The Independent Film Journal (1954)

News From Overseas Sweden • Stockholm. — More than 40 cinemato¬ grapher delegates from Russia, Germany, France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Sweden and the United States, voted on 14 proposals which will fur¬ ther international exchange of film products. A U. S. proposal for the cutting and perforating of 35mm film for use in CinemaScope was adopted; safety film definition and methods of testing were agreed upon and an international procedure for marking safety film was launched. A committee was author¬ ized to draft an international standard on multilingual sound tracks. Seven permanent working groups on wide screen picture standards, film dimensions, screen luminance, reproduction characteristics of magnetic sound, film image area, safety film definition and marking and location and dimensions of magnetic tracks were ap¬ pointed. Axel G. Jensen, chairman of the meetings, said, in closing: “The entire success of the world market for motion pictures rests on in¬ ternational standards.” Germany During 1954 there were 26 color feature films produced in Western Germany as com¬ pared to 15 in 1953, and 107 feature films produced as against 103 during 1953, ac¬ cording to a survey prepared by Nathan D. Golden, director, scientific, motion picture & photographic products division, Department of Commerce. Since Aug. 1, 1953, the Mo¬ tion Picture Credit Guaranty Company has given credit guarantees for a total of 53 features, and is now financing about 25 per¬ cent of Western Germany’s feature produci tion. The company is scheduled to stop operation on December 31 as there is a strong feeling that a permanent and more , i satisfactory method of financing should be 1 found. France The average film rental for U.S. films in France in 1953 was higher than that for films of any other origin, according to a study by the National Film Center in France. According to the study, U.S. films averaged 45.20 percent and French films, 45 percent. The rental normally ranges from 25-50 percent of the net receipts of the com¬ plete program. : Japan Licenses to use Perspecta Stereophonic Sound on all product have been granted to four of Japan’s most important film produc¬ ers, who together account for more than 80 percent of the feature presentations made in that country. The companies are Shochiku, Nikkatsu, Toho and Toei. A fifth producing I company, Daei, is expected to sign up in the near future. Greece The total number of paid admissions in the 1953-54 film year in the Athens and Salonika areas of Greece was the highest on record at 28,993,078 and 6 percent higher than admissions for the previous year, ac¬ cording to a report from the U.S. Dept, of Commerce. However, 1953-54 marked a slight decline for the sixth consecutive year in U.S. participation in the Greek market, from 61.14 percent of films released in 1952-53 to 58.87 in 1953-54. The industry continues to operate with limited capital and technical facilities. Pro¬ duction of full-length feature films during the period June 1953 through April 1954 totaled 21 pictures produced by 14 companies and based on Greek stories. Quality of the picture was considered to be fair. India The Indian motion picture industry is rated third largest in the world, after the U.S. and Japan, according to the U.S. Dept, of Commerce. Employing about 100,000 per¬ sons, the industry constitutes a major seg¬ ment of the Indian economy. The role of the U.S. in the nation’s film trade is signifi¬ cant, with about 70 percent of all imports, 80 percent of imported equipment, and 10 percent of rawstock of U.S. origin. The industry, which produced 274 features in 1954, is plagued by a multiplicity of pro¬ ducers and in 1954 the largest number of features produced by any single producer was five. Perhaps the most serious problem that confronts importers of feature films is censorship, acording to Commerce spokes¬ man Nathan D. Golden. Censorship is the responsibility of the Central Board of Film Censors and standards are strict. They result in serious cutting of foreign films or even the banning of an entire picture. China Only 14 feature-length films were pro¬ duced in Red China during the past year, with the “drastic curtailment of output” caused by Communist requirements that all Chinese films conform with Communist ide¬ ology, according to the U.S. Information Agency. Money , Anyone? Proof that ago cannot wither a good ex¬ ploitation stunt has come from Alabama and Connecticut. For Nat Holt’s RKO release, “Rage At Dawn,” during its engagement at the Empire Theatre, Birmingham, manager Joe Lackey had a pretty model offering 100 crisp new $1 bills for 79 cents. Naturally it took all day for the attractive Miss to find 3 00 individuals not too suspicious to pass up the bargain. Manager Sid Kleper used the same bally¬ hoo stunt for his Loew’s College Theatre, New Haven booking of Columbia’s “5 Against The House” and “Tight Spot.” Kleper sent a pretty girl along the streets of the city offering a silver dollar to anyone who would give her 90 cents in exchange. Even those skeptics who refused received free passes to the Empire and College thea¬ tres. Film Coverage Rises Boston. — Theatre interests here are nego¬ tiating with publishers of the local newspa¬ pers to obtain more space in the amusement pages, requesting more pictorial and editorial coverage, more reviews and interviews with important film personalities. As the result of meetings with top executives of the “Boston Globe,” which has morning, afternoon and Sunday editions, film representation has been increased in size with two-column cuts of stars instead of the former one-column cut. Theatre interests are also pressing for news of radio, TV, legit houses, and summer thea¬ tres to be pushed off the motion picture pages. Other publishers are expected to fol¬ low the cooperative attitude displayed by the “Boston Globe.” Bill Hendricks Named Bill Hendricks, Warner Bros, publicity director, was elected chairman of the studio publicity directors committee of the Associa¬ tion of Motion Picture Producers. Jack Dia¬ mond of Universal-International was named vice-chairman and will succeed Hendricks at the end of the curent term. HONORS ... no foreign film has ever won before! PROFITS.. . to match them! IS SSING 2 ACADEMY AWARDS "BEST FOREIGN FILM" • "BEST COLOR COSTUME DESIGN" "BEST FOREIGN FILM” GRAND PRIX —N.Y. Film Critics Cannes Film Festival, 1954 SCREEN IMPORT Available TODAY! 7th Month! GUILD, N.Y. and VAGABOND, Los Angeles (BROKE ALL RECORDS IN BOTH HOUSES... FOR GROSS AND LENGTH OF RUN!) IT’S THE MOST CELEBRATED MOVIE IMPORT IN A DECADE! "EXQUISITE! AN ABSOLUTE ' MUST'!"-N.Y . Timer EXETER, BOSTON -8 WEEKS! "MOST BEAUTIFUL FILM EVER!" -New Yorker LOOP, CHICAGO — 5 WEEKS! "A PRIZEWINNER IN ANY LANGUAGE!"— New iweek STAGE DOOR, 7 WEEKS; CLAY, 5 WEEKS! SAN FRANCISCO "BEST FILM OF THE YEAR, BAR NO NET-N. Y. Post DUPONT, WASHINGTON — 7 WEEKS! "UNSURPASSED COLOR! ASTONISHINGLY BEAUTIFUL!"— Life Mag "STRICTLY SMASH!" says VARIETY A DAIEI Production in Glorious Eastman Color Produced by MASAICHI NAGATA From the Some Distributer: UGETSU "A MASTERPIECE!"— look AVAILABLE NOW! Directly From EDWARD HARRISON 1501 Broadway, N.Y. 36 • LA. 4-1318 “5UPEAB DRAMATIC ACHIlYF MEWIT'-UJ* THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— June 25, 1955 9