Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1941)

December 27, 1941 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 31 WHITNEY COMMITTEE FILMS READY, ON MOLEC ULES, CARDIACS AN D COWS List of 42 Pictures Ready for Shipment to South America by Government Committee to Aid "Neighborly" Policy The identities, titles and descriptions of the non-theatrical motion pictures which the United States is sending to South America in its program of cultural relations became available officially, and in part, for the first time Wednesday. The subjects cover a wide range, from military and child training, to molecules, cows and cardiac cases. John Hay Whitney, director of the motion picture division of the Office of Inter-American Affairs listed 42 short subjects as "the preliminary program of non-theatrical films assembled under the direction of Kenneth McGowan." Spanish and Portuguese 16 mm. versions of nine of the pictures have already been shipped southward, according to the announcement. The balance of the short subjects, culled from the libraries of all the major producers and the documentary, educational and scientific fields are still in preparation. They will go south soon after the first of the year it was said. First Report The list of 42 pictures marks the first public report on the activities of the film division of Nelson A. Rockefeller's Office of Inter-American Affairs. Formation of the motion picture exchange program was announced by Mr. Rockefeller 11 months ago, on January 14th. Mr. McGowan, on leave from his post as producer at 20th Century-Fox took over the direction of the non-threatrical program in April under Mr. Whitney. Subject matter of the initial films ranged from reports on the training and equipment of the U. S. armed forces through travelogues, history, "Basketball Technique," "The Molecular Theory of Matter" and cardiac disease to the Alaskan salmon run. A substantial number of classroom films and government-made documentaries were on the list. Three of the first nine pictures shipped were Hollywood product. Eight other subjects from the short subject files of five producers, Warners, MGM, Columbia, Twentieth Century-Fox and Paramount are in preparation. The films are being scored with foreign language sound tracks at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Distribution of the pictures, for non-theatrical exhibition only, throughout South and Central America is under the direction of Phil Reisman, vice-president and foreign manager of RKO Radio. Mr. Reisman said the pictures were being shipped as expeditiously as possible. Circulation in Latin America is arranged by local committees in all principal cities. These groups, composed of Latin American educators, businessmen, scientists and members of the U. S. colonies handle all requests from schools or educational groups for exhibition of the pictures. Projectors, and a traveling technician, have already been sent to the principal U. S. embassies and consulate. The cultural attaches of each embassy will have general charge of the circulation of the pictures, which will be available without cost. The purpose of the Latin American films is to "show the truth about the American Way" Mr. Whitney declared, following his return DISCOUNTS BRITISH, GERMAN BROADCASTS Only two per cent of our people listen to German and British short wave broadcasts, in the estimation of E. P. H. James, sales promotion manager for the NBC Blue network, who spoke last week to the Advertising and Sales Executive Club of Montreal. Mr. James also asserted that more Canadians listened to United States standard programs, than vice-versa. from a two-month tour of the American republics. "Films sent to Latin America, as far as possible, will be utterly truthful and authentic picturizations of American life and objectives," he said. A budget of approximately $125,000 was earmarked last spring for the assembly of the Latin American 16 mm. films, according to a Washington announcement published in Motion Picture Herald on June 28th. This was expected to provide for about 60 short subjects during the first year of operation. In July the documentary division of Mr. Whitney's office reported that it had already selected approximately 65 subjects. Mr. Whitney in November said that Mr. McGowan and his staff had viewed approximately 2,000,000 feet of film and had almost 100 titles in preparation. Productions for Brazil have received sound tracks in Portugese while those for other countries are narrated in Spanish. Several pictures are receiving French commentary for release in Haiti and possibly Martinique. Nine Films Shipped The nine pictures already shipped, with their Spanish and Portugese titles, producer, and a brief description are : "AIRACOBRA" (Spanish: La Cobra del Aire, Portugese: A Serpente Do Ar) one reel, color, made by Bell Aircraft Company to depict the world's swiftest fighting plane. "THE BATTLE" (Sp: La Batalla, Port: A Batalha) one reel, MGM, shows the striking: power of the U. S. fleet. "EYES