Moving Picture World (Aug 1920)

866 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD August 14, 1920 Condition of Film Industry in Italy Revealed by U. S.. Trade Commissioner N interesting report on the condition of the motion picture industry in Italy has just been furnished the Washington office of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. The report is ihe result of an investigation made by Trade Commissioner H. C. MacLean and is dated Rome, June 18, 1920. The report is as follows : “The produc tion of motion pictures is an industry for which physical conditions in Italy and Italian temperament are peculiarly favorable, and, consequently, this branch of activity early attained a high degree of development. Italy now claims to rank second to the United States among the nations of the world in the manufacture of motion pictures. “An idea of the importance of this industry in the economic life of the country can be derived from the fact that the working capital employed is now estimated at 300,000,000 lire and the actual capital invested at 100,000,000 lire. There are eighty-two companies engaged in the production of films, of which the greater number are located at Rome, which naturally presents unusual advantages from the scenic standpoint. Getting a Line on Production. "The annual production of new films in Italy has reached 1,600,000 meters. If it is estimated that forty copies are made from each negative the total of printed films is 64,000,000 meters. “As might be expected, the motion picture industry in Italy was seriously inter fered with during the war. It was difficult to obtain the raw material required, since imports of raw films from Germany, which had previously been an important source of supply, were cut off, and it was necessary to rely almost exclusively on the United States. “Now that the war is over a determined effort is being made to increase the demand for Italian films abroad and to stimulate a further development of this industry. In this connection the Italian Government has just provided for the appointment of a special council of . the motion picture industry, which will undertake to assist in the effective organization of the industry.’’ St. Louis Officers Re-elected At a recent meeting of the St. Louis Film Board of Trade, the present officers were re-elected for the coming year, including Eddie Dustin, manager of Pathe exchange in that city. IN our last issue there was published a letter from the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, addressed to the publishers who are members of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Glen McDonough, secretary of the society, has furnished a copy of letter Guy Empey in the South Hunts Locations for Comedy-Dramas ARTHUR GUY EMPEY, president of Guy Empey Productions, departed August 1 for the South to choose locations for forthcoming productions under the banner of the organization he heads. Mr. Empey’s departure at this time indicates immediate activity in the production of comedy drama to fill the series of which “Oil” was the first and of which distribution rights are now beging disposed. Several stories deemed suitable for the series have been accepted and are being adapted by Mr. Empey and his staff. Inasmuch as at least two of the stories have their locale in the South, Mr. Empey, who is a firm believer in authenticity of atmosphere and customs, is arranging for the filming of all exteriors in the South. “Oil,” first of the series, was made in and about the Shreveport, Louisiana, oil fields and while on location for that picture, Mr. Empey subconscionsly noted numerous possible “shots” fit into the stories he has in hand. It is to collate these spots with the author’s descriptions he is braving the heat of Louisiana in August. in reply to it. The letter is a bold statement from the music publishers’ angle and follows in full : Tour letter of July 18, 1920, addressed to various music publishers, members of this society, have been forwarded to us and we have carefully noted the contents. While your letter requires no extended explanation. nevertheless in justice to ourselves and to the many members of your organization who have co-operated with us for years as licensees, we feel that our position be made clear. From the tenor of your letter it is apparent that this is another insidious attempt to sow dissension among the members of our organization. Your letter is in the nature of a promise combined with a threat. As a lure and a bait you hold out the promise that you will play the music of our members in your theatres who withdraw from our society. You also state very plainly that unless they withdraw from such membership, you will prohibit the members of your organization from playing any of their music. The fact that you use our music, as you state in your letter, for nine hours a day and for seven days a week, is no reason why you should not pay for it. Do you advance the same argument to the distributor whose pictures are exhibited in your theatres, and is there any special reason why the owners of the music should bear a loss and the owners of the pictures be compensated? We are well aware that you are not using the music of our repertory because it is published by one or another of the music publishers. The fact is that whatever music you use is due to the popular demand for the same. Indeed, the success of your entertainment is based not only upon the popularity of your picture, but also upon a similar popularity of the accompanying music. You seemingly overlook the fact that the society acts in a representative capacity and that it seeks to guard the interest and welfare of the many composers and authors who depend upon the labor of their brains for a livelihood. You boldly propose to avail yourselves of the fruits of their genius without paying any compensation therefor, and you evidently are not particular whether you accomplish your purpose by the intimidation of publishers or by wholesale promises of benefits to them. If by the word “co-operation,” which you so freely use, you have in mind the accomplishment of an illegal purpose, rest assured that you will find us prepared to safeguard the interests of our members accorded by them by the statutes of the United States as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court, sniiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiinii iiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|fli!ii]iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiili|piiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiH^ | Says American Productions Appeal to the Chinese but that Only Poor Films Are Seen r | ' HE Chinese like American motion picture films and the natives of the j pigtail nation become as enthusiastic as our own people over the comics and detective films. Long serials also are popular with the Chinese public, 1 but the sex appeal films are strongly opposed by Chinese of the educated class, | I as being at variance with Chinese ethics. 1 The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce is in receipt of a dispatch I from Vice Consul Ernest B. Price, at Foochow, China, describing the Tai Kwang | § Cinematograph Theatre activities. This is the only regular moving picture g | theatre in Foochow, although exhibitions of motion pictures are shown regularly | 1 at the local Y. M. C. A. and occasionally by the Recreation Club (foreign). The Tai Kwang Cinematograph Theatre is Portuguese owned. It has a j I capacity of 500 seats. The admission prices are $0.80, $0.25 and $0.13, local | 1 currency. The value of this currency at the present time is 70 per cent, of | M our own currency, the 80-cent (Foochow) seats costing 56 cents in United I g States money. Cultivating Taste for the Motion Picture. There are two exhibitions each night, one from 7:30 to 9:30 p. m., and the f second from 9:30 to 11 :30 p. m. The films are rented from Shanghai or Hongkong 1 film exchanges, one of which, located in both cities, is called the Wing Fick n I Film Agency. The rental price for ordinary films is 1)4 cents per meter, and g 1 higher for films of special quality or interest. The names of the producing g 1 companies are generally not given, but American films are common. Pathe | g films and films distributed through Pathe Freres are very common as well. “The Chinese do not receive the motion picture type of play with immediate g I enthusiasm, but there is reason to believe that the taste for this form of play g is being cultivated steadily, and will increase,” says Vice Consul Price. “The chief need in furthering the sale and use of American films in Foochow g 3 — and doubtless in all China — would seem to be an adequate distributing or g 1 ganization covering the whole of China, which would see to the prompt relaying g 1 of films from one port to another. Foochow seldom sees a recent or even a good g 1 film, for the reason that an outport such as this gets only the tags and ends g 1 that the bigger ports do not want. An adequate distributing organization which g | could get good film quickly from one port to another would almost surely get g | increased patronage and an increased appreciation of good films. “Original import duty into China on films is five per cent, ad valorem. “There is no foreign newspaper published in Foochow, hence advertising by g 1 that means is impossible. Advertising is done with considerable success, how 1 1 ever, by ‘Express Notice’ or handbill. Any extensive campaign to introduce g 1 American films more extensively into China should include a careful study and g | preparation for both Chinese newspaper and Chinese poster form of advertising.” g iiiiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllliiiiiiiiiiiii!illlllliiiiillll!|iiiiiiiiili!iiliiiiii!liiiillllllllllii!iiiiiiiiiilllllllinilinillllillllllllliiiiiilliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'!i!iiiiniiiiii mm mum A Music Publishers Society Replies to Motion Picture Theatre Owners