Cinema Year Book of Japan 1938 (1938)

(imported) Men Are Not Gods (U.A.) After the Thin Man (M.G.M.) Lo Squadrone Bianco (Roma Film) Die Ewige Maske (Progressfilm) Le Golem (Philip, France) AUGUST A new section was opened in the Shochiku Ofuna Studio for producing military films. The Home Office authorities and the Japan MotionPicture Association agreed to guard against the manufacture of inferior military films. The “ Six-Company Combine ” of the Toho concern seceded from the Japan Cinema Association. The Division of Film Education in the Seventh World Conference of the International Education Associations, held in Tokyo, held its sessions in the auditorium of the Meiji Seimei Kan, Tokyo. The Manchoukuo Cinema Association was founded, with a capital of 5,000,000 yen. Foreign film importers and distributors petitioned the Ministry of Finance to mollify the import restrictions. It was learned that Un Carnet de Dal won the Mussolini prize at the Venice Cinema Exposition, and the Japanese exhibit, Kojo no Tsu^i was given recognition for excellence. * * * * Important films released during August : (domestic) 7\[injo Kami-Fusen (Paper Balloon, P.C.L.) Oto\o no Tsugunai (Reparation of a Man, Shochiku) (imported) L’homme de Jour (Marquis, France) Courrier Sud (Pan-Cine) Rapt (Mentor Film, France) Camille (M.G.M.) Michael Strogoff (RKO) SEPTEMBER The Toho trust organized itself into a new, united and larger company. The Toho trust which had included the P.C.L. Cinema Production, Photo-Chemical Laboratory, Toho Motion-Picture Distributing Company and their affiliated companies, Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre Co. Ltd., and J.O. Studio, organized them all into the new Toh6 Cinema Company, Ltd. One million yen was added to the capital, totalling 4,500,000 yen. The Home Office authorities held a conference with cinema and record business people on the problem of inferior movies and records pertaining to the current warfare. Army authorities and cinema people discussed problems pertaining to the manufacture of films dealing with warfare. The export of news-films had increased greatly: the total of news film exports during July and August was 261 reels, 34,930 mm., of which 149 reels (19,370 mm.) had to do with the current Sino-Japanese Conflict. The Ministry of Justice commenced investigating the question of film copyright. The copyrigt had been defined in the Copyright Law, together with the copyright with reference to literature and the arts, all under the control of the Home Office. Because of the peculiar nature of the cinema, the Ministry of Justice decided to investigate the situation. Embargo on the importation of foreign films became effective. The Ministry of Finance had been advising the dealers to limit the importation because of the urgency of foreign exchange control, but finally it decided to prohibit the import during the year 1937, except for news films. The director of the Shinko Oizumi (Tokyo) Studio was changed. The new director is Mr. Osamu Rokusha, formerly Vice-Director of the Shochiku Ofuna Studio. The Manchoukuo Cinema Association established a branch office in Tokyo. T eh\o\u Koful{ u (The Enemy Surrenders), a Shochiku Shimokamo production, was exempted from inspection fee. * * * * Important films released during September: (domestic) Kogen no Tamashn (The Soul of a Prairie, Nikkatsu) Mama no Endan (Mama’s Marriage Proposal, Shochiku) T e\\o\u Kofultu (The Enemy Surrenders, Shochiku) Utsu\ushifii Ta\a (A Beautiful Hawk, Nikkatsu, Toho, Shinko) Doto 0 Kette (Over the High Seas, Toho) (imported) High, Wide and Handsome (Paramount) Make Way for Tomorrow (Paramount) Jalna (RKO) Stowaway (aoth-Fox) Der Student von Prag (Tobis) Port Arthur (Tobis) OCTOBER Chojiro Hayashi, star of the Shochiku (Kyoto), signed a contract with the Toho. Plans for shortening performance hours were revealed by the Home Office to theatre people. The reasons given by the Home Office are the improvement of domestic productions, economic use of film, hygienic considerations for the spectators. A discussion was held between the authorities and theatre business representatives. German-Japanese Cultural Film Exchange Agreement was formally signed by Dr. Lehnig of the Propaganda Ministry of Germany and Viscount Sukekuni Soga, President of the International Cinema Association of Japan. The News Films Section of the Domei was enlarged, the new prospectus including the production of the Domei Flews, the production of cultural and documentary films based on national principles, and the preparation of propaganda films for export abroad. Part of the Toho Tokyo Studio (Seijo, Setagaya-ku) was burned. * * * * Important films released during October: Hanagata Senshu (Champion Athlete, Shochiku) Mit o Komon Kaiyul^i (Travelogue of Mito Koinon, Nikkatsu) Shinsen-gumi (Toho) Gonza to Su\eju (Gonza and Sukeju, Toho) (imported) Souls at Sea (Paramount) Shall We Dance (RKO) Seventh Heaven (zoth-Fox) L’homme de Nalle Part (Gdndral Production) Verrater (UFA) NOVEMBER Mr. Tom D. Cockrain, Far Eastern General Manager of the Paramount, died. In accordance with the German-Japanese Cultural Film Exchange Agreement, the Germany Cinema Academy and JapanGerman Society held a joint exhibition of films on November 11, at Gloria Palace in Berlin. The Japanese films shown were A Glimpse of Japan, The Primary Schools in Japan and Kojo no Tsu\ 1 (The Moon Over the Ruins). Construction of large theatres was prohibited by the Emergency Construction Act, which was followed immediately by a series of applications for permit for the building of a maximus capacity 60