Variety (Sep 1933)

« St. MWrtln'i PUe«. TraMlrKV Sqiuuw F OR EIG N Cable AMfUt TAHIWrT, IfiKDOTf, Teloph6n« Temple Bar 5041-g04g" 13 Soviet Will Try to Make Drive For Foreign Trade-Smimov at Head Moscow, Auff. 4. 'ReorganizQ,tlon of the Soviet fllm business is going on apace. First important move has beeji to' name Victor Smlrnov as export director for all Soviet films. SmirnoV returned to Moscow only a few days ago, after a year's resi- dence in Nfew York, where he was president of Amkino. In his new post it's figured that he brings the home market a flrist hand knowl- edge of export conditions, especially in the U. S., most important of Russia's export countries. . Undecided yet who will take over the Amkino helm in New York. That job has been trundled about . several vj^mes, Russia's idea is to move p^j^9ple in and .out of New York, from Moscow, giving them that much wider experience and ground work. For the time being £sma Kuznetzova, a woman, is in charge in New York, though under supervision of Amtorg, general Russian sales agents in the U. S. Miss Kuznetzova. joined Amkino some, months ago as representative of Soyuzkino and Intorgkino, *two of the Russ film producing units. Cold B. O. Inspection Russia's intention now is to build up films from several standpoints, hitting especially at the foreign markets. Foreign language ver- sions Will • be made, with English especially watched. Several former Aihkinoites .who watched the pic- ture making angle while in the IT; S., will be put on turning out these versions. Smlrnov will look at the films from a cold b. o. stand- point, refusing permits for ship- ments to the U. S. of pictures that he doesn't consider good enough to return in cash. Selling propaganda and usual Red iltuff, as in the past, will become a secondary issue for the time being. Some stars will be developed here, with the same thing in mind, and producers held in check more closely to keep them from making pictures that won't cash in. PIHALUGA'S 70 TOPSCONITNENT Rome, Aug. 26. J?ittaluga has announced a pro- gram of 70 pictures for the new sea- son, the most.ambitious program of any IDuropean fllmer. Italy's biggest company will pro- duce only 20 of these pictures on its own, the others being dubbed by Pittaluga into Italian on distribu- tion deals. Company has 44 im- ported pictures set for dubbing pronto, of which seven are Ameri- can (RKO-Radio), 14 French and 12 Germans. Company's general method of pro- cedure is to get whatever product it cin for distribution h^re, then attending to the dubbing or treat- ment on its own. 'BERKELEY' AT $1.50 GAIETY Fox 'Weakness' Another Super to Play B'way Roadshow House Fox will retain the Gaiety, New York, as a roadshow house through most or all of this season, under hopes. Currently sheltering 'Power and the Glory,' Jesse L. Lasky produc- tion. Gaiety w^ll have as its Second tenant this fall another Lasky pic- ture, 'Berkeley Square.' •My Weakness,' musical produced for Fox by Buddy de Sylva, is on the list to follow that. GERMAN LOSSES IN AUSTRIA U.S.GAIN Vienna, Aug, 25. German pictures are still fairly strong here, despite considerable agitation against them. Since Ger- man is the native language it's in- teresting to . ote' that first six months of the yeat showed a de- cline in the number of films brought in from that country and an in- crease in American product. Up to the end of June 103 talkers and three silent features were im- ported into Austria. Of this num- ber 58 were German and 37 were from the United States. Other eleven pictures were distributed one or two each among all the other world film producers. British Picture Bettering WILLIAM WYLER Universal City, Cal. His directorial achievements in elude "THE STORM" (La Tour Mente), "HELL'S HEROES" (Heros de I'enfer), 'TOM BROWN OF CULVER." "A HOUSE DIVIDED" (Orages) and "HER FIRST MATE." Now directing "THE MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD." Under contract to Universal Pic tures. Rockefeller s M.H. es Mind of Sir Beni. FuDer Chang! Osso's Scheme to Beat Gold Embargo Failure Paris, Aug. 25. Adolphe Osso has decided to give up his Budapest enterprise and has sold what there is left of his Hun- garian producing company to a new Hungarian firm, City Film, headed by Alexander Rakosi. Osso spread out into Hungary a couple of years ago to supplement his local producing company be- cause of the money situation. He couldn't get any cash out of Hun- gary because of gold embargos there, so decided to go into produc- tion, taking out film Instead of cash. Never worked well and he's now decided to give up trying. Canada's Dean's 25th London, Can., Sept. 4. Completing 25 years as manager of the Grand theatre here, John R, MiTihonniclc, known as the" Dean of Theatre Managers in Canada, be- oalnc managor o£ both Palace and Grand (F. P. houses) Saturday (2). ABNORMAL COLD, OTHER m, HURT ARGENTINA Buenos Aires, Aug. 15. Business has reached a new low here, past six months being terrible for all show biz. Several reasons for this, most important being the usual alibi—but true here—unsea- sonable weather. It's been excep- tionally cold the past few months, colder than in many years, Winter here, of course, but really cold" weather is not normal. Homes, theatres or offices are