Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Rodgers Believed M illing To Accept Arbitration Job If Obstacles Cleared The reaction of both theatremen and dis:ributors is generally favorable to the suggestion that William F. Rodgers be named jy the film companies as their representative n negotiations with heads of the exhibitor jrganizations fcr formulation of an arbitraion system. However, there are four big "ifs" confrontng the proposal, which was put forward by FILM BULLETIN in the February 11 issue. They are: (1) Will all of the distributors be agreeble to have any one man speak for them in he negotiations? (2) Will Rodgers' company, Loew's Inc., ipprove of his involvement in a project that igures to consume the bulk of his time for t least several months? (3) Will Rodgers, himself, be willing to mdertake the extremely difficult and delicate ask of harmonizing the arbitration plans of he two big exhibitor units, Allied and TOA, nd then coordinating a unified exhibitor rogram with the views of the distributors? (4) Would Rodgers be acceptable to Allied tates Association, in the light of his previus expressions against inclusion of film tntals as part of any arbitration plan? None of these contingencies, apparently, re insurmountable. Each can be answered 5! :0MP0 Tackles Score If Topics At Board Meet While it was hardly likely that COMPO's oard of directors and executive committee ould hope to do full justice to the score of pics it was due to tackle at its annual teeting last week, the all industry organiation's toppers were sure to stress the lovietiine campaign, cooperation with the overnment and the revival of a drive against ie discriminatory federal admission tax. The last named was added to the copious genda after the two principle national exibitor organizations each featured the sub ct in their respective board meetings. ction on the House Un-American Activities ttack on the industry's Red policy was alco hot topic for COMPO to work on. An ad-publicity director's committee of M MPAA has already agreed that the layuts of COMPO's pending national ne\v>aper advertising campaign will aim to sell ie public on theatres and the industry by dressing outstanding pictures. COMPO, owever, wary of the danger involved • in sting pictures in proportion to the number f companies, rather than to the value of the roduct to be featured, delegated Charles E. IcCarthy COMPO information director to ather and present data bearing on the lection of the films. EBRUARY 25, i952 satisfactorily, barring the intervention of some unpredictable personal factor that could stymie the idea. The answers to these four "ifs" might be: (1) Since machinery involving spokesmen for each of the distributors would be too unwieldy, it would be logical to have one man represent all the companies — in the direct negotiations with the theatre groups, that is. No legal obstacle appears on the surface, in view of the Statutory Court's urging that the industry work out an arbitration system. While not all of the film companies have been heard from, expressions like "splendid" and "Rodgers is the logical man" indicate that many of the top echelon distribution executives regard the suggestion favorably. BULLETIN NEWS 41 Ml 4 i OJPMJVIOJV WB Expects 2nd Quarter Dip After $792,000 1st H Gain Despite the million-and-a-half dollar jump in grosses for the quarter ended Dec. 1, 1951, and a $792,000 net profit boost over the corresponding quarter the year before, Warner Bros, wasn't too optimistic over the outlook for the following quarter. Based on operations for December and January, the company estimated that, the second quarter net will be "substantially less" than the $2,014,000 earned during the preceding year's corresponding quarter. In the Dec. 1, 1951 quarter, however, the company showed a wholesome jump to $2,605,000 net after provision of $2,500,000 for federal income taxes. In the corresponding '50 quarter, the net was $1,813,000 after provision of $2,000,000 for federal taxes and provision of $200,000 for contingent liabilities. Included in the operating profits for the Dec. 1, '51,' quarter was a profit of $935,000 from sales of capital assets, before federal taxes, which compares with a corresponding profit of $167,000 for ihe same period the year before. (2) The management of Loew's Inc., has always been goodwill-minded and gave Rodgers free rein when he was fully active as general sales manager. There is no reason to believe that he would not be granted permission to handle as important an assignment as the creation of an arbitration system that would remove the causes of much of the litigation that plagues all the film companies. (3) Yes, Bill Rodgers would undertake the job. Unity in the industry has long been so close to his heart that we are convinced he would not turn down the call, if it comes with any reasonable degree of unanimity. (4) Rodgers has been on record against the inclusion of film rentals as a subject for arbitration. Allied leaders, while expressing the highest regard for him in other regards, would oppose Rodgers as sole negotiator on this score alone. However, despite his previous avowals, FILM BULLETIN can say with certainty that Rodgers would approach the problem with a wide open mind. Being a realist, he is never averse to changing his stand to meet new conditions. And no one in the industry knows better than Bill Rodgers that the motion picture industry faces circumstances today that require a fresh and unbiased approach. Industry Burns At House Committee Red Laxity Charge The House Un-American Activities Committee's charge that the industry had failed to take measures to rid itself of red influence stirred up a storm of indignation among industry leaders. Motion Picture Ass'n head Eric Johnston fairly bristled at the "misleading and unfair" Committee report on Hollywood. He chose the two principal points in the report: (1) That the industry has failed to take "positive and determined steps against communism and communists" and (2) that efforts were made by communists to influence the content of motion pictures. "The committee knows that leaders of the industry voluntarily agreed in a statement of policy in 1947 that they would not knowingly employ communists," Johnston said in reply to the first point. "This policy has been adhered to unswervingly. Many have been discharged. The policy has resulted in our members being sued in courts for large sums, and suits are still in progress. This has not deterred us, and it will not." Any efforts by communists to influence films have failed, Johnston said, and "nowhere in the report is there a shred of evidence" that a single film has been so tinged. He cited the MPAA's repeated efforts to have the committee name any picture that (Continued on Page 20)