Variety (Sep 1933)

•VABIETT'S' T^NDOK OFEICK, 8 St. WartlB'a'Tlaoe, Trufalgar S^oare FaREIGN FILM NE^S Cable Addre9s: VARIETT, T.ONDON* Telephone Temple Bar S011<6042 17 GERMAN HLM BiandiU Get Ideas of Violence f rom Amer* ican PiXy Report Asserts Nankins* Sept. 18; Hollywood-made Alms are re- sponsible for banditry in China'and the recent, re-occurrence of kid- napping in Shanghai, according to a report of the National educa- tional Clnematdgraphlc Society of China. Implication of the report-is that thei famed Chinese bandit would .be an innocuous gent, but for the ideas he gets looking a:t imported, mostly American, Alms. ' 'Social and moral order of China has been inore: disturbed by these films,' the repott says, 'than by guns aiid bombing shells,' Caused Unrest Further, It is claimed, the. socid) and. family life of Ctiina has been rudely disturbed by American Alms dealing with sex topics. 'Our disturbed society can not afford to be further demorallzed- ..sttli:. fiiuch ideas of . adultery, rob^ bery, luxury;, decadence. and cruelty,' the report continues. 'For the sake of our national existence thi^ importation of such Alms must be prohibited.' ■ Cinematographic Society lists the picture of the last few years it likes, and. gives the reasons, as follows: 'Abraham Lincoln,' UA, because It is a capital production expres^.- ing the national spirit. Produbfiveness 'Safe ^Guidance Into Life,' Soviet. It encourages .productive enter- prises; 'Captain of the Guard,' Univ. Based on the French revolution, it encourages a j;>atribtic spirit. 'Seventh Heaven,' Fox. A tunnel .fiweet>er, overcoming obstacles, is able to achieve success in the end. 'Emll and the Detectives/ UFA. The spirit.of sacrifice, mutual help and friendly love are fully ex- pressed. Doomed for Loss 'Resurrection,' UA. . Saturated with humanltarlanism. Its nloral in- fluence upon an . audience is great. The society also declares coiin- panies which present China iri a bad light in pictures wlfl be barred from exhibition. MAE WEST nun PARIS LONG-RUN SENSATION Paris, Sept, 15. 'She Done Him Wrong* (Par) has entered Its seventh month at the Cinenia Raspail here and is still going strong. Film is being shown in its original English version with ^Prench' superimposed titles. Natives have fallen for 'Lady Liou,' as the film Is advertised here, to a surprising extent and are patronizing thie picture to a greater extent, than is generally true of an English language filni. Kane Fox Proiluction on Bob Kane finally got. his Fox status straightened out last week with definite appointment to the. company's executive staff and the presentation, of a title. He's now liaison production manager for Foi's foreign activities, working between Winnie. Shefeiian on the coast, and iJric Pommer in Paris. Immediately on designation of the spot Kane was sent to Europe* -Tsailing Hjn^he—ClramplainH day (21) to Confer with Sheehan and Pommer and to oversee the work oh the first couple of Pom mer films, now in the works abroad. Bia.GE NATIViJ rims rusaelS, Sept. 17. Although particulars are not yet available it is conflrined that a moclern rtudio for the production of native Belgian films is to be built on the outskirts of Brussels. Machado Regime Hiirt Cuban Film Imports Havana, Sept. 25. As a consequence of ruinous taxes imposed by the; past Machado gov- ernmentl the film importing dwindled considerably, during the first part of 1933, according to statistics made known now. ■ During the first six months of this year, 722,000 feet of films were im- ported from the States and l,667j25'Z feet .were imported from all sources; compared with 2,228i623 iinported during the same period in 1932. The'iilms.lmportedidui'irig the last Ave y^afs are.g.s follows: 1928 •. •.«•.... ^. • i 2,926,444 ;ft. 1930 .*,.»..,., 2,645,981 " 1932 >• • • * •.•'••.•«•••«•• 2t228f623' "-^ '1933 «•■•.