Variety (Feb 1949)

26 TBUGVISIOKT Wednesday, Febniary 2, 1949 VaUee Sees Separate Coast TV Depts, Sub-Divided Studios as Aids to Biz IVfajor Hollywood studios now toying with the idea of producing films especially for television won't be able to carry the financial load unless they establish a completely new tele department, separate and apart from the usual studio work. According to Rudy Vallee, now producing vidpix through his Val- lee Video outfit, the majors other- wise won't be able to bring their I eosts down to the prices tele can' afford to pay because of their tre- mendous studio overhead charges. In addition to the new depart- ment, which wouldn't be forced to absorb part of that overhead, Val- lee also believes the majors wul have to sub-divide their big sound stages'into smaller studios for tele- film production. Each stage, he ' said, should be complete with its own carpentry shop, lights, make- up departments, etc., so that it would be possible to shoot a group of pictures at the same time. Then, by swapping sets, costumes . and even actors, from one stage to anr other, it will be possible to trim costs considerably. Shooting on 16m, rather than 35m stock, can also keep production costs to a minimum, Vallee said. I Vallee has introduced two new techniques into his pix. Recog- nizing the difficulty of playing a Comedy show to a small audience, such as is likely to be viewing video at any one time, he has dubbed in laughter behind every comedy se- quence, with the laughs ranging from small snickers to big yocks. He also has an off-screen an- nouncer read aloud the credits as they appear on the screen, so that Viewet'S who might be in another room with their sets turned on can get to the set if they hear a name that interests them. Despite the fact that he's ap- , peared in several live studio shows since arriving in N.V. from the Coast, Vallee believes that live ' programs are good only for quiz shows. Pointing out the advan- tages of filming all other types of TV programs, he referred to the "Atrow Shirt" show, on which he subbed for the ailing Phil Silvers last Thursday night (27). Show ran without a hitch during rehear- sal, he said, but as Soon as the cast went on the air they tightened up, with some forgetting their lines. By that time, it was too late to correct the mistakes, whereas any mistake on film can always.be sent back before the cameras for a re- fake. Among the series Vallee now has In the works is "It Could Happen to You," the first of which copped fourth place in the Hollywood Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards last week. He also has : lined' - up "Cartoon Comics," an across-the-board series running 12 minutes each, in which animation of standard comic strips Is achi^ed through constant cam- era cuts. He can deliver those to a station or sponsor for $4,500 per week. He's also working on :a series Of "Song FilmSi" which are dramatic skits based on pop tunes. According to Vallee, they can be the answer to the TV disk jockey shows, or can be used to brighten up test pattern transmissions. They naturally must await the lifting of the-American. Federation of Musi- cians' ban on, the use of sound- track' music-for video. 'National Barn Dance' Gets ABC-TV Spread Chicago, Feb. 1. "The National Barn Dance," a WLS institution for 25 years, is going video on ABC-TV net later i this month. Initially it is sched-! uled for a hall hour, but later will expand to full hour on the tele web. It'll be carried on WENR- TV locally. To keep acts from getting seen too often, WLS, which packages, will revolve four different casts. ABC-TV, Chi, Will produce in Civic Studio. Philco TV Playhouse Set Thru April; May Buy Sununer Low-Budgeter "Philco Television Playhouse" was set this week to continue on the NBC-TV web at least through April. At that time, the sponsor and Hutchins ad agency, which handles the. account, will decide whether to go off the air then until next fall or pact for another 13 weeks, which would carry the show through June. It will definitely take a summer hiatus, however. Philco hasn't' decided yet whether to slot a lower-budgeted show in the Sunday night 9 to 10 segment on the NBC-TV web for the summer in order to maintain its hold on the time f ranchisei Com;- pany is reportedly looking for a show that would cost about $6,500 to run during the summer months, when the TV audience is expected to be considerably reduced. ''Phil- co" legiters in the current series now average about $15,000-$20,000 weekly. AT&T Claims It's Meeting TV Needs Tromptly/ Denying Monopoly Charges HARRY SALTER MUSICAL DIRECTOR Stop the Mutic—ABC It Pays-to B» Ignorant—CBS High Budget Stalls Todd Video Show Plans for. the top-budgeted tele- vision variety show to be produced by Mike Todd from the stage of the Winter Garden, N. Y., have been temporarily abandoned \>6r cause of the;high budget involved. Todd is scheduled to meet with NBC-TV program chief Norman Blackburn later this week, how- ever, and the two may work out a suitable format that could be produced at a cost within reach of a sponsor. Projected hour-long show would have been staged at the theatre {Sunday nightSv when the current llegit tenant, Todd's "As the Girls Gq," doesn't give a performance. Program, as Todd would like to have produced it, would have cost between $25,000 and $30,000, and NBC could not find a bankroller to pick up such a heavy tab each week. Todd suggested the idea of charging admission to anyone want- ing to see the show in the: theatre, but NBG nixed that Idea. NBC is anxious' to do a show with Todd, but the showman avers he won't do one unless he "can spend the money to get the peo^ I pie he wants." 