Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

^AR AND POLICY TAKE TOLL OF CRITICAL RAW STOCK X-Ray Need and Promise to jl Russia May Cut Flow of i Films for Exhibitors \washington Bureau j The war and U. S. State Department concern for international trade and policy require more raw stock. Army and Navy demands for film for medical uses, particularly X-ray, and the State Department's promise to Russia of raw stock, to be delivered through Lend-Lease, are the important contributory causes of the recent raw stock crisis. Distributors facing sharp cuts in raw stock say such reductions will mean fewer pictures for exhibitors. They point out that prints already are at a minimum. I Not only the industry, but domestic Government agencies, as well as several neutral European countries whose allocations are passed upon by the State Department, will have to take "reduced allotments under present War Production Board plans. For the first time since the war began, Russia will receive raw stock from the United States, a total of 37,000,000 feet. England will get 1,000,000 feet. The quota for the overseas film division of the Office of War Information has been increased from 13,200,000 to 15,000,000 feet. Capacity Determined by Army Medical Needs The capacity film output of both the Eastman Kodak Company and the Photo Products Division of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Company is determined entirely on the amount of film required for medical use by the military services. Before the war, the output of both plants was approximately 1,650,000,000 feet a year, for domestic and foreign use. For the first quarter of 1945 capacity production of Kodak and duPont amounts to 587,000,000 feet. In 1944 the total output was about two billion feet. Army and Navy needs for X-ray and other medical film are exclusive of the raw stock allocated to the services for training, morale, orientation, incentive and combat motion picture production and distribution. When the news broke in Washington two weeks ago that the board would ask the indusj try to take a 10 per cent cut in their 1944 last quarter quota, reports circulated in the capital that the action had been dictated by the State Department in order to supply Britain and Russia with sufficient raw stock through LendLease, to produce and distribute worldwide, propaganda films. Rumor of Supply for Foreign Propaganda Called False According to a WPB official, this rumor was entirely false. He said the raw stock crisis arose solely from the increasing demands of the Army and Navy for medical film. He pointed out further that even though England and Russia are to obtain raw stock for this first quarter period, the film would be used only for military training and combat pictures and for no other reason. To date, England has received very little raw stock through Lend-Lease, but the U. S. WHERE A YEAR'S OUTPUT OF RAW STOCK GOES A breakdown of raw slock allocations proposed by the War Production Board for the first quarter of 1945, shows the relation of footage allocated to the industry for the period, compared to other quotas and the total output. The total output of raw film manufactured in the U. S., for a quarter period is 587,000,000 feet. First 1945 Last 1944 Quarter Quota Quarter Proposed Quota Industry 298.000,000 325,000,000 Army, Navy and Marine Corps 162,500,000 762,500.000 Russia I Lend-Lease) . 37.000,000 none OWI Overseas IHImsl 15,000,000 13,000,000 Mexico fthrougfi CIAA) 70.000,000 73,500,000 India fLend-LeoseK . 70.000.000 73.000.000 Domestic OWI 9.000.000 72.600.000 Spain, Sweden, Swifz erland, Portugal . . 5.000.000 20,000.000 (year) England 7.000,000 none British Information Service (film I none 7 7,000.000 (year) >4rgenfina none 7.000,000 (year) Turkey i. . . none 7.000,000 (year) Totals 547.500.000 578.600,000 A small part of the 40,000,000 difference between 547,500,000 feet for the first quarter and the 587,000,000 total output, will go to other Government agencies, including the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, but the bulk represents the raw stock turned over to the Army and Navy for X-ray and other medical films. The figure above for Army, Navy and Marine Corps is for regular film production units of these services, excluding X-ray and medical films. Grovernment has supplied base cellulose to the British which they have manufactured into film. A breakdown of allocations for the first quarter of 1945, based on the WPB proposals, shows that only 1,000,000 feet are designated for England, through Lend-Lease. For the year 1944, the British Information Services' film division in New York received 11,000,000 feet, used partly for Ministry of Information prints shown in the U. S., including "Tunisian Victory," made jointly by the British and American army photographic corps and "V-1," released through the Office of War Information and War Activities Committee. For this quarter, no quota has been allocated to the British Information Services. While Russia has been given a tentative allocation of 37,000,000 feet for the first quarter of 1945, on a Lend-Lease basis, it is not certain that the Soviet Union , will receive all of that. Output will control. Last December, Gregor Irsky, Russian film technician and member of the Soviet Cinema Committee, who has been in Washington, told Motion Picture Herald he had been trying to get raw stock for his country for eight months and thus far had not succeeded. He said that Russia was in "desperate need of raw stock for military training film production." It is understood that within the past three years, Russia was given a supply of silver nitrate, through Lend-Lease, for the manufacture of explosives as well as for film manufacture. The nitrate supply was not sufficient for their raw stock manufacturing requirements and since 1942 the Soviet Union has been trying to get film in the U. S., through Lend-Lease. Two years ago, Russia purchased several million dollars worth of film equipment and materials, including a small amount of raw stock. Up to December, 1944, according to a Washington official, India was the only country which received raw film stock through LendLease. Last year, India was given about 13,000,000 feet and this year, for the first quarter, 30 per cent less has been allocated. 10,000,000 Feet Allocated To Mexican Production Only 10,000,000 feet are earmarked for Mexico for this quarter, which represents a 35 per cent cut in her 1944 quota. The allocation was determined through efforts of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. In 1944 Argentina received about 7,000,000 feet, but this year not one foot has been designated for that country. Turkey, too, received no allocation for this year, although in 1944 about 1,000,000 feet was shipped to her on a purely cash basis. (A detailed story on the Mexican raw stock situation is on page 14). The raw stock crisis similarly affected other neutrals, including Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. All of these countries will get a total of 5,000,000 feet for this quarter, compared to slightly less than 20,000,000 allocated in 1944. Spain received a 10 per cent cut over its 1944 quota; Sweden, a 20 per cent cut. Although there has been a slight increase in the raw stock allocation for the overseas film division of the Office of War Information, actually its first quarter quota represents a cut. From the 15,000,000 feet allocated, the OWI will have to supply footage for British Ministry of Information war films shown in the U. S. through OWI-WAC auspices and for French or other United Nations pictures which may be distributed here. Footage Must Cover OWI Far Eastern Program In addition, the 15,000,000 feet will have to cover the OWI's Far Eastern program of psychological warfare films, including prints to be made for the industry's 40 pictures made available to the OWI and to be distributed by the Psychological Warfare Division in the Far East on the same basis as the Division handled industry films in liberated Europe. It is understood that France has made application for raw stock through Lend-Lease, but that the allocation has not yet been set. Meanwhile, distributors are preparing to meet with WPB officials February 1 for further discussions of the industry's allotment for this quarter. They expect to be advised of allocations either before the meeting or at its opening. Under the current agreement, the companies are permitted to use for the first quarter up to 50 per cent of the footage they consumed for the last quarter of 1944. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 27, 1945