Variety (January 1950)

linSCXULANlT Ve<liie8jay» Januaiy 18^ 1950 ^gfts3.Uar thfi wfiltraiscd-again^^ television by major film companies ' v‘ill crumblo soon developed this week when Paramount launched Into an out-and-out attempt at star buildup via the hitherto shunned video medium, par is turning to tele, in a string of Video appear- ances by Wendell Gorey, to give “Thelma Jordon,” Hal Wallis pro- duction, a fast fcickoif.: Pic preems inf the -Paramount theatre, ;New York, today (18). At the s a m e time,. Stanley Kramer, currently producing “The Men ” is planhing a big : test of teley potentialities as a bUilder- uppeir for Marlon Brando, legit actor breaking into pix ab star of “Men.” kramer will film a 15- minute short, including scenes “Men,’f to introduce Brando to ' set Owners./' Short will be hahded cuffo to stations all o v e r the country, through fieldmen beating t h e drums for the pic. Kramer's ae- tioh follows highly successful use of tele for his film, "Champion,” When it opened in New York. Kirk Douglas^ star Of the film, made as many guest appearances oyer TV as possible. Douglas, a coiuparar tive unknown in Gotham, was fre- quently stopped on the streets by film fans who recognized him from tele.. Slotting of Corey by Paramount is a direct reversaV of a studio ban against TV appearances. Par, like other majors, has refused an okay Jack Carson Obtaiits Hollywood, Jan. 17. . Jack Garsort,' with two years and 10 months to go oh his Warner contract, has obtained his release after ip yearsswith the studio. Actor has beefed for Some time dyer assignmknis, recently nixing a role in “Elmcr/^ following which he asked for pact cancellation. He expects to jg’eelance, HollywOdd,, jan. 17/ Charles K: Feldman has ac- , qu ired screen rights to “They Shall Not/Die,” play by John Wexley which Theatre Guild produced in 1934. Play, which starred Claude Rains and/Ruth Gordon; was sec- ond in line that year for Pulitzer prize. It is based on Scottsborp Case, in which nine negroes were condemned to dPath. in" Alabama for allegedly assaulting two white girls, and deals starkly with sub- ject of race prejudice. Feldman will make picture either independently or through major release, with some possi- in many instances to requests for j bllity Warners may distribute, tele dates for its stars. BOb Hope, for instance, was permitted recently to appear in a • one-shot TV film program only on condition that the film oh Hope be immediately de- stroyed after the one showing. •Corey is not merely making a “^customary series of casual guest shots” for his lineup of tele shows, Max Youngstein, Par’s ad-pub chief, stresses'. Program is a de- liberately planned one to sell tickets for “Jordon,” Youngstein said, with the company testing tele’s potentialities as a direct pub- licity, exploitation medium. Corey is appearing with Roberta Quinlan, NBC; “Dinner at Sardi’s.” WOR-TV; Wendy Barrie, ABC; “Okay Mother,” DuMont; Faye Emerson, CBS; Eloise McElhbne, DuMont; and “Break the Bank.” NBC. He Ayill also put in TV chores^.on a number of stations in cities other than N. Y. '' ‘ since he set his last two indie deals, “Glass Menagerie’’ and “Streetcar Named Desire,” with the Valley studio. Wexley is writ- 1 ing screenplay and will produce or direct the film. / ; Author gets $40,000; plus 25% of profits. Theatre Guild .receives percentage of Wexley-s take for its interest in story rights. In addi- liori to this cbin, Wexley will also be/pald for job as director or pro- ducer. Deal calls for him to have full control over “artistic in- tegrity” of story and for him and Feldman mutually to agree upon all details of production, including casting and technical phases. Rains may take; role of the attpr- ney, M'hich he played on stage, There is possibility Kirk Douglas also may be starred. He is a Feld- man client. This, however, has not been pinned down, nor has Rains been Signed. Contract be-^ tween Feldman and Wexley calls for a starting date six months hence. If cameras aren’t turning by that time (roughtly July 15) all Finally Gets a Rome, Jan. 