Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1920)

December i i , i p 2 o 446/ French Film Men Criticize Government THE attitude of the French government towards the French Moving Picture Industry has just been subjected to a scathing criciticism at the hands of its most prominent representatives. The occasion was the banquet given recently under the auspices of the French Film Au'hors' Society in Paris which gathered together a large number of the best-known names in the French cinema world. The French Motion Picture Industry declared the speakers on this occasion is suffering from strangulation through the burdensome and excessive system of taxation imposed upon it by the government. This was the gist of the charge with which the government was indicted and against which it was declared it behooved all those interested to unite in seeking and adopting a remedy. It was pointed out in plain but forceful language that the film industry was being irremediably jeopardized by the shortsighted policy of the government which was shackling with heavy taxes a branch of trade which was struggling under numerous disadvantages — not the least of which was enormous competition from abroad — but which if properly nurtured and protected could develop into one of the most lucrative sources of revenue for the country. In other words the government was already bent upon killing the goose even before it had begun to lay its golden eggs. If there was a crisis in the Film world in France, it was stated, it was undoubtedly due to the ignorance of parliament concerning the growth and conditions of the industry. Apparently unmindful of the serious setback which the French Motion Picture had suffered through the war, the government under the delusion that the making and presenting of films is an inexpensive and profitable undertaking, has laid upon it a prohibitive system of taxation which attains as much as thirtyfive per cent of the receipts and in certain cases jumps to even fifty per cent. The result was that only the most financially sound dared risk their money in such an enterprise where the meagre initial profits were so ruthlessly seized by the grasping hand of a treasury that sought by every means, fair or foul, to fill its exhausted coffers in the shortest time possible. Other consequences of this heavy method of taxation were declared to be the stunting of the growth and development of the industry, the paralysing of initiative and impossibilJty of producing better class but more expensive films which are urgently required to raise the standard in France and satisfy the public's craving for superior and more artistic pictures. Finally the system exposed the home industry to the mercy of the foreign market which dumped its goods at the rate of untold millions a year and took the bread as it were out of the mouths of their own people. It was inevitable that such a tirade should not conclude without a reference to the principal offender. America, it was stated, exported to France to the extent of 30 million francs a year and her supply was on the increase. Therefore, it was urged, only one alternative was left for French film producers, to appeal to parliament and insist that the foreigner be burdened with a prohibitive tariff while reducing the tax on home industries and giving them a chance to thrive. I have made enquiries among representatives of American film houses in Paris with a view to obtaining their opinion on the truth and justice of these complaints from their French colleagues and on the possibility of any action that may ensue therefrom. One and all refused to display any alarm, declaring that the prejudice against the American film existed only among the trade and was a natural if unfair form of bias that could not be destroyed but could certainly not prove harmful. " After all," as one prominent American film man remarked, " the public is what counts and the public has put its mark of approval upon American films and will continue to insist upon getting them until the French picture can oust it through sheer merit and value for money." Another to whom I submitted the question characterized the French complaint as so much " froth " and added that as long as America continued to send over well-made and well-conceived pictures she would have nothing to fear from any proposed action that is prompted by a desire to kill competition rather than to improve the quality of the goods in question. The Pathe Consortium, Cinema, which has replaced famous Pathe Cinema, in announcing officially its formation as a company, is issuing through the Banque Industrielle de Paris 190,000 shares at 112.50 francs the share, of which 37.50 francs are required as an initial payment. The new company allots 50,000 shares tn the original holders of Pathe Cinema shares. Consortium is to exploit the whole of the commercial end of the old company throughout the world with certain reservations in Great Britain, Russia and the United States. In taking over the work previously exploited by the Pathe Cinema the new group draws attention to the fact that the original company's receipts for the past years have shown increasing figures. In 1918 they amounted to 13 millions of francs; in 1919 to 20 millions while a further increase is expected for this year. Film stars may be excused if they occasionally break forth into rhapsodies over a picture in which they hold the leading role and over the person to whose genius it is due. Miss Ivy Close, the beautiful English screen actress, has been availing herself of this prerogative in an interview just given and the theme of her outburst is the remarkable French film " Rose of the Rail ' and its equally remarkable producer, Abel Gance. According to Miss Close, who plays the heroine's part, " Rose of the Rail " must be the greatest film ever made. The imaginative power