Variety (March 1953)

Gering Cban^es Foreign - Boycott §p«g jOal little Man’ A blast at the AFL : ^o1ly\TOdS*o£ TheUs Films of Hpme, a com- Fllm Council’s recent boycotting of OT set UP » year ago to make foreign-made viciplx was. ley (-tied vidplx for U. S. consumption, this week by indie producek iiarlon Understood the Embassy wfll on Gering, who has started production their behalf lodge , protest on the of one cycle of 13 vidptT dramas Issue With the State Dept. Its also In Italy and who Is planning'two reported that the Italian Govern- more European made series. ' ment has made a formal complaint , .. over the Council’s boycott of ha " g d ‘^to^ueM foreign -made vidpbc. •‘little man,” Gering charged that WGN-TV Top Pix Consumer In Chi despite the fact that the Council has altered its opposition, the dam- age has already been done. Gering said that as a result of the boycott, few sponsors or agencies are will- ing to touch a'foreign-made vidpic. ■ fOICllYWHT ill I 111 He pointed out th*t the boycott VfWldlllllvl 111 V/lll didn't hurt the major film distribu- tors—that they went on producing Chicago, March 3. overseas because they were “too WGN-TV, on a vidplx buying powerful” for the Council to block, spree, has grabbed off two-year lo- But the indie vidpic producer, Ger- cal exclusives on four celluloid ing said, is the one who's hurt. series. Latest purchase strengthens Gering has a deal with INCOM, the station’s position as the top the Italian newsreel outfit* under Windy City film consumer, which he'H* produce Continental- Bundle is topped with two Ziv type vidpbc starring foreign actors xv packages — “Boston Blackie” speaking English at INCOM's Home I “Times Square Playhouse.” studios. Under the arrangement, xhe "Blackie” series includes first- he'll keep yidpix rights while runs on 13 still, to. be produced, INCOM will get revenues resulting plus 59’ re-runs. The “Playhouse” from theatrical distribution in Eu- series hosted by Herbert Marshall rope of films made from combina- * ■ tions of the vidpix. Producer said that Audrey Wis- berg, writer 01 the series, received “Old American Bara Dance” a letter, presumably from the bundle • of 26 haI f-haur ' shows, Council, ^vising him to do the emceed by Bill Bailey. WNBQ pre- series m the U. S. Instead-of Italy. v . QUJf 13 0 f the series and *5.5 to Hoy Brewer, head the balance is in the first-rub cate- of the Council, Genng charged that the Council’s policy was “short- sighted” and wars a threat to free enterpise. is comprised of 78 half-hour pro- grams. Also bought was the Kling Stu- dios.’ “Old American Bara Dance” 9* gory. Station likewise has completed a enterpise. deal with Consolidated TV Sales Meanwhile, two Italian vidpix ex- for the “Jackson And JilT’ situation ecs have arrived in Washington to comedy package which is set for a confer with the Italian Embassy Sunday night showing, over the issue of the Hollywood Film Council’s boycott .on foreign- v made t'lepix. They are Pace! Blunt OlflCiat rums SdUD lO and Comdr. Franciscetti, toppers _ r Stay With Nidorf Pacting Official Films will" continue in its former setup despite the ap- pointment of Mike Nidorf as a vee- pee of the vidpix firm. Nidorf, who t manages Jo Stafford, won’t be any [ more • active in the organization than he was formerly, when as member of the board he served in an advisory capacity. Nidorf em- phasized this week as he returned from Europe after a 10-day jaunt covering Miss Stafford’s affairs. Firm continues without a central chief at N. Y. headquarters. Bud 4 _ iMfi Austin handles national sales while Reasons \nr hy Herman Hush is syndication chief. * .Top .decisions continue to go to foremost wKii id and bc«[ board chairman Isaac D. Levy. Kii feromest nolfonsi Mi focal advertisers um WEVD year after year to reach the vast Jewish Market of Metropolitan, Hew York Screen Gems Sets Pilot On Texas Ranger’ Series Screen Gems, Columbia’s tele- vision subsidiary, has nabbed the video rights to “Tales of the Texas Hangers,” and has finished a pilot on * the series. Video counterpart of the Joel McCrea-sfarring radio nmjAic nraft a«, mrirn) shOW Will go into production at WHU o WaU OH WziYO the Columbia lot in Hollywood Henry Greenfield, Man. Dir. with Stacy Keach producing, wn/n Series will run a half-hour each