Variety (March 1952)

21 W-JPIUHKS WojliieKia^ Mydh 16 r on Basis, Landaus New Sales Plan s New sales plan for television f films under which local TV stations can buy as much as four hours of vidpix programming per week on a service basis was unveiled this week by the recently-created Ely -Landau Productions. At the same time, Landau, who was formerly radio-TV chief for the Emil Mogul agency, disclosed that his outfit has completed pilot films In nine dif- ferent categories of programs, sev- eral of which will be in complete series form (13 or 26 shows) within 30, days. New production firm is prepared to offer stations a balanced pro- gramming setup on film of from one to four weekly, with prices to be pro-rated on the number of shows they take and on their mar- ket size. Landau, claiming to be bankrolled by three private N. Y. individuals and two from Miami, said that more $1,500,000 will be budgeted for production during the first nine months of operation. He added that he has already acquired a number of properties, as well as writers and directors. Illustrating the type of program- ming included in the four-hour package, Landau cited a self-con- tained soap opera, comprising five 15-minute stanzas, produced for less than $17,000; a series of quar- ter-hour sports and film celeb shows, dealing with the life of per- sonalities in each, budgeted at un- der $2,000 per show, and a moppet show combining live action with animation and .produced in .color, brought in for less than $6,000. ^ Most of the current productions Is centered in N. Y., but Landau (Continued on page 38) Await Ruling On Legality of AFM % Formula on Pix Hollywood, March 25. Long-awaited verdict as to whether General Service Studios* owners, James and Geofcge Nasser, must comply with American Fed- eration of Musicians* 5% pix-to- television format, plus rescoring of four pix they want to sell to video, will be handed down Friday (28'. Eeferee In bankruptcy Benno M. Brink last Thursday heard final arguments in the controversy, in which the Nassers have challenged the legality of the formula. • Emanuel Gordon, of the AFM general counsel’s office in N. Y., analyzed the 5% format, and ih- troed evidence showing the 5% was calculated on various bases, depending on methods of distribu- tion. He said irreparable damage would be caused if the established format was upset by the court, and added it was impossible to deter- mine damages in advance. “We con- sider it a fair formula, notwith- standing the Nassers’ contention to the contrary,’’ he stated. Gordon maintained that AFM has a prop- erty right in the four pix involved via Jthe music and soundtracks, in the nature of what he termed equitable servitude. NEW PACKAGER TEES WITH 4 TV SERIES Hollywood, March 25. Half-hour series tagged '9Date with Destiny” will launch the pro- duction efforts of Pennant Produc- tions, Inc., new $100,0(50 Anh established here by Ed Woods- worth and Harrison Dunham to package radio and television prop- erties being readied for produc- tion shortly. Pennant, which has taken space at General Service studios, pians New York, Chicago and London offices. Mitchell Bares DA Hollywood, March 25. ‘ United Artists is. contacting name pix producers about a pos- sible vidfilm production, Teevee director John H.* Mitchell reported, stating UA plans 100% film pro- gramming for video. Firm will partially or wholly finance as well as distribute. Mit- chell believes future of video lies in film but doesn’t necessarily think television will move to the Coast. He is setting up sales organizations in 41 markets, Mitchell says UA has product now but is thinking of the. future. He will be here in a fortnight “taking a very good look at a lot of things.” Us’ Vidpix Hollywood, March 25. “The Nebbs,” long a popular comio strip of family foibles, will bo filmed for television by George Rosenberg, agent, and radio writers Henry Hoople and Fred Fox, form- erly with Judy Can ova. Group is negotiating with* a studio to rush a pilot to the market. Louis D. Snader Productions will swidg into the production of cur- rent pop tunes for its Telescrip- tions briefies for the first time this week. Outfit, which leases the Telescriptions to local stations throughout the country to use for disk jockey-type shows, has been concentrating until now on stand- ards. Production of the current tunes, according to Snader, will permit TY outlets to keep pace with radio* deejay shows and to produce virtually their own Hit Parades. Snader explained that he’s nego- tiated a deal with'the major music publishers to« inform him in ad- vance, at the same time they in- form the disking outfits, on which will be their plug tunes each month. He plans to produce Tele- scriptions on the 10 top tunes each month and feed them to stations “while they’re hot.” He said that his outfit \yill be able to lens the Telescriptions and get them in the hands of stations within 30 days after it learns which are to be plug tunes. Fairbanks Charges TV ‘Mediocrity’ Due to ‘ ' Attitude ‘LETTERS TO AMERICA’. 