Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

Television Today Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, August 17, 18 J Two-for-One Plan For Films, TV By SAMUEL D. BERNS HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 16. John Florea, producer director, who formed an association with Frank Cleaver, (until recently with NBC's California National Film productions department), has found a two-for-one formula to attract independent finance to a crack at television by using motion pictures as a "crutch." Florea will go to Japan following the typhoon season to film a feature version of "M.R." which he will trim to a 50-minute pilot for a TV film series. If the series, which has the interesting common denominator of international laws, and is planned for filming in various countries throughout the world, misses the boat for sponsor interest, then the backers have a good chance of recoupment and profit by turning over the original feature version to a major distributor on an outright sale. In an interview with Florea at Paramount studios, where he is currently directing a stanza of NBCTV's popular "Bonanza" series, Florea revealed his source of story material for the potential "M.R." series would be furnished through an arrangement with the association of approximately 400 legal eagles actively engaged in international law. ACLU Proposes TV Changeover to UHF The American Civil Liberties Union proposed at the weekend a gradual change-over of the nation's television system to an all-UHF, 70 channel system. The shift, to be made over a five to ten-year period during which the present 13 channel VHF broadcasting system would be retained, would create greater diversity in television programming, the civil liberties group said. The ACLU policy statement, adopted by its board of directors, was contained in a letter to Frederick W. Ford, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, commending the FCC for initiating a year-long scientific study and improvement of UHF transmission and reception. The project is to be conducted in New York City. ABC Gets Interest in New Venezuelan Web American Broadcasting Co.'s international division has bought a minority interest in Corporacion Venezolana de Television S.A., a new Venezuelan television network. The CVT network is composed of stations in Caracas, Valencia, and Barquisimeto. According to ABC, they will serve a population of more than three million when they go on the air Oct. 1. Majority control of the network is held by a group of Venezuelan business men headed by Diego Cisneros; AROUND THE TV CIRCUIT Hudson's Plan! with PINKY HERMAN. FRANK EVANS, former teacher at Columbia U. and currently on the faculty at UCLA, has been named by Prexy Harry Maizlicb as program director at KRHM-FM (Hollywood). Evans is rated one of the country's foremost jazz authorities and heard daily on his own series. . . . Former Yale All-American Basketball star (4 successive years) Tony Lavelli has become a terrific "one-man show." His varied talents rate the tall, good-looking artist a regular TV berth. . . . Shari Lewis now added to the list of guest stars on the U.S. Steel-Max Liebman Special to be televised on CBS-TV Oct. 19. She'll not only appear with her puppets but will also sing and dance. . . . Shirley Temple will act as hostess and will appear in several segs of a new full-hour program, "The Shirley Temple Show" which will be NBColorcast Sundays starting this fall. . . . Harold ("I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now") Orlob and Bill ("Every Day Is Mother's Day") Dillon, two founder members of ASCAP, have just come up with a new ditty which will make the youngsters sit up and take notice. Lawrence Welk has grabbed the song titled, "Bring Back the Old Hurdy-Gurdy" for his own music pubbery Harry Von Tilzer Music and will record it for Dot. And while on the ASCAP founder tack, the dean of American songwriters, Otto Harbach will be partied tomorrow on his 87th birthday. . . . Could be a record-we mean the fact that comic Jack Douglas will appear as guest on the "Jack Paar Show" tonight, making it his 35th time on this NBCoast-to-coaster. Comes Friday and Charles Collingwood will descend on Jack's parlor with "the works" for the full "Person-To-Person" treatment TVia CBS. . . . Decca Becoming star Earl Grant flew to Australia yesterday for p.a.'s, the toiler's initial trek down under. . . . Writer-Producer Stuart Schulberg has been CBSigned to write and direct "The Berliner" for the "Twentieth Century" series which will start its fourth year and sponsored by Prudential Insurance Co. of America. Walter Cronkite narrates the series, produced by Burton Benjamin with Bill Shipley commercial announcer. . . . it ft Meredith Willson, a top radio figure for years, scored a smashing success with his first Broadway musical and from