with some shot on location. ' 1. Top ndulf* programming 2. Strong awdipneb impact 3. Inherent l i sten#* loyalty 4. Potential buying power Send for a copy of • WEVD, 117-119 West 44th St. New York 34 UTP Gets DM Rights To Two New Pix Series United Television Programs has picked up distribution rights for two new film series, one of which, the “New Hank McCune Show," is probably the only situation comedy vidpix series currently available bn a syndication basis. McCune is producing the show himself, following the Coast pact with Dr. Ross Dog Foods to spon- sor the shows there,. He’s gotten financing for the pix, 13 of which have already been shot. Cast fea- tures Hanley Stafford and Florence Bates. McCune had a similar series nationally bankrolled by Mounds candy in 1950. Other show picked up by UTP is “Enchanted Music,” half-hour classical music series produced and owned by George Richfield. Series of 13 was shot in Europe and fea- tures the Berlin Philharmonic and opera and ballet groups from the West Berlin Opera House. Rich- field was dickering with Sterling Films to distribute, but apparently couldn’t come to terms and went to UTP. He’s got an older music series, featuring the Vienna State Orch with the CBS Films Syndica- tion division. ‘Comedy Quartet’ Set For Telepix Chicago, March 3. * Kling Productions will produce a series of 26 telepix featuring combination of Hentty Youngman, Willie Shore, Ish Kabibble and an unselected comedienne, to be called the “First American Comedy Quartet.” Idea was formulated by Young- man after he did a filmed com- mercial with comedienne Jean Carroll for the Admiral Corp. -Miss Carroll was unavailable for the Kling series since she's under ex- clusive contract to NBC. Youngman is also doing a solo series for Kling, to be called “Youngmania.” Production outfit has also dubbed heckling hy the comedian .on the soundtrack of an old feature film, “Demon Bottle of Fleet St.” All productions will go into syndication. OASIS SETS MARKOVA FOR TELEPIX SERIES Ballerina Alicia Markova has signed for a 15-minute vidpix series with Oasis Telecasts. Charles I Kebbe, who produced the Lilli Palmer series on CBS-TV, will pro- duce the projected series following Miss Markova’s return from Lon- don after the Coronation. Format calls for Miss Markova to do some dancing, but it’s slated to he mostly a gabfest along the style of the Palmer show. Filming of the 13 pix will be done in New York, or if details can be worked out, in London. If Oasis can’t sell the series fo'a network it. will syn- dicate the pix. Jerrold Brandt Named To Les Hafner Board Wedii«*Jty, Marek 4, 1953 Soiling Allsntown, Bethlehsm, Easton WLEV-TV Bethlehem. Pa. Film producer Jerrold T. Brandt,, son.of the late Joseph Brandt of Columbia Pictures and member of the Brandt- ’"’heatres family, has been elected to the board of direc- tors of Los Hafner & Co., Inc. Brandt recently became a stock- holder in the firm when' Les- Haf- ner acquired television, motion pic- ture and radio rights to-all of the Mark Hellinger story properties. . Hafner departs next week for his West Coast headquarters to be- gin shooting the Hellinger TV film series. While in Hollywood, he’ll also shoot the first several install- ments of Rex Morgan, M. D., the syndicated feature strip, in which , his company also owns the con- trolling interest for TV, motion pic- tures and radio. Anti-Pollution Vidpic Film unit of WNYC, N. Y.’s municipally-owned station, has completed a pic on the city's anti- pollution campaign and will offer it to tele stations and webs. Pic is called “The Waters Around Us” and deals with con-‘ struction by the Public Works Dept* of new sewiige disposal units and other methods of cleaning up the waters surrounding Gotham. LIBERACE f „ With George Liberace, musical di- rector Producer: Louis D, Snader Director: Duke Goldstone 34 Mins.; W<5dU 9:39 p m. BREAST O* CHICKEN TUNA WGN-TV, Chicago (Foote, Cone k Belding) Liberace’s flashy pianistics and generally suave deportment are getting a topnotch showcasing via this series of half-hour pix being distributed by Guild Films. Cur- tain-raiser, viewed Wednesday (18), was strictly a one-man exposition and as such a treat for the devo- tees. And the TV exposure will certainly enlarge his already hefty fandom. That the overall