Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

Wednesday, March 19, 1952 Motion Picture Daily 5 TV Devotees Are Returning to Films Cincinnati, March 18. — An unofficial survey of the Cincinnati territory reveals that television, once a competitive thorn in the exhibitor's side, no longer constitutes a major threat to the treatre. Exhibitors point out that a great number of former patrons who deserted the screen when their TV sets first were installed, again are turning to the theatre as their source of entertainemnt, adding that the higher grosses recorded recently by local theatres and those in some nearby situations, provides additional evidence of the trend. Says Truman Would End Media Program Washixgtox, March 18. — Senator Mundt (R., S. D.) said today he was informed that President Truman is "prepared to recommend" an end of the information media guaranty in the foreign aid program. He bitterly attacked such a decision, declaring the government actualh' made a profit on the media program. Under the guaranty program, the Economic Cooperation Administration (now part of the Mutual Security Agency) has been guarantying film companies, book and magazine publishers and other convertibility of certain amounts of their earnings for sending their products to Germany and other European countries. ilundt said the U. S. Budget Bureau and Mutual Security Agency had drawn up a list of functions no longer necessary to the foreign aid program, and that the information media guaranty program was on the list. He praised the program as "conducting a very worthwhile service in bringing American publications, books, and films to the attention of people in foreign countries where there are dollar shortages," and emphasized that this had been done "without cost to the American taxpayer." He pointed out that a charge of one per cent is made, and that as a result the operation has actually built up a $190,000 profit for the Treasury. Fox To Return 3 Wisconsin Houses Milwaukee, March 18. — The Fox Wisconsin circuit will return the Orpheum, Parkway and Madison theatres at Madison to the original owners, the Arthur Lervy interests. Set U. S.-Brazilian Deal Hollywood, March 18.— What is described as the first American-Brazilian co-production agreement has been reached by Bernie Luber with Alberto Audra of Sao Paulo, where Luber will film a color production with U. S. stars for Lippert release, based on the novel, "The Mysterious .Amazonia," by Gustao Cruls. Berk Leaves Parsonnet Ben Berk, production and studio manager for Parsonnet Productions here, has resigned. A successor has not as yet been named. Television-Radio 1 Comment and Opinion \ Fred Coe A T a time when far too little good music is to be heard on television. XBC is trying to help fill that gap. Last Saturday's telecast of the Toscanini concert may have had its technical flaws — two strategically located cameras broke down — but it did again demonstrate the tremendous effectiveness of TV in bringing outstanding concerts into the home. Director Kirk Browning, though obviously handicapped, did a fine job and has a chance to try again next Saturday. NEC's Sunday afternoon "Recital Hall," a much-acclaimed hit from the first time it went on the air. is another impressive and enjoyable musical offering, televised with a minimum of theatricals. The "Aleet the ^Masters" films introduce viewers to some of the great artists of the concert world. The Marian Anderson picture was particularly good. On a lighter scale, XBC's "The Voice of Firestone" simulcast invariably attains high qualitv-. ABC-T\''5 "Aletropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air" is another good show. * l^r If the Television Playhouse, sponsored on alternate Sunday nights over XBC-TV by Goodyear and Philco, rates high among the best and most consistently impressive shows on the air, the credit goes largely to producer Fred Coe, a young man with an enviable record in the art of electronic showmanship. He has been with the Playhouse since it started four years ago. turning out one full-hour program a week and defying the law of averages with a steady string of TV hits. Xow 35. he wrote his first play at the age of 12 and was producing plays when only 18. The Television Playhouse is prepared about eight weeks ahead and rehearsals for a show take up about eight days out of a 10-day schedule. The TV producer must of necessit}' spend more time digging for material and developing new writers than his Hollywood counterpart, says Coe. His program hasn't suff'ered as much from the rise in costs because "T don't use the star system," he observes. He uses two directors, but