Variety (September 1952)

tCwIncBdayT ScpteWiJ>*f 17^ 19S2 TV-nOLMS S3 TiR STORY’ SHOWS TV PATIHfN [. ondnii Emerging as Bigscale Vidpix Prod. Center; Yanks Step Up Shuttle By HAROLD MYERS London, Sept. 16. For the past two years, there has been a steady flow of traffic across the Atlantic of telepix pp- duc?rs who believed that facilities and costs would make London a more attractive production center than either N.Y. or Hollywood. The crospectors came, looked at studios and talent, and then drafted plans which they hoped would mature and justify the setting up of a British organization. Inevitably many of the projects thus con- ceived proved stillborn or had only a short lease of life. Only now, after a lapse of time, is there a fjenuine indication that a big scale telefilm production industry is nearing realization. The major projects currently in nroduction include the series for national Broadcasting Co. which is being produced by Douglas Fair- banks, Jr.,’s new outfit. It has con- tracts which will Insure continuous production for some time ahead with main interest centered on a Foreign Legion group and also on the Fairbanks Intimate theatre series. John Nasht, who was the first Yank producer to recognize the po- tentialities of British production for American TV, and has made two series in Europe, the first star- ring Isabel Bigley and the second with Dolores Gray, is now in Lon- don lining up a new program which goes into production early in No- vember. New series, with an um- brella title of “Orient Express, wall tee off with a trio of Gerald Kersh’s stories, for which the au- thor ismow completing the shooting script. Subsequently a further three will be lensed in Paris. Others in the series will be made in various parts of Europe. . American distribution for the series has been set through the prockter Syndication. Bernard Prockter came to Europe last week- end for final confabs with Nasht before production gets .uftder way (Continued on page 40) Vidpix Sale Boom; Three Fetch 290G Hollywood, Sept. 16. Sudden upbeat in tempo of tele plx sales the past week saw Arrow Productions peddle “Ramar of the Jungle’' for $155,000 to three chan- riels, MCA-TV Ltd., sell Abbott ‘ Costello series of 26 to KTTV for $104,000 and “Hollywood Offbeat" peddled in seven markets for $31,000 by United Television Pro- grams. “Ramar," starring Jon Hall, went to KTTV in L. A. and KFIL in Philadelphia for $45,000 each for 26, and to a N. Y. channel for $65,000. Exec producer i.s Leon Fromkess, Rudolph Flothow is pro- ducer. “Offbeat" stars Melvyn Douglas, tees off on KNXT in October, and bankroll er in all seven markets is Serutan. Smith’s ‘Int’l Theatre’ Martin Smith, topper of Feature Television Productions, has re- turned from Italy with pilot film of “International Theatre." Realtistic flavor was achieved by shooting on the streets of Rome. Idea is to lens projected series in various European countries. Mi TO Pll Mushrooming Vidlib Industry Jams Rental Lots Hollywood, Sept.-16. Practically every rental lot in Hollywood these days is being maintained by television produc- tion. Where previously vidpix pro- ducers had to scratch for space, due to high charges, these lots in most instances now are turning practically 100% into telepix stu- dios, with only occasional use by regular film producers. What’s more, they’re making attractive bids for TV biz. The position which TV produc- tion now holds in the film colony is further seen in the fact that sev- eral studios either . already have been constructed or presently are in the building stage specifically for video work. Additionally, cer- tain regular motion picture stu dios have thrown open thir doors to the new medium, either their own production or to outside pro- ducers on a rental basis. A total of five rental studios currently are being utilized only for TV purposes, while another two draw most of their rentals from TV production. Of these five, the Hal Roach stu- dios is most active. To accommo- date the number of requests for space, studio has launched a $25,- 000 expansion program, to afford added facilities. Plan embraces making two stages out of one gi- gantic stage, at a cost of $15,000, building seven more cutting rooms, and installing additional equip- ment. Roach studios alone, through its renting TV producers and Roach’s own TV activities, this year will make in telepix an equivalent of more than 50 regular feature pic- tures, a figure far surpassing an- nual output of practically every major in town. Eagle Lion studios is another which concentrates on TV produc- tion, and General Service, KTTV and California studios are others (Continued on page 46) Heavy Switch to Fdm; 46 Shows Now Set for tensing This Fall The “Young & Rubicam Story" perhaps best reflects what’s hap- pening in television today. Fotr years one of the major agencies engaged in live jradio-TV produc- tion, with creative staffs outnum- bering those of any other Madison Ave., N.Y., percentage house, Y&R goes to bat for the ’52-’53 season with only one live video presenta- tion on tap. All the other shows on the agency’s roster are on film. And the one live show will prob- ably convert to film at end of the first 13-week