The Film Daily (1948)

Wednesday, March 3, 1948 Trailer Improvement Urged in Survey (Continued from Page 1) and as a medium that sells tickets. "Men engaged in the day to daytask of marketing pictures to the public," Go'ldenson declared in a letter accompanying the ireport, "feel that somewhere in the historic development of trailers the men who produce them have gotten too far away from the theater box office and have lost track of the basic function of a trailer and the type of content necessary for ticket-selling." Specific recommendations -made in the report are as follows: 1. Trailers should be shortened. 2. A special short trailer is needed for multiple change houses. 3. Trailers should arouse immediate interest. 4. Trailers should minimize superlatives. 5. Trailers should minimize stereotyped material and feeling of sameness. 6. Trailers' music should set a mood and possess continuity. 7. Trailers should not reveal too much of the plot or too many of the best gags. 8. Trailers should not use critics' comments. 9. Trailers should omit company advertising and not tie-in more than one picture. 10. Trailers should not publicize directors of pictures. 11. Trailers should avoid use of costumes whenever possible. 12. Trailers for English pictures should use American commentary. 13. Trailers dealing with controversial subjects should emphasize entertainment and not the preachment. 14. A manager's endorsement should be used with discretion. 15. Trailers should be a custom built ticket selling medium. Committee compiling the survey included Edward L. Hyman, chairman, Leon Netter, Robert Weitman, Earl Hudson, Charlie Winchell, Dick Kennedy and W. K. Hollander. Also participating were independent the ater operators representing more than 350 houses in the metropolitan New York area comprising the Fabian, Rinzler, Century, Max Cohen Rugoff and Becker circuits. U. S. Presents United Front Mulvey Sits in as BOT Talks Continue (Continued from Page 1) WEDDIilG BELLS Liff-Lapidus Announcement has been made by Dr. and Mrs. Albert A. Liff of New York City of the engagement of their daughter, Lois Elaine, to Lawrence Herbert Lapidus, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jules Lapidus of Mt. Vernon. Elder Lapidus is Eastern sales manager for Warners. Wishes-Baldasti Chicago — Fred Baldasti, assistant manager of the Biltmore Theater, was married to Ann Wishes, formerly of the Albia Theater. legal adviser, and Mulvey huddled all day with Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, and other leading BOT officials hammering out compromise possibilities. Informed sources at the close of the day's confei'enee, however, were of the opinion that the talks still have far to go. Johnston, after the close of yesterday's meeting at the BOT, met with the British heads of the American distributors, reporting on the discussions and the progress made. It was disclosed that the MPEA-MPAA president has booked passage for the return air trip to New York on Saturday, accepted as indicating that a quick decision, whether favorable or not, was in prospect. In view of the fact that Johnston had said his trip would be concerned with other subjects, and that he might visit countries on the Continent, there was a feeling in some quarters that he felt it desirable to quickly report personally to his directors in New York. Reports that American indie pro^ducers were concerned over the pos sibility that a compromise might leave them at a disadvantage yesterday brought a comment from Mulvey that, while he shared the apprehensions, he did not believe the talks will go that way. Mulvey described the position as "still nebulous," and declared it was too early by far to express an opinion. Meanwhile, Tom O'Brien, M.P., general secretary of the NATKE, and one of the stalwarts of the British Labor Party, in a letter to Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin hailed the talks and begged him to "strain every effort" to see no breakdown occurs. If a breakdown is permitted, O'Brien asserted, the British industry's last hope will be gone. Johnston took time off from the duty parleys yesterday noon to lunch with J. Arthur Rank who sails at the week-end for New York on his third American visit. Universal's toppers — J. Cheever Cowdin, Nate J. Blumberg, Joseph H. Seidelman and Charles Prutzman — who came over for emergency conferences with Rank and his aides — are not expected to return to the U. S. before March 20. UA Board Approves Five Distribution Deals (Continued from Page 1) Lester Cowan and Mary Pickford who will produce six pictures in England with all-Amerioan casts, starter to star the Marx Bros.; (3) With Elie Rothschild for whom Leopold Schlossberg will produce "Man Scans His Past," to be made in Canada in English and French versions; (4) With Dink Templeton who will produce "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come," in Technicolor; (5) With A. Edward Sutherland who will make "Confessions of a Communist," from material supplied by "Wild Bill" Donovan who was chief of the OSS. No action was taken last night on the Cagney or Hawks pictures. This morning, however, an arbitration meeting is scheduled on Howard Hawks' "Red River," in the Time and Life Bldg. "Mill on the Floss" U. K. Reissue, into Park Ave. English Films has set its re-issue of "The Mill on the Floss" for the Park Ave. Theater, and the British pic, which has James Mason in the cast, will open in the Universal-operated house after the current "Song of My Heart." "Floss" when first released here in 1939 ran for four weeks at the Astor on Broadway. Universal, in taking the pic, aims to cash in on the subsequent popularity of Mason. Added factor is the shortage of product for the Park Ave. New Neagle-Wilding Pic Bows in London March 25 London (By Air Mail) — "Spring in Park Lane," Herbert Wilcox's latest picture co-starring Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding, will move into the Empire, Leicester Square, March 25 for a world premiere. Report '47 Equipment Exports Hiked 100% (Continued from Page 1) 189,276,175 feet in 1946 valued at $1,858,999. Value of positive and negative feature prints exported last yer^^as set at $8,520,258 — compare 'jjf Hth $7,147,076 for 284,415,599 feeJ the year before. About 90 per cent of this classification was accounted for by 35 mm. positive footage valued at $7,460,162 for 281,836,571 feet, compared with 1946 figures of $6,384,604 for 263,856,271 feet. Export of 19,782 motion picture cameras — including 388 35 mm. units, 4,959 16mm. and 14,435 8 mm. —valued at $2,012,351 was reported. A total of 39,701 projectors, including 6,936 standard 35 mm. machines, 8,528 16 mm. silent and 10,065 16 mm. sound machines, were valued at $6,901,111. Woodham-Smith Coming Over with J. Arthur Rank (Continued from Page 1 ) over sans entourage. George Archibald, another Rank exec., arrives today on the SS Queen Mary. Rank will hold a press conference at the Sherry Netherlands on the day of his arrival, it was learned yesterday. The Elizabeth is due on March 10. Rank's American itinerary is in complete. He is expected, however, to spend several days in New York before proceeding across the coun try, Hollywood-bound. "Jenny Lamour" to Bow "Jenny Lamour," winner of the Grand Prix International at the 1947 Venice Film Festival, will preem at the Little Carnegie. Saturday. GREATEST OF ALL GREAT ACTION SPECTACLES! iiSlick exploitation picture . . . romantically treated, fast-paced ...should pay off handsomely at box office ! 99 daily variety ADVENTURES 01 CASANOVA An Eagle Lion Films Production