The Film Daily (1938)

Wednesday, November 2, 1938 -m 13 DAILY TECH. BY STANDARD CAMERAS IN 2 YEARS (Continued from Page 1) months for more general purposes, !it '. -A be offering to its customers a ri^ative for use in its present cameras with from three to four times the speed of its present negative." ' Dr. Kalmus, Technicolor's prexy, was presented the 1938 SMPE Progress Award medal at the semiannual banquet last night, and was its fourth recipient. At the same time, the annual SMPE Journal Award was bestowed upon K. S. Gibson of the Bureau of Standards, U. S. Department of Commerce. In his convention appearance yesterday afternoon, Dr. Kalmus presented a paper, "Technicolor Adventures in Cinemaland," in which the organization's history was traced from the production, in 1917, of "The Gulf Between" until today which finds Technicolor holding contracts for approximately 40 features. $15,000,000 for 18 Pix The 18 features to be produced in Technicolor during the last part of 1938 and the first half of 1939 will probably represent a $15,000,000 investment, Dr. Kalmus said. The plant expansion program dictated by the increase in business is "well on its way to completion," he added. Turning to the foreign situation, Dr. Kalmus said: "The foreign situation is becoming increasingly difficult. Sales to Germany, Spain, Japan and China have practically ceased, and in many other foreign countries they are below normal. The Italian Government controls the entire distribution of films in Italy, which probably means that everything possible will be done to distribute Italianmade pictures at the expense of English and American-made pictures. "To cope with the various regulations of censorship, the various languages requiring either superimposed titles or dubbing with new sound track, has for years been difficult enough, but with the more recent quota laws, import duties, exchange difficulties, and especially in the face of the impossibility of getting money out of several foreign countries, to continue in the motion picture business there means adventures in other businesses, possib1" including banking and politics. "The establishment of Technicolor laboratories at various points over the world is a practical necessity, Wilcox Co. Leads in Brit. Film Spending London (By Cable) — Herbert Wilcox's producing company, Imperator, has spent 30 per cent of all the money expended on British production since the new quota act went into effect, according to Wilcox. That's based on an estimate that the entire British expenditure for films in the first five months under the present Films Act was $4,500,000. Imperator has spent $1,175,000 on its post-Quota Act productions. A feature of the domestic checkup is the high percentage of British short subjects registered compared with foreign shorts, the totals being 112 British and 284 foreign shorts. British features for the five months total 39, foreign 168. N. J., Tenn., Pa., Towns to Vote on Sunday Pix Shows Montclair, N. J. — Sunday pix proposition will come up at the general election Nov. 8 "to save the cost of a possible special referendum," as the Town Commission explains it. Sunday pix lost out by a narrow margin in 1935. ITO of W. Va. Postpones Vote on Joining Allied Knoxville, Tenn. — This city will vote on Sunday films at the Nov. 8 election. City council of Lebanon is also moving for a referendum. Latter city has been having Sunday pix for the last three months under American Legion auspices, with 25 per cent of receipts going to a philanthrophy. Pittsburgh — Mt. Lebanon will vote on Sundap movies Nov. 8. "Brother Rat" Runs Ahead Warners' "Brother Rat" is running ahead of the company's "Four Daughters," "Three Men on a Horse" and "Boy Meets Girl" in a number of keys, the home office reported yesterday. Memphis, Washington, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Dayton, and Utica were mentioned specifically. (Continued from Page 1) ing is to be called at the McClure Hotel, Wheeling. This action was taken because of the necessity of immediate action on unfair legislation directed towards theaters. A committee was appointed to work with the West Virginia Theater Managers Asso. to oppose the bill calling for two operators in a booth at all times in every theater in the state; also the 24 hours off with pay for each operator every seventh day. A resolution was unanimously adopted opposing in its entirety the proposed state censorship bill. Yesterday's meeting was followed by a banquet in the American Room of the Waldo Hotel attended by 58 members and guests. "King" Gets Added Time Paramount's "If I Were King" has been held over for additional playing time in its first six prerelease key