Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1959)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, September 30, 1959 First Cable (Continued from page 1) vicinity of Bloor Street West and Royal York Road, Etobicoke Township. Meanwhile Trans Canada Telemeter will begin tomorrow to convert into studios for Telemeter programming the building it purchased for the purpose in the heart of Etobicoke Township. "The purchase of this building, instead of renting space," J. J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, Ltd., said today, "is concrete evidence of our seriousness about pay television and our optimism about its future." Equipment to Be Latest The studios, he said, will comprise the latest design 35mm TV projectors, multiplexer and associated gear; a transmitter and control room to feed three Telemeter programs simultaneously into the wired system— including a color transmitter to carry color motion pictures— and a studio for the presentation of "live" programs of local public interest. Additional space will be occupied by the production office staff and engineering department, and a large area for public demonstrations. It is expected the studio will be ready for public demonstrations on or about Nov. 15. Will Start in December Telemeter program service for the first area of Etobicoke Township, now being wired, will be inaugurated in mid-December. At that time, about 4,500 homes will be within range of the cable, according to the engineering plan developed jointly by Trans Canada Telemeter and Canadian Bell. During the winter months, additonal wiring will bring a total of 13,000 homes in the West Toronto suburb within the cable route. Katz /o Head foreign UA-TV, UAA Selling Norman Katz has been named director of foreign operations of United Artists Associated, Inc., and United Artists Television, Inc. Katz for the past five years has been in charge of foreign selling for UAA and its predeces.sor company. Associated Artists Productions, Inc. UAA is marketing some 1,500 features to television, plus the "Popeye" and "Bugs Bunny" cartoons, and other cartoons and shorts. It owns the Warner Bros, pre-1948 library. UA-TV distributes three half-hour series currently. Katz will handle foreign television sales of UA's features. In all cases will work hand-in-hand with the resident managers of UA's offices in each country. Katz, who has been working out of London, will switch his headquarters to the UA home office in New York in November. He will shortly thereafter leave on a tour of Australia and the Far East. He recently completed trips through Latin America and Europe. AROUND THE TV CIRCUIT with PINKY HERMAN. DIRECTOR Charles O. Jones shopped for hours before finding just the right decanter to be placed in front of Premier Khrushchev during his simulcast last Sunday over NBC. However minutes before air time, a Soviet security guard spotted the decanter and removed it forthwith. (Man proposes— guard disposes.) . . . The new ABCrlmebusters series, "The Untouchables," based on the exploits of G-Man Eliot Ness during the prohibition era and starring Robert Stack as "Ness," will make its TV debut Thursday, Oct. 15 (9:30-10:30 P.M.) Walter Winchell has been signed as narrator for the series. . . . The Warner Brothers flicker, "The FBI Story," current attraction at the Radio City Music Hall, features Max Steiner's musical theme, "What Do I Care?" the lyrics for which were written by Al Stillman, who's been a Music Hall staffer for many years. . . . Producer James Love and a complete camera crew are back in Gotham from Lafayette, Ind. where they filmed a series of commershills for Alcoa. . . . Sheldon Reynolds, whose "Foreign Intrigue" series started the "man with the trench-coat" trend, has been pacted to co-produce and direct an hour-long telefilm for Desilu Playhouse, based on an original script by Ray Allen titled, "Thunder In The East." Shooting will take place in November on location in Tangiers and Rome. . . . it -A The nation's most popular "Mister & Missus Music" team, Les Paul and Mary Ford are awaiting a visit by Sir Stork. Deal is in the works to present Les and Mary in a new music TVehicle this Fall, according to their manager, Gray Gordon. . . . CBS and Ziv trying to get together on a new hour-long "under-water" series to be produced by Ivan (Sea Hunt) Tors. . . . Transfilm, Inc. and Caravel Films, both of which were acquired by the Buckeye Corp., will be merged into the TransfilmGaravel Co. with William Miesegaes, president and David Pincus, senior vee-pee, Executive offices will be located in the Transfilm Bldg. on W. 45th St., N.Y.C. and studios maintained at 20 West End Ave. . . . Joan O'Brian, new voGAList with the Lawrence Welk Ork, will