Variety (March 1955)

IIA1IIO - VIDEO - TV MIMS IJV NEW YORK CITY .... Robert Q. Lewis to 'be grand marshal of National Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington March 31 . . .. Mindy Carson guesting on WRCA’s Jim Coy show today (Wed.) . . . CBSales mgr, Dudley Faust back after 10-day motor trip in the south. John Karol, web's sales v.p., bedded with virus . . . Fred Freed named associate producer of Bill Leonard’s 9 “this Is N.Y,” (WCBS) and “Eye on N.Y. (tv), with Leonard also adding David BUchbaiim to production sector . . Singer Lainny Ross shoving off later this month with wife Olive for fortnight vacation in Spain . . . WRCA’s Phil Alampi, farm and garden expert, to m.c. opening Of L.I. Spring Garden Show tomorrow (Thurs.) at Westbury . . . CBS’ “Hall of Fame” to salute Trygve Lie (13) with former UN secretary-general'to be heard, in pickup from London . . . Rollin Smith, WRCA director, picking up dates with Leighton Guptill as duo-pianists . . WCBS deejay Bill Randle’s Saturday'program extended 30 minutes to 5:45 from 1:35 start. Station’s Mary Osborne, instrumentalist with -Jack Sterling waiter-upper, back on job after giving birth three weeks ago . . . “Let’s Find Out’’ under moderator Martin Weldon racked up second anni over the weekend. Weldon also produces-narrates “Port of N.Y.’’ for WCBS . . . Whatever happened to CBS’ Feature Project series since web's public affairs was merged? Fulton Lewis Jr. off on another junket. This time—after the For- mosan jaunt—he’s heading for Spain and West Germany to query Generalissimo Franco and Chancellor Adenauer for his “Exclusive’’ film skein. Much 6f material also going into his audiocasts via Mutual . . . James C. McCormick has been pacted by H-R station reps as a Coast salesman .. . . WWRL’s Latino radio, survey places the size of the Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican population in the met area at 736,918 . . . Bdnny Roberts is on rival WHOM as Sabbath sub for a Latin deejay. Patsy Campbell doing ABC’s “True ’Story” today (9) and Peggy Lob- bin into NBC’s “Dr. Six Gun” Thursday (10). IN CHICAGO . . WMAQ-WNBQ chief Jules Herbuveaux in Florida for three weeks of sun Bob Harris* formerly Toni's new produet specialist, joined Weiss & Geller as a veepee . . . Cliff Johnson and family off to Europe in June under, the auspices of the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce. Their WGN morning airer will continue via taped accounts of the. junket . „ . Sportscaster Bob Elson’s daily WCFL interview show from the Pump Room off for the season With the gabber taking a breather before the start of the White Sox baseball coverage on the labor-owned indie . . . Chi NBC ad-promotion manager Hal Smith hosted a North- western U. radio-tv advertising class last night (Tues.) at the web’s Merchandise Mart headquarters ... Publicist Jack McGuire and col- umnist A1 DiBitteto set a weekend radio-tv saturation campaign for the annual Heart Fund drive . . . Fahey Flynn debuted a 10-minute late afternoon sports roundup on WBBM . . . Henry Sjogren, assistant general manager of the Chi NBC o&o’s, handed a 100,000-mile plaque »from United Air Lines , , . Live stock market reporter Butch Davis now airing his 12:30 p.m. WGN daily market rundown direct from the Union Stock Yards . . . Chicago & North Western railway notches its 20th anni March 18 "on WMAQ’s morning “400 Hour” . . . Chi NBC assistant press chief. Howard Coleman to guestspeak at the West Suburban Council of the Parent Teachers Assn, next Wednesday (16). IN PITTSBURGH . . . Lee Curran has resigned as KDKA’s pressagent to become head of promotion and publicity for KTRK-TV in Houston. He reports there March 21. Another KDKA alumnus, John Hill, is