The motion picture almanac (1931)

294 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC 1931 INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION The independent producer in 1931-32 gives every indication of succeeding in a concentrated effort to regain the position he held before the advent of sound placed him in a state of almost complete inactivity, principally by reason of his inability to meet the great cost involved in the production of talking pictures. A total of 192 features, 247 short features and eight serials will be made in the independent field by 22 companies, a survey by Motion Picture Daily shows. Monogram heads the list with 28 features. In the even dozen division are Artclass, Big 4, and the embryonic producing organization planned by M. H. Hoffman and J. G. Bachmann. One of the interesting developments in the independent end of the business is the rapidlygrowing number of organizations which plan to release foreign language talkers in this market. Ufa promises 25 German features and as many shorts. Capital Film Exchange declares it will have 24 in German; First Division three in French, and Judea, six in Yiddish. In addition to schedules definitely set, there are several new companies which are not yet ready to talk. One for instance, intends to specialize in foreign language pictures and may have a limited group of its own theatres coupled with its distribution. Ufa, too, proposes a chain of 30 houses on an exclusive all-German policy. Behind the more healthy condition of the independent and his brighter outlook for the new season are several factors. Practically all independent houses of any importance in the country are now equipped with sound apparatus, and the total is increasing daily; independents' banking interests are looking more favorably on their efforts, and responding more substantially than within the past two years; and the condition of the state rights exchanges, following the last two precarious years, is decidedly on the upgrade. Approximately 30 independent producers will enter the list during the season, including many new units. Among the latter are companies sponsored by: Harry Asher, Boston. M. H. Hoffman. Larry Darmour. M. D. Sikawitt, organizer of Headline Pictures. I. J. Kandel, Ideal Pictures. M. H. Hoffman, Jr., Allied Pictures. Hollywood Productions. Charles Hutchinson. Reed Productions. Liberty Productions. Welshay Pictures. W. Ray Johnston has launched his new Monogram Pictures Corporation. John R. Freuler, president of Big 4, has outlined his most extensive program to date. Others who have planned output more pretentious than ever before are: George Batchellor, Chesterfield. Nat Levine, Mascot. Dave Mountain, Richmont. L. E. Goetz. Bryan Foy. Samuel Cummins. Irving Briskin. Larry Darmour. William Alexander. Congo Pictures. Al Pollock of Hollywood Productions. M. J. Weisfeld will produce six feature films and at least 12 shorts under the Talking Picture Epics banner. Harry Thomas continues with First Division Pictures. Simple Simon Comedies, producing in New York, will offer a comedy short group, continuing from its intial effort late in 1930. Independents' 1931-1932 Plans Company Features Shorts Allied 6 Artclass 12 *2 Associated Cinemas of America, Inc 4 Big 4 12 Capital Film Exchange 24 24 Central Film Co 12 Chadwick 6 Chesterfield 6 Continental 6 Falcon Not set First Division 3 Headline Pictures 4 Hoffman-Bachmann 12 Ideal 24 Judea 6 24 Liberty 4 Mascot *4 Meteor 8 Monogram 28 Pioneer 8 Regal Talking Pictures 1 G. C. Reid 6 12 Simple Simon Comedies 24 Talking Picture Epics 6 12 Ufa 25 25 Visugraphic 26 J. D. Williams 1 World International Pictures.... 4 64 *2 Total 192 247 * Serials. DISC PRINTS DECREASE The industry would save half a million dollars a year by elimination of disc versions of feature pictures, according to an estimate. The figures, from authoritative production sources, are derived on the basis of the usual method of preparing the disc prints of features, which is the re-recording on disc after a film has been completely produced. The cost of recording on the master disc is estimated at about $2,000. Theatre records cost in the neighborhood of $3 per set, and with the addition of express charges and the like on several thousand such records, it is figured the discs, to supply the accounts having only disc equipment, would run to something like $20,000 per film, or $150,000 per year. A survey of the country's theatres, said Motion Picture Herald on May 9, 1931, has resulted in the following figures: Total Sound Equipped Theatres 13,500 Disc Equipped Only 5,042 Sound-on-film and Disc Equipped.. 