Variety (September 1952)

21 Wednesday, September 10, 1952 PS&IETT TV-FIUHS VIDEO’S DISPLACED PERSONS 7 TVA Gaim of SAG Freezeout on Fix Mutual’s TV Film Web Plans Novel Television Authority charged 4 this week that the Screen Actors Guild is freezing it out of nego- tiations for television film commer- cials. This phase of the TVA-SAG wrangle may stall approval of TVA’s merger with the American Federation of Radio Artists. TVA wants to join SAG in its negotiations for TV film spots, but the screen guild answered that it will negotiate alone, although it would protect the interests of all performers. George Heller, TVA national executive secretary, told Variety that “television perform- ers should get more than a polite assurance that T.VA’s scales for live performing won’t be undercut by the results of SAG’s negotiations.” Heller said that a large number of TVA members are doing tele film spots in places where SAG is not organized, and “these members should have something to say about the course of the talks.”. He added that “we feel joint SAG-TVA nego- tiations would give the performers added strength and secure a better ^contiTflct Dispute may affect TVA-AFRA merger plans, because the screen guilds have a large vote in the Associated Actors & Artistes of America, which so far has failed to approve a TVA-AFRA wedding despite overwhelming votes for such a merger in TVA and AFRA referendums. Actors Equity, which has been opposing a TVA-AFRA get-togeth- er, had said it would reverse its stand if certain conditions were met. One of the conditions is set- tlement of the TVA-SAG jurisdic- tional row. Equity said it would call a conference on the problem and TVA and AFRA accepted its invitation, but a powwow hasn’t materialized yet. The 4A's has also been mulling the question, but no decision has been reached and an- other confab is set for today (Wed.). Indications are not too hopeful for a TVA-SAG settlement soon, judg- ing from the parties’ stand on the jlele film que&tion. Meanwhile, TVA is going ahead With its plans for its special con- vention at the Park Sheraton Hotel, N. Y.. Sept. 25-27. Balloting for delegates wound up yesterday (Tues.). AFRA held its special con- vention at the same hotel last month, with a resolution urging a TVA-AFRA welding the most im- portant decision emerging. Frigidaire Buys Intrpe’ in Can. “Foreign Intrigue,” the Euro- peanmade series of vidpix that has entrenched itself as one of the more solid commercial TV en- tries in this country, also has the distinction of becoming the first U.S.-sponsored show on the newly- inaugurated Canadian video chan- nels. “Intrigue” was sold by J. Walter Thompson, which controls the package, to the Canadian Broad- casting Corp., which in turn nego- tiated a deal with the Canadian iiubsid of Frigidaire for weekly ^onsorship of the series on CBLT, Toronto. Program bows tonight (Wed.) in the 9 to 9:30 p.m. seg- ment. Station officially went on the air this week. Mennen Buys Jack Barry Five-Minute Moppet Strip A five-minute vidpic strip has been bought by Mennen products from Jack Barry-Dan Enright Pro- ductions. Show is tagged “Oh, Baby!” and features Barry and moppets in satiric jibes at a vari- ety of current, foibles. Series goes Into production this week in the east, with the pix due to preem last week in October. Mennen is handling the pix on a statlon-by-station basis. Agency is Gray. Ralston Quits Televideo To Form Indie Vidfirm Hollywood, Sept. 9. - Gil Ralston has broken with Screen Televideo Productions, where he has been producer for the past year, and is forming a partnership with Arthur Ripley for telefilming of two series now in preparation. He decided to go on his own when Televideo refused him a term deal. Jacques Braunstein, secretary- treasurer of Televideo, will con- tinue production with Rudy Abel, associate with Ralston, as his aide. Ralston was executive TV produ- cer for Procter & Gamble before joining Teievideo. Ripley, associat- ed with him in production, directed many theatrical films. Web Film Shows Sign SAG Pact; Vote Reissue Pay Hollywood, Sept. 9. Screen Actors Guild has,signed collective bargaining contracts with practically all filmed television shows on national networks, ac- cording to John Dales, Jr., SAG executive secretary. Latest com- panies to sign - Guild agreements are Desilu Productions, Dudley Pictures, Key Productions, McCad- den Productions, Murphy-Thbmas Productions, New World Produc- tions Rovan Films, Showcase Pro- ductions, Tower Productions and Volcano Productions. Other recent signers were Bracken Productions, Donlevy Development Co., Frank Ferris Co., Hour Glass Productions, Theodore Kosloff, National Reper- tory Theatre, Pennant Productions, Quality Pictures, Visual Drama Voglin Corporation, Wrather TV Production^ and Wizard Telepic- tures. Clauses in the Guild’s TV con- tracts provide additional payments to players for reuse of their shows on television, and separate pay- ments to actors in case the films are shown in theatres. Minimum salaries are $70 a day and $250. a week for single role in single pic- ture, $320 for two films in a week and $375 for three films in a week, LIVE SKATECASTS, FILM HIGHLIGHTS SET AT WPIX National Roller Derby League has inked WPIX (N.Y.), for two live