Variety (May 1961)
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16 PICTURES
Wednesday, May: 81,7 1961
In tuts gears Internat:enal F.lm An .uail ch Vanity Gideon Bache ak Sas an article Gi tle ee of hat be cails “signiticant” lr. in tuis cenuptey By this tecuche res fers fo the mumsber of -is i budget wiley eude nt filins osseccie Ly deweted enthusiasts vinuioh have heeGue oa part of the American feeae¢oam the past few veies: dt is & pouG esticle. Toa. sa.iepetheric Vath rnueds of it. Ino potthiemtar I aun Stmpathnetic witih op as ene mebts on tne Change am Bias in secent .ears. .
I could not agice mae firere So a new Ge.tave cure in fuss, as there isin otter arts. I nicht an faet quiblte Uiat am tilims at any rate this goes beck a little firtner than 1957, but that is a warner pont, We apiee Dhak there has been a change. and certanly a change for the better.
When it comes to the Erae tical preblenss of actual produciion, however. I feet that there is rhuch more to te said Yt anxthing,. the author does not po one ely far’ enough.
What he has to say Is,’ ‘in fact, not particulaaly pow On the eonfhaty it as what exapersnentsi film reople have been sayiige ter lo! these many years. With afew changes this article of Bachiaann’s cauid have appeared m 1935, in} the heyday of CExperimental; Cinema ~ Then too there were peo-qie omiaking smaJl-budyct inde; pendent films inet as reanyv to be, sure; and then too there were people bitterly complaining that the commercial companies made | it virtually Impossil: le for aitists’ tu do any work in films.
I am not criticizing this point; ef yeu. The people who hold it: are the keepers of the tame. With-} cut them we would not have the | Intransigent determinavion. has done much to advance films
through the years... But: the point | dertaking if one is to produce any
of view is linuted. It does not
cover by any manner of means the’
Creative work that) film. people have produced in sixty yecrs, and! it docs little to help the situation | In any practical way ft as stab’
the “shoestring production point ° of vicw, soto speak. Tt has, at the same tine. one
valid point ser Uns counties. [ts ciilicisin of the eli:cial maustrs is certainly well taken) The industry, if not. quite as niucii the viFain as its Worst cries: part if, {is still greatly at faul€ from any creative puint of view.
trme, has been gaing down hill a? an ever-increasing pace uptil todav it is making heraly ans thing worth a second giance. ‘This means, hesides, big studios but the f:lms. of the so-called independents os wi lh ALE: of the films have the save quial| P div, the same lack of se.ious idea, or oof sermous sivle. The success of so omaeny fareign fians’ under-: scores this paemfully
Tycoens, Not Beatniks |
This wo Gf Course. a@ Vatce-, a thisee-told tale whole sturv. Film production. all fer all, ts far more thon a niatter of tycouns and beatntks. His. in, fact. semething vers cifterent” nine -tenths of the tine. Hails wood : wonet the rule. Hollvwooad is: the exception! And this is the. burde n e_Lomy artiele.
It is a commonplace to say —and Bachmann dots say it— that the really creative werk in films has been vch’eved by a handful of = revo'utienary spirits who have st uegied manfully against the shactves impesed by a dead, unimacinative industry. It is a <°rring idva and has been ma nificentIv expressed mery t' ~ ‘he enty traub?e wth it is that it stiply isn’t true.
Ps PROSE fully Uaree-id fs pues.. tk auch reere ab tie credhve bla NOrk qhhstee aes been ene wWathin the cents of the:
rommsnerenal studio Yate Vbat Shokespeare did nv the con ‘acre: theatre Griffith, Stocheim: i 3 rau, Fisensfe no Gor ne t,
YehHes, Bergman heve & re
smimercial film stuecia rane ao osinnlar bere oof the pon-commmercrab Hn?
There Have been bor ew ostecios. terre have ker snrall -studios.
mn the Can aork an
For A New American Fi Industry, There's No Evading Big Money.
By KIRK BOND
that.
which ;“Sour grapes.”
And Helly-: wood, Gpen ta criticisnl for a long.
not just the filras at the.
Bat this is not the =
else? .
