The Film Daily (1931)

THE ■c^Hk DAILY Sunday, June 7, 1931 ■ I .id -I Newt From London, P;iri>, Berlin, Sydney, Melbourne and ( (llur I hi i i^n < i iili i FOREIGN MARKETS Happenings in Other Lands of Interest to Producers, Distributors and Others in the U. S. By GEORGE REDDY\ COMEDY PICTURES TOP FRENCH STUDIO SCHEDULES Paris — French producers, having covered that comedies are at the moment more popular than dramas with French theatergoers, are accordingly concentrating on this type of production. In practically every studio in the Pari, territory, at least one comedy vehicle is on the program. "PaBeguin" will be made at the Rue Francoeur studios; "The Golden " and •'The Midnight Man" at the Rue de la Villette plant; A French version of the musical comedy "Mam'zelle Nitouche" is in work at the Billancourt studios; "'La Fine Combine," a farce, is scheduled by Tobis at Epinay; "The Improvised Son" at Haik's Courbevoie studio; "The Young Lady of the Underground" at the Neuilly studios; "The king King," Pathe Joinville; and "The Man in Evening Dress" and "Nothing But the Truth," at the Paramount studios. Societe Jean de Merly will produce a comedy, "Everything Comes Out Well," for Films Osso. Andre Roanne and Suzanne Dehelly have been engaged for the title roles, and Henri Diamant-Berger will direct. Gaumont-Franco Film contemplates production of a musical comedy film at their Nice studios, entitled "Holi days," to be directed by Robert Bou drioz. _ Film University in Paris Paris — Universite Cinematographique, a school for the preparation of aspirants to careers in the motion picture business, has been established here by a prominent French director. The university will conduct daily courses in direction, elocution, make-up, singing and radio transmission. Lectures by authors, journalists, theatrical producers, actors and directors will be given at regular intervals. Czech Wired Theaters Reach Total of 242 Prague — There are now 242 wired cinemas in Czechoslovakia, seating 131,032, according to latest statistics. These are divided as follows: Prague, 48 houses with 20,759 seats, Bohemia, Prague not included, 105 houses with 66,503 seats, Moravia and Silesia, 68 houses with 32,084 seats, Slovakia, 18 houses with 10,073 seats, Russian Karpaths, 3 houses with 1,613 seats. In addition there are two traveling sound-film cinemas and four reproduction equipments installed in projection rooms of distribution firms in Prague, and one in Aussig. The sound film reproduction equipments installed in Czechoslovak cinemas of 16 different makes. Klangfilm is in the lead with 88 equipments; then comes Kinophon with 28 American made 44, Nitzsche with 16, Powerphone with 15, and Belcanto with 13 sets. Six Productions A Year From New British Studio Ealing — A program of six features a year is contemplated by Britone Sound Productions, a new unit with studios here. Tests of the studio equipment are now being made under the supervision of General Manager Kessler Howes, and actual production is scheduled to begin next month. The sound system being employed by Britone. is said to be a new one not yet used by a British studio. New British Charter London — Eccles (Broadway) Theaters, Ltd., has been chartered here Directors are: I'. Ashcroft, R. Allen, J. W, Bimis. J. Gomersall, P. Hamer, C. R. V. Haynes, and E. Shields. All Sound Manchester — The one remaining silent house here, the Majestic, on Whitworth Street, will go over to a sound policy, under management of Walter Stott. New Zealand Conditions Not Very Encouraging Wellington, N. Z. — With exhibitors experiencing the effects of the general economic depression, there is little trade in motion picture equipment in New Zealand. There are no indications that the film hire tax will come up during the present session of Parliament, but the subject may be considered in the next regular session. Increases in imports of film during January and February over the same period last year appear to be encouraging, but it must be remembered that the importation of film is irregular because of the system of contracting for periodical supplies and the more or less sporadic shipments. Pabst Heads German Film Ass'n Berlin — G. W. Pabst, director, has been elected president of the Dacho, trade organization of German film workers, succeeding the late Lupu Pick. Included in the Dacho's membership are film authors, composers, directors, artists and cameramen. Reynolds Heads Showman Films London — H. E. Reynolds has been appointed general manager of Showman Films, Ltd., British distributing organization. The company has moved its offices from 167 Wardour St. to larger premises at 89 Wardour Booking Problems Topic At Rome Film Convention Rome — A committee of four presidents of the chief European countries represented at the International Film Conference being held here, has been elected to discuss measures to avoid such booking difficulties as have occurred in Europe in connection with Chaplin's "City Lights." Other resolutions are reported to have been tabled in committee against the practice of block and blind booking. It was aso decided to attempt establishment of a more trustworthy system of information exchange regarding the successes or failures of so-called super films. One of the various committees acting at the confab recommended the fixing of an international talkie length at 2,500 meters, (about 7,500 feet). John Harlowe Appointed A.R.P. Studio Manager London — ■ Associated Radio Pictures, production company operating under the banner of Associated Talking Pictures-RKO, has announced the appointment of John Harlowe as studio manager of its new plant now in construction at Ealing. Harlowe's various connections in the British industry include B.I.P. and British and Dominions. Paramount Signs British Actor London — Warwick Ward, British actor, has been signed by Paramount to star in the first of a series of four multi-linguals to be produced at Elstree this year. The initial production, "The Man Who Killed," will go into production soon at British and Dominions studios under the direction of Dmitri Buchowetzki. The film will be made in English and German, and possibly in Spanish. New British 3-Color Process London — A new British three-color process, known as the Spicer-Dufay system, was demonstrated here recently at the Royal Society headquarters. Pictures taken by this process may be photographed in the ordinary way, without special apparatus, and projected over all standard equipments, it is claimed. Cost of the color film, it is said, will be slightly higher than black and white. 2,148 FILMS IMPORTED BY AUSTRALIA IN 1930 Sydney— A total of 2,148 films of all classes, including scenic, topical, educational, medical, commercial and dramatic were imported by Australia during 1930, the annual report of Cresswell O'Reilly, Australia's Chief Censor shows. Of these 1,859 were imported fronj the United States, 175 from the United Kingdom, and 114 from other countries. Of the total of 2,148, those passed without eliminations amounted to 1,647; those passed with eliminations 380, and those rejected in the first instance, 121. Feature pictures imported amount to 580 — 525 from America, 50 from the United Kingdom, and 5 from other countries. Of these, 307, or 52.9 per cent, were passed without eliminations; 205, or 35.3 per cent, passed with cuts, and 68, or 11.8 per cent, rejected in the first instance. As far as rejections are concerned, 28 were passed on appeal; 19 reconstructed; 13 brought no appeal; 8 were rejected on appeal; and 21 were absolutely rejected. The number of absolute rejections has steadily decreased from 7.6 per cent in 1927 to 3.6 per cent in 1930, and the aggregate number of pictures imported last year was 784 below 1929, but only 84 below the average of the past five years. Free Sound Apparatus Plan of French Firm Paris — Cinelux, a new sound film firm which will lease apparatus free of charge to exhibitors who contract to show only films rented by the company, has begun operations in France. The concern markets a new film stock known as Ozophone, which is 17 mm. in dimension. Hallamshire Circuit Wiring London — Hallamshire Cinemas, controlling a circuit of six theaters in the Sheffield and Nottingham districts, is shortly to equip the entire group of houses with W. E. sound apparatus. The theaters concerned are the Darnall, Lansdowne, Crookes and Weston, all in Sheffield, and the Victoria and Workshop in Nottinghamshire. French Star for M-G-M Paris — Tramel, popular French comedian, has been signed by M-G-M. He will appear in a French version of an American Feature.