Paramount International News (1935)

QhrammntJnternationcd^^ ^ Paramount's First International Convention to be held outside of America was a success beyond the limits of , I calculation by words and phrases. It produced a sense of uplift and inspiration in those attending it which can be measured by no other yardstick than that which says that when a mighty world company is motivated by loyalty and the ^>1 sense of security in the knowledge that merit and accomplishment will be rewarded — then that Company has an I asset which is superlatively limitless. jMagnificent Paris Convention May 11^ 12, 13, 14 Were Days That Saw Paramount History Made Paramount^s international Convention of Paris, May 1935, will be historiclly remembered whilever there is a Paramount organization. Something more ban the writing of history was accomplished there: an implacable foundation pr a greater International Legion was created by it, and the memory of friendhips cemented there by Paramounteers from all parts of Europe will endure 'hiiever memories endure. I Into this great concourse of lie hundred and twenty-five aramounteers poured the peronality highlights of Paralount’s three European divisions f activity — Distribution, Proaction and Exhibition. The rst chapter represented by Divion Managers, Managers and alesmen; Production by the cecutives of the Paramount jinville Studio in which the onvention was held; and Exhition by the managerial execuve of Paramount’s theatres in ranee and other countries of urope. Home Office had representaon by Mr. Hicks and Mr. Welter, which fact alone keyed the elegates to a terrific pitch of extement. Early on the morning of May I the delegates who had poured ito Paris from all points of the )mpass gathered in the main thetre of the Joinville Studio where tephen Fitzgibbon, executive lanager of the studio, greeted lem. For several weeks a coips f carpenters and decoiators had orked under the direction of Mr. itzgibbon preparing the studio )!■ this event. The theatre had een redecorated and given the •ue Paramount touch with por■aits of the Company’s executives, he entile exterior of one of the tages had been bedecked witb osters from all parts of the world j as to give the gatheilng a true iternational touch. Promptly on schedule the meetig began mider the spirited diection of General Foreign Represntative Fred W. Lange. He pened proceedings by paying a otable tribute to Mr. Zukor, fol)wing wbicb tbe film speech of [r. Zukor, recorded in New York, as screened. Mr. Lange then aid another fine tribute, this time ) Mr. Schaefer, whose New York Im speech followed with neat preision. Then two more fine trib STANDINGS AS ANNOUNCED AT THE PARIS CONVENTION Due to a special dispensation, New York was enabled to secure the standings as at the end of April for an nouucing to the assembled Conventioneers in Paris on May 12. The news was cabled, and its highlights are : — STILL FIRST YORK 2nd . . Was Fifth . .COCHRANE 3rd . . . Was Second GRAHAM 4th. . . Status Quo . . KLARSFELD 5th. . . Was Third MESSERI 6th. . . Same As Was .... .KENNEBECK 7th. . . Was Eighth . . .SCHAEFER 8th. . . Was Seventh .... . . . BALLANCE 9th. . . As You Were .... .PRATCHETT 10th. . . Status Duo ABOAF 11th. . . Another Ditto . . . SUSSMAN 12th. . .Still Another . . . . DAY 13th. ..Was Fourteenth . NATHAN 14th. . . Was Thirteenth . . . .DEL VILLAR CONFIDENTIAL. Secure in the l)elief that it won’t be seen by anybody else but those it concerns, we are slip ping a piece of information “under the wire’’ to the effect that Five (5) countries were over cjuota as of the time these standings were tabulated. f the countries con cerned will promise not to breathe the information to a soul, we’ll identify them as JAPAN, GERMANY, SWEDEN, CUBA, JUGO-SLAVIA — in that order. utes prefaced the screening of speeches by Messrs. Heni’j' Herzbrun and Ernst Lubitsch. Following these introductions. Ml'. Lange began his own address, a remarkably stii'ring document in which the General Foreign Representative told in unmistakable terms of sincerity how much he valued the magnificent spirit of cooperation which has been extended to biiii ever since he set foot in Europe. He felt fKisitive that such a fine spii'it of sportsmanship and true geniality could only be found ui sucb an organization as Pai'amoimt is. His introduction of Mr. Hicks was fittingly in keeping with the importance of this occasion. The speech of the Foreign Legion’s Leader, which lasted for somewhat more than an hour, but which was exaltingly timeless for those privileged to listen to it, is reported on elsewhere in this Convention stoi-y. Then followed Mr. Lange’s inti'oduction of Mr. Weltner, whose speech also is repoi'ted on elsewhere. Next to be called upon wei'e the individual Division Managei's, each of whom made delightfully informative addresses, each one climaxed by a reaction, in the .si>eaker’s native language, to Mr. Hicks’ speech. This completed the entire morning’s session of the first day, which had been devoted exclusively to Distribution. Luneb followed in a beautiful Italian villa setting on the stage immediately at the back of the poster display. Following this adjournment came the session devoted to Actualities Pai'aniount (Pai'ainount News), begun with the screening of a special newsieel most of the contents of which had been taken that moining immediately prior to the assembly. This reel was a smart piece of editing and reflected the highest ciedit on Editor A. J. Richard, who followed its screening with a si>lendid address to the gathering, delivered in French. He was followed to the platfoim by Ike Blumenthal, in charge of Paramount’s pi'oduction activities in Pai'is. He received a tremendous ovation from the gathering and delivered a remarkably in•spiring talk on Paramount’s plans, and what it has meant to him to have devoted so many glorious years to Paiamount’s sei'vice. Frank Farley, in his capacity of European Representative of the {Continued on Next Page)