Harrison's Reports (1933)

36 HARRISON’S REPORTS March 4, 1933 who seem to have an idea that life is not worth living unless it is spent in the gratification of sex desires. And the Hays organization has been indirectly guilty of such a state of affairs, for it has tried right along to neutralize the efforts of those who have endeavored to implant new thoughts and different opinions in the minds of these persons out of a belief that permanent success for the industry lies in an appeal, not to the flesh, but to the mind. “As the machine constantly increases the amount of leisure time at the disposal of modern man,’’ says the Milliken article elsewhere, “it becomes corre.spondingly necessar) that community leadership concern itself with ways and means to develop public taste that will result in the wise beneficial use of that leisure.’’ Nonsense ! How can “community ladership” develop “public taste” with such material as "The Secret of Madame Blanche.” distorted to the limitations of the minds of those who have produced it, “So This Is Africa,” where no vulgarity has been left out of it. “The Shame of Temple Drake,” taken from a book that deals with degeneracy and sexual perversion, and other material of this kind? And isn't it passing the buck? The place where taste must be developed is not in the communities. where pictures are shown, but in Hollywood, where pictures are produced, and in the home offices of the producers, where the picture material is frequently selected. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH “SO THIS IS AFRICA!”? “So This Is Africa!’’ is so vulgar, so coarse, so low, that ninety-five per cent of those of you who have your theatre in a small town will not be able to show it. If you should show it, I am sure that it would take months and months before you could offset the ill feeling that will be created among the people of your community. They will class you as coarse and vulgar, as a being without any finer feelings, without any civic pride, without any moral responsibility. They will, in fact, think you a moral leper. If any one should attempt to force you to show it, call on your ministers and on the leaders of your community and ask their help. Make them understand that you are not responsible for the production of this type of pictures, that you do not want to show them, that you are forced to do so for it would bankrupt you if you were to pay for them and not show them, enlisting their aid towards a law such as Bill S. 3770, whic'n will be the only means by which you will be enabled to reject such pictures. Let them write to the Columbia Corporation, demanding that they release you from playing it. It is useless for them to write to the Hays organization. THE CONDITION OF MGM Looking into the New York Times of Thursflay. February 16, 1 read the following news item in the financial page : “Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (entire common stock of which is owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation, subsidiary of Loew’s. Inc.) — Twelve weeks ended Nov. 24: Net profit after taxes, $93.91 1, equivalent to 60 cent' a share on 1 57.93^ shares of preferred stock, against $434.066, or $2.69 a share on 161,654 shares of preferred in the twelve weeks ended Nov. 20. 1931. Gross profit, $1,197,583, against $1,745-515 in tiie pre ceding years; operating profit, $50,675, against $357>67i ; total income, before taxes, $109,837, against $493,257.” And yet Louis B. Mayer has engaged his son-inlaw David Selznick at $4,000 a week, furnishing him a special building on the lot (now being constructed in the studio) and a private publicity agent. FOX SUBSTITUTIONS “Broadway Bad,” “Smoke Lightning,” “Dangerously Yours,” “Hot Pepper,” “Robbers’ Roost,” “Me and My Gal,” “Call Her Savage,” “Tess of the Storm Country,” “Too Busy to Work,” “Golden West,” “Racketv Rax.” "Six Hours to Live,” “Wild Girl,” "Hat Check Girl,” “Chandu,” “Down to Earth,” and “Congorilla” are not substitutions. “Infernal Machine” ( 17) : This has replaced “On Parade.” descrilied in the contract as a storj' of modern youth, but since no author is given it cannot be pinned down as a substitution. “Second Hand Wife” (12): This is replacing “Okay.” which was to feature James Dunn and Sally Filers. Sally Eilers is in “Second Hand Wife.” but Jame> Dunn is not; therefore, it is a star substitution. "Face in the Sky” (32) : This has replaced what is described in the contract as "Landi No. 4”; therefore it is a star .substitution. “Handle with Care” (15): This is replacing “Born Wild.” which was to have starred James Dunn and Sally Eilers. Since James Dunn appears in it one cannot very well class it as a star substitution— even though Sally Eilers is absent from it. “Sherlock Holmes,” (16): This is replacing “Havoc,” which was to have been ba.sed on the play by Harry Wall. Since “Sherlock Holmes” is by Conan Doyle, it is a ston. substitution. Some contracts contain “Sherlock Holmes” instead of “Havoc.” In such cases it is not a substitution. For all substitutions in the future watch the footnote in each review. THE EFFECT OF THE EDITORIAL ON SCREEN ADVERTISING In the issue of January 14 I dealt with an appeal from the editor of a newspaper requesting my help for inducing his local exhibitor to give up his screen advertising activities. At tliat time I did not mention the town or the name of the newspaper editor ; but I am now at liberty to do so. The town was M'ayzata, Minnesota, and the name of the editor. Palmer Holman, publisher of the “Minnetonka Herald.” As a result of that article, Mr. Holman informed me in the same week that Messrs. Garish and Lee, the owners of the local theatre, to whom I had sent a copy of that issue, gave up their screen advertising entirely. Mr. Holman was so pleased wa’th the results that he wrote to the Minnesota Editorial Association. National Editorial Association, the NationalPrinter-Journalist, Printers Statemanship Magazine, Printers Ink. and others. That editorial together with Mr. Holman’s letter is being reproduced by several newspaper magazines and many newspaper organizations in their confidential bulletins, with the result that considerable good will is being created for the exhibitors. Most of that editorial has appeared also in American Press, published in New York City.