Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

^AJORS AND UNCLE SAM JOIN IN PROPAGANDA PROGRAM urganize Hemisphere Films, f Replacing CIAA Screen Plans for Americas I Three major companies will assume an ac■^ve role in the future program of propaganda >nd educational film production for non-the>trical distribution in the Western Hemisphere. ; The Government already have approved the project and, in their fashion, are participating. The Holl3rwood companies will pro3uce educational films for Hemisphere ii'ilms, Inc., vyhich will distribute the subects through 16mm outlets in the United States and Latin America. Continuation of this program, now conducted by Nelson Rockefeller's Office of the Co•rdinator of Inter-American Afifairs, will be I ransferred December 1 to Hemisphere Films, he non-profit organization established a year >nd a half ago to cooperate with the CIAA. J ^athvon Joins Board of lemisphere Films Thus far, one industry leader has been api jointed to the board of trustees of Hemisphere. ] Peter Rathvon, president of Radio-Keithprpheum, this week confirmed the report that : te had been invited recently to join the board nd said he had accepted. Mr. Rathvon tressed the value of the CIAA film activities •ut observed it was still too early to discuss he plans of Hemisphere, which will take up Inhere CIAA ceases. At least two more presidents are expected 0 serve on the board. Spyros Skouras, presilent of Twentieth Century-Fox, and Nicholas i/L Schenck, president of Loew's, also have •een invited to join. At midweek they had not :onfirmed acceptances. The presence of industry executives in the irganizational setup of Hemisphere Films ©recasts a far-reaching influence in the educaional film program for the Americas, accordng to observers. ^tate Department and budget Bureau Approve 1 OfiScial approval of the transfer of the CIAA film activities to Hemisphere Films has leen given by the Department of State and the Bureau of the Budget. The move is effective December 1, with the motion picture division of 2IAA continuing its operation, for the present, it its headquarters in New York and Washngton, under Hemisphere auspices. Only lastcinute approval of specific itemized expendi•ures from the Bureau of the Budget is necesary for the transfer. j Francis Alstock is the director of the motion |»icture division of the Coordinator's office. He ucceeded John Hay Whitney, who entered the \.rmy. Whether the radio and press divisions of ' ZlAh would be transferred to private agencies 'ike Hemisphere has not been determined, but It is understood Mr. Rockefeller and the State , I Department are discussing this possibility. ' Of the $2,000,000 allocated for films by Congress to the CIAA for the fiscal year July 1, '944, to June 30, 1945, approximately $1,000, MRS. RHODE SEES SCREEN "PROPAGANDA FORCE" Recognition of the screen as a "propaganda force" in the post-war world was made last week by Mrs. Ruth Bryan Owen Rhode, author and former U. S. Minister to Denmark, who has joined industry, Government and educational leaders in forecasting the use of the screen as a potent medium for information and education after the war. Speaking before the State Teachers Association convention In New Haven, Mrs. Rhode declared: "The greatest propaganda force In the world is in our hands, but we haven't scratched the surface of potentiality." She particularly stressed the use to which films could be put in furthering the study of history, geography arid the functions of Government. 000, to be spent from December to June, 1945, will be transferred to Hemisphere. After next June 30, Hemisphere is to call upon private funds for the continuation of its program. A grant of $25,000 already has been made by private sources and more money is to be raised. Whether Congress will approve allocation of a portion of the budget needed to keep alive this project by a private agency after the war cannot be determined at this time, but it is known that some money will come from the Federal exchequer, since the State Department is desirous of seeing the film program, developed by CIAA during the war, perpetuated in the post-war period. New by-laws and constitution for Hemisphere Films have been adopted, providing not only for the production and distribution nontheatrically of 16mm films in Mexico, Central and South America, but in the United States as well. CIAA's 16mm outlets established in this country and below the Rio Grande will be expanded by Hemisphere to permit the widest possible distribution of films deemed necessary for the education and well-being of the people at home and for their Latin American neighbors. Varied Backgrounds of Members of Board In addition to Mr. Rathvon, the present board of trustees of Hemisphere includes: John Abbott, director of the Museum of Modern Art, which has Rockefeller backing; Doris Warner LeRoy, daughter of Harry M. Warner and wife of Mervyn LeRoy, Warner producer ; Beardsley Ruml, treasurer of R. H. Macy and Company, and a director of Encyclopedia Britannica Films, Inc. ; James Husted, of the law firm of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam and Roberts, and Wallace K. Harrison, architect, of the firm of Harrison, Fouilhoux and Abramovitz, among the several architects who designed Rockefeller Center in New York. Mr. Harrison has been serving as temporary president of Hemisphere until a. permanent head of the organization is appointed. It is understood that several educational leaders also will be asked to join the board. According to present plans, Hemisphere will continue to make the kind of educational pictures on health, medicine, dental care, nutrition, agriculture and other subjects of social welfare which CIAA produced in the last three years. Emphasis will be placed on post-war reconstruction. Distribution will be aimed at schools, colleges, universities, farmers, teachers, nurses, doctors, dentists and other professional and civilian groups. The industry will be asked to cooperate with Hemisphere in the production of some of these subjects. No Conflict with Society For the Americas In no way will the Heisphere prograni conflict with the present and perhaps future activities of the Motion Picture Society for the Americas, established in 1942 as a liaison organization facilitating the cooperation 'of the Hollywood producers with the work of the CIAA. The Society primarily provided producers with information and material useful in making films conform to the principles of the Good Neighbor policy. It is considered likely that the Society will continue to function as a private agency after the war. The future scope of Hemisphere Films and the interest in its continuation as a post-war project may be seen in the recent figures reported by the CIAA on its film activities to date. From January, 1942, to October, 1944, there were 94,937 showings of CIAA films to 44,000,000 Latin Americans, and 60,000 showings of CIAA newsreels to 32,000,000 persons. There are 296 16mm subjecte in release for general audiences in Latin America; 93 subjects for special audiences, including dental and medical societies and other specialized groups, and 112 issues of newsreels. Currently, there are 326 projectors now in use in Mexico, Central and South America. 8,000 Film Showings Held During October In October, 1944, CIAA held 8,000 showings of films and 5,500 newsreel shows, reaching 3,501,000 people with its films, and 2,268,000 with its newsreels. Approximately 68 CIAA pictures are in release in the United States. To date, there have been 177,083 showings of these, reaching an audience of 26,031,000. In October, 1944, there were 74 shows in the U. S. to an audience of 1,019,000. CIAA uses about 120 16mm outlets in this country, some of them also utilized by the domestic nontheatrical film division of the Office of War Information. About 150 prints per film are made by CIAA for each subject. U. S. audiences are averaging between 2,500,000 and 3,000,000 a month. According to present plans, it is estimated that under the first year of the Hemisphere program, there will be provided 2,000 sound projectors in South America; 3,000 the second year and about 10,000 supplied over a period of five more years. vIOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 18, 1944 !7