program chief there and Bill Walbrjjdge, of nearby ConnellsVille, is the station’s general manager . . Roy Lewis, onetime deejay on WPGH, has joined the WCAE sales staff, replacing Bill Lappe, who quit to go into public relations . . . Blaze (Gus) Gusic, floor manager at Channel 2, engaged to Theresa Jarzynka, a nurse at the Sewickley General Hospital . . . Ann Gillis, former film star, lost her platter program on KDKA but has been reengaged by the station to be the “voice” of its station breaks . . . Pie Traynor, sports director of KQV and longtime baseball great with the Pirates, celebrating -his 10th anniversary with the local CBS outlet . . . Carl Betz, graduate of Carnegie Tech drama school and former WCAE announcer, has a running role now on the tv soap opera, “Love of Life” . . . Otto Krenn pinch-hitting on KQV announc- r ing staff for Jim Shannon, who suffered a bad leg injury while playing t^A-RIETY basketball . . . Dave Murray has resigned from WENS to do radio and tv for Duquesne Brewing Co. via Walker-Down'ing agency. IN DETROIT ... WWJ-TV is unveiling “local spectaculars” in a series of four rotating half-hour program# Sponsored by E. & B. Brewing Co. Titled “Barn Dance Party,” “Polka Party,” “Jazz Party,” and “Mambo Party,” each is seen once a 'month at 11 p.m. Saturday . . . Program format of Mary Morgan’s new CKLW-TV show will be built around her commentary on current fashions and guests from fashion field or sfibw biz person- alities . . . WXYZ has lined up disk jockeys Paul Winter, Jack Surrell, Ed McKenzie, Johnny Slagle ai\d Fred Wolf for its “Stars at Seven half-hour cross-the-board at 7 p.m. show ... WJBK-TV has purchased 1,000 films from MPTV Film Division of Guild Films . . . Jim Dunbar, formerly with Flint, Holland and Lansing radio stations, has joined CKLW’s- stable of dislc jockeys . . . “The Detroit Tigers in Training,’ daily film clips from the Florida training camps, will be a nightly feature on WJBK-TV with Van Patrick narrating and interviewing . . . Casey Clark and his Lazy Ranch Boys-will originate-live on CKLW-TV for a new weekly hour-long show called “Casey Clark’s Jamboree” . WXYZ plans to move into new studios March 28. IN PHILADELPHIA s . . Dr. Vladimir Zworykin, “father of television,” guests on “Horizons Unlimited,” over WF1L-TV, Sunday (13) , . . Robert L. Jawer rejoins sales staff of WPTZ (7) . .. . Rudolf F. Vogeler, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce preemed 15 minute news digest, on WFIL <6) . . . Following Alan Scott’s two-week announcement that.tickets were available for his Sat. 9 a.m. “Scott and Mechanical Man" on WPTZ, ducats were gone through end of July . , . Philco laid off 500 workers Friday (4) due to seasonal lag in tv production . . . Murray Arnold, WPEN assistant manager, appointed to newly-formed Public Relations Committee of the United Cerebral Palsy Assn, of Philadel- phia ... Steve Allison returned to his WPEN midnight disk and inter- view session after siege in Hospital for surgery . . . Bob Horn operating Carman Ballroom two nights a week on his WFIL-TV “Bandstand” pattern, featuring disks and visiting celebs. IN CLEVELAND . . . Joe Mulvthill, who conducted the late-hour top-rated WTAM disk stint, “Eleven Hundred Club,” for eight years has been replaced by staffer, AFTRA is- planning to take issue to arbitration. Mulvihill remains as staff announcer and also continued his tv sports show . . , WEOL's Leo Clark recovering from laryngitis . . . AFTRA’s executive secretary Ted Smoot to Miami . . . WHK initiating report from Wash- ington by Greater Cleveland congressmen . . WSRS offering daily noon “Pledge of Allegiance” recording by top civic names ... With Jimmy Dudley on vacation, Jim Graner does WEWS Gray