Variety (May 1949)

•▼Ainrrr'i* London.officb S IL Martla’t Plar*, Trafalgar M«iiai« ■\TKR5rATIO!VAI. 13 Proper Planning Key to OK Filming In Italy, Sez PaUen; 'Pirates’ Tab 700G Y Indies to Get More Dates Foundation for practical film-♦ making in Italy lies in proper ad-, vance preparation. independent nroducer Victor Pahlen declared in New York Monday O*. Recently returned from Italy where he made “Pirates of Capri.” with Louis Hay- vard and Binnie Barnes, the exec holds no brief .for other American producers who have rapped Italian industry’s technical encies. Laboratory, recording and power problems. Pahlen said, were over- come by his organization, which fully recognized these stumbling blocks long before a camera turned the deftcl- Joe Bellfort Given Lissim’s RKO Spot Paris. May 10. .Toe Bellfort. former assistant to VVladimlr Llssini, RKO's Continen- tal manager, has been upped to homcoffice re/T in Europe by RKO foreign chief Phil Reisman. who Is now here. Lissim, currently in I New' York, recently re.signed. Ben Henry. Universal's British chief, heads to the Coast today (Wed.^ with his wife for a two- week stay. Henry plans to spend one week at the studio and then vacation at Pebble Beach for the second stanza. He arrived last week in the U. S. along with Cecil Bernstein, co-chief of the British Granada circuit. Both the Henrys and the Bern- steins are scheduled to return to England aboard the Queen Mary June 4. Bernstein and his wife left tor Bermuda Saturday (G» for a two-week vacation. On French Screens Next Year? Bellfort's new' post will not he precisely equivalent to that held by Lissim, but will put him on and took suitable steps to counter-j equal footing with Elias Lapinere, act them. Power shortage, cau.sed ’ who heads sales and publicity in by Italy’s drought, was hurdled by the use of the unit’s own gen- erators. In production for four months on location throughout Italy and on the Isle of Capri, “Pirates” ex- ceeded its original shooting sched- ule by only 10%—which is consid- ered fine compared to certain other Italian locationers of American companies. Through the use of natural backgrounds plus coopera- tion of native labor and the Italian Navy. Pahlen feels that his 55700.- 000 budgeter represents “at least $2,000,000 production value” under Hollywood standards. Participating with Pahlen on “Pirates’ ” production was the Marquis Theodile, who is receiving certain distribution markets in re- turn for his financial contribution. It’s ’the Marquis’ initial venture into filmmaking. U. S. release of the pic will probably be handled by Motion Picture Sales Co*- with which Pahlen expects to '.nalize a deal this week. Next on Pahlen’s production agenda is “It Happened in France.” a chase meller which Jacques Com- paneez co-authored. Picture would star Viviane Romance who. Pah- len says, he has under contract for both films and personal appear- ances. He’s currently seeking an American star as the male lead for the pic which is tentatively due to roll in Paris next August. Pro- ducer has still another property. “Corsican Blood.” tagged for film- ing after “France’s” windup. Europe. It is believed there will be no appointee to the title of Con- tinental manager. Bellfort has been with RKO since 1930, starting as a page boy in the New York office. After get- ting a law degree, he joined the < homeoffice legal department. He switched to foreign in 1944 and i has been in the Paris office for the past two years. , Wladiinir Li.s.sim, whose resigna- i tion as European topper for RKO j becomes effective in about a month, leaves for Paris from New , York tomorrow' (Thursdayi. He’s been in the U. S for the past two months. | ' His plans now are indefinite be- yond the time it will take him to clean up his affairs at RKO’s Paris headquarters. 