Clair?
ene:
fpguantity of simple. entertainment Ims). serious films. for ‘an Anteliigent ‘audience, ©’
There have been cooperative stu; | Way.. Films. necessarily. dios in which the film makers were; ' cost Vast’ ‘suns. ‘of “money. . They largely their own bosses. There’ i necessarily involve the: services of:
-have been director-producers with | vast hoerdes:: of. workers. who See | their own. companies. There have ! ‘that every. fold of: every ‘dress. aa : companies , , precisely in’ place, ‘that. ‘every: cos| a more or less‘built around famous : ‘tume is.of the Third. Dynasty and |
Leen producers. with
directors. There have been: almost: -not “of. the Fourth.But this ‘is; aS Many ways of Financing the mak‘nonsense. Stroheim at -his~ most | ing of moiion pictures -as. there’! ' elaborate. would: not. have been 50 ‘have been films. But the. preat: finicky. °
bulk of them have had one thing
in common—they have given the | overblown. ‘administrative’ -struecreative director a chance. -jture;, useful for.the manufacture of |: This is not'a matter of idealistic | the cars’ of "GeneralMotors -but | dreaming. This. is the way it -hashopelessly out: of place in ‘the work been and: fs—except in Hollywood. jor. making good or even interesting | And it was this way once in: films. . Hollywood has become more Hollywood too. It was this way in ‘factory than product,
Hollywood as long as there was nki f anid ili lfe, change in Hollywood. It was.this fe eee king ing. of i Sdylle way as long as companies came and i treat. Theatrical ‘films... mean. went, with new people with ew money, organization, stars, pubideas “constantly coniing in. With. icity. "This “has always ‘been true. new people, new ideas, real -com: n petition, creative filmmakers had: Bataay o bolance, the stadvos been a chance. They had a chance. ‘been creative places: that, happened whether it was at the hands of the: to require a.large--degree’-of ad-thin peo: wo w anted to he ome | qninistrative. organization. :. rather’ ling erent or a e nanes OF | than factories that. happened: to: be. ;the old people who had to follow | ‘manufacturing films and not ‘cars: ‘suit or find themselves. left behind, ; There is no reason why this canIs Hollywood Halted?. -|not ‘be true of the American “film But somewhere along the line i industry tcday. And if only a few. ‘HoHywood stopped moving. After ; people—with a little monéy—want .years of steady, sometimes, bejit that way it can be true. -... .Wildering evolution the industry But {t will. take money. It -canjbecame to a large extent frozen. | not be.done on a shoestring. You The major companies of. the. 20s ein write poems .yhich may not are by and large’ still the . major j pe published that “way, you~ can.
; companies. This’ may. be. nice « f0F i com t be
pose music (which may. not be the tradition-minded, but it is bad | ou canfor art and it is,.in-the end, bad: ;performed: that. way, but:y
H inot put up” huildings that way and
perk industry. ti al it hyou ‘cannot .make films that way.
| erhaps the critics will say ap
"doesn't réally matter. “We” don't | Equally it will take, ay dis. tt ke the hi r b proach. ‘Jt cannot. be done by dis
jwant to make the. hig, ‘a orate | carding’ the. Hollywood. economic |
studio films. We want: to. make: structure ‘but, keeping the. Hollysmall, simple films, films of. reality, waod min¢t.
films that are not theatrical]. But sense by. our “emigres” “who have.
this Is,1 am afraid, muttering, ygone abroad (where. the working. {conditions are more’ satisfactory”). and made films’, which are not Hollywood either. in production or: in thing at all extensive. This is what. spirit. Hf it cari-be done abroad ‘it: so many critics seem to forget:: We. can, be. done. at home... All we need cannot build cathedrals with the | ‘is to forget our. oldteonviction’ that | ‘financial means needed to build a the Hollywood. ‘wav is ‘the only |
‘sand castle. And even the more lim| possible way" of: making. American ited films, to be persuasive. to give. films.
ideas bey ond the. elementary level, ,
need resources, means beyond the And: ‘the present day, witht] reach of the average: non-commerthe change that is evident. in c cial filmmaker. ‘This seems obvious but it is rarely stated.
