Spanish Cinema During The Dictatorship

Spanish Cinema During The Dictatorship Spanish cinema was highly affected by the effects of the civil war; private investment in the production of commercial films fell drastically. The country was divided in two areas which were facing the effects of having military forces. This situation was reflected specially in the movie industry because at the time no-one wanted to invest in any new projects. Nevertheless, movie theatres in the whole country were doing extremely well all through the war; they were screening local productions as for example, Florià ¡n Reys clichà ©d Morena Clara (1936) and also, they were importing popular American productions. The Republican, who had the control over the principal centres of urban movie-making, gave authorization for the production of more than 200 films during the conflict. However, at the beginning of 1938 it started to be perceived that the Republican government was going to be defeated and therefore several members of the film industry started to organize their departure; most of them were Republican supporters. The directors Luis Alcoriza, Luis Buà ±uel, Carlos Velo, etc; also many actors as for example, Josà © Luis Baviera, Margarita Xirgu, Ana Marà ­a Custodio, Alberto Closes, Rosita Dà ­az Gimeno, Carmen Amaya; accompanied by a huge group of technicians such as the editor Josà © Caà ±izares, the camera operator Josà © Marà ­a Beltrà ¡n and the majority of the team members who were in charge of Andrà © Malrauxs Lespoir: Sierra de Teruel, migrated from Spain to countries such as: France, Argentina and Mexico. These were countries in which Spanish speakers had the opportunity to continue their work in the film industry. The director Buà ±uel was the perfect example of someone that was able to adapt to a life forced out of Spain. After he was exiled in 1946 he decided to go to Mexico and in 1949 became a Mexican citizen. However a large list of film makers who had started their careers under the Republicans and were sympathizers of the democratic government stayed at Francos side for example, Juan de Orduà ±a, Antonio del Amo, Benito Perojo, Florià ¡n Rey, Edgar Neville, Eduardo Garcà ­a Maroto, Rafael Gil, etc. The civil war finally ended on April 1939; afterwards Spain assumed a military dictatorship with General Franco in command. Obviously, the new management of the Spanish cinema industry during the dictatorship had a very negative repercussion on the film industry and could only lead to the best opportunity for those who were in the power to commit several crimes such as fraud, patronage, use of favours etc. It is important to highlight the fact that in 1940 three main official regulations were established and then submitted leading to the Spanish film industry to suffer the side effects of these intransigent regulations for many years. These regulations were: Compulsory dubbing Official state newsreel Film censorship Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: Film Censorship Film censorship had been presented to Spain when the country was still facing the civil war in 1938; then in 1939 during the dictatorship of Franco it was stipulated all through the nation. During this period all film scripts had to endure a pre-censorship, shooting scripts had to be approved and Spanish films were required to have an exhibition licence, changes to image and sound tracks, cuts in completed movies were as well imposed and there was authorization of dubbing and subtitling. Film censorship was characterised for its inefficiency, for not being consistent when making decisions, and also for being arbitrary in its choices. Nevertheless it is difficult to establish if censorship caused the same impact on Spanish cinema as compulsory dubbing. Compulsory dubbing into Spanish and the taxation of all films that were imported from foreign countries were introduced by the industry and commerce ministry in April 1941. These two measures are normally seen as a consequence of Axis satisfactory results during the Second World War. However it seems to have more connection with Francos constant attempts to Hispanicize Spanish culture. At this time over 50% of the public couldnt read or write and most of Spain only spoke Spanish and didnt speak any other language and therefore Spanish film viewers soon got used to watching foreign films in dubbed Spanish. The film industry quickly realised that they could produce more profit from dubbed films than from using subtitles in films; as a result it was easier for censors to manipulate soundtracks and images. Nevertheless, compulsory dubbing drastically affected the country; economically and industrially. It caused a great damage to Spanish film productions; the main reason was that Foreign and Spanish films were in a position of equal accessibility to Spanish audiences and thus distributors and exhibitors abandoned essential elements in the effort to defeat international competition. Furthermore, the importation of international productions for distribution and even for exhibition was determined by the concession of import licences to national film producers. These licenses were given by official organisations to national film makers depending on the ideology of their productions. It was typical that the producers who supported Francos regime who behaved in a moderate and morally acceptable way would obtain three or five import permits. However, there were some films for example; El davo (1944) directed by Rafael Gil and El escà ¡ndalo (1943) directed by Josà © Luis Sà ¡enz de Heredia that won fifteen licences. Then these were sold for a lot of money, normally through the illicit black market, mainly to distributors from America who were based in Spain. The Spanish audience seemed to prefer foreign productions and therefore producers became very rich from selling import permits. This was also true for the distributers and exhibitors who also became very wealthy from screening foreign movies. As a consequence of this, for about ten years, the Spanish film industry was only used as a simply way of making very good profits from selling import licences. Spanish industry started suffering the consequences of a new law: compulsory official newsreels commonly recognised as NODO which was presented in December 1942 and had to be screened in all cinemas in Spain. This was basically political publication; propaganda used by the regime that had as its main purpose to influence Spanish people by the