Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-06-18
Films Will
Follow FLAG
Foreign Sales Managers
Dream Of New Fields
BY TED TAYLOR

HOLLY WOOD June IA (FP)-
Film statesmen will form the mop
up squad when the second front is
opened if the movie companies
have their way. Right behind the
troops would come statesmen with
sheafs of contracts and gay pros
pectuses boosting the produce of
MGM, Warmers, Paramount, and
other film merchants. After esti-
mating the capacity Of each lib
Grated country to buy movie tick
cts, they would make a deal on
film rental and start arranging
playing dates for the 1000 pictures
that Europe has not yet seen.
This is the dream of foreign
sales managers for the movie COM
panies, and they are reported Wig
orously protesting the plan of the
Office of War Information to ar
range the first showings Of Amer
lean films as each country is clear
ed of Axis control.
OWL Considers Films Important
The Owl looks on films as a first
essential in occupied territory TO
reassure and inform the people
about the aims of the United Ma
tions. The Owl naturally intends
at first to balance the entertain
ment content to fit local situations.
Film companies have been as
sured by Robert E. Sherwood OF
the Owl overseas division that
they will be encouraged to take
over commercial control Of distri-
button as soon as practicable. He
pointed out that this was done in
North Africa within a few weeks.
The objection by the film men
is that it is a dangerous precedent
to let the government handle any
film distribution.
Companies have been talking
about sending sales and distribu-
ton personnel to various parts Of
the world to become conditioned to
local ways against the reopening
of the world market. 1t appears
that this will be unnecessary to
some extent. Sherwood reveals
that the representatives of some
big American film companies are
being freed from Axis custody to
take up their old jobs.
Removing $4,000 Limit on Sets
The lid goes off the $4,000 war
limit on motion picture sets July
l. This minor priorities revision
will be given little fanfare, but it
will remove an irksome Hollywood
inhibition. The restriction on set
cost never touched B grade pro-
duction or westerns, but it did tax
the ingenuity of those who design
and build settings for million-dol-
lar specials.
3 Now there will be no apparent
limit on any studios expenditures
for sets. The new rule is only that
for three months. ahead, and
set construction must be estimated
breakdown of materials required
be reported to the War Production
Board. The order happily comedies
with decisions of several major
producers to stop making low-cost
pictures.
Offers $3.50, 900 for Rights
Whatever Wendell L. Willkie is
paid for film rights to One World,
it will probably be too much to
suit him. He pledged proceeds from
his book to Allied war reliefs with
out thinking how many copies
might be sold. Because charity de-
ductions are limited to Is per cent
of income, Willkie is already out
S160,000. Meanwhile, Sam Goldwyn
wants to pay him $200,0 and 25
per cent of the profits on the pic
ture. and MGM has upped its offer
for One World to $250,000.
SALVAGE NOTE: goth Century
Fox has built a 2O00-pound cleo
trical machine for Strengthening
nails. 1t reconditions 1875 nails an
hour. The inventor is George HUI
bert, head of the studios hardware
department.
BEST BET: My Friend Flicka
(20th-Fox). This is a real motion
picture without pho.v touch in
it. About a boy on a ranch and
how he tanned a colt. Escapist, but
worth it.