Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

BRITISH CEA FIGHTS SUNDAY FILM LAWS Old Opposition Is Coming to Head Following Ban by Surrey Council by PETER BURNUP in London Sunday opening of Britain's motion picture theatres and conditions imposed thereon by local authorities, ever a potential source of political skullduggery, have developed suddenly the proportions of a classic row. The Surrey County Council, out of the blue, ordained that no children under 16 whether accompanied by parents or not, should be permitted to attend, on Sundays, cinemas under the County Council's license. Surrey's arbitrary action had been anticipated in other areas; notably in that of Westonsuper-Mare. But in the latter instance the local authority was acting under a Defense Regulation issued at the instance of an R.A.F. officer concerned for the Sunday entertainment of the troops in his command; whereas Surrey bases its powers on the Sunday Entertainments Act passed by Parliament in 1932. And there's the rub. Protests Are Nationwide Protests have been nationwide. Parents claiming, and with reason, that in wartime particularly with everyone working long hours, the Sabbath is often the only day of the week when the family can collectively get to "the pictures." There's been talk of an invasion on private liberties ; of hypocritical, unduly pious Sabbatarians using their authority to put unreasonable restrictions on the ordinary citizen. Motion picture men gloomily proclaim that it's only one more instance of local big-wigs kicking the industry around. Naturally the matter isn't to be allowed to rest where it is. The London and Home Counties Branch of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association, concerned with doings in Surrey, has brought the matter up with the legal and parliamentary committee of the parent association. This department has reason to believe that the association will expend some of its considerable accumulated funds in applying to the King's Bench Division of the High Court for a declaration that the Surrey County Council exceeded its power in its action. See Council Within Rights But informed lawyers are pessimistically disposed. The Sunday Entertainments Act is explicit on the point that a local authority may make such conditions for Sunday opening as it "thinks fit to impose." The most likely outcome is that indignant exhibitors and their customers must await the opportunity of a civic election before the present ban is abolished. Not unnaturally, voices are heard crying for a general revision of the country's system of film theatre licensing. One such is Cecil Bernstein, who, in his brother Sidney's absence on warwork, is head of the Granada Circuit and who made during the last 12 months a first rate chairman of the London and Home Counties Branch of the CEA. Normally a politely amiable occasion, Mr. Bernstein considerably shook his valedictory meeting of the branch by bluntly informing the whole CEA that it was their urgent job to press upon the Government a scheme "for a national license which shall govern cinemas in every part of the country and thus prevent these constant attacks on our liberty by local councils." "All such interference, all these ridiculous restrictions and controls imposed on us amount to nothing short of the persecution of an industry," were the parting words of Mr. Bernstein. Implementation Presents Problem The CEA's membership agreed. But implementation of the Bernstein sentiment is quite another kettle of fish. Ordinances regulating film licensing are in a sort of Alice-in-Wonderland tangle as though some whimsy legislature had wilfully set up a maze of contradictions just for the fun of it. Governing statute is the Act of 1909, but on its back has been built a monstrous edifice of statutory rules and orders, local by-laws, High Court decisions, amending Acts of Parliament, wartime defense regulations, whose codification might well occupy a Parliamentary lifetime. Back of it all, moreover, is the firmly entrenched principle of local option which — regarded by those unpredictable Britons, ever since the days of their Anglo-Saxon progenitors, as the first bastion of their private liberties, may be expected to demand a legislative bulldozer for its shifting. Realists in the exhibition faculty hope, at the best, for some consummation of their hopes in this regard in the continuing legislation which must, in any event, be enacted before expiration of the present Quota law in 1948. Meanwhile all available evidence points to the urgency of an Herculean cleaning-up of the Sabbath-Day-Opening muddle. Charity Clause a Compromise Admittedly a compromise between violently vocal factions in the then House of Commons, the 1932 Act threw a crumb to Sabbaticallyminded M.P.'s in the form of