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Robert E. Sherwood Thomas W. Phipps NBC Signs Two Noted Playwrights To Lift Quality of TV Programs Robert E. Sherwood, Pulitzer Prize Winner, and Thomas W. Phipps, Film and Magazine Writer, Commissioned to Create One-Hour Dramas for Network. By Charles C. Barry Vice President in Charge of Programs National Broadcasting Co., Inc. As lS radio did a quarter century or more ago and the movies before that, television looked to its sister forms of entertainment to provide it with talent to fill its pro- gram schedules. The stars of radio, movies and stage became the stars of television. Bob Hope came over from movies and radio; Dennis Day brought his talents, developed by radio, to the new medium; Jimmy Durante trans- formed his energetic sketches of radio, stage and night clubs to the requirements of television. At the same time, television brought in the relatively new and untried artists and developed them as stars. Thus came Sid Caesar, Burr Tillstrom, Wally Cox and a host of others who found their artistic stature in the new medium. This process continues constantly; artists playing bit parts today are tomorrow's stars. We have found that this same twofold growth would be applicable in other creative aspects of programming for television. Contracts negotiated recently by the Na- tional Broadcasting Company with Robert E. Sherwood, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Thomas W. Phipps, drama- tist, demonstrating how this is so in the vastly important but often underestimated field of writing. NBC contracted with Mr. Sherwood for him to write nine original one-hour plays over a five-year period. The distinguished playwright and author, winner of three Pulitzer prizes for drama and one for biography was accorded complete freedom and independence in the selection of his subject matter and treatment of his story. In announcing the successful negotiations for Mr. Sherwood's services on the air, NBC's president ex- pressed his pride in welcoming to the network's creative staff one of America's most successful and honored writers. "It is a significant milestone in the progress of television," he said, "when a man of Mr. Sherwood's stature in the theatre and in contemporary writing brings his talents to us. This is another of NBC's steps for continually elevating the quality of American radio and television. It is my hope this will have a construc- tive influence in attracting other prominent authors to these fields." It is our concept at NBC to intrigue as many of the great minds of other mediums of entertainment as (Continued on page 301 26 RADIO AGE