Harrison's Reports (1949)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New Yurk, 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 , „ M v Publisher Canada 16.50 Wew York zu» * P. S. HARRISON, Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Great Britain 17.50 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1 1919 Australia, New Zealand, India, Europe, Asia 17.50 Itg EdUorial 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. XXXI SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 1949 No. 5 THE SPIDER AND THE FLY Samuel Goldwyn has resigned from the Motion Picture Association of America, of which Mr. Eric Johnston is president, as a result of his belief that the future of motion pictures is bound up with the efforts of the Society of In' dependent Motion Picture Producers. In a formal statement that he gave, not only to the trade press, but also the national press associations, Mr. Goldwyn said that he had found himself unable to agree conscientiously with many of the policies formulated by the producer's association, which policies are, in his belief, detrimental to the interests of the independent producers. "The fight of the independent producers for an open market," Goldwyn stated, "is a fight for survival, not only for themselves and their employees, but also for the continuance of the independent creative efforts which have contributed so much to the vitality of the screen. . . . ". . . From now on, I intend to concentrate my energies on the efforts of the society to bring about a fair deal for the independent producers." Hitting back at Sam Goldwyn, Eric Johnston issued the following statement: "Our members ... are relieved by Mr. Goldwyn's withdrawal. During his association with us he has demonstrated a unique and singular flair for saying one thing and doing exactly the opposite. "Mr. Goldwyn's material success in the motion picture industry — he is a multi-millionaire — is irrefutable proof that free enterprise and free opportunity exist in a very real and positive way for all producers. "Mr. Goldwyn's statement is the latest example of his penchant for getting into violent disagreement with himself on all sides of a question. "The reaction of the (MPA) members . . . can be summarized in one word : 'Good.' " In a quick reply, Mr. Goldwyn let go full blast at Johnston, charging him with manners that "are as bad as his judgment," and accusing him of turning the MPAA office into a personal press bureau for himself. Additionally, Mr. Goldwyn charged that the industry's public relations have declined "alarmingly," and that its financial position has "deteriorated," ever since Mr. Johnston became head of the MPAA. Mr. Goldwyn concluded his scathing retort by stating: "The industry has survived many misfortunes and I am confident that it will survive Eric Johnston." By descending to personalities in his quarrel with Mr. Goldwyn, Eric Johnston stepped right into the trap that Goldwyn had set for him. Mr. Johnston ought to have known by this time that Samuel Goldwyn is a master strategist when it comes to carrying out designs to get his name in the newspapers. Goldwyn thrives on publicity, for every time he succeeds in getting his name into the newspapers he invariably slants the story in a way that indicates that, unlike most producers, he is a maker of fine pictures. Such publicity, of course, means more customers for his pictures and enables him to demand higher rentals from the exhibitors. Early in my career as publisher of Harrison's Reports, Charles L. O'Reilly, a former exhibitor leader and now the successful head of a candy-vending group, told me that there were more politics played in the motion picture industry than among political parties. And since then I have found it to be true. Mr. Johnston does not seem to understand industry politics — at least not yet. In time one acquires the instinct. He has not been in the industry long enough, however, to acquire it. But he is surrounded by several aides who understand industry politics and who are, for this reason, fully capable of giving him the correct advice. Unfortunately, he did not consult with them before issuing that statement. Thus he did exactly what Sam Goldwyn wanted him to do. The fact that most of the major company heads were with Mr. Johnston in Miami when Goldwyn issued his blast, and were, no doubt, angered by it, may be one of the reasons why he did not consult with his expert psychologists. Had he consulted with them, he would have been advised, either to ignore Goldwyn's statement, or to frame his answer in a way that would discourage Goldwyn from rushing to the press with statements in the future. For instance, Mr. Johnston could have told the public that, if the industry had to depend on the pictures that Mr. Goldwyn produces, no matter how good (and he has made some pretty bad ones in his time), the exhibitors would have gone bankrupt a long time ago. The statement might have gone so far as to mention the few pictures produced by Mr. Goldwyn in the last few years as compared with the hundreds produced by the major companies, pointing out that this constant flow of major studio product enables the theatres to remain in business, thus providing Mr. Goldwyn with the necessary outlets for the few pictures he produces. Without these outlets, Mr. Goldwyn would be compelled to give up his producing activities. The statement could have also pointed out that, even though Mr. Goldwyn finds fault with the producers' association, he continues to release his pictures through a major distributing organization, which is a member of the producers' association, and that he could not have accumulated his great wealth were it not for the brains and the experience of those who sell his films. One other psychological principle that I learned early in life is never to allow myself to be put on the defensive in an argument, for when a person is on the defensive he uses up all his energies in trying to prove himself right and has no time left to prove his opponent wrong. In an effort to prove Mr. Goldwyn wrong, Mr. Johnston, in his counterblast, put himself, as well as the industry, on the defensive by descending to personalities. His remarks were virtually a personal attack on Goldwyn, a wrong attitude in view of the fact that Goldwyn, in his first statement, confined himself to issues and not to personalities. Since Mr. Johnston felt that a reply to Goldwyn was necessary, he should have chosen some other subject on which to criticize him. For instance, he could have won public opinion to the producers' side by pointing out that, (Continued on bac\ page)