb said five air conditio! ers serve the building with tic first floor containing offices an studios, dressing rooms and woi areas; the second housing spoi sors' rooms, the president's offi and a small suite of rooms, and tl basement area containing a recreation room, heating facilti<|er: and additional dressing rooms Basic plans for the building wei drawn up by Mr. Lamb after personal tour of other station New studio and control equipmei have been installed, he said, wit the staff increased in all depar ments and more plans in the makir for a further staff increase. RANGERTONE BEST FOR'TV FILMS