The Film Daily (1947)

Tuesday, May 13, 1947 DAILY MPAA-British Prods. Form Joint Group (Continued from Page 1 private dinner for 66 industry notables and others in honor of J. Arthur Rank. Formation of the committee also was announced simultaneously in London. Eric A. Johnston was the host at the WaldorfAstoria event. Committee will be empowered to dea^ ^th matters of mutual interest to * preferred to it by consent of both parties. It will comprise two parts, one located in London, the other in the U. S., with membership to include three representatives of each association, together with a deputy for each, to act in the place of his principal whenever necessary. "A Welcome Step" Rank and Johnston hailed the agreement as a welcome step by the industries of both countries to handle their own problems. "The motion picture," said Johnston, "is a universal medium of expression for exchange of ideas, information and entertainment. We hope that the establishment of this Joint Committee will provide the interchange of films among the peoples of the world and enable the British and American industries to make an ever increasing contribution to world understanding and peace." In his reply, Rank stated: "Our two industries are in competition. They will always remain so. I feel that I am expressing your views as well as my own when I say that such competition is in the interests of both industries as well as of the public we serve. . . . Notwithstanding this, there is a large field in which the aims of our two industries and the interests of our public are identical and not competitive. "Therefore, both as an individual and as president of the British Film Producers' Association, I welcome the decision to set up this Joint Advisory Committee and will do everything in my power to make its proceedings of value to both associations and to the cinema public throughout the world." Members of the Joint Committee are Johnston; Nicholas M. Schenck, president of Loew's, and Barney Balaban, Paramount president, representing the MPAA, while the British group is represented by Rank, Sir Alexander Korda of the executive council, and Sir Henry L. French, MPEA Needs AMGDistrib.Setup AMG Wants MPEA To Handle Distribution (Continued from Page 1) day upon his recent return from a five-week tour of England, Holland, France, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Germany. At a series of conferences held a month ago in Berlin, attended by representatives from the MPEA, AMG and the British M. G. Maas pointed out that the AMG had voiced its desire to co-operate toward establishing the MPEA in charge of American film distribution in the American zone. But despite AMG's good intentions, Maas said: "Still isn't clear that these facilities will be made available to us." Maas also revealed that British and American authorities had decided to merge their zones so far as the distribution of films were concerned and that there would be a free, open competitive market in the two zones. It was further understood, Maas stated, that the MPEA would take out a license from OMGUS (Office of the Military Government United States) in order to engage in distribution of American films. (OMGUS license is necessary to conduct private trading; formerly a Treasury license was needed.) Even though AMG officials have not yet indicated how soon they can make essential facilities available, MPEA agents in Germany are now making a survey on: 1) food, which means one good meal a day to the personnel to whom "food is more important than money"; 2) personnel; 3) facilities, including branch office quarters in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg and the jointly administered city of Bremen; 4) distribution of "Welt im Film" (World in Film) Anglo-American newsreel, produced especially for the German population. On the last point, Maas underlined the fact that although the British counterpart of MPEA will distribute the WIF newsreel in the British zone, MPEA has received no assurance that it would distribute the reel in the American zone. Maas further emphasized that a British official had told him the British M. G. would withdraw from the distribution of pictures in its zone. UJEDDinG BELLS Friede-Jaffe Marriage ceremony for Mrs. Evelyn Friede, daughter of Mrs. Moses Annenberg, and William B. Jaffe, attorney, were held Sunday afternoon at the home of the bride's mother. director general of the group. Names of the deputies will be disclosed shortly. Johnston Fathered Plan Joint Committee idea grew out of a proposal advanced in London by Johnston last November. He suggested that Britain and the U. S. take the leadership in creating an International Film Council and later invite other nations to join. Subsequently, the UNESCO conference in Paris adopted a resolution favoring such a council to represent the film interests of all countries. Rank and Johnston expressed the hope that the step will prove of value not only to their two nations, but to all countries where British and American films are exhibited. Slated for the post of MPEA's home office representative in Berlin is Harold