Which in. fact. docs become famous i lave . -and does cost a few thousand dol: | Shimas’” and its: ‘‘L*Avventuras”
‘lars—“The Salvation Hunters” for and take its rightful place as one “example—is) a great. rarity. ° fo iof the major producing ‘countries:
There are, of course, the true j iin the world. experimental films, the. films that explore: new ways of expression a outside the scope. of the theatrical film with its troughly) predictable. audience. But these are in a separate category. The people who :make these films are. almost by ‘definition, not intcrested: in the
possibilities of making theatrical
‘films for a general audience. no *matter how sympathetic. They work, in a different. world that.| only harely touches. the. world of | theatrical expression. They do. not “affect the main problem.
i This preblem is to find a way! -to make it possible for Greative film. work to be done again in this. country, not on a tiny,. off-beat scale’ on the ‘sidewalks of New York, but in the commercial stu‘dios, work that will -really: represent the best spirit of the country and that ean hold up.its head. betside. the best work -of.other lands. The first step is to realize that ‘creative film can be produced -in the coramercial studio. that indeed ithis is where creative film has nor;mally been made. The second step is to discover..what canbe. done
Film is a complex. largescale un
this. -eountry can have "its “Hiro
Properly Rights
than -the: “right ‘to be let’ alone,” constitutes: a. ‘firmer. basis. for gran| ling relief . and for the ‘assessment |:
of damages. ‘fle. explains that in the defamation : suits, just’’as in libel suits, ‘the eourts’ have been careful about abridging the. ‘Fights |:
cerned wiih keeping. the. channels
saults by plaintiffs, whose complaints ‘covering |: ‘their mental. distress.and injury ‘to. their feelings might: be ‘more fanciful. than real.”
it appears | that New. York ‘courts have -heen_ more. liberal -in.. awarding damages for. property, appropriations | through characterization than has California ¢twhich -he refers to as: “the. fountainhead of this medium}.
the rigtit to commercialize an
about it. | aspect. of .Gne's personality. . is | | _ Other Aspects: capable of assignment ‘atid can be At this point sympathetic critics] made the subject matter of -con
tract, express: or ‘implied. * this elément, he adds, which. dislinguishes this right” “trom _the
‘right. ‘to -be leit: alone.”
“The ‘various “publishing © ‘and aniusenient‘industries themsélves would. bést' ‘be. served,” he. maintains,” “and vastly
who. have gone atong with the arfument so tar will perhaps ebject that this 1s aH very well but that ‘this is America, not Europe.. mot even America. of: 1920. -OQne cannot expect to change the vast industry that is Hollywood and produce seriaus creative films in any number. -The country -is not. that much in‘terested ‘in art of any sort.:
Isn't it? It seems to me a num‘per of indices prove ‘the contrary, and 1 am not. for a moment referring to Official evidence. of our] that .the: purchaser will thus be j culture, There: scems to be more; protectéd against enroachments by .than enough serious’ interest ‘in |‘comnetiters de Wine. ‘16° exploit ‘the :all terms of art to warrant Ahe same individual.” ” a
be. purchased. ‘ini gross’ eitner from the living or.from the ‘estate of
tides that there: can: and should be | a film industry:in this. country pro-} ducing (along ‘with the inevitable |.
‘Perhaps ‘it is really a ps¥chologiben real, problem... We are so.accustomed| ~ to the. Holiywood “way of. doing. things. -We accept this’ as the only
have. to]:
We. accept aS 4nevitable the | .
‘tive film work the. vorld. over,. ‘seems | . A film | eminently” a timé to. begin. . Then
of free ‘speech. and haye heen -con|
of . communications “free from as|
From the cases eited by Gordon |,
Gerdon’s summing up: asserts that in. the’ case of. both professionals and: non-professionals, |
It is.
litigation would. be. reduced once it. is clearly’ recognized. that these. rights’ may.
the “deceased” public ‘figure, and_
_ specialize in older films.
Police-Clocked Length : Tokyo, ‘May 30: | ‘Tochigi 4s expected to™ be-: come second ‘prefecture . .to adopt | restriction: on.. running time of single film.. : It was. in. March. that Aichi; Prefecture limited exhib time’. per. show to three hours and ‘30 -minutes, But, applications ' -have: ‘appealed the ruling. and . officials are. expected to’ grant time. -extensions © for: special “eases,
‘Roeney Raps Media ~ Guarantee as Gary: 7
. ‘Washington, May 30:
. Brooklyn «Congressman : John. 7 Rooney. took his -usual swipes. ‘at j the Informational. Media Guarantee } Program, .and ‘added’ anoblique |
slap at Eric Johnston. during. Te | need. ‘for higher standards ‘of taste.
