Film Facts
FOREWORD
This
material on the motion picture
industry form
for
is assembled in convenient background
and reference
purposes.
Additional data may be obtained by writing to the Information Division, Motion Picture Producers and Distributors
of America,
2Q West 44th St.,
New York, W. Y.
May,
1938.
INDEX
Page Academy of Motion Picture arts
And Sciences Awards
21-22
Advertising Advisory Council, Material Submitted to
14
Advertising Code
13
Association of Motion Picture Producers, Inc. Box Office Receipts Central Casting Corporation
6 5-4 7
Conservation
17
Distribution Centers
17
Employees - Production - Distribution - Exhibition - Extras Foreign
1 1 & 17 1 7
- Production -- Imports - Restrictions
18 19 20
Hollywood Correspondents
14
Motion Picture Producers And Distributors of America, Inc.
Newsreel Companies Payrolls
- Production - Distribution - Exhibition - Extras
5
14 1 1 & 17 1 7
Pictures - Number Approved by PCA
IS
- Story Sources
12
Production Code Production Code Administration, Features and Shorts Approved by Statistical Highlights Theatre Statistics
Titles
8-11 12 1-2 15-16
17
STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY
Approximate weekly attendance 1937 United States
85,000,000
Rest of world
150,000,000
Estimated gross box office receipts in U.S. motion picture theatres for 1957
$1,000,000,000
Estimated taxes paid to Federal Government annually
$100,000,000
Feature pictures approved in 1937 by Production Code Administration: Features Domestic Cos. 567 Foreign Cos. 41
Features Re-issued Domestic Cos. 54 Foreign Cos. 1
608
55
Total feature pictures approved
663
Estimated capital investment in the motion picture industry in United States: Theatres Studios
$1,880,000,000 100,000,000
Distribution
ÂŁ0,000.000
Total
$2,000,000,000
Estimated number regularly employed in the industry: Exhibition Production
241,000 S8,500
Distribution
IS.500
Total
282,000
Approximate annual payrolls: Exhibition
$250,000,000
Production Distribution
91,000,000 27,560.000
Total
$368,560,000
Major studios: West
20
East
2
22
Active producing companies
92
(1)
Number of distribution zones normally used
38
Number of branch offices (film exchanges) maintained in U.S. for wholesale distribution
431
Estimated number of film shipments per year between film exchanges and theatres
15,000,000
Average number of positive prints required for each feature picture
250
Average number of bookings per print
37
Average number of actual playing days per print
100
Average cost for each positive release print (feature length)
$200
Approximate amount of linear feet of positive film used annually Total cost (at li> per foot)
2,000,000,000 $80,000,000
Approximate amount of linear feet of negative raw stock used annually Total cost (at 4^ per foot) Number of theatres showing a feature picture distributed nationally
35,000,000 §1,400,000 2,000 to 10,000
Approximate number of first-run theatres in 95 cities of over 100,000 population
450
Number of different industries^ arts and professions involved in the making of a U.S. feature picture
276
Total motion picture theatres in the U.S. equipped for operation, -as of January:
In operation Closed Total
1958
1957
.1936
16,251 1.290 17,541
16,258 2.560 18,818
15,378 5,ISO 18,508
Average seating capacity (all theatres)
682 Seats
Number of towns with motion picture theatres equipped for operation
9,187
Total number of theatres equipped for operation
17,541
Total seating capacity of theatres equipped for operation
10,9ÂŁ4,4o4 beats
(2)
APPROXIMATE DISTRIBUTION OF OWE YEAR'S BOX OFFICE RECEIPTS AT U. S. THEATRES
Estimated gross box office receipts for all U. S. motion picture theatres for 1957
$1,000,000,000
Theatre retains 65% of total receipts for local expenses, as follows: 25$ Payroll, theatre staff and management
$250,000,000
15$ Real Estate — Rent, insurance, taxes, interest and depreciation
150,000,000
Sfo Local advertising and publicity
80,000,000
5$ Light and heat
50,000,000
5$ Interest and dividends
50,000,000
4$ Other taxes and insurance
40,000,000
5$ Liiscel. extra attractions (acts, music, prizes, contests, etc.)
