Variety (January 1961)

150 RAMO-TELEVISION Fifty-fifth P'Ss&TETlt Anniversary January 4 * 1961 Murder, Morals & Medea By LEWIS FREEDMAN (Producer, -‘Play of The Week*) Lad year, in addition to the 47,90.) letters we received urging us to stay on the air, we heard from one dissatisfied Long Island housewife who wrote. In part, “Dear The piny of the Week/ My clerical members can be honestly respected and loved. It Is as absurd to accuse these plays of anti* Catholicism as it would be to charge “The Dybbuk,f and “The World of Sholem Aleichem” of anti-Semitism. When the world of farm:-. saw -.Medea’ and thought ! th? spirit can find more ttan three minutes of air time later than sign that it marked the beginning of expiring new tv planatory talks given by Ministers at the request of the Government. These broadcasts are intended to be non-controversial, although the Opposition has the right to claim a reply if a Minister crosses the border into controversy. If the Government agrees with this claim, tho right of reply is automatically granted by the BBC. If the Govern Cold War of the Airwaves 5 Continued from page 89 ; speech in West Berlin, Werner Hofer’s popular Sunday mnmlng round-table discussion with foreign journalists, etc. For example: uti¬ lizing out of context cuts from the Adenauer “Meet the Press” show; von Schnitzler arranged them so television can compete with them in West Germany. They have: A Sunday half-hour week’s roundup, a weekly “Telestudio West” aimed ment disagrees it is for the BBC : at West Germany exclusively, a to decide whether or not a reply special transmission of reports by should be broadcast, and the BBC’s ! the “Topical Camera” anytime a decision . is final. One notable : real big news story breaks, a farm ; as to give the East German viewer, occasion when the right of reply hour, the “Berlin Meeting,” a spe i who had not seen “Meet the Press” icginning of . r'VnT ”>7” PuX— i was claimed by the Opposition and I cial panel show with the above show on West German television, ^ripe Vnt ’ °!maKa ; not agreed by the Government was ' mentioned Communist commenta the impression that Adenauer was ''lB be less t°jm ?*nf leSS nrf ; at the time of Suez when the Prime tor Eduard von Schnitzler; also his | looking for a war against the brave only dr. the motner send a poi vacuum-packed violence. It can f^njster> sir Anthony Eden, made _ “Black Channel,” youth television, ; and peaceful East Germans and soiled robe and crown to her hus; a,s0 De P°intea out tnal tnasa llve | a television broadcast justifying : and typical political television : their big friend, the Soviet Union. bandV, gulf; iernl, she killed both Pia>s /vv’er^ among oux most popii | his Government’s policy. The plays. These plays are used almost ! Such machinations are standard h .r /»; jM.-pp for revenue w i lar presentations. i Government were opposed to al every time a hot political story I practice on von Schnitzler’s “Black ' . “ . . , ° i The sum of the year s experience { lowing Mr. Gaitskell. the Leader breaks. During the case of the U2 » Channel." lo-.K.vt .forward to tne snow every ls to invite a re-examination of the 0f the Opposition, to speak at a powers trial, the East Germans got I The “Telestudio West” is a show week, hoping for more like that, censorship that prevails in tele critical time when they considered a fairly well known Communist ! tailored especially for viewers in ! of :s eia.-rical ‘Untouchables/ : vision. All too often it curbs the national unity should be preserved, playwright to write a television ! West Germany and runs on SaturW.nt I*. happened?” -superficial dangers and lets pass The Governors of the BBC, how play around the Powers incident j -days usually at a time when the ■ tbe more insidious, ones. It would ever> took a different view and Mr. and some of his earlier family life. I West German television goes off : be easy for television to fall for Gaitskell was granted the right to When the USAF major that 1 the air. This is sometime between Th: note caused a great deal of consternation in the The Play of » the celluloid paradox that passes reply. These ministerial broad dropped the bomb on Hiroshima 1 io and 11 p.m. This show is meant ihe Week” oiiice; we thought we’d . such shiny ^rotten apples as “The casts as such seem to be dying out. hit the headlines by escaping front to document and criticize and corn been producing an A-l television Apartment,” and turns Elmer Gan They have really been replaced by a sanatorium, there was an hour’s * pare the unsatisfactory conditions try into a hero. ‘programs initiated by the BBC in television play with top actors and ( in West Germany with the sup “The Iceman Cometh” doesn’t which Ministers are interviewed or actresses about the case of the man | posedlv improved and better life ee one of sit ).