Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, March 11, Television Today CBS Gives Details of Five Grants-lii-Aid Five television writing grants-in-aid of $5,000 each will be awarded by the CBS Television Network for the year beginning July 1. The selection committee for the grants-in-aid program, as announced by Louis G. Cowan, president of die CBS Television Network, will consist of Robert Alan Aurthur, the award-winning dramatist; Erik Barnouw, national chairman of The Writers Guild of America and associate professor of dramatic arts at Columbia University; and Hubbell Robinson, Jr., the network's executive vice-president in charge of network programs. A descriptive brochure containing the eligibility requirements and application forms for the grants-in-aid is now being prepared and will be available to applicants within a few 'Theatre for Story' CBS Films' Title CBS Films' first videotape series, to be produced by Robert Herridge, will be titled "Theatre for a Story," it was announced by Herridge. He also said he would videotape the first show of the new series on Thursday, April 2. R will be a jazz show featuring Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Ben Webster and Charles Mingus. Other taping sessions are scheduled for April 10 "and 17; both will be dramatic shows. Herridge said that Jack Smight, who directed "Sound of Jazz" on the CBS Television Network's "Seven Lively Arts," has been assigned to direct the "Theatre for a Story" jazz show. weeks. Applications will be considered through May 15. Announcement of the recipients of the grants will be made on or about June 15. AROUND THE TV CIRCUIT with PINKY HERMAN. THE SECOND Roncom Production for Pontiac, "Pontiac Store Parade," will be NBColorcast Tues., March 24, at 8 P.M. with Claudette Colbert escorting Perry Como on a "visit" to Broadway Show stars including Gertrude Berg, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Cyril Ritchard and France Nuven. ... All Tin Pan Alley is rooting for the speedy recovery of Art Berman, hospitalized at Mt. Sinai in New York. The popular songwriter wrote "Blue Moments" and "Whistling Joe," featuring his own whistling on MGM Records. . . . With two sponsors making inquiries about it, look for the audience-participation Win Elliot package, "Win With A Winner," coming back to the nets. Emceed last summer by Win himself, the program was last seen on the NBChannel. . . . Harvey Stone, currently co-starring with Mae W7est in Las Vegas, will also appear opposite La West in a forthcoming movie based on a tome she's just completed. Hennv Youngman will also have a featured role as that of a "Broadwavfarer." . . . This Sunday's "Omnibus" TVersion of George M. Cohan's "45 Minutes From Broadway," over NBC will co-star Tammy Grimes, currently starring in the Broadway production of "Look After Lulu," Robert Morse, of "Sav Darling," doing the "Kid Burns" role and Russell Nvpe, plaving "Tom Bennett." . . . On his return from a brief vacation in Hawaii, Garry Moore was honored with a cocktail party at Romanoff's on the coast where his next program will originate. Garry also taped a guestint for the "Red CBSkelton" TV'er last week. . . . Robert Merrill, just signed to appear for the 15th season with the Metropolitan Opera. it & it The commershill department at Lester Lewis' office hit on all cylinders last week when they set up "spiel deals" for Jean Sullivan (Lilt) Bill Malone (Esquire Shoe Polish) Pat Herndon (General Foods) Sharon K. Ritchie (Shulton) and Hillie Marritt (Pepsodent) ... If you missed Project 20's "The Jazz Age," telecast Dec. 6, 1956 on NBC, it'll be repeated Sunday March 29 (7:00-8:00 P.M.) A fast-moving kaleidescopic presentation of the "roaring twenties" narrated by the late Fred Allen, this episode with Sterling Drug the sponsor, rates a second look. . . . Robert L. Lawrence has been appointed chairman of the TV Film Producers Division for the 1959 Red Cross campaign drive. . . . After a decade as casting director for NBC-TV, Martin Begley has opened his own firm, specializing in casting for Film & TV producers, advertising agencies and Broadway productions. . . . L & M Cigs will sponsor a new musical teleseries NBCommencing Tues., March 31. Slotted from 8:30-9:00 P.M., the program will star Jimmie Rodgers and will feature Connee Francis, The Kirby Stone Four and Buddy Morrow's Ork. Rise of ABC-TV Told to Advertisers "Go Right to the Top," the story of the rise of ABC Television, was presented to more than 1000 advertising and agency executives, members of the press and invited guests in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel