Variety (June 1952)

24 C. * «■' *■ i mW-FILMS i'lW .,»•» l l tlMHH H H ' H -H ^fH-H - H M » MH ♦ ♦ H H M ♦ M M M » » » ♦ MIHHHMtMMMMMM ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦ MM ♦ M ********** fj ******* f-fftt TELEPIX REVIEWS CAMPBELL PLAYHOUSE (The Cavortfttg Statue) With Cesar' Romero, Ann Ruther- ford, Kriatfne Miller, other# Director: Richard Irvin* Writer: H. J. Green 30 Mins.; Fri., 9:30 p.m. CAMPBELL SOUP NBC-TV, from HoUywood (film). (Ward Wheelockl. ^ Light, diverting whimsy is "The Cavorting Statue,”' adapted to TV by H. J. Green from a story by Elaine McPherson and directed with good pace by Richard Irving. Reputable whodunit writer Cesar Romero is accused of steal- ing the statue Diana from the local museum. The statue turns to reality in the person of Kristine Miller, who carries on with Ro- mero unbeknownest to Ann Rutherford, his secretary and be- trothed; the museum director, and the constabulatory. It all turns out okay when Diana goes back to her pedestal. Actually, it’s a 15-min- ute or so vignette that's been stretched, but nicely, to a half- hour. Romero fits his frenzied role niftily. and Miss Rutherford is just right in support. Miss Miller is a luscious Lorelei with fine dra- matic gifts. Other Hollywoodites in the cast fill the bill capably, ■Tutu. values, although it is obvious in spots and has one or two overly coincidental developments, Thor is natural, if not dynamic, as the Yank reporter and Anders Hen- riksson registers effectively as the traitor. Bengt Brunskag handles the role of the fugitive in a some- what uneven manner and Gisela Wallen gets full, sympathy as the girl who’s struck/dumb by the hop-* ror of seeing all her townsfolk -j slaughtered. Production is gen- erally good, utilizing a lot of. loca- tion lensihg, and the camerawork is' distinguished by neat closeup work. * Bril. BIG TOWN With Pat McVey, Jane Nigh, John Close, others Producers: Grosa-Krasne Director: Charles Haas Writer: Larry Kimble 30 Mins.; Thurs., 9:34 p.m. LEVER BROS. CBS-TV, from New York (film) (Ruthrauff & Ryan ) This episode of "Big Town” aired over CBS-TV Thursday (19) continued in the bigtime, groove the show established for- itself when it switched to film several months ago. It was a neatly paced half-hour and although the plot line was average meller stuff, top thesping and lensing helped make, it a slick offering. Yarn related Steve Wilson’s at- tempts to vindicate a young lad who’s been fingered by a femme fatale as the murderer in a street assassination. By splicing in phone speeches on a tape recorder he gets the bad gal to incriminate her gangster boyfriend—but not before Wilson, himself, comes close to getting plugged. It wasn’t much of a tale but topflight camerawork built okay suspense. Pat McVey was reasonably stoic as Wilson, the newspaperman- sleuth, and Jane Nigh was charm- ing as .his femme side, Lorelei. Joan Vos was believable as the big bad blond as was her racketeer beau, Paul DuBov. John Close, in the role of Lt. Jamieson, came across okay with the little he had to do. Plugs for the Lever products were tastefully handled and didn’t get In the way. Gros. PRODUCTION FOR FREEDOM THEATRE With Westbrook Van Voorhi* 30 Mins.; Sun,, 9:39 pm. ARC-TV* from New .York This new series consists of films made sorie time ago for industrial firms, linking them together under the theme that "production enables men to-forge the tools and weapons with which we remain, foreyer free; production, for freedom is our goal as a nation—and our strength rein- forces that of other nations-”' It has been skedded. by ABC-TV in connection with the "Production for Freedom” celebration- backed by the investor-owned power com- panies and several other big corpo- rations as endorsed by the' Chamber of Commerce of the-U. S. Bozell it Jacobs, the ad agency, played a major role in setting up the tele show. Among the companies and organ- izations