50,000,000 1650,000,000
Theatre pays 55/S of total receipts for film rental, as follows: 85% To studios for producing the film "
$250,000,000
10% To wholesale distributor for prints, advertising, sales
and service costs, etc.
100.,OOP,OOP ÂŁ550,000,000
(3)
Payroll
25% ^^\
^
Real Estate 15#
G
r
o ^Advertising
85t
light, Heat 5%
.Taxes Mtw. Mlscel.
4% 85lf
t
t
HI
S en
2 j a o
C
S
I (0
*^J
£5
O
$£jiii Production'^ t§ Costs Z5% '£
::: COStS
^
'•'.'.'*-'•" •'•'•".' •'.'."!
• ."•'•'•''•"'-'.'.' '"'
Motion Picture Producers And Distributors of America, Inc. 28 West 44th Street New York, N. Y.
Officers President Secretary Treasurer Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
Will H. Hays Carl E. Milliken Frederick L. Herron
.
. . George Borthwick Directors
Will H. Hays,, Chairman Sidney R. Kent Sol Lesser Hal E. Roach David Sarnoff Nicholas M. Schenck Leo Spitz Ma3. Albert Warner Harry M. Warner
Barney Balaban Harry D. Buckley Nate J. Slumberg Jack Conn Cecil B. deMille E. W. Hammons E. B. Hatrick Frederick L. Herron Member s Bray Productions, Inc The Caddo Co., Inc. Columbia Pictures Corp. Cosmopolitan Corporation Cecil B. deMille Productions, Inc. Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. Eastman Kodak Company Educational Films Corp. of America Electrical Research Products, Inc. First National Pictures, Inc. Samuel Coldwyn, Inc. D. W. Griffith, Inc. Inspiration Pictures, Inc. Loew's Incorporated Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Pioneer Pictures, Inc. Principal Pictures Corp. RCA Manufacturing Company, Inc. RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. Reliance Pictures, Inc. Hal Roach Studios, Inc. Selznick International Pictures, Inc. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. United Artists Corp. Universal Pictures Company,Inc. Vitagraph, Inc. Walter Vvanger Productions, Inc. Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
The Association was organized on March 5, 1922. Mr. Hays has been President since trie beginning.
(5)
Association of Motion Picture Producers, Inc. 5504 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California
Officers President . . . . First Vice-President Second Vice-President Executive Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer
Joseph M. Schenck Louis B. Mayer Jack L. Warner Fred W. Beetson Directors
Pandro S. Berman Harry Conn Henry Herzbrun Louis B. Mayer R. J. Obringer Hal E. Roach Charles R. Rogers Joseph M.. Schenck J. L. Warner Members Columbia Pictures Corp. First National Pictures,, Inc. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. Paramount Pictures, Inc. RKO-Radio Pictures, Inc. Hal E. Roach Studio, Inc. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Universal Pictures Company, Inc. Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc.
(6)
CENTRAL CASTING CORPORATION 5504 Hollywood Boulevard Holly/rood, California
Officers President
Fred W. Beetson
Vice-President. . . Secretary
Campbell McCulloch . William Reeves
82,986,572.89
Extras earned in 1957
15,933
Total number of individuals used in 1957 Average days worked per individual per year
18,4 $10.03
Average daily wage
$187.00
Average annual earnings per individual Of total extras employed in 1937: 14,091 earned less than 1,120 " from $ 500 617 " " 1,000 101 Âť " 2,000 7 " " ' 3,000
& 500 - 1,000 - 2,000 - 3,000 - 3,300
Placements through Central Casting during 1937: Men Women Boys Girls Total
198,922 87,741 4,354 o,290"
294,307
Average daily placements: Men "Women Children Total
(7)
663.6 292.3 25.1"
981
PRODUCTION CODE
The Motion Picture Production Code, voluntarily adopted on March 51, 1950, by members of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, is administered by the Production Code Administration, a department of the Association. During the period 1954-57, inclusive,- the PGA wrote ÂŁ0,886 opinions interpreting the Code.
