Variety (July 1957)

54 TV FILM ANNUAL Wednesday, July 51, 1957 -Lived Happily (With Features) Forever After JBy OLIVER A. UNGER (Executive V. P., National-Telefilm Associates) It won’t be too long before the Hollywood film mills will be turn¬ ing out most of the entertainment fare for television. The emergence oi feature length motion pictures as a positive force in television programming has r paved the way tor a closer alliance between the motion picture studio and the tele¬ vision film producer and distribu¬ tor. For television, it was a natural development. For the motion pic¬ ture pro'ducer, it was a welcome device to turn idle product into income producing property. As tv increased its 'infiltration of the nation’s living rooms, the need for diversified and exciting programming became more and more apparent. As a result the “live” big money “spectacular” came Into being and tried to cut a niche for itself in the tv program spectrum. It d ; dn’t quite make the grade. The ratings didn’t measure up to the rosy predictions. And considering the time, money and effort-put into these extravaganzas they were costly failures. At this time the top quality feature length motion pictures arrived on the scene to give a much needed “shot-in-the-arm” to the programming requirements of the r.at J on’s newest entertainment medium. The entertainment values in these Hollywood productions could not possibly be duplicated for the price that these film spec¬ taculars could be brought to the television screen. The net result was that the feature film made a considerable dent in the “live” heavily budgeted shows. The popularity of feature length motion pictures is brought into its proper perspective by a sampling of tv program schedules in some of the leading markets in the United States. A recent check of program logs reveals that Los Angeles leads the tv movie parade with a total of 198 features avail¬ able for viewing during one week. New York City listed 158 features for the week. Other weekly film totals reached 101 for the Wash¬ ington, D.C. area, 96 for the Pitts¬ burgh area, 91 for San Francisco, 76 for Chicago. 67 for Miami and 56 for Philadelphia. Other mar¬ kets have similar schedules. Despite this heavy concentration of feature film programming, they still manage to command respec¬ table ratings. From here, it looks as if the available films will be devoured by the insatiable demand of television before the viewers’ a ppetite s beco me jaded._ J_ A Time Fo r Re app raisal_| With practicallv the entire back¬ log of pre-1945 films in tv d 5 stribu- tion now and the relatively few post-1948 features to become avail¬ able shortly, the time is approach¬ ing for a reappraisal of tomorrow’s programming picture. We can see that pvture taking shape. The Hollywood studios are slowly but surely enlarging the s r scope of operations . and getting their feet wet in television. As this trend develops we will eventually see a happy marriage between movies and television. Both media offer great possibilities end service to the public and should comple¬ ment each other in bringing the h'*st entertainment to the nation’s living rooms. Although feature films continue in heavy demand the ever-dwind¬ ling supply forces us to keep a weather eye peeled for the future. Heavy emphasis is now being placed on half-hour film shows. The story production and entertain¬ ment values must be on a nar with the great entertainment offered by the motion picture studios to gain acceptance. That will naturally lead to a closer relationship between the film studios and the television! producers and distributors. As for National Telefilm Associates, we are working closely with 20th Century-Fox. Their Western Ave¬ nue studio on the West Coast cur¬ rently is turning out for us two half-hour series based on their motion pictures “How To Marry A • Continued on page 62) TV FILM COMMERCIALS PRODUCED SINCE JAN. 1,1957 (Continued from page 51) LEWIS & MARTIN FILMS, Chicago, III. Horschell 0. Lewis, in charge Total No. of CotnmoFClala By 20 Sac. By 45 Sac. for Each Brand By ID'* ta 39 Sac. ta 71 3t 3 2t : 2t 2 »11 • RAND ADVERTISER Badger Paint*. National Presto Industries _Presto Fry Pan Sc Griddle Edelweiss Beer.. Restonlc Mattress .Contour Control . “Courtesy Theatre” Opening. Tolona Pisa . Swift.Swift’s Premium Franks . Tuberculosis Institute .Free Chest X-Ray. Combined Jewish Appeal . O’Cedar .Endust & Nylon Dusters . Spring Air Mattress . Old Dutch Root Beer.. Consumers’ Stamps . Helene Curtis. King’s Men . It 2t+ It* 1 3 2 4 2 2 2 2 a* Itv W. B. Doner, Chi. Donahue A Coe, Chi. Olian & Bronner, Chi. Bezell & Jacobs, Chi. Malcolm-Howard, Chi. Direct Direct Direct Direct Turner, Chi. R. M. Loeff, Chi. Jerome Reese, Chi. Julian Frank, ChL Edward H. Weiss, Chi. Swift Nytol . VERNON LEWIS PRODUCTIONS, New York. Vernon Lewis, in charge. Naugatuck International Latex .Playtex.. Vick Chemical ..Vapo-Rub-In Steam .... , Vapo-Rub Swiss. Vapo-Rub Brazil . Westinghouse Electric ..Air Conditioner .. Aluminum Co. of America_.National Assn, of Homes Awning .... Playday U.S.A. ... MAJESTIC MOTION PICTURES, New York. Alcoa ..... Alcoa . Griesedieck Bros. Brewing_G-B Beer. .. 27 Vick Chemical ...Vicks Cough Drops . 1 MARATHON TV NEWSREEL, New York. Chrysler. t ...Chrysler Cars ... ^. 2 Socony Mobil Oil ............ Mobilgas .... 4 United States Steel.... 1 MASTERCRAFT TELEFILMS, Kingston, Fa. .......... 3t .... 4 1 1 1 1 6 1 1 2 L. H. Holton, in charge. 1 9 13 5 1 Konstantin Kaiser, Pres. 2 1 2 1 Direct Morse International, N. Y. Morse International, N. Y. Morse International, N. Y. Fuller, Smith & Ross, N. Y. Fuller, Smith Sc Ross, N. Y. Fuller, Smith & Ross, N. Y. Fuller, Smith & Ross, N. Y. Ketchum, MacLeod St Grove , Pitt. Maxon Morse International, N._ Y. x McCann-Erickson, N. Y. Compton, N. Y. BBDO, N. Y. Fowler St Williams Trucking Frank Mart* Coach. French Steak ....... t . 2 Day H. Thomas ..... 3t Trager Mfg....Guard ......... 3t TrggerMfg....Sea Mist Ammonia . 3 MGM-TV, Division of Loow's, Now York. Charlos C. (lud) Barry, in charge. Marvin Borg, In charge. 3 112 1 1 ill 3 3 Anthracite, Scranton Gutendorf, Wilkes Barra Greenspon, Wilkes Barra Roscoe, Kingston Anthracite, Scranton Anthracite, Scranton Jacob Ruppert Breweries.Knickerbocker Beer- Helene Curtis. .. Suave Shampoo. Standard Oil of Indiana.Standard Oil .... Schlitz ....Schlitz Beer .. Stewart-Warner ..Alemite .. Maybelline ...»..:-Maybelline :■ .. Pure Oil....Pure Oil .. Langendorf Bakeries.Langendorf Bread. Westgate Packing .;..Breast O’Chicken Tuna . Duncan Hines .... Duncan Hines Cake Mix . Big Top Peanut Butter... Skin-Up . Skin-Up .: lOt 2 6t *2f 1 2 6 17 1 4 2 1 10 2 6 2 1 2 6 17 -4 2 .1 MOTION PICTURE SERVICE, San Francisco. Gerald L. Karski, Pres. Oil Heat Institute ... Oil Heat ........... 3f 3 Portland Gas & Coke ... Natural Gas .. It 1 Gateway Chevrolet.Chevrolet ... 2 2 Standard Oil Co. of Calif.Skypower .Gasoline ..* 3 3 RPM Motor Oil .. 3 3 Dr. Ben Sweetland ..Building Mind Power ......... 1 1 Sunlite Bakeries ...Sunlite Bread ................ ® 3 3 Smith-Gandy Ford .Ford .... 3f 3 MPA-TV FILM PRODUCTIONS, Div. Motion Picture Advertising Co. Service, Now Orleans. Dixie Paint & Varnish .*.Durasatin Duralite Pearl Brewing..... Henderson Sugar ..... 4t 36t 2 4 16 2 1# Warwick Sc Legler, N. Y. Gordon Best, Chi. D’Arcy, Chi, J. Walter Thompson, Chi. MacFarland-Aveyard, Chi. Gordon Best, Chi. Leo Burnett, L. A. Compton, S. F. Foote, Cone &.Eelding, L. Compton, N,' Y. Compton, N. Y. Hal Stebbins, L. A. Pacific National, Seattle Cole Sc Weber, Portland, Ore. Les Malloy,-S. F. BBDO, S. F. BBDO, S. F. ■— Robert Sfelby, S. F. BBDO, S. F. Keene Sc Keene, Seattle Carl J. Mabry, Pres. D. Parsons & Cook, Jacksonville Pitluk Adv., San Antonio Walker Saussy, New. Orleans . To .signify some or all of the total number of commercials are In color, t To signify whether any of total include animation.