Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

OlX THE MARCH h. ciark PRC General Sales Manager by RED ICANN THE hue and cry about product shortages has been ringing throughout the land. It is Allied which has been responsible largely, for focalizing attacks on distributors, putting forth the claim this is part of a conscious move to rig the market artificially. This attitude overrides the fact that distributors, as agents for the producers, surely retain the privilege of selling what they want when they want although it is true likewise that the stake of the subsequent-run exhibitor, who consumes product in large gobs, is not to be ignored. However, Allied's campaign for a greater and more regular flow of new product appears to be heading toward success, but not because of the noise and the fury. The reason is something else entirely and bears on changes in the market itself. These are the shifts inevitable in the post-war period, discussed and anticipated while the fighting was on and, therefore, actually a surprise to no one. You will recall, no doubt, how widely it was accepted as a fact to be met that the gradual return of consumer's durable goods — -automobiles, refrigerators, radios, washing machines, etc., etc. — would absorb a substantial portion of the public's buying power. It has happened, of course, and it will continue to happen in accelerating volume until show room and store shelf fill the demand. All this provides an avenue of buying which was denied during the war. As that avenue began to widen, it restored part of the mobility to a public which had been immobilized. People are able to go places, and are going. Important in this cursory examination of the economic scene is the rise in the cost of living and its effect on budgets which so generously had been earmarked for entertainment. THEREFORE, the analysis of thingsto-come, once hostilities ceased, was safest when it allowed for a sharpening in audience appraisal of theproduct. It was to be expected the slap-happy era of "anything goes" would end and that, for one reason or another including those already outlined, the public once more would become as discriminating as it used to be, and perhaps more so. Consequently, it is logical for the measure of extended first runs to be gauged more by merit than by need; that, in the overall, long run first runs no longer would be quite so long. This is taking place. Not headlong, but gradually. It means the theatre which got along with eight to 12 attractions a year will require a dozen to 18, these statistics being general and not specific. Specific, however, is a Minneapolis straw in the wind. The Minnesota Amusement Co. there has swung over to a policy of shorter runs at Radio City, its 4,000-seat downtown showwindow. It means the return of stern, competitive conditions with which the sales manager must re-acquaint himself after a fouryear absence. But it means more. No distributor can be expected to walk away from playing time made available to him by changing conditions. Nor will he willingly stand by for a competitor to capture playdates which might be his if he had the product to offer. Despite today's state of affairs, it should precipitate no upheaval to find this emerging: 1. — An unlatching of product reserves by consistent — and regular — dips into backlogs. 2. — An increase in production as a more favorable labor situation in Hollywood indicates will be possible shortly. The increase to come about through larger schedules by the majors or production deals engineered by them with Hollywood creators always aflame to set themselves up in business. Or a combination of both. It can happen in 1947. There was a fuss "over "The Grapes of Wrath" this week. City fathers of Oslo prohibited the film because American distributors demanded a beginning explaining the plight of the Okies of the picture had resulted from natural disasters and trailing economic factors and an ending pointing out things were better here now since the authorities took action. It is not clear why the authorities acted unless it was insistence the film be shown as produced and made available in Norway. But it is not clear why the distributors did their insisting, either. If they were fearful a wrong impression of America might be created, the film should never have been earmarked for the Norwegian public. A good place to begin is at the beginning. Reverse Note on a Free Market: The Producers' Association in England and the Association of Kine Technicians there have reached agreement that five foreign directors and five foreign producers — no more — will be permitted to work in British studios during 1947. Thus, no matter how ambitious the American industry may get about production in London, it will be permitted to go this far, and not beyond. For the rest of the obvious picture, compare with Hollywood where major studios keep the door open for the best, and the most, they can find regardless of geography. Ralph H. Clark The appointment of Ralph: H. Ciark as general sales manager of Producers Releasing Corporation was announced Wednesday by Harry H. ^■PMh^ Thomas, president. Mr. Clark, vetmm eran theatre and circuit operator as well as domestic and international sales executive, assumes his new duties March 3. He entered the industry with the Turner and Dahnken Circuit in California and in 1917 became its general manager, representing the circuit's interest in First National. He left that post in 1921 to open his own theatres in New York and New Jersey. In 1927 he joined Warner Bros., as general sales manager for the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. He joined International Pictures in 1945. In announcing the appointment, Mr. Thomas said in part: "We are indeed fortunate in being able to get Ralph Clark on our team. . . . He is well able to assume the responsibility for sales and exchange operations for the company and to relieve me of the burdens of the distribution end of our business. . . ." At the same time he also disclosed that Lloyd L. Lind, vice-president and assistant general sales manager of PRC since 1945. had been named president of Pictorial Films, Inc., Pathe Industries' 16mm distribution outlet. Mr. Lind will take over his new duties as president of Pictorial Films within a week. His appointment is in line with the expansion program to be undertaken by the narrowgauge distributing company which up to now has limited itself to PRC releases and a few independent productions. Eagle-Lion films now will become available to Pictorial and it is expected that the company will begin to seriously entrench itself in Latin America and the Far East. The new program also provides for the integration of 16mm films into the PRC exchange system throughout the U. S. Coast-to-Coast Television Seen a Few Years Away The extension of the present regional television network to include a station in Baltimore and several in New England was forecast by Niles Trammell, president of National Broadcasting Company in an address at the 25th anniversary dinner of WGY in Schenectady, N. Y., last week. He foresaw other regional networks soon. 20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH I. 1947