Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

RAW STOCK COMING; FREOh FREER; THE CURFEW WANES; CEILING FALLS; GROSS UP frr GOOD NEWS and brightening skies flowed in this week across the Eastertide. Strictures <B I on the industry's consumption of raw stock tended to diminish. Also there was at least a hint of a touch of laissez faire coming, remarkably, from Washington in a tentative proposal to remove controls from the civilian supply. The War Production Board removed all restrictions on the use of Freon-12 for theatre cooling, after the requirements of essential users, [^j The mignight curfew seemed destined to fade out, what with both silent and articulate opposition on the one side and the tender words of Mr. James F. Byrnes, father of the notion, resigning from the directorship of the Office of War Mobilization. He admitted, even suggested, the approaching end of the curfew gesture and related matters such as the horse racing ban. That admission price ceiling movement from Mr. Chester Bowles of the Office of Price Administration fizzled out under the inattention of the Senate Finance Committee, considering the Price Control Act. Q Meanwhile, under the benevolence of springtime sunshine, and the offering of an array of competent entertainment product, the Easter weekend grosses flourished and tended to top the figures for last year, [^jj There remained for the nation continuing stresses of war, casualty lists, with their burden of tragedy for many homes. There remained for the industry the immediate ordeal of the Hollywood strike and the continuing trade practice issues, Government regulation, litigations, impending adjustments to the markets of a world in the process of being re-mapped. But over-all there was a sense of progress and up-turn. There is nothing pertaining to this industry which is not improved and encouraged by long lines of people at the box office. — T. R. A DOUBLE load of cheer headed for the exhibitors this week in the film raw 'stock supply situation. In addition to predictions of a larger amount of footage soon, it was indicated that the advance showings in the 1,000 Army theatres throughout the country might be discontinued. Theatre owners have complained that Army camps have shown most pictures as rapidly as they were produced and long before they were available at the local film exchanges. George J. Schaefer, chairman of the War Activities Committee, and industry liaison with the War Production Board, suggested to that agency last week in Washington that elimination of the advance release prints to the Army theatres would save the industry about 120,000,000 feet of raw stock per year. This amount, equivalent to 30,000,000 feet per quarter, was charged against the industry's allocations by the War Production Board each quarter under the previous policy of granting a 50 per cent credit in the subsequent quarter. This grant was whittled to 25 per cent of the current quarter credit, starting April 1. Shortage of Positive Stock "As conditions stand now," Mr. Schaefer said, "there is such a shortage of positive stock that the producers are able to print only pictures that are going into current release for showing in theatres. Heretofore, film made available by the Army enabled the industry to print sufficiently far enough in advance to permit new product to be shown in the Army camps as fast as it was produced, and long before it went into national release." The prints for the Army theatres necessitated processing as many as 50 extra prints of customary "B" pictures. Now that the 285print limit has been established, it is pointed out that the companies are not able to supply the Army needs without making extra prints of "A" attractions. If the arrangement suggested by Mr. Schaefer is adopted, the Army theatres using 35mm prints would obtain them directly from the local exchanges as they become available. An average of 100 prints of feature pictures were made available to the Army previously and were returned to the exchanges only after the Army had exhausted playdates at the 1,000 theatres. The War Production Board has invited industry executives to give their views on a proposal to remove WPB controls from civilian raw stock supply, with a request that replies reach the Durable Goods Division in Washington by Friday of this week. Independents Opposed A member of the sub-committee4 of the National Association of Motion Picture Independents declared in New York Tuesday that the organization was opposed to the lifting of War Production Board control. He said that representations had been made to the WPB asking that the situation be left just as it is. The argument held that if WPB controls were lifted and if raw stock manufacturers were permitted to make their own allocations most of the stock would be cornered by the big companies and that the plight of the independents would be more serious than it is today. Although the independent producers and distributors today are getting only about a third of their raw stock requirements, the spokesman said that they were able to maintain operations. He contended that if the situation developed into an economic race for control of raw stock they would be deprived of their share. Meanwhile, the sub-committee drafted a pro posal in New York for the relief of individi hardship cases resulting from raw stock alio* ; tions of the WPB. The suggestions were si mitted to Stanley Adams of the Consumi Durable Goods Division in Washington. It w: learned that the WPB had made no decision : independent allotments from the pool of or 28,000,000 feet recently created for them. The War Activities Committee was co pleting plans for the purchase of some 2,800,C i feet of positive stock which was discover ' recently at one of the Armp camps with mc 'i than 12,000,000 feet of negative stock. The fi will be charged against the WAC allocati from the Office of War Information and t OWI current quarter stock allocation will reduced by that amount. Industrial and educational film productwere granted a total of 7,500,000 feet of 35n stock during the coming quarter, an increase 50 per cent over the past quarter. It was inr cated they may get an even better allocati during the third quarter. The new allotment for non-industry sto: users would bring that trade to about 75 p cent of its previous consumption, and WI spokesmen said that efforts would be made permit operation at pre-war levels 5 Lift Restrictions On Buying Freon Motion picture theatres were assured suf cient Freon-12 refrigerant to maintain comfcl cooling this Summer in a decision by the W Production Board in Washington this week lift all restrictions on the delivery and use the gas. This was the most sweeping relaxati<| so far in the Freon restriction since it was ir1 posed in November, 1943. The ruling lifted t, curbs that had applied to 23 broad groups 1 businesses. No priorities will be required to get the r frigerant, the only conditions being that tl acquisition of supplies for theatres must folio j the filling of orders for essential users. 1 spokesman for the WPB, however, said th there would be sufficient gas to meet all neecj He indicated that all exhibitors might not g quick delivery for a month or more, because a backlog of orders for about 1,000,000 poum j! which must be filled. The chief drawback lately to quick distrib tion to all users has been the lack of container ! The board said that if the gas cylinders we 1 returned with reasonable promptness, adequa j supplies of the refrigerant would continue to 1 available. Restrictions were placed on the sale of Free] gases when the Government required laru amounts for food refrigeration for the Arrr and lend-lease, for hospitals and as a carri<| for insecticides used by the Army in mosquiti; infested military areas. There was a heavy di mand also for war factories. Supplies now hav been built up to the extent where war ar; essential civilian needs can be guaranteed, wil a margin wide enough to resume supplies 1 the "comfort" users. 12 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 7, 19'