Variety (Sep 1935)

si VARIETY PICT ES Wednesday* September 11, 1^35 No More Free Extras French Army Decides to Nix Filmers—Ex- feas-FxjTin-Union- ill 4Pai4s———i^-u., — — ■ -f: ■ — '■^^ ■ — ■ Whon a local film company wants to parade a group of soldiers ttmwrfirr'riTmr'c^)sTume. btfie'f- wlse, it will have to hire extras hereafter for the jobs, Can't count on the French army any mor niont by Jeaji Faly-y, Minister of -War,-f<ill6wlnff-an--unofncial-" state- ment that the Fourth Hussars, llsht cavalry rtfgiment, would be lent to Roger Richebe to supply atmosphere for the EnsUsh-French -version •Koenigsmark,' stari-ing Elissa Landl. No soap, says Fabry. 'Because of the unemployment which so sorely afflicts actors, an particularly extras,' says the ister, 1 have issued instruj the aid of the army waS'^no longer to be given to fllm_^mpanies Other, minisJ/M^are riot being so. tough. Mipl^r of the Navy Pietri. has permrtted the fleet to be photo- grapj*^ for film 'Veille d'Armes' rnied Watchfulness'). Only con- dition Pietri made was that: he him- eelf wouldn't get into the pic. Fabi'y ruling, howevier, has given cncourttEement to downitrodden clan of French extras, who thereupon formed an association called Pro- fessional Syndicate of Defensie for Compleinentary, Utility and Extra Film Actors. XJhioh is intended .to serve as an official employment agency, competing with agents .who now cop half of. the extras' pay In return for gietting a job. Association welcbm.es as true pro- fi^sionais only those j-who have been In'pictures for threS'^ years or more. Younger extras get' protection, top, but only as appren'tlces. Each ap- plicant for membership has to be backed' by four persons, who guar- anty his honesty and professional past. Foreigners can have only 10%. of the jobs found by the association. Initiation fee is 35c, with 20c. dues a month. Outfit will make a collective labor contract wltii the employers' syndi- cate, just as the exhibitors and dis-. tribs are making uniform contracts among themselves. PARIS RED TAPE How to Screen a Pie. .Under Bond Behind the Keys (Continiied from page 2b) the Warner theatre, Ybiingstown, Is assistant manajger of the Warner Strand in Akron. He succeeds Grat-. agcment of a Portsmouth, 0., thei- atre .by the Warnera. Major Lou Lazar of the Schino circuit Is making his. headquarters in Beliefontaine. Here, for the pur- pose, it is reported of Increasing the *lCfUK^ Screened In Paris, ..1. Used to be possllilc to. bring films ins: duty, and sho.w them vf> cus- jom^ers'lih" priyatfe. pmiectioiy^^ Ruling of customs depapfement In effect since Aug. 2JMtff3 stopped this, putting a kibosb^n the business of several Aiirieric^n majors which used to do this bond' now can only be projection, room of the cus.toms house, .You have to taxi the customer over there. In, order niake possible this handicap to the Paris film market, authorities .spent $13,000 wiring the one projection • robrti the customs house owns. But they forgot, at the same time, to modernize the place by Installing a telephone. So no one can call 'up to make a .date to sho'w a pic. Procedure now is for Ainerlcan importing fir to telephone to its shipping agent to ask for screening.. Agent sends boy to customs housei who learns when time Is free, and then. agent phogos back Importer, who-phones thfijiustomier. It's easier-^10^0 to London or Berlin to see the picture; FLOOD OF NEW FIX COS. IN ITALY Rome, Aug. 31. Observers are a'Armed at the rapidity with which producing and distributing firms are s^ringi^g up here. Thei'e is an epidemic of form- ulation of new companies In the local film Industry, Already set among the newles are Victoria Film, to produce and distribute. Superba Flhii^ formed at Genoa, Is another, at present listed only for production. Saturnia Film, long distribs, has decided to enter production rnd has created the Society and .industry Clnema- tographlca for that purpose. Has also Increased the Saturnia capital f ■>m $12,600 to $41,060. In Rome, Astra Film has been set up and will produce* in association with Panta-Hbrus and Sascha- Tobis of Vienna, German and Italian version films. Has already embarked on a schedulei with 'Maria Bacshklrczeff In the works. Two more will follow. To avoid difficulties in exporting monies ttra will produce vlternately in J two countries. Idea has been approved by the Ministry for Press and Prbpagandn. Italian distribs are