•••••»••••-k •••• • 1^5079252 m 15-1 RATIO pix yp TO 1% Nuali's Film Kredit Bank Ready to Stcirt Function- ing—Calls for Unequivo- cal Hsrpothecatibn of the Production Until Credit Is Paid Up 30% ALL NECESSARY . Lisbon, Sept. 15. Government bias fllnally got its quota law shaped and passed. It's a fairly innocucus Instrunient at first glance, , thbugh f ull of poisonous possibilities for American and other foreign .producers. Tentative sched- ule calls for a quota bia^is of about 15-1. Law Is a short Instrument and yet manages, to. be both a.'subsidy to local Industry and a quota, bar to foreigners. Subsidy angle, is In the first and second of tliree para- graphs. It allows complete free- dom of taxation for the Campania Portuguese de Filmes Sonores Tobls-Klangfilm, which is the only existent local producing company. Company is also given freedom of import or duty charges on machin- ery or equipment brought into the counti^y" for production purposes^ Means, of course, that any other prbduceca-setting^-up-loGaUyr-wiU-be- oillowed tiie same advantages, Second' paragraph gives freedom of taxation to picture houses show- ing" a minimum of two-third local mades. That's supposedly to induce exhibs to favor the contingent. EJxhibs, genei'ally, are the stumbling blocks on moves of this sort, r Actual quota regulation calls for 'a ratio of 600 meters of Portuguese film to 9,000 meters of foreign made, though no mention of what the me- terage must consist. Also the law is ^permanent one, but a proviso here that this clause may be changed annually.. --^ — Trouble., from an Anierican stand- point, is '.still the Spanish angle. Will Spain, a more important mar- ket, follow, suit? If so, AmeHcans can't afford to bother abbut iPbr- tugal, .since botli countries use the same language iand It would require tvC^o versions of films for markets not strong enough to support one each. Two Mex Natives Mexico City, Sept. 25: Aspa. Films, a new native pro- ducer,, has completed 'Sigrarlo' ('Sacrarium'), .Mexican drama, and promises It for • release here next month, Picture, was nieggcd by Ramon Peon. (. t Final scenes brvuarez and Maxi- milian,' ■ depicting the ill-starred career of the Archduke Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico, are being made"=at^Guepnivacaf^-hlstoi'ic=toura 1st resort near.here; by Mjguel .Con- treras Torres. ' FOX PAEIS REOPENING Paris, Sept, 14, Fox' is preparing to ruipoti the Theatre Edouard 'Vir. tomorrow (14) with the same policy an last year. Fox pictures cxclualvoly , In original Engli.sh versi6n.s.. Flr.st .film to reopen the hou.se l.s Lilian Harvey's 'My Lips Betray.' Film kredit Bank has been repr- -ganized by the Naci government and is. now in what Is hop.ed to be good enough running order to be- gin functi ing. Bahlc Was first or- gahized prior to the Nazi entry, but was so complicated by Ufa interfer- ,once that failed to get .floing_ promptly.- ; Producers bir Alms,, according to the bank progifam as laid out, must' not only take care of 30% of the stated i>roductIon cost, but also of 3Q% of an overdraft reserve, as well as 3fr% of the printing costs for. Germany, ."rhe. overdraft reserve is estimated at 15%. of the total pror duction cost. The remaining 70% of these three items will be financed by the bank. So, for Instance, with an estimated produotion cost of 160,000 RM*, to which are to be added 2i2i,50O RM for overdraft re serve and 27,6.00 RM for printing costs, the total costs virould be 200,000 RM, thus requiring the pro ducer to dispose of a cash capital of about 60,000 RM. For the security of the credit the •grantee must transfer all his-rights frpni the German release agreement to the bank until the credit has been fully paid up. The German dis- tributor must also join the ^financ- ing contr4ct between the producer and the bank, but only, however, within the extent of thei dlstrlbu-. tion agreement which he. himself has . closed. with the producer. In addition all world