The film daily year book of motion pictures (1925)

however, of the present and near future for this class of goods is limited. (Assistant Trade Commissioner John H. Nelson, Shanghai, Jan. 28, 1924. Canton Vice-Consul M. M. Hamilton reports: Canton, with a population of over 1,000,000. has only six picture houses. These have a combined seating capacity of 4,200. There are four classes of seats in most of the theaters . The charge for admission ranges from 10c to SOc. 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. DENMARK Commercial Attache C. F. Herring, Berlin, reports that business men in north European countries, chiefly in Scandinavia, announced through the medium of the Berlin "Boersen Zeitung" that they contemplate forming a huge film corporation to take over large motion picture theaters, in the Scandinavian and other lands of north Europe. The new corporation proposes to maintain a chain of theaters in several of these countries, in some cases act as distributor for outside concerns. Their home office and central operating organization, staff and studios are being established in Copenhagen. GERMANY By Vice Consul William E. Lane, Cologne. Endeavors are being made to gain for Cologne as a film-manufacturing center for western Germany the same importance as Berlin and Munich enjoy in the motion-picture industry. There have already been founded in the Rhenish metropolis of Cologne several companies which are partly affiliated with the Berlin film industry. It is hoped by these companies that the prominent artists and architects of western Germany will be induced to devote themselves to the motion-picture production which is about to be undertaken. To promote the further development of the film industry in the occupied territory, first-class film printing works are planned by which the western German film industry will be made more inde pendent. New Strength Would Be Given to Film Industry The building up of the western German film center at Cologne will give new life and new ideas to the German film, as has been exempli fied by the growing film industry at Munich. The first step has been taken toward further development of the film industry in western Germany by the centralization of the film-renting system for western Germany at Cologne and Duessel dorf and the new branches for reprsentative Gef^ man film enterprises. The Gevaert Raw-Film Factory of Belgium origin, which is well known for its first-class manufacturers, has likewise established its agency at Cologne, thereby abolish ing a monopoly which existed heretofore between German firms in the raw-film industry. Cologne has developed into a very important trade and industrial center, and because of its very good international traffic center, it is an outlet for the exportation of films. Great hopes are en tertained by the companies that the development of the western German film industry will progress rapidly. The great number of moving-picture theaters in Cologne are filled to overflowing at each performance, in spite of high admission fees, ranging from 1 to 3 gold marks. Great interest has been shown in American films, regardless of the heavy German internal tax and the import duties imposed by the French occupational authorities on films imported into the occupied territory. — April 17, 1924. April 28, he reported: Endeavors are being made to gain for Cologne as a film-manufacturing center for western Germany the same importance as Berlin and Munich enjoy in the motion-picture industry. Corporation to Be Established Commercial Aattache C. E. Herring, of Berlin, reported : A large film corporation, with a capital of £ 200,000. is to be established to take over moving picture theaters in Northern Europe, parti cularly in Scandinavia .according to the Boersenzeitung. The company proposes to maintain a chain of theaters in several countries and to produce films on its own account. The central organiation is established in Copenhagen. It is understood that the Stinnes family are interested in the venture. — October 6. By Consul Rudolf E. Schoenfeld, Berlin. Motion pictures in Germany are enjoying runs of many weeks and the larger ones are being run through successive months. Lack of good films and not their appeal to the fans is given as the reason for the long runs. Germany s production of films has been waning steadily since 1921. in 1922 the total output was 1.221.280 meters or roundly 35 per cent of the 1921 production B 1923, the production had dwindled to but //i,/Bi meters. The large producers suffered the greates loss in the outnut during 1923 owing to the consistent effort to produce films of high quality with insufficient funds. The medium size producer, firms with an annul outout of 5.000 to 10,000 meters were more successful in maintaining production. In contrast with both large and medium size producers, the small producers increased their output Owing to import restrictions, the market at the present time holds no allurement for American producers. It is believed, however, that the popularity of American films in Germany will react to our favor with the improvement of economic conditions. The Dawes Plan and Pictures Washington— Discussing the effect of the Dawes nlan on Germany in September, Warren L. Hoagland Chief of the Specialties Division of the Department of Commerce, declares that production now is declining steadily. He blames this on the internal condition of the Reich and, in part, declares: "In 1922 the total output was 1,221,280 meters, or roundly, thirty-five per cent of the 1921 output: in 1923 the situation had become even worse, production dwindling to but 775,783 meters. The early part of the current year showed symptoms of revival in production, but the tendency toward improvement was quickly checked by the general business depression that has since become apparent throughout Germany. "The large producers suffered the greatest loss in output during 1923. This was partly due to a consistent effort to produce films of high quality, but lack of funds was the main factor in keep ing down production The output of the film producers of this class, which includes firms with a production in excess of 10, OCA meters annually, totaled but 157,991 meters in 1923, as against 529,769 meters in 1922, a loss of 371,788 meters, or seventy per cent. "The medium sized producers, which means the firms with an output between 5,000 and 10,000 meters annually, were more successful in mantaining production. Film produced by such concerns amounted to 207,669 meters in 1922 and to 180. 589 meters in 1923 — hence a decline in 1923 of seven per cent." 653