what we heard, looks like another radio personality may very well duplicate the feat. Jim Lowe, NBC disk jockey, who composed the songhit, "The Green Door" has just completed the book, music and lyrics to a musical comedy, "Sister Ruthie" which, to this scribbler, sounds like the "Lowe-down" on a sure hit. . . . And wait till you hear the ballad "Afraid of Love," defied by another team of NBC producers, Lee Jones and Len Weinles! ... The owner of the car, parked last week in the WISN (Milwaukee, Wise.) parking lot listened to several radio stations weathercasts which for that Monday (Aug. 8) predicted sunny skies. WISN, however predicted lots of rain. When the owner of the car went to pick it up next morning (the windows were wide open) he thought he was in a leaky rowboat. (Imagine parking at WISN and listening to another station's weather?) . . . Russ Raycroft has been named special consultant for Official Films and will report directly to Prexy Seymour Reed. Incidentally, Officials "Greatest Headlines" telefilm series is now syndicated in about 40 markets. . . . After 12 years as record librarian at WMCA, Bob White has flown over to take over similar WMGMusical chores. . . . A new series of "Laramie" full-hour adult westerns, (started over NBCTV Sept., 1959) bows in Tues., Sept. 20 with "Queen of Diamonds," costarring John Smith, Robert Fuller and Robert Crawford, Jr. The telefilm series is produced at the Revue Studios with Richard Lewis, executive producer and John Champion, producer U.S. investments in overseas television, which have risen sharply in recent months, are confined to minority shares to avoid charges of political interference. Leonard Goldenson, president of ABC's parent company, American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres, Inc., said there are approximately 350,000 television sets operating in Venezuela. "This country is vital to any major manufacturer who sells to . Latin America," he asserted. Laffey Joins S.G. W. P. (Bill) Laffey has joined the telescreen advertising division of Screen Gems as account executive in charge of service and control, it was announced by W. Barrett Mayer, general manager of Telescreen. Laffey has for the past five years been an account executive for WOR-TV, New York. During the previous five years he was with WOR (radio) and the Mutual Broadcasting System. (Continued from page 1) tor is committed to the company ! play in four of its own films. Described as a comedy-adventrl "Come September" will co-star G Lollobrigida. Sandra Dee, Botj Darren and Walter Slezak will be fJ tured. It is hoped major members ' the cast will tour extensively on pre-sell. Hudson has chosen Stanley Shap:! Academy award-winning writer j "Pillow Talk," to prepare the screij play for "Come September." Bob , thur will produce and Bob Mullitl will direct. The entire picture will ; made in Rome and Portifino in Pa l vision and color. The president of Seven Pictu; (the company's name will not restiij its operations to that number of filn said he has long been interested in creative side of motion pictures. Now in the Overall Picture "Eight or nine years ago, wheni actor suggested a change to a prod er or director, he was made to ifl , like a fool," Hudson said. "Now industry's structure has changed si ciently enough for an actor to tak> hand in the overall production." Regarding his limited— to dateproducing experience, Hudson s sitting in on a story conference ] been the most rewarding aspect. C; ing a picture with the people he wa runs a close second. With his intei tional and American "in-depth' "across-the-audience-interest boa casting, Hudson feels the picture \ be helped in Europe. He plans a p sonal tour of Germany, Paris London once the eight-week shoo schedule is finished. Seven Arts will co-produce a f whenever Hudson finds a property likes and whenever he can find ti to make it. The Spiral Road' His N His next picture as strictly a U versal contract player will be Spiral Road," adapted from Jan Hertog's novel. Filming will o mence in Malaya next April. Hu< recently finished work in "The E of the Gun." Because he regards the industi financial status and his own as favorable than at any time in the 10 years or so, Hudson is cei Seven Pictures, backed by Univerj will prosper. He admitted screen co edies interest him most at the prese not that he deprecated other 1 genres. Apparently "Pillow Talk" Sij 1 nobody as much as its leading man. Hudson was joined at the press c(| ference in his hotel suite by Char1 F. Simonelli, assistant to Univei president Milton R. Rackmil. To Exhibit Mobile Unl HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 16.-A pn demonstration of Red Skelton's n Red-Eo-Tape mobile TV unit will held Thursday at the Skelton studi at which time plans and progra employing the television tape recon ing unit will be announced.