Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

JOHNSTON STUDIO TRIP "NO LECTURE" MP A Head Ends Ten-Day Hollywood Tour; Sees Support for Code [Last week Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, held numerous conferences with producers in Hollywood during a speaking tour of the major studibs. His statements were widely reported by the syndicated columnists, by the lay press and by the trade papers. Tew of the reports were in agreement, however, and even direct quotes from Mr. Johnston differed widely. Below is a recapitulation by Mr. Johnston, reported by the Herald's Hollywood bureau chief, of all the subject matter covered in those conferences.] by William R. Weaver in Hollywood Mr. Johnston's speaking tour of the major studios was motivated more by an impulse to get acquainted than to lecture on the moral content of product and widely reported remarks on "drinking and sex" in pictures were but a part of a broad discussion on "general looseness in subject matter,'' the ' MPA president explained to the press. In a half hour question and answer interview granted on the eve of talks with 25 member-producers of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, Mr. Johnston discussed the same subjects covered with principal personnel of the members of the Association of Motion Picture Producers. "I've been in this job nearly a year and a half," Mr. Johnston said, "and industry interests elsewhere have prevented me, until now, from getting around to studios and becoming acquainted first hand. The subjects covered — picture content and foreign market conditions — furnished a suitable springboard for the discussions, which were in nature open forums and not a lecture by me.'' General Looseness Discussed "Drinking and sex," he said in confirm . ing reports that these were discussed, "were merely among the subjects covered in dealing with general looseness in story material coming up recently. This general looseness is not unnatural nor an unexpected development in a postwar atmosphere, when everybody is seeking to escape from wartime restraints. I expect it to continue for about twelve months more, and then subside." Saying drinking scenes had become disproportionately numerous because "directors thoughtlessly have employed drinking as a convenient means for giving actors something to do with their hands while talking,'' Mr. Johnston said this emphasis is undesirable because "rural America is dry." When asked by the Herald what studio personnel had to say about the Production Code, Mr. Johnston said, "Satisfaction with the Code is general. Oh, there were some, of course, who complained that their art is being stifled, but I found a surprising degree of acceptance for the Code." Later that afternoon, in answer to a question put by SIMPP President, Donald M. Nelson, as to whether the Code in its present form is strong enough to meet present pressures, Mr. Johnston was to give stoutly an affirmative answer. Illustrates Code's Operation Asked to detail his talks on the Code to production people, Mr. Johnston said, "I used this illustration. I pointed out that a man driving his automobile in an open prairie can drive just about any way he pleases, but when he elects to drive down Wilshire Boulevard he must obey traffic regulations or expect to get into trouble." He added, "We are operating a mass means of communication, the most effective of all mass means of communication, and we must shoulder our responsibilities. I found most of the people making pictures agree with that principle.'' Less specific in sketching that portion of his talks relating to the foreign market, Mr. Johnston said, "Just as we must make pictures acceptable to all sections of our country, and not just to selected communities, so must we make them acceptable throughout other countries to which we send them. I mean, we must avoid making a picture which, although quite acceptable to England, say, would give offense to people of other nations, such as, for instance, Denmark. This is mostly a matter of exercising good taste. We are setting up a board within the Production Code Administration here, and similarly in New York, to give producers advice on this aspect of their pictures, and to give it while the picture is in script form and susceptible to modification. It will be a strictly advisory service, however, with nobody bound to comply with it." Says There Are No Barriers Asked by a lay pressman why we permit Russia to exhibit pictures here although banning American pictures there, Mr. Johnston said, "We have no barriers against any foreign nation. And we stand ready to send pictures into Russia whenever they will admit them." When asked, "What would we expect to get back out of Russia" if we did send pictures into the country, Mr. Johnston replied, "Gold. They've got lots of it there that we'd rather have here at Fort Knox." Queried as to what kinds of pictures the foreign and domestic market requires for the future, Mr. Johnston replied, "Good pictures, of whatever kind.'' Pressed to name subjects, he said, "We have run the whole scale of subjects, and doubtless will run it over many times more, always trying to do better, whatever the subject." Plans for the creation of a motion picture institute are in abeyance pending final outcome of the Government case, he said. The successor to Byron Price, who recently resigned as vice-president of the MPA, was to be named this week on his return to Washington, Mr. Johnston said. Judge Jackson Named to PCA Judge Stephen S. Jackson of New York has been named assistant to Joseph I. Breen, head of the Production Code Administration, and will assume his new duties in Hollywood April 1, the Motion Picture Association announced in a release from its headquarters in Washington Wednesday. The appointment of Judge Jackson, the release said, is part of a plan to increase and strengthen the operations of the Production Code Administration discussed by Mr. Breen and Eric Johnston, president of the MPA, in Hollywood last week. The post is 'one of two to be created and an appointment to the second will be made soon. The addition of new personnel to the Code Administration is necessitated, the release said, because of increased pressure on its facilities and not only because of the increased number of domestic and foreign productions which must be examined but also by the recent organization of the International Information Center. Functioning under the Production Code Administration this new unit will advise producers on the acceptability of particular pictures or sequences for the foreign market. It will be an entirely advisory service. • Addison Durland, Latin American advisor with the Code Administration since 1941, will be a member of the new 'nternational board, as will Harold L. Smith, until recently MPA European representative. Name LeSieur Lazarus Aide Howard LeSieur, advertising manager of United Artists, has been promoted to the newly created post of assistant advertising and publicity director, it was announced Wednesday in New York by Paul N. Lazarus, Jr., the company's advertising and publicity director. Francis Winikus, who has been copy chief, will move up to Mr. LeSieur's position as advertising manager. The move was prompted by the company's expanding business and the addition of several important producers into the United Artists fold, Mr. Lazarus said. Both appointments are effective immediately. 20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 29, 1947