Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1917)

May 5, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 789 THE new Federal Government Film Censorship promises much trouble for Australian film importers. For every film that comes to this country, a permit must be secured from the Minister for Customs, at a cost of five shillings, with the application for the permit a synopsis of the film has to be supplied, and if the Board of Censors does not approve of the plot, a screening of the picture is demanded. As the board is located in Melbourne, this is likely to cause much trouble, 95 per cent of the imported films coming through Sydney, and being released there firsj. Therefore, if the board does not approve of the synopsis of any picture, the film has to be posted to Melbourne — 582 miles — reviewed there, and if passed, returned again by post — which cannot be done in less than seven days. Just at present stocks of film are very low in several of the Sydney exchanges, and one has been unable to meet release dates owing to the censors demanding a screening of two productions. A deputation of film importers has been in Melbourne during the past week interviewing the Minister for Customs, in an endeavor to get several points conceded, and so far they have been only partly successful. The Minister has refused to allow scenic or industrial pictures into the country without a permit; will not change the location of the Board of Censors, who will remain in Melbourne. Several minor applications, however, were granted. •i * * * Film exchanges, and consequently exhibitors' programs, have been considerably dislocated during the last few weeks, owing to interruption in the shipping of films from the U. S. A. One exchange has received no supplies by either of the last two American mail steamers, while others have only short supplies. Shipments by the last steamer arrived without bills of lading, and were consigned to the manager of the shipping company. It was evident that they had been rushed to the ships side at the last moment. The shipping company allege that part of the trouble is due to the unbusinesslike methods of the manufacturers, who seem to believe that they can put their cases on board the ship at the twelfth hour. " * * * "Intolerance" is undoubtedly the greatest photoplay attraction that has been shown in this country. It is now in its fifth week at the Theater Royal, Sydney, and is playing to capacity every night with prospects of still several weeks' run. In Sydney, a "legit" attraction has to be extraordinarily good to enjoy even a four weeks' season. * * * The Premier of New South Wales has had under consideration a recommendation that the picture theaters, should be utilized on Sunday evenings for the benefit of the Soldiers Repatriation Fund. He has, however, decided not to entertain the proposal. At present the only Australian town with Sunday picture entertainment is Hobart, Tasmania. Next month the stately Sydney Town Hall is to succumb to the popular demand and become a photoplay theater. Such is the announcement made by Alec Lorimore, of Australian Feature Films. This concern has secured the lease of the building for every Saturday night during the winter, and a full program of Paramount productions will be presented each week. The Town Hall has been used as a picture house before, though only for special pictures, and it remains to be seen how the new order of things will succeed. It will undoubtedly be the largest picture theater in Australia, if not south of the line, as it has seating accommodation for 3,500. * * * W. Barrington Miller, managing director of Union Theaters. Ltd., controlling picture theaters in all the capital cities of the Commonwealth, left for the U. S. A. this week on a business trip, which will last for several months. * * * At the present time there are no less than six Australian productions under way. five of which are feature productions. W. Franklyn Barrett is approaching the last stages in the making of his six-reel patriotic drama, "Australia's Peril," which is being made with the help of the New South Wales Recruiting Committee. This will, in many respects, be one of the most interesting films yet made here, as all settings are on lines similar to those used in America, instead of the painted canvas walls and doors usually seen in Australian pictures. Raymond Longford is getting ready to start on the filming of "Church and the Woman," a picture that is to be the forerunner of three. Charles Woods, one of the pioneer Australian producers, is also at work on a five-reeler, as yet unnamed, which he says will be one of the biggest sensat.ions the local market has ever seen. A two-part comedy, "The Reformer," a burlesque on the would-be reformers who have been endeavoring to get film censorship for some time past, is also due for early release, and should prove highly popular. * * * The Daylight-Saving period finishes for this season during the last week of March, and picture showmen will be much relieved. It has undoubtedly done them an enormous amount of harm, attendances being hardly sufficient to pay the film rental in many instances. It is considered doubtful that the scheme will come into use next year, as the public are much against it, and a motion for the repeal of the bill lias been brought up in the House of Representatives. THOS. S. IMRIE. Sydney, N. S. W., March 6, 1917. Argentina Imports of Our Pictures Growing j ] American Productions May Be Seen in Nearly All Theaters — Films Rented from Firms Which Buy Outright from Manufacturer. AT THE close of October, 1916, there were in Buenos Aires 130 motion picture theaters, of which 117 were in daily operation during that month, according to Consul General W. Henry Robertson, stationed in that city. They gave a total of 6,000 performances to more than 1,500,000 spectators, which is slightly below the monthly average for the year. Besides these, nearly every inland city has one or more picture shows. The average seating capacity here is from 150 to 200, although there are several larger houses seating 500 and even more. The ordinary shows last three hours and are divided into sections of one hour each. Tickets may be purchased for the entire program or for one or two sections only. Although American films have always "been very popular here, they had considerable competition from the European makes, especially French, prior to the European war. Since then the use of European pictures has declined and their place has been taken by American products, so that the imports for 1915 and 1916 include an even greater proportion of American pictures than those of previous years. Today films from the United States may be seen every night in nearly all the theaters here. Motion pictures are usually supplied to the theaters through contracts by importing and distributing houses in Buenos Aires. The majority of these houses purchase films outright from the manufacturer, maintaining an agreement with the latter for exclusive business. These concerns often handle a number of different makes. It is customary for them to rent the films to the theaters, often supplying the requirements for each evening's entire program. Other theaters, working on an independent basis, receive their films from several distributors. One large importer here owns half a dozen theaters in Buenos Aires, and leases as many more, thereby exclusively supplying his houses with the films that he handles. The rental price varies in accordance with the character of the picture, the order of precedence in exhibiting, and the number of exhibitions. During the past two years several films with Argentine historical incidents, customs of the rural folk, or events of current interest as their subjects have been produced here. The manufacture of films in Argentina, however, is not a settled industry. If American exporters desire to establish commercial relations with this district apart from connections with supply houses, it would be necessary to establish a rental depot here, carrying a heavy general stock of films, as delivery on mail order can not be counted on in less than ten weeks, and business in this way would be unsatisfactory. [A list of dealers in films, motion picture machines and accessories in Buenos Aires may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, its district or co-operative offices. Refer to file No. 86024.]