Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

ON THE MARCH (^EA studies by RED KANN Name Public ——^^—^—^—^^^^—^^—'—'—^ Relations Couns HOLLYWOOD OILDOWN of a broadcast by Jimmy Fidler, who sells a deodorant on the air: "You theatremen recently cast ballots to select the ten top box office stars of 1944. Supposedly, you rated each star on one consideration only: the amount of cold cash which his or her pictures attracted to box offices. . . . Greer Garson is seventh on your list. She was voted that position on the strength of one picture, "Madame Curie". "Miss Garson had a co-star ... a chap named Walter Pidgeon. He received equal billing and his part was just as important as Greer's. Walter was seen in no other pictures during the year, consequently he had no failures to blot his record. Yet Pidgeon's name is not included among your big ten. Why? "What makes you believe that his contribution to the success of 'Madame Curie' was less important than that of Greer Gar son's? ... I have no quarrel with the high honor you paid Miss Garson . . . but I do quarrel with your failure to give Pidgeon equal credit. What proof have you, in fact, to guarantee that it wasn't Pidgeon rather than Miss Garson the majority of moviegoers paid their money to see ?" Fidler, it so happens, is not referring to the 13-year-old Motion Picture HERALD-Fowe poll in which Miss Garson was sixth. But because his argument applies, we make his comment a piece of this column's business. The business : 1. — The exhibitor, in contact with his public, either gets more Garson or more Pidgeon. His voting indicates it's the former. 2. — Pidgeon ran 19th in the independent theatre balloting, 11th with the circuits and 13th on the combined vote. Thus, in the HerALD-Fame sweeps, at least, he was in the running, if not in the top ten. Thus, he was not ignored by theatremen and his values were recognized, as this demonstrates. 3. — Miss Garson is billed ahead of her costar in MGM advertising. That counts. 4. — Moreover, it was "Mrs. Miniver," "Madame Curie" and "Mrs. Parkington." Where's the emphasis? Just where Metro intended it to be. Here, and Coming THUMBNAILS on pictures caught in the last few days, and nights: "A Song to Remember" is an attraction to remember. From many angles and by many approaches, it is distinguished. Here, the skilfull employment of graceful, melodic and stirring music to strengthen and to develop the dramatic thread and fibre of this story of Frederic Chopin scales a peak not ever before remembered for Hollywood. It reaches a crashing crescendo in a montage finish in which Chopin sacrifices his life in a series of concerts to raise money for the patriots of his native Poland in their struggle of liberation against Czarist Russia. There may be some who will be impassive enough to resist the emotional onslaught, but it is to be doubted if their name possibly could approach legion. Superior craftsmanship is on noted display in this superb film. It is in evidence in the progressive script by Sidney Buchman, in the fine directorial hand of Charles Vidor and in the performances by Cornel Wilde, who will be a name also to remember after this, as well as by Merle Oberon and Paul Muni. Aside from its own values, "A Song to Remember" could turn out to be significant on another score. If it meets with its wholly deserved success, another production boundary may be pushed further back to give breathing space to other pictures in which great music will come into its own on the screen. "Objective, Burma," naturally, is in sound. But this release, for long stretches of its 144 minutes — incidentally, those 144 are too many minutes — is silent aside from the menacing and strange noises of the re-created Burmese jungle. The tenseness and the degree of holding power which this accomplishes under Raoul Walsh's direction sharpens to an amazing extent a manhunt between an outnumbered band of American raiders and pursuing Japanese. The American detachment, under Errol Flynn, is commissioned to destroy a radar station, a necessary preliminary to a surprise reinvasion of Burma. The objective is attained. The raiders' get in, but they they have to get out. It's getting out and what befalls them which make up the story. Grim and unrelenting, "Objective, Burma," captures a graphic and vivid impression of what the real thing must be like, and it is not for softies. A powerful and realistic attraction. And Flynn without a romance ! "Western Approaches" is a documentary which once more demonstrates England is without a peer in this field of production. It took two years to make under wartime conditions, is photographed in Technicolor, takes place alm.ost entirely at sea. It is an official British Government job and therefore produced with formal sanction, aided by the naval and merchant marine services and acted by men regularly enlisted in their ranks. There