Harrison's Reports (1948)

Entered aa e©«ond-eia«» matter January 4, 1921, at the poat offlee at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison's Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc., U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 v L 9ft M V Publisher Canada 16.50 Wew Iork n' p. S. HARRISON, Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.60 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Great Britain 15.70 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1, 1919 Australia, New Zealand, India, Europe, Asia .... 17.60 Jts Edltorlal Policy. No problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622 35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXX SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1948 No. 10 A MISTAKEN NOTION Daily Variety reported recently that, in a letter sent to the London Times, J. Arthur Rank stated that British production is now ready to challenge Holly' wood. "We now have," stated Mr. Rank, "a powerful bargaining weapon in our theatre interests here and overseas," and "our aim is to secure fair showing for our films on the world screens and we are well on our way to achieve this." Were Mr. Rank not filled with patriotic fervor, his letter to the London Times, either would not have been written, or it would not have contained ambi' tious statements that are doubtful of fulfillment. For instance, several weeks after Mr. Rank's letter was published, Tom O'Brien, Labor member of Parlia' ment and general secretary of the British National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees, warned that, unless an early solution was found to the tax deadlock caused by Britain's 75% tax on American film earnings, one hundred thousand British cinema and studio workers would find themselves out of work, and sixty per cent of the British movie theatres would have to shut down. In the face of such a statement, how can Mr. Rank feel that the British film industry is now ready to challenge Hollywood, when it cannot produce enough pictures to either keep its own nationals employed or British theatres operating? And just imagine what will happen to Mr. Rank's own production plans if sixty per cent of the British theatres close down because of a product shortage: His own pictures will bring in less revenue and, with the income much less than it is now, he will be unable to spend as much money on production as he is spending now, with the result that the quality of his pictures will suffer. Not only Mr. Rank but also other British producers have consistently claimed that their pictures are not getting a fair showing on the American screens, indicating, of course, that there is a boycott in the United States against British pictures. The quickest way by which the British producers could ascertain whether such a boycott exists is to buy a few theatres in the United States, preferably choice theatres, if possible, and play British films exclusively, exploiting them in the most sensational way. If the American public should patronize these films, making the theatres' operation profitable, then there can be drawn no other conclusion than that there is a definite boycott. But until such a method is followed, it is unfair for the british Government to condition the remittal of American dollars from Britain to the United States on the number of dollars that British films earn in the United States. The plan has, of course, been tried — a little over two years ago Mr. Rank leased the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway and operated it as a showcase for his pictures, but he was not very successful. Harrison's Reports, however, does not wish to hold up this experiment as an example of what will happen to a new test by reason of the fact that the competition in the Broadway district is too keen to enable one to reach a definite conclusion. But theatres can certainly be bought or leased in better locations, where the theatres have been yielding a profit all along. All the British producers have to do is to offer an attractive price. To the American exhibitor, theatre operating is not a charitable affair. Before booking a film, he wants to be sure that he will at least have a reasonable chance to make a profit. The British producers may argue that such is not the case by reason of the fact that, in the past few years, a number of their films have been acclaimed by the critics yet the exhibitors shied away from them. The answer is that these films, though worthy productions, are the sort that appeal to the few rather than to the many. In other words, they are what is known in the trade as "arty" pictures. What the British producers have yet to learn is that, to the rank-and-file exhibitors in this country, art belongs in a museum. Of course, not all British pictures sent to these shores are of the "arty" type. There have been some good dramas and melodramas, the sort that should appeal to the American masses. But here again the British are up against it, for, even though these films contain ingredients that will please the majority of picture-goers, they lack the one thing that will draw people to the box-office — star value. While the story is all-important, it has been the experience of the American exhibitor that his patrons go to see a film chiefly because their favorite players are in the leading roles. The British players are, in the main, unknown to the American public. Consequently, if an American exhibitor offers very little for an American film, no matter how meritorious, unless a popular player is in the leading role, how can the British producers expect any better treatment when the players in their pictures are practically unknown? Before the British films can become popular in the United States and bring in sufficient revenue to satisfy the British producers, these producers must make their stars known to the American public through the newspapers, magazines and exploitation stunts. Once this is accomplished, and the pictures are of good quality, with British accents that are not too thick to be understood, the American independent exhibitors will be more than glad to book them, not only because they will have a reasonable chance to make a profit, but also because it will pay them to establish another (Continued on last page)