Variety (September 1952)

MAliro-TBUBVISIOlV S, 1952 TV Westerns Coutiuued from V)if« II told proxy Herbert J, Yates he wotildn't renew without video rights. Nixed' on his demands, Rogers exited the. lot and formed his own vidpix company. Stars Making ^Personals Last year Rogers made three for Republic before ankling; Rex Allen starred in eight, and Allan “Rocky'* Lane did eight. TWs year Rogers i? gone, and Allen and Lane are down to six each. Tr^iing to hypo receipts for the oaters, the lot'^as sent Al- len to 40 states on personals at “great cost,” a studio source said. Result was it boosted the b.o, on his pix, it was added. Columbia, down to its six Autrys, is baliying the big-budgeted oaters instead, and has seals for two Ran- dolph Scott starrers a year, also has upcoming “Last of the Comanches,” a Broderick Crawford starrer in Technicolor, plus VAmbush at Tom- ahawk Gap,” with John Hodiak, John Derek and David Brian. Now in release is Stanley Kramer’s “High Noon,” with Gary Cooper. While upbeating the oaters with the fahcy stars and budgets, lot makes no bones about lessening of interest toward the small-budget- ers. Now in works at Columbia is another western for Crawford. Monogram, which has pounded out 216'.oaters since it began oper- ations, was down to 12.Jast year, four Wild Bill Elliotts, four John- ny Mack Browns, and four Whip Wilsons. Now Brown , and Wilson are oif the payroll, and Wayne Mor- ris has been added. Morris is to do four and Elliott four, t subter raneatt figure for Mono which cus tomarily turned out 16 to 18 a year b.t. (before television). Universal abandoned the small western five years ago, at the time it merged with International to be- come U-I. However, the lot still holds high favor, for the top-drawer oater. In the backlog now are “Un- tamed Frontier,” with Joseph Got- ten, SheUey Winters and Scott Brady, and “Horizons West,'^ with Robert Ryan, JUlia Adaifis and Rock Hudson. These 'pix have budgets of from $600,000 to $700,0^. Some studio execs blame rising •labor costs for demise of the low- budg'eter, too, saying only a lew years ago a qLuickie •could be made in five or six days for about $50,- 000, but that today uppance in wages for workers have made such a figu^ impossible. They assert higher production cost goes on the bargain-basement westems, more difficult it becomifis to recoup cost since pix in this category generally are sold at low fiat rentals, relying on mass bookings to make the nut and morCi. While uppance In labor costs un- questionably had something to do with end result, there appears to,be little doubt but what television is the chief reason for the disappear- ance of the westerns in the low- priced bracket. Monogram, for ex- ample, sold Johnny Maclc Brown pix to TV, thus incurring exhibitor opposition plus fact moppets who could see JMB at home for free had' little desire to pay even the kid’s price to see him in the thea- tre. Republic was prevented from its attempt to seU pix of Rogers to TV When he sued and won a restrain- ing order, Autry lost a similar suit, but both- cases are now being ap- pealed to the higher courtSv TV has forced many ramifica- tions in the overall situation, Mon(^ gram, for example, has Rod- Cam- eron slarrers in the higher-budget- ed bracket. Cameron, however, just finished a telepic for Revue Pro- ductions, and b.o. answer to* his dual, work in TV and pix still re- mains to be supplied. Those studios specializing in the small-budget oater fare do not min- imize the seriousness of the situa- tion, and it’s generally conceded it has caused revamping of program- ming slates at the various lots in- volved, with less and less emphasis on the cowboy star, wlmse guns haye grown rusty at the.*b,o. Its “BuRetiii TV News,’^ t IS-mia- ute strip arranged for Morey, Humm Jk Johnstone, and $un Ray Drugstores for- its’ “Names in the News” and “Cash on the Line,’* via Philip Klein Advertising, John C»utlau«i fy«ut’ pass ts F. Daly, local Ford dealer, also re- trite. .Also, when, the occasion calls newed its “News and Sports with for it, he cart exliibit tenderness Jack ’VVTiifaker,” eveiy Sunday, without saccharinity. Video *-House through Aitken-Kynett Agency. Party’* should do as weU rating- Exlensive participation and spot wise as its AM counterpart. ^ qrbpdiiies wS fall starting dates Plugs iot Pillsbury andt Lever have been pirted wiS PhSlp Mor- Bros, products were handled okay weeli^via Bin^ Linkletter extolled the virtues of .