Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1937)

June 12, 193 7 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 15 NAZIS CONTRADICT FRENCH, CLAIM CONTROL OF EUROPE'S FILM CONGRESS French Attempts to Induce U.S. and England to Attend Paris Film Convention Is Weakened by Official Nazi Statement The Nazis now surprisingly make the flat statement that Germany still is very much in control of Europe's International Film Chamber and also the International Film Congress, to be held July 5th to 9th, in Paris, despite the assertion of a few days ago by the French film industry that England and America need no longer boycott the Congress because Germany would be in control. Because the next International Film Congress, in July, is to be held in Paris, for the first time, under purported French sponsorships the French Cinema Confederation has appeared to be extreme anxious to obtain official representation from and the support of the American and British motion picture industries. The French trade, therefore, through the French Cinema Confederation, seems to be engaging in a campaign to belittle the German-ItalianJapanese antiHollywood film bloc, realizing that both London and Hollywood are aware that the Nazis have controlled the previous International Congresses and the International Film Chamber sponsoring those conventions. Pierre Autre, Motion Picture Herald correspondent in Paris, reported last week (page 12, June 5th issue) that the French now are pointing out, both to the United States and to England, that the Congress will be held this year in Paris, and not Berlin. "So, we hope that the United States and England will understand that Berlin is not at all leading the Chamber," asserted an official of the French Confederation. Now, however, the German motion picture industry — completely controlled by Adolph Hitler's government — officially declares that the Congress in Paris will be held "under German chairmanship," that a discussion of the questions to be dealt with at the Congress has already been held in Berlin, that the Congress will_ engage in a fight "with all means at hand" against anti-Nazi films, and that Germany will, at the Congress, propose an exchange of theatre owners between one country and another so that "such a sojourn of study abroad would develop in the growing generation a broader point of view and greater understanding of the international relationships." Americans Wary Reporting last week on the strategy of the French, by belittling Germany's control over the Congress and the International Film Chamber, and by denying the existence' of the Nazis' "ideological bloc" of Germany-Italy-Japan against Hollywood films, Motion Picture Herald quoted an official spokesman for the American industry as charging that "Germany and her allies in the international film bloc aim to 'gang up' on the American film business, despite anything the French may say to the contrary in attempts by the French to get America to participate in the International Chamber or International Congress." This suspicion now receives verification, unintentionally, from Dr. Fritz Olimsky, editor of NAZIS HONOR FILM WORK OF JANNINGS Emil Jannings, now styled: "State Actor" by the Nazis, has been awarded the German Government film prize for 1937 for his T obis-Cinema production of "Der Herrscher" {The Master) . Dr. Joseph Goebbels, Reich-Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, now the dictator over all German film business, declared at the award presentation that Mr. Jannings was "to be considered as the very pioneer who has been opening new ways for the German film art", presumably under the Nazis' new order of using the film for strict German propaganda purposes. Mr. Jannings, Brooklyn (N. Y.) born, was induced by Ernst Lubitsch to enter motion pictures, in Germany, in 1915, and after several years with Germany's Ufa-Film, making "Passion" and "V ariety" , as the most noted of several, he joined Paramount, starred in about six, returned to Germany, in 1934, and has since continued there. "Foreign Film News," government pamphlet published officially by "The German Film Industry," in Berlin. Inferring that it is Germany's intentions to supplant the commercial motion picture with the so-called "cultural" (propaganda) pictures, and calling Germany "the greatest film country in Europe," Dr. Olimsky traces the Nazis' participation in and domination over the International Film Chamber as follows : "By its very nature, cinema activity rapidly outgrows the confines of the country in which it begins. At a very early time in the history of the cinema producers began making films which were so expensive that the country of origin alone could not possibly cover costs, and since the first of these pictures was exported international cinema relationships have steadily expanded and been elaborated in detail. Whereas at first only the purely commercial aspect was taken into consideration and the film was treated merely as an export on a par with any other article, this cooperation between the various countries has in the past few years been carried out with more and more emphasis on its cultural aspects. It is now everywhere realized that the film — picture-play as well as cultural film — is peculiarly suited to helping the nations get acquainted with one another. More and more countries are beginning to view as one of the most important functions of the international exchange of films the awakening of understanding for the national character of the country of origin, so that the cinema can make its contribution to bringing about a more friendly atmosphere among the nations. This is an incomparably more significant function than that formerly fulfilled by the purely commercial exportation of films. "As the greatest film country of Europe, Germany recognized the value of international cooperation in this field at a very early stage, and it is by no means a coincidence that it was at the Berlin International Film Congress in 1935 that the idea of the creation of an International Film Chamber was born. In August of the same year the by-laws of the International Film Chamber were agreed upon in Venice, and in November, 1935, it was definitely constituted in Paris. Since that date, the practical work, and particularly that of the commission on the rights of authorship, has already had gratifying positive results. In the matter of facilitating the international exchange of films and in all other questions, which are of equal interest for film-producing countries and for consuming countries without a production of their own, further fruitful work is expected to be accomplished at the International Film Congress which is to be held in Paris, under German chairmanship, from July 5th to 10th "No less important is the work of the International organization of film theatre owners (Federation Internationale des Associations de Cinemas), the presidency of which, like that of the International Film Chamber, is at present in the hands of Germany. Among other things this federation has performed important work by its thoroughgoing investigations of the situation of the film theatres in the various member countries ; special attention has been given to the questions of the amusement tax, the double feature system, the licensing of film theatres, the competition now facing film theatres from the narrow-gauge film, etc. There took place recently in Berlin a preliminary consideration of the questions to be dealt with at the International Film Congress in Paris ; it was suggested, for example, that film theatre owners should organize an exchange of their sons from country to country in the expectation that such a sojourn of study abroad would develop in the growing generation a broader point of view and greater understanding of the international relations. "No less active has been the German participation in the international organization of the film press (Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique) , whose work embraces especially the professional questions of film journalism, and whose resolution against agitating films passed at the Berlin Film Congress in 1935 made a general sensation at the time. In this way the members of the federation engaged to fight with all means at hand against films calculated to stir up the peoples against one another, and only a few days ago this matter again became acute when there appeared in Paris an anti-German propaganda film called "Marthe Richard." At the instigation of the German Section of the federation, the President of the Fipresci, Jean Chataigner, addressed a written protest to French Foreign Minister Delbos ; moreover, the French section of the Fipresci has passed a vigorous resolution against the agitating film which has appeared in its country ; finally, this case will be dealt with at the Fipresci Congress to be held in Paris in July. This is a remarkable example of the international solidarity of a profession." Demaria Visiting America Jules Demaria of the Paris office of Andre Debrie is visiting American branches of his company for a few weeks and will make a tour of studios with the company's American representative, H. R. Kissman. Warners Increase Circuit The Warner theatre circuit this week took over the operation of four L. A. Roth theatres at Madison, Morristown and Summit, New Jersey.