on occasions takes over himself. He also has done a film for television which has not yet been released. Coe says he recognizes there is a trend towards Hollywood and the filming of the big shows, but insists that "there will always be a place for "live" dramatic programs." As for the Playhouse, he says : "We don't do many big. spectacular scripts. That, we leave to the movies. We can do something equally well on 'live' TV." He thinks television production should be kept simple, adding: "There's too much money being spent on scenery and costumes." ir i? i? After an uneven start, the CBS "Television Workshop" is finally settling down into the experimental groove for which it is designed. Like so many other half-hour shows, this one, too, sutt'ers from the severe time limitations which do not permit real plot development, ^lartin Ritt gave a fine performance Sunday in "The Rocket." Unfortunately, the skill of the actors was not matched by the quality of the script, ir tr Quite a few new shows coming up. "Gangbusters" starts on XBCTV Thursday. . . . "Foursquare Court" moderately impressive in its bow over ABC-TV. . . . "Escape With Ale" made a nice impression in the opening show over ABC-Radio. Kathi Xorris is narrator and hostess. . . . "Police Story" starts over the CBS-T\" network April 4. . . . "Dagmar's Canteen." XBC-T\"s new variety show starts March 22. ir The trade's still buzzing over the executive realignment at CBS. Howard S. Meighan, president of CBS-Radio since July, 1951, and a vice-president of CBS since 1946, rejoins the corporation's general executive group. He is succeeded as CBS-Radio president by Adrian Murphy, who continues as CBS vice-president. ... At NBC, Harry Bannister, general manager of 'WWJ and WWJ-TV in Detroit, is joining the network in an executive capacity starting April 14. Bannister is a veteran of 20 years in the broadcasting business. ... At ABC, Leonard (Buzz) Blair has been named Eastern program director of radio. As Eastern production manager for the network he has been responsible for many outstanding ABC radio shows. Fred Hift 'New Heights^ {Continued from page 1) ABC president Robert E. Kintner said his company reached its conviction after careful study of the motion picture industry. Kintner, on the stand all day at the FCC's Paramount hearings, said that over the last several years there had been discussions of ABC merging with CBS and with two film companies, but that it had finallj decided, after lengthy study of the field, to join up with UPT. A major reason, he said, was UPT's good financial position and earning power. He stressed the dominance of CBS and XBC in the broadcasting field, and said the present situation would continue if ABC did not get additional timds. But if ABC could get more money, he declared, it would be able to put on better programs, invade new markets, and threaten the dominance of CBS and XBC. The other reasons why ABC decided to link up with UPT were these, Kintner said : UPT's management, showmanship and skill ; the company's top-quality personnel ; and its "excellent"' record through its Chicago television station \\"BKB in the home television field and through its part interest in Xew Orleans standard station WSMB. Dietz Back From Product Confab Howard Dietz, vice-president of Loew's and director of promotion for M-G-M, returned to Xew York yesterday from a month at the compam^s Culver City studios, where he saw new product, met with studio heads on product promotional plans and introduced a new company system for exploitation to be handled by six divisional supervisors. Accompanying Dietz on the trip was Dan Terrell, M-G-M exploitation director. Dietz expressed enthusiasm over product coming up. He previewed screenings of "Singin' in the Rain," "Tvanhoe," "Scaramouche." "The Merry ^^"idow," "Because You're Mine." ''Skirts Ahoy," "Lovely to Look At." "Pat and Alike," "Carbine Williams," "Mr. Congressman" and "Fearless Pagan," in addition to other M-G-AI films. Oust NABUG from AFL TV, Radio Unit The Xew York Council of the Xational Association'of Broadcast Unions and Guilds has voted unanimously to oust the Xational Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians from membership, it was disclosed here yesterday. The engineers and technicians association was accused of "raiding"' and "creating disharmony" by XABET, an association embracing American Federation of Labor unions in the TV and radio field. Sinatra at Paramount Frank Sinatra will open on the stage of the Paramount Theatre here on March 26, the same time "Meet Danny Wilson." the latest film he stars in with Shelley Winters, will open.