‘ir’ productions by. the. moyie.in* "dustry. ‘As a “Senator” and: as a.”
cent . closed. Appropriations hearings. a
‘Rooney; chairman of the. subeom-., mittee which -handles funds “for. State Dept.; U.S. Information. Agency and wuther units, dubbed. the.
for: motion ‘pictures.: “IMG: ‘guaran| tees a dollar’ return ‘on ‘revenues from countries with remittance bharriers for “distributors of ‘films, ‘books, : ‘Magazines, . _Tecor ds and: newspapers.
And, ‘referring to Jolinston’ Ss. plea’
for a ‘big increase in IMG funds | two lears ago, Rooney told: William. J. Handley, Director of USIA’s In-:
formation. Center Service: “If we. were to. follow: Mr.. Johnston’s “suggestion, this program vould: by now ? ‘have Teached astronomical proportions.”’.
The. ‘Administration’ s ‘Tequest: for. IMG for the fiscal year. ‘beginning: July 1 amounts to $3,550;,000—a re-. duciion of $141,680 from the allot-'| ment for the current fiscal year.”
The hearings, which were made |. public last week, contained .a‘ list ' of all firms whi
‘It has been done in a jin. the IMG progham. and the’ dol|
‘last June 301} eign. curren
lars received tas in return for the
cies they ‘earned. -Picture. compa: ‘Dondi,”.‘Swiss Family, Robinson.
nies included: |.” Alco. Pictures Corp.. $20. 280 Allied .”. Artists: Corp, "$118,021. . Columbia Pictures Inic., $195. 539.
. Columbia’ ‘Pictures. ‘Corp., “$133,; j ful. reflections. of lite, Columbia’ Pictures International ; -clude at times‘unpleasant episodes,”
. but: -contended that: ‘over-emphasis. “of the sordid has «thrown out-of
j;Palance the. American scene.
| 856, 324 Advance. Ducats a: For ‘West: Side’ in’N.Y,.
t-Advance. ‘Sales. {or ‘the. premiere ; a Motion . ‘Picture Export ' Assn., | hardticket date: of . | Story” at: the Rivoli Theatre in. _ $23, |New York: have now reached $56,+ _ 324, ‘William J.. Heineman, United °Paramount International “Flinis ‘Artists ‘yeep, and ‘David:.E: Wesh©: : ner, Mirisch Ce. ‘sales. ep, ‘stated: *: in a joint’ “handout ‘Monday 129), Pic’. ‘does. not. preem -al: the. Rivoli’ until.
494,
Corp.; $466, 940. ‘Walt Disney Productions, $207,00.
Goldwyn Productions Ine., $120, 920..
‘Loew's’ Incorporated, $737. 206. . Loew's ‘International © Corp..
$1, 224.208.
| $1,915.861.
Moulin... Productions | Ine, | 965. ...
| Ine., $669,938. — Continued ‘from ‘page 5 ee | ass.
Paramount Pictures Corp.; $523,
Republic Pictures : International Corp., $211,050. = .. RKO: Radio Pictures, $902.513:
“Selznick: Releasing Or Banization..; ‘$22,532. : . Small Productions, « $25. 370. ‘Sparta Film, Inc., $5.020..20th. Century-Fox, . $853, 164. 20th Century-Fox ‘International ‘Corp... $457. 282. . United. Artists Corp, $559. 147." “United World. Films, :$5:887. ‘Universal Films, Inc.;. $519.369. ; ‘Universal: ‘Pictures. Corp., $422. 347. Vox: Produstions, $10. 000: “Warner . Bros. ° Corp., $15148, 522.
WIFIE WANTS ARTIE| OPERATOR'S WAGES”
“Oakland, “May 30:
“".: | sales. could -be itemized. Orie‘of the -”.
ward:. Landberg asked . Alamié‘daCounty. superior | ‘court -}ast week
in her. damage. suit. ‘that ..her
back wages and* profits from the
Stiidio.and Cinema Guild ‘Theatres... ‘She ‘ran the theatres for several’ years whilé Landberg. was’ in ‘Los
Angeles and Mexico. “Langberg recently"
ley. Both’ of the present houses
o complaints
Recipients Itemized,
“International | America,”
te
a | Pall Literary”
to: ‘put two, Berkeley: arties into. re-.|.
ceivership .until he. pays: her
$59:000. ee, o Pauline. Kael,, who — divorced |:
Landberg three’ ‘years agon charged ,
ER, husband: owes her. the $59.000 “in
[Pan Mail a
| ‘Censorship N. @? are
“ Washington. May 30. Sen. “Thomas H..Kuchel «RCalif.)
| reports ‘a: new ‘trend ‘in’ mail ‘wante.