a clause in the statute which provided that a percentage of the profits from a theatre's Sunday opening should be donated to nominated charities; the local authority concerned being vested with the power not only to compute the profit percentage but to nominate the benefiting charity. Said exhibitors at the time: "This is blackmail." But they submitted to the alleged blackmail ; have gone on, as all blackmail victims do, bitterly regretting their original acceptance of the condition. They moan but there is' little else they can do, short of persuading Parliament to rid them of the pledge. Not that they are without oratorical support. Recently CEA's Birmingham and Midlands Branch held its annual luncheon. A former Lord Mayor of Birmingham, now a member of its Aldermanic Bench, was the guest of honor. He said, "I think it is disgraceful that in a country like ours, when people need entertainment on Sunday, they have to pay so much toward charity for the privilege. We have to run power-stations and gas-works on Sunday and I put cinemas on the same level of necessity. The people want cinemas and they should have them." Exhibitors in Gloucestershire recently have been called upon by their local authority to pay what amounts to twice their previous charitable levy, and can do nothing about it save protest. In Dorset they are in a worse state. They! decided that an increased allocation ordained by their County Council puts an "excessive! burden" upon them; decided on Sunday closing in consequence. But protests, vehement or polite, are useless1; in the present set-up. Exhibitors claim, and with reason, that their trade compares favorably with any other industry in the work they \ do, not only in the nation's war effort but for charity at large. Amending legislation is imperatively necessary. Pastor Defends Screen As this dispatch goes forward comes news from Romford, outlying London "dormitory"! environ. Speaking in the Congregational Church i. there, the Rev. Wilson Bridge, past-president of the neighborhood's Free Church Federal Council, referred to the suggestion that Essex County Council proposed enforcing the child ban. Said the pastor : "I would like to know whal the Church proposes to offer these young people as a suitable alternative. We are living in a film-minded age. The Church should mak« an ally of the films, using them, if necessary, in its own buildings in the interest of younf people. "It would be a great pity, he added, "if w< came to be regarded in the eyes of the public as a sort of religious police force." Set March 30 Release Date For Paramount Musical The Paramount Technicolor musical comedy "Bring on the Girls," has been set for genera release March 30, Charles M. Reagan, vice-presi dent in charge of distribution, informed a distric1 sales meeting in Philadelphia Monday. A large number of day-and-date Easter booking! would be given the film in key cities, Mr. Reagai said. In advance of general release, there will b several pre-release engagements. The first was a the New York Paramount Wednesday. Outlining the advertising campaign on the film Robert M. Gillham, advertising and publicity di 1 rector, said, "again Paramount will sell color wifl color." Full-color advertising insertions will breall in 36 key cities, coinciding with local openings Starring in the film are Veronica Lake, Sonny Tufts, Eddie Bracken and Marjorie Reynolds. More than 60 circuit executives and exhibitors representing 90 per cent of the theatres in Phila delphia, Pittsburgh, Washington and Baltimore 1 attended a luncheon held Tuesday at the Hote Warwick. Speakers included : J. Lawrence Schan f berger, managing director of Keith's theatre, Balti 1 more ; William Erbb, eastern division manager foi Paramount ; Hugh Owen, New York and south ern division manager ; Oscar A. Morgan, genera 1 sales manager of short subjects; and Claude Le« director of public relations. Mathes Named Chairman of British Exhibitor Unit Cecil Mathes has been appointed chairman fo; the year of the London and Home Counties Brand of the British Cinematograph Exhibitors Associa tion. He opened his first London theatre in 1912 The house ran continuously until two years ag when Hitler closed it with a bomb. Two other d his theatres are in Bethnal Green, London's mos blitzed borough. They still function. Mr. Mathes was chairman of the London Brand in 1932, when he helped negotiate the first trade union agreement with theatre employees ; th agreement subsequently becoming the model forn adopted throughout the country. Sidney Joins Eagle-Lion Arthur W. Kelly, president of Eagle-Lion Film! Inc., has announced the appointment of R. G. Sid ney, who recently left United Artists, as hea statistician and sales comptroller. 7 b MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 3, 194