Publix Opinion (Aug 31, 1929)

COUNTRIES OUNT PICTURES FOREIGN DEPARTMENT BRINGS "PARAMOUNT FILMS TO 70. IN 37 TONGUES (Reprinted from VARIETY by Permission) The gigantic upheaval in the picture industry, which has given birth to a new form of entertainment, serves to accentuate more sharply than any other recent event one of the greatest of the modern-day industrial and artistic romances—the rise of the motion picture to its present-day popularity and prestige in the f oreign markets of the world. Thousands of picture theatres, hundreds of which are new and commodious, stand as monuments to this country’s contribution to the elevation of the picture to the position it occupies as the world’s most popular form of entertainment. They emphasize still further the responsibility held by Paramount in popularizing American pictures and more directly the individual productions which have borne the name of Paramount through all these years. The Foreign Department It is for this promising future that the Foreign Department of Paramount has been building. This department came into existence back in 1912, the year Adolph Zukor departed for Lon-|. don with a print of his first feature picture, “The Prisoner of Zenda,” under his arm in search of a foreign market for his product. This market was quickly located, as the reception accorded the forerunner of present day PaTamount pictures was highly enthusiastic. From that moment Paramount assumed leadership in building up a foreign market for the highest grade American pictures, and in doing this has com ice was maintained without a break and without the loss of a single foot of film. Exhibitors of | the company’s product were en-! abled to go through the final in| tensive period of the war without: a break in the continuity of their service. From the beginning of his operations as general manager | of the foreign department, Mr. Shauer required the greatest possible exhibitor service as a part of the physical operations | of the exchanges abroad, as well | as the home olfice staff in New} York. The development of this service was placed in the hands | of Joseph Seidelman, who en-| tered the department in 1922 as assistant to Mr. Shaner,. and ‘who was extremely successful in. recruiting the various activities | of the department, such as ship-. ping, orders, title translations and editing, publicity, advertising and exploitation, to the highest possible pitch of efficiency. 100 Exchanges in '25 New exchanges and branch | Offices were opened with great ra;pidity in many countries as the ee for Paramount. Pictures }increased. By 1925, when the ;first great International Para mount Sales Convention was called pleted one of the world’s most. ; eases efficient distributing organizations. ® OTder by General Manager sid the proper distribution of Paramount Pictures to all of the important South American countries. Later the west coast countries—Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, were made a separate district with Benito del Villar in charge. Another important move was the acquisition of Film Aktiebolaget Liberty, the Paramount agency for the Scandinavian countries, and the appointment of Carl P.. York as general manager for Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. At about the same time M. J. Messeri was appointed managing director for Spain and Portugal and also as sumed charge of the beautiful Coliseum theatre in Barcelona as the premier theatre for Para mount product in that part of the world. Development of the German and Central European countries followed the appointment of Ike) Blumenthal as general manager | for that territory. Arrangements! were made for the distribution of; Paramount Pictures in Germany| through efficient channels and/| branch offices were opened in all of the Central Furopean countries, | where Paramount assumed its cus| |tomary leadership in developing} Paris and Europe. the distribution and exhibition of | high grade pictures. In Paris Another prominent unit in the! world-wide organization had been| created in Paris with Adolphe) Oss® as managing director. The territory managed from this hedquarters included France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland. Italy, Egypt and Northern Afri-| ca, and the French colonies.) and many branch offices were in| operation under Mr. Osso'’s diree-| tion. Later the Italian organization was established’ as a separate! unit, with the appointment of David Seouhami managing di rector. Arrangements were made} for several theatres in a number of the key centers of France for the proper showing of Paramount Pictures and this served to increase interest in better presenta as The following year, a second) theatre in London, the Carlton,] was opened with an _ elaborate presentation marked the initial showing of a sound picture in Europe, : Another great step. forward in the promotion of better theatres and modern presentation methods abroad was celebrated with the premiere of the Paramount the of “Wings,” which }> atre in Paris on November 20,| 1927, with one of the most distinguished audiences present in the history of the theatrical in-| dustry in France. The Paramount, seating 1,900, became one of the world’s model theatres and its programs, first under the direction of Albert A. Kaufman and later under that of Melville A. Shauer, special foreign representative, have attracted attention throughout all Europe, Paramount'was the first to inaugurate a continuous showing policy, which has established new standards of exhibition in France, | The Paramount theatre, now | sound equipped, is a favorite with royalty and representatives of the diplomatic and military circles who visit Paris and its first nights present a living who's who of | A. 3 sentat sch in his ing the beautiful Hogaku-Za in Far Eastern show world, became first run theatres for Paramount | Pictures, These theatres have now | been equipped for the presentation of sound pictures, “Redskin” being the initial attraction under this new policy. Another late ‘addition to the) krowing list of Paramount the-’ atres abroad is the beautiful new. China theatre in Stockholm, with a seating capacity of 1.900. With the reopening of the new season, ithe China will be ready for the Presentation of sound pietures,| along with all of the other Para| mount first run theatres through-) | Tokyo, the model theatre of the Of & world Stil cer. Ord tremendou activities | Mise M. pionee ization. All m mount pu plottation — titles for | Dutch =p Geyer, to foreign px ve tion methods throughout the reout the world. In Mexico, under! Al public, ‘the management of C. C. Margon | has The Cuban agency and its first of the Mexican organization, Parments run theatre, the Fausto, at Haamount has taken over the great Around vana, contributed another imOlympia theatre, and as a sound Charge portant link to the rapidly growequipped theatre this house is ing and | j}ney R. Kent, approximately tev The speed with which Mr.