Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

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Italian Planning Uruguay Picture MAJORS TRAINING "AMBASSADORS" Employ Intensive Courses in Development for New Overseas Posts With the expansion of foreign markets necessitating an increase in trained personnel for overseas operations, Loew's International Corporation for the past year has trained a number of men for service abroad. Five already have graduated and left for their respective areas. Six more are in training. For the moment the saturation point has been reached and Loew's is not taking any further applications. The program originated a little over a year ago in the offices of Arthur M. Loew, president, and Morton A. Spring, first vicepresident. .It is under the direct supervision of George Muchnic, vice-president and assistant to Mr. Loew. Dr. Ronald Carroll is co-ordinator. Men of High Caliber Loew's picked the trainees either from the army or from war and relief agencies. Men of high caliber were sought who could be "U. S. ambassadors" abroad, according to Mr. Muchnic. They did not necessarily have to have experience in the industry and, in fact, those who graduated and are already at their posts did not know the field until Loew's started them on their intensive training routine. The course lasts seven months and takes in every aspect of distribution and theatre management. The trainee is carefully screened. This is understandable in view of the fact that the money Loew's spends on preparing a man for service abroad is the equivalent of a college education. From the day he is accepted the trainee gets a salary and expenses. He usually knows at least one foreign language and the company pays for refresher courses whenever this is deemed necessary. Some of the men are married. This is not considered an obstacle. When they go abroad and their wives accompany them, Loew's pays the fare for both and continues to take an interest in their later welfare. The five who have left so far are: Myron Carlin, Jack Tilden, Alvin Cassell, Arthur Krone and Bernard Blair. Their territories are Trinidad, Singapore, Ecuador, South Africa and East Africa. All are between 25 and 35. Was Intelligence Officer The backgrounds of most of them are indicative of the type of man Loew's seeks. Mr. Blair, for instance, was civilian intelligence officer with the Seventh and Fifth Armies. Mr. Carlin at one time was an instructor at the University of California. The screening process is the first step, with all executives of the company passing judgment on the candidate. Approval must be unanimous. If all agree he will be an asset to the company, the applicant is accepted by Mr. Muchnic and Mr. Spring. The training course is divided into several sections. First, the trainee spends four months in two exchanges. There they familiarize themselves with exchange practices from inspecting and booking of films to going out with the salesmen. They are assigned to work with the exchange ex ploiteer and sit in on negotiations between the branch manager and exhibitors. Periodic Reports Received Reports on the trainee by the branch managers are received at regular intervals by Dr. Carroll. Then the individual is assigned to a theatre. He sells tickets, serves as cashier and learns how to handle crowds. Then come several months at the home office. One week is spent in the sound and projection department under Lester B. Isaac, head of the sound and projection section. The trainee also is taught to handle 35mm and 16mm equipment. The rest of his time at the home office is spent taking part in the activities of all departments, including the publicity, sales control, insurances and laboratory sections. Every week he writes a report to Dr. Carroll. Throughout the course he is guided by an elaborately prepared manual. It contains a series of poignant articles including "Before You Go Abroad," by Mr. Muchnic ; "Sales," by Mr. Spring; a history of Loew's International : "The. Treasurer's Office," by H. F. Krecke, treasurer; "The Legal Department," by Joseph Rosthal, general counsel ; "Good Theatre Operation," by William Melniker, head of the theatres department, and "Advertising and Publicity," by Dave Blum, director of advertising and publicity. Underway Two Years All of the major companies, except Warner Bros., have in the past two years trained men for overseas posts. 20th-Fox International, under the direction of Murray Silverstone, president, trained 18 young men for its foreign exchanges. The program started in January, 1946. The course lasted from eight to nine months. All trainees were veterans. More than 1,000 applications are on file now and no additional ones are being accepted. RKO has trained 15 men within the past two years under the guidance of Phil Reisman, vice-president in chafrge of foreign operations. The length of the course depended on the individual trainee, 75 per cent of whom were veterans. Paramount International has trained some men within the last year, but the company has no organized program. by PAUL BODO in Montevideo Dino de Laurentis, producer associated with Lux Film of Rome, has arrived in Montevideo to organize a production companv here in which both Italy and Uruguay will participate. A local bank is ready to back the new company and finance its first production. If the deal can be closed within a couple of weeks, equipment and a technical crew could arrive from Italy as early as February to begin production. The first picture for the new company will be "The Life of Anita Garibaldi," which will be made in both Italian and Spanish versions, and which will be shot partially in Uruguay, where Garibaldi fought against the Spaniards in the war for the independence of Uruguay. Mr. de Laurentis declared in a press interview that production facilities here are satisfactory although the locally available equipment is somewhat reduced. The low production costs here are counterbalanced by the high cost of raw stock. V The latest British pictures reaching Montevideo have been extremely well received and have done well above the average at the box office. "The Seventh Veil" is a smash hit, and "Madonna of the Seven Moons," now in its third week, is still drawing capacity crowds. Siritzky Regains 18 Theatres Lost During Nazi Occupation Siritzky International Pictures Corporation, operators of a theatre circuit in New York, has announced that Leon Siritzky, currently in Paris, has taken possession of 18 of the company's theatres in the south of France which were lost during the German occupation. Samuel and Joseph Siritzky will leave for France shortly to reorganize the circuit there and to form a distributing company for western Europe, for French and American films. File "Ecstasy" Motion A dispute developed last Thursday over the ownership of "Ecstasy" with the filing of a motion for dismissal of the suit brought by Elekta-Film in New York Supreme Court for a restraining order to prevent exhibition and distribution of the film and for an accounting of the profits since November, 1944, against Astra Pictures and Michael M. Wyngate, Inc., distributor. RCA Declares Dividend Radio Corporation of America has declared a quarterly dividend of &7yZ cents a share on its first preferred stock, payable January 2 to holders of record December 16, and 20 cents a share on the common stock payable January 29, 1947, to holders of record at the close of business December 20, 1946. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 21, 1946