for which pix on the sene# were made include U. S, Steel, Do\v Chemical, General Electric, Southern California; Edison*. Ana* conda Copper, Assn.' of American Railroads, Oil Information Com- mittee, Allegheny Ludlum Steel, U. S. Rubber, Douglas Aircraft, the Chgmbert ot Commerce and Bitu- hnjrt'ousf Coat Institute. A feature madelloii the last-named outfit by March' of . Tihie kicked off the pro- gram Sunday (22). The pic’waV iif good quality for an industrial opus, showing how coal is mined, its role in the econo- my, progress being made in min- ing, efforts at improving „ mine safety, etc. As an effort made specially for the bituminous coal industry, it naturally represents the latter’s point of view—indicat- ing that soft coal has a bigger future- than liquid- fuel, for ex- ample, and generally plugging the coal companies* position. Westbrook . Van Voorhis briefly introes and close# the film,, on kinescope recording. He also nar- rated the MOT-produced entry 1 . Bril. THE SECOND CANDLE (SnnklaL Premier Playhouse) With Mable Paige, Whitfield Con- ner, Arthur. Shields* others Producer; Gil Ralston Writer: Joseph Coehran 39 Mina.; Fri., V .pjn, SUNKIST KTLA, Hollywood Purportedly a quaint Irish. story of an old woman who loses her faith along with her husband, "The Second Candle” develops instead into a too-talky, contrived affair containing stereotyped Gaelic character# concentrating on their brogues instead of the script. Basic story idea, that of embit- tered elderly femme Wlio eventu- ally has’her faith restored, might possibly have been okay, for a 15- minute segment, but stretched out over a half-hour , is much too. thin for interest. Consequent result issj overly-long stretches of dialog which contribute little, or nothing to premise. An unreal aura sur- rounds entir«>vidpic. Mable Paige, Whitfield Connor and Arthur Shields struggle val- iantly' but have no chance with script handed them. 'Joseph Coch- ran telepiayed. Arthur Ripley’# direction is unimaginative. Sunkist pitches are direct, with- out being offensive. DaJcuw ANOTHER HARVEST (Fireside Theatre) With Roth Warrick, Phillip Reed, .others Producet-dlrector: Frank Wisbar Writer: John Sheppard 30 Min#.;' Toes., 9 p.m. PROCTER A GAMBLE NBC-TV, from Hollywood . ( Compton) . Producer-director Frank Wisbar plays this one straight at the PAG buyer#, and the distaff side should go - for this hearts-and- flowers opus. True, the John Shep- pard script has its share of cliches, particularly in the dialog, but "hotter Harvest' neverthele,. has solid appeal for the femmf! who go for these sob stories es Yarn is about a femme deserted by her spouse, whose fortune evatS orates, so he takes a powS across the border, with hi« 5/ Even the old homestead he boupiff for his wife i# sold in the debSe so he can boat his creditors to the border. Much-persevering, heroi? wife play# £ straight, paying off tilt creditor* to square the bill Shes straddled . with woes - and debt# when she meets the hand- some young-man. Happy ending i 3 providentially provided by he? husband who .gets himself killed K^t^. thchappy m'sj Warrick managing ’to do all right despite some silly lines. Reed is S*? 1 ih ? noble young man who helps the femme in distress v^l sb £i* d^ion plays the heari: string# well. Camera wovk by Ben. Kline is expert. Daku. merry-go-round (The Unexpected) **£*•■* Burr, Gloria Blon- dell, ether# redaeer; 2hr TV ^rector: Sobey Martin wnteip; Jerry Lawrence, Robert TV Films in Production is ojf Friday*. June 20 FOREIGN INTRIGUE (The Traitor) With Jerome Thor, Anders Hcn- riksson, Bengt Brunskag, Lau- rit* Falk, Gisela Wallen Producer-direotor-writer: Sheldon Reynolds Music: Erik Baumann 30 Mins.; Thurs., 10:30 p.m. BALLANTINE BEER WNBT, New YOrk ( J . Walter Thompson) This Sheldon Reynolds produc- tion has been on for 38 weeks in New York, and after last week’s edition (19) the sponsor will re- run some of the earlier