use of inaccurate information. NO-DO which is the acronym for Noticieros y Documentales Cinematograficos was used instead of the Italian and the German newsreels in cinemas in Spain and was compulsory until 1976. Unluckily, the mandatory introduction of NO-DO newsreels in Spain efficiently excluded a large number of younger national film-makers from presenting their work to the public such as, animation, documentaries or shorts and this certainly discouraged others to study in these areas. To lessen the gravity of the disastrous effects of the NO-DO policy, the regime presented a list of new protectionist measures that benefited the Spanish film industry. The following are some of these measures: Revised classification schemes, screen quotas (initially one week of Spanish film for every six of a foreign film). Official loans with which to finance up to 40 per cent of a film budget. Official prize of 400.000 pesetas. National interest awards for deserving films. Until about 1945, the regime of General Franco had its favourite film genres, especially one called cine de cruzada or films inspired by war, which also commemorated the Franco regimes victories in the civil war, disapproved the defeated Republican and celebrated the power of the armed forces, the religious, and colonialist values of the new people who ruled the country by that time. These films included: Escuadrilla (1941), Boda en el infierno (1942) and Los à ºltimos de Filipinas (1945), all directed by Antonio Romà ¡n.  ¡Harka! (1941) directed by Carlos Arà ©valo, El crucero Baleares (1941) directed by Enrique del campo and Juan de Orduà ±as  ¡A mà ­ legià ³n! (1942). There was especially one film called Raza (The Race) (1942) directed by Josà © Luis Sà ¡enz de Heredia which was without doubt one of the more significant films for the genre. Towards the end of 1940 and As the nation came to terms with the dramatic repercussions of the bloody civil war that had just ended, and while the rest of Europe engaged in its own devastating conflict, Franco found the time to write a brief novella entitled Raza. Published under the pseudonym Jaime de Andrade, Raza was structured like a screenplay and clearly intended to be made into a film; a semi autobiographical film, reflecting aspects of Francos real life. In 1945 with the foreseen defeat of the Axis, the descent in influence of Falange (Political organisation) and the ideology adopted by Franco of National Catholicism, the principles of the cine de cruzada was transformed into different nationalist genres. These also contained the period drama, the folkloric comedy, the historical movie, and the religious film. Comedies seemed to be preferred by the box office, the reason being this genre of film was the most popular and therefore the most profitable; especially films directed by Edgar Neville, Rafael Gil and Josà © Luis Sà ¡enz de Heredia who produced many clichà ©d, bullfighting films and folkloric musicals. These types of films were characterised for their poor quality and being cheerful in nature and having low production values. However, these films were produced for easy viewing; also, audience had the opportunity to participate. These were vehicles which were created around the best singers of that time, for example, Juanita Reina, Carmen Sevilla, Lola Florez, Paquita Rico, Currito de la Cruz, and Conchita Piquer as in Florià ¡n Rey La Dolores (1940). Yet in a time in which international isolation and repression for its fascist supporters was very common, the regime encouraged film producers to use the great national symbols of old and resist using anti-Spanish symbols in a serie s of bulky over produced biopics, commemorating distinguished Catholic heroines as in Juan de Orduà ±a Locura de Amor (Love Crazy) (1950) and La Leona de Castilla (The Lioness of Castille) (1951), and Reina Santa (1947) a film about a virtuous Spanish princess who becomes the Queen of Portugal directed by Rafael Gil. Along with these theatrical and historical films, we also see a strong Catholicism and missionary colonialism theme running through the cinema at this time, such as Misià ³n blanca (1946) directed by Juan de Orduà ±a, and then there were the prototypes for the sentimental, religious dramas of the early 1950s with films like Balarrasa (Reckless) (1951), A mans harrowing experience in war which turns him to God for salvation and he becomes a Priest) directed by Josà © Antonio Nieves Conde. It is worth mentioning that the same Falangist director, Josà © Antonio Nieves Conde, directed Surcos (Furrows) (1951), dealing with the fatal repercussions of leaving the old country and implications of migrating to the city. This film seemed to symbolise the realist cinema which was more relative to daily life in Spain and to the Spanish people, issues of lower orders, and presenting social problems that were entirely absent from Spanish cinema screens. Surcos was also the cause of strong disagreements between Falangism and conventional Catholicism because in 1951 Josà © Marà ­a Garcà ­a Escudero who was the General Director of Cinema at the time, denied to give the national interest award to Juan de Orduà ±as Alba de America (Dawn of America) (1951) as he preferred Surcos instead. As a consequence of this, Escudero had to leave his position as General Director of Cinema and Orduà ±as historical epic was awarded instead. This was an indication of the regime position towards f ilm makers who had the courage to defy the regime baring the less appealing, problematic side of social issues in Francos dictatorship. Realism had gradually returned into Spain through the weird example of Italian neo-realism and soviet cinema at the end the 1940s, it had sneaked into university film programmes. These types of films found great acceptance among some disillusioned Falangist film makers in the new, official film school, which was created by the regime and founded in 1947. Originally, the regime permitted the establishment of the Instituto de Investigaciones y experiencias cinematogrà ¡ficas (Institute for Film Research and Experiment) by means of forcing control on professional access to the film industry. In 1962 its name was changed to Escuela Oficial de Cine (Official Film School) and represented its programme on the curriculum for the Italian Centro Sperimentale in Rome. The IIEC was known for its lack of good teaching standards, and poor resources. However, the IIEC acquired 109 students just in the first year of its foundation; many of these pupils played important roles in the film industry movements in the 1950s and events which were organized to manifest cultural and also political opposition to Francos regime. Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: Neo-Realism (1952-1961) Neo-Realist ideology started to be more obvious throughout the film industry in Spain almost immediately, not only in films by the young upcoming directors but also in those by followers of Franco such as Josà © Antonio Nieves Conde, who with his controversial film Surcos, let Spaniards see some of the unpleasant aspects of urban life. Luis Garcà ­a Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem were two disillusioned Falangists who studied at IIEC, they both were very important individuals in the attempt to renew Spanish cinema. These two men worked together with their own production company called UNINCI and in 1951 made Esa Pareja Feliz (That Happy Couple) (1953). The story was based on dreams of the working class about the improvement of the economy with parodies of CIFESAs (Compaà ±Ãƒ ­a Industrial Film Espaà ±ol S.A.) epic cinema and also the escapism of romantic comedies from Hollywood. Berlanga and Bardem proceeded with the same satirical style in the respected Spanish parody Bienvenido Mister Marshall (Welcome Mr. Marshall!) (1953).This production had a very critical edge and for that reason it obtained a very positive international recognition. Nevertheless, it was publicly and officially disapproved in Spain. Although the critics of his movies were softened by the parody and comic tone, Berlanga frequently had cens orship and poor distribution issues. Juan Antonio Bardem was part of the illegal Communist Party and also one of the organizers of the Salamanca Film Conference in 1955. His career in the film industry in the 50s and 60s was interrupted with periods of imprisonment due to his political actions against the regime. Among his works were Cà ³micos (Actors) (1953) and Muerte de un ciclista (Death of a Cyclist) (1955) in which Bardem emphasises in a critical perception of the bourgeoisie in Spain and showed some short images of people living in extreme poverty in Spain, this film gave Bardem substantial international recognition (Winner of the 1955 FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival). The introduction of new ideas from international lands caused great fervour and strong feelings of change among filmmakers and the general public alike. Public discussions were due for the first time in Spains old University City Salamanca lead by Basilio Martà ­n Patino and sponsored by the Universities film club, the first National cinematographic conversations called the attention of professionals in the Spanish film industry, scholars, critics and writers who were there to represent a vast range of ideologies, these conversations took place between 14th and 19th of May in 1955. There was an opened document declaring the meeting which was signed by directors such as Bardem, Patino, Muà ±oz Suay, etc; these recognised personalities of the film industry along with many others discussing a number of topics, for example the censorship criteria, film distribution, and protection quotas. They also mentioned that it was crucial to include a member of the film industry in the censorship team and wanted that point to be considered. The discussions in Salamanca caused a minimum reaction for which many of their supporters thought the talks had been a failure. The fascist government opposition said the talks were an opportunity given to the regime by a bourgeois organization to sharpen its manipulation by the use of censorship criteria. Conservatives said the talks were proof that communist were infiltrating; some other people said that the discussions were clear evidence that the film industry in Spain was in its infancy, but for others of its history and maturity. Nevertheless it is important to say that the talks had helped the awareness of Spanish cinema on a national level and due to some insecurity in the government eleven months after the Salamancan talks the general director of film and theatre was substituted by Josà © Muà ±oz Fontà ¡n (Whose career would later be destroyed by Buà ±uels controversial Viridiana (1961)). The most obvious evidence of official reactions was that the film industry was in c omplete silence following the talks and the Franco Government quietly turned its back. Although censorship had caused an artistic void in Spain, the new emerging and inspiring ideas being introduced into Spain had created new blood with young home grown directors such as pioneers Luis Garcia Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem (Who both helped to create la està ©tica franquista, a film style which ironically defined Spanish film during Francos reign). Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: New Spanish Cinema (1962-1968) Spain made its first attempt to be part of the European common market in 1962; the country wanted to prove that Spain was not the fascist, retrograde it used to be; Spain was going through a new phase of liberalization. The moderate Garcà ­a Escudero who was dismissed 10 years before for supporting the film Surcos was brought back to accompany the director of cinematographic and theatre position. Garcia participated in the discussions in Salamanca and was aware of the disappointment and frustrations of those people who were attempting to make films during the dictatorship of General Franco and therefore when the repression caused by the use of censorship temporally down the pressure on the film industry in 1962, Josà © Marà ­a Garcà ­a Escuderos started to revise the points discussed in Salamanca which after seven years had not been even considered. One of the hardest aims for Garcà ­a Escudero to achieve was to update the censorship system. In this attempt he was attacked by constant criticism, especially by members of the church and the right wing who accused him of being a repulsive freak of a promoter. Forth revised codes were stipulated in 1963, which were strongly attacked with the only purpose of bringing back many of the strictly controlled measures. Although several of the new film makers were clearly part of the opposition, the dictatorship found the way to silence their voices. Josà © Garcà ­a Escudero did not find enough political support to cause any serious alteration to the censorship system; however, in 1962 he managed to create a new category for