12. Lamberto Maggioriani, Star of “The Bicycle Thief,” who has been looking Unsuccessfully for a com- mon iaborer’s. job for the last sev- eral weeks, has been inked by the Hungarian director; Geza Rad- vanyi, for another film. Radyanyi, who made “it Happened in Eu- rope,” plans tp make a pic about Maggioi’iani’s story, using his house, friends and biographical incidents just as they happened. Maggioriani, who found it im- possible to get back his old la- bbrer’s job; after completing his first: film role in “Bicyple Thief,’’ has also been offered a job by the representaUye of WQV, ;New Yorjk fpreign-laiiguage radio station. WILL^ Tlrlk epmedian, ■ Singer and Dancer. . > Dancer ... Prancer ,.. Schinancer what’s ' tiie difference as lo^ .a^s ypii’re bopked and ypU always, especially. If it’s diwaotion .Toe Giaser’s Associated Bopking Corp.; Ken Dolati Explains Hollywood, Jan. 17. Ken Dolan, speaking for Shirley Ross^ Maxie Rosenblopm and Larry Stevens, said yesterday (Mon:) that they knew nothing pf a. sched- uled appearance on Dec. 31 of ah Air Force entertainment unit at the 110th Station hospital in Vien- na. Dolan issued tfis statement as a result of a report that Air Force officials were burned up by a last- minute Gancellatipn of the show by Gene Raymond, one of tlie stars ; in: ;the overseas troupe/ j “If Miss Ross, Rosenbloom and Stevens had known of; the sched-^ uled appearance,” the agent said, “they would have gone on with the show regardless of what personal obstacles arose.” 1-18 kubseripitipri Form Enclosed find check for $..,,;.. - Please Sehd VARIETY for S'*® To V * • '• • k • • > ■(riea>'i P.i-fnt Nam*) Stredt ily . . •, .. • • / . ; ... /;/i&one.,.. . State. Rtgulor SubscFiptioii Rqtts pnt Yqor^$l 0.60 Two ytart--^$1 R.00 Coitodd oiid Fcj^eigit—^$1 Additioool per Tcoir P^IBTr Jne. 154 Wes* 4Mh $tr«e* W New York W. N. Y. A delegation of radio and screen scripters from the Coast met with representatives of the Authors League of America in New York last week in a conference “to avoid the jurisdictionai morass the per- formers are now in.” Net effect of the confab was to strengthen the National Television Committee which the ALA set up last July, while protecting the claims of the Radio Writers and Screen Writers Guilds. Th® conference was an attempt to clarify the thorny issue of juris- diction, which had been left up in the air in the July compromise. At the meeting there was, a sharp cleavage between the ALA’s radio and screen writers, on the one hahd. and the authors and drama- tists, bn the other. Reason for the division is the fact that RWG and SWG negotiate basically for staff’ Scripters,. while the AG . and D'G are more interested in rights. Dramatists, for example, said they would not want RWG to negotiate unilatefially for them because rights are Very important in TV, while RWG said that because a dramatist’s play is adapted for video he is not thereby a TV writer.- . . . ■ However, despite the long de- bates, a resolution was finally agreed upon, although a subse- quent meeting has been called to speil out one of the points in the July deal. NTC will have authority, accord- ing to the new resolution, to accept as members, in the name of ALA, the “floating’’ video writers not at present in any guild. It will be. able to assign these new members to a guild or to the Television Writers Group. Fact that the TWG is retained has been interpreted as “a blow to those RWG forces who wanted RWG to get the lion’s share of TV. jurisd^ctibn.” How- ever, according to its spokesmen, “RWG never asked for all jurisdic- tion and never sought to operate outside 'the July agreemeht. In the field of negotiations it is agreed that the ALA may ask spe- cific guilds to negotiate for it, but in the name of the entire orgahiza- tiori rather than that bf the indi- vidual guild. However, still to be straightened out is that part of the July agreement which gave the SWG the right to continue hegotia- tions with the studios and said that when it is necessary contracts covering both radio and television could be negotiated with