advertising 0^ films for the market, coupled with American Iniportations, listed .at approximately 150. ANZACBIZ5(I% OFF SINCE 1930 Sydney, Aug. 21. Flexures Just released concerning operations of American distribs In Australia over, the past five years disclose some highly distressing In- formation. Distribs referred to are. in the group comprising Mption Plsture Distributors of Australia. Gross Australian pl6 rentals from $10,810,545 In 1930 to $7,309,030 In 1934. Duty, primage and print cbsts amounted to $1,546,900 In .1930, and $1,507,815 in 1934. Operating ex- penses locally, excepting salaries and taxation, were $1,206,700 In 1930 and $1,039,400 In 1934.. Net profit, excluding loss on exchange, amounted-t?r~$l,"0^9,950 In 1930 and $405,250 in 1934, From time to time the outcry has arisen here that Yankee pic pro- ducers have-taken too much money out. of Australia. Such a huge drop In four years should give proof that this Is not so. Facts prove that the pic industry, both from a distrlb and exhlb angle, provides the government with one of Its biggest tax nest eggs. Drop In rentals, outside of the tax angle, can probably be put down to the comibine of Greater Union and Hoyts Into General Theatres, and also the lack of weekly-change theatres. Both Doyle and Munro of G. T. know what they had to pay for plx when In opposition. As biz mert' tiiey sought to get their prod- uct at the lowest possible figure when combining. Regent Picts, New Indie ollywood, ffept. 10. Regent Pictures starts production this, weelc at Mascot studios. First feature for state-right market has Ralph Grave^s in the lead, with Al Herman directing. George Regan and Eddie SiUon head the new i.idie outfit. Clyde Beatty's Serial .HoUywooil, Sept. 10. Clyde Ucatty, anhnal trainer, will be featured in ' ark Continent,' first Republic serial from Mascot, following completion of 'The Fig^it- Iii'g Marine,' last of "the Mascot chapter plx. 'Marl ' hits cameras ^ around Sept. 25. Barney Sarecky produces both. NEW MEX CINEMA exlco city, Sept. 1. Interests headed by Manuel Cava, who controls the cine Maximo, a 4i000-seater, are arranging- to build a de luxe, cinema in the downtown area. , House, will be the only dinema 'in the city especially equipped for stage shows. KAIPH STAUB OUT OF WB Hollywood, Sept. 10. is contract with Warners ex- piring next month, Jialph Slaub, shorts producier and director, leaves the studio after two years. Campaign tp legalize Sunday mo- vies has been under way in Wash- ingto, Pai for several months. Ssni- score or more of weistern Perinsyl vanla-towns -and cities. KnoxvUle. Lyrlic theatre here was purchased today by the R; B. WUby chain. In an outright purchase by Holston Enterprises, Inc., hew Paramount subsidiary In the south. Price was $40,000.; Dubuque, la. C. J. (Jack) Neary, advertising director of the Orpheum, Daven- port, comes to the Mort H. Singer Orpheum house here as manager, succeeding Nate Rosenthal, gone to Waterloo to enter show biz with two uncles, jake and Lew, both prominent In iSlms throughout the state. Lincoln. Jim Schdo.novcrj Aurora, Neb. operator of two houses, has been named the . acting mayor of his town. Rlvoll, West Point, Neb., was closed In hphor of the Cuming county fair last weeki Los Angeles. United Artists (downtown) after few weeks single bill policy revert- ed to duals. Sgyptlahs, F-WC Hol- lywood house, back to duals, sub- sequent runs,, after oiie week of continued" first run of 'Steamboat Round the Bend.' ^acoma. Moore's RIalto theater undergo- ing piyerhaullng.. This downtown house, located directly across the alley from Hamrlck Music Box, largest deluxer, has been playing ancient diials at 10 and 16. It Is un- derstood the house will open with a 25 and 35 Cent scale and Para- mount first runs have already been signed with a. chance of maybe Fox-20th-Cen. aqd Columbia In the picture. Omaha. Louise Cotter of the Brandels the- atre advertising department on a week's trip visiting friends and the legit show In Chicago. Assistant Manager John Qulnlan looked after things. Cecil B. DeMIlle stopped oft here pn his way west after addressing the annual convention of A. H. Blattk- Trl-States Co. managers and adver- tising directors In Des Moines. Omaha delegates to the convention. District Manager Evert Cummings, Orpheum Manager Bill Miskell and Omaha Manager Ted Emerson,, and Charlie Schlaifer of the advertising office. At Union