345 ned. I think the Endowment's qualification that a theater be in stence for 2 years before it receives Government funds is a sensible e because by that time the theater will have demonstrated that it ongs in that community and that the people want it. Representative MILLER. Thank you. I guess my question then would be: Is there a greater priority for se theaters, let us say, that are qualified by being in existence for ears, for maybe the next 3 years of funding to get on their way in there is to put operating money, if you will, in already existing aters? Ir. BRUSTEIN. I am afraid I don't understand your question. Representative MILLER. A theater may come in existence in Oklana City for a 2-year period and it may vanish without help; ereas a theater that has been in existence for a longer period of e may be able to sustain itself. am just looking in terms of where we best utilize moneys. Is it a better utilization to give that infant theater a greater priority expenditure of these moneys or to continue to provide operating penses or projects for theaters that are better and longer established? -Ir. BRUSTEIN. I would answer that question by ducking it in a way, saying that the money should go to the best theaters in operation. good theater may only have been in operation for 2 years or 30 years the priority should go from the best down to the least qualified. at is a subjective judgment that I think is arrived at by a good el of critics and artistic directors. Representative MILLER. Thank you. Representative BRADEMAS. Mr. Hall. Representative HALL. I am wondering about your statement at the of your testimony. Are you saying that the aid has been mediocre or the arts have been liocre? Ir. BRUSTEIN. That is a rhetorical phrase which often stubs my se. am saying there is a tendency in a democracy like the United tes to push down to the lowest common denominator. We see this, of rse, in television. There is an expectation that the largest number people will always like the least impressive, the least effective, the t ambitious kinds of works. What I am suggesting in my statement is that the theaters were ng to raise the level of taste and that deserves support from people people's representatives. epresentative HALL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. have no further questions. epresentative BRADEMAS. Mr. Cornell. epresentative CORNELL. No questions. epresentative BRADEMAS. Mr. Meeds. epresentative MEEDS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. am a little disturbed, probably I just misunderstood your statet, that the funding should go to the best theaters. certainly agree that theater should be an instrument to raise the rations and education of the people, but there is a lot of relativity in that phrase, also. 346 aspiration is very low, theater can help in some of the vhere it is not the best. how are we going to aid the theater in smaller areas? your statement at face value, it seems to me that the irvive in New York-well, I don't know that I can say -in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washd some other places, and what would happen in Bozer instance, with the theater? . I think Montana has every possibility and opporan absolutely first-rate theater. In fact, we are traine drama school and encouraging them to start theaters ve not had the experience of theater. let me refer you to my statement in which I point aven, which only has 150,000 in population, is supportesident theaters with a combined subscription of 18,000. er 10 percent of the population of New Haven that are eater. Of course, they come from around the areas, as uggesting is that if a theater-going habit is inculcated a community, and this is just a question of years that n, even if a community has had no experience, then appen and it can happen anywhere. ve MEEDS. What can we do in this legislation to encourof the theater as you are talking about here, encouragO out into areas where they have not had theater, except es where a traveling group came through, to have estabresident theaters, in more and smaller areas? Is there n do in this legislation, any particular portion of the encourage by this legislation to do that because this is cern that I, as an individual member of this committee, . I share your concern but I also worry about apportiongeographically. take that route that you are going to affect the quality You are going to affect the quality of the theater. ter route is for you to have sufficient faith in people the people and to encourage the people who will go out theaters in your State if the State is without a theater, e the money should be apportioned on the basis of the cation for money but not in anticipation of it because e a child without real parents, of course, will create er, and we have to watch out for that. e MEEDS. Thank you. Ir. Chairman. ve BRADEMAS. Thank you very much, Dean Brustein. a most helpful statement. e your having taken the time to be with us. .Thank you. pleasure to be here. e BRADEMAS. We shall next hear from a panel on the Institute. sed to have Mr. George Stevens, Jr., director of the Institute, accompanied by Charlton Heston, chaird of trustees of the AFI; Eleanor Perry, film writer producer and member o Frank Capra, screen dir We are pleased to ha We are very pleased Mr. Stevens, how wou Representative MILLI I am going to have delightful evening last ing exhibit of classic fil The reason I stayed after watching the op Orson Welles, I was n that film was made befo [Laughter.] Representative MILI when I saw him get o I appreciate the eff sponsoring this travel I have to go to anot cern with Exxon on t Los Angeles, so, if yo Representative MEE tive there as he was Representative BRA said, Mr. Heston, I with Governor Reaga when Knute Rockne, when I was a little boy We are very glad t Would you like to Mr. STEVENS. Sinc agreed he will lead off STATEMENT OF ( Mr. HESTON. My ad I am Charlton Il I serve the AFI.: up our board of tr to the mandate of tl organization create poses. A decade ago, wl Federal funds for our time and our c vided by the other and practical. As ir 347 lucer and member of the board of trustees of the AFI; and Mr. nk Capra, screen director, producer, and writer. Te are pleased to have you come forward at this time. e are very pleased to have you gentlemen and Miss Perry today. r. Stevens, how would you like to proceed? epresentative MILLER. I want to apologize. am going to have to leave, but I want to thank the panel for a ghtful evening last night, the presentation of what will be a travelexhibit of classic films around the country. he reason I stayed this long, I am due in another hearing, but r watching the opening segment of "A Touch of Evil," seeing on Welles, I was not sure Mr. Heston was going to be here since film was made before I was old enough to go to the theater, myself. Laughter.] epresentative MILLER. I was deeply concerned for your welfare n I saw him get out of that automobile. appreciate the effort that Exxon Corp. has made in behalf of soring this traveling show. have to go to another committee now where I have another conwith Exxon on the drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf in Angeles, so, if you will, excuse me. epresentative MEEDS. Mr. Chairman, let us hope he is as destructhere as he was here. , epresentative BRADEMAS. I must say, just recalling what Mr. Miller Mr. Heston, I remember being in California some years ago Governor Reagan and reminding him that I had last met him n Knute Rockne, All American was premiered in my hometown n I was a little boy. e are very glad to have you with us, Mr. Stevens. ould you like to present your panel? r. STEVENS. Since Mr. Heston flew overnight to be with us, we ed he will lead off. TATEMENT OF CHARLTON HESTON, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF T. HESTON. My advanced years make it necessary to speak while my am used to hearing comments like Congressman Miller's from ol children but not from a Congressman. am Charlton Heston. appear here today as chairman of the American Film Institute, that's not the way I make my living. serve the AFI, along with the 35 other men and women who make our board of trustees, as a private citizen. We serve in response e mandate of the U.S. Government. The AFI is the only national nization created by the Endowment, to serve its legislated pur decade ago, when the Congress first passed legislation providing oral funds for the support of the arts, the importance of film in time and our country was clearly recognized. The example prod by the other film-making nations of the world seemed both wise. practical. As in England, Sweden, and France, the NEA was in 348 eate a national film institute that would respond to the as an art form-the American art form. i was a wise decision. complex and varied nature of film, and its burgeoning 1 more and more aspects of our lives, only a national like the AFI could even begin to answer the varying fering perceptions of the various communities of film ilm scholars, amateur and professional, buried in the or flourishing in the groves of academe, that make up merican film. is not only wise but crucial that the AFI has always rnmental, a private institute. It is all very well to argue e of film on the national agenda, but if the AFI serves also serves the film community, and they must support d to say they have. ears of the AFI's existence, we have raised some $11 private sources-approximately half of our budget. It at we can, and most certainly should, raise even more. Up contributions have come largely from film professionals: ations and individuals who make and study film. and more, we are getting contributions from private citihe country who simply like it; men and women who find at in their lives and think the AFI is a useful outfit. I re right. ears of the AFI's existence, we have done a good deal, I we should do more, and could do better. I know there o say we bit off more than we could chew. I disagree. It is have a large agenda, and each of the many constituencies s country perceives its needs as both pressing and unique. is also unique, I think, in its capacity to respond to these ls. board of remarkably high quality, one I would match comparable group in the country. They are, each of them, onals of the finest caliber, drawn from every discipline television. Professors of film from the Nation's great network and studio heads, underground film makers and mers, directors, and technicians; they cover the whole, trum of film in our time. tempt to deal with the AFI's programs in detail. Many of our goals and the paths we are taking to fulfill them; ses at these proceedings will brief you on some of our ms. I would like to speak briefly of our prime activities nia, the Center for Advanced Film Study which we estab3 years ago has advanced measurably each year toward conservatory of film. In addition to a dedicated and able in a most impressive building we rent for $1 a year, we er unique asset: Ongoing access to the largest pool of film makers in the world to serve as consultants. For the se artists provide, we don't pay a dollar a year. We pay e center, we also administer a program providing internn students on actual shooting companies, funded by the Academy of Motion Pi Naturally, we are de The AFI's archival I have touched br panel. STATEMENT OF G Mr. STEVENS. Th I would like to marize the latter today. I am privileged enterprise of insti 66-053-76- 2 349 ademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and a workshop prom with the Screen Actors Guild, allowing film students to work h professional film actors. As far as I know, this is utterly unique. other group, certainly no other film institute in the world, offers Scapacity to its students. I should digress for a moment here to add that I have been asked to Horse my testimony with the support of the Screen Actors Guild on ose board I no longer serve although I was president for a long time, their board instructed the executive secretary to ask me to bring -ir endorsement of the AFI, their delight at the workshop program eferred to, and the unique opportunity that provides the 32,000 men 1 women who make up the labor union that is the Screen Actors ild. Naturally, we are delighted with what was an experimental relationp and delighted that the Screen Actors Guild is delighted. As an actor, former president of the SAG, I am very pleased. In Washington, in addition to our public programs at the Kennedy nter, housed in a theater, incidentally, built not with public moneys with one single private donation to the AFI, are also centered our blications program, and our archival project. The AFI's archival program is perhaps, in the long run, the most uable thing we do. Very simply, in 8 years it has saved more than 00 American films. Prints of these films, in their original form, v rest in the archives of the Library of Congress. They include the rk of every American film maker of note, as well as some whose ture as yet has not been adequately measured. In sum, this collection represents literally one of the most important tural assets in the United States. I have touched briefly on the achievements of the AFI, as well as goals. I have not told you of our needs. Frankly, I don't plan to, any detail. You gentlemen are aware of some of them. Happily, we have friends in the Congress. It's hard to imagine a nator or a Congressman, or indeed a citizen whose lives are not ched in some way by film. I would hope to such an audience I do need to argue the importance of the American Film Institute. e were created by the Government. I think you see well enough our nction, and our future. I leave it to you to determine how best to ovide us the means to fulfill both. Thank you. Representative BRADEMAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Heston. What we might do, Mr. Stevens, is let each of you who has a statent go ahead and make it and then we will put questions to you as a nel. ATEMENT OF GEORGE STEVENS, JR., DIRECTOR, THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE Mr. STEVENS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to read the first part of my statement and then sumrize the latter part because I know we have a problem of time av. I am privileged to come before you today to report on our shared erprise of institution building the American Film Institute. 66-053-76-24 |