Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

FILM $7 Million Film Deal Reported for Tintair BYMART-TINTAIR Inc., New York, was reported last week to be negotiating for a $7 million film package with a major Hollywood studio. The package is said to contain enough features to last over a five-year period of telecasting time at one program a week. The man doing the talking is BymartTintair's board chairman, Martin L. Strauss II. Some years ago, Mr. Strauss teamed up with the late public relations man, Carl Byoir, to form Bymart-Tintair and through radio wasted little time in making Tintair a household word in hair coloring aids and shampoos. He was also known in the advertising industry as the sparkplug behind Eversharp-Schick's post-war sales activity (Schick now is divorced from the pen company). Last year Mr. Strauss popped back into the spotlight with his Fire Chief home fire extinguisher, which made its way into hundreds of thousands of U. S. homes via tv spot. For a spell, the demand exceeded the supply; the Fire Chief today, in the words of a company spokesman, is "on a hiatus." The product said to be involved is Hollywood feature film of "very recent" vintage, some dated as recently as 1955. Also involved in negotiations is Bymart-Tintair's tv-conscious ad agency, Product Services Inc., New York. Calif. National Expands Abroad; Adler to Manage London Office PRODUCTION of a new tv series soon will start in England marking California National Productions' first full-scale venture overseas, it was learned last week. In preparation for this series and still other foreignbasedactivity.CNP began putting its house in order, appointing an NBC executive — talent negotiator, Gerald Adler — to head a London office that it is setting up there. Robert D. Levitt, CNP's president, said the NBC subsidiary would have a stepped-up operation abroad, specifically in Great Britain and in Europe as a source for tv film product and as a market for both overseas and U. S.-made programming. While CNP would not divulge details, it was expected an announcement will be made on the new England-originating film series about the end of next month. The series reportedly will have a maritime adventure theme. Mr. Adler, who resigned as NBC's coordinator of talent and program contract operations to take the CNP position, is expected to leave for London after June 1, headquartering for the time being in New York where he will report to CNP Executive MR. ADLER Program Director Robert Cinader. He joined NBC in December 1953 in the legal department, handling talent contracts, and within two years was negotiating talent for the network. At the same time, CNP reported it met its production costs on Silent Service, a syndicated series about the submarine service, only 24 days after release of the product for sale. Mr. Levitt said the series more than matched the dollar effect of a network sale and thus "completely destroys the myth that the syndication market is a secondary one." He restressed CNP's basic approach of regarding the non-network advertiser as a "first class citizen who merits first crack at first class merchandise." Jack Keever, sales director of CNP, reported that in the first three weeks the series has been available, sales were made in 17 of the top 25 "population centers" in the U. S., with more than 75 markets signed up. NTA Proposes to Offer $7.5 Million Debentures NATIONAL Telefilm Assoc.. New York, announced last week it has filed a registration statement with the Securities & Exchange Commission covering a proposed offering of $7.5 million of convertible subordinated debentures, due May 1, 1967. Ely A. Landau, NTA president, said the interest rate, offering price and conversion features are to be announced later. Bache & Co., New York, will head the underwriting group. Mr. Landau added that previously NTA had raised funds through short term loans and said the debentures will represent its first issue of long term debt. According to the registration statement, the net proceeds are to be used substantially as follows: $2,340,000 to pay the final installment due on a group of films acquired from the 20th Century-Fox Corp., approximately $3.5 million to retire existing indebtedness and purchase participations in film exhibition receipts, with the balance to be added to the general funds to provide additional capital for "the company's expanding volume of business." In connection with the planned debenture offering, NTA called a special meeting of stockholders April 4, at which time stockholders approved an increase in the authorized common stock from one million to two million shares and agreed to confer conversion rights on any debentures or notes that may be issued. Kayle Joines TPA as Counsel MILTON P. KAYLE, recently counsel and director of business affairs for Stone Assoc., New York, has joined Television Programs of America, New York, as resident counsel, it has been announced by Milton A. Gordon, TPA president. Mr. Kayle had been with Stone Assoc., tv program producer and merchandise counsellor, since 1953 and before that was special assistant at the White House from 1951 until 1953. EXECUTIVES of Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy, Inc., newly-formed film producing group are (1-r): Harold Wondsel, Bob Carlisle, and Tom Dunphy. Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy Formed to Produce Tv Films FORMATION of Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy Inc., as producer of tv film commercials and other types of film programming, was announced last week. Offices and studios have been established at 1600 Broadway, New York 19. Telephone: Circle 71600. Harold Wondsel, president, is president of the Film Producers Assn. of New York. Until recently he was for 20 years president of Soundmasters Inc., New York, producer of industrial and tv films. Bob Carlisle, vice president in charge of production, formerly was a partner in Jerry Fairbanks Productions of California and earlier had been associated with Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Tom Dunphy, vice president in charge of tv activities for the new company, has been a television copywriter and production supervisor at Kudner Adv., New York, for six years and with Benton & Bowles for two years. U-l Filming Commercials for 8 EIGHT "blue-chip" advertisers figure prominently in Universal Pictures Co.'s current tv commercial "shooting" schedule, according to the film company's March-April sales reports. Commercials now being shot by U-I's television division are for the following sponsors and agencies: E. I. duPont de Nemours Co. (BBDO): Pepsi-Cola Co. (Kenyon & Eckhardt); DeSoto and Dodge divisions, Chrysler Corp. (BDBO and Grant Adv.); Continental Oil Co. for Conoco gas and oil (Benton & Bowles) ; Ford Motor Co. (J. Walter Thompson); Colgate-Palmolive's Lustre-Cream shampoo (Lennen & Newell), and General Motors Corp.'s Delco-Remy Division (Campbell-Ewald) . France Honors Ziv TVs Musnik BERNARD MUSNIK, account executive with Ziv Television Programs in New York, last Thursday was presented with the Legion of Honor from the French government for "his personal contributions over the years toward better understanding between the peoples of the United States and France." Page 50 April 22, 1957 Broadcasting Telecasting