Variety (May 1953)

24 RAWo-mvmoiv fsmi&rL Wedne»day, May 6, 1953 Record Sales Year Seen Now it’s compatible, color, 3-D f television, all wrapped into one. Dr. Allen B. DuMont, president of the DuMont Labs, announced Mon- day (4) at the annual stockholders meeting in Clifton, N. J., that the company is developing a compat- ible color 3-D receiver that would receive both color and 3-D pictures beamed in one signal, using one tube. System, Dr. DuMont said, won’t be pushed at the present time, but he hinted that it might be* demon- strated before the end of the year. With the system, a conventional flat black-and-white receiver would receive the 3-D color signals in flat black-and-white without the need for adaptors, while the fully equipped color and 3-D receiver would receive the entire business. Color compatibility would be achieved via the compatible tri- color tube, while 3-D compatibility would be gotten through a device which would block Cut one of the two pictures which give the depth effect. No blurring or off-centering of the flat picture would be in- volved, according to description of | the system. Viewer^ watching a 3-D show would have to wear Polaroid glasses. Television pic- tures, according to Dr. DuMont, could be received in four different ways under the system: black-and- white, color, SrD black-and-white or 3-D color, depending on what kind of set the viewer owns. Caution Urged While predicting that the new system might be far enough ad- vanced for .demonstration by the end of the year, Dr. DuMont flash- ed a red light on early adoption of any one color system*. He said he felt the ’National Television System Committee tube was not “right” for the public, terming the system too complex and the tube too costly. He pointed out that a 3-D black-and-white receiver would cost less than a nominal, flat color set, pegging the price of the latter, with a 17-inch screen, at $600 to $700. DuMont Labs, it was noted, has been successfully using and developing 3-D TV systems since 1950, when it installed a closed- circuit black-and-white setup for the Atomic Energy Commission’s Argonne National Labs. This would be the first commercial broadcast- ing application of the system, how- ever. Meeting was otherwise docile; with all officers and directors re- elected. These included Dr. Du- Mont, president; .Stanley F. Patten, v.p.; Paul Raibourn, treasurer; Bernard Goodwin, secretary, and Irving linger, assistant treasurer. Directors reelected were Dr. Du- Mont, Patten, Dr. Thomas T. Gold- smith, Jr.; Percy M. Stewart, Bruce T, DuMont; Edwin L. Weisl; Bar- ' ney Balaban and Raibourn. Para- mount Pictures retained its large representation among officers and directors, with Raibourn, Goodwin, Weisl and Balaban from the film company. Dr. DuMont predicted a record sales year of $100,000,000 for the company. He said licensing of new stations would boost sales for both transmitter and receiver divisions. Another important source Of in- come, he said, would come from defense work, which will account for about 20% of the Company’s total production. Powers’ New Show White Bock Corp. l»st week signed "sportstaster-Daily News columnist Jimmy Powers to. do a half-hour weekly show on WABU, DuMont’s N. Y. flagship. Show will air Thursdays at 7:30. Ellington & Co. was the agency. Povfers, in addition to the new show, has his own shows on WPIX, the Daily News’ station, and does the NBC-TV Friday night fights for Gillette. 85 Stations In On NBC Talent’ “New Talent, U.S.A.,” two-hour talent-hunt program of local orig- inations to start on NBC radio Saturday, June 13, is stirring up big station reaction, according to John P. Cleary, web’s program di- rector. Eightyfive affiliates are com- mitted to participation, with Hart ford already broadcasting 50 an- nouncements and Honolulu having sold local shows leading up to the national program to local Plymouth dealers. Cleary says a “mrfjor diskery” (presumably RCA Victor) wants options on all winners, local and national, while four national spon- sors (one for the two hours) have shown interest In bankrolling the first 13-week'series. Program is to consist