Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

Tuesday, March 28, 1944 Motion Picture Daily IFind Solution for Draft Problem of Raw Stock Workers Hays Stresses Rise in Escapist and War Films (Continued from page 1) tion of deferments would apply to all men up to 38. Because of the length of time required to attain a high degree of skill ■^■ynen engaged in rawstock manufac,Jt£^, Burrows explained, the companies i.^e very few key men under 26, and in the case of those it is believed that 'the endorsement of Army, Navy or WPB officials will be sufficient to secure a continued deferment. The war agencies also are to compile lists of war activities and of specific establishments in those activities in which key registrants under the age of 26 may be considered for occupational deferment. The film manufacturers have been asked to develop such lists and submit them to Burrows as the basis for official listings. The withdrawal from industry of men under 26 is not expected to interfere with the production of 35mm film, Burrows said. General Precision Nets $1,225,907 (Continued from page 1) standing, compared with $2.16 per share earned in 1942. The income report included $371,200 received in dividends on the company's $5,016,816 investment in 185,600 shares of 20th Century-Fox Film common. Sales by all GPE subsidiaries for the year came to $20,964,525, compared to $17,317,494 in 1942; other income, including the 20th-Fox dividend, was $450,999. Deductions from the gross included $14,041,338 for cost of sales, $2,639,849 for; expenses, $458,700 normal tax and surtax, $2,580,660 for excess profits tax, and $439,070 provision for renegotiation and adjustment of Federal taxes. The 1943 balance sheet sh»ws current assets of $12,415,147 and current liabilities of $5,003,145. Investments, postwar refund, capital assets and deferred charges bring the total assets up to $19,252,617, which, after deductions for mortgage notes payable, deferred credits, reserves, etc., leaves a surplus of $13,842,300. Earle G. Hines, president of the company, stated : The financial statements include the assets and liabilities of Motion Picture Engineering Corp., a new subsidiary. Selznick* s Talent Agency to Continue (Continued from page 1) tors, who are David O. Selznick, his brother ; an uncle, Charles H. Sachs of Pittsburgh, and the Bank of America. David Selznick has been appointed special administrator by the court. Lester W. Roth, Myron Selznick attorney, stated last night that Selznick's will names as beneficiaries his daughter, Joan Selznick and his mother, Mrs. Florence A. Selznick. There are bequests to a number of individuals and personal effects go to his brother, David, and to his daughter, while a separate trust fund makes provision for a number of charities. (Continued from page 1) problem" class, which underscored Hays' statement that "the screen would fail lamentably if it did not alert the vast millions at home to the conditions under which we must fight this war." "Escapist" comedies rose from 65 to 109, with musicals jumping from 30 to 67, pointing up Hays' further statement that "there are no better morale builders than films of this character." Speaking of programs for men in the service, he added, "It is easy to see why they prefer entertainment that brings laughter, music and fun, memories of home." The PCA's figures recorded a sharp drop in "melodramas" during the year, from 215 to 87. Westerns went down from 1 12 to 83 ; crime features from 17 to 7. "Coming pictures," Hays predicted, "will meet every problem of morale, recreation and information. His report pointed out that during 1943 Hollywood supplied films to an audience of 90,000,000 weekly in 16,793 theatres of this country, to 6,000 LatinAmerican theatres and to thousands in other nations. Hays cited the industry's gift of 9,507 prints of 218 current features to men in combat areas. Speaking of 708 training films produced by the Army to date, with the industry contributing 108 on a non-profit basis, Hays said : "The use of films in military training has reduced training time by 40 per cent." 502 Newsreels Shown "During the year," Hays continued, "502 reels of news were flashed on this country's screens. More than 4,000 separate pictorial subjects, on 1,446 different events, were covered. Of these, 39.8 per cent portrayed activities of the fighting forces of the United Nations." With regard to censorship, Hays said, "Notwithstanding war-time pressures toward the relaxation of regulations, it is a pleasure to report the successful operations of the Production Code Administration." He added that 16 scripts, rejected originally, were approved after revisions, as were seven completed features. Only one feature, undisclosed, was finally rejected entirely. Of the 417 passed by the PCA, 256 were from MPPDA member companies, 141 were from non-member companies, and 20 were foreign. Also approved were 449 shorts, 440 of them from member companies. 