special interest films. This category was very significant for new professional film makers from The Escuela Oficial de Cinematografà ­a (EOC), to work in a film industry in which they had never been allowed to be involved in unless they were only apprentices. As a consequence of the special interest category a new genre in the film industry appeared. This new genre was films that showed the problems of Spain, especially with criticism towards the social situation of the country, for the first time realistic narratives of Spain were screened in cinemas along the country. This type of cinema was called by critic Juan Francisco de Lasa as New Spanish Cinema. The new cinema in Spain was known for its use of metaphor showing social criticism which was prominent in the 1950s especially by directors Luis Garcà ­a Berlanga and Juan Antonio Bardem who were well respected at the time and classed as the best of their era and genre. Nevertheless new directors focused more on the 1890s literary generation. Spanish writers like the likes of Antonio Machado, Miguel de Unamuno and Pà ­o Baroja were attempting to find answers to national issues in its literary, historical and also geographical past, the new directors in the 1960s were more interested in analyzing and criticizing social traditions in Spain in an attempt to form an image of Spain in which the country is seen for what it really is, instead of for what it was in the past or people thought it would be in the future. Despite the special category which allowed new Spanish productions to work as films of special interest, young Spanish film makers were still being attacked by censorship, as seen in Miguel Picazos La tia Tula (1964), that had a cut of over four minutes and then there was the confiscation of certain scenes from Carlos Sauras Llanto por un bandido (1964) which were eventually destroyed by the censors. Manuel Summers Juguetes rotos (1964) recalls the heroics of a boxer, a bullfighter, and a soccer player, showing the contrast between the opportunities of youth and the loneliness of advancing age still had its problems with the censors with the director receiving a long list of prohibited shots, including the following. A child begging A group of girls in bikinis Dialogue saying Cualquier Espaà ±ol puede ser torero (Any Spaniard can be a bullfighter) These frequent restrictions caused an enormous frustration among many promising film makers. When the regime realised that the new Spanish cinema was being used in opposition, the government designed a system which allowed control over film distribution, making sure that these films were seen only by a chosen few; new Spanish films were screened exclusively in a system of art theatres for a very small educated audience. The arte y ensayo system started in January 1967 with the following restrictions: 380 theatres Only in urban areas (cities of over 500,000 inhabitants) Cannot seat more than 500 (By law) The distributors at first thought it was great to be able to offer films shown for the first time in Spain but because the audiences were small, exhibitors advertised promising them fruto prohibido (films prohibited or censored elsewhere). While this was correct, most of the public had misinterpreted it and would come looking for lewd material. Most previously censored films were not necessarily sexually explicit, censored more for political or social reasons such as Jean-Godards A bout de soufflà © (1960), Luis Buà ±uels Exterminating Angel (1962) and Ingmar Bergmans Persona (1966). The public became totally disillusioned and because of the years of censorship was completely unprepared for the new developments in films. By 1972 the art theatre ceased because it proved to an unsuccessful experiment. The special theatres were created not so much for the benefit of the Spanish film industry but so that foreign tourists in Spain could see movies in their native language. The New Spani sh Cinema was being exhibited mostly in the art theatres but after a mere five years, Spains New Cinema did not have an audience in its own country and they were all abolished. The whole movement had attracted nothing but problems from the start due to the total lack of film culture in Spain. Directors of New Spanish Cinema created films which felt out of date to the foreign audiences. Basilio Martà ­n Patinos Nueve cartes a Berta (1966) was entered into Cannes by Josà © Marà ­a Garcà ­a Escudero but straight away rejected; Patinos honest and naive film felt dated to an international audience with their advanced understanding of cinema. To be fair to Garcà ­a Escudero he had accomplished a lot between 1962 and 1966, over forty new directors had made their first film. This wasnt enough for him to keep his position of director general of Cinematografia y Teatro, and he was dismissed for the second time in his career. There were two reasons given, the first was economic; the secon d was for The Primeras Jornadas Internacionales de Escuelas de Cinematografà ­a (First International Film Schools Discussions) and his lack of control over a new and important presence in the Spanish film world, a group of students and young directors who were presided over by the respected film critic Ramà ³n Gubern and in part by director Joaquim Jordà   who is quoted saying: Today is impossible to speak freely of reality in Spain, so we are trying to describe its imaginary life* This group organized the only public discussion of film in Spain for the last twelve years. These discussions were held between 1st and 6th of October 1967 in the Catalan beach town of Sitges. Attended by students, critics and young filmmakers, the Sitges conference provided a unique space for anti-Franco protesters, revolutionaries and supporters of experimental film. The Catalonian film director, Jordà   presented a manifesto for the Barcelona School that became widely known as the Sitges Manifesto. This manifesto provided a clear focus for debates on questions of film principles and political ideals, as well as new ideas for production and exhibition of work outside Francos restrictive regime. Jordà  s drafted the manifesto with a Marxist tone and could not be further from the New Spanish Cinema if it tried, with demands to end all censorship and state subsidies of any kind. Furthermore it called for the replacement of the Sindicato Nacional de Espectà ¡culo (State Entertainmen t Union) which would be able to supervise the production, distribution and exhibition of