Variety (December 1952)

Wednesday, December 10, 1952 t^STEff $10,000,000 VIDPIX Several Teleblurb Producers Sign Interim Pacts. Yield to SAG Terms Hollywood, Dec. 9. + First major break in the week- old strike of Screen Actors Guild against all teleblurb producers and advertising agencies was dis- closed here, as it was learned a number of teleblurb producers in N. Y., Chicago and Hollywood have inked interim contracts along lines of terms originally pre- sented by SAG in negotiations in Gotham. As a result of the sudden shift, blurbs are already being shot under the agreement which stipulates no matter what industry pattern is eventually set up, terms for thesps working in the interim deal will stick, and they will get re-run coin. Question of re-runs and re-run coin, more than anything else, pre- cipiated the breakdown in negotia- tions between SAG and N. Y. t'’eblurb producers and the Amer- ican Assn, of Advertising Agencies, leading to SAG’s first strike in its 19-year history. Roland Reed Productions, larg- est blurb producer here, is shoot- ing commercials for General Mills, working under interim deal inked by Knox-Freeves agency of Min- neapolis. Blurbs had already been set when the strike was called. Kathleen Mulqueen is the thesp, working in the blurbs, planned for . "‘The Lone Ranger” vidpix series. Guy Thayer, RR veepee, made * clear that his company would make such blurbs only for com- panies or agencies which have inked interim deals. Orville Fouse, production man- ager at Cascade Films,' which like the Reed Company is located at the Hal Roach lot, said he was considering signing an interim deal for teleblurbs, but that there was nothing definite. A deal was near at Cascade. SAG would not disclose the number of agencies or producers who have inked interim deals, say- ing merely it was “not a large number at this moment.” Interim deal provides that actors and announcers will get minimum fee of $70 per commercial, and, on important issue of re-runs, has different rates for net blurbs and local spots, with re-use coin to be paid actor for each run on net s;iots, while on local-“wild” spots there is unlimited run for four weeks, but renewal after that period means actor must be paid his full original fee for another four-weeks run. Teleblurb Strike Charges Huried Charges of “misrepresentation, misstatement and distortion” in the teleblurb strike were leveled against Screen Actors Guild and' its ’ new prexy, Walter Pidgeon, by execs of the Film Producers Assn, of N. Y. this week'and brought a reply from Pidgeon agreeing to re- sume negotiations—in Hollywood rather than in N. Y., where talks failed. Noting that Ralph Cohn, Screen Gems topper, was due in Holly- wood yesterday (Tues.), SAG said that it would contact him and offer to discuss or negotiate the dispute and suggested- that FPA send other reps to join the powwow. Raps against an article in a union publication by jPidgeon were leveled by P. J. Mooney, FPA prez, and John Wheeler, FPA attorney, latter voicing his objections in a letter to Pidgeon which brought the SAG offer to resume talks. Pidgeon’s statement that con- ‘ fbiued reuse of blurbs would work an “economic hardship” on per- formers was hit by Mooney, who said that SAG proposals had origi- nally conceded the point, permit- ting Unlimited use of a “wild” com- mercial within a four-week period which- was later extended to 13 weeks by the guild. Wheeler wrote that the SAG position is not based (Continued on. page 42) Trend Story Chicago, Dec. 9. How far sponsors of jaded feature films go in an attempt to update them for TV is shown in a newspaper ad car- ried here last week calling at- tention to the WBKB showing of “Exile to Shanghai.” Pic is billed as “an exciting drama of a TV newsreelman.” * Only catch is that the film was released by Republic in 1937 when commercial video was only a gleam in Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff’s eye. Solomon & Co. s Peimanent Status Enthused over the response to “Victory at Sea” and the fact that already it’s copping every award in sight, NBC will retain the “Vic- tory” production unit, topped by Henry (Pete) Solomon, on a per- manent basis. At least two other major projects are currently being blueprinted, although several weeks of work still remain before the final installments of the 20- week “Victory” series are in the can. Robert W. Sarnoff, v.p. in charge of the NBC-TV Film Division, has already started preliminary work designed to convert the “Victory” vidpix series into a two-hour film for theatrical distribution. This will entail a complete re-editing job, with new continuity and commen- tating, plus a rescoring of the Rich- ard Rodgers music. This will be NBC’s initial excursion into theat- rical pix. Metro, Fromkess In Hassle Over Vidpix ‘Round Table' Title Hollywood, Dec. 9. A clash between pix and video over a title has cropped up. “Knights 0£ The Round Table,” which 'Arrow Productions telepix producer Leon Fromkess says he plans using as the title of a vidpic series rolling in March, is claimed by Metro as its property. Fromkess points out the property is in public domain so Metro has no claim, and says studios belonging to the Johnston office have “Gentlemen’s agreement concerning such conflict in titles” but implied this doesn't