not equipped to deal with real winter rigors. Country has had several other escterrial things to worry about, too. There was an influenza epidemic and a locust plague. All of which combined to make the month of August, for Instance, mean about 20% at the box office as compared to previous years. General conditions everywhere have combined to seriously effect the Glucksmanns, who have tor many years headed the theatrical field in this country, having a finger in nearly all theatrical pies below the equator. Story's around that the Glucks- manns would consider a sale at favorable terms of their strong the- atre chain. Company has disposed of the Cine Electric on Calle Lavalle, selling it to an indie group, but otherwise no outward signs of decentralization. Reissued Lloyd Shorts J. H. Hoffberg Co. has taken for-r eign distribution rights to the Har- old Lloyd shorts, which are now be- ing sounded in reissue form for re- lease generally. Embassy Pictures, doing the re- cording work and will distribute the pictures in the U, S. Krisel Back to Orient Alexander Krisel, United Artists rep in China, left New York Fri- day (31) for the Coast on his way back to his post. He sails from San Franci.sco Sept. 10. He was in New York for six weeks, with Mrs. Krisel, on va- cation. Lion, Returning to RKO B, D. Lion has resigned from Uni- versal and returns to Radio Pic- tures, where he'll work again for Bo Dowling. Lion was with Dowling about two years ago when he went over to Universal's foreign department. Sir Ben Fuller, of Fuller's The atres, Australia, Is in New York on a propaganda mission for his chain and also for a self-educational pur pose of absorbing American show methods. It's been eight years since ^ir Fuller has been In the U. S. or in London, and he states that much has transpired despite bis avowed desire not to go sight-seeing. After a flash of the Radio City Music Hall, Sir Ben states that while the Rockefeller projects may be ahead of the times they've cer- tainly outmoded the Broadway de luxers. Sir Ben will await W. J. (BUI) Douglas, his general manager, -who is due on the 'Mariposa' Sept. 10 In Los Angeles and will fly to New York. Both may continue to Lon don or return pronto to Australlk, as there are a number of ventures pending. Sir Ben and John Fuller, his brother, operate some 70 - theatres in Australia and New Zealand, in dependent of General Theatres. Melbourne, the Australasian cap ital city, expects a boom, year In 1934, commencing In October when the Centennial of Progress Expos! tion will make the Antipodes world's subject for interest and' ob servation for six months dating from that month. The annual Agri cultural Show and other yearly hoop-de-doos are being adjourned to bunch into the October-March period, all of which is expected to react in favor of the theatres. Duce's New Film Head Rome, Aug, 25. Marchese Pauluccl di Galboli has been named head of Luce films, offi- cial picture company. Marchese Paulucci comes to the business with no previous film background, but considerable po- litical prestige. He was in the Prench office previously and is an intimate friend of II Duce, being one of the first Fascists, Sharon Lynn Sailing Hollywood, Sept, 4. Sharon Lynn, who goes into 'Louder, Please' at the Bolasco for two days, Sept. 25 and 26, expects to take a plane at midnight after her last performance in order to reach Now York on the 27th to jsall on the 'lie de France.' Barney Glazer and Miss Lynn (Mrs. Glazer) expect to spend six weeks in Europe. London, Aug, 25. By this time even the British public, which took a long time mak- ing up its mind, has grown accus- tomed to British pictures. The in- dustry, as at present shaped, has been in existence for about seven or eight years, and is at last entirely successful within itself. It is still true,- an-l obviously must remain so at least for many years, that England is still indebted to Hollywood for the bulk of its pro- grams and still indebted for Id out of every 20 of its big successes. But the effect of the British achieve- ment on the American market in England cannot fail to have been considerable. With the Gaumont British studio plan now mainly finished and the consequent increase of product from that unit and associated enter- prises, it is safe to assume that 150 reputable pictures will be made here during the ensuing 12 months from all sources. This will include the American productions made lo- cally for quota consumption by cer- tain companies. The figure does not include shoe- stringers who turn out the occa- sional picture, nor does It take Into account the possible developments here by such American firms as Co lumbia, which has plans for British production. Quite safe to say that at least 100 of these films will make money, some of them big money. Admitting the net income is not high, foreign markets are opening up to the British executives, who now reg ularly tag off so much outlay against returns from the European field. Successful Looking back on the year the big- gest home successes have been al most entirely' Gaumont British, British International, and British and Dominions. Other companies have scored with isolated pictures. Gaumont's 'Rome Express,' which gate-crashed the States, was natural this side, and its