Variety (May 1946)

Wednesday, May 22, 1946 PICTURES 23 AAA Statistics Since 1941 Decree Shows fidribs Complaints Declining Good times In the film business" have been punctuated by a steady decline in the number of complaints filed with the film section of the American Arbitration Ass'n, clearing house for exhibitor squawks. The drop in AAA business is more than coincidental, according to sales top- pers, and Indicates that despite com- plaints on sales practices, exhibitors are inclined to let things slide when the going is good. Added factor, sales execs admit, is the likelihood ■that a first rush of business by dis- gruntled exhibs crowded the calen- dars during the Initial years and then tapered off. However, figures for the first four months of this year indicate an upward turn in ex- hibitor complaints. Main point stressed by sales execs is that the total of 450 complaints filed with the AAA since it received the consent-decree nod in 1941 as official film arbiter represents only a fraction of the indie theatres throughput the country. With clear- ance and run as major points of dis- sension, only a lush business in the war years has. kept the figure low. An exihibtor like any other business man, company officials opine, does not run to the courts when his take is both good and growing. Steady Diminution Total of 148 cases were filed with the AAA during its first year. Fig- ure slid to 116 in '42; 83 In '43; 45 in '44; 32 in '45; and 26 to date in 1946. Budget to operate 31 offices on a nationwide basis was initially fixed at $490,000 and then pared to $300,000 annually for the past four years. Under the decree, the five major company signatories carry the nut. A panel of 1,400 arbitrators, named by the association, are available to hear complaints. Of this number, an AAA official said, some 60% are lawyers and the balance bankers, ac- countants and business execs. Exhibitors have come out ahead on arbitration awards with 188 going their way. Distribs have won 108 decisions with the remaining 118 cases withdrawn sometime before a ruling. The Appeals Board headed by George W. Alger, with Albert W. Futman and Robert Marsh as as- sociates, has handled 122 appeals during the five years of operations. Alger gets $20,000 annually for his chore while Putman and Marsh sal- aries are fixed at $17,500. The board has chalked up 38 affirmances, 53 modifications, 28 reversals and three consent judgments. Legality of system was challenged only once by the St. Louis Amuse- ment Co. about a year and a half ago. Naming the five majors, the AAA and a flock of local houses, the complaint charged a violation of the anti-trust laws and argued, that the decree which set up the system was FC's Group Insurance Group' insurance hospitalization plan.offered by Film Classics and'its affiliates has been approved by em- ployees of the companies. Life in- surance, accidental death and dis- memberment payments, accident and sickness benefits, hospital and surgical benefits are features of the plan. Company foots two-thirds of costs while employees meet the balance. Metro's 16m Educational Pix Plan Seen Hurdling Foreign Trade Barriers Plans of Loew's International for a worldwide educational 16m film distribution program outside the U. S. and Canada, which will be par- tially financed in some countries by Metro capital, is seen in the. indus- try as a step towards breaking down the restrictions placed on the im- portation of American films by for- eign governments. . With the largest international or- ganization of any of the majors, Metro has already begun operations on its 16m entertainment pix pro- gram.. Under the trade restrictions imposed by foreign governments, however, this operation is stymied in most countries by the same stum- bling blocks that face the regular American product. Inauguration of the educational film program, which is to a large exr tent philanthropic in that it-prob- ably won't return any huge profits from the start, is therefore con- sidered a good talking point against those governments who claim, that the American companies take so much money out of a country annually without investing any of it back in the country's economic system. With the value of educational films well known, it's believed that Metro In- ternational's program will materially benefit any country that subscribes to it. CLOSE CALL Budget for U. S. Film Service Squeaks By House Washington, May 21. The Library of Congress plan for a general