Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

36 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 6, 1928 Paris Session Called to Standardize Restrictions on U. S. Films International Chamber of Commerce Summons Members November 14 — Further Hampering of American Product Seen STANDARDIZING of existing motion picture restrictions in the nations of the world is the objective of a meeting called for November 14 in Paris by the International Chamber of Commerce. Support of the American members, as well as the British, French, German and Italian, is expected by the Chamber and its president, say news dispatches from Paris. TO the American industry, it is declared, CZECHOSLOVAKIA — The government there is particular importance in the action practically has decided that each foreign dis of the International Chamber, as the American producers and distributors are the ones chiefly affected by the many restrictive measures taken in other countries in an effort to build up their own industries. Furthermore, observers say that the year 1929-30 will bring more trouble than ever to the United States industry overseas. Further Restrictions Seen One factor cited is the recent decision of the Geneva anti-trade barriers conference, which left open the matter of "internal" restrictions though it voted to abolish "frontier" checks on film imports, starting in January, 1930. Germany, Austria and Hungary have socalled frontier restrictions at present. Great Britain, France and Italy have internal restrictions. It is predicted that the three former as well as Czechoslovakia and Spain and probably several others will launch internal restrictions. Poland, Sweden and Denmark alone are not agitating the issue. How They Line Up Now Following is a resume of the status in the various European countries and the action expected in each : FRANCE— -Agitation against American pictures is reviving despite the compromise effected by Will H. Hays last spring. When the 60 per cent import concession expires in June the French industry is inclined to return to the seven to one quota or grant only half or less than 60 per cent. GREAT BRITAIN— The ten-year quota law is expected to cut America's 90 per cent participation in the market to 60 or less. Germans Want 50 Per Cent Quota GERMANY — Agitation is underway for a 50 per cent quota starting next July 1, when the limited censor license system expires. A unanimous demand by the American trade recently for an open free market has checked the 50 per cent plan, but whatever the new arrangement will be, it is certain that there will be some form of restriction and that America will pay. ITALY — State monopoly is expected to supplant the 10 per cent quota, in order to rehabilitate the Italian industry, control distribution and monopolize exhibition. SPAIN— The Spanish Motion Picture Congress this month is declared likely to increase the quota from 5 to 10 per cent. We've Seen Corn on the Cob But on Films — Never! (Special to the Herald-World) HAMILTON, ONT., Oct. 2.— The latest in film cue markers has been discovered by H. E. Wilton, manager of the Strand theatre. Upon receipt of a picture from a film exchange the other day, it was found that the previous operator had attached corn pads as signals for the machine changeover. The bulky pads were still affixed to the reels. "What do you know about that?" asked Wilton. But no answer is expected. tributor must buy or make one domestic picture biannually so as to double the present production. It is pointed out that these restrictions, operating or contemplated, may cost the American industry millions of dollars, while combinations of European producers against American competition are having their effects. Annual Vote Names Frawley Paramount Pep Club President (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— The annual election of the Paramount Pep Club last week resulted in G. B. Judge Frawley being elected president by a sweeping majority. Edward A. Brown, cashier of the corporation, was elected vice president, and Marion Coles and Rose Eidelsberg, treasurer and secretary, respectively. The five vacancies in the board of governors, caused by retiring members, were filled by Vincent Trotta, who is about to relinquish the post of president; Sam Dembow, of Publix, Lou Diamond of Paramount News, Sara Lyons and Alice Blunt. The new officials will be installed at the annual dinner to be held at the Hotel Astor, the evening of October 18. Judge Frawley, who is manager of the sales contracts and statistical departments of the corporation, has been with Paramount for ten years. Joe H. Mayer Is Dead; Directed Publicity for Palace, Hamilton, Ohio (Special to the HeraldWorld) CINCINNATI, Oct. 2.— Joe H. Mayer, 41, director of publicity for the Palace theatre, Hamilton, Ohio, and former editor of the Billboard, died unex pectcdly at his home at Latonia, Ky., just across the river from Cincinnati, last week. Mayer, with members of the Palace executive staff, had come to Cincinnati to witness a private screening, and it was while spending the night with his family that he was stricken. His parents, wife and three children survive. Death of Mayer takes from the first rank of theatre publicity personnel a man who had won an enviable name for achievement. One of his "pets" was the Palace Review, a house organ that set a standard and proved a big factor in the success of the theatre. Joe II. Mayer It Won't Be Long Now! NOVEMBER 3 That's the Date What Date? 9 9 9 500 Schools in Italy Equipped for Exhibition; "U" Establishes Chair Seventy Per Cent of Films Shown in Milan Are American (Special to the Herald-World) NAPLES, Sept. 22 (By Mail)— The University of Turin has just established a chair for the teaching of cinematographic technic and film chemistry. This move has a close connection with educational and propaganda films. Luce, government-controlled, has included in its program the filming of Army and Navy subjects. Five hundred schools in Italy now are equipped for exhibition and the government soon will increase that number considerably. * * * Dopolavoro, National Institute, has obtained for its members, most of whom are workmen of modest means, a reduction of 50 per cent in admission prices in all theatres. Each member has been provided with 50 tickets available for the year. * * * Indicative of the grip on exhibition held by American films in Italy is the fact that 70 per cent of all pictures shown in Milan are made in the United States. * * * I S C A, producing company with headquarters in Rome, has increased its capital from five to fifty million lire. German Editor Calls Film Parley a Failure On Propaganda Issue Mistrust in the sincerity and effectiveness of the European Film Congress, two of which have been held, is expressed in an editorial appearing in the motion picture section of the Berliner Tageblatt of September 6. The problem of "propaganda" pictures still remains unsolved, the editorial declares, despite the protests of the last Congress in Berlin. "The Congress protested against the propaganda films against Germany and the theatre proprietors of all countries solemnly promised no longer to show films of this character. We must wait for the results of this, as it is only a question of opinion. What is for one a propaganda film can be a deed of patriotism for another. We have sufficient examples of this. But who is going to be the final judge to give a definite decision?" As to American importations, the editorial states that "the Berlin Congress has shown an extraordinary reserve in the matter of the American question. One knows already that the theatre proprietors willingly play the American film as an arm against the home producers and renters."