Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

^October 15,^9^1 Carl Laemmle Back from Europe Has ' No Fear of Foreign Ascendancy Leaves for the Coast at Once; Finds Little Change in Industry Abroad THOUGH Carl Laemmle had been away from his office at the UniI versal for more than four months, ■'be stopped in New York just long enough to settle necessary business which awaited him there and started for California. He and his party arrived on board the Aquitania on Friday of last week, and he started for Universal City bn Thursday of this week. One reason Ifor going to California so soon is to confer ,vith Erich von Stroheim on the final cut:ing and shaping of "Foolish Wives."' I The early departure prevented several I'unctions which had been planned with ■ 'Mr. Laemmle as the central figure. One )f them which he was exceedingly sorry to niss was a dinner tendered to him at vhich the representatives of Censor 1 boards in the East were to present to him ,' ormally an engrossed set of resolutions 15 lhanking him for the vision and generosity [vhich prompted the meeting of the Cen ■ .ors with the producers at Universal City. , ifhis dinner had to be abandoned, but the : ,esolutions have been hung in Mr. Laem nles office. Mr. Laemmle's trip was a combination business and pleasure. He visited the parious Universal branches in England nd on the Continent and made a general urvey of film conditions there. After his four month's study of moving icture productions in Germany and other European countries, Mr. Laemmle is still firm believer in the continued ascend(Hcy of American films. It is his opinion jiat it will be a number of years before lie master film minds of the Continent Inll be in a position to challenge American |jpremacy on the screen. "The Virgin of Stamboul," he says, ■ as the first big American film to be lown to the German public under the nport film admittance regulations. It as received with unusual acclaim. Gerlan reviewers were especially struck by le superior photography, the unusual :hting effects, and the ability by the iierican producers to make a suspense' film story out of a plot and theme not the grand order. "European film conditions show very tie change," said Mr. Laemmle, "since I as abroad a year ago. Attendance par"ularly on the continent, has improved th the return of stabler industrial contions and producing abroad has been eatly stimulated by the success of the veral German films that have been exoited in America. The main impres3ns that I received were the intense dere on the part of producers and actors do things in the American way and the ■ry general resentment against the tariff Carl Laemmle agitation in this country. These two impressions taken together may seem to strengthen the feeling which has been manufactured in America that foreign films are in any sense a menace to America. Quite the contrary ; I came back still more convinced that American films have nothing to fear and everything to gain by foreign competition. It is only in costume spectacles that foreign producers ever have scored in this country and I have no hesitancy in predicting that foreign producers never will be able to produce ordinary features for this country. The customs, mannerisms, ideals, clothes and style of acting as I see them in the ordinary run of foreign features are entirely too 'national' to be accepted in America. "The only chance I see for foreign made films is to have them made by an American director and American technical expert. Even then he would have great difficulty but I have not by any means given up the idea I have entertained for some time of making productions in Germany, France, England, Czecho-slovakia and possibly some of the northern countries. This country has no scenery or buildings like the old world and I have an idea that the company which can combine these old world settings with American methods of production and acting will be well repaid. "The interest that European film centers take in the prospect of success of their pictures in America is well shown by the indignation which foreign producers feel at the danger of a tariff wall being erected against their productions. I cannot think of any more ill advised move than a duty on foreign films. The revenue would be very slight ; the hostile feeling aroused is already alarming and is certain to result in retaliatory measures. A duty on films coming into America will hurt American producers a thousand times more than European producers. Take the exports of America and compare them with the imports from any foreign country. The damage such a tariff will do to us will be in precisely the same proportion as you find in these figures." Pittsburgh Paramount Pep Club Hold Big Dance Another page was written in the history of the Pittsburgh Paramount Pep Qub, which is composed of the members of the Pittsburgh Exchange of Famous PlayersLasky Corporation on Saturday evening, October ist, when they held their first dance at the Elks Club, Pittsburgh. Everybody had a "great" time. Everybody was enthusiastic and all that could be said for any successful social event would be also true about the dance of the Paramount Pep Club. The dance was held in the big ball room of the Club. Everybody wore bright silk ribbon badges with the word Paramount emblazoned thereon. Recent Incorporations in New York State The following companies incorporated in the motion picture business in New York state the past week, through the filing of the necessary papers in the secretary of state's office : Second National Pictures Corporation, $io,ooo, Joseph Nemerov, Daniel V. Barnes, Bernard Levey, Brooklyn; Federation Producers Service, $100,000, Thomas H. Glaze, Harrv Kirschbaum, Samuel Schein, New York ; Science Foundation, Inc., $100,000, Warren A. Miller, Joseph L. Hegeman, Robert L. Noah, New York City; B. R. B. Photo Play Corporation, $15,000, Charles Berkowitz, Harris Rubin, Samuel Bergoffen, Brooklyn; F. B. G. Holding Co., $30,000, Charles and Samuel Fisher, Max Bernstein, Brooklyn; Sheepshead Amusement Corporation, $1,200, the same incorporators as in the above; Westminster Film Corporation, $100,000, R. B. Olsen, E. Campbell, New York; C. M. Pulver, Brooklyn; Campbell Hall Corporation, $500, Argyll Campbell, L. J. Hall, George P. Breckenridge, New York.