Harrison's Reports (1949)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, VJ21, at the post office 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 M v , M Y Publisher Canada 16.50 INeW tork ZU» n 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 Austraha, New Zealand, India, Europe, Asia .... 17.50 Us Editorial Poiicy: 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, SEPTEMBER 3, 1949 No. 36 THE CHICAGO ALL-INDUSTRY PUBLIC RELATIONS CONFERENCE As most of you undoubtedly know by this time, representatives of all phases of the motion picture industry met in Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for the purpose of formulating a public relations program that would raise the motion picture to a position of esteem as the greatest medium yet devised for entertainment and education, and would gain for the industry the good will of the American public. That the industry took this conference seriously is evidenced by the fact that some sixty delegates, accredited by fourteen diversified industry groups, attended the sessions. The following groups were represented : Motion Picture Association of America; Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors; Independent Theatre Owners of America; Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatre Owners; Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners; Theatre Owners of America; Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers; Motion Picture Industry Council, comprising delegates from IATSE, Screen Actors Guild, Screen Directors Guild, Screen Writ' ers Guild and Associated Motion Picture Producers; and the Trade Press. Following the election of Ned E. Depinet, chair' man of the MPAA Exhibitor'Community Relations Committee, as permanent chairman of the Confer' ence, impressive speeches were made by Mr. Depinet, Eric A. Johnston, Abram F. Myers, George Murphy, Robert J. CDonnell, Harry Brandt, Arthur J. Lockwood, Ellis Arnall, Leonard Spigelgass and Leo Brecher. After the speeches, a planning committee, to which each of the nine groups named a representative, was appointed to evolve a plan of procedure. This committee included Roy Brewer, IATSE; Rotus Harvey, PCCITO; Max A. Cohen, ITOA; William L. Ainsworth, National Allied; Gael Sullivan, TOA; Leo Brecher, MMPTO; Robert J. Rubin, SIMPP; Ned E. Depinet, MPAA; and Abel Green, Trade Press. At the first session, the Conference approved unanimously an agenda dividing the delegates into five committees, each to study a different phase of the public relations problem and to make a report on the following day. The assignments were difficult, and in some cases deliberations continued far into the night, but each of the committees completed its work with admirable speed and was prepared to submit reports and recommendations at the second and final session. The Conference approved unanimously the following recommendations of the Planning Committee : 1. To establish a Conference Committee composed of one representative of each constituent group. 2. To authorize the members of the Planning Committee to represent their organizations on the Conference Committee until their respective groups designate another representative. 3. To authorize each organization to designate alternates to serve on the Conference Committee. 4. To provide that each organization should advise the Conference Committee in writing not later than November 1 whether or not it approves or disapproves the specific actions taken by the Conference. 5. To consider unanimous approval as a mandate to establish a permanent all-industry public relations organization, with further plans for such an organization to be submitted to the constituent groups for their ratification. Unanimously endorsed also were the following reports and recommendations submitted by the five study committees : The General Public Relations Committee, comprised of Mort Blumenstock, as chairman, Martin G. Smith, Jack Alicoate, Ben Shlyen, Art Arthur, Allan Rivkin, Maurice Bergman, Oscar Doob, Harry Brandt, Arthur Lockwood, Earl Hudson, Eddie Silverman, Edmund Reek, Norris Hadaway, Robert J. O'Donnell and Herman Robbins, divided its report in the form of three resolutions. The first was a declaration of principles governing the industry, which called for a national policy-making authority to plan and supervise a comprehensive, continuous public relations program "representing the maximum coordination of all the organizations represented at this Conference." The second resolution endorsed the activities of the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry Council and urged that the Conference implement and support the MPIC program to the fullest possible extent. The third resolution reviewed the different public relations ideas submitted by individuals and groups and, though it found much of the material meritorious, it recommended that action on their acceptance be deferred pending the appointment of a national policy-making authority as called for in the first resolution. The Committee on Better Boxoffice, comprised of Edward Zorn, as chairman, Charles Niles, Chick Lewis, Mo Wax, Harry Brandt, Abel Green, Y. Frank Freeman, Al Rogell, William F. Rodgers, Oscar Doob and Walter Reade, Jr., recommended ,i five-point plan to boost attendance at all types of theatres, regardless of size. This Committee urged (1) that a plan be devised for a nation-wide contest involving audience participation in voting for the best pictures over a given period of time; (2) that the industry adopt slogans, such as "Movies Arc Your Best Buy" or "Hollywood is Clicking," to tie in with all advertising and promotional activity; (?) that an effort be made to promote greater use of (Continued on bac\ page)