Harrison's Reports (1941)

4 HARRISON'S REPORTS January 4, 1941 pictures, both the seller and the buyer should abide by its terms and should do everything possible to make the best of it. These men have announced that they intend to sell their product in full harmony with the letter and the spirit of the Decree. They will seek no loophole or shortcut nor try to evade any of its requirements, and although they concede that arbitration is a great thing for the industry, they will try to carry on their business in such a way as to satisfy each customer fully, and thus avoid the necessity for arbitration. They place the responsibility for selling, not only pictures, but also a fair clearance, upon their salesmen, branch managers and division managers, and, as in the case of some of the other distributors, they will compel the field forces of the company, who are in direct contact with the exhibitors, to assume personally the full responsibility for any violations of the Decree. Since they have decided to put this responsibility on the men in the field, they have, with commendable foresight, undertaken a system of education for these men concerning the requirements of the Decree. Letters of instruction have been sent to the field men by the general counsel of the company, who will also meet with them on personally conducted meetings at twelve of the exchanges, while other members of the legal staff will explain the Decree at the different branches throughout the country. Moreover, the general counsel is preparing a manual outlining and explaining the provisions of the Decree, copies of which will be placed in the hands of every salesman. In his letter of instructions, the general counsel of Twentieth Century-Fox makes the significant statement that "if our job of selling is properly done, the clearance we sell should never have to be arbitrated." It is to be hoped that the executives of the other distributors will assume the same kind of attitude, and will prepare their sales forces for the new order of things under the Decree. With the distribution forces thus united in their desire to sell in accordance with the provisions of the Decree, and with the exhibitors, even those who had opposed the Decree, manifesting their intention to cooperate fully with the government in giving the Decree a fair trial, all branches of the industry should profit from the benefits that the new selling system may make possible. * * * THE EXECUTIVES OF several distributing companies have revealed a definite policy to place the responsibility for any future complaints by exhibitors directly on the shoulders of the film salesmen. In the past, when the exhibitor made a complaint about some exceptionally harsh terms that had been imposed upon him by the salesman, or about the shorts, newsreels and trailers he had been compelled to buy in order to get the contract for features, the salesman would say that he had merely carried out the instructions of the home office ; the home office would disclaim knowledge of any such instructions, and would say that either the salesman had acted on his own initiative, or the exhibitor was laboring under a complete illusion. Now that the distributors announce publicly that they will not take any chances of being held in contempt of court under the Consent Decree for some sharp practice by a salesman, and that any salesman who tries to execute some neat little trick of his own conception will have to take the full responsibility for it, there should be few tricks pulled by the salesmen, for they will no longer be able to avoid the consequences of their actions by "passing the buck." Thanks to the Consent Decree, the selling of pictures should become a better and cleaner business than it has ever been. A beneficial result should be obtained also in the production end of the business, for with the selling of pictures in groups of five, which no doubt will gradually change to the selling of pictures singly, the chief consideration in each sale will be the merit of the picture. To enable the salesmen to make sales, the studios will have to turn out good pictures. The men who produce such pictures will command high salaries, and the studios will be happy to pay them. The men who consistently produce product of inferior quality will become a drag on their employers, who will soon find it much too unprofitable to retain them on the pay-rolls. To a far greater degree than most producers had ever thought possible will be the establishment of unit production, which this paper has advocated for years. The unit producer will be given complete charge of the pro duction of a picture. He will have to approve the story, the cast, the director and every move that may be required to turn out the finished product. And he alone will have to take the blame if the picture should turn out to be unsalable. Placing the full responsibility for the product on the shoulders of the man who is' actually in charge of the creation of that product will'move him to exert all his efforts and to make use of all his talents in doing the work for which he is hired. It is amazing what a man of ability can accomplish when he is made to assume full responsibility for his conduct! Don't be surprised to find better pictures coming out of Hollywood, and a happier relationship growing up between the buyer and the seller of those pictures. * * * HATS OFF TO Nicholas M. Schenck, president of Loews ! He seems to have remembered the vehement protests of the exhibitors against motion picture stars appearing on radio programs. Not so long ago the number of outstanding film actors and actresses on the radio's national hook-ups was appalling. While the exhibitor waited at the box-office for his patrons, the performers who were then starring on his screen were at the very same time giving those patrons a radio show free of charge. Following a loud and sustained protest by exhibitors generally, the producer-distributors either curtailed or abandoned the practice of lending their stars to their competitor broadcasting companies, a practice that was destined to undermine seriously the picture business. Recently, a sponsor who had beer, interested in a new MGM radio program was turned down by Nicholas M. Schenck. He refused to permit his studio forces to participate in the production of a new radio show, because such a show would be "against the best interests of the exhibitors." In commending Mr. Schenck, Harrison's Reports wishes to add that such a show would be against the best interests of the entire motion picture industry, and that all the leaders of the industry should remain alert against any further attempts by the radio people to encroach upon the picture business. PICTURES NOW IN PRODUCTION Columbia 'TONE WOLF TAKES A CHANCE," with Warren William, Henry Wilcoxon, June Storey, and Eric Blore. The pictures in this series are usually pretty good program melodramas with comedy. Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer "RAGE IN HEAVEN," with Robert Montgomery, Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders, and Lucile Watson. No facts are available about the story, except that it is to be adapted from a story by James Hilton, who wrote "Goodbye Mr. Chips." The players mentioned are good, and so the picture may turn out good to very good. Twentieth Century-Fox "SCOTLAND YARD," appraised in the December 21 issue as "Uncensored." United Artists "POT O'GOLD," with James Stewart, Paulette Goddard, Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights, Dick Hogan, and Mary Gordon. This picture is to be produced by James Roosevelt's company. No facts are available about the story ; but the cast is good. Universal "BUCK PRIVATES," with The Andrews Sisters, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Jane Frazee, Lee Bowman, Alan Curtis, and Leonard Elliott. This will probably be a comedy on army life. Exhibitors who have played "One Night In the Tropics" will be in a position to judge whether Abbott and Costello are drawing cards in their theatres. The cast looks pretty good ; most likely the picture will turn out a pretty good comedy. Warner-First National "MURDER ON THE SECOND FLOOR," with Bruce Lester, Heather Angel, Paul Cavanaugh, Frieda Inescort, Mary Field' and Miles Mander. The cast does not warrant more than a prograrn rating for the picture.