Variety (November 1918)

MOVING PICTURE DEPARTMENT PAGES 41 TO *'■"■-.'■ pi'- J*-; sfc FRENCH FILM CRISIS NEEDS NEW SYSTEM AS SALVATION t Picture Industry in War-Ridden Country in Bad Plight. Plans Afoot to Give French Cinematographic Interests New Lease on Life. Paris, Nov. 4. The cinematographe industry is ap- parently in a bad way. There are ■ many causes, the war perhaps being most responsible. The manufacturers have proposed the percentage book- . V ings, and much discussion is now tak- place as to the advisability of the sys- tem. It is suggested the producers should be interested in the receipts, a percentage being collected for the ■ films, instead of the rental price of so much per yard, as hitherto. This per- centage system is almost exclusively . employed at the theatres, the royal- '. ties being collected by the Society of Authors. The renters would like to have a similar mode of perception in- stituted for their pictures. The exhibitors, on the whole, object because they consider they would not be masters in their own halls; that their receipts would be controlled by the manufacturers, who would later impose stringent conditions. They also contend that big features would be re- served for the big halls, wh*re the . capacity is greater and consequently assure a bigger price. • It is thought the manufacturers would not risk their best films at small establishments, but give preference, or even exclusivity for their features to the hall where the takings are high- est, the small fry having to be content with older stock. There are a num- ber of small halls, and their agreement to the percentage bookings will be necessary, until the system is firmly established. The authors are now claiming for similar treatment, and insist they should have a percentage on receipts for their scenarios. As much as 10 per cent, has been mentioned. The entire question is still in abeyance, but being widely discussed in the trade. It has been suggested that French managers should bind themselves to have not less than 25 per cent, of -.:Er.en.cb films on their , programs, .^ No doubt the poorness of the stories is one of the main causes of the pres- ent bad state of affairs in the cinema industry in France. It is a matter of competition, and it will be difficult to keep foreign reels off the market un- less the home qualit}|' is vastly im- proved. There are still a few excel- lent French films, but their number is far below the requirement to keep the local industry on a paying basis, and exhibitors are constrained to rent foreign films to compose a suitable program. To encourage the French industry it is possible the import du- ties will be increase(^ in the next French budget. The tariff at present suggested is 50 centimes per metre (about 9 cents per yard) for positives, and 5 francs per metre (roughly 95 cents per yard) for negatives. Some French people consider this exhorbi- tant, and likely to strangle free com- petition, even leading later to retalia- tion. Germany, although tottering on the front, has not lost sight of future in- dustries. The Berlin daily "Vorwaerts" recently confessed the new regula- tions of the German moving picture trade have the object of preventing foreign films entering that country after the war. In the meanwhile the big trust, Universum Film, with its reported capital of 25 million marks, is organizing. COPYRIGHT ACTION DISMISSED. Richard Lambert's complaint against Vitagraph for $25,000 damages for al- leged infringements on his title "The Blue Envelope" was dismissed during trial Monday. Lambert, through his attorney, Al- fred Beekman, claimed that Vita- graph's film of the same name as his legitimate production, "The Blue En- velope," was an infringement on the copyright title. U. S. TO COLLECT FILM TAX. Late last week all film concerns re- ceived a notice from the Internal Revenue Office of the Treasury Depart- ment requesting them to prepare a statement showing the sale or lease of films to exporters from October 4, 1917, from which they have' collected a tax of one-half cent per linear foot, and on which they have made no re- turn to the Collector of Internal "Revenue," adding " that' inveStigatififg' officers would call within the next few days to check up these statements. Many of these concerns are worried over the prospect of being held re- sponsible for all uncollected moneys under this heading, and are waiting a ruling on this matter. JAKE WELLS A^KS INJUNCTION. Atlanta, Nov. 20. Both the Forsyth and the Criterion had Chaplin's "Shoulder Arms" here to big business. Jake Wells, owner of the Forsyth