Variety (January 1954)

Wednesday, January 6, 1954 Forty-eighth P^fofctE^Y Anniversary PICTURES FOREIGN FILM MARKET AT A HIGH LEVEL Hollywood. Must Remain That Way as Its 40% Revenue Spells the Profit or Loss Margin Wally Spengler, the most famous, the most highly paid television comic in the world, looked darkly at the ashtray and its mangled m und of cigaret butts. Mechanically, he started to empty it. Then, almost as mechanically, he stopped, “Na,” he thought, “let the bandits see how many cigarets I smoke. Let ...fern see it there for themselves in that ashtray — the sleeplessness, the sweat of getting a show on each Saturday night. The pills, the seconals, the aspirin, the benzedrine. . . Wally put a torch to another cigaret, his fifth in three minutes. Wearily, he lifted his body from the couch shot with expensive metallic thread. He lurched towards the wall mirror and took a long look. The eyes, deeprhH Stivers set and blooshot, betrayed all the pressure. God darn it, he growled, the sleep, that’s the secret. I know many other people can’t sleep either, but they don’t face 30,000,000 viewers once a week— 30,000,000 pairs of eyes waiting to be lit up with laughter, 30,000,000 bellies waiting to be nudged into convulsion. He surrendered to the couch again and reflected oh the previous day and night which had melted into this morm lng. No sleep in between, none at all. He thought back to yesterday’s rehearsal in that badlyrventilated, poorlylit hotel suite. . . “How in the devil do I take it?” he thought. “Why don’t I just collapse? I must have the strength of a bull. The next time a guy tells me his troubles, I’ll ask him one question: ‘Do you sleep?’ If he says yes, I’ll spit clean in By NATHAN D. GOLDEN ( Director Scientific, Motion Picture & Photographic Products Division Business and Defense Services Administration U. S , Department of Commerce) T ,. .. Washington. .Indications are that 1953 set a record for remittances of film earnings from showings of United States films in the international market.. Estimates of dollar remittances from abroad during 1953 have ranged as high as $170,000,000. The outlook for the future is not without its problems, however, and the belief is growing that it will be. difficult to maintain the level of 1953 remittances and gross b.o. business in the foreign markets. Principal factors leading to the belief that the future of U. S. films abroad may be more difficult are the rising competition from foreign-produced films, especially Italian and German productions, the gradually diminishing pool of frozen U. S. Nate Golden earnings, and the trend for foreign producers to want guaranteed earnings of their films in the American market. Barring unforeseen serious difficulties, however, foreign business for American films should continue at a very high level. One of the reasons wr y foreign remittances were so high, in 1953 was an increase in. the transfer of blocked funds from countries which had previously allowed only limited or no remittances. This ivas particularly true with regard to blocked film earnings in Brazil, France, Sweden, and Japan. his eye.” • . . He remembered what a playwright at Sardi’s had told him a month; ago. “You need distractions, releases. Art galleries, perhaps. What do you know about ceramics? What about analysis?” His face twisted into an ironic grin. How many gags could he lift from Picasso? And he swiftly created the dialog with the analyst: “How did you spend your childhood, Mr. Spengler?” “Fighting with the drummer!” What I really need is a girl, one girl who will be pretty and patient and understanding. But where do you find her? Do you take a Variety ad which says: “Wanted— somebody who can stand being alone most of the time, must put Up with moodiness, temperament, bathe in reflected glory, ask no questions, just be there at the right words. Or no words at all — just silent understanding.” He thought of the singers, Bing and Perry and the rest. Sure, they can be relaxed and casual. Right now,. at this very second, 500 songwriters all over the world are sitting writing songs for them to do. And if none of, them are worth a quarter, there’s always the backlog of Kern and Gershwin and Berlin. Take Me Away From This [ Right now, at this moment, I got three lousy, overpaid writers who will write me ‘into oblivion in one season if I watch them like a hawk. A Broadway show, that’s what I should do— same thing every night instead of these blankety-blank TV deadlines. But do Rodgers & Hammerstein send for me? Does Josh Logan? Not a chance. I ad lib too .much, they insist. I’m too zany. Do they ever see ■ the drivel I get to say? Just give me civilized material and I’ll stick to the script, pal. Stick to it six nights a week and two matinees. Another cigaret, and the muse twisted. Who needs Broadway? I reach more people in a half hour than a Broadway hit comic in two years. And by myself, too. Oh, I get help here and there. Rocky Marciano has seconds, too. But who does the belting when the gong sounds? Wally looked at the big clock, a gift from the grateful sponsors. “Those so-and-so writers are 10 minutes late now. If they tell me they overslept, I’ll spit right in their faces. Got a better idea. I think I’ll give them a real stunner. It "ill go like this: ‘Fellers, sit down, I got a brief announcement. I am retiring, quitting, getting out. Going to Rome for a year. Then to Maine for another. Take all these jokes, don’t slam the door, see you in two years, don’t write me, 111 write you!’ ” As he deliciously, constructed his goodbyes, the doorbells chimed and the parade shuffled by him into the living room. In order, Lou Cahn, A1 Rose, Milt Balzer, the writers, augmented by Bart Samuels* Wally’s personal manager, and Lester Span, the producer of the show. This is going to be purely wonderful, thought Wally. A camera. I should havo a camera to record their stupid faces when I tell ’em. . As he opened his mouth to begin, Bart Samuels, exploded: “Hold the phone, King. I got a flash that won’t Keep. The network research department called 10 minutes Kgo. . I should givd'it.to you slow and tantalizing. But I Know your sense of pacing, so here it is quick and to the ^ypoint The latest Trendex is in and you now stand i 74/4, the. highest in the history of television broadcastUf; Jofhp of 14 points. When the sponsors hear, they will flip, flip, I ten you.’* .Wally stared at the group for close to 30 seconds. . Then °Pened wide, he bit his lips savagely, pounded the screamed*^*1! hand into the open palm of his other, and i n Smendrex, ! got a flash for all of you. We’re tHnb1V0gJether' on« big ball club. We gotta push harder, » wt)rk harder. We gotta come up with new go to ?eW jg,immlcllcs* Beck, this is no time to relax and '• British Accord _| One of the bright spots of the past year was the renewal of the ’’British film agreement in September after only a few. days’ negotiations. The new agreement, covering the year beginning Oct. 1. 1953, again provides for the transfer of $17,000,000 annually to the U. S. and also contains provisions permitting convertibility of certain amounts of U! S. production investments in Britain. Hollywood was riot so successful, however, in negotiating a new film pact with France. The French agreement expired on June 30, 1953, and although a four-months extension to Nov. 1, 1953, was arranged, no real progress., toward a new agreement had been made. at that date; Reports from abroad indicate that the French are firm in wanting a reduction in the number of U. S. film import licenses, (under the old agreement 121 dubbed feature films were to be imported annually) and also an insistence for some rnonetary assistance in the distribution of French films in the Yank market. In April, 1953, the Italian-American motion picture agreement was extended until Aug. 31, 1954. Although the Statistical breakdown as to the . disposition of U. S. film earnings in Italy remained unchanged, important changes were written into the extended agreement. This agreement provides that 50ro of the film earnings in Italy go into blocked accounts. is available for re mittance (an attempt is being made to raise this to 40^ K with the remainder going to Italiap Film Export, an Organization to promote the exports of Italian films. However, none of the funds going to Italian Film Export were to be expended for the acquisition of distribution rights to Italian films for the U. S. market or for the conduct of distribution activities in the U. S. The new agreement also provided for the broadening of usages which American film companies might make of funds from their 50^ blocked accounts. Problems relating to importation of U. S. films and transfer of foreign exchange have been encountered in Spain and the Netherlands. In Spain. American producers are refusing to purchase import licenses for their films at the price asked by the Spanish Government: After having apparently solved difficulties in connection with Spanish import licenses by an agreement whereby the Spanish Government, instead of Spanish producers, would control the . sale of such licenses, new stumbling blocks have been encountered, among them the allocation of permits to individual companies. In the Netherlands, the U. S. industry protested against the low rental ceiling of 32,arr for their films. The situation there reached the point where Hollywood threatened to withdraw front the Bioscoop Bond, the Netherlands film association. In effect this would have meant withdrawal front the market, as membership in the Bond is necessary to distribute films in the Netherlands, However, in November a new agreement was (raached which reportedly increased film rental percentages and provided for special treatment for new projection methods such as 3-D, panoramic, and other films with an illusion of three dimension. American pix encountered considerable difficulty dur-> lng the past several years in the Brazilian market These problems have included playing time quotas for Brazilian films, regulations requiring copies of imported films to be printed in Brazil, arid difficulties in obtaining import licenses and transferring film earnings. However, the situation in Brazil in recent months has steadily improved. In July, 1953, an agreement was reached whereby remittance of the full amount of. about $16,000,000 of blocked film earnings was to be accomplished. By Nov. 1 it was reported that some $4,500,000 had been remitted from this market. Import license problems are being reduced and it is believed that normal trade relations between U. S. film companies and Brazil (one of our major film markets) will soon materialize. There has been but little improvement in the Argentine market with regard to importation and distribution of U. S. films during the past year. In April, 1953, the Japanese Government announced that an agreement had been reached with the U. S. covering the importation of films and transfer of earnings during the fiscal year beginning April 1, 1953. This agreement provides for the importation of 146 U. S. fea ALIBIS By JACK BENNY Hollywood, When Shakespeare opened, his comedy, “Taming of the Shrqw,” in London, it played to half-filled house. After the performance, he was heard roaring, “Well what do you expect? Everybody was out watching those newfangled cock fights they’re putting on air over town.”: Now I wasn’t