behind it is stupendous and it thrills and interests through every inch of its 10,000 feet. Its producer has already used up something like 150,000 feet of negative and expects to run into 200,000 before .the picture is completed. It has been running for nine months and still has several weeks more to go. The cost has so far been staggering. In order to carry out his ideas, Gance hired scores of locomotives from the P. L. M., built a number of mobile stations at different points on the line near Nice and during several months he and his troupe cut themselves off from the rest of the world and led the life of the line with all its hardships and fatigue plus a generous infiltration of thrills and sensations such as may be expected from the extremely fertile and imaginative mind of a producer like Gance. " Wait till you see one of those huge locomotives leaping at you out of the screen," said Miss Close. "You will also see me in overalls, driving one of them," she added. " We can all drive locomotives now." From Nice the party went to the Alps, where the scene is transferred. Here the genius of Gance and his dogged tenacity in the face of almost insuperable obstacles were seen at their best. For one set of scenes he built and furnished a cottage half way up Mont Blanc, transporting all the material piece by piece and obtaining his electric power from below by means of big cables. On one occasion the party of 35 was held up by snowstorms for four days. On another an avalanche caught the tail of the troupe and buried three of its members, who had to be dug out. " Rose of the Rail," according to its heroine, is simply chock full of sensational human interest. The story is woven round the love of three men for a girl — one an old engine driver who rescued the girl when she was a baby after a terrible railroad smash in which both her parents perish the other his son and the third 1 wealthy railroad magnate, whom she eventually marries. The son becomes jealous of the husband and a desperate fight takes place between him and the husband on the edge of a precipice high up on Mont Blanc, whither the scene has been transferred. One of the most impressive incidents is the scene after the railroad smash when the signalman who is the cause of the accident comes out of his cabin and goes raving mad on the line. M. Gance informs me that he and his troupe are off shortly to the Pyrennes, where the final scenes of this remarkable film will be made. I asked for an estimation of the cost so far and was told that two million francs would not cover it. There is a suggestion that another name should be found than that of the present melodramatic title, and I understand that " La Roue " — The Wheel — is likely to be adopted. The end of the year should see the completion of this film, which will be released in March, 1921. It will be recalled that Abel Gance was the producer of the picture " J'Accuse," which has just been released in England. erful asset and many a time has proved its potency in swinging open the golden gates of fame. Not many months ago a demure little maiden of eighteen, with her nutbrown hair hanging down her back, was basking in the brilliant sunshine and inhaling the fragrance of the roses 4 the suit and salubrious climate of Biarritz. Then one day in response to an idle whim she sent a photograph of herself to Paris. A short while after back came the answer announcing that she had been chosen from a whole bevy of beauties as the most beautiful girl in France. This was Mademoiselle Agnes Souret, whose picture is today known all over France. But this sudden leap into fame meant something else than merely glancing coyly from a photograph. Almost before she realized it she was whisked off to Paris by an enterprising impresario and set down upon the stage of the Fblies Bergere, one of the best known variety theatres in the capital, among a galaxy of dazzling beauties with nothing special to do but to look pretty. But the enterprising impresario was not to have things all his own way. Along came an equally alert film director and despite what seemed like an ironbound contract carried her off dramatically in the dead of night tc one of the most beautiful and picturesque spots of France, the Mont Saint Michel, a rocky fortress-like island recalling Gibraltar, on the Channel coast. Here she made her screen debut as the heroine of a new French film entitled appropriately " Le Lys du Mont-SaintMichel " — -The Lily of St. Michael's Mount. The scenario is taken from a novel of M. Trilby called " The Last Dream " (Le Dernier Reve) in which the magnificent old castle on the Mount forms the romantic background "for a charming story. This is the first time that this venerable pile has ever figured on the screen and the producer, M. Alexis Dal Medico had first to obtain authorization from the Minister of Fine Arts since the whole of the Mount is classed as a national monument The picture is expected to be released in Paris at an early date. The beautiful Griffith production " Broken Blossoms " is being awaited impatiently in France where its reputation has preceded it. It is scheduled to be shown at the Marivaux theatre in Paris on December 17. Something unique for France is to be observed about this picture for which the public has long since been prepared by the glowing reports it received when it was shown to the trade and th<press. So heavy are the bookings expected to he that a notice has been posted outside the theatre advising the public that scats may be engaged now. The management states that the demand even so far in advance has been heavy and is becoming heavier each day. Beauty is not an essential for success but it is undeniably a pow Tho great Paris newspaper the "Matin " scored a triumnh in hustle last week. Bv seven o'clock in tfr* evening of November eleventh, the ' (Continued on [>agc 4512)