Motion Picture News (Sep - Oct 1926)

October 16 , 1926 1479 French Studios Going at Top Speed Forty-four Productions on Current Schedules; Theatre Receipts for 1925 Showed Substantial Gains Over 1924 UNUSUAL activity in production is reported from Paris, where studios are humming' with production of everj' sort. Recent lists show 11 films completed, 23 in production and 10 more about to start. These include the following: Completed: M. Charles Burg-uet, "Marryre"; M;^ Bruna-Ruby, "La Bonne nioless"; M. Max de Rieux, "La Grande Amie"; M. Gaston Ravel, "Mile. Josette, Ma Femme"; M. Pierre Colombier, "Mots Croises"; M. Jean Durand, "Palaces"; M. Gaston Roudes, "Le Chemin de Gloire"; M. Jean Kemm, a film with Crock, the comedian; M. Alex Nalpas, "La Revue des Folies-Bergere"; MM. Nicolas Rimsky and Roger Lion, "Jim la Houlette, Roi des Voleurs," and MM. Leroy-Cranville and Grantam-Hayes, "Lady Harrington." Films in IVork In production: M. Leonee Pen-et, "La Femme Nue"; M. Abel Gance, "Napoleon"; M. Luit-Morat, "Le Juif-Errant "; Mme. Germaine Dulac, "Antoinette Sabrier"; M. Jean Choux, "La Ten-e Qui Meurt"; M. Jacques Feyder, "Carmen"; Miss Loie Fuller, "Les Ballets Fantastiques"; M. Epstein, "Mauprat"; i\L Marcel Manchez, "La Tournee Farigoul"; M. Marco de Gastyne, "La ]\Lndone des Sleepings"; M. Henri Desfontaines, "Belphegor"; M. Marcel L'Herbier, "Resurrection"; M. Henry Lepage, "Une Aventure de la Rue"; M. Rene Le Somptier, "Le P'tit Parigot"; M. Jean Renoir, "Charleston"; M. Henry Rou.ssell, "L'ile Enchantee"; M. Robert Boudrioz, "Les Louves"; M. Henri Fescourt, "La Glu"; M. Jean Duvivier, "L 'Homme a I'Hispano"; M. Rene Hervil, "Le Bouif Errant"; M. Roger Lion, a film with Dolly Davis; M. Henri Diamant-Berger, "La Rue de la Paix"; M. Raymond Bernard, "Le Joueur d'Echecs." In preparation: M. Rene Clair, "La Proie du Vent"; M. Piei-re Colombier, "Le Pasteur du Palace"; M. Georges Pallu, "PhiPhi"; M. Donatien, "Miss Edith, Duchesse"; M. Le Docteur Markus, "Cheri"; M. Georges Champavert, "Florine"; M. Paul Flon, "Miehe"; M. Alex Nalpas, "Le Chemin de Croix"; M. Gaston Ravel, "Le Roman d'un Jeune Homme Pauvre"; M. Charmeroy, "Renaitre. " 117,443,324 Francs Gross Gross receipts of all motion-picture houses in Paris during 1925 amounted to 117,443,324 francs, a total which was 16,837,249 francs, or 16.73 per cent more than in 1924, when they aggregated 100.606,575 francs, states Trade Commissioner G. R. Canty in a report to the Department of Commerce. Combined State and poor taxes paid by these theatres totaled 25,121,747 francs in 1925, or 21.39 per cent of the total receipts, as against 20,479,416, or 20.35 per cent, in 1924, an increase of 4,642,331 francs, or 22.66 per cent over 1924 figures. For the purpose of comparison, figures are submitted below showing also gross receipts and taxes paid by Theatre Subventionnes (State controlled) theatres, and music-hall and concerts : Theatres Subventionnes : Gross receipts for 19.25 amounted to 37,252,157, as compared with 35,643,837 francs in 1924, an increase during ]925 of 1,608,320 francs, or 4.51 per cent. Total taxes from these receipts were 5,364,332 francs, or 14.40 per cent, in 1925, as against 5,022,930 francs, or 14.10 per cent of the total receipts, during the previous vear, an increase during 1925 of 341,402 francs, or 6.79 per cent. Theatres : Gross receipts of all houses under this classification amounted, in 1925, to 114,461,030 francs, compared with 98,253,251 francs during the preceding year, an increase in 1925 of 16.207,779 fi-ancs, or 16.49 per cent. Taxes paid bv these theatres in 1925 totaled 17,192,3.39 francs, or 15.02 per cent of gross receipts, as against 14,263,022, or 14.51 per cent, during 1924, an inci'ease of 2,929,317 francs, or 20.53 per cent, over 1924 figures. Music-hall and Concerts: The gross receipts for 1925 amounted to 112,706,784 francs, an increase of 18,693,077 francs, or 19.88 per cent over the previous year, when they totaled 94,013,707 francs. Taxes paid totaled 19,241,689 francs, or 17.08 per cent of the total receipts in 1925, as compared with 1.5,79,279 or 16.78 per cent durinsr 1924, an increase in 1925 of 3,462,410 francs, or 21.90 per cent. Only eleven motion-picture bourses of the 157 listed by the Chambre Syndicale Francaise de la Cinematographic as having paid taxes to the State during the vear 1925, showed receipts above the 2,000,000 franc point. They are listed below in the order of their total receipts, showing also their State and poor taxes : Taxes for Taxes for Name Receipts the Poor the State Marivaux ... 6,033,154 440,394 1,182,242 Gaumont Palace .... 4,700,887 345,182 903,906 Cameo (ex Pathe Palace) .. 3,397,184 252,605 618,538 Aubert Palace .... 3,113,227 232 327 5.57,647 Max Linder.. 3,097,902 231,144 5.55,330 Madeleine ... 2,783,909 208,775 489,394 Lutetia 2,656,560 199,694 4.59,934 Omnia 2,480,339 187,112 422,121 Palais des Fetes 2,298,605 174,074 283,812 Tivoli 2,068,243 157.520 335,546 Parisiana . . . 2,005,680 153,111 321,477 The above receipt table is no indication of the relative sizes of the theatres listed, since admission prices vary in most cases. For example, the Gaumont-Palace, which is by far the largest motion-picture house in Paris, finished second to the Marivaux in total receipts for the year, this latter house, which incidentally books all productions of a leading American producing organization for premiere exhibition in France, being the costliest admission-price "movie" house in Paris. U. A. and Minn. Arbitration Board in Dispute Over "Direction to Salesmen" Clause Is the clause "Direction to Salesmen" an enforceable part of the standard exhibition contract? That is the question involved in a case which has resulted in Minneapolis in the forfeiting of arbitration rights by the Minneapolis branch. United Artists. The Minneapolis Joint Arbitration board recently decided that it w^as and ordered the company exchange to give relief to Al Steffes, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of the Northwest, and owner of the Colonial Theatre at Watertown, S.D. Steffes was awarded $300 damages in a dispute over "The Son of the Sheik," for the sale of which United Artists dickered with both Steffes and his competitors, Hess & Rau. The exchange was ordered to comply within 10 days. It has failed to do so, thus forfeiting its standing before the board. The exchange is said to be taking the matter up with New York in an effort to have the verdict set aside. The clause, "Direction to Salesmen" states that a company which has accepted an application for contract from one house will make no further effort to sell the same service to any other exhibitor directly competing with such exhibitor until application so forwarded has been rejected. United Artists contend that, although their own contract accepts the provisions of the standard exhibition contract, it does not include this clause.