Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

Italy Producers Seek Protection Through Quota by ARGEO SANTUCCI in Rome Quota restrictions and laws again are under discussion. Italian producers and distributors, members of the National Association of the Film Industry, have met with the State Secretary of Foreign Trade to press for official quota restrictions. The representatives admitted that it would be impossible to enforce any bill which might be passed guaranteeing playing time for Italian productions due to opposition raised by American interests. The Secretary replied that since a plan for American imports had been transmitted to the U. S., which admits, in principle, importation without restrictions, it would be advisable to postpone further discussion of quotas until the Americans were heard from. If the U. S. could not accept the policy of free imports, he said, the Italian Government would then be in a position to return to the quota policy. As the situation stands now, there is no official quota law and there has been none since the Fascist film laws were abolished. There is, however, an unofficial agreement between Italian producers and exhibitors which guarantees native product 60 days of playing time a year. March 20 it was reported from Washington that the State Department had information to the efifect that the Italian Government had accepted a U. S. film quota plan voluntarily decided upon by the American producers whereby the eight major companies would each release 16 features in Italy during the remainder of the year. V Since the Cinecitta studios in the neighborhood of Rome were bombed heavily during the war, it is probable that the Tirrenia studios, in Tuscany, will be the most important for several years to come. These studios are now in the possession of the Allies but they are expected to be derequisitioned in June. They can be repaired in about two or three months and afterwards will be used to record English, French and Italian films. After the Allies have released the studios, Italian production may increase to about 60 or 70 features a year. Francis Bateman Resigns Republic District Post Francis S. Bateman, for the past five years Pacific Coast district sales manager for Republic, has resigned his post for a new business venture. Mr. Bateman joined Republic in 1935 as manager of the Los Angeles branch, coming to the company from the MGM office in that city. He was appointed district sales manager in 1941. Three French Key Runs Operated by Paramount Paramount currently is operating three key run theatres in France, the De Luxe Paramount in Paris, the Familia in Lille, and the Opera in Rheims. According to Andre Ullman, director of theatres for Paramount in France, now visiting in New York, the Paramount theatre in Brussels, badly damaged during the war, will be rebuilt for a late autumn opening. Plan Production In South Africa by R. N. BARRETT in Johannesburg South Africa, one of the most cinemaminded countries in the world, is witnessing the birth of an Afrikaans film industry. The industry is still very much in its infancy, and will probably require some time even to find its feet. Afrikaans is the second official language in the Union of South Africa. It is the home tongue of about 50 per cent of the 2,250,000 Europeans in the country, but the majority of Afrikaners are bilingual. English is the principal language in all the larger towns. Before the war, sporadic attempts were made to produce films in Afrikaans. Several of these attempts were successful. It is only in the last 12 months, however, that the production of Afrikaans film has taken the form of a planned program. Two 16mm feature films in this language were made during the past year. This year the first 35mm feature film in the language has been produced. However, the future of the Afrikaans industry, from all appearances, is not bright. Few screenings, if any, will take place in the theatres. The films will have to be shown in churches and halls, even in the large cities. V American films have gained a firm footing in South Africa. Their supremacy, at present, is unchallenged. If competition does arrive, it will be from Britain. However, the number of English pictures reaching this country now is small. V Recently, South African newspapers have been complaining about the dearth of good hewsreels since the end of the war. In this respect, the South African newsreel, African Mirror, has consistently "delivered the goods." During and after the war it has shown remarkable enterprise and even at times has "scooped" the newspapers. Adams Rejoins Rathe M. Clay Adams, former manager of the Los Angeles office for RKO-Pathe, has rejoined the company after three years in the Navy, as special representative and supervisor in the production of institutional documentary films. Russian Films Gain Popularity In Czech Area by J. B. KANTUREK in Prague Soviet films are proving extremely popular here. The majority of these are handled by the Czechoslovakian branch of the Sovexportfilm, located in Prague. Grosses on Soviet films have dropped somewhat, however, due to competition from British and French films. The most successful Russian features, each seen by about 1,500,000, are "Man No. 217," "Malachov Monument," "She Defends Her Fatherland," and "Ivan the Terrible." Soviet producers have now completed their third feature shot in Prague studios and sets for two other productions are currently being built. The first Agfacolor feature produced here by the Russians is "The Stone Flower," currently having its premiere at Moscow. The Russians will use the Prague studios until their own are rebuilt. Sovexportfilm is supplying its own positive material for making prints of Soviet films and has supplied raw stock and chemicals on several occasions to the Czech producers. This company intends to hold a festival of Soviet film in Prague May 17. April 4, in celebration of the liberation of Bratislava by the Red Army, the population was offered free admission to the 13 local theatres to see Russian pictures. V The purge to rid the Czech motion picture industry of all collaborationists has been ended. The 10 most serious cases will be tried before the People's Tribunal. Among the detained collaborators is the well known Czech actress, L. Baar, former friend of Joseph Goebels. Universal Names Spector Talent Department Head Michael Spector has been named head of Universal's talent department under Adolph Schimel, executive coordinator of talent and stories with the studio. The appointment is the result of a series of conferences between Mr. Schimel and Robert Mclntyre, studio casting director, and follows the general plan adopted for the purpose of developing coordination of agencies between the east and west coast departments. Mr. Spector, re-r cently discharged from the Army, leaves shortly for California for conferences with Mr. Mclntyre at the studio. Assign Television Rights The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has announced that it has received from its writer and publisher members assignment of their public performance rights in the television field for a threeyear period. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 4, 1946