The Film Daily (1924)

THE Wednesday, July 30, 1924 -c^an DAILY Developments In Foreign Markets Active On "Ben Hur" Circus Maximus Set to Be 10 Stories High — Must Beat November Rains (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Rome — One of the gigantic tasks facing Fred Niblo who has now been assigned production of "Ben Hur" involves the building of the Circus Maximus set. Plans call for a structure equivalent in height to a ten story building. It will be equally imposing in its other dimensions. The question of peopling this set with extras is important. It will be recalled that it was in the Circus Maximus that the famous chariot race and other games were held. The number of extras required will be little short of staggering. It might well be imagined what this cost would be to the producer at $5 a day in America. The relatively low standard of wages in Italy is one of the important reasons why the picture is being made here, rather than in Hollywood. Schenck On Long Runs Sees Need for Greater Output of Better Pictures to Supply Top-Notch Theaters (Special to THE FILM' DAILY) London — Under "Long Shots," Kine Weekly publishes this: "Joseph M. Schenck announces that Hollywood will have to increase its production of pictures to keep pace with the demand created by the rapid building of high-class theaters in the United States. This increase, however, must be in high class work and not the usual machine piade output. He points out that there are 115 houses in the country costing between $500,000 and $2,000,000 each, and these must be provided with high class long run features. Hollywood, he says, is only turning out about twenty first-class features yearly, and only five or six of these have a chance of long runs. Among the pictures, he states, some 9,000 are running from six to seven days a week, 1,550 from four to five days, and 4,600 from one Ito three days." Prices Up in Germany (.special to THE FILM DAILY) Berlin — It is estimated that the cost of production in Germany is at present fifty per cent higher than in America, despite the fluctuations of the mark. Many German producers are making pictures in other countries. America's Quota 73% Dominates German Market With That Percentage of Total Imports in One Year (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Berlin — The lead held by American films in the German market is well known. It might be interesting, however, to note the figures covering importations into Germany under the "kontingent." For the year ending April 1, a total of 848,752 ft. were brought in. Of that total, there were 251 individual American films, with a total footage of 620,356, or seventythree per cent of the entire importation. The closest rival was Italy with seventeen pictures, and a footage of 68,384. . ., The permits were distributed as loliovvs: Country of Origin Approx. Footage I American, 251 620,356 ft. Italian, 17 68,384 ft. French, 9 46,579 ft. Danish, 11 39,484 ft. Austrian, 6 22,569 ft. Swedish, 4 17,754 ft. British, 3 .' 14,533 ft. Dutch, 3 12,132 ft. Hungarian, 3 7,957 ft. For the month of May, under the new permits, the standing was as follows : Country of Origin Approx. Footage American, 83 214,088 ft French, 6 26,741 ft. Italian, 3 13,116 ft. Swedish, 3 12,427 ft. British, 3 12,446 ft. Danish, 2 8,743 ft. Spanish, 1 4,729 ft. Austrian, 1 2,473 ft. Corunna Has Four Houses (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Washington — Consul Fred C. Sla ter, writing from Corunna, Spain, to the Department of Commerce, declares there are only four theaters in that town of 75,000. Chromos Trading Company 1123 Broadway MAY WE PLACE BEFORE YOU THE RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL OF THIS ORGANIZATION FOR THE PROMOTION AND FINANCING OF SOUND PROPOSITIONS. WE KNOW EVERY PHASE OF THE MOTION PICTURE BUSINESS. Interviews in Confidence with No Obligation Whatever Watkins 4522 Suiie 1207-8 Films In Canton Only Six Houses There — Unsettled Conditions Retard Growth of Business (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Washington — In the city of Canton, China, with a population of over 1,000,000, there are only six picture houses. These have a combined seating capacity of 4,200. Vice Consul M. M. Hamilton at Canton has submitted an interesting report to the Department of Commerce, published in "Commerce Reports." He says, in part: "Unsettled conditions have tended to retard the development of the industry, but there is no doubt that it is expanding. The Chinese like picture shows_ and make an enthusiastic and appreciative audience. "Shows are given every afternoon and evening, the films being changed twice a week. The best demand seems to be for comic pictures and for serial shows depicting life in the American Wild West. "There are four classes of seats in most of the theaters. The charge for admission ranges from 10c to 50c. Private arrangements for renting films from Hongkong and Shanghai are made by the theaters themselves, there being no brokerage agency or commission house at Canton which specializes in this industry. The theaters operated by the Sun Co. and by the Sincere Co., two large department stores at Canton, obtain films through the Hongkong offices of their respective companies. Practically all of the films are American. "The idea of advertising through the medium of moving pictures has gained a foothold among the Cantonese. Before the show begins and between films and during intermissions screens of advertising matter are flashed before the audience. "The Chinese is fond of this form of amusement, and now that he has become accustomed to it, indications point to an expansion of the industry. Potential possibilities are great and American concerns are advised to keep in touch with the situation, even though present business is small." Atmosphere (Special to THE FILM DAILY) L o n d o n — English papers quote Marshall Neilan as saying Metro-Goldwyn plans to send as many of its directors as possible to Europe to absorb atmosphere. The process will occur yearly. Building In Rio Four Houses Going Up There — Paramount Opens New Branches in Brazil Four new theaters are either completed or in course of construction in Rio de Janeiro which has been badly in need of larger and better houses, according to John L. Day, Paramount's South American representative, who is now here. "These houses", said Day yesterday, "will seat from 1200 to 4000 each and will add tremendously to the industry's prestige in the captial. The world-wide increase in the price of the more important food commodities will be of immeasurable benefit to Brazil and Argentina and there is no reason wiiy these two countries should not show a great increase in business during the coming year". Five new Paramount offices have been opened there at Recife, Juiz de Fora, Rebreirao Preto, Porto Algere and Botucatu. I. V. T. A. Buys Arrow Product South Africa Films, Ltd., (I. V. T. A.) has contracted for the 26 Arrow "Great Westerns" and the four "Pinto Pete" productions for South Africa. New York Chictfo Hollywo«4 Rothacker Laboratories WILLIAM S. GILL, EMtcn Sdct Mgr542 Fifth Ave. Tel. Mnrray Hill 1831 COMING SOON ^£2^32^:^ PRODUCERS DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION ^£~2 VELCOME stranger: ysoM rue c«Mr Broadway play by AARON HOFFMAN JA»tS VOUNO ^*rf^i*A*^^k^fcAAMh BELASCO PRODUCTION FLORENCE VIOOR, DORE DAVIDSON, VIRGINIA BROWN fAIRE, NOAH BEEfty LLOVD HUGHES, ROBERT EDESON, WILLIAM V. MONO, j»i OTIS HAR.LAN oiBtcrto ty JAMIS UOOHQ fl^^,^^^.—,^^^^^'.^^^^^.P,^\^^Kf^^J_\J^'KF_^J^KM \^ X^ ^j ^_y nm ■_■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■» m^ n^r*^ I