Harrison's Reports (1950)

76 HARRISON'S REPORTS May 13, 1950 In proportion to their investment, their risk, and the service rendered to the theatres, the producing companies, since 1947, have either lost money or shown a very slight profit. Twentieth CenturyFox, which is considered a very successful company and a producer of good films year in and year out, had net earnings from film operations only of $3,667,000 in 1947, $3,768,000 in 1948, and $3,899,000 in 1949. Based on the best estimates available, the aggregate theatre profits were around 250 million in 1947, around 200 million in 1948, and around 175 million in 1949. This is a lopsided condition with danger for all of us, most of all for the exhibitor. Every distributor tries to sell pictures on their merits, bearing in mind their tremendous negative costs. While the exhibitor, in increasing his gross, pays more film rental, by the same token the theatre does make more money, and if, through negligence, grosses go down, the theatreman loses money. Colonel Cole's defeatist philosophy would not only eventually force distributors out of business, but the billions invested in the theatres would be imperiled because these theatres would be helpless without good films. In my opinion, the record demonstrates that the sales plan of Twentieth Century-Fox and other companies is a fair basis for increasing grosses as well as profits, and the profit incentive for the exhibitor has in no way been eliminated. As a matter of fact, production is the only part of show business which takes the lion's share of the gamble while the theatres get the lion's share of receipts and profits. Now the great problem of the exhibitor is to see that the producer not only remains in business and has incentive to earn some small profit, but is also encouraged to produce the higher quality films demanded by today's more exacting public tastes. Our industry has reached great heights because it has been the producer's job to create pictures and the exhibitor's job to exploit and sell them to the maximum number of people. To make added concessions or inducements to the exhibitors now beyond the present conditions, and in spite of the unbalanced record, would put the producing companies in the red and force them to make very ordinary pictures that would be detrimental to the theatres. Our record has always been that of serving the exhibitor. We launched a showmanship program in the hope that the present doldrums of low grosses would be changed to high grosses, benefitting producer and exhibitor alike, and in announcing recently that we would not supply films to Phonevision, we are following this same policy of allegiance to the thousands of theatremen who built up this business. If we followed the advice you and Colonel Cole offer, I no doubt would win the short range gratitude of some exhibitors, but I would put my company out of business, for if the plan were followed by everybody the producer would indeed be out of business, and that would be catastrophic to everyone concerned, — the exhibitor in particular. Kindest regards. Sincerely, (signed) Spyros P. Skouras "Motor Patrol" with Don Castle, Jane Nigh and Reed Hadley (Lippert, June 6; time, 67 min.) A good program action melodrama. Although produced on a modest budget, the picture has been given the care usually accorded to much bigger productions. The direction is so good that one feels as if seeing a real-life occurrence. The hit-and-run scene, where the police officer is killed, is realistic. The methods the police authorities employ to trap the crooks are believable. The photography is sharp and clear: — Called to the scene of a hit-and-run accident in which a man is killed, the police are unable to obtain a description of the murderer, but they learn that the dead man had been employed in a used car lot, where Jane Nigh is secretary to the owner. Jane makes a guarded telephone call to Charles Victor, head of a gang that was stealing cars, altering their appearance, and selling them at a good price. She informs him that the police were investigating the hit-and-run death. Meanwhile Reed Hadley, a plain clothes officer, checks a roadside cafe near where the dead man had been found and learns from Sid Melton, the proprietor, that the victim had been in an argument on the night of the murder. While Hadley investigates, Jane and Victor arrive. Victor departs hastily in Jane's car, a stolen one, and Bill Henry, a motorcycle cop, gives chase, killing himself when Victor swerves suddenly and causes him to crash into the stopped car. Don Castle, a rookie cop engaged to Gwen O'Connor, Henry'6 sister, asks to be assigned to the case and gets his wish. Presenting himself to Victor as the representative of a big Chicago car-stealing outfit, Castle wins his confidence and learns much about his operations. But he is exposed as a police officer when the man he was impersonating shows up. Castle starts to fight it out with the crooks just as the police close in on the gang's lair. Victor escapes, but Castle grabs a motorcycle and goes after him. Victor attempts the same maneuver that killed Henry, but Castle, alert, swerves aside while Victor goes to his death when his car plunges over a cliff. Barney Sarecky produced it, and Sam Newfield directed it, from an original story by Maurice Tombragel, and a screen play by the author in collaboration with Orville Hampton. No sex situations are shown. "The Torch" with Paulette Goddard and Pedro Armendariz (Eagle-Lion, June; time, 83 min.) A mixture of war and love, "The Torch" is a refreshing picture in many ways because the story is not of the ordinary run, but on the whole it misses fire. On the credit side, are the exceptionally fine photography, enhanced by the actual, colorful Old Mexican backgrounds; the thrilling fast action, resulting from troop movements of revolutionists; the human interest touches in the story; and the impressive acting of most of the players. On the debit side, are the story's rapidly fluctuating moods, ranging from strong drama to broad comedy, which are disconcerting to the spectator. Another handicap is the unrestrained acting of Paulette Goddard, as a Mexican spitfire who treats the powerful revolutionary general with roughness and contempt; her performance, unlike those of the others, lacks conviction. Pedro Armendariz is believable and impressive as the lovebitten general, and Gilbert Roland is dignified as the Catholic priest. Margarita Luna provokes much laughter as the general's eager aide. The picture was produced in Mexico: — When his Mexican revolutionary army takes over the town of Cholula after driving out the Federal troops, Armendariz orders his soldiers to round up the town's wealthy men, so that he might compel them to contribute to the revolutionary cause. Among these are Julio Villareal, the town's top aristocrat, father of Paulette; Walter Reed, an American doctor engaged to Paulette; and Gilbert Roland, the village priest, an old friend of the general. Villareal, standing on his dignity, refuses to cooperate with the general and is imprisoned. The general, encountering Paulette, makes a complimentary remark to a subordinate about her figure. She overhears the comment and slaps him. Impressed by her beauty and spirit. Armendariz determines to marry her, in spite of the fact that she is engaged to marry Reed. To impress her, he releases her father from prison, then asks permission to call on her, but she refuses. He starts a campaign of letters, flowers and gifts, but Paulette continues to look down upon him because of his peasant birth. She slaps him when he accosts her on the street. Infuriated, he knocks her to the ground, telling her that, if not for her noble birth, she would have been no different from the women camp followers of his army. When an influenza epidemic strikes the town, Paulette and her father prepare to leave, but, when she sees the inferior women doing their best to care for the sick and dying, she decides to offer her help. She becomes a gallant nurse and, despite her efforts to save the general's little foster daughter, the child dies. Armendariz and Paulette are drawn together by their mutual grief. The epidemic is eventually conquered and, on the day of Paulette's marriage to Reed, word comes that Federal troops were approaching the town. Armendariz, unwilling to subject the town to the ravages of war, orders his men to retreat. In the middle of the marriage ceremony, Paulette awakens to the fact that she loves the general. She abandons Reed at the altar, rushes to overtake Armendariz, and becomes his camp follower. It was produced by Bert Granet and directed by Emilio Fernandez, from an original screen play by Inigo de Martino Noriega and the director. Suitable for the family.