Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Film Library A im To Double Total Using Product With pictures from the Motion Picture Association's "Children's Film Library" booked by more than 1,000 theatres, the MPA is about to launch a drive aimed at doubling the number of houses using these selected children's shows. This was announced last week at a trade press conference at the Harvard Club in New York by Arthur De Bra, director of MPA's community relations department. The campaign, which will use promotion through all possible media, will last for three months. During that time the Library hopes to raise the number of available titles to 52, all of them having been reviewed and approved by both children's and parent's groups, Mr. De Bra said. At present the Library contains some 30 titles. Favorable Reactions Cited • The MPA felt justified in its belief that the program was capable of considerable expansion, Mr. De Bra explained, on the basis of past performance, which included favorable reactions not only from women's clubs and Parent-Teacher Associations, but also from city officials, clergymen, school superintendents and child-welfare organizations. Total number of bookings in the six months since the announcement of the Library amounted to about 6,000 as of April 1, he said, and theatre participation during that period has been heavier than during the whole lifetime of the original Saturday Morning Movie program initiated in 1925. To start its drive, the MPA, on behalf of the Children's Library, has issued a 33-page booklet giving details of the program and outlining the product available. Copies will be shipped to women's associations, schools and other interested individuals and groups. Each new exhibitor subscribing to the program will have the MPA's guarantee of pre-release publicity and promotion, Mr. De Bra explained. Visiting Exchanges He also said that MPA representatives had visited 24 out of 31 exchanges, talking to exchange and branch managers in an effort to rally support for the enterprise. "For every reason it seems desirable to develop special children's programs in as many community theatres as possible," he declared. "We aim to have an exchange manager in each territory act as chairman of the Children's Film Library and one or more women in each exchange territory act as 'co-respondent' to help individual women and organized groups in the territory work out. problems that are unique to particular community situations." Rentals run from $10 to $35 on the Library product, with admission from 10 to 25 cents. Mr. De Bra pointed out that the Library was "a reservoir of films on which exhibitors may draw when their regularly booked Saturday feature, or an acceptable all-shorts program are not available or desired by them." He also expressed the hope that all publicity, exploitation and public relations personnel connected with theatres and circuit operations would promote the Children's Special Programs through all media available for them. Studios to Greet Variety Clubs Studio chiefs will join in greeting 1,200 Variety Clubs International delegates at the eleventh annual convention in Hollywood May 13 through 17. The executives stressed the importance of a gathering in the film capital bringing together the leading producers, distributors and exhibitors in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Monday it was announced the Humanitarian Awards Dinner will be held May 17 at the Warner Studio, with Jack L. Warner as host. Entertainment by Warner stars will follow the dinner. Louis B. Mayer, production head of MGM said : "I know of no fellowship so devoted to the finest ideals of humanity and it is with great pride that I am privileged to share the sincere welcome extended (to the Variety clubs) by the entire motion picture industry." Henry Ginsberg, of Paramount studios said : "It will afford those who produce the nation's films an opportunity to renew contacts with the exhibitors and distributors." Other expressions were from Darryl F. Zanuck, Harry Cohn, Samuel Broidy, Nate Blumberg, Herbert J. Yates, N. Peter Rathvon, Jack L. Warner and others. "Duel" Ahead of "Wind," Selznick Office Claims David O. Selznick's "Duel in the Sun," now playing at Loew's Theatre in Rochester, N. Y.. took in $28,088 during the past fourday weekend, an announcement from the Selznick Organization in New York, said this week. This amount tops by more than $7,000 the gross of the same producer's "Gone With the Wind" for the corresponding period, the company said. With "Duel" 35 per cent ahead of "Gone With the Wind" in Rochester, it also pulled ahead at Loew's in Syracuse where it took in $19,655 in the four weekend days. "Wind" tallied $17,866 during that same period. Both Loew theatres will hold the picture for The producer opened two new offices in San Francisco and Seattle this week. Harry Hunsaker, formerly city salesman for United Artists, has been named branch manager for the Selznick Organization in San Francisco while the Seattle office will be headed by James Walsh, formerly of the Republic sales department. William P. Rosenow, former Paramount representative, is Buffalo branch manager. MPEA Taking Over in Germany From U. S. Army An agreement providing for the early transfer of American distribution in Germany from the American Military Government to the Motion Picture Export Association was concluded this week. At the same time, British and American officials reached a complete accord on a distribution exchange between the American and British zones. News of these developments was contained in a cable sent by Irving Maas, MPEA vice-president and general manager, from Berlin. According to Mr. Maas, the de-militarization of distribution in Germany will materialize within the next eight weeks. Details of the transfer were worked out in a series of conferences between Brigadier General Robert A. McClure, director of AMG's Information Control Division, Mr. Maas and members of the general's staff. AMG will retain the right to censor all subjects released by the MPEA, but otherwise MPEA will operate with full and unrestricted commercial license as it now does in Austria, limited only by what the market can absorb. An MPEA spokesman in New York said several af the more experienced personnel, who had been operating so far under AMG, may switch over to MPEA. Mr. Maas' cable said the Anglo-American meetings resulted in "complete agreement on all points concerning a free competitive market for the more than 2,000 theatres nowoperating in the two zones." The free interchange of films will start July 1. Last week also, Mr. Maas was the guest of-honor at a number of gatherings in Berlin. First he was feted by Michael L. G. .Balfour, director of the British Information Services Control Commission, at a luncheon in the British sector. Later the MPEA head was host to key civilian members of AMG's headquarters and branch organizations. Earlier, while in Paris, he met American executives and representatives, including Arthur M. Loew, Loew's International head, and Joseph H. Seidelman, president of Universal-International. Mr. Maas now is in Prague and is expected in the U. S. early next month. From Warsaw last week came word that the new Polish Government had ratified the Film Polski agreement with the Motion Picture Export Association, effective May 15, for the distribution of 65 American films in Poland, where Russian pictures so far have dominated the market. Fine on Copyright Violation William Brown, operator of Embro Pictures Company, Hollywood, was fined $1,000 Monday by Federal Judge William C. Mathes, Los Angeles, upon conviction of charges of criminal infringement of the copyright law in renting some 39 16mm prints for public exhibition for profit. 42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 26, 1947