home gross has been estimated around $600,000. Films like' 'Jack's the Boy,' 'Maid of the Mountain,' and the British and Dominions Ralph Lynn pictures, have scored to $500, 000 time and agali^ Tendencies In the studios have been Interesting. British Inter- national, severely criticized locally for making second-feature films with a marked provincial appeal and little big-city draw, have switched their program to the op- posite extreme, their aim now being to make fewer pictures but more expensive ones. B. I. had at one time cut their production costs on smafl pictures to as low as $80,000 and even less Now they are shooting up high flg- xitea, their importation of Amer lean ^ames, Cummings, Daniels, Lyon, Eilers, Varconi, Stein, and such being a symptom of their new scheme. $300,000 Cost Gaumont have, since their new studios opened, been the highest budgeted studio of the combine units. 'Good Companions,' which they are letting out at 50-50 shar- ing items, is said to have exceeded $300,000 in the making, a very high figure for this side, and one which takes a gamble on the film being good. Films have admittedly improved out of proportion. British pro- ducers still cling tQ a weakness for comedy, frequently localized com- edy, arguing that laugh stuff is a .safe bet with depression audiences. Most of the comedy hits on English programs are home made. Holly- wood supplies the drama and spec- tacle but the local studios turn out the lafCs. Weakness of British films is mainly in the scenario side. Pro- ducers here pay too little for writ- ing material. They don't seem to get the necessity of having a film made before it's started. Very few local script writers command high figures. Those who do are mainly good, with W, P, Hp.scomb po.s.sibly the best In thft country; Even the major companies .show a to.ndfncy to got on with a picture without getting everytliing out of the .script. If Hriti.sh producorn could improve this department thoy would be doing tliem.sclve.s a heap oC good. Photography, too, Is indlffcn-nt. Some of the local len.s men have imagination and go their own way, employing quite imaginative melh- od.s. liut the majority do not seem to have grasped the e.s.'^fnliaN ut the hard white lighting which char- 1 acterises the high class American feature. The British film may have artistry in Its shadowing, but it lacks the brightness and sparkle of the American negative. On the star side the studios still lag behind. They seem to pin their faith in comedy and stage names rather than find new personalities. At the moment the Industry is doing very nicely even though it hasn't discovered and made one single leading womao. who means real money at the box-oflice. PARDOrrWANT THEATRES IN EUROPE Walter B. Cokell, Paramount treasurer, sailed for London Friday (1) on the Paris to attend to some Paramount theatre deals in Europe. John W. Hicks, Jr., Par's foreign chief, and Eugene Zukor, his assist- ant, have been in London for two months laying the jgroundwork for some deals. Par has 36 foreign theatres which It has been trying to get rid of, al- though the majority are money- makers. One or two more are about to be put up but Par now feels it would rather get rid of the foreign chain or get the worry of it oft Its mind. Germany Solves Twin Feature Problems by Two-Hour Show Limit Berlin, Aug. 25. Government has finally figured out how to do away with the double feature headache. Been trying to legislate against double features for months, but the formula has just been decided. Way It'll be done Is this: Start-* ing with Sept, 15 no theatre will be allowed to show a film program longer than 3,200 meters plus a newsreel, with running time for picture house shows limited to two hours and seven minutes. Also, no producer may legally make features shorter than 2,000 meters or shorts longer than COO meters. Law also states that where exhib- itors have contracted for too many pictures, on the theory that they would play double features, they must get together with the distribs immediately and make amicable settlements. Where distribs and exhibs can't agree on what's fair the governmental Splo commission will arbitrate. Several months ago the govern- ment seml-officially ordered exhibs to stop the twin bill practice, but got nowhere. Situation became especially bad with the growing shortage of pictures, but exhibs In- sisted they must show two pictures to get business. Itafian-German Picture Swapping Deal Signed Berlin, Aug. 25. Ufa has completed an inter-dis- tribution deal with Consorzio Cine- matograficc of Rome whereby the two companies will handle each other's pictures. That's in line with several other recent Italo-German deal.s which tend to make Gorman and Italian pictures pretty strong in each others' countries. Idea was thought up by tlie Nazi regime, as one way to strengthen the home film market and gain a bit of ground abroad at the .same time, without having to give in on anti-Jew and antl-for- elgn idea.s in l')cal film.s. Afier Latin America N. A, >Ichlin leaves next week for Colombia to canva.s.s the terri- tory and open olfices for J. II. Hoffberg & Co. Hoffberg Co., handling indie rtjjini.sh ])i'0(hu:t, already has offices in IJijeriofj Aire.s and Rio and in- tends opening up in Spain shortly.