Variety (December 1954)

Wednesday, December 15, 1954 RADIO-TELEVISION 31 COMING UP: TV’S CYCLE NO. Enough Is Enough With Jackie Gleason kicking around the idea of doing a half- hour filmed scries based on his “Honeymooners,” which is now an integral part of his Saturday night CBS-TV show, it brings up a major problem. The 30-minute film stanza would, of course, be independent of the full hour Saturday showcase with Gleason a, owner of the package. Buick, which has been casting eyes in Gleason's direction, already is manifesting interest in the “Honey- mooners” sequence. Gleason’s determination to spread himself (in addition he’s had an mcieasing hankering for guest shots, such as his recent “Studio One” stint and his upcoming “Best of Broadway” appearance in “The Show Oft”) parallels somewhat the situation over at NIK'-TV as it pertains to George Gobel. Since hitting the jackpot as this season’s comedic find, Gobel, at NBC’s instigation, has been playing the field in guesting on practically everybody else’s show. While it’s recognized that Gleason and Gobel are two of the “hottest properties” extant in television, with their respective net- works obviously bent on cashing in on their popularity and in lending an assist to weaker stanzas, nonetheless the “enough is enough” apprehensions are already Setting in. It’s feared that, as with others before them, too much of a good thing can be a fast ride on the treadmill to oblivion. Within the past couple of months practically everybody and his uncle has stepped forward as the “discoverer” of Gobel. But no one’s ven- i. u lona yet to save hi id. Rose. Hero Of The Week: John Reber Salvages $3,000,000 JWT Billings, Lotsa Jobs In Pond’s Pact John Reber, radio-tv factotum for J. Walter Thompson, pulled off the neatest coup of the week when, in one fell swoop, he not only sal- vaged upwards of $3,000,000 in tv billings but saved some 40 jobs among production s'affers. It all came about when Reber persuaded one of the JWT clients, Pond’s facial cream, to take over lock, slock and barrel the full hour Thursday night (9:30 to 10:30) dramatic stanza on ABC-TV which Kraft, another JWT client, is re- linquishing after the Jan. 6 per- formance. Pond’s moves in the following week, thus permitting a continu- ance without interruption. It’s not only a life-saver to ABC, which was faced with the loss of about $1,750,000 in time billings, but the JWT production crew that had been doubling on the brace of full hour Kraft entries (the other one is on NBC) was in the process of being cut in half, with upwards of 41) slated to get the pink slip. In Rebcr’s favor, of course, was the persuasive argument that he could deliver to Pond’s an already- tested and long-manned produc- tion. since for JWT it would be a “business as usual” operation. Pius the fact that the Thursday ABC hour, which is an all-live, non-kinnie setup, is unique in that it has access to properties auto- matically ruled out for shows that are kinescoped. For Pond’s it represents its heaviest investment to date in tv. Previously it had sponsored a fiimed Lilli Palmer series in but a few scattered markets on a spot basis. Henceforth the show will be known as “Pond’s Television Theatre.” FUNT'S 'OMNIBUS' TREK Camera Study of Jurors Takes Producer to Various Cities Allen Funt is due back from Louisville today (Wed.) after com- pleting final shooting of his fourth in a package of six filmed subjects for the CBS-TV “Omnibus.” Funt’s crosscountry trek with the Ken- tucky city as the last leg was aimed at lensing a treatment on jurors and jury duty, especially the prob- lem of rounding up “12 good men and true” for trial proceedings. Filming was done in various courts around the country. Funt’s previous work on “Omni- bus” included studies of the chil- dren in the United Nations School, deemphasized football and last Sunday’s (12) segment showing peo- ple looking at themselves in mir- rors. After his six-part series, Funt is skedded to begin work on a feature-length film employing his w.k. “hidden camera” technique. MMM’s Sat. Client Already a crossboard sellout on NBC radio, Mary Margaret Mc- Bride’s capsule stanza gets a Sat- urday exposure at the same time, 10 a. m. Sponsor is Calgon.- The added chore starts Feb. 12. DEPOSING ‘LUCY'? In the beginning there was Mil- ton Berle. That was television’s Cycle No. 1—covering an approxi- mate five-year period in which the comic reigned supreme at the top of the rating heap. Then came Cycle No. 2—“I Love Lucy.” now in its fourth season as the No. 1 Nielsen “baby.” But it’s anticipated that the Nielsens of tomorrow will usher in Cycle No. 3. with strong possibility of Jackie Gleason moving into the coveted leadership spot in what presumably could be the “Gleason toprated era” in tv. Everrif it doesn’t happen on the next two-weeks due) Top 10 Niel- sen listings, one irrevocable fact stands out—that the “closing of the gap” in the longtime Monday at 9 “Lucy” supremacy is already beginning to take hold, with “Medic” projecting itself a? a suf- ficiently formidable rival to whit- tle down the “Lucy” sharc-of- ‘Lucy’ 6th in Trendex Whatever NBC’s misgivings about Trendex as it relates to the specs, the network has been shouting hosannas over the December Top 10 Trendex report, which not only de- thrones “Lucy” from her long- time No. 1 berth (with Jackie Gleason taking over), but dumps her to No. 6 standing. New “Lucy” status reflects, as NBC press release puts it, “the Sid Caesar-’Medic’ one- two punch.” audience. On the night that Niel- sen took his last Monday rating “Medic” made its deepest penetra- tion as the competitive show, in- dicating that the deposing of “Lucy” for the first time from its top Nielsen perch could be a mat- ter of weeks. And with the Glea- son competition offering little or no resistance on the share-of-audi- ence front, everyhting would seem to point