Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

MORE RAW STOCK FOR TRADE LESS FOR SOME COMPANIES WPB Allocations Providing Pool for Independents; Newsreel Footage Up Adjustment of industry raw film stock needs in relation to the total capacity production and with respect to continued high requirements of film for war and the Government's international policy was made by the War Production Board in Washington last Friday. The over-all raw stock for the industry as a whole is some 5,000,000 feet more for the second quarter period than the current quarter, although individual companies had to take cuts. Members of the Industry Advisory Committee met with Stanley Adams, chief of the Consumers' Durable Goods Division of the WPB, and other board officials, to thrash out the problems affecting the industry at this time. As a result of the meeting, the WPB made the following tentative adjustments: 1. A total of 23,721,700 feet of film was slashed from the individual quotas of producing-distributing companies for the second quarter, but the over-all increase to the industry amounts to 5,602,020. 2. The board made these reductions in order to set up a pool of 28,323,720 feet for independent producers. 3. A scheduling committee consisting of three independent producer representatives was established by the WPB to pass upon qualifications of independent producer applicants for raw stock from the new pool and to determine the amount of footage to which each qualified applicant is entitled. 4. Second quarter allocations for the five newsreel companies amount to 53,000,000 feet, the same as the current quarter. After the February 1 meeting, the WPB set a tentative newsreel allocation of 51,714,778 feet. Since that time, the footage was increased to 53,000,000 feet. 5. The board cut in half the raw stock credit to the companies from the Army, amounting to approximately 50 per cent of the stock used for prints supplied to the Army for films shown in Army motion picture theatres in the U. S. The independents pool will get 25 per cent of the raw stock credit from the Army and the producing-distributing companies the other 25 per cent under the new arrangement. Estimated quotas in addition to the industry's, set by the board for the next quarter, include: 117,000,000 feet for the Army; 43,000,000 feet for the Navy ; 52,000,000 feet to Foreign Economic Administration for export to England, Russia, India, Mexico and other foreign countries; 35,000,000 feet to the Office of War Information, both domestic and overseas film units, and 1,000,000 feet to Canada. More for Second Quarter, But Still Below 1944 Period The total raw stock quota for the producingdistributing companies in the new period, beginning April 1, is 261,599,460 feet, compared to 255,997,440 for this quarter and 271,689,797 for the last quarter of 1944. The estimated total output of raw stock for the second quarter is about 611,000,000 feet. This indicates a large increase over pre-war production capacity. Out of the newly created pool, producers af How Quarterly Allotments Compm Company Columbia Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Monogram Paramount PRC Pictures RKO Radio Republic Twentieth Century-Fox United Artists Universal Warner Bros Independent Producers Group TOTAL 2nd Quarter Current Reduction in Prev Quotas Quarter No. of Feet Que (Tentative) Quotas By Companies (L-l 28,130,580 28,505,600 375,020 30,25 39,191,760 39,713,280 521,520 42,14 7,597,710 7,697,920 100,210 8,17 27,658,170 28,948,480 1,290,310 30,72 5,1 12,990 5,181,440 68,450 5,50 21,430,170 25,850,880 4,420,710 27,43 17,682,450 17,318,400 635,950 18,38 29,573,910 29.967,360 393,450 31,80 15,157,760 15,157,760 16,08 25,523,190 25,863,680 340,490 27,44 31,374,810 31,792,640 417,830 33,74 28,323,720 261,599,460 255,997,440 23,721,700* 271,68 * Although the total number of feet representinga reduction by companies over the current quarter quotas is 23,72 actually, the over-all increase in raw stock to the industry amounts to 5,602,020. The board reduced each comj footage to make, up the independent producers pool of 28,323,720 for the second quarter. United Artists, whic ceived an allocation of 15,1 57,/ 60 for the current quarter, has no allocation for the new quarter. filiated with United Artists are to get allocations, but under the proposed new allocations, United Artists as a producer-distributor received no quota. For the current quarter period, the WPB set aside for UA an allocation of 15,157,760, which is to be transferred to the independents' pool. Individual company cuts made by the board ranged from 68,450 for PRC Pictures to 1,290,310 for Paramount, and 4,420,710 for RKO Radio. The reduced amounts from Paramount and RKO are to be transferred to the independents' bank, presumably for use of the independent producers, Samuel Goldwyn, International Pictures, Golden Productions, Walt Disney, who release through RKO, and Hal Wallis and Pine-Thomas, who release through Paramount. Board officials assured the industry committee that they would issue credits promptly to enable distributors to replace or supplement prints as needed for general distribution after prints are returned by the Armed Forces. 285 Feature Print Ceiling May Be Put in WPB Order The proposal to place a ceiling of 285 on prints for feature films may be made formal through incorporation in the WPB Order L178, but the board did not make known whether that ceiling would be a maximum figure, or, as proposed by one committee member, made an average. A 285 average would permit distributors to provide a larger number of prints on the most important features and make up the film used by cutting the number of prints on other pictures. It was pointed out that an average ceiling would particularly benefit independent producers who make two or three pictures a year. The board emphasized that it planned to permit the use of 35mm film only in accordance with quotas assigned by the WPB, and that this would apply to short ends as well as full lengths of film." To secure a 25 per cent increase in the production of certain types of film would necessitate a plant expansion costing at least $15,000,000, the WPB pointed out. The board contended that while such a program is under consideration, the major factor woul the length of time required to secure the a tional output, which it estimated at from 1 18 months. Members of the new independent prodi representatives' committee are Barney Brh representing Sol Lesser Productions ; The L. Walker, representative of Edward S Productions, and Roy Disney of Walt Di: Productions. The pool will take care of the raw stock quirements of new producers, if they can qi fy, as well as established ones. In addi( all commercial users of raw stock, if they l qualifications, can draw from the bank. B qualification is that the producer or raw s user was establised in business prior to J; ary 1, 1945. Foreign Producers Could Get Stock for Domestic Releases Independent producers will be at liberty take their quotas with them when they cha from one distributing company to another, bank also will be authorized by the WPI make stock available to foreign producers ' qualify and whose pictures are scheduled distribution in this country. In addition to Mr. Adams, WPB offic who attended the meeting were Lincoln Burrows, Charles Carpenter, Warren Dc and Maurice Green. Members of the industry committee 1 were present included : Neil F. Agnew, "V guard; A. Schneider, Columbia; Samuel B dy, Monogram; Bert Kulick, PRC; Bar Briskin, Sol Lesser Productions ; N. P< Rathvon, RKO; Edward C. Raftery, Un Artists ; Samuel Schneider, Warners ; A. Schwalberg, International Pictures ; The L. Walker, Edward Small Productions; V ter L. Titus, Jr., Republic; James A. Mub Samuel Goldwyn Productions ; William Rodgers, Loew's, Inc. ; John J. O'Connor, I versal; Roy G. Disney, Walt Disney Proc tions; W. C. Michel, Twentieth Century-F Robert M. Savini, Astor Pictures; Ted Tod Toddy Pictures ; John R. Wood, March Time, and L. E. Goldhammer, Film Class 12 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 24,