| paramount exchanges were in op Zukor’s product was accepted in| oration throughout the world, with England quickly made it nec-' Paramount Pictures the favored essary to open a foreign office! programs in thousands of theaand this was accomplished thru | gtres. a an agreement with J. J. Wal ker’s World's Films of London. Two years later a second of fice was opened at Liverpool, and then the foreign department was on its way. Mr. Zukor’s vision of the great possibilities to be had in the proper cultivation of a foreign market for the highest grade of feature productions led him to. suggest to Emil E. Shauer, then engaged in another branch of the export business that he become associated with Famous Players as its foreign manager. This mile post in the company’s history was soon celebrated by the opening of additional exchanges in Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff, and in the launching of preparations for the extension of distribution service to other countries. By 1916 the activities of the department had become so extensive that Mr. Shauer found it necessary to secure an able man who could represent the company abroad in the dual capacity of ambassador and distribution executive. That man proved to be John Cecil Graham, for a number of years active in the film industry. 100 Per Cent Service | occupies a position The British organization had made an inspiring record in the distribution of Paramount Pictures and in building up good will for Paramount under the inspiring leadership of Mr. Graham. Several new exchanges were placed in operation and the British Paramounteers’ accomplishments gained for them speedy recognition as the Foreign Department's premier di-| vision. Over on the opposite side of the world important events in Par|amount’s history followed the! appointment of John W. Hicks,+ Jr., a8 managing director of the | | Australasian division, consisting of} /11 exchanges in Australia, New | Zealand, Java, Straits Settlements ;and Siam. Many fine new theatres were erected to provide the public with the sort of entertainment | it demanded and Australia today | in the front} ranks of the industry as regards | the standard of its theatres and the quality of its showmanship. | Moving On The two years that tollowed | were marked by intensive devel The picture industry had proved its value as & war time necessity and Mr. Shauer, in laying the foundations for present-day Paramount efficiency, insisted upon 100 per cent service to all those countries in which the company’s product was exhibited. This serv| ing Paramount foreign organization at this time. C. C. Maron, later transferred to the Mexico! organization as ceneral manager | for Mexico and Central America, | and A. L. Pratchett were placed | in charge of this important Para-| mount unit. Mr. Pratchett econtinues as the company’s general | manager for Cuba, Porto Rico and| the West Indies. In Mexico and Central America| active Paramount organizations | were functioning, with distribu-/ tion offices in Mexico City, Guate| mala City and Cristobal, Canal) Zone. Colombia, Venezuela, Ja-| maica and Ecuador were also included in this division, C. C. Margon becoming general manager. Other Paramount representatives in this territory are R. A. Loomis, branch manager at Guatemala City, and Harry Novak, in charge of the Panama office and surrounding territory. ; w ; ! : } | | } memorable | International Sales Convention of South America followed in reeognition of his services. Under his direction numerous branch offices were opened for 1925, was the completion of the} Plaza Theatre in London, Para| mount’s first great modern show window abroad. Under the able Management of Mr. Graham, the Plaza quickly came into possession of one of the most distinguished cHenteles of amy theatre in the world. winning for itself the title “Rendezvous of Royalty.”’ Buenos Aires, kreater interest in newer and better theatres and more up-to-date | program methods. _ The newest of the ‘world’s Par| amount houses is the Paramount theatre in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which on its opening In April of this yea firs So t sound equipped theatre in. uth America. Par's 70 Countries ; The period since 1925 has been | notable for the speeding up and) consolidation of foreign department activities abroad. Many new | Offices have been opened, until to-' changes are distributing and exploiting Paramount pictures in. the 70 countries which comprise Paramount's show world. During the last year a new home office: and exchange building for the. Australasian organization has! been completed at Sydney and, new offices have been erectéd ins Argentina; Santi-, ago, Chile; Liverpool, England, | and Strasbourg, France. During | this period exchanges have been established at La Coruna, Spain; Lima, Peru: Riga, Latvia; Warsaw and Lemberg, Poland: Prague, Czecho-Slovakia: Vienna. Austria, and Zagreb, Yugo-Slavia, More than 3,000 employees are ow enrolled under the banner of Paramount's foreten department, This loyal a Ptbeprtamigtines is engaged in dis uting, exploiting, pr and presenting ; pean ae tures in the 37 lang which the world's artistic life radiates, Good Will Abroad Paramount Prestige and will abroad have never been er than at the Present m uages through r, had the honor of being the cards Budapesi, Hungary; and jleading the way in encouraging Pictures @ jects for # Param uf the pre which are and L. £ the {® Beach On ‘satu day 125 branch offices and ex-. Stan ” " cacem new Thu the o are day. fr & vs cha On po mi atre wi Py + nd efficient army of | eh famount Pice~) é commercial and * i ‘4