Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

Motion Picture Daily Friday, March 1, 1 7 Television "[oda y Who's Where Teieviied: ,n,e9ro"*on Loew's Film Sales to TV Hig^ William Bernal, veteran of 21 years in films, television and radio, has been appointed creative supervisor of Robert Lawrence Productions, Inc., here. Bernal was previously with Storyboard, Inc., UPA, M-G-M, Warner. Bros., U-I, Jam Handy Organization and the USAF. □ Texas "Tex" Schramm will join the CBS Sports Department as assistant sports director of the CBS Television and CBS Radio network, it is announced by Bill MacPhail, CBS sports director. He was formerly the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. □ Frank Young has been named publicity director of the NTA Film Network which will go into commercial operation in April, it is announced by Ely A. Landau, president of National Telefilm Associates, Inc. □ Richard L. Geismar has been named executive assistant to the president, it is announced by Bernard Goodwin, president of DuMont Broadcasting Corp. Geismar is also assistant treasurer of the corporation. □ The appointment of Jack Lynn as film buyer for DuMont Broadcasting Corp. and its stations has been announced by Bernard Goodwin, president of the corporation. Lynn was previously film buyer and manager of film programs, WABD. □ Further expanding the sales set-up of Guild Films, John Cole, vicepresident for sales, announced the appointment of Donald Menard, television and radio executive, to head up a newly-established sales branch office in Minneapolis. Menard was formerly manager of Station KMGM of Minneapolis. □ Peter Kalischer has been appointed to the staff of CBS News correspondents, effective immediately, it is announced by John F. Day, director of CBS News. Kalischer was formerly Tokyo Bureau manager and Far East correspondent for "Collier's Magazine." He will temporarily cover New York and Washington assignments. TP A Signs Wrather Jack Wrather, president of Lone Ranger, Inc., has named Television Programs of America, Inc. (TPA) as world wide sales and distribution representative on the program, according to an announcement anade jointly in New York by Wrather and Milton A. Gordon, TPA president. Documentary; on NBC Under the auspices of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and produced for the Fund for the Republic by Charles Guggenheim & Associates, NBC last week televised "A City Decides," telling the story of the fashion in which the city of St. Louis integrated its schools. It is a carefully documented reporting, and has the essential ingredient of obvious truth in the presentation. The St. Louis integration process was certainly not without its problems, but they were met with intelligence and understanding. The result was a workable start in the direction of complete and relatively harmonious integration. -C.S.A. Weaver, Saudek Plan Packaging Program Robert Saudek and Sylvester L. (Pat) Weaver, Jr., will enter the independent TV program producing and packaging field later this year. Saudek, presently director of the Ford Foundation's TV-Radio Workshop, will carry on the "Omnibus" program and create others through a new company called Robert Saudek Associates, Inc. It was also learned that Henry and Saul Jaffe, the owners of Showcase Productions, are dissolving their partnership and are currently dividing the assets. The Jaffe outfit is responsible for Producer's Showcase, Alcoa Hour, Goodyear Playhouse and other programs televised by the NBC network. Durgin to Join NBC-TV As Sales Planning Head Don Durgin will join the National Broadcasting Co. on March 11 as director of sales planning for the television network, it was announced by William R. (Billy) Goodheart Jr., vice-president, Television Network Sales. Durgin has resigned as vice-president in charge of the ABC radio network. He will be proposed for election as a vice-president at the NBC board of directors meeting tomorrow. Durgin will report directly to Walter D. Scott, vice-president, national sales manager, NBC-TV. Censor Talk Sunday Motion picture censorship in America will be the topic on this Sunday's "Open Mind" program on WRCATV, New York, 12:30-1:00 P.M. Discussing the pros and cons of the subject with moderator Richard D. Heffner will be Dr. Hugh M. Flick, formerly director of New York State's motion picture censorship division; Louis Nizer, film attorney, and Philip T. Hartung, film critic for "The Commonweal" magazine. ( Continued early this month reported that a deal was almost finalized with Associated Artists Productions on the shorts. "The income from television