Kinematograph year book (1948)

574 The Kinematograph Year Book. EIRE 1^0 specific department deals with the ■Ljl Industry. The Revenue Commission deals with import duties and entertainment tax. Department of Justice is responsible for censorship. Department of Local Government deals with licences, and the Department of Industry and Commerce deals with building and erection licences. Number of kinemas : 35mm., 324 (mobile, 5) ; 16mm., 70 (mobile, 8). Principal circuits are : Odeon (Ireland), Ltd. (15) ; Capitol and Allied (7) ; McNally Cinemas (9). Among exhibitors who have interests in a number of kinemas and are registered as a separate company are : the Ging family, who have four in Dublin, Maurice Baum (five), and Cinema and General Publicity, owned by J. Rackow and G. Kirkham (four) ; James J. Kavanagh, of Arklow, has interests in and books for the Ormond Circuit (10), Marten S. Breen, of Waterford (eight), John Egan, of Maryborough (eight), D. McGrath, of Dublin (four). Admission prices : These range from 4d. in country kinemas to 3s. 6d. in Dublin Irish-run theatres. As from January 16, entertainment taxes range from 3d. on a 3d. admission to 6s. on a 4s. ticket. Feature Films shown (including reissues) number 502. Censorship : All films publicly shown must exhibit the Censor's certificate, and the Censor has the right to censor all exploitation material publicly displayed. By law the Censor has the right to grade pictures and to issue limited certificates, but in practice all films are passed for family exhibition standards. Duty on important negatives is 5d. (full) and 3jd. (preferential). On positives, 3d. and 2d. respectively. Full duty is paid on all imported film. Educational film and prints processed abroad by an Eire company are duty free. U.K. and Commonwealth films pay the preferential duty. All films are imported through London and paid for in sterling. There are no studios operating. Hibernia Pictures undertake silent newsreel duties for foreign producers. Their interest shorts are processed and recorded in British studios. — T. J. M. Sheehv. Directory TRADE ORGANISATIONS Theatre and Cinema Association (Ireland), 4-5, Westmoreland Street, Dublin. Telephone : Dublin 22329. Kinematograph Renters' Society, Ltd., Irish Advisory Committee, 34, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Telephone : Dublin 23396.' Irish Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund, 34, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Telephone : Dublin 23396. Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, No. 7 Branch, Theatre and Cinema Trades' Section, 29, Eden Quav, Dublin. Telephone: 74565. DISTRIBUTORS United Artists' Corp., Ltd., 71, Middle Abbev Street, Dublin. Tele. 74820. Warner Bros. Pictures, Ltd., 62, Middle Abbev Street, Dublin. Tele. 739412. 23th Century-Fox Film Co., Ltd., 9b, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 73068 '9. British Lion, Ltd., 9, Eden Quay, Dublin. Tele. 7337i. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Ltd., 9a, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 71781. Paramount Film Services, Ltd., 34, Lower Abbev Street, Dublin. Tele. 75068/9. Radio R.K.O. Pictures, Ltd., 75, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 75169. Columbia Pictures, Ltd., 64, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 72629/30. Pathe Pictures, Ltd., 102, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 73221. Anglo-American Film Corp., Ltd., 75, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 75169. General Film Distributors, Ltd., 93, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 76741/2. Irish International Film Agency, 112, Marlboro' Street. Dublin. Tele. 74573. Cinema and General Publicity, Ltd., 35, Upper Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 21367. Egan Film Services, Ltd., 70, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 71 138. PRODUCERS Hibernia Pictures, Ltd., 2, Upper Mount Street Dublin. (Only possess cameras ; no recording equipment. Undertake newsreel work and background shots for foreign productions. Using English Laboratory facilities, can produce Irish interest shorts.) LEADING KINEMA CIRCUITS Odeon (Ireland), Ltd., Theatre Royal Buildings, Dublin. Tele. 74441. Capitol and Allied Cinemas, Ltd., Princes Street, Dublin. Tele. 21321. McNally Cinemas, 75, Middle Abbev Street, Dublin. Tele. 75169. EQUIPMENT COMPANIES Century Machinery Stores, Ltd., 70, Middle \bbe37 Street, Dublin. Tele. 71432. Walturdaw Cinema Supply Co., Ltd., 112, Marlboro' Street, Dublin. Tele. 74250. GB-Kalee, Ltd., 30, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. 75059. RCA, 34, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Tele. Dublin 73842. FINLAND HPHERE are 460 kinemas in Finland, mostly owned independently, although some of the distributors also control a number of theatres. Between January 1 and November 14, some 271 films were exhibited as follows : U.S.A. 160, U.K. 40, Sweden 25, Russia 18, Finland 13, France 12, Denmark 3. There are four classifications of taxation, the first comprising cultural and educational films (in which incidentally "Bambi" (RKO) was included) as tax free. Other classes are subject to 35 per cent., 40 per cent, and 45 per cent, taxation ; in the latter class are show plays and Wild West subjects. Finish production amounted to 15 films, but are suitable only for local consumption ; indeed Finnish Film Critics Association has refused to make during the past two years its " Oscar " award owing to the poor quality of the product. Finlandia KUVA produce a newsreel. Every film is subject to Board of Censorship (Yaltion Elokuvatarkastamo). 15 films (n U.S.A. and 4 British) were barred in 1947, although all Russian subjects were passed without cuts. 16 mm. outfits are used only for educational purposes. British films are represented, Eagle-Lion by Parvis Filmi O.Y. and Alexander Korda by Suomi Filmi OY. M-G-M, Paramount, RKO and Warners, have their own offices in Helsinki. — SVEN G. WlN'OUIST.