General Principles 1. Wo picture shall be produced which will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wiong-doing, evil or sin. 2. Correct standards of life, subject only to the requirements of drama and entertainment, shall be presented. 5, Law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation. Particular Applications I. CRIMES AGAlI\li-:I THE LAW
These shall never be presented in such a way as to throw sympathy with the crime as against law and justice or to inspire others with a desire for imitation. 1. Murder a. The technique of murder must be presented in a way that will not inspire imitation. b. Brutal killings are not to be presented in detail. c. Revenge in modern times shall not be justified. 2. Methods of crime should not be explicitly presented. a. Theft, robbery, safe-cracking and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, etc., should not be detailed in method. b. Arson must be subject to the same safeguards. (8)
c. The use of firearms should be restricted to essentials. d. Methods of smuggling should not be presented. 3. Illegal drug traffic must never be presented. 4. The use of liquor in American life, when not required by the plot or for proper characterization, will not be shown, II. SEX The sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home shall be upheld. Pictures shall not infer that low forms of sex relationship are the accepted or common thing. 1. Adultery, sometimes necessary plot material, must not be explicitly treated, or justified, or presented attractively. 2. Scenes of passion a. They should not be introduced when not essential to the plot. b. Excessive and lustful kissing, lustful embraces, suggestive postures and gestures, are not to be shown. c. In general, pass-ion should so be treated that these scenes do hot stimulate the lower and baser element. 3. Seduction or rape a. They should never be more than suggested, and only when essential for the plot, and even then never shown by explicit method. b. They are never the proper subject for comedy. 4. Sex perversion or any inference to it is forbidden. 5. White slavery shall not be treated. 6. Miscegenation (sex relationships between the white and black races) is forbidden. 7. Sex hygiene and venereal diseases are not subjects for motion pictures. 8. Scenes of actual child birth, in fact or in silhouette, are never to be presented. 9. Children's sex organs are never to be exposed. (9)
III. VULGARITY
The treatment of low, disgusting, unpleasant, though not necessarily evil, subjects should be subject always to the dictate of good taste and a regard for the sensibilities of the audience. IV.
OBSCMIIY
Obscenity in word, gesture, reference, song, joke, or by suggestion (even when likely to be understood only by part of the audience) is forbidden. V.
PROFANITY
Pointed profanity (this includes the words: God, Lord, Jesus, Christ — unless used reverently — Hell, S.O.B., Damn, Gawd), or every other profane or vulgar expression however used., is forbidden. VI.
COSTUME
1. Complete nudity is never permitted. This includes nudity in fact or in silhouette, or any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture. 2. Undressing scenes should be avoided, and never used save where essential to the plot. 3. Indecent or undue exposure is forbidden. 4. Dancing costumes intended to permit undue exposure or indecent movements in the dance are forbidden. VII. DAKCEb
1. Dances suggesting or representing sexual actions or indecent passion are forbidden. 2. Dances which emphasize indecent movements are to be regarded as obscene. VI11.RELIGION 1. No film or episode may throw ridicule on any religious faith. 2. Ministers of religion in their character as ministers of religion should not be used as comic characters or as villains. 3. Ceremonies of any definite religion should be carefully and respectfully handled. (10)
IX.
LOCATIONS
The treatment of bedrooms must be governed by good taste and delicacy. X.
NATIONAL FEBLIMGS
1. The use of the flag shall be consistently respectful, 2. The history, institutions, prominent people and citizenry of other nations shall be represented fairly. XI.
TITLES
Salacious, indecent, or obscene titles shall not be use!. XII. REPELLENT SUBJECTS
The following subjects must be treated vdthin the careful limits of good taste: 1. Actual hangings or electrocutions as legal punishments for crime. C. Third Degree methods. 3. Brutality and. possible gruesorneness. 4. Branding of people or animals.
