The film daily year book of motion pictures (1938)

four of the leading C<Ji»enhagen theaters had only 14, 15, 15 and 19 preniiers respectively owing to the exceptional appeal of the pictures exhibited. During the first 9 months of 1937 one Copenhagen house has had only 4 premiers, a seconfl only 5, and a third and fourth only 8 each. The increased participation of the dotntstic industry also is of interest. One of the Danish films released this year was shown simultaneously by nine of the leading Copenhagen theaters. Other Danish films have had premiers at 6-7 theaters. The domestic films usually have "runs" of several weeks at each theater. These factors possibly explain the drop in the number of features released from 229 in the first nine months of 1936 to 211 for the same period of this year. The erection of new first run theaters tends to counterbalance this trend. Biographical pictures, dancing and singing films, detective stories and gangster films are well received and attract large audiences. As respects the gangster films it is worth mentioning that they create an unfortunate impression of American life. They are also being subjected to an increasingly severe censorship. A few American colored pictures have been exhibited with good results. "Zigeunerprinsessen" (The Gipsy Princess), said to he the first European (English) colored film, was shown in September with success. The critics wrote that "for the first time the eyes were not tired by the color." Sound — Three hundred and forty-eight picture theaters are wired for sound in Denmark. There is little prospect of selling original sound equipment as all Danish cinemas of importance are wired and the few and unimportant theaters still unwired are not potential buyers. Most of the present business is confined to service and replacements and a small business in equipping the new theaters built each year. The type of equipment commonly found in local cinema theaters with less than 500 seats is the Danish "Bofa," manufactured by the firm Bang & Olufsen of Struer, Denmark. Other leading makes are Zeiss Ikon, and American machine, Bauer, A. E.G. and Philips. Three of the five new theaters constructed in 1937 purchased Bang & Olufsen sound equipment while A. E. G. and Bauer machines were installed in the remaining two. Data covering thirteen of the some twenty rebuilt theaters reveals that Bauer equipment was placed in four and A. E. G. machines in a like number while Bang & Olufsen wired three houses and Zeiss Ikon two. Imports from the United States — 1936— Positive Sound 4,331,194 ft. $87,211 Negative Sound 101,752 ft. 1,635 1937 — (First 11 months) Positive Sound 3,350,024 ft. $68,448 Negative Sound 5,494 ft. 273 DISTRIBUTORS AND IMPORTERS COPENHAGEN Aero Film A/S, Frcdenksberggade 25. Atlas Film Company, \'esterport. Bolvig Film A/S, Kampmannsgade 2-4. Columbia Film A/S, Hanimerichsgade 14. Constantin Film A/S, Smallegade 2B. Dansk Film Co. A/S, V. Boulevard 27. Dansk Journal-Film, Raadhusplads 16. Dansk-Svensk Film I/S, Nvgade 3. Elite-Film Europa-Film, Kvaesthusgade 1. Film-Centralen Palladium, V. Boulevard 27. Finlandia-Film, Havnegade 53. Fotorama A/S. Nygade 3. Fox Film A/S, Raadhusplads 16. Gefion Film, Vesterport 20. Floria Film A/S, Frederiksberggade 16. Viggo Hansen, Classensgade 24. Lafontaine-Film, Filippavej 1. Kosmofilm, Lpvstraede 9. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Hanimerichsgade 14. Minerva-Film A/S, Toldbodgade 18. Nordisk Films Kompagni A/S, Frederiksberggade 25. Filmaktieselskabet Nordlys, Vesterport. Panther-Film, Fiolstraede 83. Filmaktieselskabet Paramount, V. Boulevard 29. Rex-Film. .Sankt Peder Filmen, Faelledvej 25. \'ald. Skaarup Film, V. \'oldgade 21. Skandinavisk Film, K0bmagergade 67-69. Teatrenes Filmskontor, Frtderiksberg AUe, 41. Uniterl Artists, Hamnierichsgade 14. Viking-Film. Warner Bros. Fir^^t National Film A/S. Raadliiisplads 16. PRODUCERS COPENHAGEN .\sa Film, Lyiigbj-. Dana-Film, Graabrpdretorv 15. Dansk Film Co. A/S, V. Boulevard 27. Dansk, Journal-Film, Raadhusplads 16. Gefion Film, Vesterport 20. Nordisk Films Kompagni A/S, Frederiksberggade 25. Palladium .\/S. Axelhoig. DOMiNICAN REPUBLIC Legislation — There are no laws or regulations in the Dominican Republic prohibiting or restricting foreign exchange. Neither are there any laws or regulations which give any country a preference over American films. The legislation in force is limited to such as aflfects censorship and taxation, as will be seen under various headings below. Censorship^ — -No records have been kept by the local censorship board of the number of films censored, but it is reported that during the year 1937 only one film has been rejected. This film was known under the Spanish title "Camino de Perdicion" and is understood to have been made by an independent and not well known producer, whose name the censorship commission was unable to supply. The film was declared to be unfit for minors and its exhibition therefore prohibited. In general it may be stated that censorship is not very strict. It is not very well organized and is exercised in a rather capricious manner. While the chief censorship board is a municipal organization, it is understood that the educational authorities (national) also exercise certain censorship rights which are ill-defined and which these authorities are believed to possess by virtue of their general duties to guard over the morals and education of the youth rather than by virtue of any specific law or regulation. Furthermore, in the interior or provincial towns the inspectors t)f public education or instruction are understood to exercise a sort of censorship independently of both the municipal board and the central educational authorities at Ciudad Trujillo. Exhibitors state that these provincial authorities frequently act in an arbitrary manner, but apparently no records are kept of their decisions and the reasons therefor. It was intimated that rejections on the part of the provincial authorities are invariably based on alleged deleterious influence upon the morals of youth. The censorship, as it exists at present, is based on a number of municipal ordinances and perhaps even more on powers that the censorship authorities have arrogated to themselves. However, rejections are so few in number that exhibitors prefer not to consent the decisions of the boards or educational authorities and invariably withdraw the films. Competition — -No exact data regarding the percentage of American and other films are available. Film distributors estimate that at the present time from 75 percent to 80 percent of all films shown are American. The chief competitors, which account for the remainder, are Mexican, Spanish, Argentine and British, in about that order. It is also believed that during the last year or two the j)ercentage of American films shown has declined. This decline is due chiefly to the fact that better Spanish language films have been produced. For years after the advent of the talking film, the cinema-going public of the Dominican Republic greatly preferred American films, because of their superiority. English talking films, with legends in Spanish, were readily accepted. But since the language of the country is Spanish, it is natural that Spanish talkies should he preferred to English, when other features are 1203