OF THE NAVY" (Sp: Los Ojos de la Armada, Port: Os Olhos da Esquadra) two reels, MGM, how Navy aviators train at Pensacola. "ALUMINUM AND THE TWO1 AMERICAS" (Sp: La Dos Americas y el Alumino, Port: As Duas Americas e o Aluminio) two and one half reels, Office of Emergency Management, showing the importance of bauxite from South America and how it is processed into aluminum. "BASKETBALL TECHNIQUE" (Sp: El Basketball, Port: Tecnica do "Bola ao Cesto") one reel, MGM, how to play the game, fast and slow motion. "NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGES" (Sp: Vales Lo Que Sabes, Port: Vales Pelo Que Sabes) one reel, color, H. V. Roagland, a tour of the principal American colleges and universities. "EXCURSIONS IN SCIENCE", two reels, General Electric Company, popular science subjects. "CHOOSE TO LIVE", (Sp: Quiero Vivir!, Port: Prefiro Viver) two reels, U. S. Public Health Service, the prevention and cure of cancer. "CLOUD IN THE SKY", two reels. National Tuberculosis Association, the prevention and cure of tuberculosis. _ Six classroom films from the ERPI educational catalogue are to be shipped this week, with the remainder to follow soon. Each is one reel and is intended as a teaching aid for school children from the first year of primary school through high school. The titles are : Grey Squirrel, An Airplane Trip, A Boat Trip, Passenger Train, Farm Animals, New England Fisherman, The Wheat Farmer, The Machine Maker, Body Defenses Against Disease, Sound Waves and Their Sources, and Molecular Theory of Matter. They will be sound tracked in Portugese as soon as all Spanish prints are completed. Shipment to Brazil will start January 1st. In addition three other subjects have been given prior Portugese sound tracking and are being shipped at once, to be followed in two weeks by Spanish versions. The titles are : "SOLDIERS OF THE SKY" (Sp: Soldados del Aire, Port: Soldados do Ar), one reel, the training of parachute troops by the U. S. Army. "POWER FOR THE AMERICAS", (Sp: Energia y Poder de America, Port: Forca e Energia da America), one reel, OEM, showing the highlights of the 15 greatest dams in the United States. "ALASKA'S SILVER MILLIONS", three reels. Rev. Bernard Hubbard, S.J., describing Alaska's glaciers, salmon runs and canning industry. Two additional subjects have been prepared in Spanish and Portugese for January distribution. They are : "STEEL, MAN'S SERVANT" (Sp: Acero, Esclavo del Hombre, Port: Aco, O Escravo Do Homen), two reels, color, U. S. Steel Export Company, the pyrotechnical beauties of steel making. "THIS AMAZING AMERICA" (Sp: Norte America en Autobus, Port: De Omnibus Pelos Estados Unidos) two reels, color, Greyhound Bus Company, a travelogue. Films Being Edited Among the pictures which are now being edited by Mr. McGowan's staff and which should be ready, with Spanish and Portugese sound, for distribution in February, March and April are: "LOS ANGELES FASHIONS" Sp: La Moda en California, Port: A Moda Na California) one reel, color, Los Angeles Fashion Group, forecasting the fashion creations of Hollywood's top designers. "BUILDING A BOMBER" (Sp: Aviones de Bombardeo, Port: Avioes de Bombardeio) two reels, Office of Emergency Management, showing every step in the construction of giant bombers. "THE CHILD WENT FORTH", two reels, Jo Losey, methods of teaching children in progressive schools. "ARMY CHAMPIONS", one reel, MGM, the training and arming of U. S. military forces. "SKIERS FROM SOUTH AMERICA", one reel, color, John Jay, the visit of Chilean sportsmen to the U. S. in 1940-41. "FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE AMERICAS", one reel, Paramount, a record of the growing power of the U. S. "PREPARING FOR DEFENSE", three reels, Columbia, on Annapolis, West Point, munitions plants and citizens in national defense. "A NATION REARMED" one reel, color, Warner Brothers, showing the growing numbers of the U. S. armed forces. "WILLIE AND THE MOUSE", one reel, MGM, how studies of mice aid child psychology. "THE MODERN HIGHWAYS", one reel, 20th Century-Fox, a picture on highway safety. "AS BIRDS LINK THE AMERICAS", two reels, Irving Jacoby, bird migration in the Western hemi SP"ARCHBISHOP CANTWELL'S PILGRIMAGE", one reel, color, Arthur Carter, a record of the Los Angeles' prelate's visit to Mexico. "THE CITY OF WASHINGTON", two reels, color, Louise Branch and Frances Payne, the U. S. capital and South American agencies there. "QUICKER'N A WINK", one reel, MGM, high speed photography. "SKY FIGHTERS", one reel, 20th Century-Fox, the training of army aviators. "SANTA BARBARA FIESTA", one reel, color, Shirley Burdon, the annual Spanish -American festival in Southern California. Another for Audit Service Film Audit Service has opened a Dallas office. According to Samuel Hacker, general manager, this gives the company complete coverage of the country. It has 19 branches in this country and Canada. Henigson Back to Selzniclc Henry Henigson has become general manager of the Myron Selznick talent agency, after a lapse of two years.