Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1949)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, July 18, 1949 Personal Mention ST? Pa 'TANTON GRIFFIS, head of ^aramount's executive committee and director of United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees, will enter the Presbyterian Medical Center here to day for eye surgery. • Mrs. En Kuykendall, widow of the former Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America president, returned to Columbus, Aliss., on Friday after a New York visit. • Moe Kerman, president of Favorite Film Corp., accompanied by Mrs Kermax. will sail on Friday on the o.>S". A iezv Amstcrdain for a six-wee trip through Europe. • Max Mellincoff, Eastern Massachusetts district manager for Warner Theatres, and Mrs. Mellincoff have returned to Hartford from a visit to England. • Joe Kaufman, Roy Del Ruth as sociate producer, is in New York from the Coast and will leave in two weeks for Europe. • Hank Jacobs, Eagle-Lion artist, is the father of his first child, Carol ANN, born at the Bronx Maternity Hospital. • J. YY. Piper, Paramount International assistant secretary, has returned to New York from a vacation in London. • Fred Gluckman, of Nu Screen will be in Dallas today from New York. Peerless Has New Unit, Coast Station A new special services station has been opened in Hollywood hy the Peerless Film Processing Corp., it is announced here, where treatments of both old and new film are available, and where producers with limited facilities may cut and edit. The station is equipped with a new Peerless film treatment unit, recently put on the market, .which is designed for use where space is limited and the amount of film handled does not require a large machine. 67 Booths for TO A Equipment Display Hollywood. July 17.— R. H. McCullough, chairman of the exhibits committee for the Theatre Owners of America convention, to be held here September 12-15. has disclosed that 67 booths, housing the latest developments in theatre, projection and sound equipment, will be on view. Marty Wolf Heads N.Y. Altec Sales Marty Wolf has been appointed sales representative in the New York district for Altec Service Corp. by H. M. Bessey, executive dent. Tradewise . By SHERWIN KANE J. vice-presi \RTHUR RANK, in his annual report to the British Film Producers Association, finally said of British pictures that which Americans have been saying of them for years. "There has been," said Rank, "too large a proportion of bad or mediocre films" made by British producers in the 1948'49 season. Americans, of course, would not confine that pronouncement to the past year only. They have been saying that for a much longer time. Rank has been told by Americans again and again that British pictures do not measure up to the standards, tastes or expectancies of the American motion picture audience ; that neither Rank nor other British producers will successfully invade the American market with their "too large a proportion of bad or mediocre films." Rank, however, has preferred in the past not to acknowledge the mediocrity of British producers' offerings. Instead, he has charged at every opportunity that American exhibitors and distributors have engaged in a conspiracy to bar British films from American screens. American protestations that a film of good quality always is welcome here, and always will command playing time, have fallen on deaf ears, insofar as Rank was concerned. Perhaps his continuing experience in this market with "Hamlet" and "The Red Shoes," "Quartet," and several others of his better pictures have helped to convince him. Perhaps it was more immediate experience, of a less happy kind, with British attractions in his own theatres, which at long last rewarded Rank with the ability to make the same objective appraisal of British product that it gets from the American industry. Whatever the reason, it is to be welcomed, for it is most essential to understanding between the two industries and to future improvement of British motion pictures. Without that objectivity outstanding British films will be as few and far between as they have in the past. With it, their quality is certain to be improved, eventually to the point where they will find the universal acceptance the British desire so much and have done so little to attain. • • Newspaper and magazine reviewers who currently are raving about the W. C. Fields' comedy reissues remind Universalites of the panning the same pictures took from the reviewers when they were first released. "Better late than never," perhaps, but some comments actually sound as though the reviewers were just "discovering" the late comedian. No doubt they will conclude the chapter by blaming Hollywood for keeping Fields' talents hidden from the public all these years, conveniently forgetting that they, their predecessors and their publications did what they could in bygone 3'ears to discourage the public from enjoying those pictures. The same tale may be told in years to come of many a current release