Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 26, 1949 11 White Hands The new Coronet Theatre in San Francisco, managed by Walter Chenoweth, instituted a policy of handling their customers only with "white gloves." Members of the usher staff instead of utilizing clumsy fiashHghts now guide patrons to their seats with specially treated semiluminous white gloves preventing any districting flashing on the walls or glare in the patrons eyes. No Dollar Increase In Sight, Briton Bluntly Warns U. S. Attack Atlanta Censorship {Continued from Page 9) ture "Pinky" with a few cuts. However, when the censor persisted in denying "Lost Boundaries" the right to show, he joined deRochemont in filing suit. United Artists, with the support of the Motion Picture Association of .America has challenged censorship of "Curley" in Memphis because it showed whites and Negroes in the same group, but this is a state court suit and not one involving the federal guarantees of freedom of speech. The possibility of such actions being taken against censorship was suggested by Showmen's Trade Review back in May, 1948, when it was pointed out that a passing remark in the opinion rendered by the U. S. Supreme Court in the Government anti-trust suit, might be basis of action. This remark read : "We have no doubt that moving pictures, like newspapers and radio, are included in the press whose freedom is guaranteed by the First Amendment." An earlier attempt to fight censorship through the federal constitution in the days of silent pictures, failed. Contains Ideas In his petition, deRochemont told the court : "Although the motion picture was produced and is being distributed primarily for entertainment to theatre audiences, it presents serious ideas on the subject of intergroup relationships and tolerance which plaintiffs have a right to express and convey to all residents of the United States who are willing to pay admission to see the said motion picture. This right of plaintiffs is protected by the First .Amendment to the Constitution of the United States against infringement by the United States, and by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment against infringement by any State or political subdivision of a State. iPlaintiffs have been deprived of this constitutional right solely by the action of defendants pursuant to the unconstitutional sections of the Code and the unconstitutional Censorship Ordinance referred to above." Ashcan Fire Destroys Redfield Theatre Fire believed to have started in an ash can behind R. M. Dawson's Rozoda at Redfield, la., completely destroyed the house and three of the largest buildings in that community's business district. Omaha Sets Up Listing Committee The Omaha Education Association has set up a committee of 20 parents and teachers, under Chairman Frank M. Chases, to list recommended films. Harold Wilson, president of the British Board of Trade, bluntly served notice on the United States film industry in New York last Saturday that there would be no increase in the $17,000,000 of film rentals which it is now allowed to take out of 'his country annually in dollars, even under possible future revisions of the Anglo.American film agreement. The youthful Wilson, who holds a post in the British Labor Government equivalent to that of the U. S. Commerce Secretary and as such negotiated the Anglo-American agreement with Eric Johnston and John Mulvey, avoided questions as to whether the British would seek to cut the $17,000,000 when an extension of the agreement comes up for discussions. But when openly asked if the amount of frozen rentals remittable in dollars might be increased, he said : "The answer to that is no." Not Here on Films Wilson declared that his visit here was not to negotiate any film matters, but to travel through sections of the United States to see what could be done toward increasing British industrial exports and to attend National Agricultural Conference in Washington, D. C Asked if he would do anything towards getting greater playing time for British films, he replied : "It will always be our desire to increase the showing of British films over here. Our Government, however, recognizes that it can only be done on the basis of quality films," he added, stating that he thought Rank "made a mistake in trying to bring everything over." In several comments during the press conference he held in the offices of the British Information Service in New York, Wilson indicated that he was not in accord with J. Arthur Rank on many points. The first indication came when he told correspondents that British production was far from dead and that independent production could take up the slack caused by the curtailment of Rank's plans following a year of heavy losses. Paying tribute to Rank for what he had done for British production, Wilson said : "I think it's a great mistake to regard Mr. Rank as the British film producers." Going to Independents Wilson could not say "offhand" how much of Britain's production Rank had furnished but declared that former Rank producers — such as Pressburger-Powell — were going to the independent fold. "It's certainly a fact that more than half of the films produced in Britain are being produced by British Lion and other independent producers." Queried on the implied criticism of the government film policies in the Rank report to Odeon stockholders, where the admission taxes, the ad valorem tax and the quota were discussed, Wilson said that he would have something to say on Rank's report and the condition of the British film industry in the House of Commons if the question were to come up for debate. The British Board of Trade chief refused to discuss the quota, pointing out that while he was required by law to fix the amount of playing time a British theatre had to give a British picture, the reopening "of the question did not arrive until next month, and that it was a question for Parliament to decide. In reply to a question as to whether the quota had not failed because of the exemptions granted. he said it had never been intended to enforcithe quota 100 per cent and pointed to the diversity of opinion within the industry on the I)oint, stating : "The exhibitors recommended a quota of 25 per cent. The distributors, led by Mr. Rank, recommended a quota of 50 per cent — in fact, iVIr. Rank supported 60 per cent. I took an intermediate figure." Disappointed Wilson expressed disappointment over the amount of American production in England, stating that it had not lived up to expectations. He regarded co-production as healthy. He left over the weekend for Washington where he met Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture .Association of America, where it was anticipated that he and Johnston would discuss the possibility of setting a date for the conference which would study the extension of the AngloAmerican agreement. Johnston also gave a luncheon in Wilson's honor Wednesday and had him as a guest at the opening of the MPA.A's swank screening room Tuesday night. Rank Losses Still Studied The result of the J. Arthur Rank losses and comments continue to keep things boiling along the film row front in Britain, with the question coming to the floor of Parliament and the Rank balance sheet continuing to inspire close study both in financial circles and in the industry itself. The picture, as cabled this week by JOCK MacGREGOR, STR London Correspondent, follows: While nothing is less popular at 38 South Street than mention of the production situation, the publication of the Rank balance sheet continues to inspire all and sundry. Newspapers have offered their solutions, questions have been asked in Parliament and other film men have used it to bring the spotlight on themselves. Sir Alexander Korda has preached a sermon, the underlying theme of which is "How right I've been" ! He maintains quality and not quantity is the answer and backs up his claim by saying his pre-war pictures which include "Private Life of Henry VIII," "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Four Feathers" have earned £1,760,000 since 1945. Illuminating This is illuminating. It reveals the enormous value of old pictures, but hardly justifies the producer anticipating the reissue potential when planning a new offering. One hopes there will be no recurrence of the ad valorem duty or any law which puts new films in short supply and encourages revivals. Furthermore, history does not look like repeating itself. Korda's postwar record is not impressive. "The Winslow Boy," "Fallen Idol" and "The Third Man" are outstanding but weighed against them are costly flops like "Bonnie Prince Charlie," "Anna Karenina" and "Ideal Husband." The reissues will have to be enormous to recoup the investments. — Jock MacGregor MGM Raises Releases AIGM has set 14 pictures for national release during the four months starting Dec. 1, or 2 more than were released during the same period last year.