The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

20 THE BIOSCOPE September 9, 1931 In Hollywood Now Exit the Million Dollar Masterpiece Goldwyn Says Production Profits are Halved (By The Bioscope Hollywood Correspondent, John Dee ) This year, don’t let them tell you it is a million-dollar epic, opus, spectacle or colossus. Excepting only two from Radio, and two, or possibly three, from United Artists, “ there ain’t no such animal ” any more. Taking its own peculiar view of the movie gamble, Radio is bent on spending in the neighbourhood of £200,000 each on " Frontier ” and " Marcheta.” Howard Hughes, to whom a million more or less is neither here nor there, is a law unto himself. Sam Goldwyn, who spent £28,400 on the rights to “ Street Scene ” alone, is committed to a budget of £160,000 on “ Arrowsmith,” which may grow into £200,000 in production. But Hollywood as a whole is off the milliondollar masterpiece. Paramount has shelved " Come On Marines,” because preparatory work indicated that it could not be made for less than £120,000 ; this studio openly declares that it will eschew all subjects calling for an expenditure of more than £80,000, and is frankly out to keep its programme product down to £50,000, one-fifth of which is swallowed up in studio overhead. Even Lubitsch comes under the new economy policy ; this year, at least, " The Smiling Lieutenant ” is his last excursion into high finance. Universal has put back Remarque’s " Road Back ” to the spring of next year because its budget ran over the half-million dollar mark ; unless business booms it may not be made even then. Radio has shelved “ Sour Grapes,” recently in active preparation, rather than embark on a story which would entail all the extravagance of a spectacle without its impressiveness. In line with this economy craze, producers are giving the cold shoulder to stage successes, for which ten, twenty and thirty thousand pounds are demanded, and are queueing up for original and magazine stories which can be bought for a few hundred. The reason, according to Sam Goldwyn, is that profits on production are now exactly half what they used to be. Sam should know ! 300 Independent Productions One of the earliest articles I wrote for The Bioscope, printed in the spring of this year, deduced from the prophesied shortage of product from the major studios a great boom in independent production. At the same time, I pointed out that Elstree had an equal opportunity with Poverty Row. There are few signs here that Elstree took her advantage, but the boom is here and calls for the famous last words : " I told you so.” Three hundred independent features are lined up for production in Hollywood between now and next March. The wedge of this formidable phalanx is the Caddo output of eight from Howard Hughes, who is for practical purposes an independent producer, while Goldwyn remains volcanic. The six scheduled by the Selznick-Milestone partnership, will probably rank next in importance. Columbia, Tiffany and Monogram will contribute a hundred amongst them, the former ranking as an independent since its break with R.K.O. exchanges. On the Tec-Art lot sixteen separate production companies are functioning or about to function. The more important of them are Patrician Pictures, with a programme of six, Hoffman’s Allied Pictures budgeting six specials and six Hoot Gibson’s, A1 Mannon’s Supreme and Imperial Companies scheduling twenty between them, Harry Carey’s own outfit busy on eight Westerns, and Willis Kent Productions launching on a mixed series of twelve. The dramas will range from £6,000 to £20,000 in cost, on seven to fourteen-day schedules. But there is also the unknown firm of Rebecca & Silton, which is cheerfully embarking on a £80,000 feature without a release in any part of the world ! The Bottomless Pit My article on Hollywood’s “ suppress agents ” has been widely quoted in the film city’s journals, for the most part baldly and without comment. “ John Dee,” says the Hollywood Herald, “ Hollywood correspondent of the foremost English trade publication, The Bioscope, rides roughshod over what he calls the stupid methods of studio publicity departments.” In pursuance of the good work of showing American publicity men where they got off when they attempt to obstruct the British Press, I placed in the hands of local editors correspondence with Hollywood studios, theatres and the Wampas ranging over the past twelve months and uniformly illustrating the U.S. producers’ contempt for trade, fan and lay publications catering for English readers. Their comments were all alike, " We’re all in the same boat — domestic as well as foreign Press.” " In one respect,” said one, “ you’re luckier than we are. At least you can point out their lunacies in print. We can’t.” Film Import Tariff Threatens Serious Famine Faced by an import tariff which provides an increase of 67 pesos, or roughly £8 10s. per kilogram of film imported, American film distributors have stopped despatches of film to Mexico. The result will be that if the Mexican Government insists upon such a prohibitive tariff the motion picture industry of U.S. A. and other countries will find it uneconomic to do business with Mexican theatres, which are even more entirely dependent upon imported films than are such Continental countries as France, Great Biritain and Germany. Bryson Breaks with Universal S. F. Ditcham New Managing Director James V. Bryson, for nine years chief of the Universal Pictures organisation in this country, has resigned his managing directorship. His resignation has been accepted by Carl Laemmle, president of Universal, who has appointed S. Frank Ditcham a managing director of Universal Pictures as from September 5th. Mr. Bryson, whose health has not been good of late, is to undertake a long sea voyage, after which he promises to outline his plans for the future. Mr. Ditcham is one of the most popular members of the trade and receives his new Universal appointment after serving 18 years in the industry in this country. It was back in 1912 that he joined the old Ruff ell’s Bioscope, for which company he toured the country until 1914, when he joined Gaumont. His association with Gaumont extended over seven years, and was broken only by a period of war service. With that company he acted as manager in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. This alliance concluded when Mr. Ditcham joined International and First National Pictures. His position there as sales manager was held until the European Motion Picture Co. (Laemmle's original distributing organisation in Great Britain) obtained his services at its inception. Mr. Ditcham accepted the general sales control and joined the board of direct' rs of Universal Pictures, which had by that time succeeded European, in 1927. His experience of every branch of London and Provincial film salesmanship and his work in a high executive position with the company have well equipped him for his new position. Yapp in Opera Pagliacci for Forum Herbert Yapp, of the Forum, Fulham, with characteristic courage, has decided to stage all next week, three times daily, the opera " Pagliacci,” which recently scored a sensational success at the Trocadero, Elephant and Castle. T. C. Fairbairn, who produced " Hiawatha ” at the Albert Hall, will again present this opera, with a chorus of over 100 and an orchestra of 50. Amongst the vocalists who will appear in the opera are Lorraine la Fosse, Evelyn Birks, Hubert Dunkerley, Appleton Moore, Cuthbert Reaveley, George Hancock, Arthur Cox, Horace Vincent and Emlyn Bebb. The "talkie” programme will not be interfered with, and the feature picture to be presented is " New Moon,” in which Grace Moore and Adolphe Menjou play the leading parts. Usual prices will be maintained.