The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

20 THE EXHIBITOR UNITED NEWSREEL ENDS ITS SERVICES ON DEC IS New York — The dissolution of the United Newsreel Corporation, effective on Dec. 15, was announced last week by Murray Silverstone, president, 20th Century-Fox Inter¬ national Corporation, who also heads the United Newsreel organization. Silverstone explained that United Newsreel, established in conjunction with the OWI in the early part of 1942, has been dissolved now that _ (In this column each week will be found highlights in the foreign industry field. Condensed, comprehensive coverage of the situation in the world-wide post-war market will be given — Ed.) (Of interest in the foreign field last week w"re, among other things, the FEA an¬ nouncement from Washington that an end of raw stock export control could be looked for after this month, the Japanese studios getting ready to go into production aoain, the Canadian Parliament’s passage of an emergency measure to continue con¬ trol over the industry, bright propects in European markets for U. S. made sound recording and reproducing equipment, and an announcement of a national betterment program utilizing the screen as a medium of education in India. — Ed.) In Washington, The FEA announced an end of raw stock export control after this month. Raw film would thus be placed on general export license, which would mean free shipping to most countries, but would permit Federal control over shipments to Argentina and one or two other countries. In Canada, an emergency measure was believed sure of passage in Parliament to continue the freezing of picture admissions, rental control, and stop new theatre build¬ ing. In Japan, the film studios expected to get under way in the near future, doing their part in a long range educational pro¬ gram. They hope to resume their pre¬ war schedule of a peak of 72 pictures, in¬ cluding shorts. Prior to the war, 28 to 30 per cent of films shown in Japan were im¬ ported. Most came from the U. S. with only two or three per cent from Europe. About 40 per cent of Japan’s 2,000 pre-war the¬ atres were bombed out. In India, a sweeping national better¬ ment program utilizing the screen as a medium of education is being drawn up in a post-war move for development of the country, it was disclosed by P. N. Thapar, joint secretary of the information de¬ partment of that government. G. Nordevist, Swedish Western Electric Company’s manager, whose headquarters are in Stockholm, estimated last week that U. S. manufacturers of sound recording and reproducing equipment for film the¬ atres should be able to market at least $2,750,000 worth of the latest designs in France, Belgium, Sweden, and the Nether¬ lands within the next year. He said that under the Paris agreement of 1930, U. S. companies were barred from selling such equpiment in Europe, the Aga-Baltic Com¬ pany of Sweden controlling 55 per cent of the Swedish business. H. L. Marsterson, Western Electric, Ltd., London, asserted that there is little likelihood of any appre¬ ciable purchases of U. S. equipment by British interests, inasmuch as the latter are severely handicapped by the exchange problem, and will, by and large, make their own machines. From Cuba came word that an exchange strike threatened to tie up the industry. Film inspectors employed by American distributors struck in support of their de¬ mand for a 40 per cent wage increase, and theatre projectionists voted to support the demands. It was believed last week that theatres might be forced to shut down. the war has ended. Silverstone stated that he planned to call a meeting of all American distributors represented in the United Newsreel for the purpose of discussing the State De¬ partment’s proposal to have American newsreels continue in the path of United Newsreel after Dec. 15, and to act upon the State Department’s desire to continue the use of 16mm prints of newsreels in their overseas non -theatrical program. The United Newsreel was established to consolidate all newsreel material for dis¬ tribution among countries designed by the United States Government to report the progress of the war on all fronts, to show the ever-growing power of the Allied arms in psychological warfare, and to counter¬ act the propaganda of the Axis powers. This joint enterprise enjoyed the closest cooperation of the overseas branches of 20th Century -Fox, MGM, Paramount, RKO, and