there to hear this personally. I was just a babe in arms at the time, but it Was told to me by a pretty good authority. Shakespeare, who started a lot of new gimmicks in the theatrical profession, has gone down in history as the . first showman who alibied for bad business. Ever since, then, every playwright, actor and motion picture producer has developed some lulus to alibi a flop. Since the war, personal appearance tours throughout the country by comics have become a booming profession. When we comics go out on the road on one-night stands or one-week engagements, we all expect to break records. And every once in awhile, we lay an egg. And, I think We’Ve developed better explanations for a flop than any other branch of show business. To be a truly outstanding alibi artist, one must have at his command the most extensive set of logical reasons for the simple fact that people just didn't want to see him in that town at that particular time. , It was beautiful weather? Well, you can’t expect people to come to a stuffy theatre when they could be out in the fresh air. It was raining? Well, you can’t blame anyone for not leaving the house in the rain. It was hot? Well, everyone Went to the beach. No, it was cold! Who’s crazy enough to go out in this freezing weather and stagger downtown to see a show! Why, look at the business the department stores did that day. Terrible! Oh, they did good business? Therers your answer— everyone was out shopping.. How can you buck all these big sales! Arid those agents ought to watchtheir timing when they set up these tours. Why didn’t they book you any place during the good holiday business? And if they book you during the holidays, naturally, you re dead! Nobody’s got any money before Christmas, except for Christmas shopping, and after Christmas they’re broke. Easter week we know is murder; Decoration Day weekend is the first chance people have to get out of town after a tough winter; on the 4th of July, everyone is shooting off firecrackers; on Labor Day, .they’re either at a parade or a political speech. In November, nobody does business because it’s just before election. On Election Day. everyone is out voting! And after election, all the excitement goes out of a city. Before Thanksgiving, everybody’s spending their money on buying turkeys, arid all the rest of the stuff for Thanksgiving dinner. On Thanksgiving Day. any dope knows that you stay home and have dinner with your family. After Thanksgiving, you’ve got the horrible prospect of all the Christmas shopping you've got to do. so who’s got money to go to a theatre? In the spring, everybody gets baseball fever, so you're dead. In the summer, everyone is out of town on vacation; in the fall, everyone is going to football games, arid how can you buck basketball in the winter? If you’ve got a lot of tough opposition, you've got to split the money with the other shows so you can’t do good business. If you are the only attraction in town, there isn’t enough excitement to bring people downtown. And that strike. All those poor guys hanging around. They haven't had a paycheck in two months. Where do you expect them to get money for entertainment? Labor relations good? Everybody working? Sure, then they put in so much overtime they haven't, got time for shows. Just look at the ad campaign! You mean lo stand there and tell me that with one lousy ad they expected to let people know that you're in town? Oh. they took a lot of full page ads? Ehh— who looks at newspapers toda.v? Everybody’s looking at television. Oh. they had a lot of television trailers on? Well, when you give them all that free entertainment at home, how do you expect them to come downtown and pay $4.80 for a seat — and how about a buck for parking the car— and then a couple of bucks for a bite after the show. After all. there arc very few millionaires these days. And there was no publicity! Oh. there were nineteen news breaks, plus arrival pictures on every front page, and five big interviews. Yeah, but on the same day. they exploded the H-Bomb and scared everyone half to death. Thinking of that, how can anyone get in the mood for entertainment. And those interviews . . . they gave away the whole show, The readers know your routine better than you do. Why should they pay to hear it? And let’s face it, nobody could get a babysitter while you were in. town. It was just an unfortunate break that every old lady in tow.n had tickets to see Libcrace who was playing in Indian Creek. 20 miles away. Jack Benny tUre films arid for the remittance of 30rr of the current film rentals of U. S. film companies with the other 70?c going into blocked accounts. The Japanese Government also agreed to allocate foreign exchange for the remittance during the current fiscal year of $2,500,000, which represents about' one-third of the total value of accumulated yen earnings held in Jfipan by U. S', distributors as of March 31, 1953; It is believed that every attempt will bb made bv {lie U. S. to expand opr market in India and Pakistan, One of the chief problems encountered in India is the small number of theatres to accommodate their large population. The distribution of Yank pix in the world market is of major importance to the motion picture industry. While estimates vary as to just how important the foreign market is to U. S, companies, there is general agreement that revenue from abroad is playing an increasingly important role in the general economic stability of the industry. It has been estimated that foreign revenues account for about 40 % of the total income of the U. S. film industry, and this foreign revenue spells the difference between profit and loss for the American fridustry.