^g gum, 13 Angel Food Cake. Cann-Erlckson; Robert Meats, 52 r ■ Don. Scribes TV Strike Continued from pare 19 WCAU-TV’s SRO Contlnned from. pas« XZ bitt,” via Paris & Peart; Eastern TV Productions (food products) 26 weeks for “Fim and > Fortune,” through Abner Gelula Agency; Union Carbide and Carbon (Pres- tonc) 10 week series of ((Football This Week,” through William Esty, and Ortleib’s Beer, 10 weeks “Foot- ball Scoreboard,” via Samuel Taub- man Agency. Freihofer Baking Co, has signed for alternate week sponsorship of “Cisco Kid,^* via Trl-$tate Adver- tising. Program period Tenewkls for faUr include ' aerpss-the-board contracts for Sinclair Refining, , and weeks through J. Cunningham Cox; Alliance Manufacturing Co., VOICE OF FIRESTONE 52 weeks, via Foster, Diivics, Inc.; With Howard Barlow Orch, Lois Ralston Cereals, 39 weeks ar- Hunt; Hugk Ja^s^ announcer ranged by Gardner Advertising; Writer: .‘A. F. l^Gtoness Groves Labs, 26 weeks through Director: John Goete Harry B. Cohenj Vick Cbemicri Co., 20 weeks via BBD&O, and VittHBBEK Boseo, 13 weeks via Robert W. Orr, Associates. (Sweeney & James) Other spot schedules: were placed ope of the oldest shows on ra- by Jacob Reed’s Sons, ,tlmough “Voice of Firestone” has Lewis ^^^Bman; Fashion Fro^^^^ ^ via Franklin Buck, AM-TV category, starting its tional .Silver, through You g simulcasts back in 1949 and con- Rubicam. tinuing uninterruptedly since that time. It’s a pleasing stanza, es- sentially designed for the ear alone. On video, it’s the type of relaxing • ?how that can he savored without rigid fixation on the screen. This is a straight musical addpl ”4^rU"4 ?hM.Z,w“Vl" anklmg RWG for TWA. easy do take on TV is that it Charles Isaacs, ^®uiporapr chau^ doesn’t pretend to be anytl^iug man of TWA, said of pe -group excessive gim- “this is not a strike-breaking union; micks. we merely prefer to it alone. ^j^-g preem (1), Lois Among those joininit TWA were jjunt, Metopera soprano' and first writers for “I Love Lucy, Jimmy show’s guest vocalists, was Durante, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, featured in a repertory of operatic Joan Davis, “Life With Luigi,’ arias,.and light classical numbers, “My Friend Irma,” and NBC-TV’s The settings were simple, the best All-Star Revue. being a mountain background for o-orr^ was huddling ^^^s Hunt’s rendition of a selec- .SiTifPA and “Carmen.” Other num- wth lATSE cHef Roy ^ewer, included “Cornin’ Through i Brewer, ^mltting he s been talking Bye,” with a -somewhat artKl with SWG prexy Mary McCall Jr., jj^ial garden setting, and “Out of said SWG plans to resubmit re- Dreams” and “One Kiss.” Iii quest to AFL Film Council seeking ^ couple of numbers by the symph rejected such a request on grounds orch and chorus, the camera work rejectel such a request on grounds was simple and as- effective as this it\hadn’t been apprised of facts in type of material permits, the case. SWG is also lending Hugh James delivered the plugs white paper” giving guild position for Firestone An appropriately 'dig- plus ALA vote to sponsors of nifled style. Hcrm. programs filmed by AJliance pro- any circumstances, this exclusivitv lends the show additional Interest Sitting ■'at a desk, Johnson. cS in visually from time to time, spills the running commentary. He’s a glib talker and his patter for the kickoff show was always on tha beam, helping setowners to recao- ture much of the games’ excite- ment. Commercials were not over- done, Rees, VOX VALLEY TROTTING RACES With Tom Dnggan Producer-director; Paul Robinson 45 Mins.; Wed., 11 p.m, GENERAL CIGAR WNBQy Chicago (Young A Rubicam) Done up in the usual smooth WNBQ manner, this weekly tele- cast of the final two harness races of the Fox Valley Trotting Club's Wednesday night card is a welcome addition to the Windy City's late- evening viewing diet. Despite the fact this was an entirely new as- signment for the WNBQ remote crew directed by Paul Robinson, the initial try (27) came off in top- grade fashion. The sulky sprints with as many as eight horses going on the half-mile track are mighty tough to capture for video, but strategic camera placements and hep switching got the job done ef- fectively, Sportscaster Tom Duggan also has a big assignment. The two races actually only take a little over four minutes so Duggan has the task of filling up the 45 min- Utesr with time out for the blurbs. This he does ably in his trade- marked style that’s a combination of irascibility and geniality. On this heat, gabber interviewed a couple racing officials and after each race went onto the track to chin with the winning driver. Lat- ter was a good touch. On the actual calling of the races, Duggan indicated he needs a bit more practice at this intri- cate art but acquitted himself okay on the opener. On subsequent editions, Holon Tire Chains splits the tab with General Cigar. White