Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 29, 1949)

June 29, 1949 INDIE DISTRIBS (Continued from Page 1) Canadian exhibition is so dominated by circuits, are favored, the Indies: claim. Although the Indies developed the reissue field, which is currently an important source of revenue, the biggest share of the business now goes to the major distributors instead of to them, as was formerly the case. According to one Indie, the addition of several hundred situations to the Canadian film market has had little benefit for him. Those built by Independent exhibitors as the first theatres in their communities have the widest choice of available product and so pass up the Indie, who has reissues or small pictures. Where a second theatre has been built in a cOmmunity there is still plenty of product from the majors. Where a third enters a local field the majors compete with the Indie for the sale of reissues for its use. Conversion of sub-run houses into multiple first-run, etc. situations has (1) reduced the number of films required, (2) reduced the number of theatres which were in the reissue market, and (3) reduced the number of theatres using small first-run films. That’s what one important Indie distributor claims. Many an exhibitor feels that a major reissue is superior to an Indie first-run feature. Dominion distribution rights to Indie-produced features of a substantial type are not obtainable by Indie distributors, with the exception of foreign films. And it is likely that major distributors will give up altogether the practice of farming out reissues, thus drying up the Indies’ source of that type of product. In the United States, where the percentage of reissues is now 21 of the total releasing schedule, the Indie distributor of small first-run features does better than in Canada, an Indie said. Under competitive bidding the exhibitor doesn’t worry about where the film comes from and all stand an equal chance to sell as well as buy. The Canadian Independent distributor now has to work much harder to keep going, he said, and provides exploitation support for reissues to compete with those offered by the majors, which came in cold. “There is no doubt that we are being affected seriously,” an Independent said. “But maybe things will right themselves in the future.” MGM's ‘Showboat Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel will star in MGM’s Showboat, to be produced by Arthur Freed. Canadian FILM WEEKLY ROYAL COMMISSION SKEDS NFB, TV Television and the National Film Board will be the subjects of public hearings to be conducted in Ottawa and other points by the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences. Neither the government nor the CBC is expected to do much about TV until the Commission’s evidence and opinions are made public. The Ottawa hearings will begin in the Exchequer Court on August 3rd and follow a schedule listing the periods for each phase. Dates for the other Canadian centres will be announced later. Television and radio will be the last examined. The hearings to be devoted to them will begin on September 6th and be carried on until the closing of the Ottawa sessions. The National Film Board will take up August 24th and 25th ov the Commission’s timetable. On August 10th the Commission will begin enquiring into public archives and the administration of public records. During the six days set aside for that subject, briefs for the establishment of a film archive will be submitted by the Toronto Film Study Group and the National Film Society. JOHN G. McCARTHY NEW MPAA V-P Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, announced recently that the board of directors at its quarterly meeting elected John G. McCarthy as vice-president in charge of international affairs for the Association. McCarthy is also vice-president of the Motion Picture Export Association. The board also named Maurice Bergman, public relations executive of Universal-International, to the MPAA’s ExhibitorCommunity Relations Committee, which is headed by Ned E. Depinet, president of RKO. MAYNARD, CMPP BATTLE OVER SINS” Due to be heard by Mr. Justice Gale in Osgoode Hall, Toronto, are several motions related to the dispute between Canadian Motion Picture Productions and Maynard Films. The latter company has a contract for world distribution of Sins of the Fathers, produced by the former, and has granted USA rights to Motion Picture Sales Corporation. Canadian Motion Picture Productions, represented by W. P. Jenner, KC, is asking for an injunction on further dealings for Sins of the Fathers by Maynard Films. Its second motion is for the right to go to trial on its allegation of misrepresentation and fraud by Maynard Films in relation to distribution of the film in question. It seeks to have the contract nullified. Maynard Films, represented by Kenneth Stratton, KC, has moved that the dispute be referred to arbitration instead of the court. Sins of the Fathers was produced by Larry Cromien and he is now associated with Gordon Fairley of Hotel Holdings, Ltd., who acquired control of Canadian Motion Picture Productions and Sins of the Fathers some time ago. Fairley had theatre interests in the past. RIGHT TO FREE ACCESS —WILSON “Export or die’ was as much a maxim for the movie industry as for Great Britain as a whole, Harold Wilson, president of the British Board of Trade, who recently returned from Canada and the USA, told the annual film school of the National Film Association in Holmbury, Surrey. In the course of his address he said that there are 15 productions under way and 17 ready to start soon, employment having increased by 500 since the end of march. He justified his stand in the dispute with Hollywood: “We seek no monopoly. We seek no quota protection beyond that necessary to maintain our film industry at a rate at which it can reasonably be expected to produce — nor have we done so. Equally we have a right to expect free access and a fair showing for British films on the screens of the world.” In the meantime, representatives of the SUMPP and the MPAA have made renewed requests of James E. Webb, acting USA Secretary of State, that his department again officially protest the existing quotas on American films shown in Great Britain. They held that the film quotas violated the “spirit and cbjectives” of the trade agreement between the two countries, A previous protest was rejected by the British, Page 3 RKO MEETING (Continued from Page 1) in detail. The annual sales sesions will also analyze the forthcoming RKO Radio releases. Robert Mochrie, vice-president and general sales manager, and the most important members of his staff will be welcomed by Leo Devaney, general manager of the company’s Canadian district. With Mochrie will be A. A. Schubart, manager of exchange operations; Harry J. Michalson, short subjects’ sales manager, and his assistant, Syd Kramer; WWat Levy, Eastern Division sales manager; Charles Boasberg, North-South Division manager, and his assistant, Carl Peppercorn. The party will fly to the Toronto meeting, which is one of five planned for key centres. Branch managers who will participate are Jim Davie, Vancouver; Arthur Elliott, Calgary; Meyer Nakimson, Winnipeg; John Bernstein, Toronto; Murray Devaney, Montreal; and MHarry Cohen, Saint John. Bill Smith, office manager of the Toronto branch, will be present, as will Ted Carey, assistant to Devaney, and George Degnon, Canadian advertising and publicity chief. A highlight will be the presentation by Mochrie of the 1949 Ned Depinet Drive plaques and cash awards. The winners will not be made known until the meeting. The New CANADA CARRIES ON RELEASE FOR July FAMOUS FISH I'VE MET (in color) with Greg Clark & Pete McGillen 4 NAFIONAL FILM BOARD PRODUCTION Distributed by COLUMBIA PICTURES