Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

day, January 14, 1959 Motion Picture Daily 21 he Critics %y. . . ifluential as the many nale syndicated TV columnists, ? hundreds of local newscritics whose views — though eritably reflect regional pre— more often than not have I validity. These reporters, o vote again this year in the MOTION PICTURE DAILYpoll of television talent and added a variety of comments ir views of the industry, them were the following . Grant, North Idaho Press, , Idaho: Commercials too -lack dignity— insult intellif viewers. For hard sell. Dennis s hard to beat— sounds "be." doesn't irritate. Hugh James Eh, tops in dignity, fits his high ogram like a glove. Wonder going to happen when current iwesterns run their course. Besre is field for short-short-hisThink nets overlook newspace to sell institutionally. • Elmore, The Vancouver Sun, /er, B.C. Canada: It is not l the content of the network bs, but rather when the better as are aired. If some of the t programs seen on Sunday town at prime viewing times die week, many of TV's cridd be silenced. There is also ick of live drama and lively :ion-discussion programs. On ;r hand, there are too many many of which are bald )f others. • Hoxie, Independent & Pressk Long Beach, Calif.: The <r improvement is much too r this space. The history of anient in this country is such ;re is little doubt but that | will meet any challenge and ;iead . . . We, the viewer will |e of that. • Bruning, The Coeur d'Alene ^oeur d'Alene, Idaho: There | room on the networks for 1-musical programs, not yarns with music thrown in, insemi-classical music; more taries of the sort The Twenntury is producing; and more on serious subjects such as 'odd. gn Critics Elect •ers of the Film Critics' Circle oreign Language Press of New cted new officers for the com• The new president is James 'S, editor of the Greek NationId; elected vice-president is J. Obierek, editor of the >zas ("Times") and the new is Wladislaw Borzecki, film Nowy Swist, the Polish-langfly. Sigmund Gottlober was d executive secretary of the r his 19th consecutive year. Television Today Kodak to Sponsor Re-Runs of 'love Lucy' The Eastman Kodak Company will become a sponsor of "I Love Lucy" re-runs on CBS television starting Friday, it was announced by W. B. Potter, Kodak vice-president and director of advertising. The company will sponsor segments of the program from 11:15 to 11:30 (E.S.T.) on alternate Friday mornings; the program is a daily weekday feature from 11 A.M. to 11:30 over Columbia. For its daytime TV advertising, Kodak has until recently sponsored a 15-minute portion of "The Jimmy Dean Show" telecast on alternate Fridays. Larger Audience Expected By transferring its sponsorship to the "I Love Lucy" re-runs, Kodak expects to reach a larger national audience. One Man's TViews By Pinky Herman BLAKE EDWARDS, creator-producer and director on alternate weeks of "Peter Gunn," the hard-hitting new "NBCrime doesn't pay" TV'er, left for Key West, Fla., Monday to direct the forthcoming UniversalInternational flicker, "Operation Petticoat," starring Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. . . . Warbler Don Casanave starts at the Poinciana Club in Palm Beach following 2 terrif weeks at the Whitehall there. Lad rates a regular spot on a net TV show. . . . Looks like Mutual of Omaha will continue to sponsor the fast-climbing quizzer, "Keep Talking," when it moves Feb. 8 to a new TV CBSlot. Program, a Wolt Associates Package (Herb Wolf, Exec Producer) features Carl Reiner as Panel Moderator. . . . The Colpix platter, "George Burns Sings," is the surprise of Record Row. The star of the NBColgate TV'er warbles four ditties, backed up by Jeff Alexander's Mellow Men Quartet, which certainly rates attention. . . . Discovered by the WNTAlented Paul Brenner, Suzie Lee, 16-yearold TVenus from Verona, New Jersey, makes an appearance tomorrow afternoon on the "Dick ABClark Show." A major label is dangling a tempting recording contract to Suzie who's as easy on the orbs as on the ears. . . . Glamorous Ethel Thorsen, currently seen Saturdays (6:00 P.M.) on Channel 9, starts her 9th year on the nets. . . . Two weeks ago, Johnny Carson was hobbling about on crutches yet on Monday nite he was seen as a dance contestant on the "Arthur Murray Show," on NBC. . . . The initial series, wholly-owned, produced and distributed by the Trans-Lux TV Corp. is "Felix, The Cat," of which there will be 104 episodes available by September. Prexy of the newly-formed division of Trans-Lux is Robert Brandt with Richard Carlton, TVeep in charge. . . . ^ ^ ^ One of the most popular "Mr. & Mrs." teams in the land is WMAL's (Washington D.C.) Jerry & Jimma Strong, who start their eighth consecutive year next month. Can you just imagine the small talk that listeners are privvy to during the daily five hours during which Jerry and Jimma split infinitives, hairs and an occasional discordant platter? . . . Dr. Victor King's efficient handling of the station's programs and the friendly and hep chatter on Bob Garick's "From Where I Sit" series, is WWIN-ing friends and influencing Baltimoreans. . . . Since acquisition of Channel 10 by National Airlines, Prexy Ted Baker has programmed more than the average number of hours devoted to "Public Service" over WPST, Miami. Seems to this observer TV could use more men of his calibre and sense of civic duty. . . . Lou Wilson, with 30 years experience in management field, associated with Wm. Morris, MCA and later his own firm, has joined Ashley-Steiner Agency and will head the firm's American-European TV activities. ... At the banquet, held last Saturday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel by the Sunair Foundation for Asthmatic Children, Milton Berle was given another new title— NBComedian of the Century. Jerry & Jimma Who's Where The appointment of John Desmond as WCBS-TV staff director was announced by Dan Gallagher, program director of WCBS-TV. Desmond's first assignment will be as director of "Camera Three," seen every week on more than 90 affiliated stations of the CBS Television Network. VanBuren W. De Vries, vice-president of Transcontinent Television Corp., has assumed the general managership of WGR-Badio, Buffalo, adding this responsibility to his previous assignment as general manager of WCR-TV. Hal Persons has been appointed account supervisor of Van Praag Productions, producers of television and industrial motion pictures, according to an announcement by William Van Praag, president of Van Praag Productions, New York, Detroit, Miami, and Hollywood. He will also handle sales promotion and publicity. Before joining the company, he was account executive for Harry S. Goodman Productions. □ John O. Downey has been named to the program department of the CBS Television Stations Division in New York, it was announced by Craig Lawrence, vice-president in charge of CBS owned television stations. He will be working with Hal Hough, director of program services for the CBS television stations. Richard J. Muller, former director of news and special events for WHCT (Channel 18), Hartford, CBS-TV owned-and-operated outlet, has taken a similar post at WNBC (Channel 30), West Hartford, NBC-TV owned-andoperated outlet. Sketchbook Branch BUFFALO, N. Y., Jan. ^-Establishment of a Buffalo branch of Sketchbook Films Inc. of North Hollywood, Calif., producers of animated and live-action films for television and industry, has been announced. Tino Bellanco has been appointed manager of the Buffalo branch. The Hollywood company was formed bv Alexander D. Amatuzio, former Buffalonian and graduate of Lafayette High School. Mr. Bellanca is director of dramatics in Canisius College. W olff Back with Y&R Nat Wolff, formerly a vice-president of Young & Rubicam and more recently with NBC as director of program development, is rejoining Y&R as vice-president in the radio-television department of the agency. L