Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1939)

September 2. 1939 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 15 INDUSTRY HIT HEAVILY IN EUROPE; NEWSREELS COMPLETE WAR PLANS Production Halted in Engjbnd and France; Censorship in Paris; Distributors, Exhibitors Lose Staffs in Mobilizations While Europe, this week, continued its frantic preparations for war, the effects of those preparations continued to be felt in America and on the motion picture and general entertainment fields. The newsreels, uncertain of their status in a Europe at war, made such preparations as they could, here and abroad, for the continuance of their services ; and Paramount put out a "special" on the European situation made from film flown over the Atlantic and distributed to theatres the next day. Censorship Established The French Government established a censorship of motion pictures and radio broadcasts, and England made known regulations affecting the reopenings of theatres after their first period of closing in war time. Film executives and stars abroad returned in increasing numbers as the situation became ever more serious. Theatre business in England and France was 'way off, with even more serious affects to follow any "blackouts." Production has been halted both in London and Paris. Australia has placed a ban on all money going out of the country. Distribution offices on the Continent are hard pressed for transportation of films, with virtually all trucks, busses and other vehicles commandeered to transport troops and fleeing residents. Too, their actual operations were placed in serious state due to the sharp inroads made by mobilization orders. Theatres likewise were suffering from loss of man power. The radio networks operated on a 24 hour schedule, with the Columbia Broadcasting System having presented 70 programs emanating from Europe in the time from last Monday through this Monday and the National Broadcasting Company presenting broadcasts by 46 foreign commentators from 16 cities. Uncertainty as to the censorship restrictions, as to whether or not they will be permitted to send men from this country to replace those conscripted in the event of war, and even as to whether the warring Governments would permit newsreel coverage harassed heads of the five newsreel companies this week. Alternate Offices Prepared However, certain plans in preparation for "eventualities" are being carried through by the companies, as the week's newsreels devoted the majority of their footage to the tense European situation. Russell Muth, European director of Fox Movietone News, arriving in New York Monday on the "Normandie," confirmed the carrying through of plans discussed by Truman Talley, producer of the newsreel. Movietone News' plans for war are typical, as described by Mr. Talley. He said: "Movietone is ready with alternate offices for every one of its production centers. By this I mean we can move out of our present quarters anywhere and continue to carry on securing news and making prints for distribu FRENCH GOVERNMENT BARS CODE MESSAGES Western Union, Wednesday, advised its clients in New York, including all motion picture companies, that the French Government has prohibited code and cipher language in all cablegrams to and from France, Algiers, Syria and Madagascar, and that messages in plain language will be subject to censorship. tion. This is not a hit and miss proposition. We have signed and sealed contracts with those commanding facilities that would be comparatively safe in a war torn world. In addition, we have our own alternate offices that offer more security than those in the heart of cities subject to air raids. Rest assured, we are prepared, come wrack, come ruin ! We'll get the news unless Europe sinks beneath sea level. "One of our first moves after our newsreel convention in Paris was to subdivide the Old World into six sections, each with its own staff under a competent and trustworthy supervisor. "Section one is the British Isles under the direction of General Manager Sir Gordon Craig and Editor Gerald Sanger, with a staff of sixty in this territory. "Section two we call the Scandinavian-Baltic group and in charge of coverage here we have Supervisor William Murray, trained veteran of General Manager Edmund Reek's American newsreel force. With a staff of six Murray covers Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuanian and Poland. The explosive Polish Corridor and Danzig are in this territory and Murray has lately covered himself with glory by his reports on activities there. Movietone News has scored world wide beats on several crucial incidents in these European 'hot spots' as the result of Murray's enterprise and daring. "Our third section takes in the greater Third Reich, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Greece. Herr Robert Hartmann, editor of Fox Tonende Wochenschau, our German newsreel, supervises the coverage of this vast expanse of territory. In doing so he directs a staff of seventy. Movietone News carries on in Germany exactly as it does anywhere else, without sacrificing a whit of its independence as an imbiased recorder of events. In fact, during my visit to Berlin we were assurred by a high Reich official that, come what may, Movietone News will not be denied the privilege of fulfiling its traditional role as screen reporter. "In our fourth subdivision we have France, Belgium, The Netherlands and part of Switzerland. Coverage of this highly important territory is directed by Supervisor Frederic Fesneau, one of the oldest, in point of service, employees on our European newsreel staff. A staff of fifty is necessary to do justice in a newsreel sense to this small but fruitful news area. Madrid Office Reopened "Our Paris office also houses our Continental Home Office presided over by European Director Russell Muth and his assistant, Arthur De Titta, formerly our Washington, D. C, Supervisor. It is the duty of Muth and De Titta to co-ordinate the entire group of territories. keep them producing and from working at cross purposes. "Spain and Spanish Morocco make i^p section five in our new scheme of things. It was my pleasant duty while in Europe to re-open our Madrid office, closed during the Civil War. Luis Diaz Amado, Continental and South American journalist of international reputation, is in charge, of this territory and when I left Madrid he already had a staff of ten working in pic. turizing the immense recovery program inaugurated by Generalissimo Franco. "Although we come to our sixth territory last in this resume it should be understood that this in nowise is its position of importance. In fact the Mediterranean section ranks with any of the above territories in every way, including as it does Italy, Yugoslavia, Albania, Libya, Tripoli, Egypt and Turkey. Ettore Villani is Supervisor of our enterprises in this Mediterranean section. He has a staff of eight to assist him." Over $100,000 in New Equipment Mr. Talley said that while in Europe he saw the final phases of his modernization project take shape and that from a mechanical viewpoint the British and Continental offices and mobile units are now "as perfect as human brains and ingenuity can make them." Over $100,000 was expended on the Continent in this re-equipping move, with $50,000 more spent by British Movietone News. This $50,000 does not include the outlay for the new English newsreel Home Office in Soho Square. While Mr. Talley was in London British Movietone News had rounded out a year in the new building, the most modern newsreel plant in the Old World. The money went entirely into new cars, cameras, lenses and other necessary picture making accessories. Four specially built motor cars were added to the British Movietone fleet. In addition to top decks for high shots, there is room inside for a camera set up and portholes so that pictures can be made from any of the four sides of the car, with even a special adjustable rack for getting worm's eye-views. They are also equipped with radios to keep in touch with news broadcasts, most popular British programs. And should newspapers suspend publication in an emergency these mobile units can range anywhere and still be in touch with things, he added. Mr. Talley said that Sidney Kent, president of Twentieth Century-Fox, had allowed another entirely new appropriation to re-establish the Madrid office and has given Mr. Amado a free hand to bring this office up to the efficiency of the other production centers of Movietone News. While in the French capital Mr. Talley also conferred with members of the Daladier cabinet and established an understanding regarding French operations in the face of war. Universal Using Foreign Staffs Feeling, in the event of war, that the best coverage will result from the work of native cameramen behind either front, Universal Newsreel will not attempt to use men from the United States unless unforseen opportunities arise. Through affiliates in England, France, Poland, Holland, Italy and Germany, the company will have more than 40 cameramen at its disposal. Protective equipment has already been flown to staff cameramen in Poland and other central European countries. Included are gas masks, a new type of bullet proof vest, helmets and iron (Continued on following page)