film service and film clear- ing house for all Government agen- cies narrowly squeaked through in the House Friday (17). Rep. John Tabor (R., N.Y.) waved a pamphlet from the International Film Foundation of New York which he announced listed eight "Commu- nistic" films. Last page of the pam- phlet said: "All. inquiries regarding any of these Government films should be addressed to Mr. Luther Evans, Librarian of Congress." House was then in the process of approving an additional $75,000 appropriation for the Rankin un-American . Activities Committee. A little later, when the Library's budget came up, things looked black until Rep. Emmett O'Neal (D„ Ky.) took the floor. He said he had also gotten one of .the pamphlets and had checked into the matter with Evans who . denied any knowledge of the pamphlet or the Foundation. O'Neal then inserted in the Congressional Record a letter from Evans which said in part: "Not a single one of the eight films is in the Library's possession,. The films are not known to Mr. John G. Bradley, director of our motion pic- ture project, or to me. They have never been mentioned, so far as I can determine, in any correspond- ence carried on by an officer of the Library." With this, the House passed up Tabor's beef and approved funds for the Library. TREASURY PLATTERS NAMES TO HYPO BONDS Washington, May 21. New set of platters, consisting of 24 five-minute Interviews,' has been cut by the Treasury savings bond division for use during a stepped- up June promotion campaign. Among the voices will be Eleanor Roosevelt, Gertrude Lawrence, Osa Johnson, Dorothy Kirsten, Elsa Maxwell, Jane Cowl, Emily Post, Adele Astaire, Fanny Hurst, Max Baer, Maxie Rosenblooni and Grant- land Rice. Disks will have each of the personalities telling how to pro- vide for the future through weekly Investment in bonds. Unusual feature is that there will be blank spaces on the transcrip- tions for local' radio station an- nouncers, to interview, asking ques- tions live, with the answers coming back from the platters. Scripts were prepared by Earl Kenney, Virginia Gaskell, Ruth Barth and Paul Adams. Production Is under Allen de Castro of the Joseph Kate agency. V PEEPS 3 SEEIALS Hollywood, May 21. Universal is readying three cliff- hangers, all under supervision of Morgan Cox, with Joseph O'Donnell as associate producer. First to hop off is "The Mysteri- ous Mr. M," slated this week, to be followed, by "The Yukon Sky Patrol" and "The Scarlet Horseman Rides Again." RKO'S GIVEAWAY OF 200 PONIES WITH TOMAN' Sweeping campaign of playdating, covering seven general areas and some 250 theatres, within a period of less than 30 days is giving RKO's "Badman's Territory" probably the biggest teeoff impetus accorded any picture released by the company. It's being done mainly through gift ponies and parades of the animals in key cities. Company is giving away 200 ponies, which were purchased and are being handled by Terry Turner, RKO exploitation chief. Besides having to wrangle them In Okla- homa and Texas, the ponies had to be rehearsed so they would be used to music and street cars of big cities. In addition to this headache (it re- quired three days of such rehearsals in Chicago alone), the task of feed- ing the pets and caring for their well-being and transportation has proved a real'headache. The 200 ponies cost around $30,000 while the whole campaign for "Ter- ritory" represents an outlay of nearly $60,000. Payoff for this big bally is that the picture is- getting "A" terms and going into top thea- tres. . 'Boys Ranch' Premiere Realizes Over $30,000 Amarillo, Texas, May 21. More than $30,000 was realized from the premiere of Metro's "Boys Ranch," which was filmed near here. It cost $10 per ticket, but 1,500 paid at least that much to fill one house to capacity. Local biz men donated another $15,000 and gave the tickets to 1,200 school children, who jammed another theatre to see the same film at the same time. James Craig, Butch Jenkins and Dorothy Patrick, stars of the film were present for the premiere. All proceeds to the real-life Boys Ranch here. Studio paid $10,000 for rights to make the film and an additional $4,- 500 was paid by the studio to the boys for working in the location shots. Union's Demands Stymie Automatic 16m Newsreelers Automatic 16m newsreel theatre operations, while ideal and likely to be highly profitable, appear years distant, according to newsreel' and shorts exhibitors and distributors. They admit