impact may be too cloying for some tastes; is the calculated risk involved m the highly-stylized pattern the key- board smoothy has tailored his presentation. (The schmaltzy effect was heightened further on the opener hy a few unnecessary trick camera shots.) Liberace introes his own num- bers and here director Duke Gold- stone does 'right by him, using tight shots to effectively: capture the guy’s intimate patter. He uses a nice intimate, conversational tone to project a great deal of person- ality. The ringing and obvious canned applause follo\Ving each number badly jars the personal mood, however. Pianist runs the gamut on his bundle of seven tunes, ranging from Paderewski’s “Minuet” to an “operatic” treatment of “Cement Mixer.” All are run off with much flair. He unlooses-his pipes on a nice, warm handling of “All In the Game.” Brother George Liberace comes on with the Latino hard- ware to backstop “Tico Tico.” Otherwise, with the exception of a string quartet which is spotted .on a couple of numbers, it’s Liberace’s spotlight. Tuna firm has the series going in six markets and it looks like a good buy. Client has whipped up some patent blurbs, inserted lo- cally. Dave. DEATH VALLEY DAYS (Swamper Ike) With Jack Mahoney, Margaret Field, Denver Pyle, Hank Patter- son, Henry Rowland, Tex Terry Producer: Dorrell McGowan Director: Stuart McGowan Writer: Ruth Woodman 30 Mins.; Tues., 8:30 pjn. PACIFIC COAST BORAX CO, KTTV, Hollywood ( McCann-Erickson ) This story of a man reared as an Indian but actually white is a fitting entry in the series, bearing a stamp of authority in its realistic unfoldment. Purportedly drawn from the true annals of Death Valley, its plot carries persuasive action, further enhanced by the bleak but magnificent Death Valley photographic background. Jack Mahoney is the Indian, in love with a white girl who despite her own love refuses to marry him because he is a tribesman. Sent away by femme, a red brother brings the news that his Indian mother has just died, leaving him a golden locket with a white baby’s picture inside. The truth abcfht him, the mother’s last words were, “is on the rock by. the wagon wheel.” Setting out to establish his true identity so he may marry the gal. he takes a job as a swamper—a driver—on one of the 20-mule- team borax wagons. Events leading up to his finding the rock covered with Indian writing which tells he really is the child of white pioneers who died of thirst, lend a stirrinc note td the Ruth Woodman tele- play. Mahoney handles his role easily and seems perfectly at home in the setting, which gets interesting camera treatment from lenser Wil- liam Bradford. Margaret Field makes her work count as the femme- who goes to Mahoney even before his white identity is estab- lished, and Hank Patterson is effec- tive as the driver who befriends him. Denver Pyle is a good heavv sharing this honor with Henry Row- land. Stuart McGowan’s direction is terse, and Dorrell McGowan as pro- ducer gives the half-hourer appro- priate and above-average values Whit'. Hollywood Groucho Marx back from two- weeks vacation, resumes work on TV show, with Filmcraft shooting . . . Paul Garrison inked Kareu Sharpe and Aline Towne for sc- ries produced by his Workshop Productions . . . Adolphe Menjou off to N. Y. on first of series of personals for breweries bankroll- ing Ziv TV’s “Favorite Story” se- ries he intros . . . Janies Burke and Ned Glass cast in “Bum for a Day,” “My Hero” episode being shot by producer Ed Beloin at RKO Pathe . . . Earlene Maxberry named local editor of TV Guide . . . Elizabeth Fraser and Del Moore grabbed leads in Bing Cros- by Enterprises’ “Crown Theatre” telepic, “Uncle Harry,” produced and directed by Harve Foster, roll- ing at Hal Roach studios INSURANCE JEWELRY, FUR & LIABILITY For the Entertainment Field BROADWAY BROKERS CORP. 150 Broadway, New York 38 REctor 2-2195 HOUSE FOR SALE Now Milford vicinity, historic colonial salt box stylo. Ixcollont condition; ft milos from Now York City lino. At* tractively redecorated, liryi llvin« room, largo fireplace, crano, dutch ovan, dlrtlng ol. Four bedrooms, two with. flreplaee*, larso studio, north light. Modorn kitchen, bath, ortosian Wall. Now oil burner and copper plumbing' throughout. 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