Universal Filmlexikon (1932)

The studio reports are there for tlip taking anrl tlie newspapcrs of to-day have really no need to try to intcrest the public in anuising reports conceriiing the inaking of a big fihii. A vei-\ typical iigure is the fiiianeial Journalist interested in films who, only a few years ago, used to report on the economic side of the film with a ceitain reserve. To-day, when the film has become an important customer of the electiical industry, this same financial Journalist is bot on the scent of any report concerning new transactions, financing arrangements and prospects in the film industry. As to the film trade press in America, the '"Motion Picture Herald", managed by Martin Singley and Terry Ramsage, and the "Motion Picture Daily", edited by Maurice Kann, are of considerable imjiortance. The ''Photoplay Magazine a populär organ with a circulation of one million copies per annum. is managed by James C. Quirk. This enormous circulation is explained by the fact that in America the form of art represented by the film enjoys an extraordinary jiopularity and by the vastness of the territory in which the paper circulates. In England the important names in the trade press ai"e Ernest E. Fredman (Film Reuter), Rayment ( "Cine ^ eekly"), Sam Harris and Miss Clark ("Cinenia"). The populär artistic periodical "Era" is edited by the well-known author Atkinson. who also supplies reviews to a number of Englisb trade papers. In France the best known trade Journalists are P. A. Harle fCinematographie Francaise) and Charles Le Torapper ( Courier Cinematograpbique ) . "Cinemonde" and "Cinemagazine" are great populär film papers. In Germany there are three film dailies: "FilmKurier"' (edited bv Jäger), "Kinematograph" (ed. ArosI, '-Lichtbildbübne" (ed. Dr. Wollenberg). The Weeklies include "Der Film" (ed. Beetz), "Reichsfilmblatt" (ed. Henseleit), "FilmJournal" (ed. Scbneifler). The well got up type of film paper is represented in Germany by "Filmwelt" and "Filmwoche" (ed. by Aros and Paul Ickesl. In addition, a number of big daily papers in Gennany have large film Supplements, in which big films are dealt with by word and picture. These Supplements contain film reviews and photographs of the most populär slars, in addition to "■|)ars" which give ihese publications a populär appeal. However, all this does not e\baii-l the ränge of international film publicity. There is also a not inconsiderable trade press in a number of non-producing countries, while the film matter published in some well produced Society papers in those countries is gradually increasing to the point of preponderance. An additional feature of the ncus between the film and the press ist the fact that in the great film producing countries numbcrs of Jouriudisls have "penetrated" inlo the film world on the production side, mainlv bv means of the scenario. B. D. W. Griffith, Monty Bell, Wallace Smith and Luther Reed are outsranding examples. In France every film fan knows that Pierre Colombier, Rene Pajel, Edmond Greville, E. Pallos and Rene Clair (formerly editor of the "Intransigeant"), all of whoni are well known directors and scenario writers, have come to the film from Journalism. The same applies, though not to quite the same extent, to Great Britain. In German film circles Robert Liebmann, Fritz Podehl, E. A. Dupont, Milakowsky, Bertold Viertel, Hans Kräly, and, among the younger generation, Billie Wilder, Lothar Mayring, Robert Siodmak, E. Pressburger and many others are rightly regarded as former Journalists. A veiy typical Journalist is Lothar Stark, former editor of a Frankfort newspaper, who, after a brief spell of film Journalism, went into the international renting business. He became a film exporter and importer and is known in all countries where films are produced or dealt in. When one thinks of the vast press apparatus that is daily mobilised in the Service of the international populär art represented by the film, one cannot help Coming to the conclusion that this side of the film is, or at any rate should be, a bond between the nations of the World. The posibilities of reciprocity in film Journalism are Just as valuable in the international sense as the making of German versions in Paris, of French versions in Neubabelsberg and of any foreign Version in Hollywood. 57