Variety (July 1958)

52 TV-FILMS PSsuEfrr Wednesday, July 9, 1958 Syndicators Hope to Capitalize Hollywood, July 8. Ziv: Television Programs,: already selling its made-in-England “Dial 999” series, is planning “MacKen- zie’s Raiders” as its next syndica¬ tion entry. Richard Carlson will ecu star in the series about the cavalry to corral more biz in the . 1 colonel who was sent to clean up the southwestern border area m the 1870's. Series leans heavily oh histori¬ cal files, with .emphasis on the secret orders MacKenzie had to cross into Mexico in his mopup but to avoid detection.ior fear of start¬ ing a war. Production on the new series Starts in a couple of weeks. (pilot has already been made\, with ! airdate in the fall: Start on the new show gives Ziv a total of seven shows shooting here and one in England during July. Latter is “999,”’ and the seven are the three network en¬ tries; .“Bat Masterson,” “Rough Riders” and ’‘World of Giants ” along with “Target,” second-year production on . “Sea Hunt” and fourth-year production of "High¬ way Patrol.” ■■■,, Kellogg’s $7,000,000 swing in fa-4 vor of national spot, as opposed to’ a network ride via ABC-TV. has syndication humming with plans to capitalize on the unprecedented deal worked out by Chicago’s Station Representatives Assn.’s branch. Additionally, SRA reppery mem¬ bers which formed the Spot Devel- ooment Council in the Windy City, feel that they will develop similar councils elsewhere, as the need arises, spot route. It’s expected that other bluechip -multiple-product sponsors will be approached, such as General Foods, General Mills, Kraft, even the au¬ tomakers and the tobaccos. Wheth¬ er the same discount structure, given to Kellogg could be worked out for other sponsors is proble¬ matical, but it's believed some¬ thing similar could be arranged. Under the; Kellogg deal, SRA 7 repped stations cooperating with the plan offered 20% off earned rates for three half-hour shows. 25% for four shows, and 30% for five. This discount is labelled under the -plan a “program contribution,” given to the advertiser for bring¬ ing in a multiplicity of shows. But whatever it’s called; it re¬ mains a discount which syndicators feel will not only attract other big national sponsors to the spot route, but act as a stimulant for those national advertisers already in spot to place a‘ multiplicity of shows on participating stations. The 20 to 30% discount for bringing in from three to five shows, if duplicated for other sponsors would act as a lure for an advertiser who may be riding two shows in spot It’s further felt that stations go¬ ing along with the Kellogg deal could not turn around to other ad- • Vertisers and say that the discount structure is only for the cereal firm. Other sponsors placing three shows on particiDating stations also will want some discount. Of course, savvy syndicators acknowledge that there are limita- t ; ons to this discount multiple- show route. Participating stations, most of which are affiliates, won't have trouble clearing time for a kiddie adventure strip. Its easy enough to.get an early evening or late afternoon time period on prime affiliate stations. The trouble comes when the advertiser may want prime time for his show via the Kellogg route. Then, of course, there are clearance problems. But even that doesn’t present an insol¬ uble problem, with indies available in major cities. It remains a very difficult one. though, a situation which limits the application of the Kellogg approach to a relatively handful of sponsors; ‘MacKenzie’ Next onZiv’s the web make any sizeable invest¬ ment, it wants to* wait and see what changes tape brings. Natur¬ ally, Robinson points out, film is necessary for the . westerns, but this involves, largely location shooting anyway,. and interiors could probably be done on tape. Robinson doesn’t rule out event¬ ual acquisition of the studio by the network, -but sees any decision several years; away.- . Meanwhile, the web has achieved a fine coun¬ terbalance in keeping its creative staff active, for the drop in live, production from here has been ac¬ companied by an increase in film¬ ing of network properties. Hollywood—Paul Pierce, for the past two years with KNXT han¬ dling the station’s "Farm Report” and emceeing its “Quiz Down” seg- ’ment, shifts over to KMPC July 1 as a newsroom exec. He takes charge of . the KMPC newsroom during the afternoon swing, and also will do occasional on-the-air newscasting. Grant Holcomb takes over “Farm Report” on KNXT. CBS-TV Pix Prod. Continued from pace 29f= also asked to do vidpix but didn’t want to. Web isn’t extending the prac¬ tice of switching live directors to film much beyond Kulik and Berns , at the moment, but purpose of the move, according to CBS-TV exec v.p. Hubbeli Robinson Jr , is to widen ■ the scope of the directors and in effect make switch-hitters out of them to establish a more bexible setup if and when it’s needed. Filming currently is taking place: at several studios—Filmaster, 10- called at the California lot, does “Have Gun” and ^ “Gunsmoke.” Desilu does “Lineup” and “De¬ cember Bride!”. “Rawhide” is shooting at Universal'.