Owl plugs on film were widely spaced. Dave. ducers and to advertising agencies involved. EMO I FROM: Joseph Santley ‘Jack Bellboy’ In concluding the Summer series of the ALL- STAR REVUB'-I want to thank you all for your splendid cooperation. It was a, pleasure working with yow, and I hope we'll again be associated. Joseph Santley Producer-Director GOLDEN GOPHERS’ GREATEST GAMES With Roily Johnson Producer-director: Roger Gardner 30 Mins.; Tues., 9:30 pan. MINNESOTA BLUE CROSS « «-.1 ti ===3 WCeO-TV, Minneapolis continued from zx — J University of. Minnesota rial fact” was conbealed from football fortunes and prestige low Storer who believed he was buying presently, this once-a-week half- the name as part of the station. oftr locally produced pigskin sea- Lederlc said: “The conduct of son show pleasantly revives nos- the individual detendants and their tal^a memories ot national ^ subsequent actions . . ..reveal a P'onship days. Offering film clips risacii/n tn fraiidulGiitlv outstanding past games, which dehberate design to fr^d^^^^^^^ helped to make glorious Gopher conceal storer the true situ^ . football hisfbry, and accompanied tion as to ownership of the pro running verbal commentary -r j T j 1 of Roily'Johnson, WCCO-TV sports- Thus, Ju^ge Lderle conclud^, department head, who radio broad- McKenzie had no right to take the cast the contests himself, the early name with him when he left gridiron entry stacks up as - duck WJBK, ^ soup for Minnesota football fans, James E. LitteR, counsel jfor of which there’s a legion every Storer, said: “It's going to take a fall and early winter. Accordingly, lot of discussion and study to 4®- the sponsor, a leading hospitaliza- termine just how to use 'the ‘title tion and medical insurance service now that we have.it hack. We will outfit, should reach a large audi- Seattle—Saul Haas, president of the Queen City Broadcasting Co,, operators • of KIRO, CBS outlet here, announced appointment of Lincoln W. Miller as assistant to the president. Miller, vice presi- dent of indie KXA here for the past four years, took up his new duties Monday (1). Hugh A. Smith, formerly education director for KPIXrTV, San Francisco, will suc- ceed Miller at KXA, with title of general" manager. certainly make use of the title,” NBC-TV Tree Hoars’ Jontinued from Zt ence with its messages. Also, the show well may prove an inspira- tion to today’s Minnesota coaches anct-team. Edited film selections are por- tion of Gopher games over'the past years—contests which excited the , “^tiost attention at their particular casing 180 hours per month of times and are especially notable in network commercial shows, leaving the school’s athletic annals as well 90 to go. And since practically all as causes for fans’ pride. Taken nighttime hours are practically from the coaches’ files in the ath- sold out for the' fall, tliis would letic department, the footage in necessitate some hustling in un- part is exclusive in that it is being loading some morning and after- made available initially for air noon shows. . The stations, have presentation. It’ll thus .provide a been pressuring the web on this first peek of some mighty Gopher score for more than a year, but gridiron performances for many web salesmen find that it’s some- viewers who didn’t attend the thing of a herculean feat. hoSlf A five-man committee was ap- fuSf pointed »t last week’s meet to ^ 43 ^ h^Jnv come up with an agreement for i ^ PPV luemories. Under presentation to the network later this month. It comprises P. A. Sugg, of "WKY, Oklahoma City; Walter J. Damm, WTMJ, Milwaukee; Ed Wheeler,'WWJ-TV, Detroit; H. V. Vadeboncouer, WSRY, Syracuse, and Ray Wellpot, of WRGB, Schenectady. V 4 Reasons Why Th« forainott national and local adykrtfsori uio WEVD yoar after yoinir to roach tfio vast Jewish Market of Metropolitan New York 1. Top «duH proorammlns 2. Stronf audlonco impact I, Inhoront Hotonor loyalty 4. Potontial buying power fond for a copy of WHO’S WHO ON WEVD’ Henry Greenfield, Man. Dir. WEVD, 117-il? We»t 46th St. Now York 36 • Austin — Application of Tom Potter, Dallas oil man for a TV outlet here, has been approved by the FCC. Potter was granted VHF Channel No. 24. This is the third grant given this city by the FCC since the freeze was lifted. Potter also received approval for a TV outlet at Chattanooga. 10 KW rM TRANSMIHER FOR SALE completely installed^ with antenna all RCA equip- ment, midtown area, NeW York City. 630 ft.<'aboY« sea level terrific field survey, can he used for func- tional music to cafes, restaurants, store casting to supermarkets, $15,000.00 terms arranged. Thomas J, Yolentino, Inc., 150 W. 46 St., N. Y. 36