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Jan., 1930] SOUND PICTURES IN EUROPE 15
a view to showing these pictures in properly equipped Italian theaters.
Relations with Other Countries. — The German industry has a double tie-up with Great Britain; the British Union Corporation, Ltd.. has an important share in the Polyphon Werke A. G., which is one of the founders of the Klangfilm, and the British Photophone, Ltd., has a financial interest in the Tobis. There is, moreover, a German coalition with Russia. In fact, a contract is said to have been concluded in April between the German Prometheus A. G., the British Photophone, and the Russian Meschrabpon-Film, for joint production and distribution of sound pictures, and the sale of German and British sound apparatus for Russian theaters.
For the exploitation in other countries, a company is now being established in the Netherlands by Dutch financial companies with Tobis reported to be having a 25 per cent share in the capital and profits.
German sound film interests were furthered recently with the creation of the International Talking Screen Production, Ltd., a registered British company which acquired the entire capital of the Filmwerke Staaken A. G. (German) and Derussa (German-Russian), and 51 per cent of an American company.
These German sound film developments and international tie-ups show the German industry still to be in a rapidly evolving stage, but there does exist a possibility of such a well organized and efficiently conducted program as to overcome the present difficulties in the film industry, and to acquire a domination of the Continental sound film market.
GREAT BRITAIN
In proportion to the number of theaters, sound motion pictures in this country are progressing as rapidly as in the United States. It is estimated that there are over 4000 theaters in Great Britain, of which 680 have a seating capacity over 1000 and 2231 with seating capacity ranging between 500 and 1000.
At the present time there are about 400 sound reproducing installations in the theaters of Great Britain. While this figure is small as compared with the 6000 or more installations in the United States, other theaters are being equipped as rapidly as the apparatus can be received in Great Britain.
The advent of sound pictures has brought about a situation in the quota system, unlooked for at the time of its framing. It is understood that there is a movement afoot in Great Britain to repeal the Film Act, the promulgation of which, 18 months ago, led to the