Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

New York's Visitors Don't Come For Movies, Tourist Study Shows When the millions of tourists pour into New York City it is not the Broadway first run theatres that are attracting them. The Music Hall in Rockefeller Center, the "hub of the tourist's universe," is the only film house to attract the traveler's dollar. This is the conclusion of Lynn Farnol, advertising-publicity director for Samuel Goldwyn Productions, who has prepared a study of "The Tourist in New York," in collaboration with the Port of New York Authority. "Except for the Music Hall," Mr. Farnol wrote,* "the so-called Broadway first run houses get little patronage from the tourist. The answer is, 'we can see it at home.' Of course it is a place where you can take off your shoes and rest your weary feet, but Motion Picture Academy prize winners deserve a higher compliment. Or do they? And besides, it costs a lot." Rank Plans New Film Financing London Bureau Following closely on the refinancing plans of Odeon Theatres announced last Septem ber, two further and considerable fiscal plans are in -course of secret preparation at the J. • Arthur Rank headquarters. The first of these is again connected with Odeon; the other with Gaumont-British. Together thev will account for something like £2,000,000 '.($8,000,000) of new money. {In the September -ajinouncepient it was pointed .out that completion of the refinanc " ihg of Odeon Theatres would mean that investors had staked £10,000,000 ($40,000,000) in the tountry's motion picture industry • within the space of six months.] It is known Mr. Rank and his financial aides have been concerned this long while with what they regard as the unwieldiness of certain equities in the composition of G-B's capital. Mr. Rank, himself, has intimated to his G-B shareholders, at more than one annual meeting, his view that more effectively consolidated accounts are desirable. A beginning is now being made, it is understood, with Provincial Cinematograph Theatres, Ltd., one of the group's subsidiaries. The immensity of the Rank financial operations continues to dazzle the City of London money market, which now awaits with much optimism this year's G-B figures. Meanwhile, Gaumont 10-shiUing ordinaries exhibit a comfortable steadiness at 26 shillings. That is less than three shillings below the all-time high the shares reached in the stock exchange boom immediately following the cessation of hostilities in Europe last year. In 1945, Mr. Farnol states there were 88,050,000 tourists in New York, an increase of 61 per cent over the 1937 figure of 54,700,000. These are Port of New York estimates. And that's only the beginning, he believes. "The flood of tourist travel to New York will be reached by the summer of 1947," he wrote. "It will be staggering in volume." These people, he says, come to see the legitimate shows, to shop at Macy's, to visit Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe and to have a drink in the "bedlam" of the Astor Bar. The value of convention business, only a small part of the tourist trade, he points out, is certain to exceed $30,000,000 for 1946. In 1940 the convention visitor spent about $100; in 1946, about $175. Approximately 10.5 per cent of that was spent for theatres and sight-seeing. China Approves Remittance To U. S. Distributors The Chinese Nationalist Government has approved the remittance to U. S. distributors of $3,800,000 for 1945, it was reported last week. Paramount, Warners, RKO and Columbia, however, are asking an additional $600,000 aggregate for earnings in the Shanghai district. This claim, however, was filed too late for inclusion in the authorized payment. RKO Is Shooting First in France London Bureau RKO Radio's French experiment in the internationalization of film entertainment is under way, Phil Gersdorf , RKO publicist, reported here upon his recent return from Paris. Sponsored jointly by RKO Radio and Pathe-Cinema of Frani^e, production has begun in Paris on "Silence Is Golden," produced and directed by Rene Clair and starring Maurice Chevalier. The picture will be made in French, but will translate itself for American audiences since Chevalier plays the role of an English interpreter. Thus the film's sponsors hope to make the action plain to both English-speaking and French-speaking audiences. Phil Reisman, vice-president in charge of foreign activities for RKO, stated on his recent visit here that RKO favored the expansion of production activities in all countries where possible. "Silence Is Golden" provides the initial step for the reintroduction of Chevalier to American audiences. U. S. Stars Attend British Command Performance by PETER BURNUP in London A delegation of at least eight American stars was to have appeared at the Command Performance for Their Majesties given Friday at the Empire theatre in Leicester Square. The performance, for the benefit of the* British Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund, was to feature a screening of "A Matter of Life and Death" (in America, "Stairway to Heaven"). The stars scheduled to appear were Ray Milland, representing Paramount; Joan Bennett, Walter Wanger Productions ; Pat O'Brien, RKO Radio ; Reginald Gardiner and William Eythe, Twentieth CenturyFox; Pierre Aumont, Metro-GoldwynMayer; Dorothy Malone, Warner Brothers, and Maria Montez, Universal International. Walter Wanger was expected as a representative of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As well as this official party, Americans in London who were to appear were Wesley Ruggles, recalling his Keystone days, and Bessie Love and -Luise Rainer, who were to re-enact an excerpt from a famous film of the past. The whole party, together with British and French actors who will appear, was to be presented to Their Majesties after the performance. As a mark of appreciation of the importance of the occasion and the honor Their Majesties are conferring on the entire motion picture industry, the American companies concerned are paying the total expenses of their representatives' journey to and from Hollywood and expenses in London. The total cost of these visits is likely to be in the neighborhood of $40,000. The Trade Benevolent Fund regards this as a most generous contribution toward its effort to make the show a record-breaking Royal Command Performance before the King and Queen of England. British stars who were to appear include Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Margaret Lockwood, John Mills, Stewart Granger, Michael Redgrave, Eric Portman, Valerie Hobson, Diana Wynyard, Anna Neagle, Ralph Richardson, Patricia Roc, Rosamund Tohn, Sally Grav, Anton Walbrook and Sid Field. Receipts from ticket sales and advertising is expected to exceed £30,000 ($120,000). Carolina Convention Set The annual convention of the Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina will be held in Charlotte, January 26-28, Ben L. Stozier, president, has announced. The annual election of officers will be held during the meeting. 28 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 2, 1946