episodes for the summer. Bankroller is Ballantine beer, which has the program in 11 markets; its agency, J. Walter Thompson, is handling distribution, with "Foreign In- trigue” now backed in some 21 other markets. Lensed in Sweden, "Intrigue” brings a fairly good product for a relatively low nut. There are no American marquee names, but the foreign thespers fit into the kind of stories offered. "The Traitor,” as an example, deals with a man running away from the French police, who have tagged him a murderer. Actually, it is discov- ered by Jerome Thor, as an Amer- ican reporter, the fugitive is one of the three surviving witnesses of a massacre of an entire town by the Nazis during World War II. The other two are a woman suffer- ing from shock, and a police of- ficer. The latter was the quisling who had caused the massacre, who murders the fugitive and who is finally killed when the stricken woman regains her senses. The story, by Tom Younger and Edward Eliot, has good dramatic ARROW PRODUCTIONS KTTV Studios, Hollywood BRAMAH OF TH*. JUMCLE" 3* hsl* hour jungle adventure telepix scries now shooting. Producers: Harry S. HothswM, Leon -Fromkess. Film Producer: Rudolph Flothow Director: Wally Fox ATHENA PRODUCTIONS, INC, California Studios: Hollywood Three series of J13 chapter play* each ''SORT OF ROBIN HOOD" skedded to he* gin shooting latter part of June. Producer-director: Clifford Sanforth Associate producer: A1 Westen Assistant director: Nate Bairragcr Writer: Howard Laurence Field BREAKSTON-STAHL PRODS. General Service Studios: HoUywood "SAFARI RILL" series o£ 26 half hour telepix to begin shooting July 1. Loca- tion shota to be filmed In British East Africa, Martha Hyor heads cast, parts to fill. Producer-director: Breakston-Stahl Associate producer: Irene Breakstom Technical executive: John R. Carter WILLIAM F. BKOIDY PRODS. Sunset Studios, HoUywood “The Phantom Pirate" series of half hour adventure telepix now shooting. Robert Stack heads cast with parts to fill./ Executive producer: William F. Broldy. Producer: Wesley Barry Associate producers: Boh Bailey, Hugh King Director: Frank McDonald JACK CHERTOK PRODS. General Service Studios. HoUywood "LONE RANGER" half hour series of 52 videoaterx now shooting. John Hart, Jay SUverheel* set leads. Producer: Jack Chertok Associate Producer: Harry Poppe. COURNEYA PRODUCTIONS United Producers Studio Shooting “Noah Beery, Jr. Adventure Series," 26 15-mlmite telepix. Cast: Noah Beery, Jr., Ann SavUIew Jack Harris, Norrtia Fenton. Producer-director: Jerry Courneya Supervising film editor: Jimmy Moore BING CROSBY ENTERPRISES RKO/n-the. r,.Tver City Shooting "REBOUND" scries of half hour adult dramas sponsored by Packard Motor Car Corp. Executive producer: Basil Grlllo Producer: Bernard Girard Director: B. Girard Half-hour scries of comedy-drama for "A CHAIR ON THE BOULEVARD." Producer; John Nasht Half hour series of adult drama films for "CROWN THEATRE" shooting. Producers: Richard Dorso. Bernard Girard. "THOSE WERE THE DAYS" half-hour telepix series now shooting. Producers: Bernard Girard, Richard Dorso "CORNY JOHNSON" scries of half-hour comedy pix now shooting. Producer-director: Bernard Girard-Rich* ard Dorso. OROUCMO MARX starred in 3* half-hour audience participation film productions, to be made Mice,* week, for NBC. DeSoto* P1 ^HE th .??Kia SONS" series of 36 half hour comedy telepix now shooting. Phil Rapp ia writer-director. Promcar John Guedel Film producer: I. lindenbaum Director*: Bob Dean. Bernie. Smith FLYING A PRODUCTIONS WOO Suneet Bhd, Hollywood "ANNIE OAKLEY" new series of 52 half-hour videoaters now shooting, Gail Davis, Billy Gray head cast. Parts to fill. Second series of 52 half-hour ‘ Geno Autry Western telepix shooting. Gene Autry, Pat Buttram set leads. "RANGE RIDER" shooting second SC* ries of 52 half-hour videoters. Jack Ma* ■ honey, Dick Jones head cast. Producer: Louis Gray Directors: Wallace Fox, Geo. Archairibaud New series of half'-hour western dramas entitled "DEATH VALLEY DAYS" now shooting. Producer: Darrell McGowan Director: Stuart McGowan GROSS-KRASNE, INC. General Service Studios: Hollywood Now shooting "BIO TOWN" series of 2d half hour telepix sponsored by Lever. Brothers. Patrick McVey and Jane Nlgk set leads. Producers: Jack J. Gross and Philip N, Krasne Director: X. A. Dupont. JOHN GUEDEL PRODS* 600 Taft Bldg.. Hollywood Art Linkletter starring in a scries of 104 15-minute vldpix titled "LINKLETTER AND THE KIDS." Producer-director: Maxwell Shane Associate producer: Irvin Atkins , HOLLYWOOD TELEVISION . SERVICE Republic Studios. North Hollywood "COMMANDO CODY-SKY MARSHAL OF THE UNIVERSE" series of 36 half- hour icientiflction telepix now shooting. Judd Holdren, Aline Towne head cast with William Schallert in support. Producer: Franklin Adreon Director: Fred Brannon Director: Howard Bretherton 1 "MY LITTLE MARGIE" series of half hour comedy telepix now shooting, Charles Farrell and Gale Storm head cast. Philip Morris sponsors. Producer: Hal Roach Director: Hal Yates_ HOUR GLASS PRODS* 810 N. Highland, HoUywood Shooting "MAH OF TOMORROW" series of 15-minute telepix. Producer: Wanda Tuchock Director: George deNormand INTERSTATE TELEVISION Mono eram Studios: HoUywood "DAUGHTERS OF MARS," starring Ethel Barrymore, shootings In "ETHEL BARRYMORE TELEVISION THEATRE" series. Producer: Lee Savin Directors: Lewis AUan, Will Jason JERRY FAIRBANKS 6052 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood Casting: Ken Dyson "AMERICA FOR ME," half-hour video film for Greyhound, starts shooting July 7 with John Archer starred. "MAGIC WHEEL," half-hour video film for National Cash Register, starts shoot- ing July 14. Director: Albert KeUey Assistant director: Joe Boyle Production supervisor: Raoul Pagel FRANK FERRIN PRODUCTIONS 6520 Sunset Blvd., HoUywood C.-sfin": Virginia Mozzuca "SMILIN' ED'S GANG" series now shoot- ing. Ed McConneU, Nino Marcel head cast. Producer-director: Frank Ferrin Associate producer: Ralph Ferrin Assistant director: Don Olsen FILMCRAFT PRODS. 8451 Melrose, HoUywood EDWARD LEWIS PRCDS. Motion Picture Center. HoUywood Series of 13 half-hour telepix featuring Irene Dunne as femcee now shootJng Producer: Edward Lewis Production manager: William Stevens PHILLIPS LORD PRODS. Visual Drama Studios: Holly wood "GANGBUSTER" series for NBC-TV, sponsored bv Chesterfield, now shooting. Producer: Phillips Lord Director: Lew Landers MARCH OF TIME 369 Lexington Ave., N, Y. "AMERICAN WIT AND HUMOR” se- ries of 26 half-hour pix. Thomas Mitchell, narrator, with cast including Gene Lock- hart, Jeffrey Lynn, Arnold Moss, Ann Burr and Olivo Deering. Producer: Marlon Parsonnet Directors: Fred Stephani. ROLAND REED PRODS. Hal Roach Studios:. Culver City Now shooting "MYSTtRY THEATRE" series of 30-minute situation comedies. Producer: J. Donald WUsOn REVUE PRODUCTIONS „ Ragle-lion. Studios; Hollywood • - Half-hour, series of adult drama tele* pix now shooting for Revue Prods. Producer: Revue Productions Director: Richard Irving, Norman Lloyd. HAL ROACH PRODUCTIONS Hal Roach Studios: Culver City "AMOS 'N' ANDY" series of character comedy telepix now shooting. Sponsored by Blatz Beer for CBS-TV. Moore, Spencer WUliams, Alvin Childress, Ernestine Wade, Johnny Lee, Horace Stewart. Supervisors: Freeman Gosden, Charles CorreU, Sidney Van Keuren Director: Charles Barton Production executive: Jajtnes Fonda Assistant director: Emmett Emerson ROY ROGERS PRODUCTIONS M Goldwyn Studio* Hollywood . 5°. Y 'l®?*** now shooting 15 oater telepix. 