Roll Out the Barrel

"Naturally, Mr. Rank . . ." reasoned the Hollywood Reporter, "we are a bit nervous about our big British market. We . . . must have it. ... Any loss of the British income may seriously affect our continued progress."

The Reporter was not telling British Cinemagnate Joseph Arthur Rank anything he did not know. As the Empire's No. i motion picture producer, distributor and exhibitor (TIME, June 11), he holds the key to U.S. movie profits in the foreign market. (Normally few U.S. pictures begin to make more than expenses until they are shown abroad.)

Last week, the man with the key paid his first visit to Hollywood. To woo him, the gilded city turned out as it never had -- clear down to its $500-a-week writers.

At a Monday luncheon at plush Perino's, the Association of Motion Picture Producers sent in the first team--M.G.M.'s Louis B. Mayer, Goldwyn's Sam Goldwyn, Paramount's Henry Ginsberg, RKO's Charles Koerner, Universal's Nate Blumberg, Columbia's Irving Briskin, Fox's Lew Schrieber and Joe Schenck, everybody's Will Hays. Rank talked easily, but not about his plans. He liked the fried chicken.

After lunch, the distinguished visitor went on to meet 500 of the most important people in Hollywood at a cocktail party given by Producer Walter Wanger. Rank had five orange juices. Columnist Hedda Hopper remarked that she thought Mr. Rank was going to administer a much-needed "goose" to the industry.

Next day, the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, spearheaded by militantly independent David 0. Selznick. took Yorkshireman Rank back to Perino's for more chicken. Nothing came of it. That night Sam Goldwyn entertained at a dinner featuring Myrna Loy, Gary Grant and Joan Bennett. They found Mr. Rank charming.

Wednesday, Rank journeyed out to M.G.M. to have chicken sour with M.G.M.'s Mayer. (Even when M.G.M. production has been off, Mayer's chicken sour has maintained a uniformly high quality.) Gently, Mayer probed at the reason for Rank's visit. Gently, Rank turned the talk back to horse racing.

After lunch, the party watched technicians blow up a miniature Jap cruiser, went on to dinner at the beach house of International's Bill Goetz.

By Friday, Hollywood was beginning to tire. But not, Mr. Rank. At week's end, as the suspense became more than Hollywood could bear, someone boldly asked Rank if he were accomplishing anything. "Accomplishing anything?" 'he chuckled. "How can you accomplish anything in fairyland?"

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