Variety (April 1953)

Wednesday, April 22, 1953 RABIO^TELE VISION 23 SPONSORS Krafts ‘Come as You Were’ TV Bali ‘'Kraft Television Theatre” will cast its biggest play on Wednes- day* May 6* when it will costume 500 of its former TV actors and actresses who will appear at a “Come As You Were On Kraft” supper dance in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, N. Y. The $25,000 champagne ball will mark the sixth anniversary of the Kraft sponsorship of the hour-long NBC-TV drama series. Grandaddy of ’em all, “Kraft Television Theatre’* is the oldest continuously bankrolled program on video. Stanza preemed on one station, WNBT, N. Y., at 7:30 p. m May 7, 1947, at a time and talent cost of less than $4,000, handled by J. Walter Thompson agency. When the program goes on the air this May 6, it will be presenting its 311th show, uninterrupted by summer hiatus. Stanza is now viewed over *49 TV stations, has a time and talent cost of over $40,000 a week, an A.R.B. rating of 36.2, and is still handled, by Arthur Farlow, account exec at J. Walter Thompson. Kraft is paying the Eaves TV costumers on 46th St. for rental of costumes for every performer who has acted a lead role in the past in a Kraft drama. Performers who’ve been on the stanza three or four times will select the role they most enjoyed. That means that at the ball. Queen Elizabeth will he seen dancing with a jet pilot and Rip Van Winkle with Lady Macbeth. Ball will start late, at 11 p. m., to allow former Kraft stars now in Broadway legit to change from their theatre costumes into their Kraft costumes. Among Kraft’s legit graduates are Tom Ewell in “Seven Year Itch/’ E. G. Marshall and Beatrice Straight in “The Crucible/* Richard Derr In “Dial M for Murder/’ and Ralph Meeker, Peggy Conklin and Eileen Heckert in “Picnic.’’ For the first time, Kraft on its May 6 stanza will not present a single drama. Instead, it will offer excerpts from the four dramas that have received the most fan mail through the years, “His Brother’s Keeper,” “January Thaw',” “Of Famous Memory” and “Wuthering Heights.” After the show, actors in these tab dramas, still in costume, will march en masse from the studio to the Waldorf. „ Script editor Ed Rice and producer Stanley Quinn have been with the series since its inception. Another veteran, producer- director Maury Holland, has been with it five years. Speculate on Limiting Hyde’s FCC Chairmanship to a Single Year Washington, April 21. After keeping the broadcasting industry puzzled for about six weeks. President Eisenhower final- ly got around to naming Rosel Hyde as the first Republican chair- man of the FCC. Announcement of the designation was made Satur- day (18) in Augusta, Ga., where the President was vacationing. Hyde learned about it from friends who heard about it on the radio. He was expecting official notifica- tion this week. In view of the delay in making the appointment—it was expected early in March when Hyde was called to the White House—special significance was attached to the fact that the designation of chair- man was made for only one year, a departure in Presidential handling of the FCC. Whether the one-year limit on Hyde’s tenure means that the President intends to give the post to John C. Doerfer, who was sworn in as a commissioner last week, after he has had a year’s ex- perience with the agency or insti- tute a policy of rotating the chair- manship annually among the com- (Continued on page 31) Toni Arden TV Show Music Corp. of America is pre- paring a television show for Toni Arden. Unusual aspect of the program is that the chirper will also dance and play piano, two talent facets she hasn't yet used professionally. Buttons’ Bigtime Trendex Payoff Although a late entry this sea- son, Red Buttons has already pro-1 jected himself as one of the major ] contenders in the network rating 1 sweepstakes. The latest Trendex] Top 10 for April puts Buttons in the No. 6 spot, topping Milton Berle. who is in seventh position, j While it’s accepted that Buttons and his sponsor. General Foods, benefit from the 9:30 to 10 p. m. post-“Lucy” Monday night CBS pe- riod, with its enviable audience pickup, it's also recalled that pre- vious entries, enjoying the same after-“Lucy” status, failed to hit the rating jackpot. Trendex Top 10 follows: I Love Lucy (CBS) 63.5 Talent Scouts (CBS) 49.7 Godfrey’s Friends (CBS).... 46.5 Dragnet (NBC) 39.1 Y ou Bet Your Life (NBC).... 38.9 Red Buttons (CBS) 37.1 Milton Berle (NBC) 35.2 Fireside Theatre (NBC) 33.0 fhis Is Your Life (NBC).... 