1 Preliminary trouble with the la- { bor unions involved had already been worked out. Show would have been the "first to be staged on a regularly-scheduled basis from a theatre housing a legit show, which presented unique problems with the stagehands and otfaer unions. Authors League Rift Seen From Vi^ Ginld Jurisdictional row looms within the Authors League of America over the issue of autonomy in the television field. Matter may come to a head next Wednesday (9) at the regular monthly meeting of the League council in N.Y. : Over the opposition of the Screen Writers Guild, the League has gone ahead with the formation of a Television Writers Guild. Ad- mission of the TWG as a League afiiliate is to be considered at the League .council meeting. SWG council will take official action at a meeting Monday (7) in Holly- wood. It's figured the Coast opposition may jbe unsuccessful, however, as ' representatives of the Authors Guild, Dramatists Guild and Radio Writers -Guild, are ex- pected to favor the proposal; Although the TWG has actually been organizedi it will" have no elected governing body or any au- tonomy for some time. For the present, it is being run by a tele- vision committee composed of rep- resentatives from all the affiliate Guilds, with Rex Stout, former Authors Guild president, as chair- man. Organizing and administra- tive expenses are being paid from the League treasury. Matter of admission of the TWG has a couple of technical angles. Question of forming the organiza- tion, admitting it to the League are matters for League council de- cision, subject to approval by the AG, DG, and RWG. but excluding SWG, which has more local auton- omy than the other aMliates. But all jurisdictional-matters, including tele, are the province of the enr tire League, including SWG as well as the other Guilds. Evans Picked for $7,000 NX City fix Video Joh; Cues O'DwyerTV Interest New York City's vid-pix unit was given official approval when the Board of Estimate voted Thursday (27) to allocate $17,000 to carry op- erations through July 1. Following day Mayor O'Dwyer confirmed Cliil Evans, former WHLI public affairs veepee, as TV supervisor, at $7,000 per year. Memo to the board from city ra- dio director Sy Siegel points out that the Municipal Broadcasting System is interested in getting a video channel, when the freeze thaws, possibly in the higher band. Siegel estimated costs at $282,000 to set up and $150,000 annually to operate a TV outlet on a modest scale. The just-approved setup of a five- man film staff, plus secretary, is viewed as a test of desirability of the city going into telecasting, Evans has already started work rounding up equipment and per- sonnel for the municipal film unit. Group will produce five-minute shorts on education, civic problems, accident- and fire-prevention, water conservation, and similar topics. - , Siegel's memo is a big boost^^fqr the video, medium, citing surveys to show popularity of TV; / ' Si. liouis—Joe Kramer, formerly with KIMO, Independence, Mo., has Joined gabbing staff at KWK Chi's TV Fashion Sponsor Chicago, Feb. 1. Telefashions Shopping Service, local fashion publication, will Sponsor half-hour weekly video Bhow on WBJCB, starting March 6. Jim Ameehe and Rose Dunn will handle commentary; Larry Kurtss Will direct; Miss Dunn will pro- duce; Stanley Joel is writer. Ray Knight, who staged the "Cuckoo Hour" for radio during the '30s, preparing an intimate re- vue for ABC-TV featuring himself land eight young performers. He's | ! also working on a video reprise of "CuckoOj which was one of the first I AM airers to satirize broadcasting, j .Television department, of United 1 World T'ilms, wholly-downed subsid- iary of Universal Pictures, produc- ing a series of five-minute shorts I I dealing with the major holidays of | 'the year. Initial two films, high- lighting Valentine's Day and. Easter, are nearing completion and will be ready soon for release. Jerry Rosen agency, talent rep- resentatives, offering six different TV packages to ad agencies. They include *'Mr. Showbusiness'' and "Check the Records," both starring | Benny Rubin; ''Come Out Fight ing," starring Maxie Rosenbloom; | "Clay-m Your Reward," with Duke ' Art and Junior; "Everybody's Love Song," it^rring Harry Prime and Lilyann' Carol, and "Egyptian Nights," with Guili Guili. J. Fred Coots, composer of "You Go to My Head" and other top songs, will appear in the first of a new series of TV shows featuring cleff^rs, titled "Tin Pan Alley" and packaged by Noel Wesley. Pack- ager plans to use both the composer of J a tune and the star who made it fainous to perform the song and its success story. "Theatre Arts" to feature some of the top performers in show biz and produced under the personal supervision of Charles MacArthur, playwright and editor of the mag from which the show is adapted, being prepared by World Video. Ernest Anderson and Gilbert Sel- ves slated to assist MacArthur, with John DeVries handling sets, cos- tumes and lighting. Tentatively set for the I first in the series is a skit with one of the N Y. daily dra- matic critics. Cole Porter doing his score from "Ki.ss Me Kate," with singers, a special spot with Paul Gallico; Tom Ewell and his "Book Review" skit from "Small Won- der," Burgess Meredith, Vinton Freedley and other top actors, pro- ducers, etc. Kraft Rating Cues Low-Budgeters New audience ratings of "Kraft Television Theatre,'* coupied with the fact that it is produced on a relatively small budget, is leading many sponsors and broadcasters to the opinion that top name ac- tors aren't