Variety (May 1961)

TV-FILMS Wednesday, May 10, 1961 Wolpe Orbiting Into TV Network Programs; Sets Entertamment Segs + Hollywood, May 9. Divid Wolper, new tiam ed with: Sterling Televis.on, in’ Wolper Stcrhng Productions, is orbiing in i , vee a “ne i , “Une, : car space ever since tie suv eee, for Space.” Weolp.i-< vhich had two new der ane marie: King Heads Arrow Charles King, former veepee of Danziger Productions and Bernard |. Schubert Co., has been named : general . manager . of Independent tions division. | King. also. was’ director of sales 'Filmaster Acquires TV Rights to ‘Big E’| Hollywood. May 9. and an ad agency exec. ‘Argentine Threat pisting around the. cueniry this! Filmasrer has acquird tele-' weck, kas an imposing agencs vision and motion pic rights to ahead of it. . sae Big E,” qhe official biography | . . p aly? ‘inure Of the aircraft carrier Enterprise Walp eid an Oni about future Deal was made with.Cmdr. Edward | To Syndicators: | Flans, sal , atk tis a ~ ota of P. Stafford., the author, who will Pecis to specialize in te i also serve as consultant to -Fil entertainment documen.aric . It 1s this area which has the ¢ve ate: st acceptance on the network I:vil. Iie his sold two shows in the cnic’teanment documentars catc sory to NBC-TV next fall. Wo.per added toazt CBS-TV, as well es ABC-TV woud take outside proa.¢ fens m the pubeffairs entertilnm: nt documentary area ws wed. | went on to say that he’s necotiatjnv vith one of the webs tu suppiy ficm five to six enterta:mment documentaries. , : Qmne cf the keys to the commer Producer { OF in 31,000,000 cizl success of the Wo -per-Sterting , eyeration is to come through wich Jarge regional sparsors cn excn of master on its projected series. . Vidpix outfit's prexy, Bob. Stab-] ler, had been planning a_ series titled “Flat. Top,” but with the ; new deal for “Big E” will focus! “Market of -Argentina, another ; 2, ap Latino. growth area for American it on the Enterprise using the souree material from the Stafford: Sal whi is peing threatered by book .a bill which would prohibit the ‘ itelecasting of pix not dubbed for the natives. Argentine situation, trigger .a Latino: trip shortly by William Fineshriber, tv exec of the Motion Picture Export: Assn. The bill has passed the Senate, ; .{but has yet to. come up before i Argentina's House of Deputies. Measure. prempted by local. talent in order to promote work, is sim Expans‘on Plan — Kis non-network doc:unentaries. e e Me Dae be Meee ilar to’ other moves made in difThis w eck sero eve: _ ten mm Ke ed to Quickies ferent -Latino markets. To dub Space” was bought by Tidewater 7“ exclusively’ for Argentina would Oil in 72 markets. Tidcwiter, in its ecal with Wolper-Sterling, 2!so picked up the third re:un of “Race for Space” in its markets. Also telecast areund tne country this week was “Biocraphy cf A Rookie” ' Willie Davis. with Schaefer Brewing Picking up sponsorship in 17 markets along tue eastern coast. Instrumenta! in trievering this one-hour specizl was Bob Foreman, of BBDO. Foreman, according to Wolper, selected the topie and tok other BBDO clients for the ‘Rookie’ show in nen-Schaefer markets. Peter Pan Foundation has bought “Legend of Valentino” in 46 markets. NBC-TV has bought “Hollywood: The Golden Years” for telecasting as a one-hour special on Nov. 29. Wolper-Sterling also hes sald a 9Uminute special to Procter & Gambie “Hollywood: The Ta!king Era“ for telecasting on NBC-TV the spring of ‘62. Both stanzas, considered “enterfainment” rather than pubaffairs Ly NBC twhich has opposed use of cutside-produced pubaffairs: go into the Sunday DuPont series. Wolper said his exclusive deal with Sovexport expires in about another year. Deal so far has given Welper exclusive Soviet footage on Russia’s space efforts. TY Shows Shipped To Congo Troops : The television networks will soon be able to employ a new tag to the familiar “Tins program is being shown to the Armed Services overseas’announcement. As oi this week, Americin tv programs are being shipped to United Nations forces in the Congo, com prising some 20.000 troops fron, tralia. 