'Vldpix 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: Boh Walker SCREEN GEMS Gower, Hollywood "JEFFERSON DAVIS" half-hour drama shooting: for DuPont’s "CAVALCADE OF AMERICA series. Producer-director: Jules Bricken Assistsnt director: Eddie Seats SCREEN TELEVIDEO PRODS. .. Lion Studios. Hollywood . \f* VAl \ CAD * Of AMERICA" series of half-hour drama telepix shooting. Producers: GU Ralston, Jaques Braunstcin SHOWCASE PRODUCTIONS Hal Roach Studios,' Culver City "RACKET SQUAD" serieS resume shooting in August, half hour telepix Producer: Hal Roach. Jr.i Carroll Cass Director: Jim T intin g SNADER TELESCRIPTIONS 177 S. Beverly Dr.» Beverly Hills Resume shooting telescrlptions featur- ing different artist* each week June. Producer: Louis D. Snider UNITED WORLD*FILMS, INC. Universal International Studios, . Hollywood "THE FIGHTING MAN," series of 13 5 , te il pIx ’ ^ be « ln shooting July 7\ Michael Thomas, Cliff Clark set leads. Director: George Blair FRANK WISBAR PRODS. Lion Studios: Hollywood FIRESIDE THEATRE" series of half- hour adult dramas now preparing next season’s group of 23. - Producer-director: Frank Wisbar Associate producer: Sidney Smith WEATHER TELEVISON PRODS INC. California Studios. Hollywood -JOSS LADY" scries of half hour sophisticated comedies now shooting. Cast: Lynn Bari, Glenn Langan, Richard Gaines, Leo Patrick, Charley Smith Nicholas- Joy. Producers: Jack Wrathcr. Robert Mann Associate-producer: Sherman A. Harris ZIV TV 5255 Clinton St., Hollywood Four in "UNEXPECTED" aeries of half- hour telepix shoot in June. Four "BOS- TON BLACKIE" half-hour telepix sched- uled for June shooting. Directors: Eddie Davis, Sobcy Martin. Geo. M. Caban. 39 Mins.; FrL, t:3t pja. ACME nut KECA-TV, BMIywbb* . Despite a couple of glaring story Haw*, “Merry-Go-Round” proves to be entertaining fare* due largely to the expert thesping of one of ^better.ctor#* Raymond Burr, and tight direction by Sobey Mar- tin, who keep# the yam moving at all time#. Burr I# seen as a penniless Parisian painter who lams to Switzerland with gendarmes hunt-* ing him for a jewel he thefted for his gjf. He return# years later to find his paintings have won him fame* but the gal and a shady art dealer are raking in all the divi- dends. They don’t recognize him although to the televiewer he’s exactly the same, except for a stub- ble beard on his chin. Other story flaw is writers’ Lawrence & Lee trying to hhve it believed cops would trace down one of cheapest of gems in robbery of classy store. This is their springboard for plot, and it-s a thin one. Anyway, Burr turns tables on his g.f., and cashes in on his new-found fame. Burr’s masterful performance overshadows that of others, in- cluding that of Gloria Blondell. Martin’s direction is so fast-paced it manages to sustain interest de- spite the obvious holes in the script. Acme Beer blurbs are blunt, and effective. Daku. ONE THING LEADS TO AN- OTHER (Chevron; Theatre) With Patrick.O’NeaL Sally Payne, Keye Luke, other# “ Producer: Revue. Productions Director: Norman Lloyd Writer#: Eleanor and Leo Bayer, Howard J. Green 39 Mh».; Fri., 9 p.m. CHEVRON STATIONS KTLA-, HoUywood "One Thing Leads to Another’* is an incredibly bad hodge-podge dealing with the misadventures of a poor but honest lawyer. Loosely connected narrative of his "cases,’ with one impoverished client after another turning him *over to the next one generates no interest whatsoever, not even at climax when his honesty wins a wealthy client and g*f. It’s all too far- fetched. Patrick Neal, Keye Luke, Bridget Carr and Sally Payne do as best they can, but haven’t a chance against the script. Teleplay is by Eleanor and Leo Bayer and How- ard J. Green, based on (the credits allege) a story by the Bayers, who musta needed an aspirin after this one. Norman Lloyd’s direction lacks cohesion, because script has none. Far more entertaining than the telepic are those Chevron blurbs, dished out with originality ana class. Daku. DRAGNET With Jack Webb, Barney Phillips# other# Producer: Michael Leshkoff Director: Webb Writer: James Moser 30 Mins,; Thurs., 9 p.m. FATIMA NBC-TV, from Hollywood (Cunningham & Walsh) "Dragnet” alternates with "Gang Busters” on Thursdays and « (Continued on page 26)