Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 8, 1927 102 Edward Auger MOVING PICTURE WORLD This Is F ranee’s Year In Films Great A dvances Made by French Producers Backed by National Sentiment, Merits Attention of American Industry, View of Edward Auger, Well Known Authority on Foreign Market Conditions By MERRITT CRAWFORD BSER\ ERS of recent developmennts in the European film field are espe(/[y cially interested just now in the progress which France has been making, both in respect to the number and importance of its recent motion picture productions and its consistent effort to secure for its producers a position of increasing strength in its own market a well as in the other countries of Europe. With European sales resistance against American pictures steadily stiffening, with talk of quotas, threatened and already imposed, against American films and outcries against the acquisition or building by American companies of theatres in any part of Great Britain or the Continent, it begins to appear that our producers are in for a struggle to maintain a hold upon this great market, that will become increasingly severe as time goes on. Mr. Edward Auger, well known as an authority on European market conditions and who has sponsored many of the most important foreign productions shown in this country during the past ten years, recently returned from the other side, tremendously impressed with the trend of conditions he has observed in various European countries, but particularly in France. Production in France Js exceedingly active. Many big and costly pictures have been made and others are being made. A few of these have been brought here, while others have not, but all have been produced with the idea that their successful sale or distribution can be achieved without reference to the American market. Another Ancient Myth Of Distribution Goes Out Years ago it was almost axiomatic in the motion picture business that a film feature, to be financially successfully, must have a distribution outlet in the United States. This is no longer true, Mr. Auger points out, though many “experts,” parrot-like, keep on repeating it. As an example, the writer recalls, a Spanish producer, who invested $60,000 in a picture made in Spain — a fabulous figure for any European picture at the time — but who made over ninety thousand dollars on the production without crossing the Spanish frontier. The same picture grossed nearly $4,000 on one Sunday evening at Carnegie Hall, in New York, but it found no market here and never was distributed in this country. The same condition exists in France today. According to Mr. Auger, the national movement fostering and favoring French productions is most pronounced. Theatres are using French-made pictures in preference to American and paying higher prices for them. Even those theatres, which book the American product along with French pictures, aim to select their pictures from the American companies, which are also releasing French pictures. Recognition of this condition has led Paramount, for example, Mr. Auger said, to distribute Natan’s typically Gallic productions, “La Femme Nue” and “La Chatelaine du Liban” through their European offices, although they probably will never be shown here. Among the French producers, who are most active just now, may be mentioned Le Societe des Cineromans, the big organization founded by the Pathe Consortium, but which is now headed by Jean Sapene, owner of the Paris “Matin,” and directed by Louis Nalpas, which is now engaged in completing “Casanova,” an epic of the life of this historic statesman and lover. This is the same company which produced “Les Miserables" and “Michael Strogoff,” released here by Universal. Now Making Drama Of Famous Paris Street Natan, whose organization produced “La Femme Nue” and “La Chatelaine du Liban” (“The Naked Lady” and “Queen of the Desert” would be free translations of these titles) mentioned above, is now engaged in making “La Rue de la Paix,” a drama built around the famous Paris street, where the art and fashion of the world is centered. Kamenka Films have made “Carmen” with Raquel Meller in Spain; Leon Mathot is making “The Woman Who Conquered Man,” from a story by Mae Eddington, the Eng lish authoress who wrote “No, No, Nanette,” which will be the first of a series ; while Leonce Perret is preparing to begin an elaborate screen edition of “La Tosca.” Other French producers or directors who are active, and who may also be mentioned, are Abel Gance, now finally editing and titling his great film, “Napoleon,” which MetroGoldwynMayer will distribute in America; Dr. Stefan Markus, who made “Daughters of Israel,” with Betty Blythe and a French cast; Rene Plaissety, now making “Lakme,” with the principal scenes taken in India; and Rene Fermand, who is photographing “La Grande Amie,” from the novel by Pierre l’Ermite. Leon Gaumont also has several productions under way and in addition is planning to build four new theatres in Paris. Concerning the theatre situation, Paramount is said to be building or about to construct no less than fourteen houses in France. One of these, the largest, is in Paris and has progressed as far as one story. Building construction, however, is very slow in all of France, as indeed it is in the rest of Europe, war-time restrictions still being in effect, so that suitable theatre sites are difficult to obtain. This Is France’s Year In Film Production Pathe Consortium and the Fournier group, wrhich own or control between sixty and seventy of the 300 theatres in Paris, therefore will continue to dominate the film situation in “La Ville Lumiere,” as Paris is called, for a long time to come, in Mr. Auger’s opinion. This condition (the difficulties of building construction and the securing of suitable theatre sites), together with the definite antagonism against all American invasion, will make it difficult, if not impossible, for our producers to secure much of a foothold in the theatre field in France or the rest of Europe, Mr. Auger believes, yet nothing less than this will assure keeping this market open for our films, except a more sympathetic co-operation with the French and other European film manufacturers and a loosening of the market here to let in their productions. “This is France’s year in film production,” said Mr. Auger. “The French nation is be (Continued on page 145)