Boxoffice-December.24.1949

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JJAROLD WILSON, during a debate of films
in the House of Commons last week, threw
the industry's plans for tax remission back
with a flat refusal either to reduce the tax
or to allow a rebate to help exhibitors and
producers. He said: "Handing back money
in the form of a subsidy without guarantee
that this money would not be swallowed up
in further extravagance is something we cannot
do." In the course of his speech he referred
to "an unaccustomed and sinister unanimity
in all sections of the industry" and
this reference aroused anger from members
of Parliament both in the Labor and Tory
ranks.
Tom O'Brien, M.P., who is
general secretary
of a film labor union and a Socialist member,
interrupted the minister to say: "For 25
years government departments have criticized
the film industry because it was divided. Now
that we have reached an agreed policy we are
sinister." Returning to the attack on the
Minister's charge of extravagance, O'Brien
said: "A certain amount of extravagance is
essential in show business. You cannot put
on a show or make a film in the same way as
you can roll out sausages or mix pots of jam."
The truth obviously is that this Labor government
does not wish to acknowledge the justice
of the industry's claim to a rebate of tax
since it would involve them in loss of revenue
that they may find difficult to replace in other
ways. There is no arguing the fact that the
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East: Independent Producer R. W. Alcom
planed to New York to confer with United
Artists home office executives on plans for
the upcoming February release of his first
film, "Johnny Holiday."
South: James R. Grainger, Republic vicepresident
in charge of sales, came in from
San Francisco to spend the Christmas holidays
with his family here.
East: Otto Preminger, 20th-Fox producerdirector,
planned to take off for New York
to scout locations for his next assignment,
the Dana Andrews starrer, "Where the Sidewalk
Ends."
West: Al Horwits, U-I studio publicity director,
trained in from Gotham after a threeweek
trip east, during which he visited St.
Louis to set plans for the premiere of "South
Sea Sinner," New Orleans to plan the American
debut of "Francis," and New York for
huddles with home office executives.
East: Maurice "Razz" Goldstein, Monogram-Allied
Artists sales manager, returned
By JOHN SULLIVAN
film industry carries a heavier burden of
taxation than any other in this country and
to refuse a remission on the grounds of extravagance
is an attempt to divert attention
from the real point at issue. That British
producers have materially cut their costs is
shown by films at present on the floor here.
Pictures that would have been budgeted at
$600,000 a year or two ago are now being
made with the same quality for one-half of
that figure.
AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR many of
the critics of the trade and lay papers occupy
their space with a resume of what they consider
the ten best fUms of the year. Reg
Whitley, the veteran critic of the Daily Mirror,
has gone one better than this and conducted
a poll of exhibitors to find from them
which films they made most money on during
1949.
The surprise winner was a film from Ealing
Studios—"Scott of the Antarctic." Siu--
prise it was, not for lack of quality in the film
itself for it was well-made and sincere, but
because it was a sombre, unhappy story without
any conventional love interest. Running
second was another "low-key" picture,
"Johnny Belinda," but the third place was
taken by two comedies, "Easter Parade" and
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." Runnersup,
not in order, were: "'The Paleface," "Red
River," "The Guinea Pig,"* "The Gay Lady,""
^fuiaele^
West: William Pine and William Thomas, to his Manhattan headquarters after studio
independent producers releasing through conferences with President Steve Broidy. Also
Paramount, returned from a three-week going east, for huddles with New York officials,
was George D. Buitows, executive
barnstorming junket through the east, midwest
and south, during which they huddled vice-president and treasurer.
with exhibitors, circuit operators and distribution
personnel on changing public tastes South: Having tentatively selected Mexican
location sites for his next Columbia film
in film entertainment.
"The Brave Bulls," Pi-oducer-Director Robert
Rossen will return to Mexico City January 1
to complete preparations for his picturization
of the Tom Lea novel. It will be made almost
entirely below the border.
West: Heni-y Henigson, production supervisor
on MGM's "Quo Vadis," returned from
Rome after a seven-month stay. He will
return to Italy next spring when camera
work is slated to start on the opus. Also returning
from Europe was William Golden,
who reported back to MGM after handling
arrangements for the group of Hollywood
stars who appeared in London at the royal
performance. Representing the American film
industry at the annual British charity performance
were Rosalind Russell, Ann Sothem,
Gregory Peck, George Murphy, Greer Garson,
Walter Pidgeon and Errol Flynn.
East: Joseph Bernhard, president of Film
Classics, planed east for conferences with New
York banking officials concerning a projected
expansion program for the distribution organization.
The Bernhard company already
has completed arrangements for releasing
eight features during the early months of
1950.
"Maytime in Mayfair,"* "I Was a Male War
Bride," "Madness of the Heart'" and "The
Blue Lagoon."* The films marked * are all
British.
Turning to the tradepress Josh Billings
of the Kine Weekly, who is regarded as
the best boxoffice judge of a film in this
country, agrees largely with Whitley's findings.
He claims as the boxoffice film
of the year Carol Reed's "The Third
Man" but Whitley makes the point that
this picture has not yet received enough
bookings to judge results although it will undoubtedly
finish well up at the top. The rest
of the films published in Whitley's survey also
appear in Billings' roundup.
It seems ironical that although exhibitors
are constantly asking for comedies only onehalf
of the big ten are comedy subjects and
the two biggest of all were unrelieved drama.
JAMES LAWRIE, managing director of the
National Film Finance Corp., told a press
conference last week that his bank has just
granted loans for the production of a further
eight pictures. He also revealed that, in spite
of rumors to the contrary, the corporation
had some money available for finance.
still
The biggest sensation of the meeting was
his disclosure that an inspector will be appointed
by the Board of Trade to investigate
the affairs of Plantagenet Films, Ltd., which
produced the Edward Dmytryk film, "Give
Us This Day" ("Christ in Concrete"). The
corporation is not satisfied with the way in
which the company has carried on its affairs
and has asked for this investigation to clear
the air.
The directors of Plantagenet Films, Ltd.,
are Nat Bronsten, A, Kerstein and the Duke
of Leeds. Nat Bronsten co-produced "Give
Us This Day" with Rod Geiger, who is at
present in New York to attend the premiere
of the film.
IT IS NOT A COMMON occurence for a
top-rank star to produce a film and cast himself
in a minor role—allowing others to take
the top credits. When he does so, and produces
a boxoffice winner in every sense of
the word, it is a pleasant task to report on it.
The film, which was tradeshown last week,
is "Rocking Horse Winner," produced by
John Mills, directed by Anthony Pelissier and
starting John Howard Davies and Valerie
Hobson with Mills himself playing a small
but most important role.
The film is based on D. H. Lawrence's
classic short story, which tells of a small boy
with an extravagant mother. The child hears
his mother constantly demanding more money
and, presented with a rocking horse foi
Chiistmas, he discovers that he can forecast
race winners while riding on it. The child
himself has no idea of the value of money but,
aided by an uncle and by the family groom,
he wins a huge sum which is passed on to
his mother without her suspecting, or caring,
where the money has come from. Eventually
the child contracts brain fever and, in his delirium,
he mounts the house and rides it
madly until he falls from it shouting the
name of his last big wanner.
Such a story could so easily descend into
bathos or over-sentimentality and it Is to
the eternal credit of Mills and to Director
Pelissier, that they have avoided these pitfalls
and have produced a moving and sincere
film which will appeal to women audiences
all over the world. Young Davies,
nine years old, surpasses even his great performance
in "Oliver Twist."
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BOXOFFICE December 24, 1949