5. Apparent cruelty to children or animals. 6. The sale of women, or a woman selling her virtue. 7. Surgical operations.
(11)
PRODUCTION CODE ADMINISTRATION
The summary of all pictures
approved 'by the Production Code
Administration in 1937 is made up as follows:
Pictures
Reissues
Total Pictures And Reissues
Features
608
55
663
Shorts
791
8
799
63
1,462
1,599
vSTORY SOURCES
The following table is interesting as indicating source material for the 608 feature-length pictures approved, by the PGA in 1957:
Source From original screen stories From stage plays From novels From biographies From short stories (including magazine) Source unknown Miscellaneous
i§37 Total % Of V.hole
1956 Total % Of Whole
• 391 39 102 ' 12
64.3 6.4 16.8 2.
371 38 92 2
67.82 6,96 16.81 .37
46 11 7
7.6 1.8 1.1
39 — 5
7.13 - — .91
547
100.00
608
(12)
100.0
The Motion Picture Advertising Code, voluntarily adopted by the members of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America on June 6, 193Q, is administered by the Advertising Advisory Council, a department of the Association.
The provisions of the Code shall apply to press books, newspaper advertising, trailers, outdoor display, novelty distribution, and all other forms of motion picture exploitation. We urge all motion picture theatre advertisers, whether affiliated with the undersigned* or riot, to adhere to these principles: 1. We subscribe to the Code of Business Ethics of the International Advertising Association, based on |; truth, honesty arid integrity." ÂŁ. Good taste shall be the guiding rule of motion picture advertising. 3. Illustrations and text in advertising shall faithfully represent the pictures themselves. 4. No false or misleading statements shall be used directly, or implied by type arrangements or by distorted quotations. 5. Wo text or illustration shall ridicule or tend to ridicule any religion or religious faith; no illustration of a character in clerical garb shall be shown in any but a respectful manner. 6. The history, institutions and nationals of all countries shall be represented with fairness. 7. Profanity and vulgarity shall be avoided. 8. Pictorial and copy treatment of officers of the law shall riot be of such a nature as to undermine their authority. 9. Specific details of crime, inciting imitation shall not be used. 10. Motion picture advertisers shall bear in mind the provision of the Production Code that the use of liquor in American life shall be restricted to the necessities of characterization and plot. -"-Members MPPDA. (15)
11. Nudity with meretricious purpose, and salacious postures, shall not be used. IS. Court actions relating to censoring of pictures, or other censorship disputes, are not to be capitalized in advertising.
SUMMARY OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED TO THE ADVERTISING ADVISORY COUNCIL Material Submitted
1927
1956
Stills Publicity Stories Advertisements Exploitation Ideas Misc. Accessories Posters Trailers Reviewed
129,456 15,547 10,240 8,565 6,591 1,647 905
108,718 15,325 16,196 8,007 6,128 1,576 875
NUMBER OF HOLLYWOOD GQRR^SI-Q^DENTS Newspapers Fan magazines
180 27
Free lance (magazines)
45
Foreign newspapers and magazines
63
Radio news gatherers
.._...J58 Total . . . . . 353
NEWSREEL COMPANIES Fox Movietone News 460 West 54th Street New York, N. Y.
Paramount News [>44 West 43rd Street New York, N. Y.
News of the Day 446 West 56th Street New York, H. Y.
Pathe News 35 West 45th Street New York, N. Y.