cycle. Sole contender on the Y&R live programming calendar is the new Gulf show, which replaces “We the People" on NBC-TV Friday nights first week in October. It will be a half-hour dramatic series tentative- ly titled “Adventures in Drama." Frank Telford will produce. (Telford alone, of all the Y&R production staff previously as- signed to the “Schlitz Playhouse" series, remains berthed in New York. All the others, including Joe Sciabetti, Felix Jackson and Bill Brown, have been transferred to the Coast to meet the agency’s increas- ing demand for film-TV staffers.) Trend Is West Even getting Gulf to “stay live" for a 13-week period was some- thing of a problem for Y&R, which was anxious to establish a con- tinued identity with major-league live network programming origi- nating In the east. Gulf prefers a film show, and on the basis of present negotiations, the new dramatic series is scheduled to wind up on the Coast as an addi tional entry in the vidpix sweep stakes. Among the other Y&R bigtime entries this fall and winter, the Joan Davis Show (for General Electric) will be a filmed series from the Coast, as will the Gen- eral Foods-sponsored “Our Miss Brooks," which Is a CBS-TV film package. Additionally, Charle;§ Laughton preems in January for a Y&R client—Mott’s Apple Juice —in a 15-minute wdpix presenta- tion of readings from the Bible and the classics. Adlai’s Debut Hollywood, Sept. 18. Democratic Presidential nom- inee Gov. Adlai Stevenson made his telepix debut during his recent campaign tour here. Filmcraft shot teleblurbs of the governor giving his views on two 15-minute and 12 one- minute programs. Hollywood- for-Stevenson committee ar- ranging for the vidpix, to be shown on TV webs during the campaign. TOM LEWIS AS QUIZZER IN HOTEL INTERVIEWS Hollywood, Sept. 16. Tom Lewis, who used to be a radio announcer in Albany before ha joined Young’’ & Rubicam to later become veepee in charge of radio and TV, is coming out of professional retirement to emcee a telefilmed series from Beverly Hills hotel. He and his wife, Loretta Young, are heavy stockholders in the class hostelry. Format is for Lewis to interview prominent guests on the hotel reg- ister under the title of “May We Present . , . ? Ted Bliss, late of Y&R, will direct. Lewis was one ot the also-rans for BUI Keighley's producer spot On “Lux Radio The- atre." Taisan’ as Chi Test On Foreign Fix Oldies Chicago, Sept. 16. First Chi tele beaming of “Pai- san" is slated for Sunday night (21) via WGN-TV on Jim Moran’s (Hud- son dealer) “Courtesy Hour." TV screening of the Italian film will be an experiment to test the audi- ence reaction to non-English prod- uct and if “Paisan" clicks Moran plans to use such films as “Open City” and “Bicycle Thief" on sub- sequent shows. The three foreign pix are included in a WGN-'TV package buy from Motion Pictures for TV. . Decision to air the award-winning “Paisan" has raised some ticklish editing problems at the station. Several screening sessions are scheduled this week in an effort to determine just how much of the film’s realism can be left intact for home consumption via video. Since the pic will be sent out at the 10 p. m. hour and because of its thea- tre-earne(l rep as a near-classic Moran and WGN-TV hope to keep , the cuts to a minimum. ‘INFO PLEASE’ TO STAY AS SYNDICATED TV’ER Although “Information Please," the Dan Golenpaul package, checks off the CBS-TV Sunday night schedule at end of the month, fol- lowing the return of the Fred War- ing show for General Electric, which picked up “Info" as a sum- mer TV replacement, the longtime quizzer will not be put back into camphor. Golenpaul is currently negotiat- ing for syndication of the series via film, for sale in individual video markets. A couple of weelcs back (Golenpaul used a filmed ver- sion, with Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, in tl^p GE slot, and decided to proceed with the syndi- cation idea because of the favor- able reaction. TVA, SAG Flareup In Chi Looms On Vidpix Producers Chicago, Sept. 16. Long standing tussle between Television Authority and Screen Actors Guild over the jurisdiction in the vidpix field may flare up anew as a result of the plans by the Chicago TVA group to launch a drive to sign up Chi tele film pro- ducers. The local TVA board voted last week to move into the hometown film shops on the grounds that SAG has failed to take any action toward organizing the Windy City producers. TVAers take the view that they have no choice but to move into the vacuum that’s existed here the past couple of years as a result of SAG’s failure to seek representa- tion at the Chi TV filmeries. It’s pointed out the actors’ guild, un- like in Hollywood, New York and Detroit, does not maintain an office here, or for that matter, in several cities where TV film commercial activities have been growing rapidly. The Chi TVA decision is expect- ed to revive the TV film jurisdic- tion wrangling within the Associa- ted Actors and Artistes of America, of which both TVA and SAG are adjuncts. Just last week SAG voted to go back to full participa- tion in the Four A’g on the as- sumption that a recent Four A's board vote rescinding an earlier resolution giving