of local talent contests, .four different affi- liate stations presenting half an hour each (from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.) of entertainment. A committee of judges, to he selected, will pick a weekly winner, who will get a $500 bond (with,three runnersup getting a $100 bond each and merchandise) and a trip to New York to compete in the national finals (for a $1,000 bond first prize, and radio and NBC Preppmg Video Jeep’ With Jeffrey Lynn as Star NBC is cutting an audition of its radio show, “My Son Jeep” for tele, with Jeffrey Lynn as its star. This would mark Lynn’s bow as TV regular. Creators of “My Son Jeep,” Walter Black and Bill Mendrek, will write the TV script, with Gary Lockwood handling the directorial chores. Robert K. Adams is pro- ducing. « 60G Damage Suit Vs. CBS oo ‘Ages’ Infringe Claim Charge against CBS, that the web unlawfully appropriated its copyrighted script, / “Battle of the Ages,” was made by the Clements Co., Inc., ad'agency setup, in a $60,- 000 damage suit brought last week in N. Y. Federal Court. Plaintiff, which claims to create “original ideas” for television, also seeks $120,000 from five other defend- ants for alleged, infringement. Named on the infringement claim are the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc., ATV Films, Inc., Franklin Bruck Advertising Corp., Norman Livingston and Serutan. Corp. -Action, in addition, asks an| tele exposure)., injunction to restrain the defend- idea, says Cleary, is to comb the ants from selling, televising ‘or country for radio or TV new faces otherwise disposing of the script. o£ tomorrow, give them first ex- Clements and CBS, according to posure on home grounds, and then the, complaint, entered into an bring the winners to New York for .• __ . -A i 1 _ _ 1- • • ■ « 1 The Art of Acting Philadelphia, May 5. Viewers caught one of the' best bits of non-professional acting ever lensed locally, when Peter Bozzelli, the $15,000-a-year master mechanic accused of murdering his attractive daughter, appeared on WFIL-TV as a heartbroken parent and appealed for his daughter to come back to his loving arms. The North Philly man'confessed early Friday (1) to the strangling of his oldest daughter Gloria, 24. The week before he appeared on Lee Stewart's “TV Coffee Canteen,” early morning studio aud- participator. It was the afternoon of the same day that Gloria’s body was found strangled with a nylon stocking in a shallow creek in Cape May County, in southernmost New Jersey. Stewart’s program features a missing persons segment and Boz- zelli was sent to the telecast by Joseph Komarinsky, clerk In the Bureau of Missing Persons here. Those who saw the show, as well as detectives who worked on the case before it became a murder, said Bozzelli couldn’t have been more convincing in his role of the distraught father, offering to give anything for the slightest «clue leading to the whereabouts of the girl. Stewart recalled asking the father what he would do, if it developed Gloria had eloped, and would the bridegroom be welcomed if they re- turned home. Bozzelli shrugged and said it would mean another mouth to-feed. Logjam in NBC-CBS Night Summer Skeds as Agencies, Sponsors Dally Summer Plans Set For ‘Secretary/' ‘Parade’ Summer plans for the American Tobacco programs, “Private Secre- tary” (CBS-TV, Sundays at 7:30 p.m.) and “Your Hit Parade” (NBC-TV, Saturdays at 10:30 p.m.), have just about been decided. Reruns are slated for the Aim Sothern program, beginning late in June. “Your THit Parade” is scheduled to be replaced by “Your Play Parade” June 20. Latter is a filmed dramatic series seen last season on the Coast as the Chevron Theatre (local gasoline sponsor). agreement In 1950, whereby the net agreed to pay for an idea calling for a contest between professional talent in different age groups. Agency asSertedly created suCh an idea prior to February, 1950, and submitted it to the chain. Clements contends that CBS used its idea in a commercial series tagged battle of the Ages” from September through November, 1952. Suit states that the plaintiff agency demanded $60,000 for the alleged