Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

WPB ALLOCATING FILM TO WORLD: 16MM FOR CANADA Whole Pattern of Industry Involved; U, S, Dearth Seen Delaying Release The industry of the screen sat in assorted states of tentativity while the War Production, Board in Washington considered problems of allocation, to the producers of Hollywood and to national film interests around the world. Many allotments had been made, as reported a fortnight ago, and others were in negotiation. This week it became known that the National Film Board of Canada had received allotment of 9,200,000 feet of 16mm stock. Also allotments have been made for India and Australia. The capacity of American plants to produce 230,000,000 feet of standard film a quarter became the most important fact in the motion picture world. Producing companies had not yet received official notice or directives formalizing the verbal decisions of that Washington meeting of February I and 2. That meant, incidentally, that meanwhile the limitation of 285 prints per feature was not precisely in effedf yet. That was of no moment, however. In view of the raw stock shortage which made extended print orders impossible. Exhibition was beginning to get concerned. The raw stock shortage already was reported to be delaying the release of several features. The whole pattern of the industry seemed involved. When formal documents do Issue from WPB, which may be any time now, it is to be expected that they will be In the form of amendments to the standing official order L-178, which is never supplanted but continues under revision from time to time as developments indicate. by W. M. GLADISH in Toronto Four per cent of the U. S. total output of 16mm film stock for the first quarter period of 1945 has been allocated to the Canadian Government, it was announced this week by the Canadian National Film Board. Approximately 9,200,000 feet of the U. S. total capacity of 230,000,000 feet of 16mm film will go to Canada for the first three months through the quota arrangement with the War Production Board in Washington. [Meanwhile, at mid-week, it was expected that the WPB would release an official statement in Washington giving facts and figures concerning the 16mm film supply for the first quarter and indicating what the 16mm industry could expect for the second quarter.] Bulk of Quota Earmarked For Military Use According to an official of the National Film Board, approximately 6,900,000 feet of the 9,200,000 quota to Canada is ear-marked for military use, with a further one-seventh, or 1,300,000 feet, to be devoted to the forthcoming Eighth Canadian Victory Loan campaign. The National Film Board has the responsibility of sub-dividing the quota among the Canadian Services and for essential Government needs. "No film stock is used in Canada for printing civilian films without some war application or training value," the NFB executive said, adding that "Government requirements, of course, have been drastically curtailed." The Canadian Government quota is made available, in portion, to commercial laboratories such as Associated Screen News, Limited, with priorities for any military training films or essential Government films they produce. The NFB said, in this connection : "The 16mm. printing capacity in Canada is kept busy with essential military and Government orders for which we also allocate the film." It was also declared that the Canadian Wartime Prices and Trade Board, which negotiates with the War Production Board at Washington, "must satisfy the WPB that Canadian film usage is fair and in line with U. S. practice." Claim Canadian Allocation Should Be Double The claim was made that, on a population basis as between the Dominion and the U. S., the Canadian allocation should be about double the actual quota to the Canadian Government, the assertion holding that American Armed Services are using 50 times the film stock allocated to the Canadian Services. It was emphasized, however, the WPB had been "generous" and "all essential Canadian military needs have been met." The official belief was expressed that the 16mm. supply situation was not so critical as that for 35mm. films, and that the most essential 16mm. requirements for the armed forces and for government campaigns had been maintained both in Canada and the United States. If was admitted by the spokesman there was probably a natural desire on the part of civilian organizations, whose film supply had been curtailed, to be anxious regarding the quota for the Dominion in comparison with that accorded to American film-using agencies. Demand Out-Runs Higher Capacity In Washington Tuesday, a WPB official said that despite the fact that the capacity of the film manufacturing industry was being expanded to provide increased production, the additional facilities could not yet keep pace with rising requirements for some types of film. As an indication of the increase in production of 16mm and 35mm positive film, it was pointed out that in 1941 the output was about 90,000,000 feet, figured on 16mm size, per quarter, but was currently running at the rate of 230,000,000 feet per quarter. At the 16mm Industry Advisory Committee meeting with WPB executives last week in Washington, the board said that military demands for 16mm stock had been carefully scaled downward and would run at approximately the same level as for the past few months. It was emphasized, however, that there were heavv requirements from other Government agencies, including the Office of War Information, Public Health Service, Office of Education, the Red Cross, and other organizations which have priority rights. Army and Navy original estimates of requirements called for 142,000,000 linear feet for the current quarter, which was 8,500,000 feet more than the manufacturers' present capacity, the board observed. The supply of 16mm for home movies last year was only about 1,000,000 feet a quarter and the WPB warned that a reduction of not less than 25 per cent would be necessary in the current quarter for this use. 16mm Producers Have Never Had Quota Plan The 16mm producers and distributors have never been placed on a quota system because of the difficulties of administration which the board did not want to have to undertake unless absolutely necessary. The industry, therefore, was given an estimated footage to take care of its needs, the stock being distributed through regular business channels without ratings. For the past year, however, nearly all of the producers have been making films for the Navy, Marine Corps or other Government agencies and have received footage for this purpose from the individual agencies. Comparatively little industrial or other commercial production was undertaken during 1944. Vanguard Announces Two Sales Appointments Two new appointments and a new sales arrangement for Vanguard Films, Inc., were announced this week by Neil Agnew, vice-president. Milton Kusell, former New York district manager of Paramount Pictures, will be eastern supervisor of sales. Cresson Smith, former sales executive, long identified in the field in executive capacities with United Artists and more recently with RKO, will be west coast supervisor of sales with headquarters in Los Angeles. Sam Horowitz will continue his middle west and southern supervision of sales with headquarters in Chicago. This setup marks the formation of divisional sales control and will eliminate the former post of domestic general sales manager as all sales will be supervised by Mr. Agnew. The new appointments will be effective March 1. St. Louis Exhibitors To Sue Unions for Film Strike Louis K. Ansell, chairman of the St. Louis Motion Picture Exhibitors Committee, said last week that the committee would bring suit against the unions responsible for the film strike there last December, during which about 75 per cent of the theatres in St. Louis and St. Louis County were closed. At that time the committee estimated damages to the closed theatres as a result of the strike would amount to approximately $200,000. Unions which will be named defendants, according to present plans are the projectionists and Film Exchange Employes' locals B-1 and F-1. Bell Heads Airline Unit Ray Bell, former Loew and MGM publicist, has been elected chairman of the publicity committee of the Air Traffic Conference of America. This group embraces tlie nublicity and public relations directors of the 19 U. S. airlines operating domestically and internationally. Mr. Bell is director of public relations for Pennsylvania-Central Airlines. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 24, 1945 31