AMERICAN FILM: TELEVISION, FOREIGN MARKETS & RATINGS

1. AMERICAN FILM: TELEVISION, FOREIGN MARKETS & RATINGS

2. TELEVISION • 1946 saw record profits for Hollywood • TV took off in 1947-48; box office receipts fell during the late 1940s-50s • The population moved to the suburbs, abandoning the cities • Mass transit was used less as more people bought cars • Veterans married, had children, & therefore less free time • They bought homes & consumer goods, had less money • THE GROWTH OF TV • In 1947, there were only about 14,000 sets in the US • By 1953, there were over 32,000,000 • By 1959, about 90% of all homes had sets (today, 98%)

3. H’WOOD ATTEMPTS TO ENTER TV INDUSTRY • NETWORK OPERATION & STATION OWNERSHIP • The studios seemed appropriate network operators • Had the facilities to produce programming for TV • They had huge libraries of films • Key was ownership & operation of TV stations (O&O’s) • Studios were prevented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from obtaining TV stations • The FCC cited 2 reasons • The studios would be involved in exhibition • Past antitrust violations prevented them from operating stations in “the public interest” • FCC therefore protected TV industry from outside competition • Ensured that radio networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) also controlled TV • Restricted application of antitrust rule to companies outside of broadcasting • Drove DuMont TV Network, associated with Paramount Pictures, out of TV industry

4. ALTERNATIVES TO BROADCAST TV • THEATER TV • Some studios tried large-screen TV in theaters • Required interconnected theaters • This required the use of radio waves • The FCC did not approve it • PAY-TV • Paramount tried pay-TV • Did not use airwaves; used wire connections • However, Congress interfered with these plans • Many Congressmen owned TV stations • TV Networks created “grassroots” groups to pressure Congress • Congress gave authority to the FCC • The FCC did not allow pay-TV

5. COOPERATION WITH TV INDUSTRY • TV PRODUCTION • Initially, studios refused to allow their studio space & personnel to be used for TV production • However, networks wanted 35mm material • 1954, ABC-TV made a deal with Warner Bros. by which studio made hour-long, 35mm Westerns for the network • By 1960, 40% of Warner’s production for TV • Today, Hollywood center of TV production, & all studios rely on TV for a significant portion of their profits

6. FEATURE FILMS ON TV • Initially, studios resisted renting their films to TV • Didn’t want their films to cut into theater attendance • This ended in 1955 when RKO sold its films to TV • They no longer owned theaters • By this time, TV could afford movies • Increasing TV revenues compensated for shrinking theater revenues • Today, ½ of films released need TV to provide a margin of profit

7. LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF PARAMOUNT CASE & TV • “B” PICTURE disappeared; had been used to train personnel • TRAINING ON TV; new talent began on TV instead of in B movies • DECREASE IN FILMS: 50-60 per studio in 1941, 10-12 in 1950s (80%) • CONTRACT SYSTEM died; talent now hired for each film individually • CONGLOMERATION; all majors shrank drastically, & most absorbed by huge conglomerates

8. FOREIGN MARKETS • Domestic market shrinking in 1950s & 1960s • Fewer people were going to movies • There were fewer theaters to rent movies • Foreign markets had always been important to Hollywood • Even in silent era, Hollywood exported films to other nations • With sound, made versions of films in other languages • Established dubbing studios to dub films in other languages

9. In 1950s, foreign markets became more attractive • Most of countries had no TV to compete with movies • Many still had film industries that were destroyed by WW2 • Hollywood could sell the films cheaply in foreign markets • Where Hollywood was prohibited from removing profits, they started businesses or bought goods to export • At the same time, appropriated best of foreign film industries • Hollywood bought the best talent & brought it to the US • They “co-opted” ideas from European Art films

10. SELF-REGULATION & RATINGS • Late 1950s & early 1960s, Production Code weakened; replaced by RATINGS SYSTEM in 1968 • THE END OF THE CODE • 1952, The Miracle banned in New York • Supreme Court decided (in 1915) that “motion pictures are a business, pure & simple”, w/o freedom of expression • In response to Miracle case, decided that movies enjoy the same freedom of expression as other media • Theaters could still decide not to show movies that were not approved by the PCA, & not much desire to make such movies

11. By 1966, studio control over movie content minimal, as they no longer made movies • American society & values were rapidly changing • Resulted in more adult content & fewer self-restraints • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf • The first film that tested the Code • But film’s distributor, Warner Bros, backed down • Blow-Up • The British film, Blow-Up, was to be distributed by MGM • Rejected by PCA for a nude scene, so MGM released it through a subsidiary company • 1968, Supreme Court upheld constitutional power of states & cities to prevent exposure of children to books & films that could not be denied to adults

12. THE RATINGS SYSTEM • 1968, MPAA announced the ratings system: • G - General Audiences, all ages admitted • M - Mature Audiences, parental guidance suggested • R - Restricted, children under 16 would not be admitted without an accompanying parent or adult guardian • X - No one under 17 admitted • Trademarked all category symbols except X • Anyone not submitting a film for rating could apply X or any other symbol, except those trademarked • Philosophy was that no one would dictate to filmmakers what kind of films they could or could not make

13. CHANGES IN RATING SYSTEM • M became GP (General audiences, Parental Guidance Suggested), then PG: Parental Guidance Suggested • 1984, PG split into PG & PG‑13 • 1990, X changed to NC‑17: NO CHILDREN UNDER 17 ADMITTED • X had come to symbolize hard-core porn • Used by distributors to advertise their films • MPAA trademarked “NC‑17: NO CHILDREN UNDER 17 ADMITTED”

14. G: “General Audiences‑All ages admitted” • Nothing in theme, language, nudity & sex, violence that would be offensive to parents of younger children • Not a “certificate of approval,” doesn’t signify a children’s film • PG: “Parental Guidance Suggested; some material may not be suitable for children” • Should be examined by parents; parent must make decision • Theme may call for parental guidance; may be some profanity; some violence or brief nudity; no drug use • PG‑13: “Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13” • Sterner warning to parents to determine for themselves the attendance in particular of their younger children • Goes beyond boundaries of PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, or other content

15. R: “Restricted, under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian” (age varies) • The film definitely contains some adult material • May include hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse • NC‑17: “No children under 17 admitted” (age varies) • Most parents will consider it too adult for youngsters under 17; no children will be admitted • Does not necessarily mean “obscene or pornographic” • Reasons for application of an NC‑17 rating can be violence or sex or aberrational behavior or drug abuse

16. Advertising & Trailer Policy • Film advertising is included in self regulation • All advertising for rated films must be submitted to the Advertising Administration • Includes print ads, radio & TV spots, press books, videocassette packaging & theatrical & home video trailers