city engagements, the home office reported yesterday. The national release date on "If I Were King" is November 11. WEDDING BELLS Cleveland — Miss Edith Lyon, secretary to P. L. Tanner of the Film Transit Co. and Al Myers, film messenger, will wed Nov. 12. and despite all these difficulties, definite progress is being made." Plans New Paris Lab. Discussing Technicolor overseas in an interview with The Film Daily, Dr. Kalmus said that the British company's business is "increasing very rapidly." "Plans for new foreign labs, remain unsettled," he continued, adding that he plans to go to Europe in January when a Paris plant may be established. It will be similar to that now in operation at West Drayton, London, Dr. Kalmus stated. Overtures for the opening of a plant in Italv have been made, Dr. Kalmus confirmed, but Technicolor has no lab. plans for Russia. The prexy told this correspondent that there were no further details concerning Kodacrome, simplified color process, now available for announcement. Discussing the domestic business, Dr. Kalmus said: "Contracts with major companies all call for several more features, with schedules showing present contracts running one or two years still, with no new contracts or renewals required now." Convention voted to raise dues of associate members from $6 to $7.50, actives from $10 to $15, and reduce fellow's dues from $20 to $15, all annually. New amendment admits active members to holding office for the first time; this formerly was restricted to fellows. Membership increased 100 in the past year, it was announced. The next Spring convention will be held on the Holjywood-Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, April 17-21. The Fall convention was set for the Hotel Pennsylvania, New York City, Oct. 16-19. German Dye Trust Develops New 3-Color Film Process Berlin (By Cable'* — A new threecolor film process, known as Agfa Pantachrome and developed in the laboratories of I. G. Farbenindustrie (German Dye Trust V is attracting intense interest in film circles here. According to well-informed sources, prints made by this process are immediately ready for display in theaters on standard projectors, without anv extra apparatus or punched-up lis-htinsr. Requirements are said to be identical as for blackand-white projection, and the prints carry sound tracks like their noncolor footage. Technical experts locally have voiced their favor of the process, following demonstrations here. STANDARD CONTRACT ASSAILED BY PIZOR (Continued from Page 1) illness Pizor was unable to appear in person. An extremely pessimistic attitude toward present contractual relations was expressed by Pizor who stated that the exhibitor must work under the terms of the distributor since the former has nothing to say as to the contents of the contracts. Pizor said he doubted that the present contract is a contract in the fullest sense. Distributors demand and receive exhorbitant and unfair prices by holding up product and forcing exhibitors to concede everything in order to operate, he charged. Pizor advocated a contract that would call for the distributor furnishing a certain number of pictures at certain terms. The present method, he said, premits distributors to defer release date until the contract with the exhibitor runs out and the distributor then has the right to reallocate pictures to different classifications as to rental. The trade practice conferences thus far have failed to produce complete understanding on contractual relations, Pizor said, adding that the short sightedness of producers and distributors should be blamed for the present deluge of law suits. Fewer legal phrases and more good-will are needed, he said. Previous MPTOA conferences have not produced results, Pizor declared, but he asserted from now on the organization would become a fighting, militant organization. Hearing in Equity Suit Goes Over Till Nov. 10 (Continued from Page 1) industry in the anti-trust action brought against it by the Justice Department. The motion for postponement was made by Assistant U. S. Attorney Miles Lane who told the court that the Government needed more time to answer the demand for the lengthy bill entered by the defendants. Col. William J. Donovan, with Otto Doering, Jr., represented the defendants at yesterday's deferred hearing. The anti-trust action was characterized by the court clerk as The People of the United States vs. Paramount Pictures, et al. H. L. Booth Hospitalized Cincinnati — H. L Booth, GB's manager, is confined to the hospital here for a week of rest and observation. STORKS! Kenneth Cof od of March of Time's production staff is the father of a son, born Oct. 28 at the Jamaica Hospital.