extend to television in any way. He plans to shoot 26 “Knights.” Recently Stanley Kramer beefed to Meridian Pictures over the lat- ter’s telefilm “Juggler,” contending it conflicted with his upcoming feature. That title is based on Michael Blankfort’s book located in Israel. SHUPERT TO MANAGE UA'S TELE SUBSID George T. Shupert has been named general manager of United Artists Television Corp, UA’s TV subsidiary. He started on his new job Monday (8). Outfit distributes film programs made especially for TV. Shupert replaces John Mitchell who has gone over to Columbia’s Screen Gems TV sub- sid. Shupert’s last job was as vee- pee of Peerless Film Productions where he distributed a batch of Edward Small pix to TV. Before that, he was v.p. and director of commercial operations for Para- mount Television Productions. As assistant to Paul Raibourn, Par TV Productions prexy, Shupert was credited with having planned and organized the company’s TV film supplying net. DTP JOINS WITH fill Creation of what may be the largest single organization in the vidpix business is being finalized this week, via Gross-Krasne Pro- ductions and Studio Films merging forces with United TV Programs. Two production firms, besides bringing new product into UTP are also providing considerable new financing to make the outfit the biggest to concentrate on both production and distribution of TV films. New setup will have a total of 10 package shows to start out with, which represent a' production in- vestment of well over $10,000,000. In addition, it will have its own studios on the Coast, via a deal set only a few weeks ago for producers Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne to take over their own studios. In addition. Studio Films, a Cleveland outfit which has turned out several hundred musical briefies, only re- cently bought out much of the Louis D. Snader product, includ- ing the Snader Telescriptions, so that the reorganized UTP now has 1,200 of the three-minute musical vidpix to offer as a library serv- ice to TV stations. In fact, accord- ing to UTP exec veepee Milton Blink, the company has placed more than $500,000 in business for the newly-named Studio Telescrip- tions in either new contracts or re- newals. Since the contracts are still be- ing drawn up by attorneys, execs of the three companies involved de- clined to detail specific plans for the reorganization. It’s been learned though, that besides the top UTP, Gross-Krasne and Studio Films execs involved, Wilson (Bill) Tuttle, former top radio-TV exec with the Ruthrauff & Ryan agency, will also be one of the key bosses in the new outfit. It was Tuttle who set the deal while at R&R for Gross-Krasne to produce the “Big Town” series on film, which is bankrolled by Lever Bros, in a number of markets and to which UTP has syndication rights both in the non-Lever markets and for secondrrun purposes. Decision to tie the three firms together was reportedly based- on the belief that the vidfilm busi- ness has grown so large that there’s no longer rotfm for an outfit to con- centrate exclusively on either pro- duction or distribution. Just as the major film companies set up their own distribution agencies, the vidpix entrepreneurs now realize that there must be a marriage be- (Continued on page 39) Lots of Indie Lots for Sale As Vidpic Boom Cues New Interest UA Seen Next In Swing to Vidpix United Artists appears next in line to swing into the production of films specially designed for tele- casting. Company for the past couple of years has been active in TV but only to the extent of dis- tributing pix. Last week’s appointment of George Shupert to head its video subsidiary, United Artists Televi- sion Corp., Succeeding John Mitch- ell (see separate story), was seen by insiders as a preliminary to a swing into the lensing of TV prod- uct. Columbia and Universal were the first of the principal film out- fits to enter the field. Shupert is well backgrounded in various phases of TV, having headed Paramount's commercial TV operations before joining the indie company, Peerless Film Pro- ductions. 'Xmas Carol' Vidpix Consolidated Television Sales has inked distribution rights to Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” half-hour film narrated by Vincent Price and featuring Taylor Holmes as Scrooge. Pic was lensed by Tableau Pro- ductions, Ltd. Subversive They’re calling it the Un- American Tobacco Co.' Lucky Strike is picking up the tab for the “Biff Baker USA” vid- pix series. It’s all about a self-styled Intelligence opera- tor, but they’re saying that if that’s how a U. S. Intelligence man looks to others, it’s gonna provide some good ammunition for the Russian propagandists. Within the American To- bacco Co., it’s reported, there’s some distress over the char- acterization. ‘Crime’ Club’ For Vidpix, Theatres Bernard L. Schubert and maestro Harry Sosnik have deferred their month's European business trip un- til Jan. 3 because a pending Schu- bert-NBC video package would keep them abroad too close to Xmas. They were to have flown out Saturday (6). Schubert will co-produce 13 “Crime Club” whodunits (under a tieup with Doubleday & Co.) in London, via Ben Henry and his Eros Films. They will differ from former vidpix packages in that the 52-minute features will be express- ly produced for