be seen in an important role in the John Wayne film, "The Alamo," currently being filmed by United ArtistsBatjac in Bracketsville, Tex. . . . Betty Hutton, who'll soon be seen m her own teleseries, "The Betty Hutton Show" will appear as guest panelist on the "Dick ABClarkWorld of Talent" program, Sunday, Oct. 4. Harry (Happy Hare) Martin, whose consistently sparkling wit and KCBQuips each morning have made him one of the most-listenedto personalities in San Diego, has been brought east by the Bartell radio net and he ll be heard daily over WOV. . . . Children of Hollywood hlmites and several stars themselves will be seen Tuesday, Oct. 27 (9-3010:30 P.M.) when Hubbell Robinson's NBColorcast of "Ford Startime" presents Art Linkletter's Secret World of Kids" based on Art's forthcommg book of that title and starring Linkletter. Les Paul & Mary 'Gladiator' Business Is AIP Anniversary Tops in AIP History Top grosses are being recorded by AIP's "Sign of the Gladiator" in its first engagements, which began last week, the company reported yesterday. Grosses are the biggest in the five-year history of the firm, it was said. The film did $13,844 in the first five days at the Paramount Theatre, Boston; $9,937 in four days at the Fox' Denver; and $12,306 in five days at the Metropolitan nnd Ambassador, Washington, D. C. The picture has already been dated into the United Artists Theatre, Chicago; Michigan, Detroit; Lyric and Hyland, Salt Lake City; Paramount, Buffalo, and Stanton, Philadelphia. (Continued from page 1 ) ta for each branch with the prizes ranging from $100 to $1,500 on a sliding scale, so that every branch can win. Pictures to be included in the drive are "Sign of the Gladiator," "Bucket of Blood," "Diary of a High School Bride," "Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow," ^^Horrors of the Black Museum" and "Headless Ghost." Special exploitation campaigns are being made available to branch managers and exhibitors on the drive productions, featuring special teaser trailers, advance promotion kits, television trailers, radio transcriptions, and specially prepared press books. 'In fide I ^ Drive ( Continued from page 1 ) nounced yesterday. The program for the Thanksgiving release will be "one of the most comprehensive" in 20th history, he said. Part of the campaign is the setting of star tours by the attraction's two principals, Gregory Peck and Deborah Kerr. Several key cities are expected to be covered by both Peck and Kerr. Miss Kerr is currently in London, doing advance promotion on "Infidel," meeting with top correspondents and engaging in radio and television interviews. Paper-Back Planned Another major facet of the campaign is the promotion of the original Sheilah Graham best-seller upon which the Jerry Wald production is based. Also, Bantam Books is publishing a paperback edition of "Infidel" and backing same with a spectacular promotional campaign. The field force and wholesalers who handle Bantam Books will receive a personal letter from Miss Graham three weeks before paperback publication, as part of the promotional kick-off. Together with the Bantam publicity people, 20th has devised radio spots for local radio tie-ins with the distributions of the book. Miss Graham and Deborah Kerr have done openend interviews about the book, which are available all over the country. Bantam will issue special dealer bulletins to go to their key outlets and will use 500 truck-banners on delivery trucks, 10,000 "read the book -see the movie" posters and 500 local rack cards. Special Bell Promotions The Bell Syndicate, which distributes the Sheilah Graham column in newspapers from coast to coast is also cooperating in special promotions on "Infidel." Numerous publicity breaks, resulting from the original pubHcation of the novel, reviews and subsequent newspaper, magazine, radio and television publicity were also pointed out by Einfeld. In magazine advertising, "Infidel" will have a barrage of coverage, representing the most complete coverage to aid point-of-sale. The national advertising campaign, breaking in issues on the stands during October and November, are almost all in color and will be very strategically positioned in the pages of Life, Look, McCall's Photoplay, Modern Screen, and others. Aurelio Joins Lopert Louis Aurielio, a veteran of 25 years with Paramount Pictures and most recently midWest district manager with NTA, will join the sales organization of Lopert Films, Inc., effective Monday, it is announced by Ilya E. Lopert, president of Lopert Films. Aurelio will act as district sales represntative in the Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati and Indianapolis exchange territories, replacing Harry Walders, who has resigned.