distribution Tights . uf the niiH. must' be Irans- ferred to the bank as security. The bank will currently control not only the expenditure connected with production, but also returns from distribution. The bank will have the character of a "trustee whose activities might also be extended to the flnancirig of the .30% initial capital through third parties. The disposal of the credit win thus be made as follows: That the producer will hand the ac- ceptance to the bank, that he him- self secure from the German disr tributor, as ,wel l as his own accepv tance for the .rematnlrig amount of the credit.. The acceptances and other data will be used by . the Film Kredit Bank as a discbunt fcredit with one of the larger.banks inter- osled iri the venture.. The credit will ultimately be paid up in a.ccord- aiice with the progress, of prodiic-. tion,; riot to. tlrt producer himself, however, but under, control of the bank, to the suppliers-of .materials and other parties concerned. The cr-edit may be extended If necessary .u|, to a maximum of one year. Bank's Firist Claim The cleaning up of the credit will be effected through the obIiga.tlon of the producer, to submit all do-r mest(c and foreign returns of the fl»m to^fhe bank. Th^German distributor must sub- mit to the bank all'receipts from the Utilization of the film up to an amount of 70%, if he supplies the =su mrortlng'" proff ramr^of" wmcH "^^^^^^ fljm In question is a'paf-t, or of 05%, if he secures the 'sur)portlng program from a thir-: party. If the .estimate, made for the fi.lm, for reasons advanced by the pro- ducer; is exteeded by more than li;%, Or, for other-rcason.s, by more than 20%, without the amount of the exce.s.s being cevered by insur- ance or being paid in ca.<5h at the ho.uk within a certain time limit, (Continued on pagei 55) Calls for Fiiiierals, Corpses, Wakes FRANGd-RUSSIAN DEAL Pathe-Natan .Houses Opened to. Screening of lyioscow Newsreels .Sept. Pfiithe-Natan,. has made.. de4l with the Soviets whereby the. eri- tlre Soviet newsreel will weekly be sent around to the Pathe-Natan. chain of houses. Tlieatres don't have to play , all the RUss clipSi b.Ut it's figured nevertheless as. a big tiling froni the; Soviet standpoints as it's the biggest booking deal put over by the manywhere In the world out-, side of home soil. FIND DUFRENNE J>a:rl8, Sept. 26. Oscar Dufreritne,. one of the ace French theatre operators, was found dead in his office at the Palace early today. It was obvioiisly a case of murder, his skull having ^been frac- tured by a hammer that was found at his side. Dufrenne, with Marcel "Varna, was a theatre operator^ of impor- tance, lie had music hall, feVue, and picture houses, among them the Casino de Paris, the Empire, and, at one time, the Folies Bei-gere. The Empire, long'the ace vaude stand. In Paris, was taken over by him; from the Pathe-Natan group only a few months ago for operating. Palace, where he. met his end, was a former vaude stand that went to fliriis re- cently. Besides his theatrical activities Dufrenne dabbled somewhat in pol- itics and was feiedted . municipal councillor for the Tcjith Paris ar- rondlisement recently. Moscow, Sept. First Soviet attenipt to do mu- sibal-coinedy-vaudeyille. type of sound picture I9 now under way. I)lrector is Gregory A.lexandrbv and opus, is. entitled 'Jazz Comedy.' "itltle aloriie. will: assure the picture crowded houses anywhere airid- everywhere in Russia, the very word, jazz hf^vlng a flavor of for- bidden fruit which excites Soviet interest. AH Interiors and Moscow ex- teriors haying been, shot, Alexan- droy and the, wholb, 'company are off Jn Gagrl, on the Caucausian rlviera for ' some seriii-tropical' shbtSk "The timing of cei'tairi scenjes in the h^art of MbiscoW not so long ago created a sensation. It seems that the'sceriariq .called for a fu«^ nera), .: or maybe several iuherals, a la jazz, with corpses who wake and other