Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Del Giudice Quits Two Cities Post BRITISH VOTE FOR HOME PRODUCT Bernstein Circuit Patrons Rate One U. S. Picture in First Six of Year by PETER BURNUP in London British films, as well as the stars and directors who cooperated in making them, are gaining in the esteem of British audiences in the post-war years, a poll sponsored by Sidney L. Bernstein, head of the Granada group of theatres, indicated last week. In the years leading up to the war, American films and their stars held an undisputed lead over their British counterparts. The poll, last held in 1937, was answered circuit officials said, by 600,000 persons. It rated not only the comparative popularity of British players and productions, but also recorded facts of general interest to the industry. Patrons were asked to give their views regarding the length and starting time of programs — 68 per cent plumped for a three-hour show — and facts pertaining to their attendance habits. 96% See Improvement The poll asked specifically whether British or American films had improved or deteriorated since 1939. No fewer than 96 per cent of the voters declared that British films had improved as against only 26 per cent who considered that American films had progressed. Granada customers also were asked to express an opinion on 36 selected films generally released between VE day and December 1, 1946. The result showed British films in the top three places and taking also the fifth and sixth. "The Way to the Stars,' released as "Johnny in the Clouds" in the United States, was placed first with 73 per cent of the public voting it "outstanding." "Seventh Veil" and "The Captive Heart" came next with 69 and 56 per cent, respectively. "The Wicked Lady" and "The Rake's Progress," the latter released as "Notorious Gentleman" in America, took fifth and sixth place. Hollywood's "The Lost Weekend" was the only U. S. picture among the top six. Pro-British predilections extend even to directors, -with Alfred Hitchcock taking top honors. Mason Most Popular Star The poll showed James Mason as the most popular male star and established Margaret Lockwood as Britain's favorite actress. This marks the first time since the questionnaire was instituted in 1927 that stars of British films have triumphed over their Hollywood rivals. British male stars showed up in five of the first 15 places. James Mason led the field, receiving more than a quarter of all the votes cast. Similarly, British women stars who have made their names in British films took six of the first 15 places in the women's list, with two more British stars who won fame in American films also figuring. Seven Stars Survive Only seven of the first 30 male stars in this year's poll figured in the first 30 in 1937, and only seven of the women stars survived to win places among the first 30 this year. The electorate voted drama the most popular type of film, followed by adventure, crime and films featuring classical music. Horror and cowboy films rated low. Swing-music pictures attracted only 31 per cent support compared with 45 per cent allotted to films about (and with) classical music. Around four-fifths of the electorate voted for a double-feature program and of these nearly 50 per cent expressed their preference for a short rather than an organ solo. The quiz also revealed that 93 per cent of the people who filled out forms went to the theatre once a week or more often, while a quarter of the replies indicated three or more visits a week. Almost 50 per cent of those polled said they went to a show regularly, choosing the house with the best picture. Some 66 per cent said they went to one particular house consistently because it had the best films. Exhibitors — and, maybe, a few distributors — will undoubtedly mark those figures. Ask More Leg Room Among the improvements suggested by British patrons were proposals to provide cover for queues : a ban on young children ; organization of talent contests ; more stage shows and more leg space in the seats. Bernstein's people exhibited shrewd timing in the issue of their report just 24 hours before the Daily Mail announced its National Film Award. They thus took away a lot of the Mail's thunder. The Daily Mail aspires to make itself — or its readers — the arbiter of a British Oscar, but it is generally felt in London that the newspaper in so doing got off with the wrong foot, considering the fact that the Producers' Association is thinking of sponsoring an organization here comparable with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Mail poll establishes "Piccadilly Incident" as the best film, followed by "The Wicked Lady," "The Seventh Veil" and "The Captive Heart." Leading stars are James Mason, Michael Wilding, Stewart Granger and Rex Harrison on the male side, and Margaret Lockwood, Anna Neagle, Ann Todd and Phyllis Calvert on the female side. London Bureau. Filippo Del Giudice resigned Monday as managing director of Two Cities Films. Ltd., a member of the Rank Group some three years. He will remain with the company until the filming of Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" has been completed. Josef Somlo succeeds him. Despite the careful wording of the official statement, it is notorious that the resignation of mercurial, 55-year-old Mr. Del Giudice comes as the culmination of a prolonged dispute between him and John Davis, a board member. Policy disputes between the two have been frequent, with Mr. Davis insisting that financial control of the company implied control also of the kind and number of pictures Two Cities should make. Mr. Del Giudice, on the other hand, has invariably demanded that he should have a free artistic hand. Eighteen months ago he came near resigning, but was pacified on that occasion by the tactful intervention of Mr. Rank himself. Mr. Del Giudice's pictures may not all have made inordinate profits, but there is no doubt that certain of them — "Henry V," "In Which We Serve," "The Way Ahead," "Blithe Spirit" — have added immeasurable prestige to Britain's picture making. It is understood that Mr. Del Giudice proposes forming another independent producing company with affiliations in Italy. Executives to Attend Fay Providence Dinner A number of top industry executives have indicated that they will attend the testimonial dinner for Edward M. Fay, veteran exhibitor and showman, at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, April 21. A train, to be known as "The Ed FaySpecial, " will leave New York for Providence at 1 P.M., April 21. More than 400 are expected. Among them are Major Albert Warner ; former Postmaster General Frank Walker ; Ned Depinet of RKO ; George Dembow of National Screen ; William A. Scully of Universal; Charles Schlaifer of 20th-Fox; Ben Kalmenson of Warner Bros. ; William Rodgers of MGM; Joseph Vogel of MGM : Major L. E. Thompson of RKO, and Malcolm Kingsberg of RKO. Morey Goldstein of Monogram; Michael T. Kallet, affiliated with the Comerford Circuit; Herman Levy of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners Association ; Sol Schwartz of RKO, and Red Kann of Quigley Publications. To Show "Snow White" in Berlin Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was to have been shown in Berlin April 18 as part of the Allied Control Authority's monthly official film program. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 19, 1947