FilmIndia (1946)

July, 1946 FILMINDI A What about our film people? What are they doing for our Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru? Haven't we already forgotten Bhulabhai Desai? And he was worth a memory in celluloid. DON'T FAINT Warner Brothers paid Film-actor Charles Boyer 207,500 dollars last year (nearly 7 lakhs of rupees) Michael Curtiz, the director, earned 203,759 dollars (about Rs. 7 lakhs and third place was taken by film-actor Errol Flynn with 184,000 dollars. What did Warners earn? INDIA'S TURN? At an estimated cost of 4,000,000 dollars (just a crore and 20 lakhs of rupees), 20th Century-Fox are constructing a film studio in London. Six modern stages are planned with 125,000 square feet of floor space and the latest equip ment will be installed. Production will start within 18 months and during the first year nearly 8 musicals in colour are expected to be produced. Yanks have already cut down 3000 miles from their journey to India. THE YANKEE TOUCH Through General MacArthur, the Scottish descendant of King Arthur perhaps, the new ruler of Japan, the Yankees have started the scientific process of degenerating the Yellow Race. The first screen kiss has been filmed for the first time in the national history of the Japs. The kiss is a daring and a dangerous thing in Japan — rather it used to be but not now with Mac's dough boys slinging them around in plenty and throwing the remaining on the nonsmelling national chrysanthemums Filming the first historic kiss needed the patience of Job and Jap director Tadao Tanaka is never likely to forget the event. At first, the male lead wouldn't shovr up and then the feminine one started getting giggles. For hours, the kiss held up all studio work but the Jap director had himself practised it well in Yankee land and ultimately got it delivered on the celluloid. Now from Hirohito to the three monkeys on the Jap matchboxes, all are waiting to explode when the picture, "Janamuko Sodo Ki" (Diary of a Bridegroom's Trouble) is released for the public. SPREADING TENTACLES From Cairo comes the news that Robert Schless, the Paramount manager for Continental Europe, has been nosing round in Egypt and Palestine, looking out for sites to build cinemas for the American owned Paramount Pictures. At a Cairo plant they will either dub or subtitle Yankee films in French and Arabic but they modestly explain: "This will save a good deal of wasted time and help local industry in spite of the fact that the cost will be higher". How altruistic! COMING NEARER Another report of affectionate altruism comes from New Zealand where the Arthur Rank Group has obtained an interest in 100 theafcres. This is an arrangement in co-operation with Robert Kerridge who was controlling a big chain of theatres in New Zealand. The Rank organization has been busy making plans in Egypt and Sudan. R.C.A.— R.K.O. TD3-UP The Radio Corporation of America (R.C.AJ and the R.K.O. Radio have signed a ten-year film recording agreement whereby R. K.O. Radio will continuously use R.C.A. recording system for their productions as also to record and distribute sound films for use in television broadcasting. GOOD-BYE BERRY! Noah Berry, 62, brother of Wallace Berry, died of heart attack in early April at his brother's home in Hollywood. Stage and screen artiste, Noah made his first professional appearance as a singer and worked up his way gradually to become popular all over the world. WELCOME, BRUCE! Charles Bruce Newbery, President of the local "kangaroos", once with the 20th Century-Fox and the man who pioneered the Indian News Parade, is back again in India, this time as the Far East representative of the Republic Pictures of America, owned by Herbert Yates. Bruce Newbery is a popular distributor, knowing well how to get along in this country. 63