Motion Picture Herald (1954)

CEA LAVDS WB SOEAD TESTS Resolution Voices Thanks for Recent Experiment; Caution Still Urged by PETER BURNUP LONDON : The General Council of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association meeting here last week adopted a resolution recording the Association’s appreciation of the recent tests here, sponsored by Warners, of single optical track versus four magnetic track stereophonic sound. This came as surprise was evinced here at cable advices from New York that the Rank Organisation had gone in with Warner Brothers, Paramount and MGM for the adoption of Perspecta sound track in the making of future films. Talks About License It is understood that the Rank interest in the process to date is that of equipment makers only and not that of film producers. It is known that Thomas A. Law, managing director of Rank’s British Optical and Precision Engineers’ Ltd., has been discussing with MGM the issue of a license to his company for the manufacture of Perspecta equipment. The sound process was heard in Europe for the first time at a festival screening of “Knights of the Round Table’’ at Cannes. Pligh praise was there accorded the sound value of the system. Leslie Knopp, C.E.A.’s technical adviser, has made a further report to the Association in the light of recent American announcements of new stereophonic or anamorphic systems. Dr. Knopp continues to counsel caution among exhibitors until some measure of standardisation or interchangeability is achieved. Cites General Opinion He deals also with the recent Warner test and says, in part : “The consensus of opinion seems to be (a) The stereophonic sound was superior in quality and had a greater “fullness” of tone, (b) The singletrack optical sound with a single speaker was adequate both in respect of legibility of speech and general quality of music reproduction. The view has been widely expressed that as far as speech is concerned, there is practically no difference in the two systems between legibility or quality of the sound. “It was generally thought the improved quality of music reproduction would not be widely appreciated by the public, and that the qualitative superiority of the stereophonic sound system was not commensurate with its high installation and maintenance costs.” Dr. Knopp records that the test was carried out on a strictly fair and impartial basis. Western Electric, he reports, was responsible for the installation, alignment and adjustment of the entire sound equipment. Reluctance Increasing In view of the Knopp report and the current confusion of systems in America reluctance grows among exhibitors to install either stereophonic or anamorphic systems. Some of the Rank Odeons in the London suburban areas will shortly be playing “The Robe.” These will be included in the 75 houses which Mr. Rank originally undertook to equip with CinemaScope. No further installations are contemplated by the Rank group. V C.E.A.’s General Council this week formally noted Chancellor Richard Austen Butler’s Entertainment Tax concessions and decided to write thanking him for the remission which he has made and “which are accepted in the hopeful expectation of concessions to follow in future years.” General felicitation being the order of the day, the council also recorded its gratitude to Sir Alexander King who had led the tax campaign and to several other allies in the fight, and Robert Clark, president of the producers’ association, who had helped. “Realist” exhibitors then got down to consideration of their strategy in the immediate future, particularly on the question of Who Takes What — and How Much — out of the tax windfall. Meet on Allocations The standing committee of the Four Trade Associations had a meeting this Wednesday which afforded a convenient and early occasion for decisions in regard to the division of the spoils. The debate was to be a three-cornered affair with producers seeking the assurance of that minimum of £3 millions which they demand from the Eady Pool and distributors (notably the Americans, be it said) hanging on desperately to whatever the ta.x remissions bring them. Following their tax triumph, exhibitors are in a peculiarly militant mood. On the face of it, they are in a strong tactical position for at least they — unlike either producers or distributors — have consistently had all their cards face up in their talks with Whitehall. V The report of the committee of investigation into the laboratories’ dispute here is now in the hands of the Labour Minister. After his consideration of the committee’s recommendations copies of the document will be handed to the parties in the dispute. It was anticipated that the recommenda tions would be made public at the end of this week. V A representative gathering of trade and local notabilities saw Lord Provost of Glasgow Thomas A. Kerr present Sir Alexander King with the Arthur M. Loew plaque at a luncheon in Glasgow. Among those present were Charles Goldsmith, MGM’s assistant managing director ; Mr. Tom Johnston, former Secretary of State for Scotland; Dr. Honeyman, Lord Rector of Glasgow University, and a large number of exhibitors headed by George Singleton, chairman of the Scottish Branch of the C.E.A. A.llied A-wtists In JPilm Deal A joint production and distribution deal between 20th Century-Fox and Allied Artists involving two pictures in CinemaScope, “The Adventures of Hajji Baba” and “The Black Prince,” was announced last week. Under the partnership arrangement both pictures will be made by Allied Artists. Allied Artists will have sole distribution rights to “The Black Prince” in the Western Hemisphere and 20th-Fox will have the Western Llemisphere rights to “The Adventures of Hajji Baba.” Both pictures will be distributed by 20th-Fox in the Eastern Hemisphere. “Hajji Baba” was scheduled to start production on the coast last week. It is a Walter Wanger picture in color by Technicolor with Elaine Stewart and John Derek heading the cast. “The Black Prince,” also Technicolor, will be produced by Walter Mirisch, with filming slated to start in London June 15. Participating in the contract discussions for 20th-Fox were Spyros Skouras, president, and A1 Lichtman, director of distribution ; for Allied Artists, Steve Broidy, president, Mr. hlirisch and Mr. Wanger. Allied Artists Shifts Canadian Distribution Allied Artists has changed its distribution arrangements in Canada. International Film Distributors, Ltd., will handle its pictures under the name. Allied Artists Productions, Ltd. The firm’s products have been handled by J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors, Ltd., using a special sales force headed by Frank Vaughan. The arrangement with International is for five years. It includes 16mm film. The firm’s president is Nat Taylor. Other officers are D. V. Rosen, general manager ; H. F. Mandell, secretary-treasurer. Negotiators for Allied Artists were George D. Burrows, executive vice-president and treasurer ; Ed Morey, vice-president ; and Oscar Hanson, representative for the company in Canada. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. APRIL 24, 1954