Drug sport pitch . . . WEWS’s femme commentator, Dorothy Fuldheim, due back from two-week Formosa trip . . . Seven radio outlets pooling efforts for joint opening (15) hoopla of Cleveland Rapid Transit With NBC's Ed Wallace serving as producer . . . WDOK General Manager Will .Dougherty banned all but “top rated” rhythm and blues from disk stints . . . Ex-WJW disker Todd Purse doing hour-long 9 a.m. pitch on WXYZ-TV. IN SAN FRANCISCO ... Jules Dundes, KCBS director of sales, named a panel member of the Second Annual Social Science Seminar at the Fairmont Hotel . . . KP1X commentator William Winter off on a five-week newsgathering tour of Europe with Sandy Spillman subbing until his return . . . Vet disk jockey Bob Goerner, on staff at KCBS for several years, returned to the platter parade with “Bob Goerner Showtime’’ last week . Wanda Ramey, freelance tv performer, is the new president of the Frisco local of AFTRA . . . Edgar Bergen guested on half a dozen d.j. shows during his week at the Jtalian village ... Bob Fouts, KOVR sports director, named president of the Northern California Basketball Writers and Broadcasters Assn. . . KCBS veepee Arthur Hull Hayes off to Chicago and New York for huddles with CBS higher echelons . . . Dick Godfrey (one of Arthur’s family) has been made a staff an- nouncer at KCBS and also doubles as news writer ip the News and Special Affairs Department. IN WASHINGTON . . . Thomas Craven Jr., youngest prolnewsreel lenser in country, accord- ing to IATSE, and son of the 20m-Fox Movietone cameraman, has joined Washington staff of CBS Nwsfilm, replacing Robert Hess, who is. now manager of motion picture! photography in web’s New York office . . . WTTG-DuMont’s Art Lapib and Liz Overton will give a special tv preview of the National Flower and Garden Show, which is skedded to be officially opened by Mrs. Eisenhower Thursday (10) . . . Ted Koop, CBS director of news and public affairs, has been named to Board of Governors of Salvation Army ... ABC’s “College Press Conference,” moderated by Ruth Geri Hagy, featured an unusual stu- dent panelist on last Sun.' (6) show, on "which Sen. Wayne Morse (D., Ore.) guested. Jeannl O’Neill, beauty contest winner, and secretary tp Sen. Herbert Lehman (D., N.Y.), as well as college .student, was one of questioners . . '. Major General George L Nack, chief signal officer of U;S. Army, has been inked to highlight 4th annual member- ship rally of RETMA at Roosevelt Hotel, New York, March 20. Cleve. Radio Continued Jrom page ZW, 316,000 watts The Channel 8 Mighty Market Place 8,1 yow WGAL-TV ““ LANCASTER PA STEINMAN station bnitVHdl Ell/ “M# CLAIR MeCOlLOUGH PRES. CLAIR McCOLLOUGH PRES. Representatives New York MEEKER TV, INC. Chicago Los Angeles San Francisco Oldsmobile latched on the same day. LaRiche has also picked up two 15-minute Sunday newscasts on WJW with Bob Neal. Same station has a 15-minute Ford newscast cross-the-board. Jack Kelly, gen- eral manager, Said program and spot automotive business was up approximately 25% in January against a year ago. LaRiche also picked up the tab for a half-hour Sunday morning on WGAR’s Bob Smiley’s “Journey into Melody.” That station also re- cently pacted a West Side Dodge ci'os$-the-boarder of the 5 p.m. news; and inked Jaguar Motors of Cleveland to time purchases on Henry Pildner’s FM-high-fidelity stanza. At WSRS, January automotive sales were reported up by at least 40% compared to a .year ago. Al- though spot sales were heavy, pro- gram commitments include two daily 15-minute Plymouth news- casts and.a five-minute cross-the- board sports stint. WDOK has auto sponsorship of a five-minute morning newscast and two evening combo news and music stanzas, plus a heavy spot sales program with