26 countries. Six CBS shows were sent last week via diplomatic pouch to the Congo, outcome of arrangements between the UN Emergency Force HQ in N.Y. and CBS Films. Shipment followed an earlier ‘experi-: ment by which the 5.000 UN troops still patrotling the Gaza strip were ecnt six CBS stanzas and not only enjoyed them but asked for a wider variety. Both CBS and ‘the UN had! dcubdts about the project prior to! the Gaza experiment, since the Ais ninth year with Danny Thomas janguage barrier seemed formida-‘'Marterto) as producer-director of be economically . prohibitive, cording to U.S: vidfilm execs. Cost of dubbing ranges from $700 to: $1.000 per haJf-hour. Sales of a; Official Films prexy Seymour Reed says the svndication firm: will undertake a $1.000.000 expansion program, including purchase of new series, staff increases, extension of overseas sales along with the new and larger headquarters on Fifth Ave. In a furtherance of the newsreel and in “dubbing war” quickies that brought the company , no new American product could be its first important profits under: revoiced. It just. wouldn't pay to reorganization more than “a year:dub for each market, as. exempli-: ago, Official will market a series of ; fied by Argentina. 260 five-minute stanzas out of the! American vidfilm exporters haye Paramount newsreel library titled, {been’ doing most of their dubbing “Humor in the News.” Also for; in Mexico, Puerto Rico and in the laughs. company will launch a huPast Cuha. morous half-hour series with col° Argentina bill {s -being. opposed ; umnist Stanton Delaplane as narby native broadcasters, concerned rator. Titled “Around the World with their need for product. with Delaplane.” package will in-! _In Brazil. restrictive legislation, clude celebrity interviews. but will Slated to go into effect next year, primarily be colar travel footage ; would ‘virtually spell the end of the with a humorous twist. it market too, v iS. pix exporters. sae ere, ‘too,. lobbying agains e. in docum entaries. Official has bill by broadeasters. advertisers, its previously announced series on MPEA’ and others is under d others is un derwa the independent nations of Afriea. , y 100 Markets For $250 to $300 per: half-hour. : If Argentina. is successful passing. such legislation, works a “half-hour series from the . Paramount vaults with such’ per-: sonality subjects as Babe Ruth.. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and general | subjects like “The Crime Years,” | “The Depression Years.” “A Half Century of Sports” and so on. Another series in the blueprint stage is a package on changing mil-_ itary methods. “Revolution in War-! fare.” Itll include at least six by Hellywood Television Service. hours on the foot soldier through arm of Republic Corp., were furhistory. _., ther reflected by sale this week In the fiction field, Official’ is ‘of company: contemplating a half hour titled Group” of theatrical features to; “Flight Nurse.” with production in KETV, Omaha. This chalks up; Hallywood and on location, Holly wood, May 9. unannounced. ;manager of HTS. Veepee Russ Raycroft says the firm has inereased staff by 20°¢ in! sales and program development. | He says foreign distribution, now ; including more than 30 series, has | va been expanded to Japan and Ausee. See inne Gone sand, the and Latin American and «wig pBiue Yonder” and Canadian representation has been' Maverick Queen,” which star John expanded. European distribution waovne,. Barbara Stanwyck, Joan continues under supervision of. : : +1 Mrs. Adrienne Moore Douglass ; ¢T@¥ ford. Ray Mitand, James with HQ in Luxembourg. ‘Mitchum, Julie London: and Dane | Clark. SHELDON LEONARD'S. NEW MARTERTO PACT Hollywood, May 9 | Sheldon Leonard has signed for now being marketed. Constellation | group includes such Republic fea Tors’ Tour de Force “Ivan ‘Tors; actor, writer, turned producer, ‘has become the science . fiction-adventure specialist of tv: In a‘long series of skeins, he produced “Science Fiction Theatre,” ‘Sea Hunt.” dealing with skin’ diving, and_ tle. AS a conse uence, they sent his comedy series on CBS-TV. He . ” enisedes from the Phil Silvers also retains his financial interest sky divine Aealing with enow, “Air Power.” the “Deputy , in the Thomas property. Under He’s