Incidents, "Tens of thou- sands watched the antics oh Mosr cow's main streets as canieramen tur-ned-r-ther-crarik. - , The. .jazz cpmedyi a:s near as one can gather firoriii general report, will, be a hodge-podge of- sbrigs, dances and stunts poking fun at pur .effete capitalist eivliizatib.n.. As an ironi« cal symbol of sbmethirig or other there will be a few Inebriated cows going to bed with their clothes on. These Russians can't do things for fun—there's & pin on the seat In every 'joke. ALLJ(NNVILLE SPACE IN USE iunrniiN Fnn BAN Madrid, Sept. 14» Spain and Mexico have signed ah accord prohibiting riiotion pictures which- are derogatory to either of the two countries or Spanish America. In'general, according to an announcement by the foreigri min- istry. The agreement textually prohibits commerce, circulation,, and exhibl- "tiori iri both countries of films whtch defariie, niake fun of br of-, fend, directly br Indirectly, the customs, iristltutloris, habits or deeds Of Mexico or Spain. "The two countries also agreed to use slniilar procedure and penaitlesl In connection with films which !they consider defamatory to any oth^r SpanlshrAmerican cbUntry. ' The pact will becoriie effective 06t. 1. Mexico City, Sept. 20. Treaty ijetween Mexico and Spain which vyent into effect Saturday (16) provides for joint banning of any film wiiich cither country deems objectldrialjle . to the other*. Mexico or Spain -may quit this pact by giving the other a year's notice of such contemplated action^ Cov- enant, as announced by the minis- try, stipulates anjong other things: ^^hferi^ a .JCoretexwAaOtion^picturcr producing enterprise or individuai which or who has produced a pic- ture that was found objcbtlonablo by either Mexico or Spain, circii- lating or being exhibited in their territories all other pictures pro- duced by the offender, liach giyern- fticnt .shall advise the other prompt- ly of pictures it ha.s banned. With the consent of both goYernnk>nt«, an bbjcctionable picture may . be made .suitable It it In po.s.slbK- t>) nilimlnate the offpnding part.s.' * Paramount's (Tolnville studio. In France, has hit a new high In activ- ity during the past few weeks, ac- cording to.announcement from Pari amount. International, In New York. All four soUnd stages and all the dubbing outfits are -ribw occupied and bboked for some tlnie ahead by French and American compa- nies. ^Louls Gasnler has started produc- ' tion on his first of four direct shots he's making for Paramount. Fred Bacos. is completing the second of twb he's making for Fox, and Eric Pommer is preparing to .begin shooting his first of three more for Fox> Also In work at Joinvllle. are dub jobs in French and Spanish on 'Cialvaeade' (Pox). John Hicks, Jr.,' apd Eugene Zukor, Par International heads, are due in New York Thursday (28) after a second months' European surVey, with more details on their 'bbseryations and accomplishments to be announced at-tiiat time. Mex. High Money Mark , Goes to Xross/ $30JS0 Mexico 'City, Sept., 22, •The Sign of the Cross' excelled all receint ^cinema ' records here, by showing for four consecutive -weeksi at the Cine Regis, Par's .Mexican show wlndoWj grossing around $13,000.. Showing from- four clcht days each in nine local scc- bnd-ruri hou.Seis, production had total additional;gross of about $11,^. 250, and yielded $6,500 in exhi [ its of from three, days to a week in fiVe nearby provincial towns. Mexican Par bfllces have six copies of the picture working. CANAD A EXHIBS ELECT, Ottawa, Stjpt. 25., Gordon Filiman of ' the, Patricia theatre, London, Ontario, was re> clcctod president at the ahntial ^meeting "of the Allied Ekliibitors of Ontarioi Harry Alexander and M. Gebe.rti^f. i^ecamc' vice-i>re.sidcrits while t)i^ .socretary-trca.suror l.s 'Williaim S. iliraiiy, propriotof of the Madison llif.'itrr, Toronto. O. |?. Hansbn w.'i.s rc.'ippoiritPd general manager fur the third year.