Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

TO MAKE FRENCH FILMS IN HOLLAND by PHILIP DE SCHAAP rn Amsterdam While there is no domestic production here at the present, preparations are being made for the production of some French pictures in Amsterdam at the newly equipped Cinetone Studios. Probably production will start this spring or summer. Jean Cocteau, the well known producer, and the French actor, Jean Marais, will definitely produce at Cinetone and there are deals pending for some British production here. V There are only 420 theatres in operation in the country at present. Before the war. Holland had a total of 470, but 26 of them were destroyed during the war and 24 are not in operation. Block booking is forbidden here by a Government decree. A contract must be made for each picture. V Pictures with war themes are unpopular here no matter how well made they may be. Pictures with too definite an American theme are also being poorly received. "Going My Way," despite Bing Crosby's popularity here, was not accepted by the public and press. V Jack Wesel, pre-war manager of Warner Brothers' Dutch office in Amsterdam, has died. He was 62 years old and was one of the most popular personalities in the Dutch industry. For the first time in her life Queen Wilhelmina has visited a public theatre. She chose the Amsterdam Kriterion where Eisenstein's "Ivan the Terrible" was playing. HUNGARY by ALEXANDER FODOR in Budapest Indications are that Hungary will resume film production in August, although at present preparations are handicapped by much excited argument over the Government's film decree recently issued. That part of the decree most violently objected to makes it mandatory that all screen plays be censored in advance of production. When production is resumed from eight to 10 pictures will be produced annually. This is only about 25 per cent of the number produced before the war. V American films take up about 80 per cent of the playdates in Budapest theatres. During the Easter holiday week 18 houses played Hollywood features ; English pictures were shown in two and a Russian film in one. Lately certain newspapers have severely criticized American films, basing their criticisms on reports published abroad. Most of the articles quoted Samuel Goldwyn's recent sharp statement on Hollywood's manner of production. Despite this, however, there was enormous business during Easter week for American pictures. "Arabian Nights," "Tarzan's New York Adventure," and "Holiday Inn" were particularly popular, as was "Two Faced Woman." The motion picture industry apparently defies financial depression. Stage theatres, however, continue to face a very serious situation. PUERTO RICO by E. SANCHEZ ORTIZ in San Juan A five per cent increase in admission taxes — from 20 to 25 per cent — on all public shows, including motion pictures, is provided in a bill approved by the legislature in a surprise move the last day of the session. No public hearings were held on the bill and the approval of the bill comes in the face of a demand from the Consumers Congress of Puerto Rico for an investigation of the high admissions charged bv motion picture theatres. y In other action the legislature passed a bill providing tax exemption for new industries, including the production of motion picture for commercial distribution. The bill would give exemption to new production companies for a period of 17 years— or until June 30, 1964. V The legislature also passed a bill amending the income tax law by declaring all foreign artists visiting the Island residents of Puerto Rico, thus enabling them to pay a lower income tax rate. All public shows held for charitable institutions are tax exempt in yet another bill passed by the legislature. EGYPT by IBRAHIM ZEIN in Jaffa The protection of the local industry from dubbing is currently being studied by the Government. A resolution is to be published by the Minister of Social Welfare explaining the point of view of the Government. The Union of Syndicates, including actors and musicians, has made up its mind about dubbing and has published the following warnings : No professional actor, player or musician may participate in dubbing a picture in Arabic with the exception of Turkish pictures. No studios, by order of the Syndicates and Producers' Union, may participate in dubbing in Arabic under penalty of boycott. No theatre may show any foreign picture dubbed in Arabic. If it does, the theatre will be boycotted and Egyptian product withheld from it. By law, all foreign pictures shown in Egypt must be subtitled in Arabic. V. A studio is being built in Baghdad, Iraq, for making Arabic pictures. British technicians are assisting. MEXICO by LUIS BECERRA CELIS in Mexico City The trade is again concerned by the moves the local municipal government is making toward placing a ceiling on admissions" for public amusements, particularly for motion picture theatres and vaudeville revues. There have been renewed and increased complaints about the $1.50 charged for the vaudeville-revue shows and the 85 cents charged for many first runs. Reports are that the Government will seek to place a 45 to 65-cent ceiling on first runs of ordinary pictures and 85 cents for a "super" film. Local first runs have made 85 cents standard during the last few years. Some have charged as high as $1. V Salvador Toscano, the "Father of Mexican Motion Pictures," has died here at the age of 76. He was the first to import motion picture cameras and other equipment, produced two-reel films in 1904, and opened Mexico's first two cinemas in 1905. Greek Orphans Drive Showing Results In telegrams last Thursday to district and branch managers, and circuit heads, Ned Depinet, S. H. Fabian and Jack Cohn, national co-chairman, and Tom Connors, national distributor chairman, of the industry's x\ppeal for the War Orphans of Greece, called for an all-out effort to bring the $1,200,000 drive in honor of Spyros P. Skouras to a successful conclusion. Among those circuits which have already subscribed in accordance with the formula of the drive — one orphan for every theatre — are Warner Brothers Theatres, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh: RKO Theatres, Comerford Circuit, Century Circuit, Skouras Theatre Circuit, National Theatres Corporation, Balaban & Katz, and Netco. Louis de Rochemont Wins American Design Award Louis de Rochemont, producer for Twentieth Century-Fox, was one of four leaders in the cultural arts awarded checks of $1,000 April 17 in New York by the American Design Awards, originated and sponsored by Lord and Taylor, a New York department store. Mr. de Rochemont was honored for incorporating documentary technic in motion pictures to achieve authenticity and realism. His latest feature using this technic is "Boomerang." 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 26, 1947