Variety (Sep 1935)

TABTETT'S' I.Oin>0N OFFICB, • St. Hartla's ,RUe«, Iisfalnr Bqosi* INTERNATIONAL NEWS TalephoB* Temple Bur Mtl-50t> Cable Addmsi VAKIETY, LONDON 21 DRASTIC FRENCH DECREE _ 4- ■— ■ ■ — Too Expensive, Three lOo Casinos Dropping American Floor Siiows Making Films in China No Picnic; Somid Crawling In, but Biz Off 50% By CAL. S. HIRSH Shanghai, Aug. 8. The first six months' business In picture houses throughout the .Yangtze Valley Indicates that busi- ness is B0% oft from 1934, when the depression struck thlr. country. Pro- duction Is down more than 50% and receipts about the same. In 1934, Shanghai produced 102 feature -fllms, about 25 rated high according to Chinese average. Others were rubbish. Foreigners rarely attend a Chinese film. Dur- ing 1934, Star, Unique and United Photoplay produced 64 full-lengths; first six months of 1935 only 15. Nee "Wah,' Denton, Shanghai Sound Photoplay, New China Studios, and Moonlight are still functioning; other fllmers have folded up. Only 400 houses in China, about 100. wired. There are ten sound cameras in Shanghai. Last year's product was 15% sound; this year It is about 40%. Shanghai studios produce in the Mandarin language while Canton ■uses Cantonese. Shanghai oc- casionally dubs Cantonese, but racial jealousy makes this unfeasi- ble. China's population is 400,000,- 000 and perhaps 2.000,000 speak Mandarin; 96% of the total popu- lation Is hardly literate so that Bound pictures are-no great success. Picture audiences are becoming more discerning and demanding better product, but the studios simply can't make it. High grade In China Is far below average in the States. JV.dmisslon prices outside of Shanghai for first run, are from 12c t6 35c. Producers require 1,000,000 customers before the average pic- ture Is out of the red. 'Two Sisters,' featuring Butterfly Wu, China's best film to date, played to 1,500,000 first run and 2,000,000 second run ad- missions. Average film costs are negligible from a Hollywood standpoint; $8,000 to $22,000 covers it. Eastman and Japanese negatives are used. Dis- tribution is on rental and per- centage basis, latter preferable as the theatre owner generally has no Idea, of the picture's quality. Press books, high pressure advertising and exploitation are unltnown. MEX STRIKE STALLED PENDING GOV'T QUIZ Mexico City., Sept. 3. The govei-nment has induced unionized clerical help of American distributors here to postpone their strike movement to Sept. 7. Strike was scheduled to start Aug. 31 and ■would have virtually stopped all distribution activity of all American film corripanies in Mexico. Office help's idea in striking is a 10-25% salary raise all down the line. American firms claim they .can't afford it. Government got the men to agree Jiot to strike for another week by promising an onicial quiz. Dr. Ernst Lothar at Reinhardt's Josefstadt Vienna, Aug. 23. Max Reinhardt cliose Hofrath Dr. Ernst Lothar to succeed Dr. Premin- ger as director of his Josefstadt the- atre in Vienna after evci-yone had for days been laying bets on one or the other of two entirely different can- didates. Dr. Lothar hadn't been a candidate at all, but emerged on the scene as a sort of dark horse at neinhardt's own invitallun. Dr. Prcmin.gcr goes to Hollywood. Dr. Lotlinr -will take ovei; his now duties on Xov. I, but beforr that he will ciHUsull with Dr. Promingor about tlie i)ro.!,'ram tliat the Inttor had already jjlaniied. sn th.'it thoir will "be a cert.-Un continuity. SHORTS WANTED Newsreel House Growth in Paris Opens Market for U. S. Briefies rS STRICT T.OFF Paris, Aug. 25. Spread of newsreel theatres all over Paris has increased local shortage of brief subjects, with which newsreelers fill out their pro- grams, and prices for shorts are going up. More American briefies of the right kind, which are rare, would be welcome. Tendency in general of renters Is to run up the prices on newsreel houses, which have been doing relatively good biz, with result that the reelers are now squealing they are being milked and that if the dlstribs keep on boosting the ante a lot of them will have to shut down. YANK HOOFER'S PARIS PROD. GO. Paris, Aug. 25. Jack Forrester, former New York hoofer, who came here In 1926 to dance in the Casino de Paris show with Maurice Chevalier and stayed to become a French film producer, Is working on a deal which will make him one of the big shots In local distribution, If Ity clicks. Dicker is to combine with Marcel Pagnol, one of the most important local indies, for their own natlo.n- wide distribution. Third firm In on the deal will be a new one formed by Georges Milton, popular local comic, to make his own pictures. Pagnol is an author, so that the new group would be a sorl of mlnnie United Artists. Forrester's concern, Forrester- Parent, has been making coin In the past year where lots of them have been dropping It. Recently got in on the Paramount production pro- gram, making 'She's Flirting With You' at Joinville for Par, but since then has made a credit deal with Kodak for raw film that will enable it to work