'Moral Right’ On Scissored Fix Stirs Up French Eire Nixing Newsreel Tax Int’l Use of Recordings Gets Airing at Congress Just Held in Amsterdam Amsterdam, April 30. The second postwar Congre.ss of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry was held here April 2.V28 in the Hotel de 1 Europe, with delegates from most Western Europe countries attend- ing, and Admiral Glas.sford of RCA acting as observer for U. S. com- panies. On the agenda were the question of the use of records for broadca.sting purposes (and the as- sociated questions of copyright concerned), and the attitude of the record indu.stry to the organiza- tions representing musicians and composers. IFPI general secretary Basil Brainall said that on the whole he was quite satisfied with what had been achieved. He stated that ♦he main aim of the federation Was to formulate a sort of Berne Convention for the industry which W'ould be worldwide in its scope •nd would even operate in the USSR. Steps were being taken to prepare such a convention and in view of the strong measure of sup- poil the'proposal had received, he considered its chances extremely good. The Congress was attended by representatives of both the Inter- national Broadcasting Organiza- tion and the International Federa- tion of Musicians. Dutch. Decca Co. acted as hosts for the Congress with press and publicity chores in the hands of their flack, Rolf Ten Kate, .\ffair clo.sed with a dinner which was attended by Dutch government * 11(1 .\m.sterdam civic officials. ^ Dublin, May 10.' Import duty on newsreels enter- j ing Eire, at 2e. a foot, lias been I wdthdraw'n by Finance Minister : Patrick McGilligan in his budget i . presented to the Dail (Congress'' I last week. Ni.xing of tax follows ! represeqtations of leading exhihs ■ and Newsreel Assn, and means re- I entry of reels into Eire after nine 1 years. During war years stock shortage and Eire’s neutrality cuts ! of w'ar footage caused newsreelers I to slop supi)lying Irish market. At ! war’s end it was found uneconomic I to resume deliveries w'hile the tax i lasted. Budget has also cut entertain- ment lax for village film shows in ! centres of less than "lOO population. : This will aid touring 16m exhihs and a small number of balls show- ing 3fim film.s. McGilligan reimposed the tax on ' terperies lifted three years ago I hecau.se of difficulty of checking collection in ruial areas. Tax will be 2.5' r of charge for admission and will hit small terpeiies which have been having a lush time for I the past few years. Paris. May 10. Whether an arti.san ha.s a "moral right ” to a picture on wliieh lie . has worked is posing a tough legal ' problem for Pat lie and the Pro- ducers’ Syndicate. Queslion arose ' as a result of a suit brought against Palhe h.i Marcel Came and Jacques Prevert, director and scripter re- spectively. of “Children of Para- ' dise.” Plaintiffs contend their “mor.-'.! i right” to “Paradise” was injured * when Pat he allegedly scissored several sequences of (he film in or- der to make it easier to release. Recent court decision granted Came and Prcveii permission to I seize the picture on the grounds j that all arti.stic collaborators in a \ film had a “moral right " I Appealing the ruling, Pathe at- torney Jean Rappoport won a de- j cision which a.s.ses.sed damages j against Came and Prevert. Higher ^ 1 couii held that no picture eoultl be seized under conditions descrilicd ' ; in the complaint. However, tlie j couii still recognizes the plaintiffs’ | “moral right.” This point will be fought later by Rappoport in be- half of the Producers’ Syndicate. This litigation, it’s felt here, is 1 important to producers of other i countries since any dii eetor; .sce-,^ ceived I narist or actor who claims tliat his ' “moral right” to a film ha.s been damaged might well halt the pic- ture’s relea.se. Meanwhile. Rappo- port is mapping a trip to the U. S. to confer with top legalites tliere < on the matter. ! Mayer Rents His Conn. Home, Back to Paris Gerald A. Mayer flies back to Paris from New York Friday *13' to bis p«)st as Continental rep t<*r the Motion Picture A.ssn. of .\mer- ica. He ha.s been In the U. S. since last weekend to give testimony in the current arbitration being con- ducted by Will Hays on divvy of coin paid to the American indus- try by France under the Blum- Byrnes agreement. Mayer, while in the U. S.. ar- ranged for rental of his iiome in Connecticut, since he has taken permanent quarters in Paris. \ few' days following his ret urn to France he heads for Rome to con- tinue neguliations there on com- promise proposals on the Italian dubbing tax. Danish Pic Wins At Milan Fest Genoa. Ma\ 3 i The Milan Film Festival ended ' last night (2) witli the jury’s first I prize going to the Danish film. "Ditle Menneskebarn.” direeletl by Bjarne and Astrld Ilenning-Jen- I