Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, November 10, 1958 j Television Today IN OUR VIEW WE ARE NOT often given to the practice of large-scale "cribbing" of other people's expressions, but recently there came to our attention an article by George McCue which appeared in the special "Music and the Arts" section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It was headed "The Evolution of the TV Commercial" and subheaded "Art and Imagination Going Into Their Production." Examining the article, we were naturally very much impressed, since several of Mr. McCue's points were directly in line with our own frequently-expressed views in the area. So we offer, with due acknowledgement, some highlights of Mr. McCue's article, which uses as a premise responses to visitors from another planet who might make discreet inquiry relative to some of our habits. To wit: "According to surveys that are often complained of as being misleading, but which the industry follows anyway, we are seeing what most of us want most to see . . . Even the commercials sometimes stop banging us over the head, and become informative, witty and artistically competent "It is encouraging to note that while some of the commercials are as distasteful as the old radio pluguglies were at their worst, a good many are meeting high standards." Mr. McCue had been looking at a 45-minute film of TV commercials, judged the year's best by the Art Directors Club of New York, and shown to members of the St. Louis Art Directors Club. Mr. McCue continues: "Quite a few of them used fine art as source material. . . . Others are taking on fresh, new forms born in the television medium itself. Some of the 'best' commercials were minutes long, and that suggests that there would be no public objection to a long commercial that was both entertaining and which might suffice to do away with so many mid-program breaks. The sponsor is entitled to his moment, certainly, but the ones who claim our for QUALITY and SPEED 630 Ninth Ave? New. York, N.Y. r ^ Trail* BS Who's Where Albert S. Goustin has been named director of program sales for Paramount Television Productions, Inc., and Paramount Sunset Corp., it was announced by Jim Schulke, vice-president of Paramount Television and general manager of Paramount Sunset. Goustin's chief duties will be to develop and supervise a national syndication sales organization to handle video taped and filmed properties produced by, and for, Paramount Television. Goustin will headquarter at the home office of Paramount in New York. □ Appointment of Arch Robb as manager, special programs, was announced by Herbert Sussan, director of special programs for the NBC Television Network. Robb, who has worked in almost every phase of broadcasting during the past 24 years, has been with NBC since 1943. □ Ted R. Gamble, president of KOINTV of Portland, Ore., has been elected chairman of the board of the Columbia River Packers Association. □ Philip Nicolaides has been named an account executive in the sales department of Telestudios, Inc., King Horton, vice-president in charge of sales has announced. Nicolaides comes to Telestudios from the weekly publication "Show Business." 1 327 S. Wabash CHICAGO S, ILL. attention to their product with something more humane than a resounding 'Fast! Fast! Fast!' or 'Straight! Straight! Straight!' are going to be highly appreciated. "Too many advertisers have failed to consider that the spoken, and certainly the shouted, word is more than just attention-getting. It is often painfully harsh to the relaxed viewer, who may be listening but isn't liking it! "If more sales messages become as well done as the 'year's best,' and if programs continue in their desultory way, we may reach the point where viewers will be replenishing their sandwich trays and going to the bathroom during the program so as not to miss the commercials. Is that what we are gradually being brought to?" • For the moment taking Mr. McCue's humor seriously, such a situation as he envisions in his closing query would indeed be a sorry state of affairs, but it is doubtful that a sufficient number of advertisers and their astute agency experts could ever be led that close to outstanding performance in their chosen field. In any case, thank you, Mr. McCue. We find ourselves in substantial agreement with your criticism of the television commercial. There is still much to be done in the area. — Charles S. Aaronson SEG Hits TV FilmingAbroad From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 9. The Screen Extras Guild is serving notice on all American producers of television motion pictures that if the present trend continues of making more and more such series abroad, their television sponsors in this country will face nation-wide economic boycotts by the AFL-CIO of products advertised by such runaway productions. 