Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, March 21, 19, Television Today Official Films Re-enters cbs Tells Plans for First-Run Syndication Chansins Time Peiiiods Official Films, Inc. will re-enter the first-run syndication field, it is announced, following a series of executive committee meetings held in the company's New York headquarters. Harold L. Hackett is president of the firm, and Herman Rush is vice-president in charge of sales. A revolving fund of several millions of dollars is planned for the new production of several first-run series marked for syndication, and Official will expand their sales force in any necessary areas as part of the program for the coming year. CaC Clears Post-'48 RKO Films by Guilds C & C Television Corporation has announced official clearance of all post-1948 RKO features by the Screen Actors, Writers, and Directors Guilds. The 1949-1955 "Movietime, USA" library features go on the air immediately in all markets where C & C Television Corp. has sold the package. This is the only major library with post-1948 pictures immediately available. Kleyer, Others Named To New Posts at CBS Thomas H. Dawson, CBS-TV vicepresident of network sales, has announced the following appointments, effective immediately: George Kleyer, currently Eastern sales manager, becomes network sales manager, CBS Television. Sam K. Maxwell, Jr., now Midwest sales manager, is named Eastern sales manager. Roland Blair, account executive, CBS-TV Midwestern sales office, Chicago, is appointed Midwestern sales manager. Robert Hoag, account executive, CBS-TV network sales, New York, succeeds the late Thomas D. Connolly as manager of pr gram sales. Du Mont Reports Loss On Sales for 1956 Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories, Inc. reports a loss of $3,887,000 on sales of $47,401,000 for 1956. These results are after a tax carryback of $1,262,000 and after a reserve of $1,688,000.. This reserve has been set up to cover the complete write-off of the balance of its television transmitter inventory and to put its other inventories and receivables in a sound condition. These results compare with a loss of $3,674,000 on sales of $66,378,000 in 1955. Lower sales figures for 1956 reflect the absence of broadcasting income since the spin-off of the Du Mont Broadcasting Corp. in December 1955. Effective with the start of daylight saving time on April 28, the CBS-TV network will institute major operational changes designed to retain, wherever possible, the usual time periods for programs broadcast in areas remaining on standard time, it was announced by William H. Hylan, CBS-TV vice-president of sales administration. First of the changes will be the maximum use of video tape recording for West Coast repeats by means of Ampex equipment. This use of video tape will make possible a major revision of the West Coast repeat schedule to achieve an originating sequence which will avoid product conflicts. Finally, Hylan explained, a composite program structure has been developed for central and mountain standard time areas, which will utilize elements of the revised West Coast repeat, special feeds of film and taped shows from Hollywood, and elements taken from the full network feed. Gomalco Is Expanding In TV Film Production HOLLYWOOD, March 20-Gomalco, Inc., producers of the George Gobel show, are expanding TV activities into TV film production, with the initial entry a half-hour film series, "Wally and the Beaver," domestic comedy created and written by Joe Connolly and Bob Mosher, to be filmed at Republic. Gomalco will produce 18 full-hour live shows starring Gobel, in an alternating arrangement with Eddie Fisher's own hour starting Sept. 24, and every Tuesday thereafter, 8 to 9 P.M., over the NBC-TV network, sponsored by Chesterfield and RCA. NBC is preempting the time slot for its only musical variety live show during week, moving "The Big Surprise" and "Panic" out of time slot. Demurrer Over-Ruled In SAG vs. Telemount HOLLYWOOD, March 20-Superior Court Judge Kenneth Chantry today over-ruled a demurrer by Telemount Pictures, Inc., and other defendants in the suit brought by the Screen Actors Guild to collect approximately $20,000 due actors in re-run payments on "Cowboy G-Men" television series. Telemount president Henry B. Donovan announced, when the SAG suit was brought last year, that he intended being a "guinea pig" in challenging the validity of SAG's television film contract with employers. The court's ruling against the demurrer necessitates Telemount answering SAG charges. The case is expected to go to trial shortly. REVIEWS: Attack of the Crab Monsters Allied Artists Hollywood, March 20 Producer-director Roger Corman, who specializes in subjects outside of the commonplace, deals with the after-radiation theme in this naturalscience-fiction production