Variety (December 1952)

Wednesday, December 10, 1952 PSHtiEfr RAMO-TELEVISIWV Hit‘Secret Profits’ In Snader Snarl Los Angeles, Dec. 9. Involved litigation revolving j around the operation of Snader Telescriptions goes into Federal Court today (Tues.) when Chief U S. Judge Leon R. Yankwich hears arguments from both sides regarding the transfer of 75 shares in Snader Telescription Sales own- ed by former STS Prexy Reuben Kaufman. Kaufman came into court last week for an injunction to halt'the threatened sale of the stock last Friday, but both sides reached agreement to halt the sale pending the hearing today. Kaufman’s Federal Court suit .seeks an ..injunction., against .trans-. fer of film rights owned by STS, an accounting of assets, an account- ing of “secret profits,” appointment of a receiver, damages in an un- specified amount and removal of Alexander Bisno and Samuel Markovitch as directors of the firm. Bisno and Markovitch were named defendants, along with! Louis D. Snader, Snader Telescrip- tion Sales, Ben Frye, United Tele- v'sion Programs. Inc., Studio Films, Inc., Henry Bisno, Nathan Dicker and Sidney Dorfman. Kaufman’s complaint alleges that his 85 shares represents 25% of STS which has exclusive distri- bution rights to about 800 musical, a block of British pictures and a series of half-hour Dick Tracy tele- films. He charges that contracts al- ready inked on these aggregate $1,400,000 and since the rights have 23 years to run, millions more could be expected. STS was to re- ceive 25% of the gross receipts on these films, he complains, but Bisno and Markovitch made a deal in October turning the entire list over to Frye and United Televi- sion which has already made con- tracts in several pix. This deal with United, the complaint declares, was “designed to destroy the busi-. ness of STS and strip it of its as- sets.” Fear Thefted Equipment Shipped Abroad to Set Up Clandestine Station Toledo, Dec. 9. Fquipment stolen from various Ohio and Indiana radio stations may have been shipped to a foreign government to establish a clandes- tine radio station, officials said. A series of burglaries by apparently skilled technicians has resulted in the loss of thousands of dollars worth of equipment by stations In the two states, and the most recent such theft has delayed the opening i of a new station in Indiana, it was reported. WSLM, Salem, Ind., scheduled to start broadcasting on Dec. 8, will not begin operations until at least a month later, said Don H. Martin, general manager, after a break-in by burglars on Saturday night, Nov. 22, in which $10,000 loss was suf- fered. Only a day earlier, burg] broke into WMVO, Mt. Verr O., and took transmitting eqi ment valued at between $6,600 ; $7,700. The burglary was dis< ered when Carl Mosier, stat manager, arrived at the station the morning. Everything was order when Gene Phillips, cl engineer, left the station at 11 P- m. The loot at WMVO inplu< a console, an exciter unit, tr« mitter, tape recorder recordii and other equipment. The burgl temporarily put WMVO off the Other Ohio stations broken i and raided in the past year incli Wellston, Washing , ft° u se and Canton. A were WMRI, Marion, L Am N ?’ Conne rsville, Ind., and r?» er Tele Phone 9c Telegr; ul 8 , TX, rela y station at G ' v °od, Ind. Wtw ^l evisio n station hit 1 Bloomi ngton, which : $20 onn OS . S 0f between $15,000 ; ™ 00 \° equipment at its r< !l atl0n at Osgood, Ind. HflRPO MARX NBC-TV RCA-VICTOR Mgt.: GUMMO MARX 39 Lotsa Indies Lots for Sale -■ Continued from page 23 •■■ ■■ - I Vidpix Merger fmgTrnn- j Continued from page 23 I tween production and distribution Columbia Pictures’ vidfilm subsidi- ary, Screen Gems, also moved in that direction last week by pacting John Mitchell as sales veepee in what is designed as an expansion of what was basically a production firm into the syndication end of the business. While it has not been determined what new product UTP, Gross- Krasne and Studio Films "have on agenda, the combined outfit will be working at the outset with the fol- lowing product: G-K’s “Big Town”- “Royal Playhouse,” “Rebound” and “The Chimps,” all produced' by Bing Crosby Enterprises; Marion Parsonnet’s “Hollywood Off-Beat”; Walt Schwimmer’s “Movie Quick- Quiz-”-;- - Kling - Productions’ “All- American Barn Dance”; “Double- Play with Durocher and Day,” pro- duced by Kneeland-Sax; “Bringing Up Parents,” and “Sleepy Joe,” lat- ter a half-hour puppet series for kids. In addition, the outfit has the combined Snader and Studio Tele- scriptions, plus “Washington Spot- light,” the Marquis Childs series which was formerly syndicated by Snader. . Outfit is currently nego- tiating to take over the 14 Sir Alex- ander Korda features formerly dis- tributed by Snader,‘plus the series of 39 