Sponsor (Sept-Dec 1958)

mately a $17,000,000 broadcast advertiser. But nowhere, nowhere at all, a single word about that other Revson brother. Martin, I think his name was. This is "deterioration"? it's because advertisers like Revlon and Schick have been spending more and more in television and less and less in print media that magazines like Fortune run stories about tv's "deterioration." I read the Fortune piece, like most people in the industry, and was ready to rush to my Royal when the 29 November issue of sponsor came in. If you missed the sponsor analysis on the Fortune piece, let me urge you to go back and look it up. It will put the "print plot" into very sharp focus for you. There is no doubt that tv is taking dollars away from other media. And the print boys may scream all they want about "program mediocrity," but one show like the Rosalind Russell Wonderful Town on CBS TV, Sunday, 30 November, exposes their screaming for the panicky distortion of facts it is. Wonderful Town marked the first time I have ever seen a musical comedy presented more effectively on a television screen than on a Broadway stage. I recall the show (I believe it was at the Winter Garden in 1953) vividly. The video cameras got you just enough closer to the wondrous Miss Russell than a first row seat in the theatre to enal)le you to catch every sparkling, bubbly, enchanting bit of mugging and playing. Jacquelyn McKeever, who played Eileen, will surely be one of the very brightest ^tars in all the musical theatre before very long. She's got everything. And, as fine a performance as Edie Adams gave as Eileen in '53, the daisy-fresh Miss McK. topped her. Only in some of the ensemble dance numbers was the tv presentation less effective than its stage counterpart. In every other way the video version was superior. A large part of the credit should go to director Mel Ferber. who uses his cameras to sell what he has to sell most effectively. Well-planned, effective sell And I don't believe I've ever seen commercials more astutely planned and produced to fit the mood of their vehicle than the advertising messages in Town. 1 wish I knew, or had time to check the advertising agencies for Westclox and Carling's beer and ale, so I could throw them the large bouquet they deserve. The commercials they devised were not only just right for the show, and extremely effective as selling copy, but the choice of, and the utilization of the stars to do the commercials were near perfect. Dorothy Collins made an irresistible and highly persuasive saleslady for the watch and clock manufacturer, and Cliff Arquette (in his Charlie Weaver finery) pitched the beer to make your mouth water. I'm sure the print media, and other tv detractors are going to have to come up with more potent propaganda than that Fortune piece, before they're able to persuade peojde like Westclox and Carling that tv isn't the best advertising buy in history, at today's prices, and with today's shows. ^^ Letters to Joe Csida are welcome Do you alivays agree tvith what Joe Csida says in Sponsor Backstage? Joe and the editors of SPONSOR will he happy to receive and print your comments. Address them to Joe Csida, c/o SPONSOR. 40 East 49th Street. New York 17, New York. FIRST with HI-FI RAPID Ail Day — Eveiytlay VVMBD Radio Broacitasis over a new 5000 watt HI-IIDtLITY radio transmitter, uuikiiisv WMBl) RADIO, rHE Bl SI SOliM) IN TOWN." A poweiiid, dislortion tree signal for more tlian liall million people in the Uico.i.uy Peoria FIRST IN MEASURED QUARTER HOURS WMBD's continuing leadership in the rich PEORIA market for more than 31 years is demonstrated by the fact that they aie EIRSI in 41 out of 72 measuied ([uarter hours, more llian all of /he other Peoria stations coinhinrd. Pulse 1958. WMBD MARKET DATA Population .. Households Retail Sales Food Sales 531,900 165,000 $725,261,750 . $142,488,750 Drug Sales ._ .. $ 17,826,250 Effective Buying Income $991,150,000 Income per Household .. $ 6,007 fxc/u$/ve National Repreienfatlves Peters, Griffin, Woodward, Inc. caMD 13 DECEMBER 1958