also done “Man in Dang” cartcons. the “Range ' the canopy of his Sheldon Leonard) space” networked, two years R. der” western and a pair of Bob. Enterprises, he will serve as execago. before the age of the CosHerridge jazz shows featuring Utive producer with Thomas and monaut, and now ‘in syndica Miles Davis and Ahmal Jama), as the least likely to create Janguage problems. According to UNEF liaison offi: have part ownership in the half hour comedy series of Ancty Griffith and Dick Van Dyke. Leonard |. directed the Joey Bishop pilot. tion, as well as “Xian and The Challenge,” dealing with the endurance of man under: all sorts of stresses. “Challenge” also . is for the former NTA Film Network, | director of program szles at Mutual cer Maj. Jeff Sparks. the Gaza Deal was negotiated by Norman troops not only lapped it up but! Brokaw of .the William Morris asked for a much wider range of agency, who also set Marvin Marx. rograms—“I Love Lucy.” Dinah} onetime writer for Jackie Gleason hore, Perry Como. Tennessee’ and Sid Caesar. as producer of the: nie Ford, “Perry Mason,” “The: Bishop show for executive pro%entieth Century,” ‘Dragnet,”} ducer Lou Edelman. in: syndication, ‘A quanauts” was another Tors excursion in the hourlong field following the “Sea Hunt” “wave. “Ripcord.” Tors’ latest stars Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis. out ‘Television Corp.’s Arrow Produc ‘You Gotta Dub’ | coupled with that of Brazil. might | ‘bert producer of the ‘ ‘Ripcord”: se ac" iKen Curtis. show in Argentina brings in from; ‘tough-themed feature film, ‘in! wide professional -praise.. other; has a second feature, “The Explo -. Latino “nations would follow suit, | Sive Generation.” situation, | United Artists release. Repub’s Package Expanding syndication activities ' tion. for “Constellation . | “but | 100th. market for sale:af the pack-, Sales with no production affiliate as yet | age, reports David Bloom, general will head the new Animations divi| “The | Arness, Fred MacMurray, Robert |: “500.000 breach of contract “against Louis Prima and Keely |for a. television scries which was | ‘ated an overall theatrical-tv car ‘skedded for trial July 3. Suit also | ~ Breakdown 0 of 6 Web Entries: # Next ‘season. NBC-TV will have. 30 nighttime programs on ‘the: alr, 17 of which will be new, while CBS-TV will have 39. programs, 12 of them new. ABC-TV: will have 33° ‘programs, 13 of them. new, or 34 programs, 12 of them-new. . In ABC's case, the. final decision depends on what happens. in the web's last open slot, Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:30. (See sepa-: . rate story). Other two ‘webs claim to be absolutely set in their all scheduling. _ .Other. things are revealed: ‘in. the ’61-62 network. tv ‘schedules; ABC will have 11 ‘contemporary: action-adventure stanzas; NBC six (including two the web prefers calling “suspense. ‘dramas”) and ~-CBS one: ABC will have four or five westerns ‘again depending on resolution of Wednesday nights), CBS five and NBC seven. In the “general. drama” category ‘anthologtes included), it’s ABC with three, NBC with four and CBS with three. Comedy. reads ABC eight, NB€ three and CBS 14; cartoons, ABC four. CBS and NBC one apiece; variety. ABC one, CBS four and NBC six: audience -. participation ABC and NBC one apiece ant. CBS ‘four. In prime time pubaffairs -including 6:30 to 7:30 on Sundays!, CBS and NBC. will have two each, while ABC will have either none or one i pending | on Wednesday nights). Mex TV Crackdown on US, Vidbix Entries as Censor Chief Moves In _ Mexico City, May 9, Jorge Ferretis, head of the Film ‘Stanley Colbert to Produce | Bureau and film’ censotship ‘czar, has moved in on television. Now ali ‘Ripcord’ Series for Ziy-UA' filmed maferial -presented -over:. a ‘Mexican channels is to be cleaned | Ziv-UA has named Stanley Col-” _up, objectionable ‘scenes. scissored out. and material classified in-“for adults only". and. “general family. Pennell and: fare” categories. : Even further: ‘than this, Ferretis With Leslie Stevens, Colbert was «has advised all tv. programming producer of the low-budgeted | chiefs that “trailers” advertising. “Pri: | future productions also faee