*. and >iiddcniv we discovered wv v.ru e .s:;ort on gunplay. Looking btek now m last \ ear’s score, we lest four men th ee e:::Uir 8') twr-imu the v.onseii . executm L <11 le?’J ds en air*. pvt. que;: fd! » So tre, th lertce come easily. There are those who searchingly questioned. Leading with a conscience, etc. * in East Germany. The show plaved women, and protest. But it will be tragic for members of the opposition parties j Let nle cjte a few 0f the special : at a time when unemployment rose total of American television if the sound of also of course appear in programs : reports that have come out of the in the Ruhr and the mounting unthe ugly words can prevent the of this sort, and in this way East German Communist public • sold coal was rising. The telecast art, whose beauty of Eugene O’Neill’s truth ; Government policy is constantly affajrs shop. Whenever possible, 1 showed poor little Ruhr mine work» vio from being heard. As T. S. Eliot being expounded and critically daily special reports during a for ers’ children playing next to these dtil would say, “Jug jug to dirty ears.” | examined. : eign‘ ministers’ meeting, may it be . coal mountains with cutaways to and «h he chil w_0 . . . w, _ _ e natural As for violence, we’re trying to j Then there are party political in Geneva,. Paris, or any other the plus Rhine-Ruhr clubs of the t add up do better this year. Henry IV killed j broadcasts. Each of the three main ' place in Western Europe. The So so-called billionaires of the steel network off Hotspur and his army; Orpheus ’ parties (Conservative, Labor and viet Union is naturally pictured as and^ coal^industry. Their clubs and l:ow did t Like .•marked thal e.it of the theais rilled with vio; ground music sub¬ stitution lor love in the movies.) And I remember the trepidation with which we approached each j new propel ty last year. At our first ? meeting even before “Medea” we • talked about “The Iceman Cometh;” too adult? Each week was going to be -the last: the audience wouldn’t take it. in “Rashomon.” a man gets mur grams shall contain. In some cases j a great amount of special coverage ; munist East Germany. dered. Four times. BBC ithe party will choose a talk by one J during the visit of Nikita Khrush-j The East Germans work over1 of its leaders. In others elaborate chev to the United States (at that time trying to give the impression programs with several speakers, time President Eisenhower had an that Bonn is a hotbed of resurgent film inserts, recorded interviews, \ unusually good press even in the music and effects will be used to • Soviet Zone of Germany!. At one present the paity’s case. These time, in November of 1959. the party political broadcasts go on as , East Germans even went so far as a regular feature between elec to have a special show to project ; _ _ tions. During the three weeks of the spirit of Camp David because, ! old Nazis active in the Communist ~ . . East German Government. not only about adultery, but said so” That was our third week; they not share the responsibility for the watched it and liked it. Continued from page 105 ^ that for less than 2d. a day per household the United Kingdom is ; carnpajgnjng before a General : at that time, it was the party line, provided with three national radio Election more time is allotted to but as soon as Khrushchev ex¬ networks and a national television them by the BBC: before the Gen ploded the Summit, no vituperanetwork, and the Corporation does ?ral Election of 1959 there were, in tion was too great for Bonn and the ; the three weeks before Polling United States. The Ulbricht inter program. Anytime an old Nazi is discovered in West Germany, it is given top play by the Communist television news people. No mention is made naturally enough of the that under 2d. a day is small price Tthe television series pf ports are not only telecast at prime = In the eariy days this was done Dav for broadcasting without Party political broadcasts is re evening a,c'' paj lOl Droaacasting Without Uv mnimercial television fnr all i commercials. “The Walt/ of the Toreadors,’ play about a slightly lecherous