Moving Picture World (Sep-Oct 1927)

240 MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 24. 1927 Brandt Off To Feature “Columbia” All Over Europe! JOE BRANDT, president of Columbia Pictures, sailed for Europe on the Olympic on September 16, to extend his company's distribution in England and on the Continent. Mr. Brandt’s three months itinerary includes prolonged stops in London, The Hague, Brussels, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Christiania. “Columbia has succeeded in building up a national organization during the last several years, and it is now the ambition of Jack and Harry Cohn and mysel f to extend the distribution of Columbia product so that we will have representation in every worthwhile city in the world,” Mr. Brandt said before embarking. “Columbia intends to play an important part in the independent markets of the world. Years ago the American independent producer played an important part in the foreign market, particularly in the British market. During the early days of the industry when independents in the United States struggled for recognition from British renters, the independents constituted an important factor in the establishment and growth of many British film distributors and theatre-owners. Will Take Good “Independents” “With many foreign countries embarking on a broad-gauge schedule of picture production, I look forward to the making of many worthwhile pictures that audiences in the United States will be glad to see. Wherever possible we plan to establish direct representation for Columbia Pictures, and to further that end will enter into reciprocal arrangements with foreign producers to serve as their distributors in the United States. “We are successfully operating on such an arrangement in England today, and believe in letting foreign nationals handle all the business details in their own respective countries. “I sincerely believe that much of the success for the future distribution of foreignmade pictures will eventually fall upon the shoulders of independent producers in America. American producers who have established their own companies in Great Britain, for example, cannot — or will not — absorb the number of pictures which the quota will bring about. This means that many worthwhile British pictures will never be distributed in the United States unless American independent producers, through their sources of distribution, provide the outlet. “Big Fellows” Stay Out “No so-called ‘international’ company will make affiliations with a few of the British producers or other foreign factors. The am bitious foreign independent will find that unlessa definite association is established between him and an American independent, he will have to depend solely upon his own country for a return on his investment. “Our company has taken steps with our British distributor, Mr. F. A. Enders of FBO Ltd., to provide a market for several pictures which he will produce in England. Other similar agreements will be entered into with European independent producers where the alliance will prove of mutual advantage. This is in accord with my oft-expressed conviction that if foreign markets do their best to support our independent pictures, we in turn should do our utmost to further the interest of foreign independent producers in the United States. To Cement Old Friendships “We look forward to establishing a stronger bond between foreign-owned renting houses and American independent producers besides that of sympathy. I feel that a definite business relationship between British producersand European producers is a vital necessity. A closer linking of interests in this manner will mean that Europe will receive a fair profit for her pictures in return for a definite patronage of American independently produced pictures. British Can “Deliver” “It should be no more difficult for foreign producers to make pictures that will please the American public than it has been for American producers to make pictures acceptable to the British, and other peoples across the sea. Human emotions are the same the world over. If there had been a dearth of pictures in the United States, as there has been in England and on the Continent, the people of the United States would gladly have welcomed foreignmade pictures. “There is no doubt that merit alone will determine the value in the American market of foreign pictures. Once their worth has been established, however, foreign pictures will force their way into popularity in the LTnited States and be decided competitors for the goodwill of the theatre-going public.”