are no professional performers. In a capsule drama is telescoped the magnitude and sweep of the battle against the U-boat on the ocean road to England. The results are life-like, believable, impressive and exciting. Critical members of the Houses of Parliament who have been hurling pinpoints at Americanese in American films may be interested in learning that the dialects in "Western Approaches" are frequently difficult for the average U.S.A. eardrum to decipher. Nevertheless, this is a motion picture and what it has to unfold is unfolded in terms of motion pictures which anyone can understand. Re-edited in a shorter version, the film will be distributed in the States by Paramount. Dawn and Light THE Public Information Committee met in Hollywood a few days ago. Out came a planning report recommending an expansion of activities in international public relations and "for the establishment of longrange industry policies in connection with the reopening of foreign markets." Emphasized was, "All public relations thinking in Hollywood hereafter must give consideration to world opinion instead of the local market." The statement did not discuss where the boys have been until now. It also ignored Louella Parsons and her 36-to-48 hour protective umbrella on releases over all other correspondents. Not that it matters. Louella is timeless, also unassailable. London Bureau I It is a safe assumption that there will j stampede of candidates for a job which prej will be on offer within Britain's industry. The functions are as yet undefined, but it is posed that its incumbent shall be a sort of potentiary extraordinary of the country's e; tors in all public affairs, Parliamentary or ( wise, where their interests may be affected, the suggested emolument attaching to the off no less than £10,000 (about $40,000) per annu That's a lot of money by ordinary Ei standards ; something like twice the wage th tion pays to Winston S. Churchill for leading war. But it's an index to the anxiety fori looking exhiibtors feel in regard to their fi The art — or craft — of lobbying has neve: veloped this side on lines comparable with practiced in Washington. Certainly, the i industrial groups in the last 10 years or so each promoted some sort of euphemistically i public relations bureau. But it's been a desi kind of process and, in the case of motion pi industry, conspicuously lacking. The conseq is seen, the advocates assert, in uninformed tributions to Parliamentary debates ; in a pote ly perilous public ignorance of film problems. Fuller Currently in Charge To date, the Cinematograph Exhibitor's i elation approach to Whitehall, or to membe: either House of Parliament, has been undei subtle but over-burdened secretary of the ass tion, W. R. Fuller. He commands conside respect among the CEA members. John Xavier Prendergast, owner of cinem the ancient City of York and stormy petri local exhibition activities, first proposed the < Dennis C. Walls, chairman of Manchester branch, quickly came forward with his end ment of the Prendergast view. Disturbing though it be to the orthc minded contemporary CEA executive Mr. \ contrived to get slipped into the general cou current agenda a motion proposing "that this sociation should consider the appointment permanent salaried chairman of the legal, fir and Parliamentary committee to conduct th( fairs of the trade in Parliamentary circles." None present could think of an answer to one, and the general council agreed that imr ate consideration be given to the startling posal. The committee already has begun th< liberations and will have a lot of recommenda ready when the council convenes Februar) Cite an Urgent Need These will demonstrate first the urgent ne( some functionary as is proposed, pointing ou peril inherent in uninformed debate of curren hibitor problems. There will be a sort of c< of impending sore points, including entertain tax remission, Sunday opening of theatres, tinuance or otherwise of Quota on the ex tion in 1948 of the present Act, the anticij threat of television whether in public theatr^ in the people's homes, problems arising out o|; Government's announced labor legislation; i eminently, the shape and texture of legisl which may arise out of the Films Council'; called "monopoly report." Agreement is general, too, now that the is in process of ventilation, that an efficient bassador would be cheap at £10,000 a year. / all, as Mr. Walls points out, that only amc to 50 shillings per cinema per annum. Some have nominated Hugh Gaitskell, pH chief of the Board of Trade films division. | it is understood Mr. Gaitskell has political aj tions immediately the war ends. Labour I leaders see in him one of the intellectual, : demically-trained young men among whom will find their Chancellor of the Exchequer ■ the party comes to power. 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. JANUARY 27,