general, even if he was a French general” Critical raves and enthuBt.t-.tic audience response. Call Her a ‘Slut’ E; en that nineteenth century !E££i^^ n° ‘Trff cTO,u,v A’.iiorican audience ready ^t' lice^e"^. the Government lays down in the : vision is divided about 50/50 be Big Play for Howard Fast In the entertainment field, there are plays (many by Howard Fast) usually with a “social” message and live vaudeville shows. Many times, your nt.c. uses, at his discre¬ tion, both with definite orders from the top, a propaganda spot or two. i fayed by commercial television for all' those viewers that have to StS Day, 180 minutes of party election views with Westinghouse BroadsPenc“n£ it5 income (which last : broadcasts on radio and 215 min' casting as well as with NBC were J ”■ arTf „ ,VC^ -vear 'vas a 1311 over £30 million) tutes on television. The parties of both given great prominence in ti,« rrM-rw, «t-c * with anyone. Many people consider j course pay nothing for the time. East German Television. These re . v .'(officially in this country com go to bed early and must see their i J; .. . h d,.' d This independence applies not mercjai television is known as ! television during the morning .... ; _ only to our domestic services but [ “Independent Television.” This is also to our External Services al-!0ne of. those obscure British jokes television during the morning hours. Red-Trimmed Panelists Three of the weekly standard i but for an intelligent viewer, it is obvious in what direction the little joke is pointed. Even the movies are being used to hear the line. “A whore’s whore”? Alter all. this was still the year when “Tis a Pity She’s a Whore" was the limit of residential marquee frontiers, ri must admit we quit while we were ahead on that one and substituted “A slut’s programs tne government jays aown in tne; vision is divided about 50/50 be : B^ackrharmer^aild !l°n picUtir.eS c?jme fromthesatel case of the External Services is the = tween the BBC “ and commercial g«*: 1/j1c ’ Jnhe ™ ~ c.f Ch^rnpef1j;D1Jannk^ : We countries, Hungary, Czechoslo East Germany are for propaganda. Many of the mo* Berlin” iMeeting in ninlm-AC rnmp frnm thp . ... r .... lent is entirelv a matter for the f -ilut . m out-oi-to.vn consump BBC, TKe iramense authority tnn.i Still no revo.ution, no picket H,rmi • - — lines of protesting mothers out languages in which we shall broad ‘ television, cast and the amount of broadcast} broadcast* goes out on both chaning time which shall be given to ;nels, it is not a rare thing for a each of those languages. The _con • leading politician to be among the “top ten .” ssie 10 Columbus Circle. What we were trying to do was present adult theatre to an adult audience. The properties weren’t picked because they were “sensa¬ tional.” They were picked because they represented the best available products of contemporary and past playwrights. They were serious theatre ber.ui-f they glowed with ideas ar.u people and feeling from t?>e r“al word, not from the sterwo. !-.( inherited lrom Holly¬ wood. And i real audience looked and recognized itelf. And a real sponsor showed up. Sensitive to Clerics Bu* a .rieat th-alre doesn’t only c >:uern it-e.:' with the heart Its I»!ay-» a:e tilled with concern for the •: U:d ar.-l the spirr. the plav throughout the world of our Ex¬ ternal Services is based on their being a part of the independent BBC and not a Government de¬ partment. Apart from all the broadcasting on political subjects which the BBC it-elf initiates, there are some broadcasts arranged in conjunction with the Government and with the political parties. #nH a narfv T^nlitie^l ; Telestudio West.” “Treffpunkt vakia< Russia, Poland, and others. Berlin” is a panel show run by von Most of thCm, with very' few excepSehnitzler with prominent Com tions, carry a message. A comedy munist leaders as guests. Often von wjR p]ay in a progressive factory in Schnitzler will have Gerhard Eis. Warsaw', Budapest, or Prague, and Thp RRC verv nroud of Its ; ler’ ^ePuty chief of tlle i’adio and : the lovers are usually a brigade indenendefee1 fro^T political and television committee of the Com leader .in the peoples owned steel independence lrom political ana muni$t party in East Germany, as • ' ■ . . T , luuiiiot rai iii xjao-L umuauv, commercial pressures. Independ one of his paneI partners Eisler. if factory who., surpassed his norm and, bv doing so, impressed hi* girlfriend working in the people* owned textile mill so much that she couldn’t but fall in love with him. ence and objectivity do not kad us remember, is the man who into the trap of becoming timorous, ^ade his £amous e lrom thf and reluctant to cause criticism by u g on the. Polish Uncr ••Batory.