Smith, formerly MPAA's agent in Paris. Smith's job would be to deal with military authorities on political and cultural matters, according to Maas. Robert Vining, MPEA rep. in Germany, scheduled for arrival here next month, will be appointed to another post, not yet disclosed. Maas pointed out that if the MPEA does apply for an OMGUS license, then a special post would be made for the man responsible for distribution of American pictures. So far no one has been named, he added. Though he did not care to discuss the proolem of reviving the German film industry, Maas asserted, "It is not in our national interest to have a rapidly reviving German industry.'' iLmpnasizing tnat such matters were the concern of others in higher authority, Maas said, "My job is to sell American films, not to set up policies for production or non-production of German films." Another point that makes MPEA's assumption of its duties by July 1 particularly difficult, Maas explained, was that the American autnorities had been "derelict in selecting pictures" with the result that not enough product was available and Nazi films had to be screened in order "to fill up the gaps." Maas made it clear that the pictures in any case were chosen by the Army authorities and not by the MPEA. Furthermore, he added, since few pictures had been selected last Fall, MPEA will not have enough pictures available to distribute when it is supposed to take over July 1. Condition has been further aggravated by the lack of raw stock and the need for processing film, such as titling and so on in a limited time. Maas also revealed that the MPEA's plans in the 16 mm. field are about to bear fruit, appropriately enough, in the Fall. On the much argued popularity or lack of it regarding American films, Maas declared: "In every country I've visited, people are just nuts about American pictures." He cited such instances as: "Guadalcanal Diary" ran for 10 weeks in Prague, despite its pronounced war flavor. . . . Tarzan pictures in Holland outgrossing bigger and better pictures. . . . "Mrs. Miniver" rolling up the biggest gross in the history of the business. . . . "Union Pacific," released four or five weeks ago in Germany, is sensational. . . . "American pictures," Maas declared, "are so successful we've got everybody on the ropes, even the native producers." Previously, Maas insisted that German competition "doesn't mean a damn thing." MPEA officials sought to make a deal with the Yugoslav government similar to the one made with the Polish and Czech governments wherein the latter two countries release American films with the proviso that MPEA controls the distribution. Since "Yugoslavia is a Soviet pup Texas Circuit Owners Expanding in Radio San Angelo, Tex. — The San Angelo Broadcasters, composed of a group of well known circuit men, has been granted license by the FCC for a standard broadcast station here to operate full time on 600 kilocycles with a power of 1,000 watts night and 5,000 watts day. The group also has interest in stations and applications for others in several other Texas cities. The group is composed of E. H. Rawley who has 20 per cent interest in the local outlet and who has 40 per cent interest in the Metropolitan Houston Broadcasting Co., applicant for a standard station at Houston and 60 per cent owner of the Texas Gulf Broadcasting Co., applicant for a station at Corpus Christi. Glenn McLean has 20 per cent interest in the local grant and 40 per cent in the Houston and five per cent in the Texas Gulf. James A. Clements has 20 per cent in the local outlet, is a quarter owner in KDLK, Del Rio, sixth owner in KIOX, Bay City, has 10 per cent in the Houston and five per cent in the Texas Gulf applicant. L. M. Rice has seven and a half per cent in the local, 10 per cent in the Houston and five per cent in the Corpus Uhristi applicant. F. M. Dowd, president-treasurer of the Robb & Rowley United Circuit, has seven and a half per cent in the local and Joe H. Torbet has 10 per cent in the local and is quarter owner in KDLK. Samuel Litwin Dead Funeral services will be held today at Kirschenbaum's, Brooklyn, for Samuel Litwin, 49, formerly of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, who died Sunday at Bellevue Hospital. Litwin helped set up a number of industry tax forms while he was a special agent in the Bureau. pet," Maas declared no such arrangement could be made. Principle-of-the-thing reason stymied any further discussion. Yugoslav government also insisted on a flat rental deal. So far as any Russian pix-pact is concerned, that also is one-in-a-million possibility. Closest to the semblance of negotiations: Russian biggies often attend the special screenings of American films shown at the American Embassy in Moscow. STORK REPORTS Irving and Mrs. Greenfield are the parents of a girl, Carol Frances, born at Lenox Hill Hospital on May 10. The father is assistant to Leopold Friedman, general counsel for Loew's, Inc. Carol Frances weighed seven pounds and 13 ounces. Indianapolis — Thomas Goodman, head booker at Paramount exchange, is the father of a baby girl, born at the Coleman Hospital.