necessarily the answer to: the best: television legit shows. Now nearing the start of its third year on the NBC-TV web Wednes- day nights, "Kraft" copped fifth place in both the Hooper and Pulse ratings for January in the metropolitan N. Y. area, represent- ing the only dramatic show to hit the top TV 10 for the montli. By depending on capable fea- tured actors, rather than the top names available from Broadway and HoUywodW, the J. Walter Thompson ad agency, which pack- ages the shoWj has been able to keep the weekly budget to about $5,000. Figure is about one-third that spent each week on "Philco Television Playhouse" or "Ford Television Theatre," most costly of the other hour-long legiters on the air. Neither of the latter two has yet made the top 10 in the east. .Only other answer to the sus- tained popularity of the Kraft show, it is pointed out, is the lack of competition the program faces on competing networks. "Kobbs Komer" starts in the 9 to 9:30 slot tonight (Wed.) on CBS-TV, while ABC-TV runs only film .shorts. It is: also noted, however, that Kraft has no, popular show iHimedTa'fely preceding it which would keep viewers' dials tuned to NBC, Pick- up from the Village Barn, N. Y. nitery, occupies the 8:30 to 9 slot Wednesday nights and it has yet to make its mark as a lop-rated show. "Kraft," incidentally, will in- troduce a new play next Wednes- day (9) by John Cecil Holm, who wrote the legitcr "Three Men on a Horse." New one. localed in Gramercy Park, N. Y , is tilled "Gramercy Ghost" and the play- wright has invited a group of top Broadway producer.s to watch it on TV for its possible staging sub- sequently on Broadway. "Her Mas- ter's Voice," starring Ernest Truex, will be presented on the Kraft show tonight (Wed.). WBKB EXPAITDS TV NEWS Chicago, Feb. 1. WBKB announced an expanded newjs sked on TV built around news ed Ulmer Turner. Turner starts 15-min. Sunday stint next week (6)* besides 10- minute spot on Wednesday and two five-minute, flve-a-week spots. Washington, Feb. i. American. Jel. & Tel., Western Union and Philco Corp., got in their last arguments yesterday (31), in the fight before the Fcc to force the Bell System to inter- connect with microwave relays for television network transmission. Hearings on FCC regulations, under which AT&T has refused to interconnect •vith' non-owned q^r- > cults were held last December. The parties were given until the end of January to file briefs, Philco told the Commission in- terconnection between coaxial and microwave should be required in the interest of television develop- ment. "The need for networks" in video is "so immediate and great," it said, ''that everyone desiring to enter this field should be given every possible encouragement." It added that present regulations give AT&T a monopoly von video service and hinder nationwide networks. The firm declared its rown relay circuit between New ' (York and Philadelphia can't be used to carry ' programs travelling over Bell Sys- tem facilities and that it was pre- vented from transmitting several programs last fall because, of the existing. regulations. Western Union, it added, has been likewise :unable:'to sell its microwave video service to broadcasters. WU charged AT&T with seeking a monopoly position in TV inter- : connection which would also' em- ' brace the manufacturing of micro- wave relay facilities through its subsidiary, Western Electric Co. WU said '75% of the circuit mileage of the planned, telephone company network will be provided by mi- , crowave relay. AT&T, defending the regulations as "just and reasonable," said it is meeting the requirements of the television industry "as promptly as practicable." Bell System plans for 1949 and 1950, it revealed, in- ; elude both radio relay and coaxial cable facilities for aadttional chan- nels along existing routes and for channels to eonnect many cities in the east and midwest as well as be- tween Los Angeles and Frisco on the Coast. About 4,600 circuit miles of system intercity channels are assigned to video network serv- ; ice, company said. TEXTRON BACK ON AIR VIAHARTMANTVSHOW Another instance of an ex-^net- . work radio user returning to the air—but this time via video—has cropped up in the case of Tex- tron. Textile company has bought a half-hour show with Paul and Grace Hartman for a Sunday eve- ning TV web spread, starting Feb. 27. Network, however, hasn't been chosen yet. Show will be in the nature of "The Hartmans at Home," with guests, etc. Textron pulled out of radio sev- eral years ago after sponsoring Helen Hayes in a Saturday night dramatic stanza on CBS. Unused Titles Seen In Danger on 'Test' Verdict Precedent-making decision handf .. ed down in N. Y. supreme court last week, which virtually wipes out rights to unused program tir ties, will be appealed by plaintiffs Robert Monroe and Latham Ovens^ losers in a copyright violation suit against the "Hollywood Screen Test" television show. In tossing out the case. .Tiidgc Aron Steuer declared the Irade- mark protection of the "Screen Test" name had been abandoned by the plaintilfs'because of their non-use of the title for four years. Monroe and Ovens had filed action against Lester Lewis, producer oi the "Screen Test" show; emcee Neil Hamilton, and the ABC web, on complaint that the show in- fringed on the copyright of a radio show they Owned, which ran unaeir the title of "Screen Test." According to the two plaintiffs, the judge's decision might wen nullify the copyright protection o? a limitless number of radio ano TV programs, which haven't been on the air in recent years, AoJ' itself might be affected, they point- ed out.