-' witftuticlans8 or3oaer,^werf!S ’ For Wt'ste‘n vio"'frs st ,is at timca As usual, there, was a sabotage atinterests ’’we^believe that°nubHc ; a"luslns ,0. * P»nal tempt by a U.S.-paid agent, but ha seiri^^teletlsion’and hl* d** r. . ... vipp’arUnthediXpmerofan br^ii“bV(rarstS^;S ! ■ . . . — 1 ■■ ■■■?— ■ ■ ■■■ to see people reading both the | ( client films, but verv critical of questions and answers as well as the state of affairs in West Gerdiscussions from a piece of paper. | many. Apparently this doesn’t influence Sporting events are also used for the Communist programmers at all. .Communist propaganda, although they have been ridiculed j on Jan. 1. 19(51. the East Ger ti such va:i la n-e o.‘ * c.r Of t ill s: C ;u: P>.1 V/'V rt' -• L'\ ■ I: : I'.-. •»?.-. /is !•> :tu* that rc-;> )-:-;-/ * a c: •» w-l’ilil Use the ai. ‘o g.: c to bigotry; ir is *-.r;.:;fv im-om enable t’i.it th<* er;.:; .* p.e-.- and pu!/u would allow it to liapnen wi'i.om rising up ururiirrouriy in wr.rii. Tire honesty (if .suriu plot l-a helped to create a cdm.de viler-' teli-gion can he unnerd *od ar, pari of daily life and w.heie etery churcit and its NAB’s Touchstones of Future Washington. ”Brr. :dcasfing emerged from its year of trial In 1960 to reach the threshhold of greater freedom and influence.” Tliri the New Year’s word from National Assn, of Broadcasters v; ;■ h ariributed the brighter outlook to the “mature and mutual elioitw b% stations ami networks to demonstrate anew their mi¬ ni. t ■ cd contributions to the public good." N VB Poli'.y (’ommittee Chairman Clair McCullough, in a yearend :: m uy, took the occasion to lav down these resolutions or “t iui i -•v.:*-s of tiie furiire'’ for the industry: --•"A ndv.'d organized effort to boUtor the economy through eti-ii il advert ’sir-g ... -• \ dedication, within our capacities, to the cause of better edu ■“A ( -.mp; -• \ ehen-ion of the public ’interest in order that we may eh mate ot decision freely made . . . •rted, organized effort to portrav our industry to the pu’il.' Vi what it is and a-pires to beconie.” ?.Ic(*Mll.K;_i.‘s irport cited tho continuing growth of the industry. A of Dec. 1. there were 3.538 AM, 801 EM and 541 television .vat lor s operating. These figures represent increases of 82 AM, 123 EM and 1(5 tv stations since last Jan. 1. During the same period, NAB membership climbed to the highest on record— 2,(523 radio and tv stations — an increase of 260 members since tl.i1 fu-t of the year. Membership also jumped in NAB’s Radio ard Television Codes to 1,093 for raato and 384 for tv as of Dec. 1. for it. Such practices are constantly repeated. This show runs 45 min¬ utes and is pure propaganda. It is amusing to listen to Ei-der who tries to play the role of a man who could break up any show and who doesn’t watch his language. On a recent live telecast attacking the U. S. Shite Department’s station in West Berlin. RIAS. he used the M'ntem-e, “We are not going to publi-h what the^e dirty RIAS pigs are transmitting alter all. '\ve are not that ‘dupid.” In th-* German w-irding lii< language wa«; much rougher than the way I used it here. But Eider lias used such and even worse expressions more than once. The “Black Channel” runs about 15. to 20 minutes, and in this show von 'Schnitzler attacks with out of man television programmers ar® planning a second channel pro¬ gram. They are not bothered lik® the West Germans by innerpolitical .problems as to who will pro¬ duce what They are ready and going ahead in spite of the fact that very few viewers in East Ger¬ many will he able to see this sec¬ ond program which is being tele¬ cast on \i T’TIF .channel. According to the statistics and information available, none of the almost one million Fad German television set owners is available to receive a UHF program. Only mie of th® three tehw'sion factories is planivng a UHF receiver and adapter, and it is lmiwrl that hv the end, of 1961 16.000 sets will have been put on sale. . There is no question that th® context cuts from kinescopes or Communist aim at present is to videotapes of shows such as Ade1 beam at West G.'rman viewers nauer on “Meet the Press” in the I rather than their own East GerL.S., Willy Brandt in a political man population.