Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

90% OF THEATRES IN FRANCE OPEN Lack of Electricity Limits Daily Perf ormances, Lober of OWl Says All but 10 per cent of the 3,825 film theatres operating in metropolitan France before DDay are open, Louis Lober, acting chief of the overseas film division of the Office of War Information, said in New York last weekend. Most of the inoperable houses were closed because of bomb destruction or because they were in combat areas. Mr. Lober said the lack of electricity in France limited the number of weekly performances, and that the reopening of houses to civilians in France as well as other liberated European areas depended largely on an increase of electric power as permitted by the Allied Military Government. French Eager for Newsreels The French people are eager to see newsreels and to learn what happened in Allied countries during the four years they were under Nazi domination, according to the OWL To aid in bringing France up to date on Allied activities for the past four years, American and British film trade journals now are being shipped to France and articles from them are given to the press. Biographies of new Hollywood stars developed in these years also are being released to papers and arrangements have been made to keep both press and radio in.formed on the latest Hollywood news. Mr. Lober said that one striking result of German occupation had been the development of the 16mm field in France. Although there were few 16mm projectors in the country before the war, there are now reported to be between 4,000 and 5,000 machines available, not only for use in schools and universities but also in commercial circuits. American 16mm films are much in demand. Within a few weeks OWI expects that printing of American pictures in France for the major companies will be resumed by the French Kodak plant, which is capable of producing 5,000,000 feet of film monthly. Belgium Wants War Films In Belgium, Mr. Lober said, the majority of demands were for war films and old newsreels covering the war period. By the end of October, 412 theatres were showing the Allied newsreels prepared for Belgium, 476 by midNovember. Bombings and indecision over the method of finding and dealing with collaborationists delayed the opening of many houses in Belgium. However, up to November 6, 22 American, eight British and three Russian features had been released by the Psychological Warfare Division for distribution. The OWI indicated that the Nazi V-2 bombs might have cut theatre attendance in Belgium considerably in recent weeks. By early November, more than 1,000 film houses in Italy were showing American films distributed by the division to a daily attendance of l,OOiO,000 civilians, according to the OWI. Theatres in small towns, however, still receive few features, partly because of bad transportation but also because a limited number of prints are available. American motion pictures in all liberated OWI PUTS U.S. MAGAZINE ON SALE IN RUSSIA "Amerika", new monthly magazine in Russian, prepared by the overseas branch of the Office of War Information, went on sale in Moscow last week. Ten thousand copies of the first issue, containing 64 pages plus a color cover, were turned over to the Soviet book agency for sale at three rubles per copy. The agency will keep 25 per cent of the gross for the cost of distribution, and the balance will be deposited in the Moscow account of the American Embassy. The magazine was designed to acquaint the Russian people with the United States. Samuel Spewack, screen writer and playwright, and assistant deputy director of the overseas branch of the OWI, who opened an OWI office in Moscow last year, helped to prepare the magazine. Colonel Joseph B. Phillips, former Moscow correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune, now head of the OWI Moscow office, is in charge of the publication. areas of Europe were enthusiastically received and were fulfilling beyond expectations their psychological warfare functions, Mr. Lober pointed out, adding that many theatre owners had visited Allied Information Service offices to express their eagerness to show Hollywood features. The films prepared especially by the OWI for liberated peoples have had great success, among them "Salute to France," produced for D-Day, and the Allied newsreel, "11 Mondo Libro" ("The Free World"). Regarding the 16mm development in France, OWI estimates that commercial exhibitors equipped to show 16mm sound films numbered 4,500 in October. More than 90 Belgian houses were found to be using 16mm equipment in September. The OWI pointed out that the 16mm film had appealed to a different theatre patronage — mostly inhabitants of remote regions who never see motion pictures. 16mm Developed Widely Belgium also has seen the 16mm film develop into a commercial venture. This was stimulated to a great extent by the Nazis, who made any film house taking less than 2,500 Belgian francs (approximately $1.50) per week give up their 35mm equipment and operate on 16mm. To meet the need for 16mm pictures in France and Belgium, the OWI has prepared and is now supplying those countries with 39 subjects, consisting of 109 reels in French and 27 subjects, consisting of 74 reels, in Flemish. These documentaries were made in both 35mm and 16mm. Designed primarily to furnish information, the subjects cover the American scene, the American war effort, education, news of the Pacific war and a news review aimed at bringing liberated countries up to date on the war. U. S. and British Firms to Go Into France Shortly Within the next few weeks, American ar British film companies will go into France on commercial basis at the same time, Edward V Barret, director of the overseas branch of the Offi( of War Information, announced in Washington la Wednesday. Mr. Barrett, who returned recently from £ inspection tour of OWI operations in' France, sa that arrangements were under discussion betwet British and American authorities. He was enthus astic over the success of OWI's efforts to infor the French people of the events of the past foi years and the part America had played in the wa Motion pictures, radio, leaflets and books are b ing used for this purpose. | He said that a substantial number of Fren( theatres were operating, although precariously, b cause of limited electric power. The progran consist of American and British informational ar commercial features. OWI short subjects are poj ular, he said, and the agency recently arranged ■ have some of its news pictures incorporated in tl French commercial weekly newsreel. Mr. Barrett also made known the fact th William S. Paley, president of Columbia Broai casting System, who is head of European rad operations, had been asked by the military author ties to undertake several important campaigns correct erroneous impressions among the Frenc about the United States. Regan Sees More Patrons j In Post-War Period "The industry need expect only a slight periCj of economic readjustment in the post-war perio because more people are conscious of films th, ever before, and the number is increasing," Charl M. Regan, Paramount vice-president in charge distribution, said this week in New York. j Mr. Regan pointed out that more potential pi trons than ever before were derived by the i dustry from the hundreds of thousands of soldie now regularly seeing gift films overseas. Tl present high quality of product, despite the "lusl war period during which even lesser product couj conceivably get by, was another reason for optirf ism, he said. i There was no product shortage, except in isj lated cases, Mr. Regan maintained, saying thj Paramount was releasing product as it thought tli market could absorb it, about 30 pictures a yejl in blocks of four and five. "We serve over 15,0f, accounts on key pictures, with other product a|' eraging 12,500," he added. ' The company shortly would have a backlog 20 films ; seven were shooting, seven others we finished and six were being edited, he said. Arthur Loew Leaving OWI To Return to MGM Arthur M. Loew, vice-president in charge of fc eign distribution for Loew's, Inc., now on leai will relinquish his post as associate chief of t Office of War Information's overseas film dii sion, to return shortly as head of Loew's forei; department. Mr. Loew is now on vacation in Me ico. Recently he was given inactive status by t Army. He held the rank of major. Since 1 return from London, where he supervised distrib tion of Hollywood films and OWI's documentari in the liberated countries, Mr. Loew had been wor ing out of the New York office of the OWI fil bureau. MGM Promotes Gardner Sam Gardner, manager of the MGM Salt La City branch for over five years, was promoted tl week to a similar post in Los Angeles. Vi Gardner, who has been with the company sin 1931, will be succeeded in his former position Carl Nedley, who has been acting manager Omaha since last summer. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 30, 19