piracy, and the net refused to pay. DuMont and the other defend- ants assertedly used the script for their own benefit from January to June, 1952. They’re also charged with unfair competition and unfair trade practices in trahsmitting Ages” over TV. a try at the bigtime First night, June 13, will kick off with WTAM, Chicago; KERO, Bakersfield, Cal.; WEAT, Lake Worth, Fla.; and WTMJ, Milwau- kee. Local elimination shows prior to the network night, can be sold locally by the affiliates. The first thinking, Cleary says, was a summertime series. But now —with so many affiliates interest- ed and each of them having only three or four such shows a year to originate for the network—web is mulling 0 carrying “New Talent; U.S.A ” right through 52 weeks, of the year. Admiral, Zenith In Top Earnings I Chicago, May 5. Two of Chi’s teevee manufactur- ers, Zenith and Admiral, report top sales and nets for the first quarter of *53. Admiral’s net earnings have more than doubled. The manufac- turer’s net income for the first quarter was $3,056,878—an in- crease of 102% over last' year’s figures. Zenith has scored a 95% increase over comparable figures for last year’s net profit, and $2,- 109,461 in net profits has been racked up by Zenith for the first '53 quarter. All this after taxes. The Admiral peddlers ' have grossed $69,191,849 in sales for the first three months-^a $25,000,000 (Continued on page 34) WABC-TV SETS 52-WEEK HOME FURNISHER DEAL In what’s probably the largest single television time purchase by a home furnisher, Ludwig Bau- mann & Spear’s last week pacted with WABC-TV, N. Y., for 52-week sponsorship of„, a two-segment cross-the-board news show, “The Television Newspaper.” Programs, which will emulate a daily newspaper via its news reports, gossip columns, weather, sports, editorial' and letters-to-the- editor sections, will be aired daily at 5:30 and at midnight. Each are 15-minute /shows, featuring Ken Roberts. Deal was set via the Getschal agency, with Trevor Adams han- dling for the station. Budd Get- schal will produce in cooperation with the ABC news department. Show will also use Telenews. It kicks off Monday (11). Y&R’s Schulke to Head Up Saphier-Rosenberg Co. James A. Schulke has resigned from the radio-TV department of Young & Rubicam to head the New York office of the James L. Saphier agency. The George Rosenberg agency, till now without an eastern outlet, will join forces with Saphier in N. Y.; and Schulke will be eastern rap for combined operations. H AGGOTT SET TO RUN SUMMER’S‘STUDIO ONE’ John Haggott, CBS-TV producer now in' charge of the new juve program, “Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers,” will take over the summer version of “Studio One on June 22. Show, called the “Westinghouse Summer Theatre, will present cheaper scripts than “Studio One” and some repeats, as in former years. Fletcher Markle is exiting “Stu- dio One” in June. No winter replacement is set for him Vet, NBC Setting Hour Documentary On Korea War Anni Two Pinza Pilot Fix Posed for Sponsors Ezio Pinza has now made two NBC-TV films. One Is a romantic type “Enchanted Isle,” taken from James Michener’s “Tales of the South Pacific.” Other is a situa- tion comedy, ‘TBonino,” about an Italian concert teacher with a large family. Former show was shot months ago, latter recently. Both are web packages. The singer won’t do both shows, the selection being up to the buy- er. Chances are that only current NBC-TV Sponsors will have a whack at the shows because the net is SRO for nighttime fall times, with the exception of the opposite “I Love Lucy” spot (Mon- days at 9 p.m.), now occupied by the sustaining “Eye Witness.” A new sponsor can have that time and Pinza in the autumn, Other- wise the singer won’t be able to be squeezed into the nighttime schedule without a cancellation. A full-hour documentary on the Korean War, via tape recordings, will be presented by NBC radio>on the third anniversary of the con- flict, Sunday, June 21, at 8:30 p.m. Program will be edited and nar- rated by Jim Fleming, who will be assisted by Art Holch. Highlights of the three war years will be pre- sented through actuality tape re- cordings. Bill McAndrew, web’s manager of news and special events, hopes to title tlie show “Post-Mortem to Combat.’ r If fight- ing is still going on at that time, the hour will be called “The Pro- gram Without a Name.” Program is to be produced by Joseph O. Meyers, manager of the net’s cen- tral news desk. The documentary will be the first of an NBC radio series to be pre- pared by Fleming, who left the “Today” show a month ago to de- vote full time to taped modern his- tory. He has already produced for RCA the album “Mr. President, from FDR to Eisenhower.” . On May 15, his second album will be out—“Adlai Stevenson Speaks.” Third album, almost completed, is “Speeches of Eisenhower.” . Fleming, along with his brother Ed, also will have on the market June 1 a gadget called “Peace and Quiet,” a rig that turns off the audio on television sets. Advertisers and agencies, un- decided about summer-show plans, are creating a nighttime logjam in the hot-weather television sched- ules at NBC and CBS. At NBC, for instance, it’s known that Colgate will stay in its “Come- dy Hour” time, that Speidel and Crosley are remaining In the time of “What’s My Name,” that Camp- bell is holding the “Aldrich Fam- ily” Spot, and that Gulf is staying with the time now - occupied by “Life of Riley.” But the net doesn’t know at this point what summer shows the sponsors are planning for those time periods. At CBS, the situation .is gen- erally the same. Three programs definitely taking a hiatus are “See It Now,” tq give Ed Murrow a vaca- tion (in England), “You Are There,” with the Electric Cos. of America taking eight weeks off, and “Crime Syndicated,” with Schick taking an eight-week hiatus. Electric Auto- Llte Co. has not decided on “Sus- pense.” Otherwise, the sales de- partment "has a continuing sched- ule but does not know (except for those few already announced) what summer programs are replacing regulars. The American Tobacco Co., through BBD&O, made its moves last week (also staying as an al- ternater on “Robert Montgomery Presents”). It’s shifting “Private Secretary,” starring Ann Sothern, from CBS to NBC in “Your Hit Parade” spot at 10:30 p.m. Satur- days, beginning June 20. The pro- grams will be reruns. In the 7:30 Sunday spot vacated by “Secretary” will go a telefilm drama series, “Your Play Time,” a show that has been 1 seen on the Coast earlier this season as “Chev- ron Theatre.” “Secretary” will re- turn to CBS in the fall. Complicated Maneuvers The complicated maneuvering indicates that Lucky Strikes is ex- perimenting with \ts summer shows. Certainly it would have (Continued on page 30) ‘ABC ALBUM’ FOUR-WEEK GAM SEEN AS BIZ HYPO In the four weeks that it’s been on the air, ABC-TV’s Sunday night “ABC Album” has increased its network from the original 11 sta- tions live and six kinescope to 15 live and 16 kinnie. Key factor was the pacting of Plymouth as spon- sor for nine weeks. Web is particularly happy about the increase because of ’‘Album’s” status as a showcase for future full- scale series stemming from each of the individual plays. Net feels that should a sponsor buy one of the series, he’ll have a readymade net- work and audience with , which to start off. Mull Tfast Club’ Anni Simulcast ABC is mulling a simulcast of the 20th anniversary program of Don McNeill’s “Breakfast Club” from Chicago June 23. Should such a simulcast be done, it might have a bearing on the web’s considera- tion of putting the vet AMer on video in the fall. Meanwhile, McNeill Started his swing of six cities Monday (4), ar- riving for a Detroit origination. Show was in Cleveland yesterday (Tues.), is in Youngstown today, goes to Pittsburgh tomorrow, to Rochester Friday (8), and then orig- inates in N.Y. all of next week. Ernie Stem, ABC trade press edi- tor who hit the Toad ahead of the tour, reports SRO sign is up° in each city. Re the 20tli anni of the show, it’s been on ABC and the old Blue Network all that time, with only McNeill and a member of the band left from the original cast. Of th© sponsors, two are oldtlmers, Swift having bankrolled for the past 12 years, Philco for the past nine.