Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1959)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, April 20. OF THE JimenlcoM. Dntensia&orud. m i c t u m c • Talks Due Soon on 1960 'Oscar' Telecast Officials of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences are expected to come here from Hollywood within the next few weeks to discuss with the Motion Picture Assn. sponsorship of next year's telecast of the annual Academy Awards presentations. There has been an understanding that the discussions would be held promptly after this year's telecast. Hence the expectancy now is that the Academy representatives will have preliminary discussions here just prior to the next MPAA board meeting and will either attend the meeting or be available for questioning and discussion. The Academy and NBC had a twoyear agreement with an option for a third year— next year. The Academy recently discussed a new three-year deal with NBC but no final action has been taken yet. Presumably a definite commitment will await the coming conference with MPAA. Academy Has Two Choices If the latter agrees to another year's sponsorship, the Academy could either exercise the existing one year option and delay closing a new term deal until next year, or it could proceed to make a new three-year deal giving the first year to MPAA, along with first refusal of sponsorship in subsequent years. Should MPAA turn down sponsorship of next year's broadcasts, the Academy would be free to deal with a commercial sponsor on either a year-to-year or multi-year basis. Some thought also has been given to negotiations with other networks, and to offering the program to all as a public service. Cost of the broadcasts— TV and radio— to MPAA is variously estimated at anywhere from $750,000 to $900,000. 'Oscar' Telecast Ranged From 43.1 to 54.1 The Academy Awards telecast of April 6 reached a peak network rating of 54.1 during the 10:45 to 11:00 P.M. segment, Pulse reported at the weekend. The lowest rating was 43.1 which was recorded for the period from midnight to conclusion. According to a Pulse breakdown of audience make-up, for every 100 families tuned in to the telecast, there were 91 men watching, 97 women, 18 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17, and nine children of 11 and under. This made a total of 215 persons viewing per 100 families. S. P. Gorrel Rites Held CLEVELAND, April 19.-Funeral services have been held here for Samuel P. Gorrel, 56, an active figure in the local film industry for the past 35 years, who died in the Cleveland Clinic following heart surgery. Interment took place in Zion Park Cemetery. The deceased is survived by his wife, a sister and two brothers. Television Today Schaefer Forms Own Producing Company George Schaefer will set up his own organization on May 1 to produce television plays, legitimate theatre productions and motion pictures. Schaefer recently produced and directed "Green Pastures" in a live repeat performance on NBC. He will end his season April 26 by directing a two-hour musical spectacular, "Meet Me in St. Louis" on CBS-TV. It will be his seventh staging assignment this season beginning with "Harvey" last fall. Directed 'Hamlet in 1953 Schaefer, who has had extensive directing and producing experience on Broadway for the past 13 years, came into television in 1953 to direct Maurice Evans' "Hamlet." Since then he has staged 28 plays and musicals; all of them except one were 90 minutes or longer. Of these he was producer as uwell as director on 15. 'Laramie' Series Set On NBC-TV in Fall "Laramie," a new, one-hour color series dramatizing the struggles of two brothers operating a stagecoach relay station in the Old West, is being filmed for the NBC Television Network's fall schedule. Announcement was made by Robert F. Lewine, vicepresident, NBC Television Network Programs. Premiere date and time period will be announced. John Smith, currently co-starring in the network's "Cimarron City," heads the cast of "Laramie," which also includes Robert Crawford, Jr., Hoagy Carmichael and Robert Fuller. A guest star will appear each week. Dan Duryea and Everett Sloane will be guest stars in the premiere episode. Producer for the series will be Robert Pirosh. Richard Lewis will be executive producer. Director for "Laramie" will be Herschell Daugherty. 'Texan' Series Renewed By CBS for 65 Weeks From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, April 19.-RorvicDesilu's "The Texan" has been renewed by CBS for 65 consecutive weeks in its Monday night time slot, starting July 1. Schedule for the series starring Rory Calhoun which made its debut on CBS last October 6 and zoomed to top ten ranking in eleven weeks, calls for 13 shows to be repeated during the 1959 summer session; 39 new shows for the 195960 season and 13 re-runs in the 1960 summer period. Executive producers Vic Orsatti and Rory Calhoun are presently writing scripts for the new seasons' shows which will go into production this summer at DesiluCulver and on location. NTA Program Si Adds16Executi NTA Program Sales, a divis National Telefilm Associates, I creased its sales staff by the a(. of 16 new account executive: chael M. Sillerman, president Division, announced at the we Fourteen of the new executiv new to NTA. The remaining R. C. "Pete" Maddux and Jo Rome, joined the NTA Tel Network last year and now are transferred to the syndication the parent company. The new account executive Hal Danson, formerly with Paramount Pictures, 20th C< Fox and National Screen Perry B. Frank, Jr., who was ated with the ABC-TV Networ Mont-TV and The New York John Gordon, whose backgrou eludes posts as sales manage WCKY, Cincinnati, and accou ecutive with Ruthrauff & Ryar Michael J. Gould, formerly Gross Krasne Sillerman, Films, Guild Films and Allie ists. Several from Film Comparj Also, Jerry Gruenberg, wh with Gran Management, exl! of motion pictures, and Unite ists; Albert L. Kolitz joins NT! gram Sales from Rank Film D tors. Previously, he was with Radio Pictures as Rock Mf District Manager; Marvin L. was Mid-Western Division M for Guild Films; Joseph J. Maj formerly an account executivTrans Lux TV. Also Robert L. Meece, whos< ground includes associations Ziv-TV, KWK-TV, St. l.oui other broadcasting stations; Le Norins, formerly sales manaj KABC Radio in Hollywood. Ot sociations include KTTV, TP Boston Herald and the Christi ence Monitor; Joseph B. Pantt merly an account executive in vestment field; Joe Porter, background includes ABC WOR and NBC in New York. Also Dave Schooler, formed manager for Minot TV, Inc. Ol sociations include Major Te Productions, Inc., DuMont N and Carl Fischer Music Pul Company; Ed Staub was with Dallas, as an account executive joining NTA Program Sales. EVERY DAY ON EVERY CHANNEI BROOI COSTUM 3 West 61st St.. N.Y. Tel. PL. 7-5800