film. The Sitges manifesto rejected any possibility of working with the system and would only agree to a film industry totally independent of the state. By the time the Franco regime noticed what was going on in Sitges the conference was coming to a close. Nevertheless police interrupted the end of the event and arrested participants. Jordà   sought refuge in Rome and classes were briefly suspended at the National Film School. Garcà ­a Escudero was finally dismissed in November 1967. After the regimes reaction to the conference in Sitges, the Spanish film directors union (Agrupacià ³n Sindical de Directores-Realizadores Espaà ±oles de Cinematografà ­a (ASDREC)) was planning to continue the debates at their own convention, scheduled on the 23rd of November in 1969. A group of professional directors proposed that they carry out a study of the main problems of Spanish film and publish the find ings. Some of these findings, including eliminating film censorship, had been taken from Sitges. Officially the ASDREC convention was prohibited due to its controversial tone, but this didnt stop them. After many preliminary talks between directors discussing the topics most relevant to the industry, the main meeting was eventually held in March 1970. * Higginbotham, V. (1988). Spanish Film Under Franco. Texas: University of Texas Press. p66 Spanish Cinema during the dictatorship: The decade of Francos death (1969-1975) With the demise of Garcà ­a Escudero and the New Spanish Cinema and the breakup of School of Barcelona with its avant garde views, Spanish movie screens were full of foreign Spy movies and spaghetti westerns. The decade of Francos death (November 20th 1975) had started badly for Spanish film, with huge debts for the industry and the best of its new films were hardly shown on Spanish cinemas screens. 20 percent of world cinema had been banned in Spain since the Civil War and by the 1970s it had risen to over 50 percent of films made abroad that couldnt be seen on Spanish screens. If most of the worlds greatest films couldnt be seen in Spain, at least it wasnt being so strong on letting them be filmed there, even if it brought controversy. One of the most important (and controversial) events for Spanish film during the later years of Francos reign was Buà ±uel being granted permission to film Tristana (1970) in 1969. Tristana, definitely one of Buà ±uels finest, is a great example o f why his films, although banned and not well known to the Spanish people, were considered by Spanish Directors in the know as National treasures. In total contrast to most of the Spanish films made during the dictatorship, Buà ±uels vision of Spain seemed and felt more authentic. With the use of real people where possible as in Viridiana (1961) where he selected a group of beggars straight from the streets of Toledo and Madrid, and then there is the title character from Nazarin (1959) who is a typical anarchistic Spanish clergyman (many were murdered on the suspicion of being Communist sympathizers during the Civil War). Buà ±uels return to Spain was also the start of a new era in Spanish film, in the next five years leading up to Francos death there were some great films to come out of Spain. Carlos Saura (after Buà ±uel is Spains most important director during the post-war era) managed to create some great films even though his films were criticized by both right and left wing equally. He had the power to irritate and inherited Buà ±uels ability to cause trouble and whose films also managed to disturb the uneasy calm of the Franco camp. Films included Los golfos (1959), Ana y los lobos (1972), La prima Angelica (1973) and Cria cuervos (1975) the title in Spanish stems from the phrase Raise ravens and theyll pluck out your eyes and the equivalent phrase in English would be you reap what you sow. Filmed the year before Francos death, it makes clear how the regime, through an out of date religious education, making certain that the young do not grow into cuervos (ravens) and rebel the fascist myth. Last but definitely not least is the most highly acclaimed film in the history of Spanish cinema, El espà ­ritu de la colmena (Spirit of the Beehive) (1973) one of the most beautiful and poetic films ever filmed, a film which has been haunting audiences both Spanish and abroad since it first premiered in Madrid in October 1973. A young Victor Erice (he was 33 years old when he directed his master piece, 3 years younger than Orson Welles when he directed Citizen Kane (1941)) was in search of new myths and turned to classic horror films for inspiration and he found Frankensteins monster to represent Spain and its problems. After seeing James Whales Frankenstein (1931) for the first time, seven year old Ana becomes fascinated with the monster, she becomes obsessed with finding him, and transfers this onto a wounded army deserter, who she is convinced is the monster. As a metaphor for Spain, the monster is a ghoulish collage of a man, a monstrous figure constructed by the sinister creat or, Dr. Henry Frankenstein. Even the Doctors name sounds very much like Franco. With its reference to the myth of Frankenstein, Erice found an uncanny metaphor for Francos Spain. The monster was reborn and had no memory like a new born baby, he has no moral sense and so can behave kindly, then kill (by accident or otherwise). Frankensteins monster being a literary myth himself suitably represents the final result of the so called Franco myth. Chapter Three Spanish Cinema back to Democracy General Franco died on the 20th November 1975, and with his death died 46 years repression, a new phase of history was about to be born in Spain. It was the time for freedom which would give strength and new backbone to the Spanish cinema. It was as if Spain finally had democracy, liberalism, explicitness and experimentation all at once. Directors were now creating without the pressure of all those previous prohibitions. Franco before he died had designated as his successor Juan Carlos of Bourbon, who was the grandson of the last king of Spain. For the first time in over 40 years, a free election took place on June 15, 1977 and

Pizza Hut, Yum! Essay