TV, and also with an eye to theatre dates on both sides of the Atlantic. In actuality, the theatre aspects may come most- ly from the Eastern Hemisphere, since the $85,000-budgeted films are primed primarily by Schubert for TV. The 85G budget will be absorbed by Henry’s company (and any other British film producers, with whom Schubert may hook up), in ex- change for the American packager supplying a marquee name for the lead (somebody who is w.k. to audi- ences both in England and Amer- ica) along with a shooting script. There is a mutual sharing on both sides of the pond in the TV and theatre markets, but dominant- ly the vidpix revenues will go to Schubert in the U. S., and the theatre exhibition income to Henry (Eros) abroad. The “Crime Club” whodunits lend themselves to Eu- ropean locales. This is a first time ov~r for Sos- nik who was associated with Schu- bert in the lavish NBC “Musical Comedy Time” series three years ago. Sosnik has some foreign mu- sico-production propositions in Italy and France which he wants to explore first-hand. Wright in the Can, Sandburg Next In ‘Wise Old Men’ Series NBC-TV will start shooting next week on the Carl Sandburg half- hour installment of its “wise old men” series, which has thus far brought forth the Bertrand Russell and Robert Frost interview epi- sodes. Sandburg is also scheduled to do a regular radio series for NBC, but because of serious sight impairment the program may be held up Indefinitely. The Frank Lloyd Wright half- hour filmed interview was shot last week and is now in the process of being edited. It will be the next attraction in the web’s series. An installment on Rabbi” Louis Flnkel- stein, president of the Jewish The- ological Seminary, will be filmed next month. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to line up Hillaire Belloc for a filmed interview. He’s living in ■retirement in England. Hollywood, Dec. 9. Transfusion brought to Holly- wood by the telepix boom has re- sulted in saleability and availabil- ity of just about every indie rental j studio in town, with “For Sale” j signs hanging on all the lots but • one. Ironically, the exception is ; General Service, a studio still in bankruptcy but making a firm financial comeback directly as a ; result of hypoed income from tele- * pix companies located there. : The saying, “there are lots of lots for sale,” is a true one, with vari- ous financial Interests and vidpix companies angling for the indie studios, anticipating the time when studio space will be at a premium in a town in the first full flush of development of the telefilm indus- try. ABC-TV bought the old Vita- graph studios over two years ago and converted it into a TV plant, and more recently Gross-Krasne, Inc., producers of “Big Town” vid- pix series and four “Lux Video Theatre” telepix, snagged a bar-,; gain when they bought the Cali- ; fornia studios for $135,000. The j G-K deal was a fortuitous one that j isn’t apt to happen again. When 5 California studios owner Harry Sherman died last September, and studio went into bankruptcy $135,- 000 in the red, attorneys salvaging; the affair were interested solely in,); seeing to it that all debts werefi repaid, and that’s how G-K goti| ; the Melrose lot at bargain base-;|i ment prices. , lii! Warner Bros.’ Sunset studios is! (Continued bn page 39) GE Sets Vidpix As Waring Tours Fred Waring will take an eight-r week winter hiatus from his CBS-:! TV show starting the first week in|j! February in order to take his crewp : of Pennsylvanians on the first;] coast-to-coast concert tour they’ve j had since 1937. BBD&O, agency] for General Electric, which spon-h ! sors Waring, has pacted for a se*t ries of half-hour dramatic vidpix 1 - to fill in while he’s away. k Waring . requested permission! from GE for the hiatus some time!' ago, and the bankroller okayed thef tour on the assumption'that he and!: his crew could do a job of ambas-r sadoring while on the road. While], he’ll be away from N. Y. for eight weeks, he’ll be off the show actual-| ly only six, since present plans calif for him to do remotes from both;! Hollywood .and Kansas City while'; on tour. Show will return to itsii regular Sunday night at 9 spot on! CBS-TV on Palm Sunday. ; Vidpix are being produced by Sov-r ereign Productions on the Coast,; a wrich is shooting at the Eagle-Lion'” studios. Outfit, which is headed by Stuart Reynolds as prexy and Gili Ralston as production veepee, also'}': inked two other network deals this] week. It’s to produce 10 “Caval- cade of America” vidfilm stanzas,! for backing by duPont on NBC-TV;: plus 13 half-hour pix for Hamilton; Watch, which are also believed]! slated for an NBC video berth. j NBC TV’S UU! PALMER I TELEPIC FOR WCBS-TV WCBS, the CBS video web’s flag- ship, this week scheduled a film- package syndicated by NBC-TV’s film sales department. It’s the Lilli!! Palmer show, which the station': will air Sundays from 2:45 to 3 p.m. under sponsorship of Conti, Products Corp. . ■ In slotting the new package on Sundays, WCBS-TV will cut back its double-feature “Picture for a. Sunday Afternoon” to a single fea-! ture each week, from 1 to 2:30.;, “Invitation Playhouse,” another' vidfilm package, goes from 2:30 toi 2:45 (so far, as a sustainer), with] Miss Palmer’s show at 2:45. Net-! work takes over at 3 p.m. I