Variety (March 1956)

UAMO-TELEVISIOJV f'Snm’fT' WediiesdfiLyv March ,7*.*1956 i New York Arthur Van Horn, who has his own radio show on WABC, set to do the New York interviews for Art Baker’s “You Asked for It’ on ABC-TV . . . Macdonald Carey, Una Merkel, Pat Benoit and For¬ rest Tucker guest on Ray Heather- ton’s WABC-TV “Celebrity Club today (Wed.) . . . Dick Duahe does a repeat guestshot on Ed Sullivan show Sunday (ID . . . Philip F. Donoghe, former unit and business manager for the domestic section of “Cinerama Holiday” under Louis de Rochemont, joining Trans¬ film as administrative assistant to v.p. Robert H. Klaeger . . . Desilu exec v.p. Martin Leeds in town with the pilot of the new Lloyd Nolan starrer, “Father Duffy of Hell’s Kitchen,” plus negotiations on “Those Whiting Girls,” last summer’s “Lucy” speller . Michael J. De Sandis, currently controller of Minot TV and former accountant at Pathe Labs, upped within the Minot organization to assistant treasurer of parent com- panv UM&M TV. Also at UM&M, Lottie Adler, formerly with MPTV. becomes accountant in charge of all booking and scheduling . . . Sigme Hasso starring on “Modern Romances” this week . . . Trevor Howard starring and Halliwell Hobbes featured on “Studio One’s” version of “Flower of Pride” this Monday (12) . . . Marian Winters into a featured role on “Goodyear Playhouse” Sunday . , . Jack Barry subbing as “Masquerade Party” emcee for Peter Donald tonight (Wed.) while Donald vacations for two weeks in Nassau . . . David Swift joined to direct his own original whodunit, “Better Off Dead,” for “Four Star Playhouse,” with Charles B^yer set to star in the film . . . Renzo Cesana, the “Continental,” has been signed for p.a.’s by National Artists Corpus special attractions division. NAC has also signed Steven Scheuer, editor of the syndicated column TV Key, for its lecture division. Cardinal Spellman to kick off Catholic Charities campaign April 14 on WCBS-TV with St. Patrick’s Choir as a feature . . . Frank Tel¬ ford, director who’s just finished the “Crunch and Des” NBC-TV film series, back from Bermuda to do “Robt. Montgomery Presents” and also dickering direction of a theatrical film ... Barbara Joyce on this week’s “Modern Romances” after appearing in the Helen Hayes Concert Group production of “Mac¬ beth” at B’klyn Acad of Music . . . Magician Kajar on Steve Allen show March 12. David Swift to direct his own “Better Off Dead” whodunit for “Four Star Playhouse” with Charles Boyer starring ... Larry Siegel of Constance Hope flackery, engaged to Helen Hartman of United Nations staff . . . Renzo Cesana’s “The Continental’ tele¬ film running on WRCA-TV to be picked up in L.A. (NBC) starting March 17. The sundry General Samoff-RCA salutes were strictly intra-family (not even the bankers permitted) so the only family intimate present was NBC prexy Robert W. Sarnoff, son of the board chairman. On/y other was Pfc Arthur Sarnoff, spe¬ cialist in Information & Education with the Army in Japan, and he somehow got invited to -an RCA family party given at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo. He’s the son of Irv¬ ing Sarnoff, veep of Bruno-N. Y., RCA distribs, and a brother of the General, but he, too. was deemed too removed from actual RCA- NBC operations to be invited. Georgia McCarty, former pub¬ licity and merchandising director for WORZ' in Orlando, Fla., and WVEC-TV in Norfolk, .named su¬ pervisor of audience promotion for MCA-TV Film Syndication . . . Branham station rep outfit signed for representation of WITI-TV in Milwaukee and WRDW-TV & AM in Augusta, Ga. . . . Joe Franklin celebrates his 10th year in broad¬ casting (started on WNEW, thence to WABC and latterly WABC-TV) Friday (9) with special recorded salutes on the birthday by Eddie Cantor, Tony Curtis and others slated for his “Memory Lane” tv’er that day. Legislative Hearings In Mass. May ‘Go TV’ As Part of Reforms . Boston, March 6. Legislative hearings may be tele¬ vised for the first time in Mass, if Rep. Edmond J. Donlan (D) has his way. Donlan, House chairman of the 19-man joint Judiciary Committee hearing Governor Christian A. Her- ter’s sweeping proposals for court reform, said: “Informed public opinion is vital to the preservation of a healthy democratic state. That is why I am going to ask our com¬ mittee to allow the television cam¬ eras to air next week’s proceed¬ ings.” He said he would take up the tv proposal with the full committee because “A . revised Massachusetts court system is one of the most vital issues of the day!” * Mercer’s Defense Hollywood, March 6. Critics .of the Academy, of TV Arts and. Sciences Errimy setup are “too close to the rhu¬ barb to see the stalks,” Johnny Mercer, ATAS board member and chairman of its Emmy committee, stated in a radio interview here last week. De¬ fending the beleaguered Acad¬ emy, Mercer typically termed the recent heavy