Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1944)

British Council Delays Report on Monopoly Council Term to Expire in August; Data Awaited to Still Industry Debate by PETER BURNUP in London Despite the wish of the Board of Trade's president, Hugh Dalton, that the British Film Council's committee of inquiry press on with its report concerning the potentialities of industry monopoly, no sign of the long-awaited recommendations can be discerned. Sir Walter Citrine, general secretary of the Trades Unions Congress and one of the committee's most significant members, returned recently from his deliberations in Washington on international labor problems. Philip Guedalla, widely regarded as the committee's moving spirit, has been ill. The term of office of the present council expires in August; its members, in accordance with the Quota Act, being appointed for three years only. Maybe the investigators will move now with more expedition and announce their findings before the new council takes over. It is hoped in many quarters that may be so, for the debates on monopoly threaten to get out of hand. Conform Clearly to Pattern These excessively vocal activities grow in volume ; conform clearly to a pattern of attack which is being prepared for Parliament when debates are initiated on the present Quota Act's successor. They are compounded mainly of earnest argument, partly of irresponsible, illnatured sneers, partly of superior attitudinizing. Characteristic of the last is a vehement attack on J. Arthur Rank — inevitably the acknowledged target of all the agitators' shafts — appearing in a publication known as Documentary News Letter. This is ostensibly the organ of the country's documentary film makers. The invective was produced in comment on Mr. Rank's post-war plans for utilizing the cinema for the advancement of the nation's educational system. Speaking of the manifest potentialities of the place of film in education, News Letter concedes that Mr. Rank clearly has a plan. But the publication is concerned not so much with the spiritual aspect of Mr. Rank's activities or with the objective nature of his educational aims, but only with their economic implications. Scores Rank's Views Says News Letter: "To predict its (the educational plan's) economic basis we must consider Mr. Rank as a millionaire and an amateur economist ; to predict the content of his educational films we must consider him as a millionaire, a Methodist and an amateur politician. . . . Mr. Rank has a nostalgia for orthodox midnineteenth century economics. He believes in unbridled private enterprise under the sole surveillance of God." That bugbear of monopoly, it is to be observed, is the cornerstone of the documentarians' preoccupations, just as it is of all the other sections of the Industry's workers who aim at ruling its roost. The suggestion of a sinister politico-economic design behind all the planning of Mr. 26 Rank and his associates is a common factor in all the welter of pamphlets and speeches which constitute the preliminary barrage of the impending Parliamentary attack. It motivates, for example, the elaborate post-war plan proposed by the Association of Cine-Technicians leading to public ownership of the industry. The ACT's plan was put forward once again recently at the London Trades Council annual conference, was the occasion there of enthusiastic approval, and is clearly in line for early discussion by the Shadow Cabinet of the Labor Party as a preliminary to adoption, in some form or other, as part of the party's vast program for post-war political control. Writer Group Has Committee Come now the thoughts on the subject of the non-trade union but closely corporate body of the Screenwriters' Association. The association, not to be left out, set up a committee to ascertain once more the reasons for the alleged non-distribution of British films in the United States. The committee has produced a lengthy document which has been circulated among Members of Parliament, Government departments and other circles. It takes the form of an involved analysis of wartime conditions; postulates that those conditions will rapidly come to an end; dilates on the circumstances that America takes annually from this country some £18,000,000 in respect of film hire, whereas eight years ago the comparable figure was £7,000,000. Most interesting feature of the association's case is the conclusion that the Quota System is one of the bugbears of the present setup, depending, primarily, as it does, on distribution in this country through the medium of the American companies. The association claims that there will be no solution of the problems of world-marketing of British films until the American companies concede them what the association characterizes as "equitable distribution in the American market." Have Own Remedies The Screenwriters have their own specifics for the ills of the industry. They suggest: (1) Stronger protection of the home market than the present quota system allows. This should make it possible under post-war conditions for medium-cost films, the forcing ground for talent and the essential basis of a healthy industry, to make a profit in the home market alone. (2) A Film Bank to finance independent British producers. (3) A Cooperative Distributing Organization, with State support (through the medium, say, of the Film Bank) for the distribution of independent British productions in the world market, and, where desired, in the home market. Analyzed, the Screenwriters' plan follows closely that of the ACT and other groups. State ownership of motion picture affairs may seem remote to people who, as the critics declare, still live in a world of mid-Victorian economics. That some measure of control, considerably more severe than that now obtaining, will presently come into being is the firm belief of many forward-looking legislators even in the present Parliament. That State Film Bank, suggested beachhead for the nationalizes' advance, is being wideh, discussed. It was mooted as long ago as 1936 when the drafting of the present Quota Act wa: argued. What was known as the Moyne Com mittee, appointed to advise the Government or the preliminaries to the Act, specifically recom mended that the State should encourage th< formation of financial organizations to financf approved British production units. It was no adopted but the persistent advocacy of the ide; merits careful attention. It will assuredly read the stage of Parliamentary ventilation ere long N. /. Allied Hears Distributors The assembled members of the Allied Theatr Owners of New Jersey, meeting in their Silve Jubilee convention at the Hotel Chelsea in Atlar tic City, ended three days of business and soci; sessions Thursday of last week, in a discussion ( product shortage and participation in the currei i War Loan, and a banquet. The final business session was held in the aftei noon with distributor representatives addressir the exhibitors. Leon Bamberger appeared in tl dual role of representative of RKO and the Wi Activities Committee. He said that New Jers< J had fallen behind other areas in scheduling W; j Bond premieres, and announced that throughoi the nation 3,831 premieres had been set. The distributor representatives all outlined the companies' plans and described forthcoming at | current product and exploitation programs. l\ the conclusion of the meeting Harry Lowenstei 'j Jersey Allied president, called the convention aJ journed. Twentieth Century-Fox was host at a cockt; : party, while MGM lit 20 candles on a cake in hon \ of its anniversary. At the banquet following the cocktail party t diners were greeted by Mayor Joseph Altaian Atlantic City. Sidney Samuelson reviewed Je | sey Allied's 20 years. Claude Lee spoke as t industry's consultant to the U. S. Treasury in t Bond drive and brought the campaign's results to date. Life membership certificates . in Jersey Alii were presented to Mr. Samuelson and P. S. Har son, and wallets to Abram Myers, Irving Dolli ger, George Gold, Lee Newbury, Joseph Seid and Leon Rosenblatt. All but Mr. Myers, who the national Allied general counsel, are past pre) i dents of the Jersey organization. Also revealed late Thursday was an addition the resolutions adopted at the convention, one c , posing sales of pictures on percentage terms a » demanding flat rentals on all pictures. The re: lution authorized a fund-raising move to obtain \ j , objectives named by legal processes should nejl I tiations fail. Vanguard Heads Discuss "Since You Went Away" Vanguard executives met in Chicago Mond to discuss sales plans for "Since You W Away." Those in conference were David ! Selznick, Neil F. Agnew, vice-president and (j tribution head, and Hugh Owen, general se manager for the United States and Canada. Mr. Selznick, producer of "Since You W1 Away," is a delegate to another sales conventi| the Republican National Convention. The f 1 print of the picture arrived in New York 1 ji week. The Chicago conferences are expected to elude final arrangements for the New York n miere of the film at the Capitol theatre July I and the discussion of appointments of sales ret sentatives for Vanguard in Chicago and the 'Wf Coast. Special Paramount Common Stock Offering Sold A special offering of 52,800 shares of Paramcii % Pictures common stock was sold on the New Yjl LStock Exchange last week by Merrill, Lyi I Pierce, Fenner and Beane. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JULY I, \ \ I