- Interna¬ tional. and “Mason” shoots at the Fox-Western lot. Studios. furnish the. below-the-line elements on a cost-plus basis, while CBS pack¬ ages and handles above-the-line. Vfeb can’t put its Mm Operations under its own roof, at Television City, at least, because of the un¬ ion jurisdictional problems, with IBEW maintaining Television City jurisdiction and -IATSE holding jurisdiction over the studios, CBS has thought about the acquisition of an. outside plant' in which all its filmed properties would be housed, but has!hesitated to move in the matter because Of the size of the investment involved and be¬ cause it wants to see what video¬ tape does to change the business. According to Robinson,;, acquisi¬ tion of a studio would result in sav¬ ing for a web but .even so, it would take several years to recover the Original investment. Mean¬ while; videotape: may make pos¬ sible things which formerly had to be done on film, and before Continues from page 28 sss ply from Wrather and British part¬ ners, will make outside' deals as well: . Serving on the board; of direc¬ tors with Wrather as. chairman iind Michael Nidorf as vice-chairman, John L. Loeb and Clifford Michel, senior partners of Carl M. Loeb,. Rhoades & Co.; Monte Liv¬ ingston, of the Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin & Berkowitz law. firm; William Shay, v.p. of the Wrather Organization; and Walter Walz, of Loeb, Rhoades. Representing the British inter¬ ests will be Prince Littler, chair¬ man of the board of ATV and ITP; Val Parnell, managing director or the London Palladium and ATV; Lew Grade, deputy managing di¬ rector of ATV and, others. Understood' Wrather’s cuiTent contract with Television Programs of America for foreign distribu¬ tion of “Lassie” and other deals on Wrather properties is not affected by the new move. Hollywood, June 8. That old syndication bugaboo of American “acceptance” of Brit¬ ish accents in telefilms made overseas doesn’t represent a major problem anymore, in the opinion of GrOss-Krasne topper Jack Gross! With three of G-K’s next four syndicated series being filmed in England, G-K has come up with what Gross terms a “mid-At¬ lantic accent” that represents a compromise between England and America and yet is acceptable to audiences of both. . . . Technique involves “flattening” the British accent , and eliminat¬ ing words from the script which are pronounced differently in each, country. “Laboratory,” such an instance, would be shortened to “lab.” Word “clerk,” meaning a retail salesman, would be elim¬ inated completely and another word substituted! And the entire pattern would be modified so as to be okay with British audiences but also acceptable to, American: Casting too involves similar care. G-K just signed a Canadian, John Turner, to the lead in its upcoming filmed-in-England “New. : Adventures of Trader Horn” series! Turner’s acting experience ' has all. been in England (he played the read in the London Version of “No Time for Sergeants”), but his accent is Canadian, accept¬ able to both U.S. and British. John Bentley, star, of G-K’s “African Patrol,” is British but racked up several Hollywood credits. Pat ' Allen, second lead in “Glencannon ” is British but spent several years as a Chi radio announcer. Beyond the leads. Gross feels that the English acting fraternity has learned how to modify their speech because of the growing internationalism of show biz and can simulate American accents easily. Beyond these. Gross stresses the presence in England in exec, capacities of his own manpower, Hollywood producers Donald Hyde and Michael Kraike and vet scenarist Oscar Brodney, who are all on the scene and riding herd over production—and accents. Gross-Krasnq SSS: CoBtianei from page 28's often it’s easier to get financing for vidpix overseas. Besides, Gross and partner Phil Krasne are in the process of sell-, ing the studio to the Eliot Hyman- Ray Stark Seven. Arts Productions; However, Gross; who’s been pri¬ marily identified as a producer in the telefilm scene; plans to get back into action in the U!S., pos¬ sibly next spring. G-K has foiir series current in the. works, “New Adventures of Trader Horn,” “Fly¬ ing; Doctor,” “Giencannon” and the new Eugene Solow-Brewster Morgan Series localled in Bermu¬ da, all of which will be spaced out for sale 1 during the coming year. Which means that by faU of .’59, G-K will need more product, which Gross plans to film here, . He’ll rent stages, preferably, he says, at Cal-, ifornia Studios.! THEY LOVE ME IN Contact: -RICHARD A. HARPER, General Salot Mgr, MGM-TV, a service of loew's Incorporated 1540 Broadway, Now York 36, N. Y. • JUdson 2-2000 'c. DuMont stations WABD, N.Y., and WTTG, Washington, bought ABC Film Syndication’s “Adven¬ tures of Jim Bowie.” Other sales on the off-network skein ^include KHQN, Quincy, Mass.; WAFB, Baton Rouge; and RPHO, Phoenix, . “Victory At Sea” will return WPIX, N.Y., beginning Sunday (13) at 10:30 p.m. .. Television Programs of America is holding a series of sales clinics . .. . Edward Barz, media research analyst for Foote, Cone & fielding, won a cruise in WOR-TV‘s, N.Y., promo¬ tion contest on “Million Dollar: Movie.” Ot will, be used by him as a honeymoon cruise following his Aug. 10 wedding . . . KSLA- TV, Shreveport,, has bought the Encyclopedia;■ Briiannica lirary. Eddy