Show t Shortages of bf Mater Materials als Cause Studios Worries HOLLYWOOD Wide World World Shortages in materials due to war influences daily are putting a deepening crimp in motion picture production activities which h studios s say frankly may lead to serious proportions proportions- 4 Many of them were sighted far-sighted enough months ago agoto to lay in large supplies of essential making film-making necessities but in the face of possible possible pos pos- sible prolonged war some feel it itis itis itis is only a a. matter pf f time tim until a a. areal areal real pinch is felt All studios say they look confidently confidently dently to continued operation throughout the conflict but readily readily read read- ily lly admit that material substitutes substitutes already are being used to a a. considerable extent Curiously studio purchasing agents say its it's not a a. shortage of raw film of which studios use millions of linear feet a a. year or ora ora B. B a fear that the quality of the finIshed finished fin fin- film may be cheapened that thatis is causing them their current wor wor- ries Its It's the fact that the thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of little but vital accessories accessories orles are harder to get Nail Shortage Serious For instance one of the most essential shortages which the industry industry in in- now faces is nails says L H. H Buell Paramount's veteran purchasing agent In the construction construction con con- of sets now limited to each motion picture makers makers mak mak- ers use millions of nails which now flow to a large extent are going into the making of aircraft ships and other vital war productions which is where they should be de de- de livered One studio has developed at ata ata a ft cost of thousands of dollars a nail and sorter Others employ work crews to do nothing but reclaim used nails that go into the making of sets Manila rope of which studios use hundreds of tons each year is almost impossible to obtain says Buell Underwater pictures likely will be on the wane because I rubber-covered rubber cable another es essential esI es es- I accessory also Is getting scarce While wooden braces are being used as substitutes for steel cable Many changes are being ordered in construction of sets which form the background of picture-making picture but the publics public's eye probably wont won't be able to detect detect de de- de them For instance wooden poles cloth and plywood are being being be be- ing painted to look like metal I but even paint supplies are dwin dwin- dUng And brushes says Buell have gone up per cent in the thelast thelast thelast last three years Other Commodity Shortages Among other scarce essential commodities is industrial alcohol used in preparing certain paints and shellac of which studios annually annually an an- use thousands of gallons Dry batteries are another Few people would imagine that the steel shortage as reflected in use of razor blades would v vitally vitally vital vital- tal ly affect the picture business More than blades however are used by the studios each year in their film cutting rooms The pinch also is being felt feltin feltin feltin in the dwindling supplies of cotton cotton cot cot- ton cloth of which millions of square yards are used for painted back drop scenery adds Buell There is plenty of cotton to this cloth but looms are all busy on government tex tex- tiles Seventy five per cent of the Imports of burlap are being used by the government and we are re giving up hope of ever having any of it as long as the war continues con con- Other scarce materials include cloth for costumes perfumes and certain kinds of up make fire hose valves nozzles and made of brass bar and wire solder steel wool screening and poultry netting and galvanized wire In fact even the shortage of paper has become so great studios have ordered all script writers and stenographers to pack more words onto each sheet of sta sta- sta- sta |