Hudson Motors taking a 60-spot-a-week February hypo. Perhaps one of the longest and most successful automotive stories comes from WTAM-WNBK, where Central Cadillac has been sponsor- ing the 11 p.m. Simulcast Monday- through-Friday. Figures are not available, but company spokesmen admit that through their tracer system of “what brings you in,” the combo radio-tv score takes top honors, particularly in selling used cars. > WTAM also has a 5:30 p.m. news crossboarder by Central Chevrolet. Reflecting Central Chevrolet’s re- sults through the use of broadcast- ing, Fuller & Smith & Ross agency said within three days after a new car drive was launched, Central sold 55 new cars. Cost, including two newspaper ads, totalled $1,500 for a $137,000 gross. At WHK,.a major 1955 time sale went to the local Dodge Dealers group with a five-weekly hour mu’- sic-chitchat package. Wednesday, 'March 9, 1955 DN Today Axed, Set New Format One of the old standby daily shows produced by the United Na- tions Radio Division, “UN Today,” has been axed, and is being re- placed by a fresh program that will employ the technique of “News Coverage in Depth,” ..it was an- nounced by the chief of the UN Ra- dio’s English Language Section, Michael Hayward. The new stanza, titled “United Nations Radio Review,” will emplojr features and dramatizations in addi- tion to straight news, Hayward saicH On tap among stars who will do the} dramatizations are Claudette Col- bert, Kirk Douglas, A«va Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Greer Garson, John Hodiak, Celeste Holm, Debo- rah Kerr, Jeanette McDonald, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Nolan, Basil Rathbone and Will Roger? Jr. In addition to using the stars to “humanize” aspects of. UN work, the show will also do interviews with heads of big non-governmental organizations and with delegates. Irving Berenson will act,jfs ex- ecutive producer of “Review?’ with Oscar Rose and Brian Meredith as producers. Preeming next Mon- day (14), the stanza will air every night, Monday-Friday, over Mutual, 11:15 to 11:30 p. m. In New York, however, Mutual’s outlet, WOR, will not take the show which, in- stead, will go out over WINS, WWRL, and WNYC-FM, 10:45-11 p. m. Rosenthal, Loewenthan Exit Prockter to Form New Live-Film TV Shop Everett Rosenthal and Leonard Loewenthan, both longtime v.p.’s of the Bernard Prockter packaging organization, have struck out on their own -with a new packaging firm, Pyramid Productions. New outfit, of which Rosenthal will be prexy and Loewenthan exec v.p, and general counsel, will produce live and filmed television shows for network and Syndication and will also help in the development and financing of outside properties. Rosenthal has been with Propk- ter for the past eight years as an exec producer, most recently on “Big Story.” He’ll be replaced as producer by Robert Lewis Shay on, who turned out the erstwhile “The Mail. Story” for Prockter on ABC- TV this past fall, Replacing Loe- wenthan as general counsel for Prockter is. the law firm of Phillips, Nizer r Benjamin * Krim, Which will handle financing as well as the legal end. Jinn includes the prin- cipal stooljpolders and officers in United Artists, as well as repping UA and Paramount legally. TV FILMS WANTED by MIDWEST DISTRIBUTOR offering 11 i j h I j I i ■ n i \ /1 J w* t i ij \ of Field with complete sales force operating from Chicago Contact TESS McCAUL 1780 Broadway New York, N. Y. COlumbus 5-7720 TAX RETURNS tar the Theatrical Profession Our Specall'ty • A Year Round Tax Servloe at lew Cost. • Representation In Tax Matters. • Complete Files Maintained of Your Copies and Reeorde, BERNARD BUCHALTER II West 42nd Street, New York 36.'Suite 1302 Est. 1038 LOngacre 5-0880