Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1939)

14 MOTION PICTURE HERALD January 7, 1939 MOST U. S. COMPANIES SETTING PLANS FOR FEATURES FOR LATIN COUNTRIES United Artists Leads, and Plans Three More Spanish Language Films; Paramount and Twentieth Century-Fox Active In line with the apparently growing conviction of many leading film executives that the motion picture industry in the United States has an opportunity to make up in South America for the markets lost of late in Europe, plans are underway for intense cultivation of the Latin American countries, with practically every large company participating in production started, outlined, or considered. United Artists now is in the lead. The company has been releasing Spanish language pictures for the last five years, through production facilities in Spain and Mexico, and Murray Silverstone, chief executive, in the face of the industry's repeated rebuffs by the European authoritarian states, is giving increased attention to the southern field. This week came the announcement that three Spanish language pictures are to be made for the company by Fortunio Bonanova, Spanish actor and producer, one of the pictures to be produced in Hollywood, the others in Mexico. Mr. Nova appeared in one of the first United Artists Spanish releases, several years ago, entitled "Caballero Poderoso," and since has appeared in Hollywood English and Spanish language productions, his latest being "Romance in the Dark," a Paramount release. His first picture for UA will be based upon a Mexican best seller, and he will star in it. The picture will be ready for release in March, and Mr. Nova is to begin work in Mexico city soon, with a Mexican cast. Others Made in Spain UA's other Spanish language films released in the last five years have been "Una Semana de Felicidad" and "Dona Francisquista," both of which, in addition to "Caballero Poderoso," were produced in Barcelona by Iberica Film. Also produced in Spain, and released by UA, was "Incertidumere." In Mexico, United Artists released "El Super Loco," made by Exito Films. This picture starred Chato Ortin, a leading Mexican screen comedian. Shortly afterward, the company released the Bustamante and De Fuentes production, "Alia en el Rancho Grande," starring Tito Guizar, known as a radio singer to American audiences, but a more widely known romantic favorite to Latin American audiences. This picture made records, and in some locations, played as many as 20 return engagements. Its success induced the distributors to fit it with English sub-titles and release it domestically, the first Spanish film to which this was done. UA contracted last season with Felipe Mier's Cinematograficas Internacional, S.A., a Mexican production company, for the release of the following: "Asi es mi Terra" and "Aguila o Sol," both of them starring Cantinflas and Medel, both having received a good response in South America. The last named film is the first Mexican musical with a modern theme. Also contracted for release are "Perjura," now being completed, with Jorge Negrete and Marina Tamayo as stars. The company further interested itself in Mexican releases by obtaining the distribution rights to FAMA's first production, "Refugiados en Madrid," made in Mexico City with Maria Conesa and Fernado Soler as the stars. Thus far, UA as shown by the above capitulation, will distribute about seven of the nearly 30 Spanish language films which are being released by American majors. This approximate total of 30 represents about one quarter of the total Spanish language output of about 120 films, from Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico. Most of the American-released films will have been made in Mexico. Less Than Half from Hollywood A further breakdown of all these releases, published in Motion Picture Daily, reveals that fewer than half of the 30 pictures will be made in Hollywood, the reason given for the majority decision being the inability of a Hollywood production, no matter how much talent is imported, to produce, in all the parochial nuances, a genuinely Spanish film. It is said that, exclusive of the Hollywood plans of United Artists, outlined above, emphasis on Spanish production there seems to be with Paramount and 20th Century-Fox.' Paramount revived Spanish language production on the coast this year with one film made by Rafael Ramos Cobian, Puerto Rican theatre operator. The film starred Tito Guizar, who leaped to popularity in "Rancho Grande" and is under contract to Paramount. He is being starred in four films for Paramount by Dario Faralla, two of which are completed. After completing his Paramount commitment, Cobian signed a four-picture deal with 20th Century-Fox, contingent on the success of the first. Production is now starting. "Ora Ponciano," released by Columbia, rates second to UA's "Rancho Grande." Columbia has also released one picture produced for the company in Hollywood and another in Mexico City. A deal is being negotiated with Enrique Herrera, Mexican producer, for two or more films. William Rowland, who turned Spanish language producer this year, is committed to make four or more films for RKO. After completing his first, "Di Que Me Quieres," at Eastern Service Studios, he shifted his base to Mexico City. He has signed Maria Teresa Montoya, leading Mexican actress. Universal Plans Two Universale plans include two films by Fernando de Fuentes, co-producer and director of "Rancho Grande." The company has released two Argentine films. Monogram is negotiating with Mexico City producers for a six-picture program. Eddie Le Baron's "Castillos en el Aire," made for Monogram in Hollywood, is now in circulation. Republic, operating through franchise holders, plans no Spanish language releases, but permits its local distributors to add them to the regular list under the company label. Paramount made the first serious effort to satisfy the demand and produced six films in 1934 and 1935 in the east with Carlos Gardel, Argentine star. When United Artists was successful with "Rancho Grande," last season, the others decided Spanish films might be worth the experiment. Within the year, theatres in Havana, Mexico City and other centers booked Spanish language films for the first time. Films can be made inexpensively in the domestic studios. Costs average $30,000, with only one or two understood to have gone to $40,000. Returns in gross revenue have been four and five times the budget in some instances. Rockefeller-Financed American Film Center Cites Cooperation of Governments in Plan to Exchange Films The Rockefeller-financed American Film Center has obtained the "full cooperation" of the United States Government, and of other governments, in the furtherance of the organization's new plan to effect an exchange of films between the United States and Latin America for the purpose of creating stronger goodwill within the Americas. The Film Center wants to be helpful "to the government, to the people of this country, to its film industry, and to the producers," according to Donald Schlesinger, executive director of the organization, which has embarked on a survey of conditions facing the American film industry and the United States government in cultivating better relations with the South American countries, via films. The non-profit organization, originally formed to promote better films of educational nature for U. S. schools and established in Rockefeller Center, New York, with the financial aid of the Rockefellers and the American National Committee on Intellectual Cooperation, has turned to a correlation of data concerning conditions in the South American market, "purely from a voluntary standpoint, and recognizing the United States Government's interest, and also the recent public interest in happenings below the Equator," according to Mr. Schlesinger. Industry films like "Wells Fargo" and "The Hardy Family", and government-sponsored pictures such as "The River" and "The Plow That Broke the Plains" are the best sort of material for film interchange, Mr. Schlesinger thinks, because they give an "inspirational view of this country." The March of Time shorts also were commended by him. The Film Center has a staff of three, John Devine, formerly of the Public Administration committee, a Rockefeller philanthropy, holder of a Rockefeller film fellowship and back from a year spent with the British Film Center ; Margaret Summers, who has been connected with the Carnegie Foundation ; and Mr. Schlesinger, with a background including the Institute of Human Relations at Yale, the leadership of Chicago University's department of sociology, and with the New York World's Fair. Government Departments The State Department has established a Division of Cultural Relations, headed by Ben Cherrington, the first job of which will be to tackle the Latin American problem. The Government also has an Inter-Departmental Committee on Cooperation with the American Republics which recently recommended the spending of $1,000,000 for propaganda in Latin America, to include a governmental film project, which itself would cost about $176,500. The committee has 74 separate proposals. The film project would be handled by the United States Film Service of the National Emergency Council. It would produce films about this country ; it would produce one film about Latin America : it would establish a film exchange system; and it would install projection rooms and equipment in United States embassies in the countries necessary.