Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

BRITISH PRODUCTION DIGEST BRITISH PLANNING FILMS OVERSEAS Baker Off to Australia for Rank, Eying Dominions; Other Studios Active by PETER BURNUP in London Vast plans are in the air here for film production overseas. Britain, more than ever in the current dollar stringencies, looks to her largely untapped Dominions as not only a source of supply, but as a potential market. Dominion Governments want films made in their own lands ; are prepared to assist approved projects to the ultimate limits. J. Arthur Rank, and perhaps others, are preparing to go overseas. Most recent evidence of England's acrossthe-waters interest is Reginald P. Baker's embarkation for Australia. Managing director of Ealing Studios, Mr. Baker said he proposed to take a look at a film — "Eureka Stockade" — which an Ealing unit is making in the Antipodes. Bigger Plans Afoot Back of his mission, however, is a largescale project for film production . overseas. Back of the project, in turn, is none other than J. Arthur Rank. The box office success of Ealing's Australia-made "Overlanders" startled the orthodox salesmen. Its success prompted Mr. Rank to order another "Overlanders" — hence "Eureka Stockade." But there are a longer term policy and other considerations involved. Mr. Rank's studio resources at home are stretched to the limit. Knowing as well as anyone that there will be a film famine here whatever happens to the ad valorem duty, his emissaries comb the world for likely production sites. Moreover, it is deserving of note that the mission has the blessings of H. M. Government. Four a Year in Australia Although unannounced officially, Ealing (affiliated with the Rank Organization) envisages no fewer than four films annually from Australia, each costing about £200,000 ($800,000). That's part of an Arthur Rank plan to extend his far-flung activities into every part of Britain's wide dominions. Inkling thereof is discerned in a statement lately made by Frank Launder, currently occupied on another of the Rank overseas enterprises — the production of "Blue Lagoon" in the Fiji Islands. Mr. Launder, speaking not without a brief from his employer, recently outlined the scheme of an immense integrated system of British Commonwealth film production. He spoke of the building of large studios in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and of a combing of every country in the Commonwealth for stars, writers and technicians. Maybe Mr. Launder, in his enthusiasm, went slightly beyond the strict limits of his brief. But his oratory carries the essence of the matter. South Africa is the next ground scheduled for tilling by the Rank missionaries. * Gainsborough's Sydney Box has a production in advanced stage of preparation. Present title is "Diggers' Republic" — a tale of the Voortrekkers who fought their way with Bible and musket into what is now the Transvaal. Films of South Africa Then there's another Gainsborough South African project in hand. Mr. Box has planned a "family" series, number one of which will be a recapitulation of the hazards encountered by Britons who made the overland trip to South Africa. Also to be noted is the preoccupation of Mr. Rank's "This Modern Age" with Dominion affairs. "Britain's Commonwealth," "West Africa," "India," "Canada," "New Zealand," are the announced titles of forthcoming documentaries in the short subject series. Like Mr. Rank's, the production schedules of the Korda-British Lion outfit and the formidable Associated British Warner Brother combination are chock-ablock. Warners' rebuilt Teddington Studio has reopened with an Edward Dryhust production, "Noose," destined for Pathe distribution here and Warners' in the U. S. Wide open space, however, is still to be discerned in other studios here. Despite the adjurations of Sir Stafford Cripps that every inch of studio space be occupied, MGM's vast Elstree plant is empty. It is true that the Boulting Brothers announce that their production, "Guinea Pig," starts at Elstree January 26, but, with all deference to the Boulting Brothers, that's a drop in the ocean of MGM's space. Shipman Studios Dark There's the case also of the Alliance Studio group — Riverside, Twickenham and Southall — whose close down for refurbishing was the occasion of much acid comment. Alliance is controlled and largely owned by exhibitor Alfred Shipman, who has traded his product with several distribution companies. All three studios have been dark for some weeks. David Coplan, in behalf of United Artists, had made by Mr. Shipman one film, "Just William," currently one of the West End's greatest successes. UA has authorized another "Just William," which will start work as soon as Mr. Shipman is ready. Various statements have been made regarding the distribution destinies of others in the Shipman-Alliance output. This Bureau reported on impeccable authority that two of the pictures concerned, "No Orchids for Miss Blandish" and "Things Happened at Night," would be handled by Paramount. One of the lesser, none-the-less highly successful, renting houses, George Minter's Renown Pictures Corporation, will exercise its rights in the films and distribute them throughout this country. U. S. Asks Court to Make Scophony, Ltd., Liable Washington Bureau Unless it gets the relief it seeks against Scophony, Ltd., in New York District Court, it cannot get relief anywhere, the Department of Justice told the U. S. Supreme Court this week. In an hour-long argument before the high court, Sigmund Timberg, Justice Department attorney, declared Scophony's agreement with Television Productions, Inc., and General Precision Equipment Corporation, to form a new domestic corporation to be controlled by the British company, constituted doing business in New York and that, on those grounds, Scophony, Ltd., should be included in anti-trust suit proceedings. The Government's suit was filed in December, 1945. Later Scophony, Ltd., won a dismissal from the Federal Court on the ground that it was not directly involved. A Scophony brief filed with the Supreme Court Monday charged that the Government never made valid service of process on Scophony because the British company was not in business in this country when the service was attempted. At the same time the company declared that the 1942 master agreement involved merely an exchange of technical and patent data and did not call on Scophony, Ltd., to perform any action within the U. S. Felt Heads Club Mike Felt has been elected chief barker of the Philadelphia Variety Club, Tent No. 13. Others named are: Sidney E. Samuelson, first assistant barker; Fred Mann, second assistant; Charles Goldfine, treasurer, and Harry Pennys, secretary. The board of canvassmen includes, in addition to the officers, Meyer Adelman, Jack Beresin, Harold Cohen, Henry Friedman, Ted Schlanger and David Supowitz. Cinema Finance Names Davis John Davis has been named managing director of General Cinema Finance, the company recently purchased by J. Arthur Rank's Odeon Theatre circuit in England, and which controls the Rank Organization major product. 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 17, 1948