Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

FRENCH INDUSTRY IS REORGANIZED Decree Implements Quota Deal with U.S.; Admission Prices Increased by MAURICE BESSY in Paris Since the Franco-American agreement on French quotas and American imports there has been renewed activity within the French industry. Three major events have altered past industry practices : A decree has been issued for the application of the French quota agreement signed last May in Washington by James F. Byrnes and Leon Blum. A new law has reorganized the general administration of the industry and has created a National Center of the French Cinema. Admission prices have increased from 25 to 66 per cent. The May agreement stipulated that all French theatres show French features for four weeks out of each 13. In applying this agreement, the August 17 decree stipulates the following : Exhibitors have a free choice in selecting their programs except for four weeks a quarter, when they are obliged to show French product produced on metropolitan French territory. The stipulations concern all French theatres in France, Corsica, Algeria, and the French colonies except in French Morocco, where the Tangier International Agreement does not allow any discrimination. There are two quotas, one for features and one for short subjects. The exhibitor is obliged to show short subjects, but the two quotas are independent of each other and need not be fulfilled during the same weeks. The decree does not discriminate between foreign films dubbed or titled in French. In Force to June 30, 1948 No distributing company is allowed to rent to any exhibitor more than six films in six months. All contracts must be fulfilled within six months. All the regulations, which include penalties for violating the quota rule, will be in force from July 1, 1946, to June 30, 1948. This new decree has raised many objections, principally from those exhibitors operating independent first runs in Paris. There are in the city about 40 first runs. At least 15 of these are small independents specializing in showing American features in their original versions. These theatres report the.y are unable to fulfill their quotas as the best French films are booked by the large circuits. On the practical side of the question, most of the Paris first runs, both independent and affiliated, have not applied the quota regulations since July 1. Many have continued to show only American films despite the fact that the first quarter, under the new plan, has elapsed. Fifty-two American films were shown in the July-September quarter as compared with IS French films, three British films, and one Russian. The American features were divided among the major companies in this fashion : Columbia, three ; MGM, four ; Paramount, 12; RKO, eight; Twentieth Century-Fox, eight; United Artists, three; Universal, eight, and Warner Brothers, four. Most successful have been "Laura," "Double Indemnity," "Woman in the Window," "Citizen Kane," "The Little Foxes" and "How Green Was My Valley." Establish National Center October 5 the French Assembly passed a' bill organizing the official administration of the French cinema and establishing the National Center for Cinematography. This is a half state and half private office under the rule of the Minister of Information but with full autonomy of management. The National Center will study all bills and decrees concerning the industry; organize the activities of the industry; control investments in production and grant producers subsidies or money advances ; organize the distribution of documentary films and develop a non-commercial section of the cinema to promote French ideas and culture; aid in developing the technical end of production, and supervise all inter-industry relationships. The center will be financed by state subsidies, contributions from the profession and by receipts from features produced for the Center. It will be headed by a general manager, named by the Government on advice of the industry, who will confer with a 16-member council of eight employers and eight employees. The council will be presided over by, first, a representative of the employers' faction and then by the representative of the employees. Admissions Increased Other plans are now being studied concerning the organization of the industry. A reorganization of the censorship authority is likely and the French Government may stop exportation of those films which are not considered to be up to a certain standard. New" and increased admission rates were established by a decree issued September 19 and signed by the Minister of National Economy. This is the sixth increase since 1939. The new rates show increases from 25 to 66.7 per cent. The average admissions in 1939 were 16 francs in the Champs Elysee first runs. They are now 80 francs. Six-franc seats in the suburban houses have increased to 25 francs. The French producers have been asking for these increases for a long time as have the exhibitors, who claim their operating costs have increased 10 times since 1939. Industry figures have estimated that, with the new admission rates, the yearly gross receipts for the French metropolitan territory, which were 8,000,000,000 francs— about $67,000,000-will be increased by 150,000,000 francs — about 30 per cent. Fredman Says British Producers Confident The British industry will be content to seek its own levels in the American market but its producers are confident of their ability to make product worthy of top playing time here, Ernest W. Fredman, editor and publisher of Daily Film Renter, London trade paper, said Monday at a luncheon tendered him at the Hotel Astor, New York, by Jack Alicoate, publisher of The Film ■Daily. Mr. Fredman also urged the American industry to appoint a "big name" who would treat with the British Government, at "diplomatic level" as a mean of circumventing newspaper criticism against the American industry. Among those present were Nate J. Blumberg, Spyros P. Skouras, Murray ^Silverstone, Phil Reisman, Joseph H. Seidelman, Francis Harmon, Ben Henry, Sir Arthur Jarratt, Cecil Bernstein, representatives of various foreign departments and the trade press. Woolf to South Africa On Schlesinger Deal A new outlet in South Africa for J. Arthur Rank's product may soon be set. John Woolf, joint managing director of Mr. Rank's General Film Distributors, leaves London soon for South Africa to conclude negotiations between Rank representatives i and Max Schlesinger whereby Mr. Rank will purchase affiliation with the I. W. ( Schlesinger circuit and form a new South African renting company for the distribution of his pictures. M Set "Last Bomb" Release "The Last Bomb," Warner Bros, subject produced in cooperation with the U. S. Army Air Forces, and scheduled for general j release November 2, has been set for approximately 200 day-and-date openings that week. The number of Technicolor prints ordered is 30 per cent more than the customary quota for shorts. All profits are to j be turned over to the Army Air Forces. Century Names Miss Lubin Harriet Lubin has been named head of the opinion research and survey department of Century Circuit, Inc., New York, it was announced by Fred J. Schwartz, vice-presi j dent of the circuit. 24 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 2, 1946