Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

14 AUGUST 10, 1959 NEW YORK ROUNDUP Screen Gems will equal or better $40 million gross income in the coming year, says Columbia Pictures v.p. Irving Briskin, in charge of the Columbia TV subsidiary’s Coast operation. For the year ended June 30, SG hit a record high gross of nearly $38 million, he said. About 19 million of the expected $40-million total will be represented by production income from 7 network series, 3 syndicated series and at least 2 cartoon series, with the rest coming from reruns, and from the sale of vintage movies to TV. Briskin reiterated SG’s contention that it plans to get into live spectaculars, and eventually tape. TV film-NAB liaison group has been set up by producing & distributing firms which are associate NAB members to “exchange ideas” on common problems, such as contracts, film servicing, convention arrangements, general relationships. The committee is headed by pres. Joe Floyd of KELO-TV Sioux Falls, S.D. Named in a mail poll to speak for film companies in talks with the NAB film committee are representatives of CBS Films, ITC, MGM-TV, Screen Gems, CNP & Ziv. The first liaison session is scheduled for Sept, in N.Y. TV-movie rating system devised to give advertisers & stations an accurate audience-tune-in expectancy for most of the 9123 motion pictures listed in its new TV Feature Source Book has been introduced by Broadcast Information Bureau. Evolved after a 5-year study, the rating system (a series of dollar-signs) indicates the audience expectancy of a film in each of TV’s 3 major time periods. The rating is a composite of the film’s box-office pull, trade & consumer criticisms, pulling power on key TV stations in previous performances. Gillette plans a $5. 4-million World Series campaign this fall, with a major portion going into NBC-TV’s annual coverage. If origination city permits, color will be used. Gillette, which will plug its Model 195 adjustable razor in the series splash, will be TV-radio underwriter of the sports classic for the 21st consecutive year, and expects a combined broadcast audience of 100 million this fall. Associated TV Ltd., of Australia, will produce 39 halfhours of a new series. Whiplash, to be distributed globally by ITC. Maurice Geraghty will produce & direct the series, Don Ingalls will supervise all scripts. CBS Filins Hiking Output: CBS Films plans to increase its telefilm production 4 to 6 series a year in order to provide ample product for its sales staff, we were told by CBS TV stations pres. Merle Jones, who, with CBS films admin, v.p. Sam Cook Digges, was on the West Coast last week looking at product. Jones added that he was also seeking a production head to replace Les Harris, who has left to join Jack Wrather’s organization. They have one specific in mind, and interviews will also be held in N.Y. On the anticipated jump in production, Jones explained: “We would like to have 6 series a year — 4 for syndication, 2 network.” He’s hopeful there will be a Jan. network start for The House on K Street, on which further production is continuing. Both executives also viewed their The Man From Antibes, which may also be on CBS. CBS Films is also currently in production with the syndicated Border Patrol, The Whirlybirds and Colonel Flack, all in Hollywood, and Theatre for a Story and Stars of the Big Top in N.Y. HOLLYWOOD ROUNDUP Hollywood producers who worry about the alien adagency man on the set, who rules with no show-biz savvy, may have found comfort last week in a sympatico document from the other camp — a full page ad in Advertising Age by Leo Burnett Inc., which said in part: “For $100,000, more or less, you can buy one half-hour of network TV with 3 minutes’ worth of commercials. And books have been written about the care, the prayer, and the talent it takes to get your money’s worth out of those 3 minutes. But unless the other 27 minutes attract & hold an audience, you may as well skip the commercials. That’s why one of the key jobs at the Leo, Burnett Co. isn’t held by an advertising man. Our TV story editor is a showman.” Large number of whodunits scheduled for network exposure this fall has prompted Victory Program Sales, rerun offshoot of NBC-owned Cal. Natl. Productions, to launch a new low-priced telefilm package in syndication last week titled Mystery Theatre Omnibus. The package contains 174 episodes, 30-min. length, drawn from old CNP series including Dangerous Assignment, The Falcon, Captured (the former Gangbusters series). Panic and Inner Sanctum. The size of the package, says v.p.-mgr. Jacques Liebenguth, will enable stations to schedule the crime shows in daytime horizontal strips, or in vertical evening blocks on independent stations. Ziv entered the year’s second half with film activity at an all-time high, studio head Maurice Unger said last week. Employment of film technicians, production personnel and talent rose 15% during the first 6 months. Three of Ziv’s 8 series currently in production are set for network exposure in the fall: Space, The Man and the Challenge, and Bat Masterson. TV is replacing movies this year as the principal source of actor income. A Screen Actors Guild estimate of thespian income for 1959 reveals that $34 million is expected from TV, compared with $32 million from movies. The TV breakdown is $23 million for telefilms (including residual estimates of $3 million) and $11 million from TV film commercials. The overall $66 million income is a record, says SAG. Betty Hutton is hunting a producer again, to succeed the 2 who already have been & gone from the scene of her new Goldie telefilm series. Original producer Stanley Roberts initiated the exodus, followed by producer-for-a-day Frank Baur, amid charges & counter-charges of incompatibility, temperament and jurisdictional confusion. Said Baur of Hutton : “She has a great talent & a lot of drive — it’s a shame she won’t take some help.” Sam Marx, on leaving his MGM-TV post as TV consultant: “I was here a year, and not once during that time was I asked one question about TV.” . . . Two plagiarism suits against Ziv TV — involving Sea Hunt — have been withdrawn voluntarily. Harold Minniear had sued for $500,000, Norman Ream for $75,000. Frank Donahue, William Webb and Richard Ross have a similar suit pending against Ziv — for $1.5 million. NTA and 20th-Fox TV are negotiating for 26 more episodes of How to Marry a Millionaire, the series now in production at 20th. The syndication company had originally ordered 13 segments. Another 20th series for NTA is Man Without a Gun, with 13 episodes being filmed. ) I ♦ I ! 1 I i I » V ' k 'U ■T M id ■ «■ -ii J i 1 , , I I ■ 1 I !