Universal Newsreel 50 Rockefeller Plaza New York, N. Y,
(14)
THEATRE STATISTICS
Estimated. Average Weekly Attendance At U.S. Theatres 1222 1925 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
40,000,000 43,000,000 46,000,000 48,000,000 50,000,000 57,000,000 65,000,000 95,000,000
1930 - 110,000,000 1931 - 75,000,000 1932 - 60,000,000 1933 1934 1935 1936
-
1937 -
60,000,000
70,000,000 75,000,000 80,000,000 35,000,000
Motion Picture Theatres In The U.S. As of Jan.l 1938 1937 1956 1935 1934 1933 1932
Tot;al Thea tres Seats
In Operation Theatres Seat s
17 > 541 10,924, 484 13 > 618 11,470,899 18 > 503 11,508, 041 18 }265 11,152,595 18 )571 11,028,950 19 y 311 — 20 y 100 —
16,,251 16 >,258 15,,378 14,,552 13.,736 13;,416 14j,750
9,855,
525
10 ,440'. 652 10 ,098,920 __7,537 9,71 -__
Closed. Theatres Seat; 1,290 2,560 3,130 3,711 4,635 5,895 5,350
1,069,159 1,030,267 1,209,121 1,413,058
623 seats
Average seating capacity, all theatres Number of towns with theatres equipped for operation
9,187
Theatres In U.S. By Location
Population of Town Over 500,000 500,000 to 200,000 200,000 to 100,000 100,000 to 50,000 50,000 to 20.000 20,000 to 10^000 10,000 to 5,000 5,000 to 2,500 2,500 to 1,000 1,000 and less
Towns Mth Theatres 13 28 52 94 276 494
845 1,351
2,374 3,160
No. of Theatres
No. of Seats
2,251 1,104 783 801 1,202 1,341 1,626 1,959 3,221 3,253
2,426,986 1,010,079
(15)
754,869
760,579 1,053,807 992,570 1,006,388 981,516 1,113,357 844,533
Cumulative Total 3,437,065 4,191,734 4,952,313 6,.006,120 6',998,690 8,005,078 8,966,594
10,079,951 10,924,484
Theatres In U.S. By Si?,e No. of
Seating Capacity
Cumulative
Theatres
Total ,
117
Over 3,000 2,000 to 5,000 1,500 to 2,000 1,000 to 1,500 500 to 1,000 200 to 500 200 and less
374 689 1,646 5,500 7,303 1,912
491 1,180 2,826 8,326 15,629 17,541
Motion Picture Tlieatr.esT Usually Showing First Run Pictures In The 400 Largest Cities (over 16.000 population)~ Theatres
By
All first run theatres under independent operation
90
262
All first run theatres under circuit • operation
146
415
First run theatres under both- circuit and independent operation
164
685
400
1,360
Total
By Theatres
Seats
First run independent theatres
522
641,553
First run circuit theatres
838
1,376,915
1,360
2,018,448
Total
Maximum number of first run bookings possible in these cities on any one picture
Total urban population
400
50,000,000
(16)
Distributing Centers In The United States . . . . . . 38
Albany Atlanta Boston Buffalo
Des Moines Detroit Indianapolis Kansas City
Oklahoma City Omaha Philadelphia Pittsburgh
Butte
Los Angeles
Portland
Charlotte
Memphis
St. Loiiis
Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas
Milwaukee Minneapolis New Haven Nev- Orleans
Salt Lake City San Francisco Seattle Washington
Denver
New York
'
Weekly Payroll Employees
$530,000 12,500
COl^ERV^TIOM RECORD In the 12-year period from 1GS6 to 1937, inclusive, only 11 fires occurred in the film exchanges o^.ned and operated by the distributing companies which are members of this Association, with an aggregate loss of only $4,447.50.
It is estimated that 27,000
miles of motion picture film are handled daily.
TITLES ---Titles on Release Index
56,187
Titles registered 1937
3,570
#Total number of titles of released pictures since beginning of industry.
(17)
FOREIGN PRODUCTION
Approximate vVorld Production For 1957 Of Feature Length Pictures Exclusive Of U.S. Far and Wear East •*
Japan India
500 550 52
China
Philippines Egypt
Australia
52 19 6
Total
9
Europe: England Germany
France Russia Czech. I taly Hungary
Sweden Poland Finland Denmark Austria Belgium Portugal Norv/ay
bwitzerland Ketherlands Turkey Latvia
Rumania
225 125 123 60 47 57 35 25 20 14 13 10 6 6 4 3 3 2 1 1 ? 760
Total
Latin America: Mexico
52
Argentinia Brazil Peru Uruguay
30
Cuba
4 2 1 1
Total Feature pictures produced abroad in 1937 (18)
90 ]_ 399
FOrUilGM FEATURE FILMS IMPORTED INTO U.b.A.