and former franchise holder in this territory for First National Exhibitors' Circuit, and who was supposed to have bought the rights for all Chaplins in Atlanta, tried to prevent the Criterion from presenting "Shoulder Arms" by applying for an injunction against the exchange and theatre. Judge Pendleton denied the injunc- tion, but made Williard Person, man- ager, and Sig Samuels, president, of the Criterion Company, and Manager Blancharn, of the exchange, furnish a $10,Q0O bond and ordered the case heard before a jury. Both side introduced expert wit- nesses to determine just what an ex- clusive contract is. It appears from the testimony that General Manager Williams, of the First National, sent the Criterion its print-of "Shoulder Arms" direct. Wells is also a stockholder in the Criterion Company. SUING EARLE WILLIAMS. Los Angeles, Nov. 20. Earle Williams, the Vitagraph star, is being sued here by Roma Raymond of New York. Miss Raymond, who is a writer, asks for $160,000 for an al- leged breach of promise to marry. She states ^yilliams and she lived as man and wife for several months, and that she is known in the east as Mrs. Will- iams. Williams claims the suit is absurd and ridiculous. Before coming to^ the coast about six months ago, Williams was married in Brooklyn to a young woman of that city. EXHIBITORS' BRANCH MEETING. Arrangements have been made for a full membership meeting of the Exhib- itors' Branch of the N. A. M. P. I. in the New York offices of the Associa- tion in the Times building Dec. 10. An arrangement has been made by president Peter F. Schaefer to solicit the membership of exhibitors in three grades, A paying 75 cents per week dues, B, 50 cents and class C, 25 cents. Lewis J. Selznick has volunteered to act as a solicitor in securing member- ■ ship on that basis. STOCKHOLDERS BUY. "Tlie Birth of a Race" film, with a rather tumultuous financial career, and to be shown at the Studebaker, Chi- cago, • for- at - least a month,- -openiiig- early in December, may be exhibited in New York. A theatre is being sought here for a run in January. There are 7,000 stockholders in the venture, and they have agreed, it is said, to each take $10 worth of seats for its Chicag* engagement. STARS COMING BACK. Capt. Richard Travers, Bert LyteU, Capt. Robert Warwick and Jack Pick- ford are looked to shortly return to the screen. Capt. Travers, formerly of Essanay, is unattached in filmdom. Capt. War- wick has been a staff man at Wash- ington of late. Pickford did special assignments for the navy. Lytell is at the Officers' Training Camp, Waco, Texas. , $500 FOR WRONGFUL BILUNa The action of Benjamin Levy against the Fifth Avenue Photo-Plays, Inc., was settled by counsel when coming.up for trial last week. O'Brien, Malevin- sky & DriscoU, representing the plain- tiff in this particular litigation, had been previously retained by Cohan & Harris in an action against Levy. Cohan & Harris obtained a judgment of $500 against Levy and Weiser, as directors of the Fifth Avenue Photo- plays, for employing the title of the C. & H play, "The House of Glass," to advertise the sixth episode called "The Houses of Glass" of the Pathe serial, "Who Pays?" Levy and Weiser set up a claim following the filing of the judgment against them that the Fifth Avenue Photo-Plays was a "dummy" corpora- tion, that they had no powers as execu- tives, and the real party in interest was Samuel Krause, the owner of the house. Levy was the ticket taker of the theatre and Weiser the piano player. ■ Levy started suit against Krause for the amount of the judgment. Krause made a settlement, and Levy turned the money over to the C. & H. at- torneys. Krause is reported to be now operating the theatre in his own name. It is located at 5th avenue and llOth street. The wrongful billing was dis- played for one day. PRESENT TO RETURNING SOLDIERS Kansas City, Nov. 20. A movement to present every return- ing American soldier with a $50 bill has been started by picture exhibitors, dis- tributors and theatre managers here, on suggestion of William B. Tuteur, president of the Motion Picture Ex- hibitors' league, to enable the soldiers to buy civilian clothing and get a start again in peaceful pursuits. An effort will be made to spread the movement to national proportions. Managers John Fitzpatrick, of the Shubert; Frank Newman, of the Royal; Lawrence Lehman, of the Orpheum, and President Charles Hardin, of the ■ Equifablt: Filrn Company,-arft--a3sistJ»g-- in the campaign. GRIFFITH BEUEVES IN WAR FILMS. Los Angeles, Nov. 20. D. W. Griffith says war films will have a Isng life. .■•■•->-