Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

Report on Chaotic State Of Italian Films; Theatre Booms with Inflation by MARTIN QUISLEY, JR. R ome Martin Quigley, Jr. EVERY phase of motion picture activity in Italy is in a state of greater or lesser chaos, though parts of the country have been liberated for a year and a half, and Rome, the capital, for eight months. American motion pictures are distributed by the Film Section of the Allied Military Headquarters' Psychological Warfare Branch. This joint British-American, military-civilian, agency started film exhibition for the Italian public shortly after the first Allied troops landed in Sicily and has continued operations behind the lines as the battle zone advanced up the peninsula of Italy. Emphasis naturally has been on obtaining the widespread distribution and results have been successful. Other problems concerning the motion picture in Italy for today and the future have been left to other agencies. Theatres in liberated areas of Italy are enjoying heavy attendance. Many theatres are taking in ea'ch week ten times as much money as in the same period before the war. This is fine business which, however, should be viewed in relation to the currency inflation here. The fact that American films, exhibited after an absence of five years, are tremendously popular surprises no one. While the factors of distribution and attendance are fundamental in normal times for judging business conditions, at present in Italy both these favorable circumstances must be qualified. Distribution by PWB Film Unit Temporary War Measure Distribution by the PWB Film Section is a temporary war expedient and will be more or less abruptly halted at some future date. Already the PWB has discontinued its daily newspaper in Rome and some of its radio activity. No one knows when the PWB will close down the Film Section. The decision must be made at a high level of military and policy command. Probably in the end the action will be taken only on orders from London and Washington. Guesses at the termination date run from the near future to six months or more after the end of the war in Europe. The Italian cinemas are crowded with a new type of customer. -Virtually the only ones who can attend the theatres are those Italians dealing, directly or indirectly, in the black market, and the Allied Forces and their friends. Most of the other Italians do not have enough money to go to the theatre because what resources they possess must be used to try to acquire necessary food and clothing. Family patronage of the motion picture theatre has been especially hard hit and may be said to have ceased to exist. Admission prices have been increased substantially, though not in as high a ratio as many other prices. For example, the price of some foods has multiplied as much as 100 times. Italian motion picture patrons are generally well satisfied with the film fare provided since the liberation. There is a certain tendency to be wary of what the Italians consider propaganda— they had more than 20 years of it. The hope is expressed in some Italian circles that newer films may be shown and that there be a sufficient number of prints to cover the more important cinemas in a shorter period of time. The most severe criticism has been directed against the dubbing and subtitles made in the United States. It is said that the Italian used in both is not always in keeping with the language customs in Italy. Outside the larger cities many of the patrons do not read or read so slowly that they cannot follow the picture action and comprehend the subtitles at the same time. The greatest single handicap to a more extensive distribution of films is a lack of adequate transportation. The PWB, of course, uses military transport but even then does not service all available theatres on a normal basis. The lack of transport in Italy is one of the prime reasons alleged for continuing the PWB film distribution in areas liberated long ago and now administered by the new Italian Government. High Transportation Cost Borne by Exhibitors However, Italian distributors, without military transport are managing to get films delivered by using the many private truck and commercial car routes which cover almost all liberated areas. This is done at great cost in money and in time but theatre business is so good that extremely high transportation costs are readily absorbed by the exhibitor. The Film Section of the PWB theoretically has a monopoly on the distribution of Allied pictures in Italy. In practice a number of variations of the theory exist. The most important of these, in point of divergence from the standard ban on commercial film activities, is the distribution of Russian product. A company called G.D.B. after its head, Giovanni de Bernardinis, has been set up to dis ITALIANS CRITICAL OF U. S. DUBBING AND SUBTITLES "The most severe criticism [of American pictures] has b^en directed against the dubbing and subtitles made in the Unfted States. It is said that the Italian language used in both is not always in keeping with the language customs in Italy. Outside the larger cities many of the patrons do not read or read so slowly that they cannot follow the picture action and comprehend the subtitles at the same time." tribute Russian films. The distribution is on a commercial basis and is independent of the PWB. Also pre-war Columbia, RKO Radio, United Artists and Universal pictures are being distributed by Italian distributors, several of whom have distributed German films. In most cases the same Italian firms which handled the product betore the war are distributing American films. The newer pictures of those four American companies are handled by the PWB. The four American companies which had their own offices in Italy — Metro-GoldwynMayer, Paramount, Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros. — are not permitted to distribute any of their product, old or new, or to start contract negotiations with exhibitors. The English and American executives of the PWB Film Section are respectively Mr. Steven Pallos, associated for many years with Korda, and Lt. Pilardi Levi, a native of Rome, who worked for Twentieth Century-Fox before emigrating to the United" States, of which he is now a citizen. The staff of the Film Section is quite large, with work carried on from a headquarters and branches in cities throughout liberated areas of the country. Many of the members of the staff have had some film experience, but none of the executives of former American distributing companies is included. The son of Filippo del Giudice, managing director of J. Arthur Rank's Two Cities Productions in England, is a member of the PWB Film Section staff in Italy. Distribution Revenues Go To Property Custodian The revenues collected from exhibitors for films distributed by the PWB, less expenses of the film section, are turned over to the American Property Custodian Branch of the Allied Military Government. The PWB receives 60 per cent of the revenue obtained by the Italian distributors of pre-war Columbia, RKO, United Artists and • Universal product, less certain extra distribution expenses granted to the Italian distributors by the PWB. This money collected by the PWB also goes to the AMG Property Custodian. The American officer currently in charge of these matters at the AMG is Major Paul D. Shriver. The AMG Property Custodian also directs affairs of the four American companies which had their own Italian firms or branches. In the winter of 1942, after the Italian declaration of war on the United States, the Fascist Government appointed two sequestrators to take over the assets of the four companies. Fascist Official Controlled Three U. S. Companies A Fascist official, Gino Pierantoni, was given control of Paramount, Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros.; another, Asvero Gravelli, got Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Since the time of the Allies' arrival in Rome last June, no action affecting the American companies may be taken without the direction of the AMG. The sequestrators have not been removed from their positions to emphasize the res])onsibility of the Italian Government and to simplify procedure. The AMG permits the use of the Italian lires credited to the various American companies from the distribution of their pictures, either by the PWB or Italian distributors, for the payment of salaries to employees of the American companies and also would allow expenses of dubbing films in Italy. Other uses of the funds, such as purchase of theatres and real estate, would require the prior approval of a U. S. Treasury license obtained in Washington. The uncertain value of the lira — the official rate is 100 lires to the dollar, and black market (Continued on foUoiving page, column 1) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 24, 1945 33