The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-05

EotGE E0B1 navy nave Cnell
own movie setups. They have com.
missioned q number Of big-shot di.
rectors and producers to do theiI
job. John Ford, who directed
"0rapes OF Wrath" and others Is a
commander and he made the Nays
Technicolor, Battle Of Midway"
Army has commissioned over 4O(
men for Photographic work In the
Signal Corps. Daryl Zanuck Is q
colonel and supervised production Of
the Army's Technicolor Of the Afrl-
can campaign. AT the Front"
Frank Capra Is q lieutenant colo
J mel, Hal Roach is q major, and so
on. SO far, there has been no major
controversy over service films,
though the movie-going public may
have noticed that action shots OF
actual war aren't as clear or as
closeup as Hollywood has been maxi
ing In its phony wars Of the past
where the set was carefully staged
and lighting effects were perfect.
owl HAS CHARGE
Practically all other government
film-making activities are now CEN
tered In the Bureau Of Motion Pic
lures Of the Office Of War Informa-
ton. It Is this operation which Is
being eyed by Congress now, on sus-
picion that 1t Is putting out too
much Democratic political propa-
ganda, along with war propaganda.
Elmer Davis, head Of owl, has tax
en- the rap thus far, as the criticism
Of owl has been general and not
confined TO movies.
Real head of the owl Bureau of
Motion Pictures, however, is Lowell
Mellett, who Is also one Of the adj
ininlstrativ assistants to the Presi-
dent and film co-ordinator for the
government, meaning that his office
Is the agency through which the
film industry has It's principal con-
facts with numerous government
agencies. Mellett was head Of the
old OGR, or Office Of Government
Reports, until last June. when 1t
was merged with Owl.
Today, Mellett's bureau operates
on q budget Of $l.3 million and has
about l40 employees. It's principal
places Of business are Washington,
which is headquarters; New York,
which Is production center, and Hol.
lywood, which is contact office for
the movie industry.
For the year ending this June 30,
the production end Of the outfit will
have turned out 90 pictures, II Of
the subjects theatrical, SO nonthe-
atrical, distinction which will be
explained later.
The average government-produced
movie runs about eight minutes and
costs around $1,000 to produce. The
total production budget Is approx
imately $500, 900, which Is the mini
mum cost for one average Holly
wood full-length feature. A Holly
wood super-duper may, of course,
cost up to $2,5 million. or double
the entire government outlay for a
year. which gives some idea of the
scale Of this operation - decidedly
small time by Hollywood measure
mentS.
MANY EDUCATIONAL FILMS
In addition to production cost. the
government spends $40 q print for
GIT copies Of each Of Its theatrical
subjects, this being the number re-
quired to get maximum distribution
In the 1900 movie houses Of the
country. 10000 Of which have made
pledges to the industry to show gov
eminent films. Average picture, in
fact, Is shown In only about $4,000
theaters, but that is still q darn
sight more than any industry pic
ture shows.
Anyway, this adds up to a cost Of
5000 for prints on every government
theatrical picture. or q total Of
$559, 900 for printing costs. The mo-
ton picture industry. through its
own agencies, handles distribution Of
these pictures at no cost to the gov
eminent.
Non-theatrical pictures which the
government produces are largely
l6-mm. stuff In the nature Of edu-
cational films made for showing be-
fore Rotary, Kiwanis or Lions, ii
schools, before labor organizations.
parent-tea groups and similar
smaller audiences. Usually, these
films are reductions Of standard 35-
nm. films made for theatrical dis.
tribution. but in the case Of 16-mm.
films, distribution Is handled
through some 1856 non-profit service
outlets which have already been
functioning effectively for their Or
CARNATIONS In similar work before.
The government hires no actors
for making these films. "Stars" In
government movies are usually re-
sp0nsible government officials, maxi
ing responsible statements to the
American people. The government
production unit Of about SO people
Is headed by Sam Spewack. ex-New
York World reporter. author Of
Boy Meets Girl" and O successful
Hollywood writer who gave up g..
the government for less than elO..
coo week In Hollywood 10 work for
600 year. The governments Hol.
lywood staff is about 20 people and
they. with the Washington admin
istrative headquarters, cost e24i 900
year. which would not keep q
film magnate in tax money.