designed for packaging with his "Not of This Earth" on a double-horror program offered by Allied Artists or, of course, booked singly. "Attack of the Crab Monsters" keeps one foot just inches inside the possibilities. The script by Charles Griffin, who is credited also as associate producer, opens with the arrival of a scientific expedition on an island where earlier scientists have vanished without trace, and proceeds through a series of mysterious calamities which the audience is allowed to discover is caused by giant crabs (big enough to bite whole sections off of the house where the scientists dwell) whose bodies are impervious to gunfire, knives, every weapon save electricity. One by one the members of the party are destroyed, devoured, or made invisible to their fellow members, and the island itself shinks steadily in seeming accompaniment to several thundererous quakes. Richard Garland and Pamela Duncan top a competent cast. Running time, 64 minutes. General classification. Release, in March. William R. Weaver Not of This Earth Allied Artists Hollywood, March 20 Producer-director Roger Corman, who has established a reputation for making imaginative pictures, deals realistically with inter-planetary communication and control in this production designed for packaging with his "Attack of the Crab Monsters" on a double-horror program offered by Allied Artists or, of course, booked singly. "Not of This Earth" abandons plausibility outrightly in its opening sequence, but presents its incredibilities then and thereafter so forthrightly and candidly that a surprising measure of suspense is created as the story progresses. With players more competent than exploitable, the film is good within its topical category. The script by Charles Griffith and Mark Hanna presents Paul Birch as a human-looking individual in constant need of blood to maintain himself and under control of a planet named Davana whose population is dying of blood evaporation. Birch, whose eyes are without pupils, has power to kill by looking at a victim, and kills many in the course of the story, for blood-burglary of their cadavers. Beverly Garland plays a nurse who is employed to give him transfusions regularly, and William Roerick portrays a doctor who achieves, by chemical analysis, an explanation of the killer's problems. Running time, 67 minutes. General classification. Release, in March. W. R. W. MPA Agendal (Continued from page 1 ) I vertising and publicity directors coi ffi mittee, reviewed the plans for tlfr industry campaign, the MPAA of I cial said. J (jr Various proposals for financing til ^ Jubilee program, including the Stei lings plan which is based on a le\ U on film rentals, were discussed K|P committee member A. MontaguJ While reviewing the advantages anl disadvantages of the financing prcl posals, the coordinating committed sl took no affirmative action, it was saic§Fie Montague's report also included sonif"1'" mention of the billing and accountiri f l> ' problems which would confront th*11* film companies if Sterlings' financing plan were decided upon, it was ref»sil ported. The business building coordinatin committee, after hearing the variou reports yesterday morning, will pre sent its recommendations and repor to the MPAA directors followin;; careful study and analysis. Skouras during a press conference earlier thii id week, declared that he was in favo: of the Stellings' plan. <!■' 3 1,600,000 UA Shares (Continued from page 1) subordinated debentures due 1969. and about $5,000,000 to $6,000,0001* of common stock. Of the 350,OOC shares of common stock offered, 250,000 shares are to be offered for the »i( account of the corporation and 100,000 shares are to be marketed for the management group, which i§ headed by UA president Arthur B. Krim and Robert S. Benjamin, board chairman. F. Eberstadt & Co. will hold a pri vate luncheon meeting today in Wall Street for investment people who might become prospective underwriters. Information concerning thi| UA agreement will be presented. A registration statement covering lute the UA offering will be filed shortly with the Securities and Exchange Commission. in mil hi It 0' Ad *i V i II Diii|i Gordon and Kirsch (Continued from page 1) choose a successor to Benjamin N. Berger, who has served as NCA president for 11 years and who has indicated that he will not accept another term. No definite nominations for the position have been made although Kane, Frank Mantzke head of Northwest Theatre Corp., a buying-booking combine, and Lowell Smolts, Little Falls, Minn., exhibitors, have been mentioned as possible contenders. in Coiii 'FILMACm produces the best in SPECIAL TRAILERS 3 the fastest time. [JA Ttif uA ch ifcut next 7' \ Special trailer order ^^fc CHICAGO, III. 1337 $. Wabash NEW YORK, N.Y. 630 Ninth Ave. h t Mm Ira fillil 5th h I Cinii Mlu. Mil linii inD