knocks as “pretty jazzy” and called the . org a “healthy infant”- Which has accomplished much dfiring its short life. - Mercer pleaded for “charity and tolerance” of the Emmy arrangements, pointing to. the chore of squeezing : 7,000 pro¬ grams into 41 categories. He challenged complainers to come forth with better suggestions, took issue with Jack Webb’s gripe by saying “he submitted the wrong program himself,” and as for Martin & Lewi;>, . “nobody nominated them-” Emmy’s No Lady Yet ; Continued (torn page 25 ; DISABLED YETS SET ‘SONGRAMS’TELESHOW Margaret Farrar, crossword and acrostics editor for the N. Y. Times, has been signed by William Tell Productions to prep “song- rams” — puzzles: balsed on song titles—for the “Hidden Treasure” series of hourlong teleshows to be sponsored once monthly by the Disabled American Veterans. Show, which is.to be used as a fundrais¬ ing device by the DAV, will offer a minimum of $50,000 in prizes to write-in contest respondents, with the songrams comprising one of the contest features, other being identification of 15 songs played on each show. William Tell prez W. T. Clemons is already clearing time for the first show, set for June 15. Initial show—DAV has signed for two with options—may go live over DuMont lines. Remainder will probably be shot via the Elec- tronicam system. Under the DAV deal, all payments for programs and prizes are limited to 30% of the coin raised through the write- ins (at $1 a throw), with the bal¬ ance going to the DAV. TEXACO STAR THEATRE SATURDAY NIGHT—N.B.C. Mat.t William Morris Agency WATV Pipes Boxing Card From Philly WATV, the Newark indie, is bringing back a boxing card for the first time in two years, but is piping the program in from Phila¬ delphia via^ a deal with WPFH-TV of Wilmington. A two-hour show, the card originates in Cambria Arena'in Kensington, a Philly sub¬ urb, and is telecast on the Wil- i mington outlet, which has strong ' Philly coverage. Understood WATV pays cable charges and a piece of its sponsorship revenues for the show, which WPFH-TV is also pip¬ ing to some of the Pennsylvania UHF outlets under the same pat¬ tern. Card will air Thursdays, 9 to 11 p.m., starting March 15. Last time WATV carried boxing was a couple of years' back in a program from Laurel Gardens in Newark, scene of its wrestling pickups, which it still carries. McGiffert Tapped For ‘Camera 3’ Scripting Jack McGiffert has been tapped by WCBS-TV as the writer for “Camera Three” which the N. Y. flagship supervises for the CBS-TV run. Heretofore, scripting and adaptation has been done by Rob¬ ert Herridge, doubling as producer, who moves • over to the network along with director Francis Mori-, arty. The McGiffert pact completes the top personnel on “Camera,” with Lewis Freedman and Clay Yurdin previously • signed on as producer and director. McGiffert has been in radio-tv since 1950. • In other assignments at WCBS- TV, Neal Finn will direct two new public affairs shows, one a dis¬ cussion series with Ron Cochran moderating and the other a religi- oser. Finn’s spot on “Morning Memo” (Margaret Arlen) and “News, of N. Y.” capsule cut-ins on the' web’s “Good Morning,” will be taken by Robert Goodman. B \ To get command of a bigger TV audienco, aetjn touch with • • CINCINNATI, ims With a mighty 29.1 ZIV-TV’S CISCO KID (Duncan Renaldo) gives the turn's rush to a long list of big-time operations on the Cincinnati scene, including TV Play* house, Climax, Jack Benny, Comedy Hour, I Love Lucy> etc. CMCMNMt CM (CAM MW VM which is sponsoring, agreeing to a postponement of the show, pro¬ viding this is feasible. We think such a move necessary to give the Academy time to correct the in¬ equities in nominations and cate¬ gories,” Fox stated. “We also .want, to ask the board if it’s possible to obtain as Emmy award, sites in three months the Pan-Pacific here and the Waldorf in N. Y» to permit a completely equitable ballot to be .processed and voted upon. If they tell us it’s impossible, then we would urge all support for the. March 17 awards. “We want to make clear our ap¬ preciation of the fine work done by Don PeFore, Johnny Mercer, Tom Freebaim-Smitb and other staff members in the devoted de¬ velopment of the Academy in a pe¬ riod of monster growth in the tv industry. No one person or group is responsible for the‘.current situ¬ ation.. Our Tequest is made only with sincere reference, to the high principles and unquestioned in¬ tegrity the Academy membership wishes its awards to represent. “Some of us who. are Academy members ourselves are deeply con- 'cerned over growing public reac¬ tion to both apparent and real injustices to certain shows and in¬ dividuals highly respected by our industry and the nation's tv view¬ ers. We are fearful that serious impairment may be done to the Academy's reputation unless some remedial action is taken, provided that remedy is itself both