Manson, harmonica player, acted as musical director for a new Vicks Cough Syrup teleblurb. Car¬ avel produced the -film commercial . H. L. (Hal Lawrence) Axle* becomes sales manager for Anima¬ tion Productions in Toronto. Harry Ackerman, production head of Screen Gems, plans a vaca¬ tion ih England in September with his actress-wife Mary Shipp; James T. Victory and Ralplr M. Baruch have been promoted to ac¬ count supervisors for: CBS Film Sales. Under the new posts, Victory will he responsible for New York State, Connecticut, Baltimore and Washington; Baruch .will have Pennsylvania, Virginia" and West Virginia. The N. Y. agencies will' be divided equally between the two . .. . Transfilm dispatches a crew of 10. today (Wed.), to Morris- ville. Pa., to shoot a two-ahd-a-half minute commercial at U.S. Steel’s Fairless Works. Gaild Stack lss«e Continued from pace 29 alternate meetings between Den¬ ver and Gotham. Under the-option aramgement for Cole, he. could exercise options on 30,000 shares a year over the five-year term of his contract, Also proposed are options on 30,000 shares for three other officers and board members, v.p.-secretary GCorge DeMartini, sales v,p. Irving Feld and treasurer Arthur Lerner. DeMartini would get options on 20,- 000 shares at $2.7314 per, while Feld and Lerner would get obtions on 5,000 shares each. at $2.85■: per share. Arrangements for Cole, DeMar¬ tini, Feld and Lerner are exclu¬ sive of the employees incentive plan, in which they could also par¬ ticipate. Under this plan, key em¬ ployees collectively could receive, options up to a total of 50,000 shares at 95% of the “fair market value” of the stock on the day opr tions are granted. The quartet it¬ self could account for 20,000 of the maximum of 50,000 shares to 'be optioned out under the employee’s plan. In each case under the plan, options would be granted for term of employment and three months beyond, and employees, at time of exercise of option, would be re¬ quired to submit a representation that they are buying for investment .and not for resale. Cole, .statement reveals, already has options on 4,000 shares at $2.85 per share which he has not yet exercised, though on the date they were granted market price of the stock was $3,625. He already owns 30,000 shares in the company. Kaufman, it’s revealed; exercised options on two blocks of stock, one comprising 3,400 shares at $1.82 per sharp and another consisting of 20,499 shares at $1.92 per share. Market price at the time he exer¬ cised the options were $3.75 for the smaller group and $3 for the larger. Ziv’s ‘Highway Patrol’ Got Everything Licked But Location Shooting Hollywood, July. 8. “Highway Patrol,” Ziv Television Programs’ Broderick Crawford starreiy began fourth-year produc¬ tion last week, second filmed-for- sy ndication series to go; that far (Ziv’s "Cisco Kid” went for six years, but at the rate of 26 a year vs. 39 for “Highway”).. By now, Ziv’s got virtually all its production problems on the show licked, except for one unex¬ pected one—an increasingly acute shortage of nearby spots for loca¬ tion shooting. Aside from a natural reluctance to use the very same, locales repeatedly, Ziv’s run into all sorts of redevelopments and construction that have eliminated its j uciest location sites. One such site is Chavez Ravine,, which the ex-Brooklyn, now-Los Angeles Dodgers, will take over for their new stadium. Virtually de¬ serted area is close to Hollywood and has ideal roads and woodlands for chases and locations. Jack Herzberg, in charge of production off “Paitrol,” even used to. use a deserted house there as a location spot, but found it torn down upon resumption of. production last week! Other areas, in the Santa Monica Mountains above Hollywood, and in the San Fernando Valley, are giv¬ ing way to housing and freeways, depriving the show of its ideally located stretches of road: and for¬ est. . Show can’t move Into citified locations because. the highway patrol wouldn’t have; jurisdiction in these areas anyway. ResUlt is. that, apart from an in¬ tensive local search for locations, Ziv is upping its budget to take the series further afield,! with a slight switch in storylines to put some emphasis on the patrol’s ac¬ tivities in snowbound mountain areas, on trains, etc. Film Center Area • STREET LEVEL: 18001 sq. ft.—Sound Stage* Completely sound proof. 600 amps AC power. 25*x55' with 24* ceiling.. Heavy-duty intake and exhaust blowers. Sound Room, Leading Darkroom, and Reception Room adjoin the stage. • SECOND FLOOR: 1800 sq, ft.—Offices and Editing Rooms. 12'. ceiling. Overhead fluorescents and kentile floor. • BASEMENT: 7(H) sq. ft.—Dressing Rooms and Storage. • 100%. fireproof. • Convenient parking. eCentral to labora¬ tories, prop hoases, equipment rental, ate. • Antomatic oil knot and hbt Water ladaded. V Immediate accapaacy. This stadia Iras beea In operation for a year aad a half, Te date, films have beea shot there for DaPoht Zerone aedZerex, Bird Floorieg, AT&T Yellow Pages, Phillies Cigars, Berkshire Life, AT&T Long Distaece, Arrid Deodorant, Encyclopaedia Brltaneica, Blna Cross-Blae Shield, Carlings Ale, Dew Chemical, CIBA Phar- maceatlcais, and ethers. BOX ¥-729-53. VARIETY. 154 W. 44th St., New York 34