The Film Daily (1948)

londay, August 2, 1948 "^J^ DAILY onusSystemloMake Classics a Co-op (Continued from Page 1) indent of special sales drives. "Zau will be given a bonus sy^ 'W which will not be i mailed by any other company in the business," Bernhard said. Addressing branch heads, division anagers, foreign representatives id home office executives, Bernkrd traced the company's growth p its present status and pledged )ntinued advance to the top ranks : the industry. "We have made great strides in le past year," Bernhard said, "but IT gvovfth must be gradual. We jaready have gained the respect of roducers and exhibitors, and their iith in us must not be shaken by (ly attempts by us to skyrocket to le top. We shall grow in size and restige, and I shall not be satis'ed, nor should you, until we are le foremost distributing company 1 the business. And I pledge to you lat this goal shall be reached in roper time and through diligent ffort." B. G. Krauze, vice-president ■' and general sales manager, who I presided over the three-day coni: clave, announced territorial increases in business of 70 per cent over mid-February of this year. • Also addressing the meetings were ules Chapman, assistant general ales manager; Al Zimbalist, adublicity chief; Eugene Arnstein, xecutive assistant treasurer; David lorne, foreign sales manager; Ted Jirnbaum, asst. to Kranze; Herbert ). Stern, general counsel; Albert lannheimer, exchange operations hief, and William Markert, print .epartment head. Guests at the meeting included A. 'am Blumenthal, Film Classics and ^ineeolor board chairman, Albert Jundelfinger and Karl Herzog. In addition to the product list for .948-49 announced in The Film Oaily, June 24, 1948, six new feaures have been added: "Hellfire," Appointment for Murder," "Saturlay's Odds," "Anyone Can Enter," 'Woman of One Hunderd Faces" md "The Judge." rent 13 Schedtiles Tournament Philadelphia — Annual golf tournanent and dinner dance of Variety Cent No. 13 will be held Sept. 24 it Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. Attack Awaits U.K. Pix Bill] Wilson May Present Modified Plan | (Continued from Page 1) Free Bridge Crossing For Riverside Patrons North Kansas City, Mo. — In an effort to break down what might be a deterrent to Kansas patrons attending the Riverside Drive-In, Paul Stonum, manager of the theater, has arranged a tieup with the nearby toll bridge management which permits Riverside patrons to cross the bridge without charge. the next session of Parliament in September. While the opposition may not be sufficient to brmg rejection — ^the firm grip of the Government on Parliament stands in the way — ithere is a feeling that Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, may find it expedient to eome up with a modified scheme at that time. Arguing, too, against flat rejection is the fact that the Government undoubtedly will have already laimched the financing scheme to the extent of |10,000,000 before Parliament can act. This it can do, as Wilson disclosed to Commons, by taking advantage of a provision in the Borrowing (Control and Guarantees) Act of 1946. 1946 Act's Provisions The latter gives the Treasury power to guarantee any loan if it is satisfied "that it is expedient in the public interest to do so" for the purpose of facilitating the "reconstruction or development of an indusrty or part of an industry in Great Britain." It is provided that the Treasury must lay before Parliament a statement of any guarantees "as soon as may be" after they have been given. In moving to make $10,000,000 quickly available to caipital-starved British indies, via British distributors, Prime Minister Clement Attlee's Government is calling into play that section of the Borrowing Act for the first time. Strong criticism of the Government scheme and expressions of grave doubt that it will achieve its purpose are coming from influential industry leaders. Maurice Ostrer, executive producer of Premier Prods., asserting that "loans are not the answer" makes the point that the Films Act fails to provide a method of obtaining a portion of the cost of a British film from the American market, and he charges that no legislation is of practical value unless this essential is covered. Says Ostrer: "Independent British producers cannot afford to produce pictures based on 'hope' that American companies may find it expedient to buy their pictures for U. S. distribution owing to the Quota Act. What is necessary is a reciprocal trading arrangement with U. S. and it seems more than a reasonable probability that the U. S. film companies at this stage would be willing to make an annual payment of a portion of their aggregate U.K. incomes in exchange for the U. S. distributing rights of British films." Declaring, further, that "loans do not prevent losses," the widelyknown industryite observed, "Loans are not the answer. This has happened many times before from private sources — with a never ending take of losses and tragedy." Ernest W. Fredman, managing editor of Britain's influential Daily Film Renter, is critical of the Wilson-Cripps scheme because "I still have to be convinced that accepting what virtually amounts to a Government subsidy is going to be good for the industry, while I see no safeguards as yet that this money will be diverted into the right hands." Continued Fredman: "Looking down the list of independents who no doubt are hoping to touch via the distributors, I am not imbued with any confidence in quite a number of them. To be brutally plain, the trade wouldn't shed tears if some of them were let out altogether, and if the object of this finance corporation is to grant these people a reprieve it will be less welcome than ever. Of course we want all the idle studio space occupied, and we want British production to flourish, but not if it means just flooding the market with a lot of films of the type of many we have seen in the past, mostly made with sucker money. "I haven't noticed that the City has extended any great welcome to this scheme; indeed it is because finance has shown such little confidence in independent producers that Mr. Wilson has brought it into being. And when the City holds back there is usually a reason for it. After all, those producers who have proved their ability to make commercial pictures seem to get their backing without having to go cap in hand to the Government, so just who is this (Continued on Page 8) Andy Smilh Fills Youth Month Post (Continued from Page 1) tribution of the two-reel short, "Report for Action" and also arrangements for securing cooperation of national distribs. and exchange groups with participation of local state and theater chairmen. "Report for Action" was financed and produced by TOA via RKO Pathe facilities. It has had many showings to date and will be available throughout the year to assist any community in forming a Youth Conference. Lauding TOA activity in producing and distributing "Report for Action," Attorney General Tom C. Clark, at a press, radio and advertising representatives meeting at TOA headquarters on Saturday stated: "I am advised that with the help of the professional men and women within the ranks of the national committee, and the support of governmental agencies and national and local organizations, all wholesome youth activities in the field of scholarship, athletics, moral responsibility Avill be highlighted on the screen. . . ." "In the celebration of youth month an enormous good can be accomplished by saluting the meritorious achievement of youth, and by awakening an older generation to the potentialities of a young American which deserves praise and encouragement and inspiration from its elders," Clark added. Sherlock with McVeigh West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Frank Sherlock, for many years associated with Howard Strickling at M-G-M, has joined the Blake McVeigh publicity office. \r^ It's for you! Paramount saying that Hal Wallis has made its greatest suspense-drama since "The Lost Weekend" «^*6j^ . ^RWBiSjj