Independently, still using Par's Joinville studio, however. Forrestel- got his start as a pro- ducer here, in 1931, by buying the French rights to two years of Co- lumbia's production. K.R.S. CALLS MEETING ON G-B-HYAMS DEAL London, Sept. 3. Kinematograph Renters' Society is meeting today (Tuesday) to dis- cuss the picture theatre deals be- tween Gaumont-Brltish and the Hyams brothers. KRS claims that it looks like a simple booking com- bine and, as that, cannot be al- lowed to go through. G-B closed a couple of weeks ago for a large piece of the Hyams chain, with two of tlie Hyams brothers getting jobs wth G-B a.s part of the terms Involved. Had prevloii.sly tried to arrange a simple hooking pool for Alms, which KRS nixed. G-B and Hyams' argument Is that this time there was a'definite cash arrangement with nearly $1,000,000 changin.t; hands, so that KKS Is not entitled '.o complain. American Firms Fear Dis- ruption of French Biz— Would Lose Control of Coin—Gov't Classes Pic- tures as 'Intellectual,' Not Commercial CONCERTED FIGHT Paris, Sept. 8. American firms here fear a com- plete disruption of. their French distribution as a result of decree laws establishing strict government management of the entire Industry now being considered by the French cabinet. A national film depart- ment would be formed and each picture, officially routed, leaving dlstribs few functions. Most drastic item provides all payment for pictures to be collected nightly from theatres by a govern- ment controlled agency or the Au- thors' League, and producers to be paid oft at some future date, thus taking all control of their own cash out of American hands here. Films would be required to be sold on a straight percentage basis with no guarantees, no flat pay^ ments, no block booking and no booking combines. Theatres will be required to show a minimum of 30% French films every 13 weeks. Local producers. In which American firms are frequent- ly financially Interested, would bo required to submit scenarios for government approval before the making of films, also will have to have the budget of each film okayed in detail, with no possibility of de- viation. A deposit of 00% of the cash required for production will be obligatory before machines can be started cranking. Foreigners Banned Foreigners would virtually be banned-from Important French pro- ducing jobs, which must be In the hands of localites. Newsreels will be required to use only ori inal sound and at least 20% French subjects. No new quota or Import tax pro- visions are Included or are likely to be added. Idea back of the project, as men- tioned in the preamble, is that lilms are 'an Intellectual product' and not commerce, and therefore should be run for the benefit bf composers and authors and as national propa- ganda. Proposition has the backing of labor unions and the Ministry of Education. It Is being opposed by French dlstribs and cxhibs' associa- tions. A final decision Is expected -with- in a ■weelc or so. Meantime the trade is mobilizing all possible in- fluences to fight the measure, which It is figured. Is the most disastrous yet proposed in France In a year of much pro and con agitation. What makes it worse is the general feeling that all the fighting in the world won't do any good since the government seems to have set Its mind to it. Anzac Nabes Refuse Biz to British Fix SYDNEY'S FIEST Sydney, Atig. 10. First pic to he completed since tlic quota was pas.<ica Is 'The Bells,' UiKlcr diicftion of Marry Southwell. Pic is all ready for cutting but has no rele.'i.se set yet. 'Bells' was produced at Clnesound .studio by arrang'-mont wUti Stuart 1-'. Doyle. Sydney. Aug. 3. Product of the sm.allor British stu- lins is not in great favor, for Some reason or other, out In the nabef.- ,\t present there are two ace British houses in Sydnc.v, and th^-y play the pick of the British studios. CIt.v .audiences favor plx from England, hut the nabes won't take them. Certain nabe men say that al- though they have contrartr'd for the Hritish plx in order to g'-t other pix, many of th" former will never hll their screens. The smaller Britl.sh units find it hard to got quick release In the clly and have plenty ofplx on Irf. POLITICO PIC TEST Italians to Exhibit and Study World's Propaganda Films Rome, Aug. 23. An exhibition of polltjcally signif- icant films will be held Sept. 6 to 21 at the Barl Semple Fair. Inten- tion is to have all countries submit and screen any film of this type and for the fair to Issue, a report on the results. Questions to be figured out dur- ing the exhibtl are: Should the cinema have any political content? In which direction and by which methods could or should the po- litical functions of cinematography be expounded? How can polltcal cinematography serve the reciprocal understanding of peoples? J BRIT. REMAKES OF FRENCH PIX Paris, Aug. 25. British producers are keeping close watch on French films for re- makes, with Gaumont-Brltish lead- ing. Consider that the French have good ideas for pictures lots of times, even If they don't always manufac- ture them right. Thus G-B has bought the Eng- lish rights to three Frenchers which did pretty well here during the past few years: 'Rothchild' with Harry Baur, 'Hotel des Etudlants' ('Stu- dents' Hotel') and ' 'L'Epervier' ('Hawk'). First is for George Ar- liss, and is considered a logical fol- low up to his 'Rise of the House of Rothschild' (UA) although the Baur pic has nothing to do with the Jew Ish banking family. 