Evening star., 1937-12-19

tho 35-mm. standard or 16-mm. mar
row width prints are desired and
whether sound or silent versions are
preferred.
The current production program Of
the Interior Departments Motion
Picture Division includes one-reelers
on Sequoia, Yosemite and Great
Smoky national parks; the operation
OF the Taylor Grazing Act in saving
the cattle ranges of the West; the
recreation facilities of the Tennessee
Valley Authority; the development Of
useless farm land into organized
camps for underprivileged families,
and the technicalities of testing coal
for heat values. The division would
like to picture, when these are fin
ished, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto
Rico; more desert reclamation and
power projects in the West, a flm
presenting the department as the
housekeeper Of .Washington's Govern
ment buildings and q series on ths
Interiors newly-acquired and tre-
mendously important slum clearance
program.
IN CONTRAST to this comprehensive
production and distribution serv-
ice Of the Interior Department is the
purely fact-finding service Of the De-
partment of Commerce. N. d. Golden
is chief of the Motion Picture Division
OF the Bureau of Foreign and Domes-
tic Commerce that advises the pic
ture industry of America on all phases
Of film conditions abroad, including
markets for educational and industrial
films and for motion picture equip
ment. This division collects, analyses,
co-ordinates and distributes informa-
ton from the foreign Offices Of the
Department Of Commerce, and from
consuls Of the State Department. Spe-
ctal statistical data covering exports
and imports and foreign production Of
Aims Is given to the American NOV
ing picture trade each month, as well
as reports Of foreign censorship boards.
Each month this division furnishes to
homs-users, colleges and schools, in
formation about the production and
distribution Of non-theatrical films.
In great demand are the regular
bulletins of this division that report
information relating to competition,
number of films distributed by foreign
countries over a given period, the num-
ber of theaters in different foreign
tayy ND tho lilo Hnrn a Ny,t1
this Office issues releases containing
news notes covering non-theatrical
film developments in all countries, with
lists of educational and industrial
films released by film producers dur
ing the preceding month.
Whether in production, distribution,
or in purely informative service, the
American public is intensely interested
in all things having to do with pic
lures these days. In terms of capital
invested, the motion picture industry
today is considered as one Of the lead
ing industries of the United States,
and, as Mr.. Golden points out, 1t Is
said that two billion dollars is a con-
servative estimate OF its financial
worth.
The chief of the Motion Pictures
Division of the Department Of Com
merce continues: 1T has had great
influence upon the public and has
been responsible to a great degree in
stimulating the sale Of American mer-
chandise throughout the world Up
ward of 200 firms are engaged in the
r,rNdIIrfinr, nf vontinyo ~, tha
United States, and produce an aver
age of 800 feature films and approxi-
mately 1000 short subjects. PRODUCE
ton cost Is estimated at Sl35,000 900.
Ninety per cent of the motion pictures
produced are made in Hollywood, and
the remaining 10 per cent are pro-
duced in New York City. Between so
and $50 prints Of each feature hlm
are required for initial distribution
throughout the United States, and
276 different industries. arts and pro-
fessions are involved in the making
of single picture; 28,5o0 people in
the United States are employed in pro-
duction, and Hollywood's pay roll is
close to 100000 yearly"
Well, down in the Department Of
Interior they spend $50,000 year for
pictures; they make Is prints Of each
reel; they spend s1,7o0 on each reel,
and IS people do all the producing and
distributing. But the public, it ap-
pears, can't get enough of the Aims
they turn out. So, based on the law
of supply and demand. the Govern
ment may edge closer to those Holly
wood figures in the years to come
One can never tell! And it wouldn't
surprise Tanning Hearon II they did.