yesterday. ABC-TV was described as the television network with the best nighttime cost efficiency; the leading network on four of the seven nights of the week; the only network with five of the "Top Ten" Nielsen shows; the network with the greatest proportion of its audience in the important "under-40" age bracket; the network whose affiliates on a local basis have made the greatest gains in the past year. Executives Hosts Hosts for the large-screen Cellomatic presentation were Leonard H. Goldenson, president of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc. and Oliver Treyz, ABC Television president. Taking part in the presentation were Donald W. Coyle, ABC vice president and general sales manager for television, Bert Briller, ABCTV director of sales development and magician Milbourne Christopher. Also featured during the presentation were ABC-TV stars Dick Clark, James Garner, Jack Kelly, Hugh O'Brian, Donna Reed, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Pat Boone and Edward Byrnes. Musical background was provided by the ABC orchestra. New nighttime programs being developed for fall, it was reported, include: "Adventure in Paradise," "The Troubleshooters," "The Detectives," "Lincoln Jones," "Where There's Smokey," "World of Talent," "The Fat Man," "Cry Fraud," "War Against Crime," "Doc Holliday," "Cissie," "The Confessions of Willy," "The Alaskans," "Take a Good Look" and "The Big Walk." Six-Part Presentation The Cellomatic presentation was divided into six parts: the audience story, program balance, coverage, dollar efficiency, effectiveness and programming book. Debbie Reynolds Signed HOLLYWOOD, March lO.-Debbie Reynolds will play the feminine lead in "Who Was That Lady?" co-starring with Dean Martin and Tony Curtis; Noman Krasna and George Sidney will co-produce the comedy for Columbia Pictures, it was announced today. Miss Reynolds will portray Tony Curtis' wife and Dean Martin will play Curtis' best friend. Hyman to Report Edward L. Hyman, American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres vice-president, who returned early this week from a visit to all Hollywood studios, will meet the trade press at luncheon on Friday in the AB-PT home office dining room to share with them a "terrific upbeat story." 'Tempest' T ( Continued from page 1 ) ; man, Paramount vice-president an rector of advertising, publicity am ploitation, and Martin S. Davis, tant director, Paramount is going after the TV in two ways : ( 1 ) through a full-; advertising and publicity camj over television itself, and (2) thr the 7,000,000 circulation ( 25,001 readership) "TV Guide" mags which will carry nationally inMarch 21 issue Paramount's two-; four-color advertisement on "Tern] 'Big Screen' Emphasized The advertisement's illustratior accompanied by copy aimed at th viewer. "Only on the big motior ture screen can be seen this picl the ad proclaims. The airwaves phase of the cam is many-sided: ( 1 ) Television and radio saturation is being achieved wii trailers and radio transcription" local usage in conjunction with "1 est" engagements in branch am cities. ( 2 ) A specially prepared ope television film clip starring Van is being distributed to TV pers ties in every important area. Tff is unique is able to of the television audience, with I projected on a screen beside tl terviewer. A special script for t' terviewer accompanies the film. P ( 3 ) This kind of interview ia able in transcription form for r; (4) Top television and radio work shows are joining in the p tion of "Tempest." National television promotk "Tempest" involves the followinj up of programs featuring stars picture as special guests: CBf |i What's My Line, ABC-TV's Petej|)[| Hayes Show, CBS-TV's Ed Si 5 Show, CBS-TV's Arthur Godfrey | j NBC-TV's Dave Garroway "|[' Show. A special screening of pest" has been put up as the [; for a winning contestant on j TV's It Could Be You progran Ralph Edwards' NBC-TV |£ show is focusing attention on tin Sees Audience of 15 MSI'I Paramount estimates that 000,000 persons will have bejji posed to "Tempest" television f i| tion when the film enters reil 1 . Eastertime. that a live interv 'converse," for the 1 Teasers for 'Some' Over 200 special teaser trail? being distributed in adv ance ( city bookings of United Artists' Like It Hot." The special teas* the first engagements of the Nl Company presentation are being j available to exhibitors free of < as part of UA's all-media proi j campaign for the film. The teas j be distributed through National ! t Service are in addition to the I trailers, and will be shown a ma of two weeks before the II trailers.