Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

REPORTS ON SCREEN AROUND THE WORLD PROGRESS OF POST-WAR INDUSTRY TOLD BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS IN MANY LANDS ARGENTINA # • C by NATALIO BRUSKI in Buenos Aires This year was prosperous for the cinema business, but it also brought its worries, especially for the U. S. distributors. They saw their activities curtailed and, at one time, feared a complete stoppage of their business since they could not import pictures. Two months ago this situation suddenly changed for the better when the Argentine Government authorized the import of foreign pictures from the States for a period of nine months. But as the lack of dollars is still the top problem of Argentina's international trade regulations, this means that while U. S. films may be imported, any payment for them, as well as royalties, profits or dividends, will be withheld until this country can obtain dollars. The current year brought a steady upward trend in the box office. Every wage earner in this country has profited substantially by the new social laws of the Peron Government. There is plenty of money among the public, and there is lots of money left over for amusement. Motion pictures, the average Argentinian's No. 1 amusement, despite the popular football and horses, have received their due share of the money, so that every picture with a minimum of attraction, domestic as well as foreign, fares rather well. Local production, going ahead by leaps and bounds, offered some worthwhile samples of its endeavor during the year. There might not yet have been many films from local studios which would command worldwide attention, but for local and other Spanish-speaking audiences, half a dozen real box office attractions emerged. The established producers have made more quality pictures than the independents, the latter's shortcomings being the same here as everywhere— lack of organization, star names, and so on. Argentina Sono Film studios earned top honors this season, turning out three hits. Production costs have almost doubled in little more than a year, going upwards as everything else. Another difficulty for independent producers is the lack of available studio space. U. S. distributors, too, are more confident of the future. Their principal worry — losing part of their market to newcomers from Italy, France, etc. — has vanished insofar as they now can import their films without difficulty. AUSTRALIA • • • by FRANK O'CONNELL in Sydney It has been a most interesting year for the Australian industry from every angle. The tempo of local production quickened, there has been definite circuit expansion, new equipment has appeared on the market, and considerable interest in Australia was shown by both British and American production interests. Six made-in-Australia features were completed by various interests during the year and there was a good deal of activity in the Films WITH between 250 and 300 theatres showing foreign language product on a regular or intermittent basis, the importance of the American market to films produced abroad increased again this year. According to statistics supplied by the motion picture division of the New York State Department of Education, some 380 foreign-language features and shorts were imported into the U. S. during the period from April I, 1947 to March 31, 1948. This figure does not include travelogues and other pictures made by American companies in foreign studios. The Spanish language countries, as last year, again led the list with 170 films coming from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, etc. The French sent 43 and the Italians 42. Other imports included 20 Arabic, 21 Chinese, 10 Czech, 16 Hungarian, 14 Polish, 14 Russian, 10 Swedish, 18 German, one Danish and one Hindustani. Foreign product registered its greatest gains along the eastern seaboard and on the west coast, but in the south and the midwest too, an increasing number of theatres offered outstanding films on a spot basis. Division of the Department of Information, the Government-sponsored film unit. The dollar dilemma was easily solved in this country by an initial freeze of 30 per cent on all film earnings. There was never any doubt of supply shortages and all discussions with the American producers were on an amicable footing. A further freeze of 20 per cent was later made and the freeze on film earnings now stands at 50 per cent. Earnings from U. S. films have fallen off from the boom period for several reasons — although there have been several notable exceptions : British films increased greatly in popularity (this was more noticeable early in the year when there was better product) and during the year there were several bad influenza and poliomyelitis epidemics. A recent Gallup Poll revealed that more people favor British films than American, but the people who favor UK films go only once a month, or less, to the theatres. The regulars, the people who spread jam on the showman's bread and butter, still prefer American pictures. Exhibitors have continued to cry poor, but some of them made out nicely. Greater Union Theatres, for example, declared 1947 the best year in its history. Expansion by the large circuits was notable. Greater Union bought the Clifford circuit in South Australia, acquired a new theatre in Sydney, and embarked on a policy of renovation and refurbishing that will eventually run into many thousands of pounds. Greater Union also bought a film laboratory to ease the pressure on Cinesound, its subsidiary. Hoyts' expansion started in Sydney with the erection of two Quonset hut theatres at Granville. The greatest addition to the circuit, however, was the opening of the reconstructed Melbourne Regent, gutted by fire in 1945. The year saw increased activity on the legislative front, particularly with censorship. Uniform censorship legislation has been passed in all states, except New South Wales and South Australia. These two are expected to fall into line with the rest of the Commonwealth soon. The first art houses in the country to regularly screen foreign product have been opened. AUSTRIA • • • The most pressing problem in the industry at present is not production, but export. Although after the surrender initial difficulties were formidable, picture production was revived with sufficient energy and speed to complete 10 pictures in 1946, 20 in 1947 and probably some 30 by the end of this year. Production was also helped along by the large amount of money available for investment. By the time of the currency reform' in December, 1947, more than 100 production companies had sprung up, only a fraction of which ever got to the stage of actual production. Spending was so lavish that less than half of the reported 70,000,000 Austrian Schillings expended on the first forty pictures produced are expected to be recovered unless the export problem is solved. The home market is good only for about onefifth of the present high production costs. Austrian pictures have been sold to a number of countries, but the returns have been low. Moreover, the natural market for Austrian pictures, Germany, which used to account for onehalf of Austria's exports, is only now being reopened. Private arrangements between the Austrian Motion Picture Association and representatives of companies in the U. S. and British zones envisage an exchange of production at the ratio of four Austrian to one German film. BELGIUM * $ * by ARMAND BACHELIER in Brussels With an enormous stock of features produced during the war still to be shown to the Belgian public, the number of American films to be put on the market for the 1948-49 season will probably be higher than last season. There were 1,061 prints in circulation in Brussels during the first three months of 1948, as against 990 for the October-December period of 1947. It is expected that there will be few French {Continued on following page) MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 13, 1948 WORLD MARKET 3