Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1936)

42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD July 18, 1936 NEW CONTRACT PLAN ADOPTED FOR SPAIN Three Leading Exhibitors Commend MGM Plan to Protect First Run Release Dates by HARRY CHAPIN PLUMMER in Barcelona Anticipating the revision of distributor contracts that must result from the agreement to be concluded between the Camara Cinematografica Espahola and the Asociacion de Empresarios de Espectaculos Publicos de Catalunya, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Iberica has incorporated a "release date clause" in its 1936-37 contracts. Corollary to the new clause is a second which stipulates that any reduction in admission price automatically will nullify the privileges and advantages accorded by the first clause which has a special applicability to cinemas in communities having no newspapers and the residents of which are readers of the major metropolitan dailies, such as "La Vanguardia," "La Humanitat" or "El Diluvio," of this city, or "El Heraldo de Madrid," "El Sol" or "A.B.C.," of the national capital. The new contract has a particular value for both distributor and exhibitor, in that •five prints each of a picture featured in Barcelona or Madrid may be simultaneously released — one for the "primer estreno" (first showing) and the other four for towns outside the metropolitan area of each major city but within the circulation reach of the large daily newspapers of both, which have carried the heavily expensive advertising and publicity incidental to the first showing within the city. Two leading exhibitors of Barcelona and one operating two first-class cinemas in important agricultural and industrial centers near this city imparted to Motion Picture Herald their opinions as to the outstanding phases of the latest departure in contracts. "While this clause tends to put the booking in the hands of the distributors," said Don Bartolome Lafarga Carbonell, proprietor of the big Kursaal Cine, in the heart of Barcelona's fashionable Gracia section, "I believe in other respects it will prove to be helpful to us, for it is my understanding that the Metro people have undertaken to include the clause in all their contracts in this city and region. Naturally I could not accept the same clause from all distributors, as it would bring about many simultaneous bookings on the same date, but as I consider Metro to be the basic product in our operation here, I have accepted it." Finds Provision a Protection E. Marce, who heads the Cines Goya and Iris Park, both centrally located in Barcelona, declared: "I am fully in accord with the Metro effort to standardize bookings and to maintain admission price levels. Indeed, I regard the new contract as a definite protection against houses subsequent to mine in picture runs. "I find it neither inconvenient nor inconsistent with my business policies to have my theatres at Badalona and Mataro included in the Metro automatic booking plan," said Joaquin Nicolau, proprietor of the Cine Zorilla, of Badalona, and the Cinema Moderno, of Mataro, "for I realize that the revenue from a picture is in direct relation to its release. This is due to the fact that in the provincial areas outside of Barcelona the press of the metropolis is the only means of sustaining the interest of patrons in a given picture. Therefore, the contract which enables me to show a picture right after its primer estreno in the capital (of Catalunya) affords me a distinct advantage. Naturally, I hope, and I have the fullest confidence, that Metro will not abuse the controlling element this clause allows them. Only by the allotment of the best dates will the clause work to my advantage and continue to do so through seasons to come." Text of Binding Clause The binding clause covering release dates, as translated from the original Spanish, reads as follows : "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Iberica will specify the date of each picture covered by this contract, the exhibitor binding himself to accept such specification. If, for any reason, the cinema fails to project the picture upon the date specified, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Iberica will be at liberty to allot the picture on the specified or the following dates to those houses to which protection or rotation of subsequent exhibition has been accorded ; but it is mutually understood that this does not relieve the exhibitor of cinema ... of the liability of payment for such retarded picture showing on the date specified by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Iberica. "Considering that the nearer a date of release is to the release of a picture in Barcelona the greater will be the box-office results, and, on the other hand, in order to avoid the difficulties arising from the availability of prints, the contracting parties mutually agree that the booking of the pictures specified in this contract be made at a rate of — pictures per — counting from the date of — . "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Iberica reserves to itself the absolute right to specify the titles and the dates, with the necessary preliminary advice covering release dates in Barcelona, the said provincial cinemas being obliged to accept such titles and dates without whatsoever reservation or limitation." The new contract form is unique in motion picture annals in Spain and is regarded as establishing new standards of protection for the individual cinema nearest to the first showing of a feature. Committee Named Enrique Saenz, president of the Asociacion de Empresarios de Espactaculos Publicos de Catalunya, announced that organization's committee to work out with the Camara Cinematografica Espanola the terms of the new pact between the two bodies. The member exhibitors and their theatres are: D. Manual Masmitja, Cine Angora de Calella ; D. Fernando Pascual. Metropol de Barcelona ; D. Modesto Castafie, Astoria, Avenida, Salon Victoria de Barcelona, and D. Jose Montoli, Casino Alianza, Provensals of Barcelona. Senor Saenz is chairman. V Censors Move to Barcelona Mutua, the organization of distributors in Spain has succeeded in obtaining a Government decree restoring the film censorship center to Barcelona. As a result of the move, distributors in the country are expected to realize substantial savings. A The Government arbitration board, acting in the mercantile strike, has denied the de mand of theatre operators that they be relieved of all other work, but has granted them a 10 per cent wage increase. Film interests will appeal the grant, it is understood, when the increase is officially decreed. The appeal is expected to postpone a settlement by six months. A The National Cinematographic Week Committee has awarded first prize to Cifesa, for its production, "Morena Clara." A Columbia has contracted for distribution of the product of Actualities of France, which is maintaining a sound truck in Barcelona and will film at least 25 per cent of its newsreel material in Spain. A MGM bookings for the new season in Spain and Portugal are so nearly complete that the company has abandoned its scheduled sales convention. A Sound in Portugal Statistics just compiled at Lisbon of motion picture theatres and their projection and sound equipment throughout the Republic of Portugal indicate that of a total of 42 first, second and third-run houses in Lisbon, the capital, and in Oporto, the second center in population, ten have American apparatus. Of 135 theatres elsewhere in the country, seventeen have equipment of United States patent or importation from that country. Sound equipments installed and classified by trademarks in all Portuguese cinemas are as follows : Western Electric 5 R.C.A ...22 Klang-Film 26 ZeissIkon 3 Zeiss-Marconi 5 Phillips 25 Bauer 34 Nitzche 7 Imperial Sound System 5 Gravox 6 Kino-fag 3 Universal I Gaumont 3 Ferm-Ton I Pratofone 2 Audalc 8 De Bry 2 Royal Zenit I Selecton 4 Survox I Supra Ton-film I Out of the 26 Klang-Film equipments installed, only one is of the Europa type, en Figueira da Foz, the other ones being of the smaller type. The RCA equipments are all of the original type, none being of the last High Fidelity type. The three Zeiss Ikon equipments, however, are the latest models. The Pratofone, Selectone and Audak equipments are of national manufacturing and are built with piece parts of different makes. V 34 from "U," 38 Columbias Of a total of 34 features to be released in Spain by Universal the coming season, six will be westerns. Among the features will be "Show Boat," "Sutter's Gold" and "The Invisible Power." At least 12 of the 34 will be dubbed in Spanish. Columbia will release 38 features the coming season, of which 10 will be westerns. One of the features will be an original Spanish film, "La Familia Dressel," made in Mexico. Seventeen of the features will be dubbed in Spanish. There will be 50 shorts. Spanish language dubbing of Columbia product is done at La Voz de Espana studios in Barcelona.