half-hour “Dick Tracy” vid- pix which Snader handled. ABC, ‘Istanbul’ Parting; La Dietrich to Move To CBS for Jergens Marlene Dietrich and ABC have come to the parting of the ways on her “Cafe Istanbul” radio series and the star is moving over to CBS Radio where Jergens lo- tiofi will insert her in a vehicle replacing its “Romance” Thurs- days at 9 p.m. next year. Miss Dietrich was unhappy over the fact - that “Istanbul” didn’t latch on to a sponsor at ABC, and at the same time ABC felt that the show never quite hit the right format. Buick, which is buy- ing several network properties for onetime “saturation” airing to in- troduce its ’53 models,- ordered “Istanbul” for the Jan. 4, Sunday at 8:30 p.m. edition. A clause in Miss Dietrich’s contract gives her the right to reject any one-shot bankrolling deals. Thus she was in a position to turn down the Buick bid. However, the star said she w’ould agree to do the Jan. 4 broadcast for Buick, if ABC would release her from her pact. Web okayed termination of the contract, which permitted Music Corp of Amer- ica to effect the Jergens affilia- tion. ABC knew of Jergens’ inter- est in Miss Dietrich, but the backer didn’t want to give up its Thursday period on CBS. for sale, with ‘ $1,250,000 asking price for the 10-acre site. Brokers handling the real estate report there’s been a good deal of inter- est shown by various investors and telepix companies, but so far no hard coin has been put on the line. Motion Picture Center studios is reported for sale with a price tag of $1,800,000. Headman Joseph Justman denies the studio can be had, but it is known an offer was made not too long ago for the lot, but rejected on grounds it wasn’t high enough. According to the rumor factory, negotiations are still under way for purchase of the plant, now occupied both by mo- tion picture and TV companies. It’s no secret that Eagle-Lion studios is for sale, with the. price ticket reading $1,500,000. Various groups have negotiated for the stu- dio in the past, but nothing came of the talks. Last group reported talking a deal for the studio is PSI-TV, N.Y. telepix distribution- production company, which is an- gling for increased quarters in Hol- lywood for its expanded production program. Charles Chaplin studio on La- Brea avenue is also for sale, with Chaplin having brought his origi- nal asking price of $1,400,000 down to $1,200,000. Various telepix com- panies have ogled this lot, but at last reports there were no defi- nite negotiations under way. The Hal Roach studios in Culver City is close to capacity with all- out telepix production, and while- owner Hal Roach has no particular interest in selling, he concedes he will if be can get the price. Asked what he considers the right price is, Roach points to last appraisal of his lot which put its worth at around $4,000,000, About two years ago General Service was reported to be for sale, but since that time its owners, James and George Nasser, have made a tremendous comeback as a result of telepix rentals, with shows such as “I Love Lucy,” “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” “Our Miss Brooks,” and “I Mar- ried Joan” located there. Reports even were circulated that TV producers were after Re- public studios, but Republic brass flatly denied the Valley lot is for sale to anyone. There isn’t a television exec in town who won’t admit that TV has given Hollywood a real estate boom in the indie field, and the big ques- tion mark of the future is—what happens when the smaller lots have been absorbed and the industry continues to expand? ^ Typical of the increasing Italian influence on American industry and art* i* this experimental Chrysler sedan built in Italy, by Carrazxeria Ghia* noted Italian body maker* In the world of fashions, furniture, food and film, the Italian in- fluence also continues to play an ever increasing part in the art of good living* A study of the New York Times and New York He raid-Tribune for th* first six months of the year show# that the Italian influence on American home decoration, furnishing *nd table is far greater than that of any other country, and in fashions h Italy is second only to the French and rapidly closing the gap* What does all this mean to you? Just this. To more than two million American* of Italian origin In the New York area, WOV is the link between the old world and the new* It is upon this tremendous group that the growing Italian Influence for better living makes its first and most penetrating impacts The intimate association between WOV and this largest Italian-speaking community in the entire World calls for a new appraisal of the great Italian audience in New York* * 730 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK 19 ♦ ROME STUDIOS: VIA «li KA,A PINCIANA 4