Variety (January 1952)

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■ABIO-TEUEVISIOIV V«Aio^lmi9 Tele Followups Comment Continued from page 31 movements in the background. Program otherwise had its bright spots and some that were not so bright. Nanci Crompton, working against an impressive-looking set, teed off the proceedings with her standard ballet spins, impressing with her speed and precision in variations on the same theme, Cameras cut expertly from her spins to Nelson Sanchez and his top* spinning routine, but his^ct turned out on the dull side. Lenses failed to capture much of his manipulation and, while he’s good in what he does, he didn’t do enough. Eddy Howard failed to impress with a visualization of 'his discliqk, “Sin,” and a new tune. Best of the show,, besides Lewis, was a short segment of Jan de Hartog’s “Fourposter,” played by Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn, who co-star in the current Broadway production.. Duo displayed solid dramatics in the scene wherein the father discovers, his children have become adults. Besides providing fine entertainment, the bit served as a socko trailer for the legit production. Bert Wheeler added whatever other comedy there was* teaming with Sullivan in a takeoff on an old hurley skit. NBC-TV’s “Philco Playhouse” came up Sunday night (27) with one of the best shows it’s done this season, an original by David Swift titled “Segment.” Story of the efforts of a group of police, doctors, etc., trying to talk a temporarily demented man out of his threat to kill his wife in a locked hotel room, the play had considerable hitchcockian suspense and an imaginative use of new production techniques to keep viewers glued. It also had overtones both of 20thFox’s recent “14 Hours” film and of “First Person Singular,” a program produced almost six years ago by “Philco” producer Fred Coe, which has since become something of a video classic. Switf’s script left some loose ends dangling, such as why the wife, introduced as. a powerful, domineering type, would , remain ^ringing in a corner, instead of trying to fight back against her husband, especially when he had his back turned to her. But such aspects of the story were minor in the overall effect. Coe and direqr tor Delbert Mann matched Swift in their imaginative use of TV pro duction techniques, particularly, in the way they had an actual video camera operating from what was supposedly a -building across the street from the hotel, so the cops could watch the man in his room. One shot, of the camera lens,, a cop with binoculars and another with a telescopic-sighter rifle, all tracking the man in unison, was especially effective. Cast, too, contributed heftily to the suspenseful presentation. Eileen Heckart, as the shrewish, nagging wife, copped the honors in a portrayal that probably had viewers wishing the husband would carry out his threat. Mercer McLeod registered solidly in the difficult role of the husband, and Deirdre. Owens was good as their teenage daughter, Joseph Anthony also turned in a masterful performance as the shrewd but human police lieutenant. Story, incidentally, had a twist ending which, while it might have been telegraphed, was nonetheless effective. coaxial cables, are carrying all the news and commentary out of Washington that the traffic will bear, and nothing novel in. a strictly entertainment way seems likely to come from D. C. in the near future. Hence, It; is "felt that video cannot call for more out of the town until conditions change. TV ‘Recital Hall’ Continued from pace 24 uation last v year, when AnchorHocking dropped its “Broadway Open House,” which had been networked cross-the-board from 11 p. nw to midnight. . NBC has wanted that hour, back repeatedly, but the Ideal stations refuse to give it up. Affiliates prefer to program the time On their own, since by selling it locally, they can get their full card rates instead of the percentage they, would derive from .taking a network show. NBC execs, meanwhile, are anticipating some squawks on the demise of “Recital Hall,” since the show had been hailed by some critics as a welcome addition to the meagre cultural fare presented on TV. But, just as occurred when it trimmed “Kiikla, Fran & Ollie” from a half-hour to 15 minutes, with a resultant outcry from the press and public, the web will be forced to explain that such moves are controlled by the economics 'of the business. D. C. Originations Now atarrtng. on NEC's ALL STAR RBVUI Saturday'* p.m.» EST Mgt.i William Morrla Aooncy Continued from page 25 TV shows, three of them news and comment. ABC starts 14 regular radio shows a week, only six of them news, but has no network TV origination except for the Billy Graham revival meetings. The Mutual springboard here is WWDC, which puts out 18 radio shows over that network weekly, including 11 news add commentary type. WTTG, the DuMont video outlet here, goes in very heavily for local program ming, but does manage to offer three Washington shows to its network weekly. For the time being, at least, the I Profitable TV Audience exclusive with WGALTV LANCASTER, PENNA Only TV station m — only TV station seen — in this large ",r h Pennsylvania market cir.-ci Represented by New York lot Angeles San Francisco Chicago UTP’s Cross Continued from page 22 Enterprises is a prime source of UTP product. The distrib is handling the selling of “Royal Playhouse” (subsequent run of previously titled “Fireside Theatre,” dramatic series) which, is being beamed in 34 TV cities. Also there’s ‘‘Rebound,” another BCE half-hour dramatic pic sold in 17 markets. “The Chimps ” novelty quarter-hour reel, likewise is being sold by UTP. A hot new property now being distributed is Walter Schwimmer’s Movie Quick Quiz,” videoversion of his “Tello-Test” radio quizzer, jlthich has been sold in 15 markets. The package was launched just a couple , of weeks ago. Another “best-seller is the halfhour “American Barn Dance” bundle produced by Kling Studios in Chi, which is. now riding on 20 stations. Other Kling properties are “Paradox” and “File Facts,” both five-minute quickies, Marlon Parsonnet’s “Hollywood Off-Beat,” starring Melvyn Douglas, has been set in 26 markets. The March of Time has the halfhour tele pix optioned in 17 cities to go with its “Crusade iii the Pacific” documentary. Other films in the UTP catalog are: Clayton Cousens’ “Fashion Previews;” Joe McCaUghtry’s “Sleepy Joe,” Stillfilm’s “Justice