they would, welcome such an innovation, because of the saving in salaries, but most of these veteran newsreel theatre operators claim it is entirely unfeasible with the temper of unions as they are at present regarding employment and wages. These exhibs admit there is hot even an outside chance that an auto- matic 16m theatre operation could get by without having to employ union operators, with scale undoubt- edly' gauged by the number of men used. With union men in the booth to tend the. automatic operation, ob- viously the big saving for the 16m newsreeler is lost. It will be recalled that the auto- matic 16m idea on shorts was em- ployed by several large industrial firms at the N. Y. World's Fair, but not with the expected saving. In- stead, the unions demanded attend- ants and got them at a stiff union scale. The sole economy of those operations was in the elimination of costly outlay for fireproof booth, etc. Pity the Poor H wood Flack: All He Has To Do Is find an Elusive Exclusive Garfield's 'Journey' Hollywood, May 21. Enterprise has signed John Gar- field to a one-picture deal as star in 'The Burning Journey," slated for autumn production. Picture, based on a yarn by Ar- nold Manoff, will be Garfield's first freelance chore, following his de- parture from Warners. Ex-Service Men And Women's $20 Weekly Helps Bolster B.O. Manner in which picture business has managed to stay so strong while other lines of trade have tended to taper off is traced to the Army pay being drawn by millions of men and women just discharged from the service. It's estimated that the num- ber of such ex-service men and femmes drawing $20 weekly for 52 weeks while unemployed runs past the 2,000,000 mark. This allows, thousands an opportunity to attend picture shows weekly and it is be- ing reflected at the boxoffice, exhibs aver. ■ The average pay for unskilled workers, of which there were plenty in the armed, forces, is only $30 per week. With-various taxes, this means about $23 net. It's reponed that the average former serviceman has elected to remain unemployed and draw. $20 Army pay, which is tax free. This enables him to seek a better job or wait for the one he wants at a higher salary while learn- ing some profession. This money, plus the fact that he usually has time on his hands, prompts addi- tional theatre attendance. A AF PLANS 25 FILMS, NONE FOR THEATRES Washington, May 21. AAF film setup, now under Col, Hereford Cowling, former aide to Col. Bill Keighley, now figures to make about 25 pictures a year, none designed for theatrical use. Wher- ever possible; the pictures will be farmed out to commercial firms for production. Six have already been contracted for and another 12 will be but for contract before July 1. . AAF unit, at Wright Field, O., is also catalogu- ing and otherwise organizing its huge volume of combat footage, vir- tually all of which will be available for industry use. ► By FRANK FISKE Hollywood, May 21. Hollywood press agents—if any- one cares—are getting into almost as bad a spot as a clerk trying to satis- fy a long line of women with a scant dozen pairs of nylons.. Mere men- tion of the word "column" causes the boys to, shudder and the adjective "exclusive" will jitter some of them right into hysterics. Increase in the number of news- paper pix and drama columns and general feature columns using film items has developed what, at first glance, would seem to be a planters' paradise. There is almost no end to the outlet for copy from th^. various studios. There are nearly a score of columns open to the flacks right in Hollywood and Los Angeles alone. But the catch is in that word "ex- clusive." Virtually all the column- ists demand exclusive news from the studio publicity departments. And there just isn't enough news devel- oping from day to day in the studioi to give every column conductor the demanded scoop. There was a time when Louella 6. Parsons was virtually the only col- umnist who insisted oh this type of service. There was also a time when copy could be planted with the local outlets and duplicated with the wire services. But not now. Hedda Hopper wants it exclusive. The As- sociated Press wants it exclusive. Two United Press columnists want it exclusive.. The International News Service wants it exclusive. And they can't very well be fooled right here in Hollywood. No Dr The Holly wo. of seven motion picture columns, in- cluding the two UP, the AP,. Florabel Muir, Sheila Graham, Sidney Skolsky