Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct - Dec 1952)

Film Report (Continued from page 80) tribution of the guild sports library, group of 30-second film clips of 400 sports personalities, to an initial 19 TV stations. Total of 768,540 feet of film prints has been ordered from Mercury Film Lab. Inc., New York, based on a 52-station subscriber estimate, according to guild president, Reub Kaufman. Contracts include unlimited use and receipt of 10 additional film clips per month [B»T, July 14]. Distribution rights to Guild Film Library have been acquired by Guild Films, following contract signing by Mr. Kaufman and partners, Robert L. Lippert, Jr., and Holbrook N. Todd. New library, is reduced to 16mm. Jamieson TV Productions, Dallas, announces the availability of a new quarter hour children's series, Betsy and the Magic Key. ^ % Association Films Inc., TV film producers and distributors, offering special Fire Prevention Week film this week to TV stations. Titled Crusaders Against Fire, 20-min., 16mm sound film is presented by National Automatic Sprinkler & Fire Control Assn. Peerless Television Productions, N. Y., is offering full-length feature film, "March of the Wooden Soldiers," on exclusive basis to one TV station in each market for Thanksgiving or Christmas period. * % * Library Films, N. Y., film producers, is releasing to TV stations new one-reel film, "Born Equal," produced in collaboration with UNESCO for use in connection with United Nations Day, Oct. 24. * * * Association Films Inc., New York, offering a free 15-minute film, "Buttons Through the Years," giving Paris fashion hints and information on the history and creation of buttons. Association Films Inc., New York, offering TV stations free, 22-minute film, "Let's Talk Turkey," giving suggestions on how to prepare bird for Thanksgiving. Distribution . . . Guild Films Inc., New York, has acquired distribution rights to Call the Play, quarter-hour live and film action sports TV quiz program. The series will ultimately consist of 152 programs to cover three years of weekly programming. Delivery of the first 13 shows will be made this week. * * * Pictorial Films Inc., New York, has acquired distribution rights (excluding the British Isles) for 18 color puppetoons produced by Toy Town Producers in England, and Western Hemisphere rights to five color cartoons produced by British Animated Films. PiPOcSuCtEOIi . . . Lever Bros., New York, has again signed Gross-Krasne Inc., Culver City, to produce an additional 52 half-hour films for CBS-TV Big Town, upon completion of the production firm's current contract for the initial 26 programs. The contract reportedly involves $1,196,000. Ziv TV Programs Inc., Hollywood, has started filming half-hour TV version of its syndicated radio package, Favorite Story. *. * * Filmcraft Productions, Hollywood, has started filming It's a Small World, audience participation series of 39 half-hour TV programs, which is jointly owned by the firm and Al Gannaway, series' star. Mutual Television Productions, Hollywood, now filming Jack London Theatre series, is completing the third half-hour TV film in Mexico City. Written by Aben Kandel and Herb Kline, and directed by the latter, the proposed 26 programs also will be filmed in Alaska and the U. S. Revue Productions, unit headquartered at Motion Picture Center Studios, Hollywood, has started on the pilot film in America's Finest, a half-hour TV series. * * * Screen Gems Inc., Hollywood, has completed "The Studebaker Story" for Studebaker Corp., South Bend. Filmed in color for TV and theatrical release, the half-hour film depicts the 100-year history of the manufacturer and stars Russell Hicks and Donald Woods. Jules Bricken is producer. Koitradom Shots . . . Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, stars of CBS-TV I Love Lucy, have formed Desilu Inc. for merchandising purposes. Edward Hamilton, merchandise consultant, in charge to deal with manufacturers. * # * Sarra Inc., New York, TV film commercials producers, appoints David O. Alber Assoc. Inc., that city, as public relations agents. Screen Gems TV Dept. has moved from 729 Seventh Ave., New York, to quarters at 233 W. 49th St. % * * Bing Crosby Enterprises, Culver City, Calif., has moved to Hal Roach Studios and goes into production this week on the next series of half-hour films in Rebound for Packard Motor Car Co. Harve Foster ' is the producer director. Also headquartered for the past year at RKO Pathe Studios, executive and story departments moved to 9028 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Thomas J. Corradine & Assoc., Hollywood, has been named west coast film sales representative for DuMont Television Network. Mr. Corradine will purchase new video film product and distribute already acquired properties. * * * Johnny Maschio, h,ead, of Artists Ltd., Hollywood talent agency, has acquired TV film rights to the comic strip, "Casey Ruggles," from United Features Syndicate. * * * Inexpensive method of testing film commercials was claimed last week by American Film Producers, New York, which announced the delivery of its first six TV test films to Calkins & Holden, Carlock, McClinton & Smith, New York. Bob Gross of American Film said the cost of each one-minute spot announcement was $233.33 as compared with the standard price of $2,000 to $10,000. The films do not go on the air but will be seen by a test audience. Reduction in price of the Old American Barn Dance film series by as much as 20% in some markets was announced last week WBTV (TV) CLINIC Larger Program Planned PLANS were underway last week for a WBTV (TV) Charlotte TV Clinic, postponed once [B*T, Oct. 13] after industry reaction indicated a more ambitious clinic would be justified. Originally, the clinic was scheduled for Oct. 22-23 [B»T, Oct. 6]. After the industry greeted the announcement with widespread en j thusiasm, it was decided to set back the clinic until Dec. 3-4. Some 1 150 to 200 persons are expected. by Kling-United Studios, Chicago, producers, and United Television Programs Inc., Chicago, distribu-* tors. PSI-TV Inc., New York., TV film producer and distributor, has opened a branch office at 246 Stuart Street, Boston, under the direction of Edward Ruff and Irving M. Farber. % * * Dougf air Corp. has acquired exclusive exclusive rights to more than 2 million feet of film from The American Museum of Natural History, New York. The film, covering 30 years of world expeditions, will be edited and released to TV, theatres and schools. * * * Telenews Productions Inc. released to TV stations last week a special edition of Telenews Daily containing what was said to be the first direct statement made to the American public by Gen. Mohammed Naguib, prime minister of Egypt. film People . . . Oliver Unger, executive vice president, Snader Telescription Sales and headquartered in New York, has resigned to set up his own TV film distribution firm. He continues on Snader Telescriptions Corp. board of directors. * * * Al Joyce, producer on KNBH (TV) Hollywood Your Big Moment, to Gross-Krasne Inc., Culver City, to handle publicity for CBS-TV's Big Town. * # * Pat Kane, production staff of Lewis & Clark Inc., Chicago, producers of filmed TV shows, has been named supervising producer of a new show, Nothing but the Truth, a five-minute continuing series, starring Alexander McQueen. * * * Norman Retchin, assistant to Jac-" ques Braunstein, executive producer of Screen Televideo Productions, Hollywood, adds duties as story editor. William Sands, film division of NBC-TV Hollywood, joins production department of Filmcraft Productions, that city. * !(* $t Danny Cahn, film editor for Desilu Productions, Hollywood, on CBSTV's / Love Lucy, won the American Cinema Editors quarterly award for TV film editing. w ARD gets renewals because V \IARD gets results! 1st CBS RADIO NETWORK ^^market in RATINGS 1 MM WESTERN RESULTS RENEWALS WEED & CO., Representative \^ff PENNSYLVANIA Page 88 • October 20, 1952 BROADCASTING • Telecastin