Describe the organization you have chosen. Please include the name and a short description of the organization’s products or services? The organization chosen for this assignment is Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut was established in 1958 by Frank and Dan Carney, and they started out with a small building on a busy intersection in their home town, and became the largest and most successful pizza restaurant company in the world. For four decades they built a reputation for excellence that earned the respect of their customers and industry experts alike. Pizza Hut, Inc. , a division of Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., has more than 7,200 units in the U. S. and 3,000 units in more than 86 other countries. Tricon is the parent company to two other segment leaders, Taco Bell and KFC . when combined with Pizza Hut, these organizations make up the world’s largest restaurant group. Pizza Hut offers many different styles of pizzas along with side dishes such as salads, Buffalo wings, pasta, breadsticks, desserts and garlic bread. Pizza Hut’s mission is to become the most favorite’s restaurant all over the world and they indeed are, as long as they continue to meet their customer’s wants. Which for example they can learn through social media cites. And their vision is to reach on the top of the peak to provide best service and taste and to see yum on customers faces. This will take great participation from staff to make happen. And Pizza Hut is trying their best to keep them happy so that they do their jobs to keep customers happy. For example if an employee is doing their job, and making the pizza right, because they feel like they are an asset to the company, then in turn the customer is happy and the company has seen the fruition of their vision, and that is to provide the best service and taste. How does the organization motivate its employees? Describe any programs or methods they use to motivate workers. Pizza Hut motivates its employees by offering rewards and recognitions. The first thing that it offers is what is called the big cheese ward that is a coveted award, and is the highest level of corporate recognition. This award is personally presented by the owner and is a yellow foam rubber wedge of cheese that goes on top of the recipients head. The recipients also receive a photo of the presentation. The second form of an award is a program that recognizes managers, area coaches, and market coaches for their ability to grow Pizza Hut, run great restaurants, develop great teams, and make plans. Rewards include celebration trips for the recipient and guest as well as dinners. There are also are quarterly bonuses awarded to general managers based on the size of the manager’s restaurants and their performance on a variety of measures. Describe the current state of the organization’s workforce dynamic. Is its workforce growing? Is it changing? How is it changing and why? The dynamics at Pizza Hut is very simple, you have young teenagers who work there and are not to bothered about the job which shows in their customer service, the consequences of this changes the dynamics of the environment because it causes the bosses to be more tight on the rules because of the slacking helping hand. There are also many other dynamics in Pizza Hut but not as there would be in a corporation such as oracle. So Pizza Hut also has workers that are older and have families to feed and are more concerned about their jobs this can be seen in the great jobs they do at work. There is also dynamics such as diversity ( population of 66%) that makes up Pizza Hut, one of the many reasons for diversity is for globalization, and leaders realizing that when a company has many different minds making decisions there can be many different ideas and options. The workforce is not growing, and yes, it is changing a great example, for the reason it is changing is because people who are starting to work for Pizza Hut are not teenagers anymore but college educated and adults who running these business and more effectively carrying out their strategies. What are some of the workforce trends that this organization needs to address? What similar organizations can be used as a benchmark? In this question the point is, what within this one specific location are we doing to drive sales up. The answer is the workforce is changing to older more educated employees who care more about their jobs, therefore customer service is at a better quality and customer return causing an increase in sales. A majority of the managers are women and be promoted in the ranks plus a vast majority are diverse, this drives up sales because now the company can go global with out to many issues with relating to other cultures, plus they are now able to reach a market that they were not reaching before. What are some of the industry trends that are affecting the organization overall? Is the industry growing, or declining? When thinking about industry trends, we must consider what all other pizza joints are doing or other restaurant industries are doing to increase their sales. In the following paragraph we will name a few trends the first is the growth of the fast casual segment, which demonstrates consumers who are still focused on price and are willing to pay more for healthier food that they consider to be of better quality. The industry has customized by making healthier pizzas or options on their menus. The second trend is premium speed, this is a tactic to launch healthier more flavorful menu items and employing technology to speed up the dining experience. The third is transparency, this is a new trend where customers are more and more demanding to know the origin of their foods, not only that that though they also are demanding to know how employees are being treated and to know general business practices. The fourth trend is due demographic diligence, and the fifth is technology interface revolution, this is a broad range of ways to enhance the customers experience and to save time and money. For example to offer loyalty programs, promotions and discounts electronically, and brand awareness at the click of a mouse. References Chell, M. A. (2001). The american workforce: Identifying workforce challenges, trends, and recommendations. Economic Development Review, 17(3), 76-81. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/230097386? accountid=34899 Five foodservice trends to watch for in ’14. (2013). Trends and statistics Retrieved from www. pizzamarketplace. com Kouzes, J. (2007). The Leadership Challenge [VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf. argosy. edu/books/9780470633397/id/Pt_978-0-4706-3339-7_chap3 Mike, B. (2003). Changing culture at pizza hut and yum! Brands, Inc. Retrieved from http://researchdocs. cox. smu. edu.