14f, SERIES AS H Stella Linden, who’s scripted a number of the “Foreign Intrigue” vidfilm stanzas in Sweden for pro- ducers-director Sheldon Reynolds, arrived in N. Y. last week from Stockholm to wrap up financing and a sponsorship deal for a new series she plans to produce on her own in the Swedish capital. Titled “Letters to America,” the format of the half-hour pix will revolve around an American writer scouting Europe for human interest stories on the problems of the av- erage European people, how they live, etc. Pitch to Clients In a move that may spur a num- ber of television shows to switch from live to'film production, G-L Enterprises, Inc., an indie N. Y. vidfilm production firm, this week offered bankrollers a chance to produce their shows on film for the same cost as the live show, and also to. earn a profit on sub- sequent-run rights to the programs. Outfit claims to have several indie backers who are putting up money to finance the operation. With that coin behind it, G-L plans to pay the difference between live (Continued on page 38) TV Films in Production as of Friday, March 21 ARROW .PRODUCTIONS KTTV Studios, Hollywood "RAMA* OF THK JUNGLE" 38 half- hour jupflo Adventure teleplx series be- gin shooting May 1. Producers: Harry S. Rothschild, Ueon Fromkess. Film Producer: Rudolph Flothovr Director: Lew Landers WILLIAM F, BROIDY PRODS. Sunset Studios, Hollywood "WILD SILL HICKOK," half hour tele- plx series sponsored by Kellogg's now shooting third series of; thirteen. Guy Madisoit and Andy Devine heted cast. Producer: WWlatn F. Broidy Associate producer: Wesley Barry Director: Frank McDonald CBS-TV "AMOS 'N' ANDY" Hal Roach Studios, Culver City series of character comedy teleplx now shooting. Sponsored Blatz Beer. Supervisors: Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll. Director: Charles Barton. Producer: James Fonda JACK CHERTOK PRODS. General Service Studios, Hollywood "SKY KING" series of half-hour vld- pix for Derby Foods shooting. Cast: Kirby Grant, Gloria winter, Ron Ilagerthy, set leads. Producer: Jack Chertok Associate Producer: John Morse READY ‘ANDERSEN’ COLOR YIDPLX SERIES Hollywood, March 25. # Scandinavian - American Televi- sion Co. launches lensing of first 13 in vidpix series, “Hans Christian Andersen,” in Copenhagen, Den- mark, April 13, with telepix to be *hot in color. Bernard Bros., pan- tomime team, have been set for series, and Joan Vohs and Allyn Smith haVe been set for femme leads. Male lead and narrator will be set here shortly with the rest of the cast to be picked in Copenha- gen. Karl E. Moseby, v.p. of the com- pany; Thos Brooks, production manager, and sales rep Walter Klinger left last week for Copenha- g®n to start the series, Malvin Wald, on the scene, has finished 13 telescripts. . Samuel Goldwyn’s ! Hans Christian Andersen,” star- ■ Srnfa 1 w n, J y - K ? ye fr0m 3 SCri P* by I Moss Hart, is m production. ♦ t i COSMAN PRODS. Hal Roach Studios, Culver City "IN THE LAW" series of half-hour tele- pix starring George Raft shooting to March 29. Producer: Jean Yarborough Director: George Archalnbaud BING CROSBY, ENTERPRISES RKO-Pathe,. Culver City "REBOUND" series of half hour adult dramas sponsored by Packard Motor Car Corp. currently shooting. Executive producer: Basil GriUo Producer: Bernard Girard Director: B Girard "PERRY MASON" series of half hour myatcry telepix win begin shooting March 30, Producer: Richard Dorso Half hour series of adult drama films for "CROWN THEATRE" resume shoot- ing May 1. Producer: Richard Dorso DESILU PRODS,, INC. General Service Studios, Hollywood "I LOVE LUCY" half-hour comody se- ries for CBS-TV, sponsored by Philip Morris. Shoots to June. Cast: Lucille Ball, Desl Arnez; set leads with William Frawley, Vivian Vance In support. No parts to fill. Producer: Jcss Oppenheimcr Director: Marc Daniels Writers: Jess Oppenheimcr. Madelyn Pugh. Bob CarroU JERRY FAIRBANKS 8052 Sunset B1 y< 1., Hollywood "HOLLYWOOD THEATRE" half-hour drama, series resumes- Shooting April 1. Directors: Derwin Abb*. Arnold wester * FILMCRAFT PRODS. . 