The motion picture almanac (1932)

216 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC 1932 owned l)y the Communis (municipalities). These theatres played to 1,375,018 people in the period from January-July, 1931, as against 1,469,600 for the same period in 1930. Receipts for the two periods were respectively 1,955,944 crowns and 1,996,050 crowns. The falling off is attributable to the economic depression and a prolonged labor lockout. This latter has now been settled and attendance should increase. About 76 theatres are wired. Taxes are very high and exhibitors are often hard put to it to make both ends meet. V Sweden About 15 features were to have been made in Sweden by the close of the year. Of these Aktiebolaget Svensk Filmindustri is responsible for nine films, several with foreign versions. Aktb Industri och Reklamrilm was to produce two. Aktb Europa Film had completed one film and was working on another. Frederick Anderssons Filmlyra has finished one. Aktb Svensk Ljudfilm was working on one. No distribution figures are yet available for 1931, but the United States will control 65 per cent of the trade, Germany 20 per cent and Sweden 10 per cent. There are approximately 1,100 theatres in Sweden of which 750 are now wired. Admission taxes in Sweden average 15 per cent of the price of tickets. V Finland The Suomi Film was producing three Finnish sound films and in addition two others were being recorded, one in Germany and one in Denmark. Three films were produced in 1930. About 70 per cent of the films distributed come Trom the United States, though films with German dialogue are becoming competitively much stronger. There are about 200 theatres of which 97 are wired. Taxes are high, the amusement tax reaching a peak of 35 per cent. V Spain There have been sporadic attempts to produce films in Spain and quite a few silent features were at one time produced. These, however, have been abandoned w:ith the advent of sound pictures and so far none of these latter have been produced. About 80 per cent of the films shown come from the United States. They comprise such Spanish language versions as American companies have made plus synchronized films and those with superimposed titles. There are about 2,600 regularly functioning theatres in Spain, only 400 of which, however, give daily performances. Approximately 380 are wired. Taxes are high in Spain and this, taken together with the fact that the product as at present shown fails to give complete satisfaction. Theatre receipts will probably be lower for 1931 than for several years past. The HispanoAmerican film congress was held at Madrid from October 2 to 9, 1931, and was attended by delegates from most of the LatinAmerican countries. Its main purpose was to make recommendations towards fostering Spanish-American film production and distribution. Portugal One feature sound film, "Severa," was produced last year in the Tobis Klangfilm studio in Paris. There was also produced one short scenic. For the first five months of the year 243 American films, 95 Portuguese (nearly all shorts), 51 German and 45 French were distributed. There are 405 theatres in Portugal (few first class) of which 36 are wired. Taxes are high in Portugal and a government decree requires the showing of 100 meters of domestically produced films at all theatre showings. V Switzerland Production in Switzerland is entirely industrial and educational. Praesens Film Company of Zurich is the chief producer and was to offer three full length educationals by the end of the year. So far as distribution is concerned, the United States. Germany and France pretty well control the market with Germany gaining. There are about 325 theatres seating 120,000 people and 140 houses are wired. In general 1931 had not been a good film year for Switzerland and many of the exhibitors are in difficulties. The reasons are generally depressed conditions, the fact that children are not allowed to attend the movies and heavy commitments by exhibitors for sound apparatus. V Czechoslovakia Only one film studio in Czechoslovakia is wired, this being the A. B. Akciove Filmove Tovarny. This is fully equipped and during the year 1931 was scheduled to turn out about 15 features A second studio has now been built (Elafilm Akciova Spolecnost), which may turn out an additional five or six features. All told, probably around 20 to 25 features will be the total for last year. The ratio of domestically produced features to those imported was 8.7 per cent in 1 930 and will not run above 1 0 per cent this year. Of foreign films the United States supplies about 50 per cent with 30 per cent from Germany. There are 1,852 theatres listed in Czechoslovakia of which 1,373 are owned by cultural and humanitarian organizations, 219 by municipalities, 128 by organizations for disabled soldiers and 132 by private individuals. Approximately 50,000,000 per year attend these theatres at an average admission of around 9 cents. About 350 theatres are wired. The municipal entertainment tax averages 25 per cent of gross receipts of silent theatres and 35 per cent of sound theatres. It constitutes a heavy burden on exhibitors. On November 11 a decree was published by the Czechoslo vak government effective on that date requiring