30.3 strike It Rich (CBS); 30.1 Two ‘Omnibuses’ To Ride in Fall -For Kids, Adults It now looms as a certainty that the Radio-TV Workshop of the Ford Foundation, now that it has the directorate’s blessing for a ’53- ’54 season's continuance, will re- turn with its “Omnibus” presenta- tion, and will' also do an ambitious moppet show along “Oipnibus” lines, as well. However, while “Omnibus” will be restored to its Sunday afternoon time on CBS-TV, it’s questionable whether the network will involve itself in the kiddie version. Lat- ter is planned as either a 45-min- ute or full hour show and. like “Omnibus,” will be available for sponsorship. First season of “Omnibus,” with its five-wav bankrolling arrange- ment, proved a financial click, re- turning to the Ford Foundation its full investment. However, it’s fair- ly certain that the kid-slanted show will wind up either on! NBC-TV or ABC-TV. McConnor Exiting As ‘Studio I’ Story Editor Fletcher Markle’s exiting of "Studio One” on CBS-TV to return to the Coast will also require find- ing a new story editor for the hour dramatic show, since Vincent McConnor will also be checking out with Markle. McConnor resigned from the Goodson & Todman-packaged “The Web” (also on CBS-TV) to assume the “Studio One” assignment. It’s expected that he’ll return to the G & T fold. By GEORGE ROSEN The TV networks are finding it tough going trying to convince sponsors to Stay on the air this summer. Unlike last summer, when CBS-TV succeeded in establishing a virtual SRO status, and with only one or two hiatus defections at NBC, this season the eight and 13- week checkouts are starting to roll in, and in many instances from unexpected quarters where the cli- ents were expected to stay put for the summer with either their regu- lar or replacement shows. Li 1952 practically all sponsors had committed themselves for the summer ride by April 15, taking advantage of the additional dis- count structure through a 12-month sponsorship. This year, however, it’s a different story. Most of the sponsors thus far don’t want to commit themselves (except mainly those who have definitely served notice that they’re hiatus-bound.) There are a number of contribu- tory factors for the reluctance of the client to embrace year-round television, chief among them the fact that the advertiser today is not happy over the amount of coin he's been obliged to shell out for TV programming. Further, the ex- cess profits tax uncertainty and confusion at the moment is com- pelling him to move slowly on a ny commitments. Further, AFTRA's retroactive hiked pay scales for talent is going to cost .the sponsor more money, as will the revised station rate cards. By this time last year the net- works were in a position to set their summer programming be- cause they knew, in most cases, that practically all the clients were sticking. But even on such major attractions as the CBS-TV Jackie Gleason show, and NBC’s “Show of Shows,” the regular clients are remaining aloof with result that the webs aren't too anxious to com- mit themselves to overly- expensive replacement stanzas. Armstrong takes*a hiatus on its Tuesday night NBC dramatics. So does Reynolds Metals on “Mr. Peepers.” Hallmark hasn’t decided yet, but may go on, if it.can nego- tiate a deal to move into the “Peep- ers” Sunday time for the summer. RCA, which bought the “Tony” Miner half-hour dramatic show last summer as replacement for the al- ternating Ezio Pinza-Dennis Day shows, may abandon its Day pro- gram not only for the summer but for good, Campbell Soups will probably be among the missing this (Continued on page 31) CBS-TVs Sat. Night Rags to Riches’ Saga; It AD Started With Gleason ■+ Canada TV** Top 10 Montreal, April 21. The Elliot Haymes rating Service (Canada’s equivalent to Nielsen and Hooper) has just released its initial top 10 TV ratings as determined from among CBFT, Montreal, viewers. List includes two American shows, “Studio One” apd Foreign Intrigue.” The re- mainders are Canadian en- tries, both film and live. Top 10 follows: Hockey Game 76.6 Foreign Intrigue 72.2 Studio One * ,72.0 Feature Film 69.3 “Lenez de Cleopalre”.... 69.0 C. G. E. Bell Singers .... 68.6 Press Conference 63.7 “Hombre Chere” 63.4 “Pays et Merveill.es” .*..61.6 CBS Revue . 60.6 Congolenm-Nairn’s like That Garroway’ In Return to Video Congoleum-Naim, which dropped out of television back in 1951, is returning as a Dave Garroway sponsor on “Today” beginning May 1. The wall-covering firm had been the only sponsor of the old ‘'Gar- roway at Large” show, suddenly dropping its backing after three 13- week cycles to try 13 weeks of the Kate Smith evening program. Then, in the spring of 1951, it bowed out of tele entirely, going into magazines while waiting for color TV. The new Garroway sponsorship —hailed by the net as “Congo- leum’s back and Gangway's got ’em”—is a 12-segment buy into “Today,” running Mondays, Wed- nesdays and Fridays over a five- week period. Congoleum has a special spring drive on its Gold Seal Congowall, which it will push on “Today” and two Life mag ads, May 4 and 29, If sales go well, the firm may reconsider television once again In its fall advertising plan- ning. Congoleum will have 35 of the ‘Today” 41 stations. Agency is McCann-Erickson. Coke Sets Mntual Deal (or Fishers NBC-TV-AM Show In what is virtually an unprece- dented move for a major show, Coca-Cola this week placed its Ed- die Fisher airer on the Mutual net, in addition to NBC radio and NBC- TV. Union details aren’t complete- ly ironed out yej, due to the fact that the Mutual program, like the NBC-Ail show, would be a taped version of the telecast, but D’Arcy agency