Essay on Teen Pregnancy - 1796 Words

Teen Pregnancy Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States has declined greatly within the past few years, it is still an enormous problem that needs to be addressed. These rates are still higher in the 1990s than they were only a decade ago. The United States teenage birthrate exceeds that of most other industrialized nations, even though American teenagers are no more sexually active than teenagers are in Canada or Europe. Recent statistics concerning the teen birthrates are alarming. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all births in the United States are to teenage women. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. By the age of eighteen, one out of four†¦show more content†¦A teen mother leaves school because she cannot manage the task of caring for a baby and studying, and a teen father. Because of this, teen mothers are generally poor and are dependent on government support. The welfare system is usually the only support a teen parent will receive. Welfare benefits are higher for families with absent fathers or dependent children. In some cases, teen mothers may also receive help like Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).Besides educational and financial problems, teenage mothers may face a great deal of emotional strain and may become very stressed. Teen mothers may have limited social contacts and friendships because they do not have time for anything other than their baby. Lack of a social life and time for herself may cause the teenage mother to become depressed or have severe mental anxiety. Depression may become worse for a teenage mother because she usually does not know much about child development or about how to care for their children. Children who are born to teenage mothers usually suffer from poor parenting. Also, children of teenage parents start being sexually active before their peers and they are more likely to become teenage parents themselves. These children may also suffer from financial difficulties similar to that of their parents. Children whose mothers are age seventeen or younger are three times as likely as theirShow MoreRelatedTeen Pregnancy1426 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Teen pregnancy is often unplanned and challenging for the future life of mother and child. The increase risk of health problems for both mother and baby occur during teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy impacts adolescent development in all aspects: physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development. Negative consequences result from teen pregnancy include: low income, increased school dropout rates, lower educational levels, and increased rates of substance abuse (Garwood, Gerassi, ReidRead MoreTeen Pregnancy1023 Words   |  5 PagesDoes access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy? Adolescent pregnancies remain a concern in public health worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that annually about 16 million girls between 15 and 19 give birth. Indeed, in many countries policies and programs are developed and implemented for the prevention of teen pregnancy and reduction of risks and consequences it might cause. Furthermore, that a teenager becomes pregnant poses a risk to her health, her life and the fetusRead MoreTeen Pregnancy1246 Words   |  5 PagesA topic in American society that has proved to be an ongoing, and growing issue is that none other than teen pregnancy. In recent years, teen pregnancy rates have been increasing, which ultimately led to the topics increase of public and media attention. In American society teen pregnancy is often associated with negligence, as well as being irresponsible. In American society sex education for children is underdeveloped and instead society tends to use fear and shame to highlight/combat the dangersRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1546 Words   |  7 PagesTeenage pregnancy is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20 at the time that the pregnancy ends. Low-income communities have the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the United States. Because of the fact that this is a very controversial issue in the United States, it is very important that most questions be addressed. Questions like, why is a teenage girl in Mississippi four times as likely to give birth as a teenage girl in New Hampshire? Or why is the teen birth rate in Massachusetts 19Read MoreTeen Pregnancy : Teenage Pregnancy1404 Words   |  6 PagesLauryn Jones Block 5 4/27/16 What is Teen Pregnancy? Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20. A girl can become pregnant from sexual intercourse after she has begun to ovulate which can be before her first menstrual period, but usually occurs after the onset of her periods. In well-nourished girls, menarche usually takes place around the age of 12 or 13. Most teenage girls don t plan to get pregnant, but many do. Teen pregnancies carry extra health risks to both the motherRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1057 Words   |  5 PagesTeenage pregnancy is a common thing here in America. It seems teens are getting pregnant more than the average married couple. There are some risk factors teen moms face and there is also another great turn outs. There is a major difference between the two. It’s important to tell teens the turnouts of teen pregnancy for the good and bad parts. There are risks of having sex, teen moms can make a difference for her and the baby, the risk of having HIV and/or any other STD’s, and the effects on theRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1341 Words   |  6 PagesTeenage pregnancy is a prominent dilemma in our nation because it continues to place adolescents into delinquency. According to the United States Health and Human Services, three out of ten American teen girls will become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of twenty. That is nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies in a year (1) (HHS Pg.2 2014). Also according to U.S. Department of State, teen pregnancy budgets the United States and tax payers approximately seven billion dollars annually (2)Read MoreTeenage Pregnancy And Teen Pregnancy1664 Words   |  7 PagesTerrazas English 4 Miss Stahlecker 4 November 2015 Teenage Pregnancy According to cda.org, in 2013, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women that were in between the ages of 15-19 years old. Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today’s society. This paper will talk about teenage pregnancy, statistics, ways to prevent teenage pregnancy, and after birth options. So why is teenage pregnancy so important? Some people are concerned about teens getting pregnant at such an early age. There are otherRead MoreEffects Of Teen Pregnancy On Teens1643 Words   |  7 PagesEvery teen has dream about how they want to graduate from high school and then go to college, but some teens are not willing to take the challenge. Some of these teens want to drop out of high school and other teens want to keep furthering their education. For some there are obstacle that life throw at them to be able to accomplish their goals. Earning an education is challenging enough, but when there is a teen parent trying to finish their education it becomes more difficult than it would beRead MoreThe Effects Of Teen Pregnancy On Teens978 Words   |  4 Pagesare getting younger in age, and the birth rate is rising higher. Mississippi has the highest birth rates in teen pregnancy, and has held this title for the past few years. This problem has had such a rise to fame becau se this is a problem that can be prevented. Parents and communities should take action to help lower the teen pregnancy birth rate in Mississippi. Since the birth rate in teens is so high that means there is more need of government assistance. This becomes such a problem in states because