cen‘that’s garnered sorship. The advance trailers must He now | also get a greenlight from now on, before being telecast. Reason for this being that in the past many sexy. scenes have been released in ‘fearly afternoon and evening hours when .children .watch .television.. ‘Companies exploiting filméd mae | terial ever Mexican tv must ‘cone form with. new censorship ‘regula tions, or: face stiff penalties range ing from’ $2,000 to $4,000, and pose. Istble revocation. of distribution. permits. This latter for. chroni¢ offenders. Distributors of filmed: material, including episodics, feature lengths. | and ‘the so-called “newsreels” projana by Mexican firms, are none. too happy over the Ferretis edict. Their. contention is that they. do not object to censorship, but that. the recent Film Bureau rulings are “too stiff; and:outside the regulations of the ‘Radio and Television Law. Charge. has. also been made that this censorship represents a curb on “freedom. of speech and the press.” Ferretis has replied-to all come ries, based on skydiving. adv entures * “and starring Larry vate Property.” scheduled for CBS Animations | New Cartoon Aim For CBS Films CBS Animation has been created as.a cartoon division of CBS Films. It will operate exclusively in tv, with CBS Terrytoors cufting back to theatrical operations only, -|{though also serving as the production arm for the. new Animations subsid. Heretofore, Terrytoons has. oper| toonery, employing its own sales | staff as well as its creative-producplaints. by ‘stating. that: producers tion operation. “ Apparently, CBS .of “scandalous” material seek “free management felt the sales. operapublicity” ‘to: better exploit their ‘ty wasn't aggressive | “indifferent” product. He stressed enough, and: constituted CBS Ani-,that despite all protests, the Film mations to operate as a tv sales ' Bureau will continue to classify all arm to’ handle cartoon. _commer! filmed and videotaped material for cials and programming. i ty, and that homescreens will offer Tom Judge. who previously head; “all family” entertainment only,. ‘ieee ante f. Star’s Record. 4-Mo. Gross, Net Hollywood, May 9. _. Four Star Television reported ‘|new highs in gross: and net earn Prima-Smith Sete | ° . e -{ings for the nine months ended Levin Suit on Series March: 31,:this year. In the fiscal cage hree quarters, ‘the telefilm pro-. Hollywood, May 9. duction firm grossed a-record $18,Producer Irving H. Levin's $2.413,564 compared with $12.233.818 suit , for the same ‘period’ a year ago. Net income after taxes. was a Smith for asserted failure to show ‘record: $499.234 compared. witht a i het for-the same period a year. ago. to bear their name was settled out . $718,587. The on whieh paid 88 c of court last week for an. undis| 600,000 common. shares outstandclosed sum. ‘ing on March 31, 1961. Income per Levin reported that: sum was. in | Share was 47c for the same period the high five-figures; while Mar-; 2 year ago. tin Schnitzer. attorney for the de-| In the past fiscal year. ending fendants, claimed it was in the low | June 25, 1960, Four. Star registered: five figures. Levin. stated that|a gross income of $15,141 418 and couple. paid one half in cash, and|a@ net after taxes of. $317, 506," (OF signed a promissory note tor bal-|52c a common share. ance, to be paid early next year.. Suit, filed in Santa Monica Superior Court March 5, 1959, was ‘sion as general manager, ‘Teporting | ‘Bloom says deal .also included|to CBS Films administrative y.p ‘purchase of additional. features: Sam Cook Digges. Bill Weiss con tinues as V.p.-general manager. of Terrytoons, reporting to CBS Tele {tures as’ “Quiet Man.” “Sands of | vision stations prexy Merle Jones. LOONEY TUNES TO 7 ARTS — Seven Aris Associated has aoquired tv rights to 191. Looney stateq that Levin's contract with couple give him exclusive ‘television rights ta their services. Schnitzer denied that-Prima and Miss Smith either had failed to appear. jor that Levin held them under ex clusive contract. Tunes, originally. distributed to tv by Guild Films. ~ Cartoons had been reacquired ‘by Warner Bros. when Guild went’ into bankruptcy. Warners,.in. turn, made the deal with Seven Arts.