sen. whieli had already been sliow n Paris. May 10 The U. S. Embassy has been ad- vised by the French government that the quota on American pix to be played in France during the second year of the current Franeo- Anierlcan film agreement will b« shuffled somewhat to give indie distrilys a belter break, it is re- ported here. The change in allo- cations to Yank distribs is believed a result of strong protests made by Eagle Lion to the first year’s division among the eonipanios. New year starts July 1. Under the division made during the firet year, the eight majors obtained licenses for IIU films out of a total of 121 with the remain- ing 11 going to indies. Both EL and Walt Disney protested over th* division, claiming it almost com- pletely shut out, the indies, but Disney later withdrew' his com- plaint when it w'as ruled that his unit, as well as others releasing through the majors, must come under their qtiota. Understood. KL has pushed its case during the year with botli the I'. S. and F’reneh governments. Wa.shington, it is said, cabled its embassy which took the matter up with the French. What the pro- portion win be for the year begin- iiing July 1 has not yet been dis- closed. Goldsmith Coordinator Of M-G’$ Foreign Sales Charles Goldsmith, Metro for- eign dept, exec, who recently re- turned from England, has been named compani’s coordinator for British regional operations. Sta- tioned at the h.o. Goldsmith will serve as central liaison in matters of sales control and interdepart- mental policy for all of the British Empire except the Far East. Goldsmith seiv^d for a number of mouths as as.<islant to Sam Eck- man. Jr., Metro’s British chief. In another nhift. Seymour Mayer has been tapped to act a.s aide to Mor- ton Spring, veepee of the foreign subsid. on special assignments cov- ering both theatres and sales. Seidelman’s German Film Market Survey Joseph H. Seidelman. Universal’s foreign topper, who sails for Stock- holm today <Wcd ' aboard the (hipsholm. will make an on-the- spot survey of the German situa- tion in preparation for U’s estab- lishment of an office in that coun- try. Since the company, along with other majors, will start operating on its ow'n in 1950. Seidelman said he wants to check personally on the prospects of the German mar- ket. Seidelman’s itinerary calls for visits to every Kuropean country outside Soviet-dominated lands. He expects to return to the U. S. with- in six-seven weeks. at the 1947 Venice fe.stival, Tlie Milan show, which lasted two weeks, failed to secure several pix it was after, such as RKO's “Joan.” Clouzot’s “Manon.” WB’s "Jolinn\ Belinda” and 20th’s “Snake Pit,’’ and had to fill in with other, older films. The Hungarian film “Quelque Part En Europe"was the public’s choice in the voting wiiich took place after the last show, while “La Terra Trema.” directed hy Luchino Visconti (shown at the 1948 Venice show, wliere it re- a prize), was considered the best Italian film. There was only one otiier one in (lie running. .Act- ing prizes went to Ilildegard Knef (now in the states) and Gabor Nik- los. Other films shown were: Brit- ain, “The Winslow Boy,” “The Guinea Pig”; France. “Nuit a Ta- harin”; .Austria, “Der Pro/.ess”; Mexico. “Private Life of Anthony and Cleopatra”; Germany, “Film Ohne Tilel”; Italy. “Gindieatemi”; U. S.. Story of CJI Joe.” ”TI»e Ox- Bow Incident” (this one had al- ready been shown publicly in Italy), “A Song Is Born. I'hat Mad Mr. Jones.” The festival had attracted con- siderable attention in its prepara- tory stages, hut intere.st in it died out when important pix dropped off its schedule. Jury. all-Italian, was made up of members ol or- ganizations sponsoring the festi- val-Milan's Museo del Cinema. Mi- lan Industrial Fair, and Milan Tourist Bureau. Portuguese Legit Crisis Briugs Radio Actor Ban; Poor Biz in Provinces IJsbon. May 3 In order to try to stern unem- ployment among legit and vaiid* artists, their union has forbidden members under contract in legit and vaude shows to work for ra- dio. and radio artists to appear in person on stage in shows. Idea i.s to spread available jobs as much as possible to offset the crisis the theatre is going through in Portu- gal. Two legit companies which had gone on lour witli a small gov- ernment subsidy are already back in Lisbon, owing to very bad busi- ness in the provinces. Rosa Ma- teiis’ revue company, on tour in the provinces, will be back in Lis- bon before the end of Ma.