Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1948)

Picture Contacts in Washington Know Way Around by J. A. OTTEN in Washington If you have the combined talents of a diplomat, economist, newspaper reporter, research worker, professional host and military strategist, then you might be able to qualify for the position of Washington representative of a major motion picture company. During the past 10 or 15 years, the area of coHtact between the Federal Government and the film industry has broadened immeasurably. The picture companies go to Government agencies for advice, information and aid. The Government asks the industry to help put across a particular bond drive or defense message. A Half -Dozen Men And what's the channel through which all this activity streams ? About half-adozen men — the companies' Washington representatives. Sometimes he's the head of the Washington newsreel bureau, like Twentieth Century-Fox's energetic Tony Muto, who operates out of a swank suite, complete with a plush projection room, opposite the Hotel Statler. Warner-Pathe's able George Dorsey is another newsreel chief. He conducts his business to the staccato accompaniment of a news ticker in the corner of his spacious, seventh-floor office in the newly redecorated Warner Building. Still others who combine newsreel duties with those of company representation are Paramount's dapper Robert Denton and Universal's James Lyons, who came here to cover the Hoover inauguration back in 1929 and "just stayed on." Manage Local Theatres RKO's Hardie Meakin and MGM's Carter Barron do no newsreel work, but keep idle time at bay by managing their companies' local theatres, in addition to running all Washington errands for their home offices. Mr. Meakin operates in a compact office in the RKO Keith theatre. Facing him on his desk is a miniature statuette of a Variety Qub barker, memento of his service as chief barker of the Washington tent. Mr. Barron, another former Washington barker, carries on MGM's and Loew's business from a red-carpeted suite in Loew's Capitol. Trophies and pictures of his fishing exploits alternate on his walls with signed portraits of film notables. In a unique category is lawyer-economisttelevision expert Joseph Borkin, whose book-lined office in the new Ring Building is the focal point for the Washington interests of J. Arthur Rank, Eagle Lion and Universal, as well as Colonial Airlines, Decca Records and the other manifold holdings of Robert R. Young. ; To the Pentagon Suppose a company wants to make a picture involving one of the armed services — as was the case when RKO wanted to make "Berlin Express" — first feature to be shot in occupied Germany after the war. George Dorsey, who was representing RKO here at the time, took the idea to the Pentagon Building. Officials there passed the buck to the Zone Commander in Frankfurt, Germany. After enough correspondence to fill several file cabinets, the "go" signal came through and work on the passports, exit permits, entry permits and other documents to be obtained from the State Department was begun. First job of the Washington representatives in a film involving the services, however, is simply to tell someone in the Army,. Navy or Air Force the idea behind the picture. That has a two-fold purpose : to make sure no other company is working on the same idea and to find out if the service will cooperate. "They won't play at all unless they believe it's something top flight," says one of the film officials. Mr. Muto had long sessions with the FBI for 20th-Fox's "The Street With No Name" and with the Department of Agriculture for a film on the 4-H Clubs. RKO's Mr. Meakin got help from the Atomic Energy Commission for one of his company's shorts. Sometimes Government Asks Sometimes the Government does the asking. All bids for shorts or trailers are supposed to clear through the Motion Picture Association, but frequently a Senator or Congressman will call a newsreel chief and ask, "How about doing a sequence on my meeting with some Indians back home ?" or "How about a brief speech on a new bill I'm introducing?" The newsreel men always give a polite refusal to such requests. No small part of the Washington representative's day lies in the field of public CARTER BARkOU TONY MUTO GEORGE M. DORSEr ROBERT DENTON JOSEPH BORKIN JAMES LYONS relations. Some companies have small, comfortable, well-furnished screening rooms where special films are previewed before special audiences, frequently foreign embassies which miglit have a special interest in the pictures' locale. Then there are the meet-the-press cocktail parties for visitors from Hollywood — a special headache in a town where every other person seems to be a newspaper reporter. And, more important, there are the Government appointments. Perhaps the greatest strain yet placed on the Washington men came last February when practically the whole industry descended on the town to listen to three days of argument before the Supreme Court in the Paramount anti trust case. Denton, Barron and _ Company piled overtime on overtime that week, making hotel reservations, meeting trains. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 15, 1948 19