Station DeMille told the Omaha folks about It over the KOIL set-up. Charlotte, N. C. While the Carolina. State and Colonial theatres, at Winston- Salem are celebrating their Movie Jubilee, U. K. Rice, manager of the Carolina, Is celebrating: his entry Into the theatre business 28 years a&o. During the first week of Sep- tember, 1907, Rice became a com- bination usher and rewind boy In the projection booth at the Orpheum theatre, Padiicah, Ky, Bridgeport, Don Ross, in from Hartford, man- aging Globe (Loew-Poll). Ed Dolan switching from. latter house to re- opened Lyric, Sam Badamb, after summer man- aging ballrppm at Pleasure Beach park here, becomes assistant to Manager Morris Rosenthal at a- jestlc. Jack Sidney leaves Majestic for post In Hartford,, Two-year agreement, signed last; week by theatre managements and the operators union. No trouble was had. In getting the parties together. Downtown theatres have separate Agreement with the ops- with . the nabes coming In for another sig- nature. Stagehands and managers signed a one year paper. Working for the theatres were Howard Felgley, Rlvoll; Col. How- ard Long, Loew's; and Henry Sticklemayer, Paramount. Mart Smith and Clarence Fleischm?inn negotiated for 'the nabes, Larry Aubrey and Edward Bozo repre- senting the ops. Worcesfer. Gallahad Amusement Co., whlo.!> cporates Plymouth theatre (vaude Comparative Grosses for August (Continued from page 20) MONTREAL BIRMINGHAM 'ind plx) here has taken Pver Re- gent, with resultant shakeiip Ir. managerial situation. John Bros- nah, formerly assistant to WilHani J. Ryan, Plymouth .ir.anager, vi;.s sent to Regent as head man and v/lU be assisted by Richard Owen, who has been chief u.sher at Plymouth. Ryan's new assistant Is Harold Cabailero who comes here from Coast where he was connected with the Paramount at Los Angeles and Orpheum in Frisco. Cabailero Is the son of C. A, Cabailero, Gallahad executive. Albany. Regent, small down-town Albany filmer,' has been, reopened by Sidney Dwore, owner of t.'io Canieo and Pa'ace in Schenectcdy. W. J. Friar is managing the Strand, Hudson Falls, recently tak- en over by the Schine chain. Chattanooga. The Riviera, neighborhood house (800 capacity) recently, built in North Chattanooga, by Independent Theatres corporation, opened last Avcek. Columbus, O. Lan:y. Thompson, Who left. Broad managership three weeks to go to K. C. for tummy slicing, back in town in fine ...shape. Charlie Katz, brought as sub, wondering where he's goln.g, but W. A, Finney, Loew division bpss, hasn't Indicated. Minneapolis. Robert LeFoyre, manager of Ihe Lyric Mc:-e and for 10 years with Publix Nortliwest circuit, has re- -signed to enter the life iiidurarice Held; Milt Troehler has been appointed assistant manager of the Orpheum (Singer circuit) her(i, succeeding Charles Reed, resigned. William Sears, manager of the Singer Dav- enpPTt. la. theatre for eight yeai-s, recently was appointed, man-itjer. of the Orpheum to succeeei Jack Har- ford who returned to .the Fox, Detroit. Seattle. Carl Mahhey, former mgr. of Egyptian (Evergreen) now mgr. that house plus Neptune (Evergreen) both nabors in U district. Leonard Ratz, ex-mgr Neptune, resigned, and position deleted. Neptune closes for three weeks for- overhaullng. Boston. John Buckley, ass't mgr. of the Warren Theatre, Roxbury, thwarted a $500. holdup In broad daylight when he knockied gun out of ban- dit's hand. Thugs, who were seek- ing holiday receipts of the house, e&japed. Atlanta, Ga. Willis J. Da.vi3. and W. C. Coart, operators of tiie Buclthead Theatre, baye sold their lease to Terry Mc- Danlel, of. Montgomery. Ala. 1st Int1 Picts Setup First International Picture, Inc., new holding company for First Division, will be dominated by a group of oiiicers and directors now interested in welfa.re fof Patho Film. Tiiat became known yester- day (Tuesday) as the. date for meeting, at which the president and perhaps other ofllcials will be chosen approaches. Reported Iri oflicial circles that Fii-st Ihternar tlonal chieftains and possibly direc- torate will be picked this week. With Pathe interests controiilne: the operations of International, tiiis setup ia viewed as enabling Pathe Film to have decisive voice in tlie future afiiairs of First Division.. As presently cortstituted, the holding, company control by First Interna- tional will in numerous respects make FD virtually-a subsidiary of the new corporation.