Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

FILM CONTINUED Warner Bros. Plans to Expand Weekly Tv Programs to 5 Hours The westward swing of television production was given further impetus last Wednesday with the announcement by Warner Bros. President Jack L. Warner that his studio's tv film production will be doubled and continually expanded. WB plans to have five hours weekly of tv programming on the air by next June 1 as against the present two-and-a-half hours a week. According to Mr. Warner, he has made expansion a crash program at WB. He bases his action on the "gratifying public reception" to its three current ABC-TV shows, Cheyenne (General Electric Co., alt. Tues., 7:30-8:30 p.m.), Maverick (Kaiser Industries Corp. -Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., Sun., 7:30-8:30 p.m.), and Sugar -foot (American Chicle Co., alt. Tues., 7:30-8:30 p.m.). A fourth WB show, Colt .45 was scheduled for its first airing this past Saturday on ABC-TV, 10 p.m., under sponsorship of Campbell Soup Co. "The possibilities for television motion pictures," noted Mr. Warner, "are limitless and Warner Bros, is prepared to meet their maximum potential." Within the next 30 days, he hinted, "important agreements" with several sponsors and their agencies "are expected to be concluded." He did not specify what type of programming or which advertisers are in negotiation. Mr. Warner also said that "within 90 days," WB's new $1 million tv operations building, begun last July (said to be the world's most modern and completely equipped tv center of its type) will be open for business [Film, July 15]. Already complete is the conversion of Stage 22 into three 1 1 ,000-sq.-f t. stages now in use for tv production. Meanwhile, Warner Bros, confirmed reports last week that it had given dismissal notices to about 45 employes in the publicity and advertising departments of both its home offices in New York and on the West Coast. Mr. Warner described the move as part of a plan "to streamline every phase of the company's global operations." Lowendahl Named Transfilm Head Walter Lowendahl, a former president of Film Producers Assn., New York, and a co-founder of Transfilm Inc., has been appointed president of Transfilm, according to William Miesegaes, chairman of the board of directors and former president. MR. LOWENDAHL MR. PALMA Page 102 • October 21, 1957 FILL-IN ON PHILIP Screen Gems, New York, announced last week it has prepared a special 15-minute tv film program, The Man Behind the Queen, detailing the life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for showing during Queen Elizabeth's visit to this country. SG, which has sold the program in 12 markets up to last Thursday, created the program from film footage from various sources. Michael A. Palma, treasurer, was named executive vice president, the position formerly held by Mr. Lowendahl. Four Star Adding Five Directors Four Star films has signed four directors of non-exclusive, multi-film contracts and is negotiating with a fifth, according to Dick Powell, Four Star president, and Frank Baur, vice president in charge of production. Robert Florey, who has directed more than 30 Four Star Playhouse programs, has contracted to direct a total 10 segments of the Alcoa-Goodyear Turn of Fate series on NBC-TV and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre series sponsored by General Foods on CBS-TV. John English, having completed two directorial stints on the Zane Grey series, has been signed to do five more. Tom Carr and Dan McDougall have been assigned as alternate directors of Four Star's new Trackdown series on CBS-TV with Sacony anad American Tobacco Co. as sponsors. Negotiations are under way with Alvin Ganzer, who directed 10 Four Star Playhouse segments, to do that many Zane Grey and Alcoa-Goodyear programs. Four Star's current production program of $6.4 million is the largest in the company's history. FILM SALES Screen Gems has announced that CMBFTV Havana, Cuba, purchased Circus Boy and All Star Theatre, both Spanish dubbed. SG also reported sale of eight programs to Australian television. HSV Herald-Sun Television, Melbourne, and TCN Television Corp., Sydney, bought Circus Boy, Casey Jones, Ranch Party, Top Plays of 1957 and 77th Bengal Lancers and renewed The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Father Knows Best and All Star Theatre. SG also reported sale of six half-hour and quarter-hour series to Rediffusion Hong Kong. Transaction covered The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Jungle Jim, The 77th Bengal Lancers, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Circus Boy and the Patti Page Show. Firm reported Swedish-government tv system, A. B. Radiotjanst, has bought Circus Boy and Scrappy and Krazy Kat cartoons and has renewed Jungle Jim. Trans-Lux Television Corp., N. Y., reports New Tv, Industrial Film Unit Formed by Lawrence Productions As part of a long-range expansion program, Robert Lawrence Productions Inc., New York, last week announced the formation of a new affiliate, Lawrence-Schnitzer Productions Inc., Hollywood, to serve as a producing arm for television and industrial films on the West Coast. Robert Lawrence, president, reported that Gerald Schnitzer, a motion picture producer, director and writer for 17 years, has been appointed vice president of LawrenceSchnitzer and will head the operation. The new company, Mr. Lawrence said, is the fifth branch or affiliate acquired by RLP since 1954 when the expansion program was started to provide clients with "onestop" film service. The company today has main headquarters and studios in New York, a production company in Canada, an animation affiliate in New York, an industrial and special effects division in New York, an animation affiliate in Hollywood and now a production company in Hollywood. Guifd Reports New Income High A net income of $616,473 after taxes for the first nine months of fiscal 1957, ending Aug. 31, was reported by Guild Films Co. and announced last week by Treasurer George J. DeMartini. It is equivalent to 40 cents per share. The company claims this marks a new peak in its finances. The gross income for Guild in the first nine months this year was $5,631,012 as compared to the 1956 figure of $3,603,924.51. In the first five years of its existence, Guild Films has accumulated a total of 20 programs which the company distributes, as well as two cartoon series and a recently-acquired RKO short films library. sale of Trans-Lux Encyclopaedia Britannica film library to WSUN-TV St. Petersburg, Fla., bringing total number of markets for series to 50. Lew Kerner Productions, Hollywood, reports that sales on its A Minute of Prayer film series have been made to more than 50 stations. Series is distributed by C & C Tv Corp., N. Y. RANDOM SHOT F. H. McGraw & Co., N. Y. (engineers and constructors), reports it is offering nearly 2,000 feet of 16 mm color film, taken on heavy construction projects. It is available for tv commercials and other commercial use without charge. Footage, including earth moving, railroad building, steel and heavy machinery erection, large concrete pourings and general construction shots, is documentary produced by Coleman Productions, N. Y. Broadcasting FILM SHORTS