Hollywood Studio Magazine (August 1972)

FLICKER MILESTONES Continued Burns & Allen, The Mills Brothers, the Boswell Sisters and Arthur Tracy the Street Singer. THE BIG BROADCAST proved to be a starring vehicle for Bing Crosby and for the next decade it was hard to find a picture of that type that did not star the old groaner, Der Bingle. To capitalize on this trend, other Studios came out with their own crooners, tenors, baritones starring such names as Russ Columbo, Dick Powell, Rudy Vallee, Allan Jones and a host of others. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer took a handsome, blond fellow from the concert stage named Nelson Eddy and teamed him with Jeannette MacDonald to make operetta one of the top film fare of that period. Then war gripped the country and at its wane the first of the “mature” films was made, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. This film was acclaimed throughout the world, for the problems that it portrayed for a small group of Americans returning from the war to their home town was pretty much the Problems facing all countries that had been involved in the war. As much as the war had been a sobering Situation, the return home (and the acceptance of these men who returned with different sets of values, outlooks, ambitions and physical handicaps) presented an adjustment that was true to life. In the film it was handled with realism, for it showed people as they are, confronted with Problems that were universal and basic. The film did not attempt to “preach.” Rather it opened a window on a portion of time, involving a number of persons in Anytown, U.S.A., and permitted us to observe the events of their lives. Shortly after THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, television began to take its toll and motion pictures started to feel the impact of this one-eyed monster. Much as it tried to ignore television it very soon became apparent that this was no novelty. To try and stem the tide, the movies began to cast about for something to regain its audience. It remembered the coming of sound and how it had been TAKE IT FROM THE TOP Continued million dollar mark. John Pearson, President of J.P.I. who distributes the series overseas, teils us. “Unquestionably, Lucy is the most famous and best-loved star in international television.” “Here’s Lucy” is currently in 71 foreign markets. The show was recently renewed for the fifth year by CBS Television network, and returns to the air this September in its regulär 9 p.m. Monday time slot. . . and Lucy goes rolling along. First step for Cassettes The Video Tape Cassette (colored closed Circuit network) has just taken a giant Step for the advertising media as it has reached its first stages of growth in Los Angeles. Productions Unlimited, 6565 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood has initiated a unique usage for the Video Tape Cassettes by establishing a Hi-Performance Sports Network. H.P.S.N. is setting up Viewing Centers in the retail outlets of Turn to Page 23 wholeheartedly accepted, so they dusted off experiments that had been shelved and in the process came up with CINERAMA. Here was a “gimmick” that gave the audience total involvement and left them breathless as they shot-the-chutes at Coney Island. The original magic of the screen had returned and the audience responded. Dozen of processes followed but CINERAMA remained the acme. Its one real failing, however, was that it was confined to travelogues and thereby eventually lost out in popularity to another process called, CINEMASCOPE. THE ROBE was the first film shot in CINEMASCOPE and it broke house records across the country. Three years later it stood in second place behind GONE WITH THE WIND as the highest money maker of all time. Hollywood had arrived at another “moment of truth” and had successfully met the challenge to establish another milestone in its history of entertainment. There is no doubt that Edwin S. Porter would be amazed to see the films of today in wide screen, Stereophonie sound, million dollar sets and perfect color, but through all this he still could see the basic techniques that he gave~an infant called .. .Moving Pictures. *** We've got it. DATSUN 240-Z Free TEST DRIVE AVAILABLE with this Ad Only UniversaL CITY DATSUN NOW . . . LOCATED AT THE LANKERSHIM UNIVERSAL CITY EXIT OF THE HOLLYWOOD FREEWAY 769-8100 JUST ACROSS THE FREEWAY FROM THE SHERATON UNIVERSAL HOTEL Open 7 days tili 11 p.m. 20