Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

YUGOSLAV 16mm BUILDS AUDIENCES by STOYAN BRALOVITCH in Belgrade Traveling cinemas are having marked success here. The Ministry of Education of the Central Yugoslav Government sevsral months ago organized a few traveling shows in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. According to official figures, these cinames gave 2,767 performances during the past six months in Montenegro, which were seen by 626,244. When it is considered that the total population of Montenegro is not more than 500,000, the popularity of these shows is demonstrated. During the pre-war period, the cinema was known only to the city populations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thanks to the traveling cinemas which are reaching even the most isolated parts of the country, 110,000 saw 482 performances during the past six months in those two areas. In the autonomous province of KossovoMetohiya, in pre-war days, there were only a few theatres in the larger towns, but the proprietors could barely live on the profit. The province is populated chiefly by Shiptari, the most conservative and backward tribe in Yugoslavia. The educational committee of the province organized two traveling cinemas which toured the area and stopped in 64 communities, showing educational and documentary films to an audience of 16,000. V Triglav, the producing company serving the Republic of Slovenia, is completing its first feature, "On the Native Land." Dealing with the struggle for national liberation, the film starts with the downfall of Mussolini and ends with the liberation of Trieste. GERMANY by HUBERTUS ZU LOEWENSTEIN in Berlin While the shortage of foreign currency has prevented an exchange of German and Austrian pictures since the end of the war, a mutual clearing system has now been introduced by the motion picture associations of the two countries. It has been estimated that one Austrian picture shown in Germany will net about the same as four German pictures in Austria. The exchange of pictures, therefore, is to be at this ratio. German companies exporting to Austria will be paid from receipts of Austrian films in Germany and vice versa. The agreement has been set for a period of one year, but will continue automatically unless revoked. V As of October 1 there were 26 German production companies registered ; 10 with U. S. licenses, 11 with British, seven with French and one with a Soviet license. Only 18 of them, however, actually have started production, while the remainder are waiting for studio space. A total of 50 pictures have been made since the end of the war, 26 of which have had their premieres. Thirteen features are ready for release and 11 are still in the process of production. A new production company, SuedwestFilm-GmbH, has been licensed at Freiburg in the French zone. Its first picture will be "The Singing Village." V Some interesting figures have been published by the City Tax Office of Munich, Bavaria. While there were 80 theatres in the city before the war, 33 were left in April, 1945. All of them went out of operation with the surrender. In July, 1945, the first theatre reopened. There were 16 by the end of that year ; 26 in 1946 ; 41 in 1947; and 44 by March, 1948. Attendance was good. During the first three months of 1948, admissions totaled 3,875,727. Average seating capacity of the houses was a little over 300. ISRAEL by ALBERT D. MATALON ' in Tel Aviv No decision has been taken by the Government as regards import licenses and remittances in connection with films. Discussions are going on and the situation which at the start was rather gloomy, seems to be improving. The shortage of dollars is acute and everybody admits it. The question now is how to proceed when this scarcity will have been overcome — some time after the war. In other words, the problem of priorities has to be settled. V Labor conditions are rather good ; there is no problem of unemployment and there is actually a shortage of manpower. Wages are adequate, but with the increase in the cost of living, there is always a gap which has to be filled somehow. V Some difficulties have been encountered with the newly constituted Board of Censorship for Cinema Films ; their attitude being a little too strict on moral grounds. For instance, the board turned down Paramount's "The Big Clock" without having seen it. FRANCE by EUGEN WEBER in Paris The exhibition of French features in Germany has been extended into the three western zones, as the result of talks between M. Marcel Bolin-Reval, representing the Centre National de la Cinematographic Francaise, and the U. S. and British occupation authorities. On October 15, French I. F. A. offices opened at Munich, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Frankfurt. The Berlin office will continue, but headquarters are now at Frankfurt. Eight French films are currently showing in the principal cities of the British and American zones, as well as in the Allied sectors of Berlin. French films already have managed to get into the Russian zone, partly through bilateral distribution agreements, partly by an exchange scheme with the German company, D. E. F. A. V J. Arthur Rank is understood to be very much dissatisfied with the position of British films in France since the signing of the new Franco-American accord. V A. G. White, film expert of the British Board of Trade, had come here to inquire into the position of British films and it seems now that non-American films will be licensed for dubbing and screening on a basis of not less, but not far above, the number of films licensed in 1947. As 17 British features were licensed in 1947, next year's quota is understood to be 20. V Personalities: Charles Boyer has been named Chevallier de la Legion d'Honneur. Republic Joins MPEA, Becoming Tenth Unit Republic Pictures International joined the Motion Picture Export Association this week, becoming that organization's tenth member. According to an announcement from Eric Johnston, MPEA president, Republic's application for membership, climaxing several months of negotiations between MPEA and Republic officials, was approved unanimously last week by the MPEA board of directors. The effective date is retroactive to November 1, 1948. The first group of Republic pictures to be sent to countries within the MPEA orbit now is being prepared. Commenting on Republic's devision to join MPEA, Mr. Johnston said : "Republic's affiliation with MPEA strengthens the hand of the American industry in its distribution activities in MPEA territories and ... in bargaining and marketing negotiations with various European film monopolies, associations and cartels." Universal Settles Suit Against Deanna Durbin Universal International announced last week that an out-of-court settlement had been made with Deanna Durbin on U-I's $87,083 suit against Miss Durbin for money advanced to her. The star's contract also has been revised, reducing the number of pictures she will make for the studio from five to three. The studio also announced that Miss Durbin's next film, a musical, will be made in Italy as a joint venture of Scalera Films and Universal-International. Goffredo Alessandrini, who directed "Furia," will be in charge when production starts next March. No title was announced for the picture. 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 20, 1948