1957
1956
Argentina Australia
1
1
Austria China
6 -
1 1
Czechoslovakia
1
2
Denmark
2
England
37
40
France Germany Hungary Ireland
12 69 17 1
17 74 13
Italy
16
24
Japan Mexico Palestine Poland
1 12
Russia
16
Spain Sweden
17 8 216
(19)
235
In 1957 the following motion picture markets had quota or contingent lav.'S as follows: ^Australia (States of New South Wales and. Victoria only) ^Austria "-Barbados -"-Brazil -"-Czechoslovakia #England (United Kingdom) -^-"-Estonia -"-"-France -"--^Germany -x-x-Greece ^Hungary ***italy -"-"-Japan -"Korea -"Lithuania '-''-New Zealand -x-r<~x-poland ^Portugal *#Russia -"-"-Spain (Franco territory) -"-Trinidad *Union of South Africa (Southern Rhodesia only) -"-Yugoslavia
^Exhibitors and/or distributors required to handle locally produced pictures. -"-"-Total importations limited. -3HB*-Both classes of restrictions.
(20)
WINNERS OF THE ANNUAL AWARDS ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AMD_SCIENCES
1957
Best Production - "The Life of Emile Zola", (Warner Brothers;. Best Performance, Actress - Luise Rainer in '"'The Good Earth", (M-G-M). Best Performance, Actor - Spencer Tracy in "Captains Courageous", (M-G-M). Best Supporting Actress - Alice Brady in "in Old Chicago", (Twentieth Century-Fox). Best Supporting Actor - Joseph Schildkrai;.t in "The Life of Emile Zola", (Warner Brothers). Best Direction - Leo McCarey for "The Awful Truth",, (Columbia). Best Assistant Director - Robert Webb, "In Old Chicago", (Twentieth Century-Fox). Best Original Story - William A. Wellman and Robert Carson for"A Star Is Born", (Selznick-International), Best Screenplay - Norman Riley Raine, Heinz Herald and Geza Herczeg for ''The Life of Emile Zola", (Warner Brothers). Best Cinematography - Karl Freund, "The Good Earth", (M-G-M).x Best Art Director - Stephen Gooson, "Lost Horizon",, (Columbia).. Best Sound Recording - Thomas Moulton, "The Hurricane", _(Eamuel Goldwyn). Best Musical Composition - ""Sweet Leilani", Harry Owens, in
"Waikiki Wedding", (Paramount), Best Dance Direction - Hermes Pan. "A Damsel in Distress", (RKO-Radio). Best Film Editing - Gene Havlick and Gene Melford, "Lost Horizon". (Columbia). Best Scoring - "100 Men and a Girl", (Universal) Outstanding Shorts - One-reeler, "The Private Life of the Gannets", (Educational); two-reeler, "Torture Money", (M-G-M); cartoon, "The Old Mill", (Walt Disney); color short, "Penny Wisdom", (Pete Smith - M-G-M). Thalberg Plaque, to Darryl F. Zanuck. Special Awards - Mack Sennett, Edgar Bergen, W. Howard Green., Museum of Modern Art Film Library.
(21)
1956
Best Production - "The Great Ziegfeld", (M-G-M). Best Performance, Actress - Luise Rainer in "The Great Ziegfeld", (M-G-M). Best Performance, Actor - Paul Muni in "The Story of Louis Pasteur", (Warner Brothers), Best Supporting Actress - Gail Sendergaard in "Anthony Adverse", (Warner Brothers). Best Supporting Actor - Walter Brennan in "Come and Get It", (Goldwyn). Best Direction - Frank Capra for "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", (Columbia).
1925
Best Production - "Mutiny on the Bounty", (M-G-M). Best Performance, Actress - Bette Davis in "Dangerous", (Warner Brothers).
Best Performance, Actor - Victor McLaglen in "The Informer", (RKO) Best Direction - John Ford for "The Informer", (RKO).
1954 Best Production - "It Happened One Night", (Columbia).
Best Performance, Actress - Claudette Colbert for "It Happened One Night", (Columbia). Best Performance, Actor - Clark Gable for "It Happened One Night", (Columbia). Best Direction - Frank Capra for "It Happened One Night",(Columbia).
1955 Best Production - "Cavalcade", (Fox). Best Performance, Actress - Katharine Hepburn for "Morning Glory", (RKO). Best Performance, Actor - Charles Laughton for "Henry VIII", (United Artists). Best Direction - Frank Lloyd for "Cavalcade", (Fox).
(28)