import permits on all foreign sound films. The price of these imports has not yet been fixed (as of December 8). but it will probably be about 3 cents per meter. The proceeds will be used to subsidize domestic sound film production. V Poland There is a small amount of local production in Poland. Seven features were made in 1930 and three or four so far in 1931. One studio (Syrena in Warsaw) is equipped for sound. About 75 per cent of the films distributed come from the United States, sound pictures in the German or Russian languages not being admitted. It is estimated that there are about 900 theatres, most of them very small, of which about 100 are wired. Taxation of theatre receipts is so high, amounting to around one-third of box office takings, that Warsaw theatre owners declared a strike on June 1. Their demands for a 25 per cent tax reduction in summer and 15 per cent in winter were still in abeyance. V _ Austria There are three film studios in Austria, these being Sascha Film Industrie, Astra and Selenophon. They are equipped with sound, but the first two are in the hands of a receiver. All told, probably not more than five or six domestic features and a few shorts were to be produced. Distribution figures covering the 1930-31 film season (August, 1930, August, 1931) show 115 Gerrhan films as against 70 from the United States. The fact that Austria is a German language country greatly aids German product. There are about 745 theatres in Austria of which 295 are wired. Austria is in the throes of an economic depression which has hit the film industry hard. Exhibitors are finding it difficult to make both ends meet and theatre closings and bankruptcies are frequent. Austria has in force quite complicated regulations governing the importation of foreign films. These are controlled by "Vormerkscheine," each of which has a value of $140. Three are necessary to import a sound film of over 1,500 meters in length (synchronized films without dialog need only 1% " Vormerkscheine") and two for a him 700 to 1,500 meters. These Vormerkscheine are awarded to producers of Austrian sound films at the rate of 21 for each film with eight additional if Austrian sound apparatus is used. A clause in the new regulations, effective, by the way, on July 15, 1931, which gives the German industry a great advantage over the American lies in the awarding of 30 additional Vormerkscheine to each producer who sells abroad one of his productions at not less than 100,000 schillings ($14,000) such Vormerkscheine to be used for the importation of films only from that territory in which the film is sold. Austrian films obviously will be sold almost entirely in Germany. There are a number of other details included in the regulations, but the above are the main provisions. Taxes are high in Austria, reaching as high as 30 per cent of the gross receipts of theatres. V Hungary The newly equipped Hunnia Film Studio owned by the Hungarian Film Fund started operation on April 30. It uses French sound apparatus. So far it has produced a Hungarian feature called "The Blue Idol" which had only moderate success and also German version film, "Ein Auto kein Geld" for the Samek (German). It next was producing "Countess Maritza." Of films distributed about 50 per cent are American, the figures showing 637 American films of all lengths out of a total of 1,257. Germany is the strongest competitor. As of October 1 there were 520 theatres licensed, but only about 300 in actual operation on account of financial and economic conditions. Of these 181 are wired, 103 with sound on film and 78 with sound on disc. A decree (No. 3,080, 1931), effective June 15, requires import certificates costing approximately $175 on all-sound films over 400 meters in length and $35 on sound shorts of less than 400 meters. In addition there are censoring and Film Fund charges, the whole idea being to supply from these charges subsidies for the production of Hungarian films. The Hunnia Film studio is the chief beneficiary of these. In addition, taxes on film theatre receipts are so high as to constitute a considerable handicap on exhibitors. Latvia Film production in Latvia is confined to educationals, news reels and advertising films. In 1930, 125 of these were produced and something over 100 were to be made in 1931. About 55 per cent of the films distributed are from the United States, most of the rest coming from Germany. There are 85 theatres, of which 33 are wired. Latvia assesses a 35 per cent turnover tax on theatres showing sound films. This has been the subject of much complaint on the part of exhibitors. v m Estonia There is no production of sound films in Estonia and so far as is known none is contemplated. Two studios exist, one being Estonia Film at Tallinn and Theodore Luts at Tartu, which produced in 1930 two silent features for local distribution. No features had been made in 1931 to date. About 75 per cent of the films shown in Estonia come from the United States (30 American Sound films and 190 American silents were shown in 1930 as against 20 German sound films and 100 German silents) and these arc handled by 10 distributors who get anywhere from $50 to $1,000 on first-run rentals. There are 83 theatres in Estonia with a combined seating capacity