\. .\ gen eminent subsidy has been granted to a revue company which will go lo Portuguese Africa in June. A runimission has been formed in order to study the re- organization of the Tcatro .Nation- al. which for the last 20 years has been run by Amelia Rey-Colaco and Robles Monteiro, who had lease on the the.nlrc. Slolz’s ‘Caruival’ London. May 10 1 .^, Stolz’s new operetta, t arnival in Vienna.” with book by iLins Marisehka is due to open in ' lenna in September. Piic<‘ Littler already ha.s <luired the English rights. ac- Leeds Likes ^Champagne* London. May 4 Ronald Millar’s “Champagne ! For Delilah.” which opened in Leeds May 2. has proved a hit there, 'with local press going into ecstasies about it Play is spon- sored by Ileniy Sherek and How- ard S Cullman, and is due at the New theatre June 8 Meanwhile. Metro has already offered $60,000 for the film rights, with Sherek holding out for nearly I Iw ice Ihul. Curreut Loudou Shows London. May 11. <Figure shows weeks o) run) “Adv. Story," James (8). “Annie Get Gun," Col’s’m (101 >. “Beaux Stratagem,” Phoenix (2'. “Bless the Bride," Adelphi (107). “Brlgadoon’,’’ .Majestv <4'. “Belinda Fair.” '7'. “Black Chiffon." West (2'. “Daphine,” VVynd '7' “Dark of Moon,” .Ambassador (4*. “Foolish Gent'w’n," Dueh 'll). “Happiest Da.vs,” Apollo *59). “Harvey,” Wales (19). “Heiress." Haymarket (15', “High Button Shoes." Hipp (21 >. “Human Touch," Savoy (13'. “Ladies Burning.” Globe '1'. VLatin Qt. Revue,” Casino (8) “Lilac Time.” Palace <3'. “Marriage Story," Strand <2). “No Flowers” ^'ork ' 1'. “Oklahoma!” Droii Lane '106' “One Wild Oat." Carrick (23'. “Power Darkness.” Lyric ' I'. “.September Tide.” Aid. '22'. “Shooting Star," PI,lyhouse '2’ “.Summer in Dec.” Comedy '7'. “Together Again.” Vic Pal. (109) “Turners’ Hush." St .Mart. '2'. “Woman’s IMare.” \'aude <7). “Worm’s View,” Whitehall (107) Five Openings Spark Week’s London Legit London, May 10. ] Five plays opened here last week. ' with two of them earmarked for long runs. The W'est minster brought in the week’s first offering Tuesday (3'. with “Black Chiffon ” Play, an ab.sorbing p.sychological study by Lesley Storm, was spjen- ^ didly received and looks to be a hit. Floia Rob.son scored a per- sonal triumph in the role ol a mother wlio steals through devo- tion lo her son “.Marriage Story,” an unconvincing meller with little {chance for success, came into the .Strand Wedne.sday (4* Angela Baddley ha.s the leading role A si)aikling revival of ‘The Beaux Stratagem.” Restoratimi comedy, took place at the Phoenix 'I’huisday )5'. Starring Kay Ham- ■ mond and John Clements, the show appears set. An inept comedy ai)out marital jealousy. “.Miss Tur- ner’s Husband.” opened at tlie St Martins Friday (fii. Greta Gynt who stars, was cordially received, but the play by Gilbert Wakefield stands little chance. I “Monkey Puz/le.” which went int(. the Pla\hou.se two weeks ago. was replaced b> “Shooling Star.” NEW ZEALAND RADIO CO. INTO RECORD MAKING Wellington. N. Z.. May 3 Radio Corp. of New Zealand. I radio and electronic equipment ‘ manufacturer, has gone into rnanu- Inetnre and di.stribution of disks, witli facilities for tniTiing out 4()(),00() record.s yearly. Outfit cut its first platter in February. In addition to pressing a “roiord of the month” from American and British masters, the company is re- leasing pressings from masters re- corded by the .Australian indie or- ganization. Australian Record Co. Also scheduled are several re- leases of di«-ks recorded here by Radio Corp. A. Marks is managing director. Danes Kudo ‘Vincent’ Copenhagen. May 7. “Monsieur Vincent” (UA), “Ham- let” (EL) and “Ste.idv Stands the Danish Sailor” were chosen by the Danish film critics as la.st year’s best American. European and do- mestic films resoectively. Th# selections were made at the critics* annual film awards festival held at the .Arnba.ss.adcor here. The critics aw rded Bndils (royal porcelain statuet®) to Pieben Phil- ipsen of Con^:cnfin Films f«)r his importation of "^'erdou\”; to Eagle Lion for "Hamlet ” and to Asa Filins for the “Danish Sailor.” Tliesping awards went to Karin Nellemose and Jnh.annes Mever, with .Anne Reenberg getting a prize foi the best photography.