The Film Daily (1932)

12 —^X^i^ DAILY Wed., March 16, 1932 Politics Influences Censorship, Says William Orr fundamentals of common decency that is now bringing, and will continue to bring, discriminatory legislation and unfair admission taxes down upon us. "It is beyond my understanding how some exhibitors and producers can by indecent advertising and obscene pictures hope to ever get the sympathetic understanding of decent-thinking men and women. "We create sentiment for censorship of our own free will and accord, then spend thousands fighting censorship. This same thing applies to admission taxes. "We spend too little time and money in educating lawmakers and public in our real problems. There are many exhibitors who have no understanding of how to encourage and develop the friendship of those elected to public office. Sincerity and actual facts will work wonders. "Too little is known about our real problems, and too much about fabulous salaries, most of which is 'ore four-flushing." More Family Pictures Advocated by Wehrenberg Speaking on the subject of cooperation by exhibitors with community groups, schools and civic associations, Fred Wehrenberg stressed the need of more pictures suitable for the whole family. _He said he would introduce a resolution at this convention asking producers to give more attention to this type of film. Wehrenberg stated he had found that the best way to bring children and stay-at-homes into the theater is by cooperating with schools, by giving them a special benefit show with 50 per cent of the tickets that they sell going to the association and the other 50 per cent to the theater, the latter keeping the cash taken in at the box-office and thereby paying overhead. Every school in his community has one or two nights a year in his theater, Wehrenberg said, and it has always worked out profitably. In tieups with merchants, Wehrenberg recommended that theater managers get in touch with the stores themselves instead of placing these arrangements in the hands of promoters who are here today and gone tomorrow. Cooperation with women's groups also has worked out to advantage with him, said Wehrenberg. He said 1,400 ATTEND BANQUET Washington — About 1,400 were present at the M.P.T.O.A. convention banquet last night. The unexpectedly large turnout of film folk, congressional representatives and others taxed the facilities of the Mayflower Hotel. The program was opened by M. E. Comerford, who introduced Walter Vincent. The latter presented M. A. Lightman, who in turn introduced Louis Wiley, business manager of the New York "Times." Wiley told exhibitors to play up newsreels in programs. He was followed by the Rev. Norman McLoud of North Carolina. Sidney R. Kent then spoke, deploring the fact that the film industry lacked adequate authors. Motion picture making is not a case of operating machinery, he said, but each production is an individual effort. In conclusion, Kent stated that "we are striving to keep motion pictures a family entertainment." The next speaker was Rabbi Jacob Tarshis of Columbus, 0. Presentation of screen celebrities then took place, among those introduced being Eddie Bowling, Clive Brook, June Collyer, Claudette Colbert, Conrad Nagel, Stuart Erwln, Jacqueline Logan and Ernst Lubitsch. Eisenstein Wins Entry Laredo. Tex. — Sergei Eisenstein, having won his fight tor entry into the U. S. atter making a picture in Mexico, has letf for San Antonio, where he will await word from Upton Sinclair, who IS understood to have financed the picture, before deciding on his next step. The passport granted Eisenstein for entry is good for only three months, and during that time he is not permitted to engage in any remunerative work. he had found members of these groups fair and open minded, often willing to put their 0. K. on a picture for Family Night, even though the film had not been so endorsed by the Better Films Council, so long as the picture was clean and wholesome. Facts Wanted in Ads, Declares Ed Finney Discussing the subject of advertising and exploitation, Ed Finney, president of the A. M. P. A. and a member of the United Artists advertising department, declared that far better results could be obtained by exhibitors if they gave more actual facts, and passed up the meaningless ballyhoo in their advertisements. The two things about a picture that interest the prospective patron most, said Finney, are (1) what is the nature of the story, and (2) who are appearing in it. Skyhigh claims about the picture the greatest this or the greatest that not only are meaningless as far as giving the public an informative cue on whether the picture is something they will like, but in most cases such claims arouse expectations that are not fulfilled and result in a bad reaction, Finney said. Neither producers nor exhibitors should circulate raves about a picture or a star before actual showing, but should confine their advance matter largely to facts, and then make capital of the favorable public and critical responses as they are received. 