8,458 The general opinion among both equipment and production men was that the disc was rapidly going out, though a great many of the theatres were equipped with both sound-on-film and disc apparatus, in a combination equipment. One official closely in touch with the equipment situation said there were less than half the number of "disc only" equipped houses there were in the country last year. In the New York State territory, for example, figures indicated a proportion of about five to one of sound-on-film installations to disc. Only one of every 10 contracts, it was estimated, called for a disc attachment. All pictures are made in combination by most of the major companies, with the disc equipped houses for which that form is made, noted as only the smaller theatres. One company official estimated that 2,000 "disc only" accounts in January, 1931, had decreased by May 9 to about 1,500, indicating an average conversion to sound-on-film of 500 in every six months period. He said, however, that, in his opinion, after the final conversion is made, there will still remain some 1,000 to 1,500 small houses which will retain disc until they close their doors for one reason or another. ADVERTISING FILMS British National Film is reported to have concluded negotiations in Germany, France, and Belgium for the international screening of advertising films. According to a statement made by British National, advertising films will have the entree to 2,000 theatres in France, 900 in Germany, and a smaller number in Belgium. This company, which claims distribution throughout India and Ceylon, reports that agreements now held will enable it to show advertising films in approximately 6,000 theatres. Estimating an average audience of 500 with two performances a day, this would mean a daily circulation of 6,000,000. TEN BEST DIRECTORS OF 1929-30 The Film Daily Poll of Newspaper, Trade and Fan Magazine Critics In Order oj Total Votes Received ALFRED E. GREEN ("Disraeli," "Green Goddess," "Man from BlankleyV ) . KING VIDOR ("Hallelujah," "Not So Dumb"). CLARENCE BROWN ("Anna Christie," "Wonder of Women," "Navy Blues"). LIONEL BARRYMORE ("Madame X," "Unholy Night," "His Glorious Night"). ERNST LUBITSCH ("The Love Parade," "Eternal Love") . ROY DEL RUTH ("Desert Song," "Hottentot," "Gold Diggers of Broadway," "The Aviator," "Second Floor Mystery," "Hold Everything"). HERBERT BRENON ("Lummox," "Case of Sergeant Grischa"). JAMES WHALE ("Journey's End"). FRANK LLOYD ("Drag," "Dark Streets." "Young Nowheres," "Son of the Gods"). SIDNEY FRANKLIN ("Last of Mrs. Cheyney," "Devil May Care"). Honorable Mention — David Butler, John Cromwell, Harry Beaumont, Luther Reed, Ludwig Berger, Raoul Walsh, John Ford, Frank Tuttle, Dorothy Arzner, Edmund Goulding. Frank Capra, Hobart Henley, Wesley Ruggles, F. Richard Jones, Alan Crosland, Victor Fleming, Cecil B. DeMille. Frank Borzage, Henry King, Richard Wallace, Michael Curtiz, Bayard Veiller. Robert Z. Leonard, Millard Webb, Alfred Santell, Sam Taylor. TWO BILLION WATTS Two billion watts of electric current! Enough to operate 80,000,000 average-sized lights. Or, 10,000,000 homes. Reduced still farther down the dizzy scale of statistics, this vast annual power consumption of the Radio lot in Hollywood will nightly light a city of 33,300 homes, or of 100,000 population. A mathematical genius — only a genius could do it — might translate this tremendous equation into terms of bread toasters, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. However, this current has a more romantic usage. Under the eye of William Johnson, chief electrician, it feeds into the studio six gigantic generators, turns camera motors, projection machines and lights sets. It takes a lot of power to burn a single incandescent lamp — from 500 to 2500 watts — and there have been times when 300 lamps on a single set were insufficient. Actual power input metered into the studio is actually 2,003,610 kilowatts for the year ending March, 1931 — a kilowatt hour corresponds to 1,000 watts of current measured over a period of an hour. The studio's ranch, near Encino, consumes an annual power consumption of 6,730 kilowatts. Handling this immense power is a man's job. In normal times 150 electricians arc employed. At pcatt times, when production is at its height, 280 operator* arc engaged. The average for the coming year will be about 220 men.