Variety (December 1950)

Wednesday, December 27, 19$0 RADIO-TBUSVISION 29 Inside Staff—Tdevision RCA had the biggest year In Its history during 1950, with television accounting for 75% of gross Income, board chairman David Samoff revealed in a year^nd statement this week. He said that profits and stockholder dividends were larger than ever before and that employment Increased substantially. During 1950, he declared, TV reached pro- portions in performance and growth that qualify it for major service in helping to speed the nation’s defense mobilization efforts. “At this time of national emergency,” he added, “America is particularly fortunate in that, since the end of World War 11, TV has been developed to the extent that 40,000,000 Americans now comprise the TV audience. This is of tremendous importance to the country, since it provides a new medium to supplement radio’s vast audience in achieving fullest unity of purpose,” He noted that President Truman’s recent speech pro- claiming a national emergency was viewed by one of the largest audi- ences ever to see and hear a President at one time. “His audience sur- passed in numbers the total population of the country in 1850,” Samoff ■said. . • New series of awards foir television programming, to be known as “Sylvias,” has been set up by Sylvania Electric to help mark its 50th anni in 1951. Top award each year is to go to the program “best illus- trating creative TV technique,” with other awards going to individuals who are “considered to have made the greatest contributioh*Vas a Writer, producer, director, actor or actress, camera man, scenic designer, light- ing expert and make-up man. First winners are to be feted with a dinner next August. Deems Taylor has been chosen to chairihan the judges committee, with other judges to be selected from among show biz execs, educators, officials of parent-Teachers and Women’s clubs, critics and business men. Shell Oil’s annual luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y., was given unusual coverage last week by a camera crew from WNBT, NBC-TV’s Gothani key. Team lensed the pre-lunch and mealtime activities, proc- essed the clips, added titles and screened them at the end of the affair, 90 minutes laterv WNBT, which carries Shell newscasts, picked up the tab. Stunt was a development of the technique used at the annual NBC affiliates meet- ing at White Sulphur Springs this year/when morning sessions were lensed and the fflm screened the same afternoon. Television rights to the entire case histories of the International Police have been obtained by indie packager Art Cooper, who plans to produce a series of half-hour vidftlms based on the crimes solved by the unit. He declined to reveal his financing setup but said the pix are to roll at the General Service Studios in Hollywood, starting about March 1, Cooper has not pacted with any actors yet but hopes to line up a name star who will play the lead role in the entire series. Geza Herezeg, who won an Academy Award for his script on “Life of Emile Zola,” is to handle the writing assignment. Police imit, which head- quarters in Paris and represents a number of countries, including the U. S., has been in operation for the last 28 years. During that time it has worked on more than 1,000 cases, all of which will be available to Cooper. Television Reviews Continued from page 23 to the whole proceedings; ^‘Uncle Milty” knocked himself out clown- ing, gagging and stooging, and the kids who comprised most of the studio audience, as well as the dozen or so onstage for extra “dressing,” had a time of it. Berle’s good spirits, his obvious warmth of feeling as he threw himself Whole- heartedly into the proceedings, were communicative. If the show was noisy, it was in keeping with the occasion; Berle W'as no noisier or more exuberant than his guests. Acts were standard, with most of them good, and included pup- pets, a dog turn, trained monkeys, magic act, juggling, and an aero act. Berle, as is his custom, clowned in some of them to maximum re- sults, taking some falls in the aero turn, and getting a real beating in a cartoonist takeoff. Last-named was the only full sketch in which Berle appeared, and was one of the weaker segments of the show, but Berle worked like a Trojan in it, while the audience ate up the pie in his face, the water over his head, and the powder in his nose and eyes. Lauritz Melchiort looking like a kindly grandpa with his white hair and tortoise-shell glasses, added a note of distinction with his brief appearance, singing “House I Lived In” very affectingly. Martha Raye walked on briefly wdth daughter Melody to say hello. Show was participating, with Abraham & Straus picking, up tab in N. Y. Berle handled the A&S commer- cials himself, and did them credit- ably. He also changed mood briefly for a sincere pitch for aid to handi- capped children. Bren, the joyful hour With Pat O’Brien, Ruth Hussey, Nelson Leigh, Lloyd Corrigan, Thurston Hall, Cecil Cunning- ham, Rhys Williams, Roger Wag- . ner Chorale, others Producer; Father Patrick Peyton Director: Frank McDonald 60 Mins.; Mon. (24), 10 p.m. Sustaining . ABC-TV, from New York . Father Patrick Peyton, whose Family Theatre religious programs on radio and TV at the CJhristmas season are now an established cus- tom, scored again this year with ‘The Joyful Hour.” Filmed for Video in Hollywood by the Jerry Fairbanks Multi-Cam process, the picture was a well-produced* well- acted story of the birth of Christ. Major TV nets all carried the film over the weekend, as did most in- uependent outlets. Ilf commbh with* his jii’ecedirfg' Family Theatre, airers, Father Peyton lined up an imposing cast of professionals to portray Biblical roles. The contemporary scene was represented by Pat O’Brien and his family, who gathered in their living room for the rosary. As the group prayed, the film flashed back some 1,950 years to Palestine. Series of historical events which led up to Christ’s birth in the Bethlehem manger were recap- tured with skill and reverence by the large cast. Particularly out- standing were Ruth Hussey as Mary and Nelson Leigh as Joseph. Supporting players who included Rhys Williams, Lloyd Corrigan