the RWG naming armajority of the negotiT. ating cmnmittee:’ ; Questions raised, and presum- ably to be answered at the next meeting, are whethef this phrase- ology refers to simUicaSts or to AM and TV and what is the ihterpre- tation of “when it is necessary.” A separate meeting of the east- ern branch of the NTC was also held, with the Coast reps; sitting in, to discuss a pattern for a mihimum. basic agreement, iiicluding salaries, grieVanqcs, working conditions, etc. On these issues there was reported clearcut unity. > , _ Washington,, Jan.; 17. Most romantic guy of thV year,' Vice-President Albeh Barkley, is definitely slated for the top Orooner spot in the “Original Amateur Hour” show of Feb. 2, .opening the American Heart Assn.’s annual fund drive. Barkley, according to the dppesters, will 8iVe but with his fayorile; “Wagpii Wheels,” the ;new Mrs, Barkley, aecompaiiies bn uie piano,’"' Announcement that the/Barkleys will occupy the star spot is expected to guarantee a. sellout for Constitu- tion Hall, at which the radio show and its; after bill will originate.- HoUse is scaled frotti- $1.85 to $5 plus tax and will gross a little over $12,000 if all seats are purchased.' ; Unusual feature is that the “Orig-. inal Amateur Hour” will not claim any of the gross to cover expenses, Tab for the entire affair, including rental of the Auditoriuin, is being picked up’ by the sponsor, P, Loril- lard Co. Hence the gross will be net for the HCari fund/ An hoi^r of the show will: be broadcast byer the full ABC Web. Fbllowing week, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, most of the troupe will move oyer to New-York; in two private cars to put on another show for the New York Heart fund. Tickets will be sold for the :ihterhationai theatre at which the Loti Goldberg-; Lloyd marks amateur show norm al-, ly brigihates. The second session ' is slated to be televised over the NBC video net. Thus far the shoiv is moving ahead, with a heavy publicity barrage, both Ipcally and ovbr. the press wires. Life magazine lertsers have heen on hand, snapping the auditions, and reporters from the three national press services arid the local papers have been around ' to do features, as have press and newsreel photographers. With the show still Shaping, here is the partial lineup as of today (17):- High Court Judges Tn/addition to the Barkleys, the entire supreme Court is expected to attend and Chief Justice Fred Virisbn will be bn stage to take a bow/ Several members of the Cabinet have taken boxes. Speaker of the House Sam Ray hum, of Texas, will bang thb gong to blow1, down the acts on the air. ,. There will be a- “Celebrity Chorus” ebmposed of 12 seriatbrs on the ABC. show and perhaps foi* the later TV show in New York. Already clinched are the follow- ing: Owen Brewster, Maine; Scott Lucas, Illinois, majority leader of |.the : Senate; Roberi; S. Kerr, Okla- homa, and Estes Kefauver, Ten- nessee. Among bther$ expected to be included in the “celeb” dozen are Robert A;/Taft, Ohio, and Ken- neth Whoriy, Nebraska, Republican leader of the Senate. Another feature on the air is to be the “Heart/Fund Symphony Orch,” a pickup aggregation which already includes former FGC chair- man Paul A. Porter, vice-admiral Clark H. Woodward, Rep. Reva I Beck Besone, woman Congressman from Utah; Rep^, Frank Boykin, of Alabama, and Louis G. Rabout, i of Michigan, and others. They are j now looking arourid for a spot for Oscar Chapman, Secretary of the Interior, who has. ybluriteered. One feature for the after-show for TV will be a $quare dance to the music of “Put Your Little Foot Down,” darieed by seven Texas Congressmen arid their wives-^ Tom. Pickett, ;Lloyd M.: Bentseri,, Jr , Wyligate Lucas, Homer /riiorn- i heriy, Ken Regan, Ed Gossett and ! pliii Teague; /: ■ ; ; In the singing trio will be Mrs: Claude Pepper, wife of the Florida 1 Senator; Mrs. /Kate Malone, wife of the Nevada Senator and a “Masked Maryel,” a still unnamed Seriatpr. This win bP o^^ air , as iyill a harmony quartet compos-1 ed of four Democratic Congress- men—Percy Priest;: of