8451 Melrose, Hollywood OROOCHO MARX starred in 39 half-hour' audience participation’ film productions, to be made once a- week, began. Aug. 23 for NBC. DeSoto-Plymouth sponsoring. Producer: John GUedel Film producer: I, Lindenbaum Directors: Bob Dwan, Bernie Smith FLYING A PRODUCTIONS 6920 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood "RANGE RIDER" second half of series of 52 half-hour teleplx now shooting. Jack Mahoney, Dick Jones in fixed leads. Producer: Louis Gray Director: Wallace Fox GROSS-KRASNE, INC. General Service Studios: Hollywood’ "BIG TOWN" series of 26 half hour telepix sponsored by Lever Brothers rolls April 1. Patrick McVey and Jane Nigh set leads. Producers: Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne Director: E. A. Dupont, JOHN GUEDEL PRODS. 600. Taft Bldg., Hollywood . , WITH LINKLETTER," Starring Art Llnkletter in series of 16 vidpix, half- hour audience participation snow for ABC web, shooting every other week for 26 weeks. Green Giant sponsors. Producer: John Guedei Director: Irvin Atkins MARTED PRODUCTIONS Swanstrom Studios: Hollywood "THE HOT STOVE LEAGUE," Leo Durocher and Laralne Day star in a series of 104 quarter-hour interview* of baseball greats. Different guest stars each week. Producer: Marty Martyn, Ted Kneeland Writer: Robert Todd MURPHY-THOMAS PRODS. General Service Studios: Hollywood "FRONTIER DETECTIVES" half hour ferles of 13 films start shooting April 1, Victor Jory toplines. . . Producer: Stanley Murphy ROLAND REED PRODS. Hal Roach Studios: Culver City. Now shooting "MYSTERY THEATRE" series of half-hour adventure teleplx; Producer: J. Donald Wilson Director: Howard Bretherton REVUE PRODUCTIONS ' Eagle Lion Studios: Hollywood Half-hour series of adult drama tele- pix resume shooting in April for Revue Prods. Producer: Revue Productions Director: Axel Gruenberg. Richard Irving, Norman Lloyd. ROY ROGERS PRODUCTIONS . Goldwyn Studio. Hollywood , ROGER! now shooting ten oater telepix. Vidpix are half-hour each. Roy Rogers, Dale Evans topline, Pat Brady in support. General western parts to fill. Sponsored by General Foods for NBC-TV. Producer: Roy Rogers Associate producer: Jack Lacey Director: Bob Walker DONLEVY CORP. Republic Studios. North Hollywood "DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT" half- hour adventure series starring Brian Donlevy shooting two films a week, 32 to be shot to June. Producer: Harold E. Knox. Director: Bill Kam HOLLYWOOD TELEVISION SERVICE Republic Studios, North Hollywood "COMMANDO CODY-SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE" series of 39 h5f- hour scientifiction teleplx now shooting. J “dd „??A dren « • Alino Town® head cast with William Schallcrt in support. Producer: Franklin Adreon Director: Fred Brannon HOUR GLASS PRODS. 6525 Sunset: Hollywood Shooting "MAN OF TOMORROW" series of 15-minute telepix. Producer: Wanda Tuchock Director: George deNorraand LANCER PRODUCTIONS RKO-Pathe: Culver City "THOSE WERE THE 'DAYS" half hour telcpixseries starts shooting April 8. ProduCJ^sr Bernard Girard, Richard Dorso CORNY JOHNSON" series of half hour comedy pix begin shooting April 8. Producer-director: .Bernard Girard , TRAUMA" series begins shooting'May Director 1. Half hour dramas/ . Producers: Bernard Girard, Richard Dorso Executive Producer: Basil GriUo SCREEN TELEVIDEO PRODS. Eagle Lion Studios. Hollywood ^ "ELECTRIC THEATRE" series of half- hour drama telepix resumes shooting March 31. Producer: Gil Ralston Director: Victor Stoloff DOUGFAIR CORP. 606 N. Robertson Blvd.: Hollywood RATf^ Sh 9fl 0t l n ^/w TEkRY AND THE P| - A dve nture teleplx. C Traev h ri^ er, c MRr A Bla nchard, William P.o™u7«V?D„^rCore’ J,< * KrU!Cl “ n - Director: Dick Irving. EDWARD LEWIS PRODS. Motion Picture Center, Hollywood Series of half-hour dramas featuring April j Unne M * cmcce resumes shooting Producer: Edward Lewis Production manager: William Stevens PHILLIPS LORD PRODS. Republic Studios, North Hollywood "GANGBUSTER" series for NBC-TV, Director:, i j'i *•> ) SHOWCASE PRODUCTIONS Hal Roaoti Studios, Culver City “RACKET SQUAD" series of half-hour adventure telepix resumes shooting April 2. Producer: Hal Hoach, Jr.: Carroll Case Director: Jim TlnlLag SNADER TELESCRIPTIONS «. 177 ,- £ L Bcvcrl y Br - Beverly Hills March 27. a shooting session with Fran Warren. A shooting session with April Stevens goes same day. Producer: Louis D. Snader TEEVEE COMPANY ,,, Studios, Hollywood ivnk THEATRE" series of O. Henry type dramas shooting.