and Cecil Cunningham, among others, helped add to the overall quality of the production by striking per- formances. Program was presented by the Family Rosary Crusade of Albany, in cooperation with various sta- tions which carried the film. At the close of the picture, it was pointed out that the “lesson of the Bethlehem family is as valid and as powerful” today as in those Biblical times. Domestic unity was also stressed through the admonition that “the family that prays to- gether stays together.” uilb. LoyaKy Oath Continued from page 19 Barnouw. Meanwhile exec secre- tary Luise Silcox called CBS exec v.p, Joseph H, Ream, informiug him that ALA members were hold- ing off signing until a stand is taken. Ream promised that no ac- tion will be taken concerning ALA members until the council decides ALA policy tomorrow. Ream had signed CBS’ interofr fice memo which said, iii part, “To- day we are faced with a new crisis in our national life. The President of the United States has declared a national emergency. If we are to fulfill our pbligatioiis and re- sponsibilities as radio and televi- sion broadcasters in this new crisis we must do at least two things: first, we must make sure that our broadcasting Operations in the pub- lic interest are not interrupted by sabotage or violence; second, we must make sure that the full con- fidence of our listeaers and view- ers is unimpaired.” For these reasons, Ream wrote, CBS was asking its employees ’\(rhether they are now, or haVfe ever been, a member of the Communist Party, or any Communist organi- zation, or a Fascist organization, or “any organization, association, movement, group, or combination of persons which advocates the overthrow of our cdnstitutional form of government, or of an or- ganization, association, movement, group or combination of persons which has adopted a policy of ad- vocating or approving the commis- sion of acts of force or violence to deny other persons their rights un- der the Constitution of the United States or of seeking to alter the form of government of the United States by unconstitutional means.” Appended was a list of organiza- tions and groups designated totali- tarian, fascist, communist or sub- versive by the Attorney General of the U. S. / The network did not state what would happen to employees who failed tO fill out the forms, Some staffers expressed the View that the questionnaire constituted an “invasion of their privacy and civil liberties by a private organization,” with “the club of possible dismis- sal hanging over their heads.” The questionnaire caused confu- sion at the network as some employ- ees immediately signed the form and. others decided, temporirily at least, not to. Those opposing the questionnaire at the ALA council meeting said that “even in World War II networks did hot take such a step.” They expressed the view that “the CBS plan might spread through the Industry, being adopt- ed by agencies, indie packagers and other nets.” Legal question was asked wheth- er a private concern has the right to query employees on their politi- cal affiliations and sympathies. Lack Directors Continued from page 22 invested during the last year in new personnel, studios, facilities, etc., they are far from showing a profit. As a result, even though they may be sold out at night, they cannot afford to air ambitious sus- taining programs during the open time still available. Walling is currently pitching to NBC’s top echelon the prime im- portance of opening up ^t least one-half hour per week for experi- mental programming, which could be utilized as a new testing ground for fledgling directors. Web top- pers to date have turned down his request on the plea that they can- not afford such a project . Walling would not have a series of shows of the same' kind in the half-hour, but would use the slot to showcase different types of programs. Web conducted a similar project last year on Monday nights alternating with the Robert Montgomery dra- matic series, which proved valu- able in training new directors, Walling said. That slot this sea- son, however, is occupied by Proc- ter Sc Gamble’s “Musicql* Comedy Time.” Illustrating his predicament, Walling said he has one floor man- ager now who is ready to be upped to full director’s status as soon as he gets some actual directing ex- perience behind him. But the web won’t permit the necessary sustaining shows and the agencies are reluctant to take a chance on any untried director for one of their shows. Only alternative open to Walling is to shift the tyro for his training down to WNBT, the web’s key N. Y. outlet, where he would work on local shows. But that, too, is n.s.g., Walling said, since WNBT ie trying to build its own staff of directors and resents being flooded with new talent who will learn their tricks there and then be moved back up into the network operation, Same problem was aired in a different way recently by Fred Coe, producer of NBC’s “Philco TV Playhouse.” One of the vet producer-directors on the NBC staff, Coe voiced the fear that the lack of sustaining showcase time would prevent even the tried-and- tested directors from experimenting With new techniques ahd ideas. Be- ing forced to turn out one or two commercial shows each week of the same general format, Cpe de- clared, might groove the entire staff into an unimaginative rut. Boston^Wendell Davis, for past several years, publicity director of WBZ and WBZ-TV, has trans- ferred to video production at the Hub NBC outlet. Publicity post has been assigned Cliff Hill, for- merly of the news room of the statioh. . ’' ' How Thankful Never enough! But anyhow j , i /. Thanks to UNCLE MILTY" BERLE the sweetest guy this side of Santa Claus for his great work On H UNCLE MILTY’S CHRISTMAS PARTY (NBC-TV-GHRlSTMAS DAY-3-4 P.AA.) U Thanks to ABRAHAM & STRAUS and specifically to patient, ulcer-ridden DILL TODEY and ED BERAAAN 'm ■' Thanks to V Uncle Mjjty's red-nosed reindears IRVING GRAY... ARTHUR KNORR...Bi Co. Thanks to the WILLIAAA MORRIS gong to NBC *. . to TV... to You ... to Wo and Thanks to those we’ve forgotten to thank (fill .Ve Thanks from 9 East 40th Street, New York Id • ** e Advertising Agency that handled it all)