‘| ing Congress . "td do something”
‘tabout -motion: ‘pictures, ’ along with » Tow" grade:
about...
ing considerable | letters ‘aboiitpoor’: ‘quality: ty. programming.. ‘The tele-.. ” vision: -gripes ‘may ‘have. triggered ©
the move in: on films it is assumed. -*Kuchel descrithes the. film ‘mail a3, : “relatively: ‘small.’
films.” 7 —| It’s. ‘a new. dev élopment, téllowe~
ic ‘ing him..
“The Californian is ‘answering: ‘the |
i jJetters with this form reply: . i:.appreciated your comments Nand ‘suggestions concerning the
father; I. share. your: concern:
‘most. effective refulation °
With. sufficient alertness | “by: an
‘aroused: public, .T am “eonfident, that
j higher standards. would: ensué.
PL AUDITS FOR FOUR’
‘FAMILYTYPR. FEATURES... . |
.. Seattle, May’ 30.°
7 4 Queen Anvie Highschool. Patent. an have taken part i. .¢achers: Assn. has chimed in. the -:°-’ . gE upbeat-downbeat issué ‘with, plaue.....
idits, for recent family. films, alting :“Sundowriers, i “Cinder fella,
yand others: of recent: vintage. UniE, in ‘letter.-to Theatre Owners. ‘0 ‘hailed the.
of sexand. violence. ee Letter noted that: piri; ‘to. be. falth“must. in=
Oct. 18; Publicist and summer. theatre
| operatae Marshall. Migatz has: béen ~’ RKO Teleradio Pictures, $66.141. ‘appointed’ group sales: manager. for
i "West. Side.” rane
— ; Continued from page’ 5 — who “are. quick with. the. ‘Masking
price” handout are: "frequently te. | markably: . “reticent: when | a firm — 1 deal. is ‘consummated. . --endear. them to. editors With’ inema “International ories..
“ ' Other. ‘strange di: <ereparicies in.
volving imaginary offers in picture
{ weirdest occurred recently when-a + novelist in: Chicago: ‘Said.a‘producer
in Hollywood had‘ never paid’ himi.. ; When ‘this’. was:-ehecked out : the =: . i Chicago‘ ‘chap, whose. fiction is ap-.*’ Ex-wife’ of. theatre owner -Ed-, 'Parently "not . confined . between.
covers, somehow recalled: Oh, ye
S; _ _ that: check. ‘for © $25, 000; :1. guess Te as was paid. . This was § imaginary non7
“consummation:
_ Purchasers ‘Jniterested? Milton printing: prior topublication: this
process:of law.’
‘fra: Vvoseverst. >:
. but -it is some« | thing fresh the postmen are, bringan
“Voy: suggest ‘that one possible ae,
remedy. ‘is: greater. control. by. the’ ©." a“ ». ua | federa government. As a Senator,: ..
IMG a “gravy train” and “subsidy [I -do not : believe ;this approach: :'would be the ‘most’ fruitful since . it would cause us. to enter into the... ‘hazardous area of “‘pover ninental -_ ‘censorship,. A’ a parent? know: the — is: dis|. leipline in the home, Certainly as -Americans,..we must: assume. -the. |. .responsibility of activelv’ ‘showing. owe aur displeasure by: refusing fo sup--).~ port that which is-not.in. good taste...” -”
“welcome : t change-to. “be able. to see films ‘free. a
“West | Side —
It. doesnot’ |. |
Argosy’ “mag's: managing. editor: 7 Machlin, ‘apd Hollywood | photog «. William ; Woodfield’s ‘book on the Caryl Chessman case, “Ninth: | Life”: (Putnam), wwent. into a second.
SCS Ter
‘month.. Authors: attempt. to’ prove. : t }the. case a macabre: travesty. of due. _ " Fevedled’ a et plans to build a new artie:in‘Berke~. : There’ Ss. reportedly: hieh intereat ot ers: An: a » film. ,
A version ‘of the book. :
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