Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

July 3 1. 1943 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 29 "Audiences IV ant Steak and Not Boloney \ Says Jack Warner PICTURE quality has improved immeasurably because of the concentration on fewer and better pictures brought about by the Consent Decree selling methods, Jack L. Warner told trade press editors in an interview Monday at his company's New York home office. Correspondingly, the level of audience intelligence and appreciation had risen at least 1,000 per cent, Mr. Warner added. In New York for the opening Wednesday night of "This Is the Army," the Warner Brothers vice-president in charge of production was enthusiastic about that project and about his studio's plans for the new season. Between sips of belated luncheon milk, he enlarged upon the improvement of product, increased production costs, his own antipathy to double and triple features, the screen's function in a democracy and its evolution to the place it now holds in culture and civilization. Fewer and Better Films Result of War Economy The trend in product begun by the Decree was furthered by wartime conditions which made it possible and advisable to conserve releases, the studio head said. "Fewer pictures have been made and they have all been better pictures," Mr. Warner said. "Our studio will never go back to grinding out lesser pictures and hokum. "The better pictures, in turn, have demonstrated to exhibitors the soundness of longer runs. Pictures are not pulled out of theatres today at the end of two, three, or seven days simply because it was the custom to change programs on those days whether a picture was doing good business or not," he explained. Emphasizing this point, Mr. Warner criticized some exhibitors for what he called the economic waste of double and even triple featuring and of overlong programs of all types. "The theatre operator must advance with the business," he said, adding wryly that he thought it would be a good idea if all exhibitors were to spend two years in Hollywood to watch the effort, time, talent and money spent on one of today's big pictures. Increased Audiences Now Make Buyers' Market Answering a question on exhibitor charges that product was being deliberately held back to create a sellers' maarket, Mr. Warner insisted, on the contrary, that today's enormously increased audiences tended to make a buyers' market. Also, he explained, the present uncertainties under wartime conditions put producers under the necessity of husbanding their product as much as the market allows because they can not be sure how much further production facilities will be limited. Production costs and studio overhead have increased 100 per cent in a three-year period and are 25 per cent over what they were a year ago, Mr. Warner said. "One of the early Cagney pictures cost us $151,000," he said, elaborating on costs, "and Cagney alone got $150,000 in salary for one of his more recent pictures." Discussing the advances made by the motion picture as a medium of entertainment and communication, Mr. Warner again emphasized his point that product today must have something solid to offer an audience. "They want steak, not boloney," he said. "The public can't be kidded any more. It's way ahead of most of the pictures." Tendency Also Extends To Short Subjects Running briefly over next year's product as it is now planned, the studio head mentioned particularly "Watch on the Rhine," "Thank Your Lucky Stars," "Destination Tokyo," "Old Acquaintance," "The Desert Song," "Adventures of Mark. Twain," "Saratoga Trunk," "Shine On, Harvest Moon," and "Rhapsody in Blue." "Marked Children," a feature, will cover the juvenile delinquency problem. The Warner studio tendency toward fewer and better extends to the short subjects department also. The shorts output is now down to 104 reels as compared to a one-time peak of 600 a year, Mr. Warner said. Exhibitors are to be praised and thanked for their response to advance campaigns on "This Is the Army," Mr. Warner said. (See page 20.) He predicted that the picture would gross between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 from which only studio labor costs and an approximate charge of 20 per cent for distribution costs will be deducted before the receipts are turned over to the Army Emergency Relief Fund. Are Optimistic About Post-War Situation Irving Berlin and the studio talent heads who worked on the picture without compensation also were highly praised. Mr. Warner and Charles Einfeld, the company's director of publicity and advertising, who was present at the interview, both were optimistic about the post-war picture. They foresaw no depression because of tremendous possibilities in such fields as radio and aviation. In addition they saw no reason why the additional millions who now attend theatres weekly would not continue to do so. Research into the fields of television and of film production for educational purposes is being conducted by the company, it was said. Warners' studio has produced 300 trainingreels for the Army's Signal Corps and 50 for the Navy. It has gained invaluable experience in the making of these documentary pictures, Mr. Warner said. He emphasized the entirely different technique required for their production. Speaking of the company's desire to get wide distribution quickly on "This Is the Army," Mr. Warner emphasized the fact that advance admission scales would not be required except for the special openings. " . . . Audiences today are way ahead of most of the pictures. They can't be kidded any more." . . . Better pictures have demonstrated the soundness of longer runs. (B's' are out at our studio. ..." Staff Photos " . . . Exhibitors must advance as the industry advances. . . . Double features are an economic waste. ..."