Motion Picture Daily (Apr-June 1956)

6 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, April 24, 19s Johnston Hails Film Quality ( Continued one of the subjects of discussions at today's MPAA board of directors meeting here, spoke of 1955 as a "year of difficult adjustments for the . . . industry." Johnston, in his analysis, said that 1955, however, also marked the year when the producing and distributing branches of the industry "took a second wind and started forward again with new vigor and optimism." Discusses TV Johnston cited the following difficulties for production-distribution in 1955: the growth of television, new production and projection techniques and threatened trouble spots in a number of maior markets abroad. Speaking of TV, Johnston stated that the industry "plunged into new relationships with television, which give promise of an important participation in a new market in a way which strengthens the industry's ability to improve the product for its theatrical customers." Problems and uncertainties in 1955, Johnston continued, were reflected in the volume of business and profits for the year, which did not come up to the reasonable hopes of the industry. Reviews Past 10 Years Under the heading of "A Decade of Change and Challenge," Johnston reviewed some of the highlights of the past 10 years. He noted that "at the close of 1955 efforts were still being made to bring about a peaceful solution of the industry's business problems through a system of arbitration and conciliation." In January of this year, Theatre Owners of America "temporarily" withdrew its approval of the arbitration draft, and no further exhibition-distribution talks on arbitration have been held. 'The Production Code Administration," the review continued, "during the decade was put to a severe test from page 1 ) after divorcement of theatres from the major distributors. The studios and their parent companies have repeatedly rallied to the support of PCA. While some defections within the industry did occur, they were held down to a rare few. A standing committee on the Code has been named by Johnston to make a thorough study of the Code and its operations," the review added. In a footnote to the report, United Artists resignation from MPAA, "effective, Jan. 6, 1956," was noted. UA resigned following the PCA's withholding of a Code Seal from "The Man with the Golden Arm" due to its narcotic theme. Will Oppose Censorship Turning to the problem of government censorship, the review said that Johnston has made it clear that censorship of films would be fought in the legislatures as well as in the courts. Speaking of the Children's Film Library, the review said that recently there have been some setbacks in the program because of the shortage of suitable prints. "However, there are indications that this valuable activity will be renewed and expanded in coming months," the report stated, adding that "successful exhibitors are realizing the great need to build more special programs for children on Saturday. "Today," the report went on, children under 14 years number some 44,000,000 of our total population— an all time high." Canadian Strength Cited Canada as a motion picture market and an example of mutual cooperation was pointed up in the report. "Though television has made some inroads in the past two years," the report stated that Canada's "box-office figures are still running over $100,000,000 a year." PCA Approved More Pictures by MPA Companies in 1955 A greater number of features from member companies of the Motion Picture Association of America were approved by the Production Code Administration in 1955 as compared to 1954, it was disclosed in the MPAA's annual report, released here yesterday. Back to 1945 The report, containing a statistical analysis of the number of films approved by the PCA from 1945 to 1955, reflected the hike in production by the then 10-member MPAA companies, and independents releasing through them. In 1955, 210 features from member companies were approved by the PCA, as compared to 187 in 1954, and against 230 in 1945, considered one of the lush years of the industry. However, in 1945 there were 128 features from non-member MPAA companies receiving PCA approval, as compared to 31 in 1955, indicative of the growing number of independents releasing through major companies. The total number of features approved by the PCA, taking in the domestic and foreign films, member and non-member companies, were 305 in 1955, compared to 303 in 1954 and 390 in 1945. The 1945 total contained one reissue, it was noted. United Artists Included United Artists, which resigned its MPAA membership effective Jan. 6, 1956, according to the report, made up the group of member companies in the statistical analysis which dealt with the period through 1955. The increase in the number of foreign films handled by member-MPAA companies also was reflected in the analysis. The PCA in 1955 approved 45 foreign features handled by member companies, against 41 in 1954 and 14 in 1945. Blank to Visit London LONDON, April 23.-Theatre Owners of America president Myron Blank is expected to arrive here on May 6. He will address the meeting of the Cinema Luncheon Club on May 9 and follow this with informal talks witli leading exhibitors. He had been invited to attend CEA's annual convention May 27-31, but his schedule did not permit him to accept. Duty-Free Exhibits Get Senate Nod From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, April 23.-The Senate Finance Committee approved House-passed bills allowing duty-free importation of articles to be exhibited at the theatre equipment-supply trade show in New York City this fall and at the International Photographic exposition to be held in Washington next spring. Note Increase in Ad Revisions by Code A slight increase in the percentage of advertising and publicity items either disapproved or revised by the Advertising Code Administration in 1955 as compared to 1954 was noted in the annual report of the Motion Picture Association of America, released here yesterday. In 1955, the report stated a total of 159,930 advertising-publicity items were submitted to the ACA, 4,086 of which were either rejected or revised, as compared to 129,229 submitted in and 2,778 rejected or revised in 1954. The percentage of all advertising and publicity items disapproved or revised in 1955 was 2.55 percent for 1955 against 2.15 percent for the preceding year. "As in the past," the report continued, "the vast majority of these were corrected and approved." Para. Employment ( Continued from page 1) the studio in more than a year, it was announced today. During the week ending April 14, there were 2,743 on the payroll. This included 94 stars and featured players, 50 players in minor parts and 307 extra players. There were 2,292 others on the personnel roster. The same high level of studio employment is expected to continue for some weeks. The six pictures currently in work at Paramount are "Funny Face," "The Loves of Omar Khayyam," "The Lonely Man," "The Maverick" and two Hal Wallis productions, "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and "Hollywood or Bust." Scheduled to start in June are "The Jim Piersall Story," "The Buster Keaton Story," "Flamenca" and Wallis' "The Rainmaker." Two others are possible starters for June. Market Abroa<| (Continued from page 1) Johnston said that they have be«: good years for American motion pi) tures in the overseas market, wii 1955 a record high, according to i\i MPEA report. "This income receive from overseas, supplementing dome; tic revenues, has made it possible f Hollywood to cope with the great! increased costs of producing the hi| quality 'new look' films now enjoyin such great popularity in the Unite States and throughout the world," tlj report stated. Johnston stressed that the grei progress of the American film indv, try overseas "is firmly based also i its contributions to the economies nations throughout the free world." The MPEA president also noti that the future of the American n* tion picture industry is geared close! to the trade policies of the U. warning that "a backward step U. S. trade policy, or even a failui to continue the liberalization of pa years, would have adverse cons! quences for this industry." Turning to the question of foreii film imports to the U. S., the MPE report stated that "In recent years i playing time and gross business foreign films in U. S. theatres ha been markedly increasing." Four territories, Denmark, Spa; Turkey and Greece, were listed areas with unresolved serious pro lems at year's end. Code Revision ( Continued from page 1 ) members of the committee— Barn Balaban, Abe Schneider and Dan O'Shea— to remain for a committ, meeting following tomorrow mor ing's MPAA annual board meetir Committee secretary Ken Clark sa he expected the committee wou have some "exploratory talks," a that no formal agenda has been pi pared for the session. Poor Heads Mutual John B. Poor yesterday was elect president of the Mutual Broadcast^ System by the board of directo which also renamed Thomas F. O'N, as chairman. Cites Short Subjects Decline in 10 Years ; Production of short subjects has « clined in 10 years from the peak 549 subjects in 1946 to 334 subjel in 1955, the annual report of the M tion Picture Association of Ameri stated. The reduction of the short subje market was blamed on the wi< spread use of the double-bill p grams. "But with longer films sch< uled for release in the coming yeaH the report continued, "perhaps tfl single bill may take once again m place in theatre programs and IB short subject will again come into ■ own."