telecasts weekly during the 1952-53 season. Skatecasts will be on Thursday and Friday nights at 10 p.m. to conclusion, starting Oct. 9, with a Sunday afternoon pickup added later in the fall. Meanwhile, WPIX is beaming films of previous derby highlights on Sunday at 10-10:30 p.m. These films are being sold on a syndica- tion basis. Jack Burnett, formerly sports director for WGN and WBBM, Chi, and later with Foote, Cone & Beld- ing, is in the syndicate which re- cently purchased the New Jersey franchise for the National Roller Derby League which was formerly owned by Leo Seltzer. Roller Derby Associates is franchising all clubs in the National League. Heading the N. J. syndicate is Stephen Du- diak, of Clifton, N. J. Hurwood’s Vidpix Deals Robert Hurwood, Bank of Amer- ica veepee who supervises disposi- tion of films foreclosed by the in- stitution, is due in New York early next week to wrap up release deals for some 13 pictures. Hurwood, it’s understood, will huddle with six major distribution companies. BKN.Y.ME The new broadcasting season is bringing in its wake the first major batch of television “DP’s”—casu- alties of the continuing exodus of New York-berthed shows to the Coast. With more and more spon- sors growing film-conscious and spreading ^their Hollywood wings, the job situation along N. Y.’s Madison Ave. and at the major net- works is becoming increasingly acute. Key men heretofore involved in practically all facets of creative production are job-l^unting in large numbers. The wholesale axings at NBC-TV in recent weeks are due largely to the fact that there aren’t sufficient Gotham-origlnating shows to take care of them. Indicative of the “go west” programming trend—either switching of live shows to the Coast or decision of sponsors to convert live properties into film—is the casualty list among set designers at NBC-TV. Within the past two weeks it’s reported that eight such designers were given their Walking papers. It’s been customary to as- sign a designer to two separate shows per week, indicating that, with the official ushering in of the •fall TV season this week, there are 16 fewer programs originating out of NBC-TV’s Manhattan studios. Some of the agencies involved in TV production have been giving their creative staffs the alternative of shifting their base of operation to the Coast (where agency activity is taking on a new importance reminiscent of the late ’30’s, when all the major radio shows went west) or turning in their creden- tials. Most of them have joined the Hollywood parade as “dis- placed persons” rather than join the job-hunting brigade in the east, even though it has meant uproot- ing of their families. N.Y. FILM-RADIO‘HANDS’ TIEUP BOWS NEXT WEEK “Joining Hands” campaign, in which WNBC-WNBT (N.Y.) and the Organization of the Motion Pic- ture Industry of N. Y. City will plug each other, kicks off Monday (15). The two stations will give daily listings of popular films currently playing in neighborhood houses. WNBC will carry the calendar of features on Skltch Henderson’s two shows, 12:45-1:30 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. to midnight. On WNBT, the tele listing of pix will be handled by Morey Amsterdam on his “Breakfast With Music” at 9 a.m. Additionally, a weekly half-hour program at 12 noon Sunday tees off Sept. 21. It will be a variety show, “Hollywood, U.S.A.,” includ- ing taped interviews with stars, producers and other filmites and music frofn soundtracks. In. return, OMPI will prepare and distribute trailer>s and posters boosting these programs in the participating theatres, including over 500 houses in some 30 chains. Pact, inked by Ted Cott for WNBC and Fred J. Schwartz for OMPI, runs for 13 weeks, with option to renew. Fairbanks Readies TV Prod. London, Sept. 2. With production scheduled to start rolling in October, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., is currently scout- ing for an available studio in which to lens his TV features for the Na- tional Broadcasting Co. Under the terms of his NBC deal, Fairbanks must deliver the first six pix in N. Y. by the end of 1952. Fairbanks announced the names of execs ^and studio personnel who are to be associated with him in this telepix organization. They in- clude Tom White, former executive head of Pinewood studios, and Sir Edwin Herbert, a solicitor. Colin Les.slie has been appointed ex- ecutive assLstant to Fairbanks and Peter Marriot was made his per- sonal assistant. Sales Patterns, ——i—: .-I Sam Lake to Guild Films As General Sales Mgr. Sam Lake, \ii'£ manager and as- sistant to topper Ralph Cohn, has resigned from Screen Gems, Co- lumbia’s vidpix subsidiary, to as- sume the post of general sales manager of Guild Films, telepix distribs. Burton Hanft, formerly of Col’s legal department, moves into the Screen Gems post. One of Lake’s first duties will be to visit the Guild offices in Hol- lywood, Chicago and Cleveland and to set up an office in Atlanta. He leaves on this tour in about two weeks. Among vidpix Lake will peddle for Guild are “Invitation Play- house,” “Guild Theatre of the Air,” “Lash of the West” and the Guild sports lil.ary. RKODiuinbsDown On ‘All Star’ Satire Of ‘fiash by Nigbt’ Hollywood, Sept. 9. RKO crackdown halted plans of NBC-TV’s “All Star Revue” to satirize film “Clash By Night” on the kickoff program Saturday (6) starring Dennis Day. Producer Jerry Wald had given “All Star” supervisor Joe Bigelow the green- light on the project, but warned he’d have to get RKO’s permis- sion. Studio, which released the Wald film, nixed the plan to have guestar Paul Douglas, who starred in film, reenact the role on the video satirlzation with Corinne Calvet, another guest, taking off the Bar- bara Stanwwck role. Flock of video satirizations last year prompted beefs from exhibs who resented ridicle of pix in general, specifically those in cur- rent release. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, on Colgate’s “Comedy Hour,” aroused nationwide exhib indignation, and finally had to apologize, for a skit lampooning the film industry beset by video competition. POLITICOS GET PRIORITY VS ‘JEWELERS’ THEATRE’ “Jewelers’ Theatre,” the Interna- tional Silver-Hamilton Watch al- ternating sponsorship vidpic series, won’t be able to get into the New York market until Nov. ll. It goes into the Tuesday 10:30-11 p.m. slot on WCBS-TV, N. Y. Reason is that this time, one of the few availabilities in the CBS- TV key, has been bought for alter- nate weeks by the Democratic Party. WCRB-TV is keeping the other open periods for the Repub- lican party, in case the GOP should want’the equal time to re- ply to the Dems. Geo. L. George Joins Shamus Culhane Vidpbe George L. George has been named producer-director in charge of sponsored films for Shamus Cul- hane Proc^uctions, Inc. Sponsored pix will be a new activity for Cul- hane, which up to now has con- centrated on TV commercial spots. George was director of the Acad- emy Award-winning featurette, “Toward Independence,” made for the U. S. Signal Corp. He has produced a number of other short films and was in production abroad 1 before the war. Mebbe Cuffo Time Thomas F. O’Neil, Jr.’s plans for a Mutual film tele network have stepped into high gear and are being shaped up around sev- eral novel plans. A half-dozen different plans, suggested by stations, advertisers and agencies, have been consid- ered, although nothing final has been settled on. One of the ap- proaches suggested by stations calls for the bankroller to provide the film shows, which the stations would carry on a cuffo basis. How- ever, the stations would get the right to rerun the vidpix for a second cycle without paj^ment to the sponsor. It would be an at- tractive deal to the affiliates, it’s felt, since they could get more from this arrangement than they would get on a straight time sale to a network spender. However, it’s understood, while several variations of this plan have come up for discussion, they have disadvantages which militate against them, such as sponsors’ wanting to hold on to second run rights, union regulations on re- payment for repeats, etc, O’Neil, prexy and board chair- man of Mutual; Theodore Strei- bert, former WOR (N. Y.) prez and now topper of General Telecasting; Dwight Martin, General Telecast- ing general manager; and John Sutherland, indie film producer who came east from Hollywood last month to work with O’Neil, have been meeting almost daily to shape up MBS’ film tele web plans. It’s likely that they will decide on sev- eral methods of networking their shows, rather than one, since one of the main goals that O’Neil is trying to achieve is that of flexi- bility. According to a spokesman for O’Neil, other aims of Mutual videowise are: (1) providing a good program service to prospec- tive affiliates; and (2) providing service In periods not covered by the other networks. That, of course, would put the stress on daytime, fringe time, local option time and even post-midnight shows. It’s significant, for e x a m p l.e, that WOR-TV pioneered with a live show in the post-midnight stretch. 4th Vidpic Group Set Up in H’wood Hollywood, Sept. 9. A new telefilm producers organi- zation has been formed by produ- cer Phil Tucker, who recently was put on the unfair Ijst by the Screen Writers Guild. Tucker says the SWG slapped him for not paying scribblers “whether they'meet my needs or not. I cannot find out if a writer can do the kind of work I want, until after I pay for it,” He said he told the SWG he con- siders this stand “Un-American.” He hopes to line up 10 or 15 pro- ducers in the new association. “It’s inconceivable,” he says, “that four or five people represent- ‘ ing a group of working people can throttle an entire industry; yet that is what they -propose. I feel we should strengthen the inde- pendent producers’ stand and pre- sent our own problem before a panel of disinterested people who think it’s high time producers started making demands on ynions. We have just as many mouths to feed as writers do; have just as many expenses, in addition to which we take a gamble with our money.” Objective of new group would be to “maintain equitable standards in working conditions throughout the Industry for all peoplre in- volved, not just a minority that has long overrun its welcome.” Town, already has three telefilm associations. National Society of Television Producers, headed by Louis D. Snader; Television Film Producers Assn., headed by Hal Roach, Jr., and Alliance of Tele- vision Film Producers, now struck by the SWG.