The Exhibitor (1956)

8 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR MPAA Board Revises Film Production Code Some Provisions Strengthened; Subjects Previously Prohibited Are Conditionally Permitted, Including Drugs, Kidnapping New York — The Motion Picture Pro¬ duction Code, adopted in 1930 and rela¬ tively unchanged since then, has been revised by the MPAA board, it was an¬ nounced last week by Eric Johnston, MPAA president. Johnston said the revisions simplified code provisions and made them more pre¬ cise; rearranged them into more logical order; strengthened certain provisions; added provisions to deal with subjects not previously covered; and made per¬ missive certain prohibited subjects “under conditions which assure restrained and careful treatment.” Changes, which become effective im¬ mediately, include conditional permission for the presentation of illegal drug traffic and drug addiction, and stories of kidnap¬ ping, both of which were formerly pro¬ hibited. A new prohibition has been added against “mercy killings.” Also prohibited are “excessive and inhumane acts of cruelty and brutality.” Additional pro¬ hibitions in the sex category state that “casual or promiscuous sex relationships” shall not be portrayed as “acceptable or common.” Also banned is “open mouth kissing.” It is also stated that “rape or seduction should never be made to seem right or permissible.” The subject of abortion has been included in permissible material, with qualifications, and prosti¬ tution has been added to the prohibition against the treatment of white slavery. Vulgar expressions, double meanings, and blasphemy are all banned by the revised code, and the incitement of bigotry has been added to prohibited subject matter. References in the previous code to mis¬ cegenation have been eliminated in the revisions, which in effect makes this permissile subject matter. Since last January a sub-committee comprised of J. Raymond Bell, Columbia; Paul J. Quinn, RKO; Robert J. Rubin, Paramount; and Sidney Schreiber and Ken Clark, MPAA, worked with Barney Balaban, Paramount; A. Schneider, Co¬ lumbia; and Johnston on the revision. Reaction To Code Changes Comes From Producers, Distribs Immediate reaction to the revisions came from both distribution and produc¬ tion branches of the industry. Arthur B. Krim, United Artists president, stated that the company, not now affiliated with the Motion Picture Association of America, would study the changes and consider the possibility of rejoining the MPAA. Independent producers Stanley Kramer and Robert Aldrich issued statements. Kramer said that “any liberation of the Code is a step in the right direction.” Said Aldrich, “Administration of the Code still lies in the hands of the majors, al¬ though they are responsible for only 50 per cent of the product, so independents are policed, controlled and contained by their major competitors.” Tamarin To Present Oscar Sweeps Plan To MPAA NEW YORK— Alfred H. Tamarin, assistant national advertising, pub¬ licity, exploitation director, United Artists, was last fortnight designated by Roger H. Lewis, chairman, MPAA Ad-Publicity Directors Committee, to make the presentation to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors in Hollywood the “Academy Sweepstakes” contest plan. Tamarin is chairman of the sub-com¬ mittee which proposed the “Sweepstakes” contest, developed by Robert Taplinger, Warners vice-president, to the MPAA board. Warners Takes Lease On New Office Space New York — Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., has taken a long-term lease of approximately 100,000 square feet of office space in the new 38-story, air-con¬ ditioned building now under construction by Tishman Realty and Construction Company, Inc., at 666 Fifth Avenue, it was announced last week by Norman Tishman, president, Tishman Realty, and Benjamin Kalmenson, executive vicepresident, Warners. Warners will occupy the entire seventh floor plus a major portion of the sixth floor. Occupancy is scheduled for the fall of 1957. The present Warner building at 321 West 44th Street, where the company has maintained its general offices for more than 30 years, has been sold. The move is part of a combined pro¬ gram of expansion and of streamlining facilities so that all administrative and executive offices in the east can be coordi¬ nated under one roof, with the exception of its shipping department which will be located on the West Side. One of the most important construction features of the new Warner offices will include a modern private theatre which will occupy two floors in duplex fashion, and will include facilities both for 35mm. and 16mm. projection. The theatre will seat over 100 persons and will be ad¬ joined by a cocktail lounge and reception room. It will also have facilities for closed circuit television. Offices also will be established for inde¬ pendent producers whose production War¬ ners is distributing, and for visiting stars from the west coast. In addition, facilities are being provided for interviews and conferences, and space is being allocated for an executive dining room. Terrytoon Business Up New York — Terrytoons has reported a nine per cent increase over last year’s theatrical shorts business in United States and Canada, according to William N. Weiss, vice-president and general manager. Theatrical production at the studio is at a full-scale level with 13 CinemaScope cartoons featuring new characters in work for 20th-Fox distribution. Exhibitors Approve Business Building Plan New York — Proposals to combine the business-building plan adopted by COMPO and TOA with the program advanced by the MPAA advertising and publicity directors committee received enthusiastic approval last week at a meeting of ex¬ hibitor leaders and MPAA ad-pub mem¬ bers of the Harvard Club. It is proposed that the combined plan be conducted under the sponsorship of COMPO. As the first step in the combined pro¬ gram, detailed plans will be made immedi¬ ately to hold a series of regional meet¬ ings at which opinion-makers will be given a constructive picture of the motion picture industry by industry representa¬ tives. The first meeting is tentatively set for New York later in the winter. Wholehearted support was expressed by the industry representatives who attended the luncheon, presided over by Roger H. Lewis, chairman of the MPAA unit. The MPAA plan was explained by Lewis; Kenneth Clark, vice-president of MPAA; Philip Gerard, chairman of the subcom¬ mittee which drew up the MPAA plans for regional opinion-makers’ meetings; and Jerome Pickman, former chairman of the MPAA group. Others who spoke included Walter Reade, Jr., TOA; Wilbur Snaper, Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey; Harry Brandt, president of ITOA; D. John Phil¬ lips, MMPTA; Harry Mandel, chair¬ man, COMPO press relations committee; Harry Goldberg, chairman, TOA public relations group that drew up the COMPO plan; and Charles E. McCarthy, COMPO information director. Others attending were Mort Sunshine, ITOA; Solomon M. Strausberg, president, MMPTA; Herman Levy and Joseph Alterman, TOA; and Taylor Mills and Man¬ ning Clagett, MPAA. N. Y. Tax Protested New York — Mayor Robert F. Wagner was asked last fortnight by a joint ex¬ hibitor committee of ITOA and MMPTA to appoint a citizens committee to evalu¬ ate the five per cent movie admissions tax in this city. The mayor was told of the “urgent necessity for the repeal of the impost” to aid theatres. Serving on the committee were Harry Erandt, ITOA head; S. M. Strausberg, MMPTA president; Eugene Picker, Eman¬ uel Frisch, Sol Schwartz, William Namenson, Julius Sanders, Robert W. Coyne, D. John Phillips, and Mort Sunshine. Hickey To Retire From MGM New York — Retirement of George A. Hickey, Loews west coast division sales manager with headquarters in Los An¬ geles, was announced last week. With MGM 40 years, Hickey on Dec. 31 will complete 30 years of supervision of sales in the company’s Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Salt Lake City branch office territories. December 19, 1956