Evening star., 1955-05-16

OUT now TO Tile DOWN CEe penQulu
was, and it wasn't SO long ago.
dull when no glittering movie ST
headlong into television.
Now the big switch is on.
Everyone is plunging the other
way. Not everyone, maybe, but
q lot of people. In high Holly
wood repute right now is the
theory that prospective custom
ers who won't be lured away
from TV with mere movie stars
will be won over with television
stars.
Those who are betting produc-
ton money on this theory hope
fervently. of course. that Milton
Berle was merely ahead of his
time when he made always
Leave Them Laughing" in 1949.
He had better claim to his "Mr.
Television" title then than he
has now, but always Leave
Them Laughing" left moviegoers
cold. It left too many of them
at home, in fact, laughing at
the very thought of paying
money to see Milton Berle in
q movie.
* X ~
Some Hollywood folk will be
deeply shocked if this turns out
to have been a forewarning
rather than an exception to a
hoped-for rule. They find it more
comforting to contemplate what
happended to two more recent
theater movie ventures of televi-
sion hotshots Jack Webb's
''Dragnet" and the Lucille Ball
Desi Arnaz Long, Long Trailer"
What happened to them was
box Office success and a number
of hopefuls are now about to
try for a share of the same. First
in line is Ed Sullivan. The Toast
of the Town" head man has
signed to produce and star in
q length film for War
ner Bros.
The same studio already has
announced other conversion
plans. One involves "Our Miss
Brooks" which was a radio show
before it was TV show and
which will star Eve Arden on
the screen as it has in other
versions. Another will result in
a feature-length movie inspired
by and starring Liberace. War
ner Bros. also hopes to repeat
the 'Dragnet' success with Jack
Webb's Pete Kelly's Blues" now
In production.
Still another TV favorite due
for expansion to movie theater
size is Sheldon Reynolds For
eign Intrigue" He'll make this
one abroad himself. with Robert
Mitchum wearing the trench
coat, for United Artists release.
There are several like projects
in prospect though less definite
in form right now. Among these
are a Danny Thomas full-length
Make Room for Daddy" a
"Dear Phoebe" feature with
Peter Lawford and a movie ver-
sion of Treasury Men in Action" I"
Also, there is Walt Disney.
who turns everything to gold in
every medium available. His TV
"Davy Crockett" as you know,
will be around the theaters this
summer-tall, wide and in color.
A trend like this could lead
almost anywhere. but there is
one consolation for moviegoers.
There seems to be no practical
way that some of these pallid
panel shows could be converted
to feature length films. But, if
anyone does manage it, they're
still not allowed to use horses to
drag you to the theater.
X X
FOOTNOTE-It may have no
bearing at all on the weight Of
TV names at the box Office, but
Variety, the show business week.
ly, calls attention to sad case.
Ed Sullivan started a road tour
at the Municipal Auditorium in
Denver recently and Variety re-
ports 1t cost the promoter So, 900.
what with rent. promotion. ad-
vertising, $4,000 guarantee
and a mere $4,000 worth of
tickets sold. Many, says the
trade journal. went around to
lincoln Mercury dealers seeking
free tickets. then lost interest
when they discovered hard money
was involved.
y y
SECOND FOOTNOTE - No
movie theater owner who finds
the opposition house across the
street playing that Sullivan
movie needs to worry. ANYHOW.