In the Universe,” and Telemount Pictures’ “Cowboy G-Men.” Of the latter Series, seven half-hour segments, are canned with the balance of the 26-pic package in production. The organizational expansion of UTP itself, since it was. launched in January, *1951, indicates, the blossoming of vidpix biz within the past calendar. As the outfit was originally set up by Gerald King and Blink, prexy and veepee respectively of Standard Radio, the vidpix sales force way to be made lip largely of Standard and Edward Petry station rep personnel. The Standard and Petry field crews are Still used, but UTP has been forced, to establish its Own individual staff under sales chief Aaron Beckwith. During the past few weeks sales managers have been hired to work out of the Chi and Hollywood offices. John Rohrs heads up the Chi sales staff and Wynn Nathan the Coast office; Pathe Option Continued from page 22 new company, that under present plans vidpix . producer clients of his new company, that under present plans vidpix producers turning out product for NFD would produce at Eagle Lion and share ownership. Move is aimed at. reducing production costs, he elaborated. NFD is capitalized at $250,000, and Eells said he has assurances from N. Y. and L. A. regarding additional coin for purchase of the studio and financing Of production on vidpix properties planned by producers who will distrib through NFD. Initial product to be handled by National Film are "Little Orphan Annie” and “Gasoline Alley,” which will be shot by Este Productions, headed by Arthur L. Stem and William Trinz. Eells said his plan of operation is basically same as presently exists ih motion picture industry in financing, in that banks will examine each vidpix series presented, and if satisfied with entire package, will then okay the financing. Arrangements for long-term interim financing are now in process, with initial underwriting for first twoyear period tentatively set at $6,240,000, he says, Bank will okay properties only if satisfied with each deal, plus value of residuals in each case. Eells, former Federal Bank examiner, KHJ sales manager, and Young and Rubicam exec, plans “spread-of-cost” principle to company sales operation, amortizing costs over five-year period. He is skying east this week to confab with associates imChicago and N. Y. Inside Stuff-Radio Murray Arnold, WIP, Philadelphia, program director, alarmed over the growing blackout of Vic Damone members on the station's disk programs, Issued a directive to all dee jays ordering fuller representation for Damone’s platters on WIP shows. A veteran himself, Arnold in his memo declared: “Because Damone is noW in the service and is out of the entertainment picture for the duration, it behooves all of us to repay him for the sacrifice he is ‘making and keep his name fresh and alive in the minds and ears of the public.” Arnold directive also applies to others in service such as Eddie Fisher. Latter, however, is more fortunate since he is still in the country cutting platters and has strong managerial representation, it was pointed but. Since Damone has none of these advantages, WIP spinners were asked to see he got his “normal representation” on station’s alters. Newscasts' popularity lias jumped nearly 300% among radio listeners in the Twin Cities’ area in the last 17 years, according to a KSTP Newspaper logs show that in 1935 KSTP was the only Twin Cities radio station, which listed news programs as such. At that time it carried 27 news programs per week, or six and a-half hours’ worth, it’s revealed. • KSTP today carries 97 radio news programs per week, or a total of 17% hours, and newscasts occupy a similarly important place in other Twin Cities stations broadcast activities, Joe Cook, sales promotion head, discloses. Also, KSTP-TV now carries 36 news programs weekly. Religious groups should concentrate their broadcast efforts on AM rather than. TV, Albert Crews, production director of the Protestant Broadcasting and Film Commission told a church meeting in St. Louis Monday. (28). Crews said that While big spenders are leaving , radio for tele, religious broadcasters can’t “afford the luxury” of pioneering in video. He said that there .are more car radios alone than tele sets in the country, and that the Protestant commission will do nine radio shows for each tele stanza, However, he added, the religious groups should watch teeyee audience availability and move into the medium as its circulation expands. CBS Radio held its annual one-day sales clinic Saturday (26) at the N. Y. homeoffice, with top network execs underlining their future plans and problems under radio’s current market conditions. No new sales1 policies were Unveiled, with the major emphasis placed instead oh broadening the viewpoint of the division sales chiefs. Prexy Howard Meighan topped the speakers’ lineup. Among the others who spoke were, sales veepee John Karol; programming veepee Lester Gottlieb; administrative veepee' Lou Hausman; sales manager Eldon Hazard, and AUyo J. Marsh, director of program sales. Broadcast Advertising Bureau membership promotion chairmen have been named in 46 states. They’ll take part ih the. projected BAB recruiting drive, which will include direct mail, personalcalls and broadcaster .meetings. Group will meet together at Chicago during week of March' 31.. In. the past month and a half, 41 stations joined BAB, raising the membership total to 962, Foreigp-language airers beamed by WWRL, N.Y., are being Waxed by the iState Department for broadcast overseas by Voice of America. Aim is to show that language arid culture of foreign-born groups here are kept alive without hindering their devotion to the U.S. VOA also cut interviewed with the indie’s foreign-language producers and talent. WWRL carries programs in 13 tongues. Life-Ike Mating Continued from page 23 coverage but is expected to. receive plenty of plugging, via the “DuMont and Life magazine present” blurbs.) ' , Demos, of course, are expected to be more antagonistic to the. team-up, since Eisenhower • is a Republican.. But. backers of the other GOP candidates, including Seh. Robert' A. *Taft and Harold Stassen, are said to feel just an strongly that the DuMont-Life association will put Gen. Eisenhower in a favored position among viewers. Your Top TV Sales opportunity Wilmington, Del ■' • n ■; mar«el which has highest ■ : ; ” ■ r f ,r> ■ ! v i n ♦ h co e ,,sr , R c ROBERT MEEKER ASSOCIATES \ c .