'Sorely Needed Employment' The "foreign-made television series deprives American technicians and American players of sorely-needed employment, for usually only the star and director are American," said H. O'Neil Shanks, executive secretary of the Guild. Shanks noted that national AFLCIO officially condemns "runaway" production by television producers and advertising agencies. He cited such a resolution voted by the AFL national convention in 1952. Theatre Yanks Film Shown on Canada TV Special to THE DAILY DETROIT, Nov. 9.-The problem of TV-vs. -theatre showings was pointed up when a downtown subsequentrun theatre yanked "The Sorcerer" for which it had been running trailers for ten days. Management saw the same film on TV captioned "Naked Gun" a day or so before the scheduled theatre opening. The film, approximately two years old, was telecast over CKLW, which is located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, which is a different theatre exchange area than Detroit. However, CKLW has the same coverage as Detroit stations. AA Board to See Films HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 9. The Allied Artists board of directors will see five films selected by president Steve Broidy when they convene here Wednesday for the annual meeting. Among these are "Revolt in the Big House ' and "Johnny Rocco," which general sales manager Morey Goldstein has announced will be released as a combination program. Others include "Al Capone" and "Crime and Punishment," which will be shown in a rough cut, and "House on Haunted Hill," which will be released shortly. Reporter-Tour for 'Lire' Ed Montgomery, San Francisco reporter, who covered the Barbara Graham case on which United Artists' "I Want to Live!" is based, arrived in New York yesterday to start a 15-city personal appearance tour in connection with the picture. Susan Hayward, who plays Miss Graham in the film, and Walter Wanger, producer, will tour later in the month. REVIEW: Wolf Lorsen Allied Artists Hartford, Conn., Nov. 8 The world-renowned Jack Londor adventure, "The Sea Wolf," is thel basis of this Lindsley Parsons production, toplining Barry Sullivan, and] containing as imaginative a string oli circumstances as the most imagina-i, tive-minded audiences could antici' pate. Moreover, Gita Hall, who has' since wed the aforementioned SulW} van, is prominently cast and therein! lies still another exploitation facet. 1 Jack DeWitt Turnley Walker's! screenplay has Sullivan as captain of i a hell ship bound for the Pacific seafct ing grounds. His crew isn't necessarily: loyal; most signed on merely for the! opportunity of riding with a tyramni-i cal master whose claim to fame hi been fantastic luck in seal-killing. Out at sea, Peter Graves, scion of ai wealthy family, is rescued, and from | this point on the two men's actions influence each other. Sullivan's m'ur-.fcm dered first mate is succeeded byi Graves. Still another ship-wrecked party is sighted; this one includes Miss j Hall. True to his treacherous code, Sul * livan attempts an attack on the help ^ less girl, is eventually slain by (his ^ riff-raff crew, and the ship is then; 1 captained by Graves and his new i{ found love, Miss Hall, to civilization. ift Harmon Jones directed with a sure hand, and Floyd Crosby rates acco-w lades for some admiraible photography. Paul Dunlap contributed a stir * ring score. ! 1 Running time, 83 minutes. General: ^ classification. Release, in October. j * A. M. W. A Schottenfeld Elected UA-TV Vice-President Herbert T. Schottenfeld has been elected vice-president of United Artists Television, Inc., it was announced by Seymour M. Peyser, vice-president and general counsel of the parent U.A. company, and by Herbert L. Golden, vice-president in charge of operations of United Artists Corp. and president of the television subsidiary. Schottenfeld will act as counsel for UA-TV. He joined U.A. in March of 1951, shortly after the present management took over, as a member of its legal department. Mulvihill Joins UA John J. Mulvihill has joined United Artists Television, Inc., as a general sales executive, it was announced by Bruce Eells, executive vice-president of UA-TV. Mulvihill, who will headquarter in the company's New York office, will specialize in network and national advertiser presentations of upcoming UA Television film product. Most recently associated with General Teleradio as account executive in the program and time sales department, Mulvihill had previously been sales manager of the radio and television department of General Artists Corp.