42,000 Titles Registered The MPPDA title registration bureau, the report added, now contains 42,000 titles, having registered 2,770 new ones during the year. Hays announced that the serious problem of freezing of foreign revenues was now resolved except for restrictions in China and temporarily in North Africa. "With reference to foreign censorship," he added, "the chief excuse for censorship in neutral countries now stems from their desire to avoid offense to the Axis." Also pointed out was the fact that "a major development in the direction of a free and unhampered exchange of film products" between the U. S. and England came during the year with the termination of the Film Agreements, resulting in the removal of special restrictions on the transfer of film rental and the complete defreezing of American companies' funds in the United Kingdom." In this connection, Hays added, "The basis of motion picture competition within our own country or between producing nations is artistic worth. The only measure of acceptance is the approval of the motion picture audience. The motion picture industry of the United States asks no more than the opportunity to compete on this basis for world screen time, and our market offers no less to the film entertainment of other nations." Turning to the subject of classroom films, Hays reported that in 1943 the American Council on Education invited industry leaders to a series of conferences, which resulted in a five-year program calling for the establishment of a U. S. commission on motion pictures in education. He added that in the past four years over 6,000 additional 16mm reels have been placed in educational film libraries. Speaking of the coming conversion from war to peace, Hays referred to the film as "a plowshare as well as a sword. It will be more important," he said, "to rebuild the cultural and moral elements of society than merely to replace brick and stone, and this is a challenge which the films can and must help to meet." As for technical possibilities in the postwar era, he mentioned researches now being carried on and plans being made in the fields of electronics, television, etc. Completing ten years of self-regulation under the present Advertising Code, Hays said no press books were discarded in 1943 and there were no major advertising copy derelictions. Last year the administration discarded or revised 650 of 82,845 Hollywood stills submitted, 18 of 1,541 New York stills, 253 of 9,243 advertisements, four of 8,487 publicity stories, eight of 6,377 exploitation ideas, three of 5,562 miscellaneous accessories, 49 of 1,458 posters and five of 405 trailers. Approved were 310 press books from member companies and 126 from non-members. To Discuss International Film Exchange Further Among matters briefly discussed at yesterday's annual meeting of the MPPDA here, and slated for further consideration when the meeting reconvenes April 14, was the extension of the association's interest in "a free and unhampered exchange' of film products between the nations of the world, and adequate representation abroad in collaboration with the foreign departments of the members of the association to encourage this." Details of the foreign departments' plan for industry representation in the strategic world capitals were published! exclusively in Motion Picture Daily on March 23. 5 Fabian Buys Half Interest In W. and V. (Continued from page 1) chairman of the board, and Samuel Rosen, treasurer. Vincent yesterday admitted to Motion Picture Daily consummation of Fabian's purchase, although he declined to disclose the purchase price. However, it was learned elsewhere that of several groups which had made recent bids for the Wilmer estate's half-ownership, one bid reputedly set at $2,000,000 was made by a group headed by Harry E. Edington, Coast talent agent and producer, as reported in Motion Picture Daily March 21. Fabian on his own operates about 35 theatres in New York State, and in these there will be no interlocking corporate tieup with Wilmer and Vincent. .However, from Vincent's disclosure that the Fabian and Wilmer and Vincent circuits would "operate very closely," there is seen the probability that buying and booking will be done in combination for both groups, forging single buying power for some 57 theatres. Will Share Management Fabian will share actual management of the W. and V. group equally with Vincent. The latter is understood to be uninterested in several offers made to him by various groups for the sale of his share of the properties. There will be no other W. and V. management change. The Fabian deal is the largest transaction in independent exhibition in several years ; in affiliated circuit operations there have been no turnovers of any size since the consent decree bound the majors to refrain from expansion without Governmental approval. Trade Must Cure Own Ills: Rodgers (Continued from page 1) together find the ways and means whereby the industry can progress without unnecessary restrictions. "Of course there have been abuses that can and should be corrected," Rodgers said. "Yet, in doing so, if the entire structure is to be destroyed in its accomplishment by restrictive regulation unecessary for the vast majority, then each vital stem of a great industry will suffer proportionately." Rodgers emphasized that he was speaking not for his company but as an individual "who deplores the lack of unity of thought when it is so evident all branches have the identical obj ective." Rodgers said that the company's recent action in announcing a new release block of only five features does not indicate a change in its policy of releasing larger blocks. The company, he said, will have only five features completed and available for trade showing by the end of April. Discussing forthcoming M-G-M product, Rodgers described some of it as "the best of its kind ever to come from our studio." Seven M-G-M features to be released in the next six months will be in Technicolor, he said.