of around 15,000, 33 of which are wired. There are no special government regulations against foreign films, but the whole industry is very heavily taxed. Yugoslavia Aside from a few film laboratories where titles are made, there is no attempt at film production. Since the introduction of talking pictures German films have increased in popularity and will probably constitute over 50 per cent of all the pictures shown. About 40 per cent of the rest will be American films, there are about 362 theatres in Yugoslavia of which 107 are wired. Taxes are very high, reaching as much as 42 per cent of the exhibitors gross receipts. V Rumania There is no feature film production in Rumania. As for distribution Germany, the United States and France control the market, the percentage figures for the market being about 45, 40 and 12 respectively. Due to the relative scarcity of sound product, Rumania is faced by a possible film shortage, there being now less than 300 films available for a market which used to absorb 600 films in silent film days. There are on hand now about 100 German Films, around 65 from the United States and 40 from France. There are around 400 theatres in Rumania with a seating capacity of around 200,000. Approximately 135 of these are equipped for sound. Taxation of theatre receipts is very high and in addition a strict censorship law promulgated on August 19 materially cuts down child attendance. V Bulgaria There is only one studio in Bulgaria, the proprietor of which is Christo Konstantinott. Several silents have been made in the past at this studio, but so far as is known no sound films. Less than 20 per cent of the pictures shown in Bulgaria are of American origin, the bulk on account of language considerations being from German and French studios. There are about 138 theatres in Bulgaria, 35 of which are wired for sound. V Greece There is no production worthy of the name in Greece. As for distribution, American films have lost considerable of their former popularity, their place being taken by German films, especially of the light operetta type, and French films. The reason is that English is little spoken and understood in Greece. There are now about 130 winter theatres (these all close about June 1, their place being taken by openair auditoriums, about 69 of which are wired). Of the winter theatres about 50 are wired. V Turkey There are no motion picture studios as such in Turkey. However, early last year one feature was filmed with the use of improvised sets. Location shots were taken in Athens and Cairo and the company was then taken to Paris where sound shots were made. This film had not yet been released. Before the advent of sound at least 80 per cent of th* films shown were of American origin, but their place has now been taken by French films, the language of which are more readily understood by the Turks. So in 1931 about 70 per cent of the pictures came from France with 15 per cent each from France and Germany. There are about 90 active theatres in the country of which 23 are wired. There is an amusement tax in Turkey which runs as high as 30 per cent of the admission. V Mexico There are two studios in Mexico equipped for sound, these being the Empire Productions and the Cia Produetora de Peliculas S. A. So far as is known, no features have yet been produced by these concerns. Nearly all the pictures shown in Mexico come from the United States, showings of American films averaging better than 95 per cent of the total. There are aljout 701 theatres in Mexico of which 51 are in the Federal District. Approximately 212 sound installations have been made, including all but three theatres in the Feder_al District. Taxes are high, remittances of branch offices to the home office are assessed 6 per cent and theatre owners pay 12 per cent of their gross receipts. In addition, certain Mexican states have special forms of taxation. There is a strong official preference for dialogue pictures in the Spanish language. This was expressed in July when import duties on non-Spanish language films were raised by Presidential decree to an almost prohibitive figure (75 pesos for sound on film; 50 pesos per kilo for sound discs). As American companies could not do business at a profit under such conditions no new contracts for the showing of pictures were signed since the decree went in force. As of December 3, however, the decree suspended the application of these new tariffs until April, 1932. V Cuba No studios exist in Cuba for the production of sound films. Of pictures shown at least 98 per cent come from the United States. In general Cubans are satisfied with English dialogue explained by superimposed titles. The reason is that many first-run theatre patrons understand English and even in the second and third runs where English is not well understood, the audiences would rather see a well known star talking English than some one they do not know talking Spanish. Cuba has about 280 theatres of which 207 are wired. Taxes now amount to 2. 3, 5 and 8 cents, according to the scale of admission above 20 cents. There is agitation to change this either to 10 per cent of the gross box office receipts and the entire proceeds for one day each month, this latter to be for the benefit of the unem