Tennessee, Democratic whip of the House; Aren Harris; of Arkansas; Toby Morris, of Oklahoma; and Frank Wilson, of Texas. Mrs. Frarices P. Bolton, of Ohio, one of thb wealthi- est members of Congress, will sing the .Nellie Tayloe Ross, dirbctor of the U. Mint; will .perform on the piano in the after-show. Bevefly Farringtori, daughter of the Gpngressiorial delegate from Hawaii, will dP a hUla dance to the accompanimerit of Capt. John L. Collins, bf the Navy, in both the after-show and the TV show ! out of NeW York, Slated fbf both Uie at^ shoffi herprimd:^^ York TV show is ReariAdmiral George L. Russell, Judge Advo- cate Geiieiral of the Navy, Who is a fine; ban joist. He operates wit h a banjo given hini by Eddie Pea- hody. ' . .. .. Scheduled to. sing a duet With an as yet unriamed/partrier in t after-show and on TV is Mrt, cp r- nelius Vanderbilt Vi^itney, whose hUsbaiid is / Under-Secretary of Coirimerce. Rep. Dewey Short, of the Ozark region bf Missouri, will do imitatiorib of Johnny Burke, the Pldtime vaudebomedian,; and Win- ston ChufehiU on the air show; : An interesting trio for the iiir show will be composed bf tiilee Naval officers, / Adiriiral De - Witt Ramsey arid Capt, John Waters at pianos, and Capt. George Beecher, with a guitar. And they are still coming in for auditions.: I I V '-‘' r /- ■ ■; ‘ ^ ' ■'“■. Jfc -"'-* 874 G for N. Y.|flmc^H^ “On the Town," Metro’s neW mu- sical, backed by annual Xmas stageshpw and “Nativity” pageant the first four weeks, is. winding up its six-week run at ■ N. Y. Music Hall -today (Wed.) wiib ® new ati- time ; gross high of $874,OOu or better for that period. This is more than $300,000 ahead of the $568,- 500 registered in the first six Weeks at the Hall by the long-run record holder, “Random Harvest” < M-GV. Latter ran 11 weeks and took in $1,105,000 for that period. Disparity in fosses the first six weeks of “Harvest” as compared with “Town’* is found partially Iri the house,scale. “Harvest” started the middle of .December, 1942, when the Scale was 44c to $1,65. Since then greatly increased operating costs have gradually pushed up the admission range so that today the Hall gets 80c-$2;40. Latter price is for reserved seats at night, with the general admis- sion rtlll stayirig at $1.40 weekday nights, one of thb low admittance scales /or a combo house bn Broad- way currentlY. “Town,” too, had the advantage bf $3.60 New Year’s Eve price lor reserved seats, this being in the fourth week when the Hall hit an all-time weekly record of $i77;000. ^Recent smash six-week runs were made at this big house by “Silver Lining” (WB) and “Words and Music” (M-O). “Lining.” Which operied in July last year, made the best showing, registei iiig $828,000 In six weeks. “Words.” which started iri December, 1948, hung up $818,000. Maybe the Cangressniah Never Heard of Race Bias! Washington, Jan. 17. , Texas Congressman Wright Pat- man, who has been urging removal of the nation’s capital from VVa-sh- ington to somewhere west of the Mississippi, came Up with a new reason last week. Washington is a “disgrace.'’ he announced in a Statement, hcc.nuse, it laclcs an operating legit ihentre. Said Patman In his latest effort on the subject: “In 23, years the town has biiilt oiiiy one hotel of major impor- tance. . “The city, supposed to reflect the .glory and power an d c 11 11 u l e bf a free people selected b.v t he Creator to . receive thb/richest blessings iri all history, /does not even have a legitimatb .(hcatrel The town is a national disgrace to the dignity of a great nalioh/’ For years the town’s only legiteiy the National has abaridohed legit rather than change to a nom.segre- gatipn policy fof Negroes: Jaek Benny will iaUrich (h« American Heart Eurid dlive *: $6,000,000 on his Eeb. 5 show; emanating from New York, vhen he accepts the ‘ ‘Amre ricn ti e 1 1 Assn, award as King of llcart.s.^ Benny is due to arrive in New York Jan. 25 for two weeks diuy ing which time he’ll gander Broad- way shows- arid corifer with CoiFp. of America’'toppers. He * go baclt to Hollywood iri time ivi the Febi 12 display.