Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

November 23, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 51 THE EXPORT MARKET Sound Motion Pictures in Europe Comprehensively and authoritatively showing the status of sound in Europe as revealed in reports from trade representatives of the U. S. Department of Commerce* By NATHAN D. GOLDEN Assistant Chief, Motion Picture Division, U. S. Department of Commerce THE advent of sound pictures has given rise to many conjectures as to how American-made sound and talking pictures are being received in foreign countries, how the "talkie" will effect our export markets, and how the language problems abroad will be solved. An attempt to answer these questions is the purpose of this paper. Before going into that phase of the subject, however, it might be well to give you an idea of our exports for the first six months of 1929 and the corresponding period for 1928. During the first six-month period for 1929, exports of American motion pictures to all countries amounted to over 121,000,000 linear feet as compared to 112,000,000 linear feet in 1928. This increase of over 9,000,000 linear feet of American motion pictures, indicates pretty fairly, that sound or talking pictures have not curtailed our exports in this commodity, at least not up to the present time. My first observation is that Europe still remains our most important market and offers the greatest potentialities for sound and dialog films, dependent, of course, upon the rapidity of sound installations. Such installations have not been made as commonly as might have been expected, owing to the fact that European theatre owners are confronted with the financial burden necessary for installing the required apparatus. Relief along this line seems to be approaching, with the recent announcement by certain large American electric companies of a smaller apparatus and facilities for the financing of it. This smaller apparatus, comparable with the best makes in Europe, will serve well in the smaller theatres which literally dot Europe. With approximately 27,000 theatres in Europe seating about 12,000,000 people, only 19 have a seating capacity of over 3,000 ; 23 seat from 2,'500 to 3,000; only 84 have from 2,000 to 2,500 seats ; 267 have a seating capac I ity from 1,500 to 2,000 and 1,250 from 1,000 to 1,500 seats each. There are more than 18,000 theatres (a good proportion of which barely qualifv as motion picture theatres) with j less than 500 seats each. The average cinema capacity in Europe is less than 480. Let us now discuss briefly sound film conditions in the more important European markets, beginning with Germany, where the more technical aspects of sound film production has received more attention than the others. The first German sound film appeared in Germany seven years ago as an experiment. Three vears ago, the Tri-Ergon system was much snoken of, but owing to lack of German capital, its company was compelled to exploit the patents in Switzerland. Only in 1928, spurred bv the increasing success of American sound film activities. Mid Germany turn to furtherins-. organizing and financing its domestic sound film industrv. The TonbildSyndikat A. G. (Tobis) was then established. The Tonbild-Syndikat was later joined by a number .of smaller companies holding various sound patents; then the leading German electric concerns — A. E. G. and SiemensHalske, which had worked out a number of useful processes and had even produced some experimental pictures — entered into action. Together with Polyphon-Werke A. G., they founded the Klangfilm G. M. B. H. After several months of competition and patent war, Tobis and Klangfilm joined their interests, Klangfilm dealing with the production and sale of reproduction apparatus under the patent of A. E. G. and Siemens, and Tobis producing recording apparatus under its own patents (of which it possesses about 500) and awarding licenses for the production of sound pictures. It has already signed a contract to this effect with the UFA, and is preparing to exploit the same licenses in other German speaking countries. The German sound film production was actually started April 8, 1929, when an important contract was signed between Klangfilm and UFA. Under this contract, Klangfilm-Tobis is to furnish recording equipment for four large sound studios, which are being built by the UFA in Neubabelsberg (Berlin). _ U F A is now producing its first sound film in the Klangfilm studios, and it is planning to release 22 "talkies" during the 1929-30 season, under the Klangfilm system. It seems that the wiring of theatres is keeping pace with production, for as of May 1, thirty German theatres were ecmipped with Tobis apparatus. The present monthly output of Klangfilm is said to amount to 20 such installations, and it is expected that this output will later reach 80 monthlv. Latest prices announced in Germany for Klangfilm-Tobis sound apparatus for theatres, run from approximately $3,200 to $15,000, according to the size of the installation. Of the 5,200 German motion picture theatres, only a few are large enough to install talking picture equipment at the present time. Itmay be roughly estimated that 193 theatres with seating capacities over 1,000, and approximated 700 theatres with seating capacities from 500 to 1,000, offer an early market for reproducing apparatus. One American company had installed its apparatus in five Berlin theatres, but a permanent injunction handed down against it forced the withdrawal of this apparatus and of the company in question from the German market. However, negotiations are in progress between German and American electrical concerns to bring about a combine which will end all patent suits of the parties concerned. German feature film production has slumped *This article by Mr. Golden was originally a paper read before the Society of Motion Picture Engineers at its meeting this fall in Toronto. badly in recent months. This is due to the German inability, so far, to turn out sound films, and the native industry's fear to produce too many silent films. Exhibitor demand is irregular, and spot-booking is sought more now than formerly, since cinema owners are afraid to contract too far in advance for silent production. Feature imports are also necessarily lower than last year, because of the "kontingent" limitations. But while some slump was due in view of the sound film departure, a general depression was in no way expected. During the year from July 1, 1928 to June 30, 1929, the German sound film industry produced and submitted to censorship, 75 sound pictures totaling 17,814 meters in length, making the average length of each sound picture about 235 meters, which comprised short speeches, musical scenes — and similar sound experiments. During the same period, two foreign sound features and three shorts were censored in Germanv. The production industry is at present in a state of defense aeainst any foreign "talkie" invasion. The producer is today faced with lack of capital ; and because of the "talkies," the possibility of marketing German films abroad, especially in England and America, has almost collapsed. German producers are losing no time, however, in solving the language problem. One producer in cooperation with an English company, is now producing a bi-lingual "talkie" in England. Much space is devoted by the German press to the question of sound film censorship in so far as sound shorts are concerned. Sound features are subject to contingent regulations and are treated as silent films. A number of American sound shorts have already been brought on the German market without any import restrictions. One American company, however, has recently registered 20 more short sound pictures to be imported into Germany; but since the foreign trade committee claims that the existing regulations do not include provisions for sound shorts, it has refused to grant an import permit for them. At present, there is under consideration by the German government, a proposal to establish a special contingent for talking pictures. The proposal is drastic; it will allow the importation of only one foreign "talkie" to every German "talkie" shown. Moreover, the Reicharat, the governing committee representing the German states, has recently adopted new amendments to the German cinema law. Although these amendments are contrary to the ruling of German courts, they subject all dialog of sound film to censorship. All pictures disparaging Germany abroad will be banned for exhibition, even if the German censors have passed the picture after deleting the objectionable scenes. It is not likely that all the new rules will