Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

Davis Sets Plans for Rank's U. S. Office . . . "Highly specialized" operation will function coast-to-coast and appeal to exhibitors beset by the product shortage bogey by PETER BURNUP LONDON: John Davis, managing director of the Rank Organization, said last week that he proposes summoning what he calls “a full-scale conference of world press representatives” here shortly at which he will outline his plans for a distribution set-up in the U. S. Keeps His Own Counsel Meanwhile, although he does not lack for eager and not to say hopeful counsellors both here and in New York (notably the latter city), Mr. Davis keeps his own counsel. It is known, however, in informed circles that the launching of the new enterprise has been preceded by a close and most precise investigation lasting over several months of the manifold factors involved. The organization — although it will be operated on a coast-to-coast basis with direct apepal to exhibitors beset with the bogey of product shortage — will be what is described as a “highly specialised” one. It will be able to service exhibitors with a sustained programme instead of the sporadic and slightly haphazard practices hitherto characterising British marketing in the U. S. Particular emphasis will be laid — on the lines indicated by producer Daniel Angel during and following his attendance at TOA’s New York Convention — on what is called “information” for exhibitors. Stress is also laid here on the circumstance that there is no question of Mr. Davis taking over an existing organization. “We start de novo with our own people,” is what John Davis says. And it is known, indeed, that the Rank chief’s primary consideration momentarily is the formal appointment of the men he has in mind for New York posting and the functions they will respectively fulfil. Latin America Pattern The pattern of the American enterprise is likely to follow that established in Latin America earlier this year. That was largely a three-men enterprise set up by Harry Norris, with local men co-opted to its aid. A considerable upsurge of business for British films has since developed in the Sounth American continent. Mr. Davis admits that he, with his principal aides, will be seeing quite a lot of the U. S. in the next few months; and American exhibitors of him. Considerable and highly-coloured play — tinctured, it is said, with a considerable degree of wishful and fearful thinking — has been made here of threats of injunctions and other legal restraints being applied to John Davis. They may be discounted forthwith. The disposition this side is discreetly to ignore past suggestions of unhappy relations between the Rank Organization and distributors with whom it has had previous dealings. “The step has been taken and of course we are sure of ourselves” is the way one Rank executive expressed it. BRITISH FILM GROSSES UP SHARPLY IN SEPTEMBER Disclosed in the periodic statement of the British Film Production Fund — administrators of “Eady” money — is a striking rise in the earnings of British films in the month of September. The statement shows that total rentals for the five weeks ending September 29 were £1,028,652, as compared with £667,370, for the period of four weeks ending September 24, 1955. The total amount of “Eady” money paid into the fund for the nine weeks ended September 29, 1956, was £519,430, compared with last year’s figure of £466,344. These figures of the earnings of British films in this country are said to be the highest since the inception of the Production Fund. They are taken as a reflection of the spectacular box office take of “Reach for the Sky” and of British Lion offerings like “Baby and the Battleship” and “Private’s Progress.” GOVERNMENT QUERIED ON ITS FILM INTENTIONS Eager inquisitors of the Government were quickly off the mark in the matter of the latter’s intentions towards the motion picture business. On the day Parliament reassembled after the summer recess, one Member questioned the President of the Board of Trade on the future of the National Film Finance Corporation. The questioner was blandly referred to a previous statement — already reported — in which the BOT president told the Commons that he proposed seeking authority to renew the powers of the Corporation in due course and to introduce a statutory Eady levy. But the matter will not be allowed to rest there. A growing body of opinion among the Government’s own supporters in the House leans to the view that regard must be had to exhibitors’ claims that they cannot meet the levy without a substantial reduction in the entertainment tax burden. Sparks were added to the smouldering feeling when exhibitor Dennis Walls — onetime CEA President, but now a Tory politician with ambitions — started a one-man campaign among M. P.’s soliciting help for exhibitors. Mr. Walls has earned the gratitude of his brother theatremen in mustering the support of no fewer than 70 M. P.’s in his argument that the statutory levy is an evil thing under current conditions. "BUS STOP" GROSSES STRONG IN OPENING 20th Century-Fox’s “Bus Stop” had a smash weekend’s business at the Carlton theatre here following rave reviews in the nation’s newspapers. The film actually took £37 more on Saturday than did “The King and I” on its initial Saturday. It outgrossed “The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit” by £715, “D-Day The Sixth of June” by £407 and “Carousel” by £327, in its first four days. • In implementation of an agreement reached between British Government representatives and those of the U. S. at G.A.T.T. negotiations in Geneva, it is announced that the present import duty of 5d per foot on first prints of exposed films will be abolished as from November 12. The duty of Id per foot on subsequent copies is retained. It is understood that the Exchequer here never regarded the duty as a source of revenue but as a protective measure only. In the summer of 1955, the British Film Institute proposed that the duties should be repealed entirely, but the suggestion was withdrawn in the face of bitter opposition from the Laboratories’ Association. The latter feared that the abolition of duty on prints would lead to an intensive flooding of the British market with imported material. MGM DISCONTINUES BELFAST BRANCH MGM announces that a reorganization of the company’s operations in Northern Ireland is now taking place and under the new scheme the Belfast branch will be discontinued. However, the despatch arrangements and salesmen will be retained in Northern Ireland and some of the personnel from Belfast will be absorbed into the Dublin branch. This is the third film distributors’ office to close in Belfast in a year. Paramount closes its office this month but will continue to have representation in Northern Ireland. • Arnold Williams, managing director of National Screen Service here, announces that Anthony L. Haynes has been appointed general manager of the company. Mr. Haynes was for some years an executive with Herbert Wilcox Productions. He then joined Polarizers (3-D) Company as sales manager and prior to joining NSS, he was on the staff at MGM. 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 3, 1956