Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

Spain-Argentine Deal Calls for Film Exchange by NATALIO BRUSKI in Buenos Aires Spain and the Argentine have reached a commercial agreement looking to free interchange of motion pictures and various publications, but the situation still remains onesided. Spanish pictures may be exhibited and exploited here in the Argentine because legislation does not forbid it, but Argentine producers will not be able to introduce their product in Spain because the laws of that country, although allowing for exhibition and exploitation of Argentine product, enforces the freezing of monies earned by those pictures. The agreement reached is, in part, as follows: "Article 28: The Governments of Spain and Argentina shall take the necessary measures in order to warrant and expand the interchange of: books, magazines, newspapers and other publications and motion pictures. "Article 29 : Until the time that the above purposes are consolidated by means of special agreements, both Governments will do whatever necessary so that the importation, exploitation, exhibition and taxation of books, other publications and motion pictures produced in one country and introduced in the other, enjoy the maximum facilities approved by their respective legislatures." V There are rumors within the industry here that an act has been presented for the consideration of Congress whereby the number of houses to be handled by one exhibitor shall not exceed three. Sometime ago a similar measure was being considered regarding the owners of chain stores. However, nothing is known of the final outcome of that act. Should this rumor on theatre ownership become a fact, it will certainly have a depressing effect in local motion picture circles as there are several theatre circuits in the country which are made up of more than 130 houses. Appoint Six Field Aides To New MGM Sales Unit Six special field representatives have been appointed for the newly created reprints and importation division of the MGM sales department, headed by William B. Zoellner, it was announced last weekend. Prior to undertaking their assignments the representatives met Monday and Tuesday at the Astor Hotel, New York, when Mr. Zoellner discussed sales policy. The six are: Major Harry W. Miller, Metropolitan New York, headquarters at New York exchange; Lafayette B. Butler, southern division, Atlanta; John L. Kelley, midwest, Minneapolis; Sam S. Davis, west coast, Los Angeles ; Emanuel M. Woronov, eastern, Buffalo; Louise Marks, central, Cleveland. RKO Offering Program of 1 6mm in Latin America RKO Radio is offering a program of Spanish and Portugese titled pictures and 16mm features and shorts in the Latin American market. Currently the company is planning to release six French pictures superimposed with Spanish and Portugese titles throughout South America. These will be supplemented by Rene Clair's "Golden Silence," now in production at the company's Paris studio, and by John Steinbeck's "The Pearl," produced at RKO's Churubusco studios near Mexico City. Additionally, about 50 features and 50 shorts are available in 16mm, according to Jack Osserman, RKO's Latin American supervisor. These, too, will have superimposed titles, dependent on the territory. RKO is most active in 16mm distribution in Cuba, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. 16mm Newsreel Bogota Success Columbia's only 16mm newsreel theatre, the Newsreel Panamericano in Bogota, is successful and the establishment of a second such house, possibly running children's shows only, is planned, according to Alberto Barriga, part-owner with Jaime Rey of the Circuito Cinematografico San German. Mr. Barriga is in New York for product and equipment. The 200-seat theatre which opened September 25 on a continuous 12-hour daily basis, is in competition with Bogota's many 35mm houses, but it shows no features. The show lasts a little over an hour and includes the British-made Olympic News, an RKO newsreel, a short of the RKO "Today and Tomorrow" series, a Sportscope and a cartoon. "We had to include the British reel to give our audience a more balanced picture," Mr. Barriga explained. "Our reels are changed once a week. It was tough sledding at the start, but now we are getting films regularly." RKO provides most of the 16mm reels for the newsreel theatre as well as for the five houses outside Bogota. The company makes its latest features available on narrow gauge. Pictures are sold on a percentage basis. Most of the 16mm feature houses are situated according to a mileage arrangement so as not to interfere with established 35mm operators. They operate on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Colombian audiences like action pictures, Mr. Barriga said. Spanish language pictures from Argentina and Mexico are very popular, but very rarely available in 16mm. Some French pictures now are playing in Bogota theatres. Moore, Ruff Switch Posts The appointment of John Moore as Paramount branch manager in Boston, replacing Edward W. Ruff, who will succeed him as Albany branch manager, was announced Tuesday by Charles M. Reagan, vice-president in charge of distribution. Seeking to Apply Price Ceilings in Brazil Theatres by I. A. EKERMAN in Rio de Janeiro Subject of high industry interest in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, is the attempt to put a ceiling on admission prices. In Rio ceiling already are in effect. Prices there used to be 44 cents, 32, 17, 12, 6. New ceilings set by the committee are: 32 cents, 23, 17, 12. The admission increase has been the cause of much discussion in certain sections of the press which was in favor of ceiling prices on the ground that films are a necessary commodity and that previous prices were too high. Another section of the press, countered that pictures could no be considered an essential commodity, especially in view of the fact that admission prices cover a wide range and that nobody is compelled to go to a 44-cent theatre, but that the same films can be seen in neighborhood houses at 17 cents. It was argued further that more than 20 per cent is deductible for taxes and that, considering increases in the price of practically everything — notably the essential commodities which skyrocketed to more than 500 per cent over former prices — admission prices with their 40-50 per cent increase were still one of the things showing a relatively minor increase. An interesting case is that of a theatre owned in Rio who charged six cents and felt no need to increase his price. With the new ceilings he may have to charge 12 cents. There is little doubt that ceilings are bound to cause a reduction in box office receipts and that eventually they will affect the interest of people in new business and its development. This freezing-in of the business is going to hit not only theatre owners, but also will mean that there is not going to be any building of new theatres and rebuilding of old ones. Many capitalists feel that the reduction of admission prices will hit Brazilian production also because producers will be discouraged by the 25 to 30 per cent reduction they now foresee. Franconi Combines Texas Exchange Organization In a complete reorganization of his exchange setup, John L. Franconi, franchise holder in Texas for Screen Guild and Film Classics, has combined all releases under one exchange system, using the name Screen Guild Productions of Texas. Mr. Franconi's force has been augmented by L. M. Lovelace and B. A. McGuiness as bookers. Former Film Classics of Texas and Screen Guild salesmen, heretofore separate sales forces, are now unified and reassigned to smaller areas, with J. M. Reynolds in Dallas, Connie Recher in West Texas and Don Clark in central-south Texas. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 7, 1946 S3