Harrison's Reports (1959)

November 14, 1959 HARRISON'S REPORTS 183 ANOTHER REMEDY The newest craze to hit this country seems to be "what's wrong with the film industry — and I know the answer." The latest to enter into what threatens to become the biggest parlor game since Scrabble, is Mrs. Margaret G. Twyman, director of community relations for the Motion Picture Association of America. The problem with the film industry, according to Mrs. Twyman, is that "there has been a break in communications between the theatre owner and the women of his community." According to Mrs. Twyman, "big corporations and little businesses alike have awakened to this fact, but our industry continues to drag its heels for the most part in accepting this fact of life." Mrs. Twyman was "horrified" to learn that very few women among those of her acquaintance or questioning, it was never quite made clear, knew the names of the theatre owner. "Your organized community," warned Mrs. Twy man, " must know you exist and know you are interested in them, not just after their loose money." Mrs. Twyman then cautioned theatre owners to, "know your customers, buy for them and appeal to them with the kind of exploitation you know they will accept and respond to without distaste and confusion about the films you are showing." Unfortunately for the theatre owner, Mrs. Twyman's suggestions, while they might be of merit, are thoroughly impractical in the movie industry of today. It is terribly simple to stand on a platform in Chicago and tell theatre owners that they must buy a product suitable for their community. It is also a proper method of doing business. But what of the theatre owner who has no choice as to product be' cause of the product shortage. Should he pass up a picture and darken his theatre because the only pictures available to him are unsuitable for his community? Or should he just play the picture and hope for the best? The suggestions made by Mrs. Twyman are fine enough when placed off in a little glass cage, but when applied to the practical aspects of the industry, they are barely useful. We quite agree that theatre owners should become a force in their community. And many are, but the problem of the film business is hardly that of community relations. The problem is larger and more complex and any attempt to simplify them as Mrs. Twyman has attempted, is pure balderdash. BINDERS AVAILABLE Special binders which clamp copies of Harrison's Reports in place on the wide margin without making it necessary to punch holes in them, may be purchased by writing to the office of this paper at 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N.Y. The cost to subscribers in the United States is $2.00 per binder, parcel post prepaid. The cost to Canadian subscribers is $2.25 per binder, parcel post prepaid. The cost to all other foreign subscribers is $2.00 per binder, plus the parcel post charges. These binders make Harrison's Reports convenient to handle and easy for reference when looking up the information contained therein. A SEAL FOR "HAPPY" At the request of the Production Code Review Board the producers and distributors of "Happy Anniversary" and the director of the Production Code Administration have met and come to an agreement that brings the film into conformity with the Production Code. The only change required was the addition of a line of dialogue; "I was wrong," says Niven in the film, "I should never have taken Alice to that hotel room before we were married. What could have I been thinking of?" Readers of Harrison's Reports will recall that in our review of the film (October 31, 1959) we described the film as representing, "a new low in tastelessness." Our opinion of the film, despite the addition of the single line of dialogue giving the actions of Niven in the film "moral compensation," still remains what it was originally. However, our opinion of the film is relatively unimportant to the larger issues involved. The mere fact that the Review Board met is an important step forward in the thorny history of the problem of selfregulation in the industry. It would have been too much to hope that the first meeting would have resulted in a complete vie tory for the side of moral decency. But we are satisfied that exhibition is being consulted about the con' tent of the films they are showing and pleased with this harbinger of better times. OUR KIND READERS BOMBAY, INDIA — We are most anxious, after reading your review of the film, "The Big Circus," to obtain distribution rights to the film for all of India. Would you please let us have the address of the party whom we should contact? Further, we are interested in buying good action pictures and jungle pictures from the film producers of the U.S.A. Would you be kind enough to let us have a list of addresses of parties who are eager to export same to India? Thank you. UNITED PIONEER FILMS, LTD. EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, "The Big Circus" already was assigned at the time of the receipt of the letter. However, we suggest that interested producers contact the above at 386 C Vithalbai Patel Road, Bombay 4, India. CHECK YOUR FILES FOR MISSING COPIES Now and then a copy of Harrison's Reports is either lost in the mails or strays from your desk in mysterious fashion, but you are not aware that it is missing until you look up some information that you need immediately. In such a case the inconvenience is great indeed. Why not look over your files now to discover whether an issue or two is missing? A sufficient number of back copies are kept in stock for such emergencies. All such copies are furnished to subscribers on request, free of charge.