has placed its order with MBS. Mutual will carry the program on a network of 375 to 390 stations,. getting coverage in those hreas I NBC Radio doesn’t penetrate. Pur- ‘ pose -of the move is to reach a majority of the 1,200-odd Coca- Cola bottling companies in various cities, particularly those in the south. Plan is Jo air the tapes on Mu- tual Tuesdays and Thursdays at ] 10:30, a week behind the NBC ra- dio version, which follows the NBC-TV original by six days. NBC Radio show is on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8, while the tele origi- nals are on Wednesday and Friday at 7:45. Providing union problems involving taping of ‘guest artists can be smoothed within a week, Mutual series would start May 12. Tele show kicks off next Wednes- day (29». Fisher show, which marks Coca- Cola’s first big plunge into network television, also marks its return to j Mutual after many years. Soft j I drink outfit was at one time one cy j Mutual’s biggest bankrollers, via its “Spotlight Bands” airers. A year ago Saturday night on CBS-TV was the “lonesomest night in the week” ax far as wooing sponsors were concerned, with the combined NBC-TV “All Star Revue” and “Show of Shows” translating themselves into the "Columbia sustaining blues.” The agency-client fraternity wanted no part of the double-barreled rivalry stemming from the brace of NBC clicks. As with Tuesday night 8 to 9 Milton Berle opposition, (which CBS has still to lick), Sat- urday night on Columbia was ana- thema. In sharp contrast, this week finds the CBS-TV programming boys putting the finishing touches to what has materialized as the most “sponsor-happy” night on the Columbia skein, with one of the web’s strongest lineups and a cer- tainty_of an SRO in the fall. It all started with the installing of Jackie Gleason in the 8 to 9 stretch opposite “All Star Revue.” Gleason, as the “anchor show/* caught on and took the play away from “All Star/’ resulting in the latter's cancellation. But licking the 9 to 10:30 competition from Sid Caesar-Imogene Coca comedies was even tougher. Whether from the fact that “Show of Shows” re- mains in a state of flux with Max Liebman and NBC unable to re- solve a formula for next season, or because the ratings have dipped, the CBS boys have found the sponsors less timid in bucking in the “Show of Shows” competi- tion. Result is that 9 o'clock has been sold for next season, with al- ternate sponsors sharing the new “Favorite Husband” entry, and Old Gold moving its Herb Shriner show over to . the 9:30 slot from NBC. This week things took an even brighter hue, with strong possi- bility of Lucky Strike (with Cros- ley alternating negotiating a deal for its TV “Hit Parade” to move from the Saturday night 10:30 time on NBC-TV to Saturday at 10 on CBS, and a ^tentative order in the house for sponsorship of “This Is Show Business” in the 10:30 to 11 stretch. All of which adds up to a several million dollars annual billings bonanza. Torfiie, Teresa Brewer To Sub Jane Froinan Summer replacement show was] set last week by CBS-TV for the * Jane Froman “Canteen USA” twice-a-week stanza, with Miss Froman checking off during the hot months. Summer stanza will comprise | Mel Tonne, Teresa Brewer and Ray j Bloch’s orch. General Electric will ■ stick with the Thursday 7:45 to 8 sponsorship, but Revlon’s Tuesday bankrolling during the summer is still undetermined. Lerenson’s TV Daytimer American Tobacco Co. this week is auditioning a new Sam Leven- son show, designed as a daytime presentation for CBS-TV. Plan is to feature Levenson cross-the-board in a five-minute capsule story-telling stanza, to be called “At Home With Levenson.” Hub Blackout Cuts Gillette To Quick Boston, April 21. A decision to black out this area during the televising of the Carter- Collins championship fight slated for the Boston Garden next Friday (24), has been announced by pro- moter Sam Silverman and the Gar- den g.m. Walter Brown. Decision was reached after several weeks of bitter hassling between the pro- moters, who insisted on the black- out, and Gillette. TV bankrollers, who were equally adamant that fight be carried locally. However, after repeated threats by promoters that the fight would be cancelled if locally covered. International Box- ing Club officials stepped in final- ly reaching an agreement to go along with Garden officials. Main beef by promoters was that televising of the event would ham- per the gate, which is expected to reach near $175,000, tops in Hub boxing annals, with Gillette big- wigs countering that due to the intense interest hereabouts fans should be allowed to glimpse the bout via TV. Admitting defeat, a Gillette spokesman announced, “We have explored every possibility and are unable to overcome the ob- jections of the Garden authorities* In any event, because we feel the local boy (Collins) should have the benefit of nationwide publicity, we have decided to televise the bout on the balance of the network out- side of Boston/* With the blacking out of the Hub, Gillette will receive a slight reduction, believed to be about J62.500. in TV tab