'Good Times' Talk Decried by Jack Miller Jack Miller of Chicago critized the conduct of the convention, asserting that exhibitors are in no mood to hear 'good times' talk when distributors, as in the case of M-GM, are forcing them to accept reissues in order to get hits. "We ought to pay for bad pictures," Miller said, and declared that Hollywood is doing its best to make good product. He credited Allied with helping to break up the old arbitration system. Miller and Lightman had an exchange of words in which Lightman panned the exhibitors for not getting to session on time and then crying that nothing is being accomplished. Need for New Zoning Plan Discussed by Van Hyning Earle Van Hyning discussed protection and zoning. He pointed out the need for new plans throughout the country. Lightman declared the old contract was 'lousy' but better than present conditions. He said a fair contract and arbitration system should develop out of the convention. Meyer Calls for Showdown On Legality of Zoning Fred S. Meyer of Milwaukee declared the convention ought to go on record for a uniform zoning and, protection system, and called for a showdown to determine if such a plan is illegal. RELEASE DATES ON SPECIALS Warner Bros, has set release dates on its two specials, "The Crowd Roars," with James Cagney and Joan Blondell, to be nationally distributed April 16, and Ruth Chatterton in "The Rich Are Always With Us," set for May 21. The dates also represent the start and finish of the annual Warner sales drive. M-G-M Executive Scores Film Cuts Based on Personal Opinion Washington — Politics plays too big a part in censorship, declarec William A. Orr of M-G-M in h" address today on censorship before the annual convention of the M.P.T O.A. in session here at the May flower Hotel. He characterized cen^ sorship as simply personal opinion and called it unfair as a whole because no two persons agree in everything. "Censorship is political," he said. "I don't mean in the sense of mak-" ing jobs for unemployed politicians, but I do mean in the sense that a j censor being human and having re I ceived his job because of politics cannot and does not ignore the political aspect when it comes before him. "Certainly we all know that the campaign behind every censorship law and the first activities of every censor have been based on the accusations that the screen was suggestive. Most censorship laws are aimed at and use the word 'obscenity,' but once you get a censor he must censor to keep his job and finding no obscenity he turns to other fields. Then we find him using his power to protect his fellow poli-nj ticians from just and fair criticismlJ "We have had scores of pictures i in which eliminations were ordered f wherever the story suggested that police or other authorities took graft. Your newspaper, your magazine, your books and your st^ge have been loaded with stories, both fact and fiction, showing graft, but when you try to show the public any such thing on the screen the politically-minded censor tries to clamp the lid. It appears to be applying -j the well known ostrich with his' head in the sand theory to the idea that if you don't tell people about graft there won't be any graft. Censorship is political. Censorship is un-American. Censorship is inconsistent." Orr added that the Federal and state governments should grant the same freedom of expression to the screen as they do the press. WARNER BROS. SIGN ACTRESS Sheila Terry, who appeared on the stage as Kay Clarke, has been signed by Warner Bros. She appeared on Broadway as understudy to Queenie Smith in "The Little Racketeer," and previously to that in stock. She is now on her way to the coast. HEADS ART CINEMA, INC. New Haven, Conn. — I. B. Richman has been elected president and treas-j urer of the Art Cinema, Inc., 36' Howe St., for which incorporation | papers were recently filed. Clara j Richman is vice-president, and A. Abelson, secretary. Guaranteed Endorsement San Antonio — Something unprecedented in local film history occurred with the local showing of the Warner picture, "The Man Who Played Cod," starring George Arliss, when the leading local civic group granted the following endorsement of the picture: "The claims for this unusual entertainment are guaranteed to be absolutely true and genuine" — (Signed) City of San Antonio, Vigilance Committee.