practical and in the Academy’s best inter¬ ests,” said Fox. Lucy Won’t Be. in Town Meanwhile, on other fronts the controversy over the nominations showed no signs of abating, as it was learned another nominee may be withdrawn from the Emmy awards; a two-nominations winner has declined to present awards, and a welter of opinions for help¬ ing the Academy was expressed. Withdrawal of the nomination of “Dragnet,” in the running as one of the five best action series, is be¬ ing seriously considered by Sherry TV which owns the series, it was disclosed by an MCA source. Sherry is a subsid of the agency. No decision, has been reached but the matter is being' studied, said the source. Previously Jack Webb, producer-director-star of the se¬ ries, withdrew his nomination as best director of a telefilm series, in protest at the nominations setup. Webb, at the same time, said if he controlled’“Dragnet” he Would withdraw its nomination also, but- pointed out that was up to Sherry, which owns it. Lucille Ball, nominated as best comedienne and also as best actress in a continuing performance, for her “I Love Lucy” work, was asked by the Academy to make presentations of Awards at the din¬ ner March 17, but has declined, sayings she would be out of town then. Sheldon Leonard, a member of the Academy board, defended the Acad from its critics, asserting “these critics are obligated to come to the Academy and give us their constructive ideas, if they want to correct what they feel are in¬ justices in the nominations and categories setup. In this way we can improve the Academy; they ap¬ parently do not realize what a vast, complex job is involved here and we on the board are doing the best we can.” Leonard said he doesn’t think the present setup is perfect by any means, but stressed he felt constructive criticism should be given members of the board by those who find fault. Danny Thomas, a former board member, expressed the opinion that it might be a good idea to hold a general membership meeting af¬ ter the March 17 awards, seek out everyone’s opinions, and then base next year’s nominations and cate¬ gories on the results of such a meeting. After the board has drawn up potential categories, then let it submit the entire list to the membership and have them vote on what they feel are the proper categories, suggested Thomas. Jack Webb came up with the idea that “perhaps we need two different awards to handle such a 'complex- matter.- For exam pie-,-we. might have an awards affair just for live tv on say, March 1, then a , month later have an Awards cere¬ mony honoring the filmed shows’ and creators;' Ydti can’t adjudicate this wliple ticia.tter in;one three-hour : event. ; TV-. is v ,a ; vast industry; we produce, far niore linits'-than do the : movies,, and this sh6uid„..be taken into consideration. ** . . “Regarding the local . shows, I; think it might be a.: gpoil idea to : have each city select what it feels is its'best local show, and. submit that selection to the Academy, to be honored as the best local show in the country. The membership could see kines or films of the nominated shows, and to be the winner under such an arrangement would mean something. You might award plaques for different types of local shows. It’s going to take organization, but it will give' the people a feeling they are a 1 part of it.” Dick Powell Nixes Bid Dick Powell, producer-star-owner of Four Star Productions, has : turned down a bid to emcee the ; coast telecast of the awards, say- ‘ ing flatly he would not do it because ; he doesin’t think the Acad nomi- | nations structure makes any sense. Powell’s rejection followed word : from Bob Cummings, previously : announced as the emcee, that he couldn’t do it “due to other com¬ mitments.” Prior to that Jerry Lewis refused because of disagree- ; ment with the Acad on its nomina¬ tions setup also. Powell, showing a wire from the Aba demy board of governors in¬ viting him to emcee, commented “I just don’t want to do it. I agree I with Jack Webb—I don’t think their nominations setup makes any sense.” Webb on Monday with- . drew his nomination as best direc¬ tor of a telefilm series (for “Drag¬ net”), blasting the nominations' structure at the same time. CBS-TV ‘Probe’ Series Hollywood, March 6. New vidpix series dealing with pathology is in works at CBS-TV ' here. Mel Epstein has been set to produce “Probe,” with Wendell Corey inked for lead. Novelist Peter R. Brook will script. Omaha—KOIL was again granted exclusive broadcasting rights to the Omaha Cardinal American Assn, baseball games this year. Three other local outlets bid for the privilege. Station announced Don . Hill will again handle mike duties, both for home and road games. c ill ri( M S -2I«0 I ! °VER *J ndu "ry CADt INDUSTRIAL HSART OF THB TRI-STATS ARBA 7^* Tie** tZueoc EVERYDAY IR^B ON EVERY CHANNEL BROOKS COSTUMES 3 W.,1 ti.l St., N.Y.C.*T»I. ft. MIW