and Lowell Redelings. Then there are the various operators on the downtown papers. Wire stuff can't be duplicated because the wire columns are all in locally. Even the film columnists (no names mentioned) who go for. phonies insist on "exclusive phonies," according to the flacks. Added to the list are various fea- ture columns, local and national, that call for a pic item from time to time. They also want the virgin news, untainted by planting elsewhere. And now the fan mags are joining the clamor with demands for ex- clusive features and exclusive inter- views. All-in-all the daily grist of happenings in the studios just isn't enough to go around. !e Planting Citizen runs a total H'WOOD DIRECTORS OK CO-OP WITH N.Y. BODY Hollywood, May 21. Approval of affiliation with N. Y: Screen Directors Guild was voted here by the Hollywood SDG, pro- viding both groups work for ; or- ganizing on a national basis. Of- ficers elected at meeting were George Stevens,, prexy; William Wyler, first veepee; Delmer Daves, second veepee; Leslie Sceland, sec- retary; Edward Sutherland, treas- urer. Meggers okayed a five-point plan of agreement subject to leg'el limita- tions imposed by California and N. Y. One major factor is to obtain minimum wage in N. Y- equal to one obtained here. Both groups agree to recognize each other's basic agreements. AUER TO BEAT 'BAND' Hollywood, May 21. RKO inked John Auer to a one- picture contract as director on "Beat the Band," based on the George Ab- bott musical originally staged on Broadway. Filming starts. June 10, with Michel Kraike producing and Frances Langford, Gene Krupa and Ralph Edwards heading the cast.. Skouras Sparkplugs Greater N.Y. Fund Drive Motion picture division of the Greater New York Fund for 1946 teed off Friday (17) with a meeting in the offices of Spyros Skouras, fund chairman, attended by N. Y. industry leaders. Group pledged full support to the city-wide campaign goal of $5,300,000, backing up its uledge by accepting, a quota of $78,- 600, which is 25% more than the film industry gave in 1946. Skouras and Barney Balaban out- lined the division's plans, pointing out the necessity for full coopera- tion, because of the increased needs of the 415 local hospitals,; health and welfare agencies that the fund sup- ports. N. Baxter Jackson, prexy of the Chemical Bank' & Trust Co., and general fund crairman, expressed his gratitude to . the industry leaders for assuming responsibility for the fund's success and for the'fact that the "various groups to whom the appeal is addressed arc being reached by ' leaders whose very names assure success." Fund is similiar to the community chests in most cities. 'Gatsby' Freshened Hollywood, May 21. New script on the F: Scott FitZ' gerald slory, "The Great Gatsby," has been whipped up for modern consumption by Cyril Hume, for production by Richard Maibaum at Paramount, starting this week. . Filming gets -under way with Alan Ladd in the male lead. BOOK FILM TABLOIDS FOR CLASSROOM USE Teaching Film Custodians, aca- demic group organized to make available to schools and college the 16m educational service of the ma- jors, is expanding its services to in- clude commercial films for classes in literature. Producing companies have given permission to the group to excerpt feature pictures which have been based on standard literary works for the purpose of making classrooms versions. Thus far, shortened versions have been made of "The Good Earth," "Mutiny on the. Bounty," "Romeo and Juliet," "A Tale of Two Cities,'* "Treasure Island". and "David Cop- perfleld." Twelve more subjects, se- lected by a poll of English teachers,, will be made available before the* beginning of school year next fall. Films are made available on a. long-term lease basis of three years with distribution limited to school film libraries maintained by munici- pal or state boards of education. Hersholt Re-Tops MPRF Hollywood, May 21. Motion Pictures Relief Fund nom- inated Jean Hersholt for his 10th term as president, with the annual election slated for July 7. Other nominees are Ralph Morgan, Lucille Gleason, Sol Lesser and Charles Bickford, veepees: George Bagnall, treasurer, and Wi.'ma Bas- hor, executive, secretary. GG Plans 'Courage* / Hollywood, May 21. James Oliver Curwbod story, "Crimson Courage," will form the basis of the next Golden Gate pro- duction, starting May 23. 'Picture Wiirbe produced by Wil- liam B. David and directed by Breezy Eaton; with Russell Hay den starring.