Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

Flay, February 1, 1957 Motion Picture Daily F VIEW: The incredible Shrinking Man U-l >|vel ix conception and tightlv drawn in execution, this imaginative reduction falls between science fiction and horror in category without Ling directly classifiable in either. It makes the incredible seem credible i juxtaposing it with ordinary happenings and things. Without cast of dJoitable value, the picture must depend on this ingenuity for its box c1 ce impact. Irhe plavers, if comparatively unknown, are exceedingly competent, ('ant Williams, leading a normal happy life with his wife, Randy Stuart, v'ile on a boating trip is drenched by a mysterious clinging fog, presnablv atomic fall-out. Months later he notices he is losing weight and tight.' Raymond Bailey, his doctor is disbelieving at first but is con\ ced by comparative x-rays. ! ■The shrinking process continues slowly but steadily, is halted briefly v en medical research finds a serum the doctors believe will halt the r erse growth of Williams' cells, but resumes inexorably. Williams is rdget-size, then doll-size, finally no bigger than an insect. At this point baccidentlv falls into the cellar of his home and begins an agonizing sjggle for 'existence in a world of ordinary things made terrible by 1" size irhe tricks of photography necessary to achieve the effect are sufficient t convince the audience of the reality of what they see and the unseated climax will leave them talking to a degree that should have a r asurable effect on the box office. . [production is by Albert Zugsmith, direction by Jack Arnold and the tjy and well-contained screen play is by Richard Matheson who wrote *j> novel on which it is based. Inning time, 81 minutes. General classification. For April release. 1 to J. D. IvERS 1LKO Workers Toll-TV Post (Continued from page 1) §0 Radio films made prior to last lie. 31, will terminate their associate with the company today. Irhe bulk of those remaining will l'(ve the company next Friday, Feb. f'Most of those leaving today are emiyed in the company's 32 exchanges, §iough more than 100 home office id ployes are included. Some to Stay Beyond Feb. 8 I A. negligible number remaining be'ind Feb. 8 will leave as holdover Iirk in their departments is com ij:ted. One person from each RKO /jhange will be assigned on a ternwary basis to a Universal exchange p aid in the transition of operations. Ich assignments are expected to last Km 60 to 90 days. jAmong those leaving the RKO home lice, Joseph G. Aurrichio, a 25-year 'teran with the company, who for llyeral years past has been supervisor t j. the photo department, has been 'med vice-president in charge of [Jles of J. J. K. Copy Art, commercial liotographers. His appointment was jnounced, effective Feb. 11, by jmes J. Kriegsmann, president. pre Durante Comm. I Nat Kalcheim, executive at the illiam Morris Agency, will act as iairman of the entertainment coralittee for the entertainment Industry ribute to Jimmy Durante. The event iill reach its climax with a dinner, ■onsored bv the Jewish Theatrical (Continued from page 1) mittee as secretary-treasurer since its inception several years ago, assumes the position held by the late Alfred Starr. The other co-chairman of the committee is Trueman T. Rembusch of Allied States Associatiom Long active in industry affairs, Harling is assistant treasurer of TOA and a director of the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association. In addition, he has served on the National Exhibition Theatre Television Committee and the National Exhibition Film Finance Committee. Says TOA's 'Still Opposed' Stellings said in a press conference yesterday that "TOA is still opposed to subscription television and this medium's use of the free air waves. However, we have formulated no policy concerning wired pay television and therefore will closely watch the forthcoming scheduled tests in Oklahoma. We also will keep our eyes on these Oklahoma tests as the local theatre might become the focal point of wired subscription television." The TOA president, in response -to questions, also said that he is opposed to current releases being shown on television. "We hope that a new clearance schedule, say six to eight years, can be worked out between theatres and television," he said. Guild, at the Waldorf-Astoria on Sunday night, March 17. Proceeds will go to various theatrical charities. Television Today MEL ALLEN'S the "Best Sportscaster" in Television, editors have voted; and, above, MOTION PICTURE DAILY columnist Pinky Herman gives Allen his Television Today Award of Achievement. Fame magazine polled the newspaper editors. Five NBC Educational Producers Are Named Five producers have been named for the five programs the National Broadcasing Co. will offer under its plan to provide the first live programming ever to be produced exclusively for educational TV stations on a nationwide basis. They are David Lowe, Brice Howard, William Parish, Charles Polachek and Dorothy Culbertson, all well-known in the broadcasting field. Announcement of their appointment came from Edward Stanley, NBC manager of public service programs, who heads the project. Lowe will produce the mathematics program; Howard the American government program; Polachek the music program, which is to be a survey of the history of opera, and Mrs. Culbertson, the world geography and economics program. J. Walter Thompson Sees TV Color 'Soon' J. Walter Thompson Company, which operates its own closed circuit television net, is following the pattern of the big networks by adding color programs. Beginning this week, the advertising agency is giving clients the opportunity to witness pre-tests of commercials in either full color or black-andwhite. The agency also will use color telecasts to develop talent for its clients. "We believe that practical commercial color television is just over the horizon," Norman H. Strouse, president of J. Walter Thompson. Sclerosis Telethon Set A "strong" entertainment lineup of entertainment talent has been arranged for the first Multiple Sclerosis telethon, scheduled for Feb. 9-10, on WOR-TV, Channel 9, it is announced by Eddie Elkort, talent chairman. Who's Where The election of Leonard O. Fischer as a director of Official Films, Inc., distributors of television film series, has been announced by Harold L. Hackett, chairman of the board and president. Fischer fills a vacancy on the board created by the resignation of Herbert Jarre. □ Three promotions in NBC Research and Planning have been announced by Hugh M. Beville, Jr., vice-president, planning and research. The new appointments are: Dr. Thomas E. Coffin, director of research; Allen R. Cooper, director of corporate planning; and James H. Cornell, staff assistant, program planning. □ Stephen Strassberg, publicity director of stations WABC and WABCTV, New York has been promoted to assistant director of press information of the American Broadcasting Co., it is announced by Hank Warner, director of press information. Heyward Ehrlich has been appointed publicity director of WABC, WABC-TV. □ Arthur Perles has been appointed director of press and publicity for California National Productions, Inc., NBC subsidiary, Robert D. Levitt, president, has announced. Perles left CBS Television after 18 years of press and merchandising administrative duties with the Columbia Broadcasting System. Attempt to Stop Sale Of Wash. Station Halted WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 31. Chancellor Collins J. Seitz yesterday dismissed here an attempt to block the sale of Washington's Good Music Station. The Good Music Station, Inc., and four of its directors were the defendants in the court of chancery case brought by Lawrence M. C. Smith, another director who also owns Philadelphia's Good Music stations — WFLN-FM. Holder of a little over 16 per cent of the stock of the Washington station, Smith had been attempting to halt by injunction the sale of the station — its call letters are WGMS — to RKO Teleradio Pictures, Inc., the parent of the Mutual Broadcasting System. MTP Acquires 4 Films Four film features— "Roll Along Cowboy," "Rawhide," "Hawaiian Buckaroo" and "Panamints Bad Boy" —have been acquired for distribution by Major Television Productions, according to Irving M. Lesser, president. These features will be released to syndicates, advertising agencies or sponsors.