Year book of motion pictures (1930)

Copyright Relations— Established by Presidential Proclamation April 15, 1892, extended April 9, 1910; Dec. 8, 1910 and May 25, 1922. Production — Approximately 220 pictures were produced in Germany in 1929 as compared with about 181 the previous year. Ufa, as in past years, led in amount of product with 20 films scheduled. Hegewald came next with 18 in its program. Twelve of Ufa's product is listed as sound pictures, each with a silent version, and eight silent films. International Agreements — Germany has lead the way in international agreements, both for the joint production of feature films and for a reciprocal distribution of product. New agreements were made or old ones developed between Germany on the one hand and leading companies of Italy, France, Austria, Russia, or Great Britain on the other. Nevertheless, all these steps in the direction of interdependency of the foremost European film companies have shown very little fruit so far. They auger well for credit purposes and for further assured distribution of product, but in most cases the contracts involved are so unequal that renewals over any considerable time by the same parties would seem to be out of the q»estion. Despite all this, European working agreements among the more substantial companies both on the Continent and in Great Britain could do much toward solving many of the problems at hand, the chief of which is the mobilization of capital. The following is a list of reported coalitions affecting German companies during 1928: Ufa (Universum Film A. G.) with Gaumont British of Great Britain and with L. U. C. E. of Italy. Terra Film A. G. with F. B. O., of Great Britain (Gaumont subsidiary) with Ideal Films of Great Britain (Gaumont British unit) ; with Cineromans of France ; and with Pittaluga of Italy. Sudfilm A. G. with British International and with Sascha. of Austria. National Film A. G. with an American company. Fellner & Somlo with VV. & F. of Great Britain (Gaumont British unit). Ostrer (Emelka) with Gainsborough Pictures of Great Britain (Gaumont British subsidiary). Lupu Pick with Blattner Corporation of Great Britain. Meisster & Gloria with British & Foreign of Great Britain. Klangfilm (Siemens & Halske and A. E. G. Subsidiary) with British Phototone of Great Britain. Taxes — It has often been said that the entertainment tax, created by German regulations of July 10, 1926, takes 40,000,000 marks annually from the German industry. (The city of Berlin alone collects annually from its motion picture theaters as entertainment tax about 6,000,000 marks). This, of course, is a reatively enormous sum to the industry. As a consequence, the Spitzen-organization, a centralized film body, worked increasingly throughout the year to secure a reduction in the entertainment tax rate. Despite an uphill struggle, it claims to have sufficient supporters in the Reichstag to give this movement considerable impetus during 1929. This tax, said to approximate 15 per cent of the gross receipts, is probably one reason for the so-called high admission prices to motion picture theaters in Germany, although the tax itself is usually absorbed by the film renter. Yet the average admission price to the motion picture theater— 90 pfennigs and in the whole of Germany 75 pfennigs — would unquestionably be decreased with a favorable adjustment of the entertainment tax. Frequently when the feature film has been qualified by the censors as of "high educational merit," the theater showing it is given a "tax free" status for the period of the exhibition. Theaters — 5,266. 195 theaters seat over 1,000; 700 theaters seat from 500 to 1,000; remainder under 500 seats. So far as is known, no foreign company con trols a single first run theater in Germany. This is indicative of the film renting power of the German companies and the real weakness of the American situation. It is very likely the complete absence of American first run direction which has made Germany the hardest market in Europe for the distribution of American films. Some American companies have ironclad agreements assuring their product certain first run playing time in Germany, but, this arrangement is far from being as satisfactory as controlling first runs themselves, as the numerous problems confronting the American distributors indicate. Sound — Due to the court ruling holding up American sound film activity — the sales of recording and reproducing apparatus, and the exhibition of American sound films in German wired cinemas has given the German sound film interests the field entirely to themselves. The resumption of American efforts seem to hinge on an overruling of the court decision or on an agreement with the holders of the basic sound film patents in question. Meanwhile with no foreign-sound-film exhibitions in Germany the domestic industry is trying to take advantage of the lack of foreign competition by turning out sound films made with local recording equipment. The Ufa Company is reported to have finished the first of its announced program of sound films. This was made with Klangfilm apparatus, and is alleged to have been made in three languages — German, French and English, thus indicating the German view of the necessity of exporting sound films if possible profit is to be registered. German court action has cost American film interests considerable money, since the few sound films from American sources that had already been shown had won the approbation of the German press and the cinema-going public, and an optimistic view of the success of others that were awaiting exhibition was evident. Imports from U. S. A. — 1928— 11,219,271 ft.; value $425,433. 1929 — 11,532,705 ft.; value $354,501. (First 9 Months). Exports to U. S. A. — 1928— 1,772,447 ft.; value $73,508. 1929— 991,308 ft.; value $28,480. (First 9 Months). PRODUCERS BERLIN Aafa-Film A. G., SW. 48, Friedrichstrasse 223. Abel-Production, Alfred, Halensee, Kurfurstendamm 74. Achsel, Willy & Co., SW. 48, Friedrichstrasse 238. Aco-Film, SW. 48, Friedrichstrasse 37. Aktiengesellschaft fur Filmvertrieb, Halensee, Kurfurstendamm 157/158. Aktualitaten-Film, SW. 48, Friedrichstrasse 22. Albani-Film, Wilmersdorf, Kaiserallee 172. Albatros-Film Co., W. 50, Achenbachstr. 3. Albertini-Produktion, Charlottenburg, Westend Allee 7.1. Allgemeine Film Union, Haeusler & Co., Afu, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 238, II. Ama-Film, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 236, IV. American-Film-Comp., Wilmersdorf, Laubenheimer Platz 3. Argo, Transatlantische Film Union, Wilmersdorf, Prinz Regentenstr. 77. Ariel-Film, NW. 7, Unter den Linden 69. Arizona-Film-Produktion, L. Jakob, Halensee, Kurfurstendamm 141. Ariston-Film-Produktion, SW. 48, Hedemannstr. 26. Arnheim-Film, Valy, Schoeneberg, Tragerstr. 5, III. Atlantic-Biinger-Film, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 23. Atlas-Film, Erich Morawsky, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 225. Beck-Patent Radio-Sing-Musikfilm, W. 8, Krausenstr. 69. Beef-Steak Filmgesellschaft, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 236. Bege-Film, Charlottenburg, Droysenstr. 3. Berger-Film, Martin, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 238. Berliner Tonfilm, SW. 48, Friedrichstr. 223. 1021