* each film five min- utes in length, two being combined to make quarter hour teleplx. Associate producer: Sherman Harris Executive producer: Marc Frederic Director: William Asher FRANK WISBAR PRODS. Studios: Hollywood , £ THEATRE" series of half- April * dult dr; ' ra ** resume shooting mid- Producer-dlrector: Frank WIsbar - Associate producer: Sidney Smith ZIY TV 5255 Clinton St., Hollywood Five in "UNEXPECTED" series of half- hour telepix shoot in March. . “BOSTON BLACKIE" telepix in half-hour series shoot In March. F°ur "Cisco KID" half-hour telepix scheduled for March shooting. Director: Pan! Landres. Eddie Davis. So- bey Martin . A 4 r Hollywood, March 25 . Back from a five-week survey junket of the nation’s television outlets, vidpix producer Jerry Fair- banks lashed indie station opera- tors for short-sightedness, declar- ing that their programming is “headed for mediocrity if the operators don’t change their cur- rent indifferent attitude.” He re- ported indies display a stiff policy of resistance to re-runs, and a “dis- regard for the basic principles of good showmanship, an unrealistic program of trying to get every- thing for nothing, and a viewer- go-hang attitude.” * However, operators in cities with multiple stations have a much greater appreciation of quality pro- gramming, the producer observed. He said, “The difference in policies when competition is involved is amazing. Operators in cities of more than two outlets and network affiliate station managers are vitally interested in good, enter- taining programs. And the prestige of filmed-in-Hollywood shows is soaring. Where once there was a reticence toward film there is now an enthusiasm for it.” “Unfortunately there are not enough' multiple-station markets available currently so that the pro- (Continued on page 38) Hollywood Howard puff video guesting in N. Y., set for “Hollywood Screen Test” April 7, “Show of Shows” April 12 . .. Newly-formed Arrow Productions, headed by Leon Fromkess and Harry S. Rothschild, launches initial series, “Ramar of the Jungle,” at KTTV studios May 5, and has two additional series in the .works. Fromkess is exec pro- ducer and Rudy Flothow will pro- duce “Ramar,” to be directed by Lew Landers . . ♦ Edward Everett Horton replaces Richard Hayden in “Wilbur Peddle” series pro- duced by Berman Swartz for Ed- ward Lewis Productions at Motion Picture Center studios . . . Lancer Productions, subsidiary of Bing Crosby, Enterprises, guns two series April 8, “Those Were the Days,” Bernard Girard-Dick Dorso production, and “Corny Johnson,” Girard production, while BCE be- gins “Perry Mason” series March 30, Basil Grillo e c producer. George Macready is being negoti- ated for lead in “Mason” . . . Charles Haag and E. A. Dupont inked to direct alternately on next six “Big Town” vidpJbc for Jack Gross and Philip K*a$ne at Gen- eral Service studios. Ralph Acton has been named casting director .. •. .Arthur Weitzel and Clyde Ges- »cU of Firestone Tire Corp. re- turned to Akron following sessions with execs of Jerry Fairbanks Prod . . . Pilot pic on educational series has been canned by Arizona Motion- Picture Corp. at Mesa, Ariz . •. . Edmund McCanna Pro- ductions packaging a “Mr. and Mrs.” video , show featuring Mary and Harry Hickox . . . Gordon Thompson ankled Wilding Pic- tures to take charge of sales in Cleveland division for Jerry Fair- banks New York Dison Stewart, co-founder of Transradio Press, named exec vee- pee of the Grattan TV-Radio divi- sion, created to produce vidpix in Italy for American TV stations... John H. Mitchell, United Artists TV chief, to the Coast to line up new vidfilm properties for syndica- tion by his outfit .•., Dick Cahill, midwest supervisor for NBC’s TV film syndication, in N.Y. over the weekend for huddles with depart- ment chief Jack Cron. . Richard G. Drown, Jr., named UA-TV sales rep for New Orleans, bringing the outfit a step nearer its plan of having a sales staffer in each TV market in the country... NBC-TV film salesmen H. Weller Kcever, Bill Grainger and Dan Cherkoss off on swings through their vari- ous territories this week... Ster- ling TV has formed a separate stock shot division to provide spe- cified film footage to networks, agencies and other users.. CBS- TV Film Sales has sold its, “Files of Jeffrey Jones” to Pearson Phar- macal for airing via KING-TV, Seattle. Table Talk Pastry. Wor- cester, Mass., has extended its sponsorship on CBS-TV’s “Range Rider” series, produced by Gene Autry’s Flying A Productions, for an additional 26. weeks on WJAR- TV, Providence. . .