sales comes in under a capital gains deal," Vogel said. "We are doing all we can to convert all our money from TV into capital gains." Reticent Regarding Value One stockholder asked the Loew's Inc. president to put a value on the films which the company is selling to television, but Vogel declined, saying that "no one knows the value of the pictures. We feel we are better oft by leasing the pictures to television as we retain our interest in the story properties, their remake value, their theatrical reissue throughout the world and the foreign television potential. Moreover, at the end of the limited seven-year license period all rights revert to the company, from page 1 ) so that we will again have avaikM to us further television income." jl Vogel pointed out to Stockholm's that Loew's has also acquired ai 5 per cent interest in two televiiffl stations and has an option for an 1terest in a third. George Much:H Loew's international vice-presidll here said that the 25 per cent wiy the company has in KMGM, Nffl neapolis, cost $750,000, payable jt the same rate in which the staiM pays for the M-G-M library, The1 terest in the Denver television tion cost $400,000, Muchnic saic The stockholders were also that Loew's, as an additional step, utilizing the profit opportunities television, has started two new ki of production at the M-G-M stud Vogel said the first is making commercials for television ad tisers, and the second is the prod tion on film of TV programs. Para. Circuit Loew's Stocl (Continued from page 1) AB-PT was going to petition the New York District Court for authority to acquire the 1,500 seat Mercury Theatre in Chicago. For many months, AB-PT has had one last joint interest to dissolve, with Maine and New Hampshire Theatres, covering 21 theatres. This has now been dissolved, and AB-PT's interest in the set-up acquired by the partners, Joseph P. Kennedy and Martin J. Mullin. One Theatre Remains AB-PT now has just one theatre left of the 774 required to be divested under the consent decree, the whollyowned Paramount Theatre in Omaha. However, the consent decree did not provide that AB-PT had to complete its entire divestiture program before it could acquire new theatres but only that it end all joint interests. This has now been done, and AB-PT is now free to seek new theatres, the last of the five major companies to be so freed. The company still faces a March 15 deadline for getting rid of the Omaha Paramount. The Mercury, which AB-PT will now seek to acquire, is on West North Avenue, and is now operated by the Beck Theatres on a first neighborhood run basis. AB-PT has two other theatres in the area. Justice officials would not indicate what stand they would take on the AB-PT petition. A hearing date has not yet been set. TOA Board Meeting (Continued from page 1) four main topics on the agenda of the mid-winter board meeting of the exhibition association. The TOA directors and executive committee will meet at the Hotel Blackstone, Chicago, Sunday through Tuesday. Stellings said that the current status of the joint exhibition proposal for ( Continued from page 1 ) stock distribution and division of funded debt. Loew's, Inc., executives and atl neys appeared before Judge Palm early last month seeking court appr al for a division of the funded debt close to $30,000,0000 in which theatre company would take $5,0(| 000 and film company the balari Judge Palmieri, however, refin to sign the order, and issued an ind nite postponement of the deadl laid down by previous courts. Un the previous deadlines, the comp had to divide the funded debt by F 8 and split the stock by March 8. Vogel Tells of Progress Joseph R. Vogel, president Loew's, Inc., told stockholders yest day that a series of meetings have t en place recently and "I believe so: progress has been made. The aim to arrange for the required divis: of the debt on terms satisfactory all concerned, without making it i' duly burdensome to either of the co panics." Stockholders questioned Vo about the stock split. The Loe\ head said that under a stockhol approved plan of reorganization, vot upon in 1952, shareholders would t ceive one-half share in the thea company and one-half share in t film company. Benjamin Melniki Loew's vice-president, and genei counsel for Loew's, in reply to a st< holder question about a re-registrati of stock, said that Loew's, Inc., w not have to make a registration of stock, but that Loew's Theatres, In will have to do so. an industry arbitration system will taken up along with first hand repo from committee heads on the rece Washington hearings on extension the Minimum Wage Law.