The Film Daily (1948)

IHEi DAILY Monday, July 26, 194 U. K. Bank Threatens U. S. FiSming There (Continued from Page 1) would put a premium upon existing studio space. Indie producers who secure a share of the Government money may be expected to press the Government for the necessary shooting facilities, it was said, and it was added that the Government most certainly could be expected to deliver. Company toppers said that it was obvious the British Government planned quick action to get indie production under way and cited the fact that while Parliament must act on the measure setting up the finance corporation, or Film Bank, the Government meanwhile will use powers under existing law to advance $10,000,000 to approved film production projects via British distributors. Thus, it was said, the Government could get the project under way virtually as soon as an indie producer applied for coin. Earlier in the month, it was recalled, Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, appointed a committee of three to investigate the desirability of state-owned studio space in the interest of indie producers. Wilson, in announcing the finance corporation plans, emphasized that it would "have no power to own, lease or build cinemas or studios." Company toppers at the week-end were quick to raise these questions: 1. In the event that the Board of Trade-appointed committee recommends that the Government provide studio space, will the Government establish still another financing corporation with Treasury money? 2. If the Government adopts this course, will it elect to build new studios (which would take time and require materials of which the U. K. is short), or will it exercise the right of eminent domain and take over established studios? 3. And if the latter is done, will its choice be studios owned by non-British interests? One of the avenues open to U. S. film distribs. for the utilization of frozen American film funds in Britain is investment in production on that side, and that explains why the American toppers are so concerned with the potentialities of the WilsonCripps production plan. What Next in Britain? . . . the pattern was cut in 1946'47 (Continued from Page 1) British cinemas, the houses would be required to give continual preference to British indie product." Quite a blueprint for partial nationalization, that. A ND now for the fill-in. *^ On Jan. 24, 1947, you read this Page One streamer in your FILM DAILY: "Propose Britain Finance Indie Pix Production." That story was based upon a recommendation by the Screen Writers Association that a Government Film Bank be established. Factual reporting compels the statement at this point that these various recommendations, at the time they originated, were given the once-over lightly by substantial British trade leaders, but by the same token, factual reporting also dictates reference to these additional Page One headlines of 1947: "Report British Will Cut Imports of U. S. Pix"— March 20. {And this the British Government did by imposing a 45 per cent exhibitors quota under the 1948 Films Act, despite the fact that on March 23, 1947, your FILM DAILY published a London dispatch under this enlightening banner: ''V. K. Denies Import Cut Plan). "Central Film Bank Plan in England Rumored" — April 2. "Labor Government Opposes Nationalization of British Film Industry, Asserts Cripps" —April 23. Sir Stafford, you will remember, then was president of the Board of Trade. Last week, the announcement of the present BOT president, Harold Wilson, was made in conjunction with Sir Stafford, now Chancellor of the Exchequer and as such Britain's virtual economic dictator. SO MUCH FOR THE 1947 FILM DAILY headlines which, with a considerable degree of accuracy — and frequently exclusively, be it added — plotted the shape of things to come. Now as to the $20,000,000 Film Bank which His Majesty's Government, prime beneficiary of the European Recovery Program, will establish via a Film Finance Corporation which Parliament is to rubber stamp pronto. It is, of course, the inevitable result of the general film policy the British Government has adopted — and, if you please, with special, direct reference to what the Government has been doing about American films in the United Kingdom. Consider, then: First, 11 months ago the Government suddenly imposed a 75 per cent ad valorem duty on American film imports. Secondly, as a price for the removal of that confiscatory duty it required the American industry to accept the restriction of film remittances from the United Kingdom to $17,000,000 — plus annually for a two-year period and hedged about the "permitted uses" of American funds remaining in Britain with stringent provisos and still more stringent interpretations of the same. And, thirdly, with no more advance warning than was given in the instance of the duty, it slapped on the 45 per cent quota, presumably on the advice of the Films Council, representation on which was denied to American distributors in Britain. The 45 per cent quota, incidentally, was 5 per cent less than that urged by J. Arthur Rank, the dominant figure in the British industry. West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Eric -Johnston was unavailable for comment on the British establishment of a film financing corporation to back indie British producers to the extent of $20,000,000. Fencing Short For Tele Irving Browning, who produced, directed and photographed a sport short, "The Sport of Fencing," using the 1936 U. S. team that went to the Berlin Olympics, is readying it for release for television. OBVIOUSLY, if British theaters which consume some 350 features annually are to devote 45 per cent of their screen time to British films instead of the recent 20 per cent, British production was to be materially stepped up, for in the first five months of this year, only 32 "first" features were completed. And in 1947, total "first" feature production in Britain was only 49. Rank, contending that a substantial number of British exhibitors can meet the 45 per cent quota, with the others eligible for exemption under the Films Act, has said he will make 60 "first" features for the quota year starting Oct. 1, adding the estimate that independent producers can provide 20 more. Rank further indicated he would supply 10 re-issues. Obviously, too, even 90 British features could — undoubtedly will — fall far short of taking up the slack caused by the drastic cut in American film imports. So it is little wonder that the British Government finally has come through with its film financing plan for British independent producers, with the money, mind you, to reach the producer through British distributors. Why are not British independent producers moving to provide the pictures on their own? Well, Wilson told Commons last week, when that question was raised, that "the most intense efforts by both film producers and the Government to interest private capital over recent weeks had failed." And well it might, to, and for a variety of reasons, including the risks inherent in production and the dislike of private capital to engage in an industry over which hangs the threat of semi-nationalization. Indeed, that thought undoubtedly was in the mind of Winston Churchill, leader of the Conservative Opposition, when he told Wilson that it was proposed to invest national funds in "What is on the face of it a losing adventure." To which Wilson replied, "I cannot agree about the degree of hazardousness of the industry. It is now producing for a safe and assured home market on a high quota . . ." And he might have added "to the intense dissatisfaction of thousands of British theaters which prefer Hollywood pictures." ♦ CURIOUSLY, — and it might be well to note that fact here — in recent months there were cries that "the Americans" were holding back British independent produc( Continued on Page 7) m Md. Theaters Query On Tele Censorship ^i Baltimore — A ruling on its resporl sibility for censoring television eiP"^ tertainment has been asked of Marj' land's Attorney General yfjL thtfMaryland State Board of ^J.io Picture Censors. According to Mr-i,, Helen C. Tingley, chairman of thi* board, the opinion is sought as result of a letter from the Theate: Owners' Association of Marylanc signed by its president, Lauritz Gai man. The latter stated, according t Mrs. Tingley, that while the movi exhibitors must bear expenses c censorship, television has no sue expense. Mrs. Tingley said tha movie exhibitors here have ex pressed concern over competitio from home showing of television er tertainment which, they fear, wi^ cut down revenues. Under the present Maryland law, charge of $2 is levied for each 1,00 feet of film reviewed by the boarc . This cost is paid by the distribs. an^ '"i; is, of course, reflected by theate""' owners who rent the films. This yea about $72,000 has been collected. I li Mrs. Tingley states that since rej ij, ceiving the letter posing the ques ■ tion of censorship for television, sh has sent questionnaires to neighbor ing states: New York, Ohio, PennsylJM vania and Virginia, asking w^hat thei isi procedure may be in regard to cen C soring television and what charge raare being levied. Most of them reli. plied that they were doing nothing or "as yet." ''ris p MPAA's Mrs. Field Back ^ To Coast After Confabs mce; jefe: ito;. %\ k ± aar. iai IS: aeri K kt Mrs. Alice Evans Field, director o the studio and public service depart Jli ment of the MPAA's community re lations division, returned to Holly Jh wood by plane over the week-eno u after spending several weeks in conji ferences at the Association's Wash ington and New York offices. Mrs. Field, who has seen mortk than 5,000 motion pictures during m the last 18 years with the MPAA^^ is the Hollywood liaison vnth. 14 re viewing groups representing abou 14 million women. While in Nex^jsj York, she addressed a group o teachers from a dozen states at Co1| lumbia University. Rules Bars No Place For Children's Hour Hoboken, N. J.— Erwin B. Hock, State Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner has ordered Patrick Radigan to cease a television "children's hour" at his Clinton St. tavern. For the past year, Radigan has shooed customers out of his place for an hour each evening so that the kids could come in to see the video programs for children. At least two other Hoboken saloons have picked up Radigan's idea.