Essay on Parkinson’s Disease - 1305 Words

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a chronic neurological disease that effects about 329 per 100,000 people in the US. The average onset of this disease usually is for people over the age of 50, with the baby boomers getting older there may be an increase in this disease, as much as 9 million people worldwide. (Pawha 2010) Etiology The disease happens when the cells in the brain are damaged or stop-producing Dopamine, which helps with muscle movement, thus leaves those patients unable to control their movements. The exact cause is still not known but doctors believe that toxins such as free radicals may be a factor in causing this disease. (Amoniff, 1994) Others have thought that the natural process of aging causes the brain to lose the†¦show more content†¦Pathogeneses James Parkinson founded this disease in 1817 when he wrote a paper on the clinical symptoms that he had seen.(Nussbaum, 1997) The Disease is a neurodegenerative(loss of a functioning neuron) movement disorder caused by the damage to the dopamine cells in the brain. (Moore, 2005) This is a result from the loss of function of the basal ganglia cells, which in turn is caused from the failure of dopamine cells in the substantis nigra, located in the mid-brain. (Aminoff, 1994) The body cannot produce enough dopamine in the brain and therefore the voluntary movement that you do daily cannot be controlled when you have this disease. Therefore, when there is a lack of dopamine the muscle movement cannot be controlled, causing the tremors or shuffle steps. (Aminoff, 1994) The Lewy Bodies (which are abnormal proteins that develop inside a neuron) upon autopsy has been the hallmark sign of PD. These Lewy Bodies are a result of abnormal proteins that interferes with normal protein removal this t hen leads to the creation of inclusions inside the neuron and then into cell death.(Nussbaum, 1997) Diagnosis There is no definitive diagnosis for this disease but rather signs and symptoms that are seen in almost every patient with this disease. These signs and symptoms are often called hallmarkShow MoreRelatedThe Parkinsons Disease1596 Words   |  6 PagesMany people around the world today suffer from Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. A movement disorder is a disorder impairing the speed, fluency, quality, and ease of movement. There are many types of movement disorders such as impaired fluency and speed of movement (dyskinesia), excessive movements (hyperkinesia), and slurred movements (hypokinesia). Some types of movement disorders are ataxia, a lack of coordination, Huntingtons disease, multiple system atrophies, myoclonus, briefRead MoreThe Parkinsons Disease761 Words   |  3 PagesMathur states that â€Å"Genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger† (Mathur). Parkinson’s Disease (PD) exhibits this pattern, with the vast majority of PD cases being idiopathic, likely the result of combined genetic and environmental factors. While many researchers previously sought symptom-specific treatment, recent breakthroughs open the door for the discovery of genetic and environmental causes so that disease prevention, and even reversal, emerge as viable possibilities. Recent research demonstratesRead More Parkinsons Disease Essay1764 Words   |  8 PagesParkinson’s disease (PD) is a striatal dopamine deficiency disorder as a consequence of neuronal loss in the substania nigra. It is named after James Parkinson, a British apothecary, who first fully documented its physical signs in 1817. Since then, significant advances have been made in our understanding of characteristic pathophysiology as well as in the medical treatment of different stages of PD. An overview of condition features in terms of epidemiology, manifestations, diagnosis and diseaseRead MoreParkinson’s Disease Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesParkinson’s Disease is known as one of the most common progressive and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. It belongs to a group of conditions known as movement disorders. Parkinson disease is a component of hypokinetic disorder because it causes a decreased in bodily movement. It affects people who are usually over the age of 50. It can i mpair an individual motor as well as non-motor function. Some of the primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are characterized by tremors or trembling in handsRead More Parkinsons Disease Essay1642 Words   |  7 PagesParkinsons Disease Parkinson’s Disease (PD), the shaking palsy first described by James Parkinson in 1817, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which affects in upwards of 1.5 million Americans. The disease begins to occur around age 40 and has incidence with patient age. One survey found that PD may affect 1% of the population over 60. Incidence seems to be more prominent in men, and tends to progress to incapacity and death over one or two decades. Clinical diagnosis of PD isRead MoreParkinson’s Disease Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesParkinson’s Disease Parkinson’s Disease (PD), known for its degenerative abilities and debilitating affects, is an illness that affects approximately 1 million Americans. The cause of this disease has not been pinpointed, although strides have been made towards a cure. As our elderly population increases, so does our overwhelming need to find a suitable cure that may one day eliminate this disease. Concepts of PD After watching the video: My father, My Brother, and Me, viewable at www.pbsRead MoreParkinsons Disease Essay1504 Words   |  7 Pages Parkinsons Disease Parkinsons is an idiopathic, multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that attacks neurotransmitters in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is concentrated in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra. The neurotransmitter dopamine is a chemical that regulates muscle movement and emotion. Dopamine is responsible for relaying messages between the substantia nigra and other parts of the brain to control body movement. The death of these neurotransmitters affectsRead MoreEssay Parkinsons Disease3763 Words   |  16 PagesParkinsons Disease In 1817, James Parkinson published his famous treatise: An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, describing the symptoms which now collectively bear his name. Although many scientists before his time had described various aspects of motor dysfunction (ataxia, paralysis, tremor) Parkinson was the first to collect them into a common syndrome; one which he believed formed a distinctive condition. His sixty-six page essay contained five chapters describing symptoms, differential diagnosesRead MoreParkinsons Disease Essay784 Words   |  4 PagesDiagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease is extremely important in terms of treating the symptoms before the disease gets worse. It is common for patients with PD to have motor symptoms such as gait disorder, which comes from muscle stiffness/rigidity, bradykinesia, postural imbalance, etc. Gait disorders can generally help determine how far the neurological disorder has affected the motor function and control of the individual. Many physicians in general c linics determine if a patient has PD or if it hasRead MoreEssay on Parkinson’s Disease2135 Words   |  9 PagesParkinson’s Disease Parkinson’s disease is a disease with a wide variety of disabilities recognizable as changes in appearance, posture, walking, and balance. In 1817, the English physician James Parkinson described these symptoms in his patients and has had his name become synonymous with the disease. In 1893 the substantia nigra of the basal ganglia was identified as an area of disease for Parkinson’s. Examination with the naked eye reveals a lack of black pigment in this portion of the brainstem