to “Mr. Saturday Night” moving into the coveted spot. Nielsen’s first report for Novem- ber, just released, still gives “Lucy” topdog status, with a 50.3 (Gleason has a 47.2 in fourth place) but it’s the subsequent' Nielsen reports that’ll be watched. The “Medic” encroachment on “Lucy” spotlights once again what has long been axiomatic in the (Continued on page 44) Berle Goes From 'Act of God’ To 'Act of Kudner’ in New Blowup As Buick Eyes Gleason Sponsorship ‘UN In Action’ Isn’t CBS-TV’s “UN in Action” Is ousted after this week. Show ; pegged on the world organization has been anchored at 5 p. m. daily, running half an hour Monday- Tuesday-Thursday and 15 minutes ! on Wcdncsday-Friday. Time reverts to stations, with WCBS-TV in N. Y. taking up the ' slack via its “Late Matinee” films. Hurok’s ‘Specs Come in Threes’; Ditto DeMarco NBC has been having some hud- dles with concert impresario Sol Hurok, object being to bring Hurok and his know-how into the NBC- TV spec picture for a one-shot Hurok production. However, ne- gotiations have been stymied, it’s reported, bv Hurok’s insistence that he do three or nothing on the basis that first results are not al- ways the best (which, in a nut- shell, has been the story of the specs). Thus far there’s no deal. It’s understood that a similar “three or none” demand resulted in the collapse of negotiations to bring Tony DeMarco into the specs. NBC originally went after him for a single guest starring. LAPRADE, VET NBC MUSIC AIDE, RETIRES Ernest Laprade, an NBC em- ployee practically since the net- work’s inception and who served a- music aide to Walter Damrosch, is resigning from the web at the end of the year, having attained retirement status. In recent years he has served in a similar musical capacity, for Samuel Chotzinoff. (ChotzinofT himself is past re- tirement age but is continuing by special NBC board-of director dis- pensation in order helm the tv operatic series.) Now that the Ruthie Gilbert “Act of God” controversy has sim- mered down, Milton Berle, from all appearances, is in the throes of a new hassle—this time involving his sponsor, Buick, and the Kudner agency, which presides over the automotive billings. The fact that the Kudner agency, on behalf of its client, has been casting envious eyes in the direction of a Jackie Gleason sponsorship for next sea- son is apparently causing Berle considerable distress. * Although the Berle show con- tinues to click on all four Nielsen cylinders on the basis of tlus sea- son’s rating returns (remaining right up there with the leaders), it appears the dealers aren’t too happy with the comic and have passed word along to the agency to “woo Gleason.” Although neither Buick nor Berle need commit themselves until Jan. 30 in terms of a renewal for next season, it’s now generally believed that when the ’55-’58 semester rolls around there will definitely be a parting of the ways. Too, Berle has expressed a keen desire to join the celluloid vanguard and do 39 half-hour film shows next season. Kudner agency, it’s reported, would like a half-hour weekly ex- posure on the 60-minutc Gleason stanza. (Another Kudner client, Schick, is one of the show’s pres- ent three sponsors.) However, since this would be a radical de- parture for Buick, which until now has insisted on exclusive identity with a program, and since the pres- ent Gleason sponsors seem to be extremely happy, it’s still a moot point whether Buick and Gleason can effect a get-together next sea- son. Mutual’s 'Hickok’ Gets Kellogg Axe Kellogg is soon to ankle Mutual as sponsor of the three-times-week- Lv “Wild Bill Hickok.” Rest of the 5 to 6 P- m. lineup consists of the nnsponsored “Bobby Benson” five times weekly and “Sgt. Preston” twice weekly for Quaker Oats. Kellogg fading act, via Leo Bur- nett agency, is the second one in recent weeks at Mutual that was not equalized by entry of a replace- nu*n( bankrolled Other show was : ie AFL newscast which switched j ( i ABC. The radio web says Kel- is throwing all coin into video hereafter. Also in the Mutual kid picture s news that the web will divest * lself °Y °ne of its oldest program Properties. “The Shadow,” on S*ab- oath afternoon once “Rin Tin Tin” 8tarts for Nabisco Jan. 2. OUT SOON! The 49th Anniversary Number Of Forms closing shortly Usual Advertising rates prevail Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office NEW YORK n 154 W. 46th St. HOLLYWOOD 2t 6311 Yucca St. CHICAGO 11 612 N. Michigan Ava. LONDON. W. C. 2 S St. Martia's Placa Trafalgar Square Amateur Hoar's’ NBC-TV Sun. Slot Ted Mack’s “Original Amateur Hour,” off the air for several months since bowing out of the Saturday 8:30 period on NBC-TV, is due for a new .slolting on the network, with plans currently un- der way to expand the tyro show- case back to its original full hour format. It’s planned to Install the program in the 3 to 4 Sunday after- noon period, with a tentative Jan. 16 kickoff date. Meanwhile, network salesmen, armed with an impressive presen- tation detailing the show’s fam- ily appeal and merchandising his- tory, and with a Class C time rate as a come-on, are peddling the stanza to prospective clients, with a contractual stipulation that “Amateur Hour” will be trans- ferred to the coveted Tuesday night 8 to 9 period during the summer months while Milton Berle takes a hiatus. “Amateur Hour’s” last client was Pet Milk. BING’S RADIO SHOW GETS 1ST SPONSOR Bing Crosby’s nighttime cross- thc-board quarter-hour on CBS Radio has landed its first sponsor in Consolidated Cosmetics. Under- writing of the Monday period will commence Jan. 3. The web was ex- pected to announce one or two additional bankrollers momentar- ily, one of most likely an auto- maker. Crosby was launched Nov. 22 . The cosmetic house, incidentally, while exiting the “They Stand Ac- cused” hour on DuMont, is under- stood shopping around for another tv show.