Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

POMMER FORESEES CODE IN GERMANY Film Chief of Military Unit Resigns; Sees End of License Requirements "I've done the job I set out to do in Germany and my usefulness there has come to an end. I have resigned." With these words, spoken in a heavy German accent, Erich Pommer, former head of the motion picture branch of OMGUS (Office of Military Government — U.S.) confirmed in New York this week reports that he had quit Government service. Replaced by Arthur Mayer, former operator of the Rialto theatre, New York, he will continue as the U. S. member of the trizonal film coordinating board and as liaison officer for the three-power Import-Export Agency until about April 1, 1949. Sees Vital Developments Within the near future Mr. Pommer, a frail, soft-voiced man with thinning gray hair, expects several important developments in Germany. He is hoping for the tri-zonal adoption, by April, of a voluntary, self-regulatory code to govern production in the German industry. This code, patterned closely after the American production code, but taking cognizance of special German needs, would tie in German production, distribution and exhibition in a sweeping move to circumvent eventual censorship by a German government or German local governments. A second important development concerns the possible lifting of all license requirements under the new occupational statute to be issued early next year. This statute will be tantamount to a new German constitution. Both this move and the code draft are acceptable to the Americans and French, but are still being contested by the British who, with an eye toward nationalization, would like censorship and licensing powers concentrated with the Military Government and/or the German government. The American view calls either for the elimination of licensing or its concentration in a tri-zonal office. Should the voluntary code be adopted, its enforcement would be in the hands of a control commission to be set up at Wiesbaden in the U. S. Zone. Code Needs Cooperation Although the Americans want to continue their basic policy of keeping the production, distribution and exhibition separate — a policy termed "highly successful" by Mr. Pommer — the code would depend largely on the cooperation of these segments in that a film without a code seal would not be distributed or exhibited. Among the special provisions of the proposed German code are the following: No Herald Photo ERIC POMMER seal will be issued to pictures which further national-socialist, militaristic, imperialistic, nationalistic or race-baiting tendencies ; or to films which threaten or ridicule the constitutional principles of the German government, or films which tend to distort history. Also films produced under the direct sponsorship of a political party or a religious group must be marked as such. No film can be banned, or a demand for changes be made, on personal grounds or for reasons of an artistic consideration. German production, increasingly supplied with raw stock under the Marshal Plan and also by a Munich plant, which soon will be turning out 4,500,000 feet of stock, is progressing. Studios in Berlin and Munich have been re-equipped and rebuilt "without the use of American dollars," Mr. Pommer reported. They now have a potential of 30 productions a year. The Germans actually only made 13 films in the U. S. zone during 1948, and probably won't turn out many more during 1949. Need 180 to 200 Films The British have one studio operating at Goetingen and some small ones near Hamburg. They are planning one at Rahsted, near Hamburg. The French have a studio at Remagen, near Cologne. The Russians, who are turning out 12 to 15 pictures a year, make their films in Berlin. The U. S. is planning another studio at Wiesbaden, but all of its space is open to use by all. The German market needs an annual 180 to 200 films, according to Mr. Pommer, and to fill this need some German films made between 1940 to 1945 have been released. There are 3,000 theatres in the combined U. S., British and French zones. "We are working to build up a German industry in which the Germans eventually will have a say," Mr. Pommer observed. "I believe there will be a gradual easing of restrictions governing the earning of the American firms in Germany. They can't be expected to go on forever, showing their pictures and getting blocked currency in return. There may be modifications in our policy, but I believe we will insist on decentralization." After a month's vacation Mr. Pommer plans to return to Germany to "tie up lose ends." While his next job probably will be in the film field, his future work "definitely will not demand continued residence in Germany," the producer of such international hits as "The Blue Angel" and "Jamaica Inn" declared. ECA Guarantees $230,000 Costs A guarantee, covering the convertibility of $230,000 for expenses involved in the distribution of films in Germany, was extended to the Motion Picture Export Association this week by the Economic Cooperation Administration. According to an MPEA announcement, ECA will authorize the conversion of a portion of marks earned by MPEA in Germany not exceeding the amount specified. The contract is retroactive from August 1, 1948, and runs through January 1, 1950. The convertibility guarantee applies only to earnings by the companies starting August 1 and has no bearing on the millions of marks earned and frozen since MPEA started operations in Germany three years ago. The contract, first to be signed by ECA under the section of the Economic Cooperation Act which authorizes the expenditures of $10,000,000 for out-of-pocket expenses of the information media, was made official Monday, when Francis S. Harmon, MPEA vice-president, and Howard Bruce, Acting ECA Administrator, signed. It has the approval of General Lucius B. Clay, military governor of the U. S. zone in Germany. Talks looking toward a modification of regulations, which now do not permit any use of frozen funds other than that of covering operational expenditures, have been under way for some time, but, according to Irving Maas, MPEA vice-president and general manager, they "haven't jelled yet." Toronto Power Cutoffs Down to Half Hour The compulsory cutoffs of power in Toronto have been reduced to one daily period of 30 minutes, commencing at 4:30 P.M. from Monday through Friday, and theatres are returning to near normal operations. The blackouts, which started October 1, had reached a daily total of 165 minutes late in November and the evening cutoffs brought considerable loss in receipts to those neighborhood theatres without auxiliary generators. 20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 18. 1948