'Hawk' is one of the French sue cesses of two seasons' back. Ap parently not settled yet just what is to be done with It in English. ^WINGS/ NEE TOREVER; GETS 12 IN LONDON London, Sept. 3. Grace Moore's 'Love Me Forever' (Col.), retltled 'Wings of Song' for' England, la booked Into the Tlvoll here for first run on a guaranteed 12 weeks' run. That is a record In London for a picture. Ross Fisher Cleared Mexico City. Sept. 3. Ross Fisher. American camera- man who has worked on several na- tive pics here, got Into a jam with the immigration authorities because someljody kicked that his entry-to- Mcxlco papers aren't In order. Was exonerated with an apology when a delegation of Mexican film tech- nicians and players called at the Aflnlstry of the Interior and said he is essential to the exican clnema- lo^jraphic industry. Aflnlstry assured Fisher he can .stay in .Mexico as long as he wants to and th.at he won't be bothered any more. GERIION VICE LASEUE Thi.- Hague, Aug. 23. A moriki^v wrfn'h was thrown In- to tlio directorial works of B.arn- stoyn's film '.Myslci'y of Moon.shiii"- .Sotial;i' when f.'ces Lascur, .actor- flireotor, in cli.ai^K'', quit to fulli/1 I'.'git d.Tt".s h" hart made for Aiiislf-i - (lani. lie is .suncfcded by Kurl 'yeri'on. La.'.'cur did ii'jt c<jiint on pi-odii'-- lion r('(|Ulrii].g fiie amount of tiin" iisi"".! ami had :;l'.;iK'd hiiiis>>If Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 23. The three Rio casinos which im- port foreign vaude talent have each said that they are through with American shows. Reason is under- stood to be expense, accentuated by a sharp drop in exchange. Possibility that Rio will pass up American shows for a space Is strengthened by the current big success of French vaude at the Urea and the Atlantico, understood to have been signed at far less ex- pense. Only American show on the boards In the last three rrionths has been the show at the Copacabana. Show is reputedly costing from |3,- 500 to $3,800 weekly. Copacabana has nothing lined up to follow, but Is expected to seek talent in Buenos Aires. Part of NTG's Paradise show has been brought for a run at the Urea from Buenos Aires, Including tlio three Slate Brothers, Ina Cooper, Melba Bryan, the Miller Sisters and a line of six. However, casino has signed another French show to fol- low. New Method Only prospects for the Immediate future for U. S. talent In Rio are covered by an arrangement for the Atlantico Casino to bring talent from Kew York and produce its own shows here. New Tork end will be handled by Mac Kosarln, who has been connected with -show business in Rio for several years. Talent will be booked for lengthy periods and costumed and drilled by Lulz da Barros, show director of the casino. Programs are to be changed weekly. This is a new experiment hera and Is believed to grow out of dis- satisfaction with the produced shows sent down. A reduction In cost is hoped for, too. Meanwhile, though It Is not be- lieved that the ban on United States shows will be kept up for Iqn.'j, blame Is attached to the agents in N. Y. for not taking better ad- vantage of the first throw at the Rio casinos. Contracts with' pas- sages guaranteed both ways aro more favorable than ever before and generally allow two long stands, In Rio .and Buenos Aires. At the season's peak, nltery biz Is now okay.-.and the - casinos feel that almost^.any sort of a show will fill the tables. However, later on In the year competition will be- come Btlffer and operators will de- pend on programs to gralb thelp .share of the very limited Rio trade. This Is.likely to put the casinos on the looksec In New York again. PARIS GRAND GUIGNOL MAY FOLD; BIZ IS OFF Paris, Aug, 25. Grand Gulgnol, world famous Paris thrill thc-atre, can get through just one more season at its present pace, and then, U things don't Improve, will have to fold, Jack Jouvln, who runs It, has gone Into the red for three years running. He doesn't Wiint to call In outside coin, and ha.s just enough Itft for another season. After thut, he!s Ihrou.'^h. Overtaxing, and public Indiffer- ence, are causes, he says. Slight tax relief recently granted is only a whiff of oxygen to a dying trade, in his opinion. Comedie Biz Okay I'ai l.s, Aug. 25. C'runedic! l''ranf;ilsi; Is .a success ill it<j Slimmer h'jinf. the Marlgny theatre on the Chani|)s Elysecs, win re It li.is i;on(- while the regular Thealre l''|-aiie:i is iiiiil('i^i,'f)OS repairs. Diii in-.r li:.';l I'.vo weeks In August •;ro.>:.s i-;<e<-f.(|i-i| (h.-it .at the orli?inal he.'jiri. iIiimik; e(irrc.;ponding period l-iM .verrr, <!■ -piii' I hi' r;i,; t that prices 111,.-; ))• liave heeii rut hy oiie- ).:■ .