Radio and television mirror (July-Dec 1948)

Coast to Coast in Television (Continued from page 47) famous party giver, writer, and friend of socialites, celebrities and royalty, will start her own television show very shortly. While in Europe last summer, Miss Maxwell made filmed interviews with celebrities in London, Paris, and Rome. These will start off her series, and then the show will turn to her fabulous parties; the scene will be her own apartment in the Waldorf-Astoria — as well as the homes of friends and places of national interest. Rumor has it that the show will carry a $5,000 per price tag. * * * The major film companies in the United States have been stalling about getting into video with both feet, and if they don't make up their minds soon, England's J. Arthur Rank will beat them to the punch. After two years of test productions of telepix, Rank is now ready to push off on a full commercial program of television fare for all parts of the world. He could invade the U. S. market in nine or ten months. * * * Independent companies in Hollywood are on their toes as far as television is concerned — far ahead of the big studios, in fact. Cecil B. DeMille is establishing his own company to produce video films. David O. Selznick.is investigating possibilities for doing the same thing, and Robert Productions — owned jointly by Bob Roberts, John Garfield, and Abraham Polonsky — are in production with a series of 26 halfhour films. * * * Texas is putting in its bid to take some of the television monopoly away from New York and Hollywood. Plans are under way for a million-dollar film and video center in San Antonio. Some of the financing is coming from Hollywood, though. * * * Just when sales of sets are soaring and advertisers are beginning to see the terrific potentialities of the medium, the industry is confronted with a shortage of cathode ray tubes — those are the tubes that make the television picture — and current production can't keep up with the demand. * * * The Republicans and Democrats will each have spent a quarter of a million dollars to televise their respective candidates before you go to the polls. * * * When audience participation radio shows first became popular, the legitimate theater was at a low ebb and it was easy for the networks to buy up theaters to conduct their radio programs in; now television is going to need theaters for audience shows, but the theaters simply are not available. * * * The big reason that more old movies are not available to television is the strong objections of re-issue companies and theaters. Organizations like Film Classics, Inc., buy up movies which the major companies have no further use for and rent them to motion picture theaters which are devoted exclusively to the showing of fairly old pictures. This market is extremely lucrative, and a one-shot on television could kill off the value of an old picture — so it's easy to understand why those distributors and managers who have been waxing fat want video to keep hands off. I Poor witness, Clara . . . Tears smeared her mascara . . . ...saySiT-TiWE SOFT AND GENTLE... STRONG AND ABSORBENT ©1948, Sitroux Inc. v IN BAGS OR BOXES m FRESH FROM Mmfa/ T POPCORN MACHINES nV IN PACKAGES FOR tf POPPING AT HOME Get hot, fresh, delicious Hi Pop Popcorn anywhere— the Nation's popular food confection. Served from sparkling Manley Popcorn Machines at your movie theatre and variety store or wherever good popcorn is sold. Ask your food store for Hi Pop in the red and white candy cane package. Make your own popcorn at home. Remember— Hi Pop is the same fine corn movie shows feature. iiJJn© »l@fte fwtetole Regulation ■■ 84 character keyboard sane as on big office machine. ,_...— r~5 ~&£r rime MKi \ £"PEBARSP«OBOOSTER ■ •* ',„!-—■ R M 95