Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1944)

Cameras on Deck for Expect Delay for Allied Parleys on Post-War Trade Storming of Europe Staff Photo J. L. Beddington, C.B.E. Beddington of British MOI, Here, Reports on Joint Planning Committee All plans for film coverage of the invasion of Europe have been set by the joint AngloAmerican Planning Committee, J. L. Beddington, C.B.E. director of the film division of the British Ministry of Information, said in New York Monday. Mr. Beddington arrived from London for a six-week stay in the U. S. during which he plans to visit Hollywood "to study American motion picture production methods" and to confer with British and American officials in Washington. The planning Committee comprises nine members, including three representatives of the British War Ministries; one of the U. S. Navy; one of the Canadian Expeditionary Force; Jock Lawrence, former executive of the ^sociation of Motion Picture Producers, representing the European Theatre of Operations,. J.S.A. ; Colonel DuPuis. representing the Su/fcfce Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary /jpjDti-. Matthew Fox, former Universal "^krfures executive, representing the War Deartment. Plans Studied with Riskin Mr. Beddington and Robert Riskin, director of the overseas film division of the Office of War Information, met with the committee to discuss plans in connection with film coverage when the invasion forces land in Europe. "When I left London," Mr. Beddington observed, "the city was tense with excitement. Everybody was talking about the invasion and speculating as to when it may come." The MOI official, incidentally, left the British Isles a few hours before the travel ban was imposed by the British Government. He traveled to America in the company of Max Milder, managing director of England for Warner Bros., and Al Daff, foreign sales supervisor. for Universal. Mr. Beddington indicated that despite the rigid ban, an exception would be made in the case of Spyros Skouras, president of Twentieth Century-Fox, who had planned to return to the U. S. when the ban was imposed. Will Have Access to Footage Before the war, Mr. Beddington was associated with the Shell Oil Company in England as public relations director. After the war, he expects to resume his post with the company. He has been in charge of production and distribution of British Government films since 1940 and his office is responsible for the production of all official films relating to the civilian war effort. All Government divisions are required to produce through his agency, with the exception of the armed forces' film units. The MOI official said that few American or British newsreel cameramen would accompany the invasion forces at the outset but that news reels would have access to footage shot by the several hundred British and American Signal Corps photographers after the film had been censored by military authorities. He estimated that American theatre audiences would be seeing initial footage of the invasion within 10 days after the Allied armies landed in Europe. The British MOI and the American newsreel pool in London had discussed with the AngloAmerican planning committee the type of film footage desired, Mr. Beddington said. Twelve entertainment features from British producing companies have been selected by the MOI to be shown, in liberated Europe. These pictures are now being exhibited in Italy under supervision of the U. S. Army's Psychological Warfare Board, which, with the OWI overseas film unit, is handling distribution of the 40 American films from major U. S. companies. Shorts on Rehabilitation Six two-reel shorts explaining what has happened in wartime England since Dunkirk have been produced by MOI for showing in Europe immediately after the invasion. In 1943, MOS produced 130 films, including several feature length documentaries. That number has been increased to 200 this year, with concentration on two-reel shorts. The MOI, according to Mr. Beddington, has shifted emphasis from battle-front action films to pictures showing what is going on behind the lines, he said, in keeping "with the British public's desire for less front-line pictures and more films about their men behind the lines." Several shorts now in production, he said, are on the subject of post-war rehabilitation. Wartime messages of not more than 125 feet in length, used as trailers to newsreels, have been very successful, Mr. Beddington said, adding that it is entirely possible the British Government, under the jurisdiction of the Home Office, would produce this type of informational screen message after the war. He does not believe the Government will engage in any other kind of motion picture production after the war. "Western Approaches," a Technicolor film, was described by Mr. Beddington as "the last of our big documentary features. We hope to have it ready for distribution in England and America sometime in June." It will be submitted by the MOI in New York to the rota system established two years ago by the MOI and the major film companies. British Exhibitors Cooperate British exhibitors, according to the MOI executive, have been "most cooperative" in booking once a month the 15-minute subject produced by MOI, which theatre operators receive rental free. In addition, exhibitors have booked about four or five documentaries annually, running one hour or longer, and 15 to 20 one and two-reelers, which have been sold to them on a competitive basis. Approximately 60,000 MOI non-theatrical showings were given by the MOI to audiences totaling 11,000,000 last year, Mr. Beddington said. About 1,400 showings a week are the number currently running. The non-theatrical unit of the MOI has 150 mobile units available for film shows, principally given in small towns and villages. These units visit 2,000 factories a month. In addition, the non-theatrical division maintains a film library with some 400 titles. As many as 5,000 organizations book pictures through the library in a month. Washington Bureau The Department of State is anxious to develop principles for post-war world trade in motion pictures before the end of the war, but it is not likely that the first of a series of conferences with repre-, sentatives of Allied and neutral governments will! be held for a number of months, it was learned;; this week. The first of these conferences would be withl British representatives and reports on conditions infl the film industry of allied and neutral countries are h being compiled in anticipation of the meeting, one! of the reports already received being on the situa-j tion in the British isles. While the Washington Government is repre-S sented as desirous of developing as many post-wari policies as possible before the peace conference? which will mark the end of the war with Germany, there were disclosures this week which indicated that the London Government may be in less haste to draw a post-war blueprint. This attitude is said to have marked the pre-i liminary planning for the Anglo-American conference on world oil problems, which was concluded, in Washington last week, it being revealed that! while the Administration sought over a consider-, able period to have the meeting the British indi-l cated no desire for haste, and it was not until the) Government announced plans to build a petroleum* pipe line in Saudi Arabia, considered by England! for many years as within her sphere of influence,! that the effort to arrange the conference was suc-j cessful. The apparent reluctance on the part of the Brit-j ish Government to discuss post-war planning applies only to purely commercial matters, there being no hesitation in meeting the United States on monetary and other broader issues, leading to the suggestion that some segments of British official opinion believe that some subjects may be dealt with best when the picture of post-war Europe becomes a little clearer. However, it has been emphasized in Washington, the conferences which have been planned are to deal with broad principles only and to develop policies which are to be urged by the United States and Britain on other Allies, and the neutral countries, and possibly enforced upon the Axis, the pattern of which will be cut to fit the needs of the individual countries within the framework of the over-all agreement. OWI Asks Studios for Twelve Films for Invasion Robert Riskin, director of the overseas film division of the Office of War Information, arrived in Hollywood Monday to discuss with studio heads the production of 12 documentary films which the OWI desires to distribute in liberated Europe immediately after the invasion. Mr. Riskin said he had a number of suggestions for the studios about the kind of documentaries the OWI wanted. If the films can be produced by the studios in such a manner as to be used additionally for domestic distribution, he will ask them to sponsor the productions. If not, the OWI would have to produce the pictures or have the studios do so for the Government, he said. "There are 12 such pictures we have in mind," he added. He said that the overseas film division was sponsoring the dubbing of selected American features in 22 languages, with almost all of the 40 so far chosen for distribution in liberated countries already dubbed in 18 languages. "Even Japan is coming in for attention," Mr. Riskin said. "We are now dubbing some American product in Japanese and shortly will be doing some in Burmese and other Oriental languages." It is understood the OWI has requested the major companies to suggest other feature titles to add to the 40 films selected nearly two years ago by the OWI for overseas showing. 14 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 13, 1944