Universal. The corporation was operated on a non¬ profit basis, with all officers and directors contributing their services and time gratu¬ itously. Whatever profits did accrue were turned over to our Government period¬ ically. Throughout the period of its operation, United Newsreel Corporation prepared a composite newsreel in 16 languages, namely, Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Hungarian, Portuguese, Rumanian, Ser¬ bo-Croat, Slovak, Spanish, and Turkish. The distribution was handled by 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox, Loew’s, Inc., Paramount, RKO, and Universal. In all, 175 versions were prepared, and given the widest possible distribution in the following countries: Africa Gold Coast, Nigeria. Liberia, France, Algeria, Africa, Greece, Albania, Rumania, Bulgaria, French West Africa, Hawaii, Ireland, Leeward Islands, Windward Is¬ lands, Hungary, Union of South Africa, Portugal, Madagascar, Russia, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Syria, Marshall Islands, Italy, India, Egypt, Morocco, China, Green¬ land, Haiti, Turkey, England, Spain, Phil¬ ippine Islands, North Africa and Australia. Additionally, United Newsreel prepared and distributed close to 30 special short features timed for use after the war. Beside the far flung areas in which United Newsreel was shown, German ver¬ sions were dropped behind enemy lines. 16mm prints were also prepared for nontheatrical distribution, and shown in areas where no theatres existed. It is thus estimated that United Newsreel reached audiences far in excess of 100,000,000 per week. The State Department and the OWI rated the service as one of the most potent propaganda agencies in contributing to the strength and prestige of the Allied cause. The distribution and exploitation of United Newsreel was benefited by the as¬ sistance of the Motion Picture Overseas Branch of the OWI under the direction of Louis Lober. Directors of United Newsreel included Morton A. Spring, Silverstone, George Weltner, Philip Reisman, Joseph Seidle RETURNING G. I/S SEE 16MM FILMS ON QUEEN New York — Five improvised motion pic¬ ture theatres with seven shows each day furnish entertainment for homeward bound GIs on the two giant liners, Queen Eliza¬ beth and Queen Mary, it was revealed last week. Movies were also shown on the ships’ Europe-bound trip. Films for these giant transports and all other troop carriers around the world are furnished from the stock of 16-mm. gift films provided by the industry, and dis¬ tributed through the Army Overseas Motion Picture Service. On the two Queens, pictures are shown on both sides of the two promenade decks and in the swimming pool, which is empty, and covered over. The soldier audiences are on both sides of the screens on the decks. Six new entertainment films and six shorts are put aboard the liners on each trip. The Transport Service Detachment of the Army Transport Corps supplies the officer personnel which handles the films. Projectionists and other aides are picked from the returning GIs. Presently the two movie officers aboard the Elizabeth are First Lieutenant William J. T. Brandt, Los Angeles, and First Lieutenant Howard L. Burdge, Lakewood, N. J. The men on the Mary are Captain Leon Regan, Boston, and Captain Arthur B. Ransom, Whitewater, Wis. Captain Thomas F. Carlin, Jersey City, is in charge of the movie service for the ships. Raw Stock Reaches Peak Washington — Production of photographic film reached an all-time high in the first quarter of 1945, with an output of 156,587,000 square feet of film, but decreased by five per cent in the second quarter, to 148,692,000 square feet, it was announced last week by the WPB. Morey Goldstein Feted New York — Morey Goldstein, Monogram eastern division manager, was guest of honor at a luncheon at the Pittsburgh Variety Club, on Oct. 3, tendered by Mon¬ ogram’s Pittsburgh branch for local exhibi¬ tors. Dembow On Tour Chicago — George F. Dembow, National Screen Service vice-president in charge of sales, stopped off here last week on a tour of NSS mid-west exchanges, which will take several weeks. man, Walter C. Ament, Thomas Mead, Ed¬ mund Reek, Albert J. Reichard, and Mich¬ ael D. Clofine. Officers of the corporation were Silverstone, president; Morton A. Spring, vice president; Cyril S. Landau, secretary, and Eugene F. Wash, treas¬ urer, all of whom voluntarily gave the project their services. October 10, 1945