TVA jurisdiction in TV films, gave the screen group clear rights in the field. A series of National Labor Rela- tion Board elections in Hollsnvood and r^ew York have also given the film nod to SAG. However, unlike the situation currently prevailing in Chicago, SAG was actively or- ganized on the two Coasts. Hollywood, Sept. 16. Spectacular progress registered by the telepix industry is pin- pointed by virtual doubling of vid- pix programming this fall, as mini- mum of 46 filmed shows, all spon- sored, are set for the new season as compared to 25 last season. Various reasons are given for the surge in celluloid, but two con- crete examples are “I Love Lucy" and “Dragnet," success of these toprated telefilm shows accounting for a good deal of increased spon- sor interest in vidpix. “Lucy," starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, teed off on CBS-TV last year a newcomer and wound up to top all shows for the season. Jack Webb’s NBC-TV “Dragnet," while not quite so rapid in its rise, nabbed nifty ratings all along the way also, with the two shows un- questionably creating an appetite among angels for more telepix. Telefilms dissolve the time dif- ferential problem found on live TV; it’s now conceded that there’s a generally fine quality in the vid- pic, and the residuals matter is an- other strong talking point in favor of the celluloid. Burns and Allen and Red Skel- ton are among the former live pro- grams drifting to film this season. New vidpix to be seen this fall vary from net offerings to those sold on a regional and local basis. On latter they usually wear dif- ferent labels. For example. Re- vue Productions’ dramatic series known as ’“Chevron Theatre" on •the Coast has a different tag in each region of the country, de- pending on the sponsor in that particular section. New Entries New (and sponsored) entries in the telepix sweepstakes this fall include “Four Star Playhouse," starring Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea and an un- named star, produced by Don Sharpe Productions, and to be seen on CBS-TV; “Hollywood Off- beat," Melvyn Douglas, produced by Marion Parsonnet, sold on local basis, KNXT in L.A.; “Ramar of the Jungle," Jon Hall, produced by Arrow Productions, sold on local (Continued on page 46) Slesinger Gets Rights To ‘Blondie’ Comic Strip Stephen Slesinger Productions, Inc., this week acquired TV, radio and motion picture rights to the “Blondie" comic strip. Previously, the Slesinger outfit had lensed a pilot film for a new TV “Blondie" series. Latter will have Jeff Don- nell in the title role, while John Harvey is cast as Dagwood. “Blondie" TV series will be repped by the William Morris agency. Plans call for original scripts, with no duplications from the motion picture or radio series. Arrangements reportedly permit production of the show in either the east or on the Coast. Marc Daniels will direct. GUILD’S DISTRIB SETUP ' ON ‘SPORTS LIBRARY’ Guild Films, Inc., headed by Reub Kaufman, has set national dis- tribution of its “Guild Sports Li- brary" for Sept. 29 When it will be programmed by 19 TV stations. A film-clip service, “Library" was con- ceived by Guild for local utilization by stations and agencies. Meantime, Guild has handed Mercury Film Laboratories, N. Y., orders covering a total of 768,540 feet of prints for “Library." About half of the footage is scheduled to be available for shipping by Sept. 21. Balance is to be delivered by Oct. 15. In another deal, Guild inked a pact with the Ruben Advertising Co. of Indianapolis calling for a se- ries of 30-minute shows to be beamed back-to-back in that city: They’ll consist of two 15-minute stories in the TV film series, “Invi- tation Playhouse." Programming of the 26 15-min- ute shows over a 13-week stretch is slated to start via WFBM-TV on Saturday (20). Gibson Co., distrib- utors in the Indianapolis territory for Arvin radio and TV sets, Is picking up the tab. Deal was ar- c I ranged by Robert De Vinny^ Guild's , J midwestem sales manager. Parker Pen Into TV Will ‘Intrigue’ ^ Parker Pen Co. is taking its Ini- tial plunge into video, acquiring the “Foreign Intrigue" half-hour film series for five markets. Vid- pix will be *shown in Rochester (WHAM-TV); Kansas City (WDAF- TV); Atlanta (WAGA-TV); Syracuse (WSYR-TV), and San Antonio (KEYL-TV). Parker Pen's sponsorship deal now gives the “Intrigue" series exposure In 41 market, including Canada, where the Canadian divi- sion of Frlgidalre bought the show for Toronto airing. Ballantine, original sponsor of the series, has the show In 11 east- ern markets. It has now become one of the most lucrative properties on the J. Walter Thompson agency schedule. AL MOREY PACTED IN CHI FOR PSI SETUP Chicago, Sept. 16. Al Morey has been pacted as midwest sales manager for Prock- ter Syndicate International, vidpix selling adjunct of Prockter Produc- tions. To take on the new assign- ment, Morey is disbanding his own AM-TV production outfit set up af- ter a stint as a Schwimmer & Scott agency account exec. Prior to joining the agency he had been with CBS-WBBM here for eight years, first as program director and later as program sales chief, PSI deal was set by Manny . Reiner, firm’s sales veepe#.