that some reviewers have dismissed with curt disdain. The gossip in publishing circles is that the circulation graphs across the way in the Time-Life-Fortune shop in Rockefeller Center have been displaying a consistently downward curve. Also that Henry Luce, boss man, became concerned enough to sit personally at the editorial desk of Life. Perhaps the motion picture industry could be of gratuitous assistance. What's to prevent us from going into the highways and byways conducting a round table on "What's with Life?" And perhaps publishing the results in the newsreels. Industry public relations planners would do well to remember that the work of the motion picture in good causes rarely ceases. On June 30 the industry concluded its part in the highly successful savings bond drive for the Treasury. It is engaged now in sponsoring and providing exhibition for that fine Disabled American Veterans short subject, "How Much Do You Owe !" It is further evidence of the industry's continuing desire to be of public service, of its perennial willingness to assist with worthy causes. The best of all public relations derive from public service. Trouble with the industry is it doesn't talk enough about its good works. Newsreel Parade rJ1 HE tragic air disasters and PresiA dent Truman's report to the nation arc current newsreel highlights. Other items include fleet maneuvers, all-star bail game, and fashions. Complete contents follow. MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 57— Two air disasters cause large loss of life. President Truman says U. S. can prevent a depression. Bathing suit fashions. All-star baseball. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 291— Some 79 perish in two plane crashes. West European fleets in battle drill. Motor-boat thriller. All-star baseball. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 94— Tragic air crashes in California and India. President Truman reports on the economic state of the nation. All-star baseball. TEEENEWS DIGEST, No. 29-A— Air crashes in California and India. President Truman explains his program to the nation. Washington: Nation guards secret report. Red PW's riot in Japan. All-star ball game. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 265— President Truman denies slump; wants budget upheld. Seventy-nine die in plane crashes. Western nations' fleet operations. Religion: Eucharistic Congress denounces Communism. Boat race. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 96— Air crashes. Fleet maneuvers. President Truman's speech. Kids, cowboy fashions. Speedboat soapbox derby. All-star baseball. Production Abroad Is Not Increasing Hollywood, July 17.— Critics of film production abroad by American companies queried Eric Johnston last week when the Motion Picture Association of America president appeared before the Motion Picture Industry Council and were assured the practice is not increasing. Johnston was questioned by John Dales, Jr., executive secretary of the Screen Actors Guild, and Roy Brewer, international representative of IATSE, who oppose increased production of pictures abroad by American producers because of its effect on tudio employment here. Johnston said he did not believe any real increase in production abroad by American producers has occurred or will and pointed out that published accounts of advantages accruing from blocked currencies are largely fallacious, and that many announced pictures are never made. Dore Schary, M-G-M vice-president, supported Johnston in this contention and said that the only pictures that can be more advantageously made abroad are those with foreign settings. He predicted that the year's record will show no more American pictures filmed overseas than in the prewar period. UFA to Be Broken Up Into Small Units Frankfort, Germany, July 17. — Breakup of the UFA Film Co., before the war Germany's largest motion picture company, into small units to be sold has been agreed upon by the United States-British Bipartite Commission. Most UFA properties are in the Russian zone, but the remainder will be placed on sale. Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, "tY t20' N' Y' Te,er>hone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, Iheo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer: Leo J. Brady. Secretary; Editor. Chicago Bureau, 120 South' La" Salle sWeet "EdYtoriaf anlf AAv7r%\^"h^ "°<?uct'?". Manager. Hollywood Bureau. Yucca-Vine Building, William R. Weaver. J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D C London Bureau 4 Golden In rZ I w7' £ £ Smg ReP/esentative ; Jimmy Aseher. Editorial Representative. Washington. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald better Theatres ind ^^\'r^^mal^'^^rr?i^Wseri Peter Burnup, Editor ; cable address, "Quigpubco, London. " Motion Picture Almanac.: Fame Entered as second clat ,™™Tlepf ^ ^section of. Motion Picture Herald ; International year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c. * ' e X0TK' Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per