Variety (Nov 1936)

«TABIKTT'0',.XON1>ON OniOB. INTERNATIONAL NEWS tkleptioiM Tcnqple Bar BHI'SOIS Cable Addrmli:: VARlmt. XONDOtf 13 Six MoBth Cinema Shutdown in Jenisaleni fiver; City Gay Again Jerusalem,. Oct. 14. Stahrinff cejlists who have taken to inVehting ash trays fpr a living, hand-vrringinie box offiqis managers, and actors with more /leisure than they cared : for,.: came near shouting for joy tftis week when the Arab revolt was .finally called off ; after six weary months. iiifting of curfew in Jerusalem and the terminatioh of the strike, iabot-' age and murder, maikesVit possible tb traYiel; freely; once irtbre .between the cities of Palestine. Pebjule are go- ing to the cirierrias again. Concert artists are looking forward to decent .meals. Theatre Comi)anies are at it tooth iand nailv. Happy sign pf ;gb.p times is seen in the coffee houses; how .dusting pff their- chairs, dntl ini the picture houses . which are. .catering to good .crowds;.. .■'V'^:' Jerusalem^i with its 5^000 troops • y/hcf ,15iaye,, liot ,mu"(?h else to do but go-to see pictures, is..but as ^if from tlhder. a' pall.' A^ab: workers,. ^wear- ihjr ^<nllied spread byejr their faces, are l<M>ldnj;; hopefully at thb bill- l^ards^ waiting^^^^^^^ a chance to see. a shbnr agaiii. Iliie Edisoii, theatre murder in '1^^ still makes, the hbusbs wary 6f admitting; the; 'rebels' but it wiwB't^ belong before thiey will be. standing in Ither box-office; lines : Cuiffew; especially in this city, al- most ruined the cinemas. Two weeks th«^ ^OiverUlqient: gave pienhission l9r:,mia,tji)aees^ but ti^ey .were a dis-. tinct.^iiuce. People apiparently had go^TUsed; to the. idea; of living with- out;: films and thet Palestine Hadio. Stfktioia jtQok care of - the city's: en- tertaiQinentvrieeds. Latter, which, has limited means iKt.,j|t^, dijs^pi^ y^es.a lot of gramo- pjhone ;rec.9rds, ,bju.t ^yeh tljiese made tup, foil t}ie, 6:$0 injloors law... Now the authorities liave decided thiat J«u-usalem : has^ had ;. ,enpugl^^ and Opened ;the picfure' Ro^usies. Firtt ight special police had .to keep the crowds at bay. Th .EdisQh arid Eden all were jammed. \. Coffee houses also have a new lease On lifer They are particularly pleased with the troops.- 'Within Bounds British Troops' signs have been, placed : on, a number of show windows, with good results. ;Tom- ttJies, a hilarious lot,' are e|ood. spend- 'Rejoicing has iciiected' the cbim- try^ Whole. ;Even Tel Aviv, Whibh has been without ctirfew, has cancellecl' '.its tulingi; "jprohibit.ing ;daincln^ and nigl^t hilariiyi ^ Ih llaifa i>Iariij -are Under way ^fbr - cortdef^ Plays and even a hew cabaret—the first in Palestiiie;' ' • " 'Sidney, Oct. 6, Waltei* '^ 'iTutchThs'tfri,. iZOth-tox foreigrt head,' isdue to leave Australia ^Niov. 20 for America by way pi Singapore, Java, and London Hutchihsbh was due to leave earlier, but several important details haiye cropped .up, which will detain him in -this territory. Before; quit ting here .Hutchirisbh will make a complete tour of the Hoyt chain in company tv^ith Charles Muriro' and Stanley Grid:. Hoytfe is allied with 20thiFpx^ N^w 4,000 Seal Par . .- Londpn, Details of the big Paramount atre' which the company plans to build in Br?iaford,vforks., are that It. Win be- a 4',00P-Seater, With a sub- sidi news theatre, reistaurant- shopping center lahd commercial of- fices Jnrtuded in One huge blbck. l^eaSe of a site in thef-heart bf the toiArh has been swung by Arthur Segal, associated with the, Parji- mount chain here, purchase price being stated as $1,550,0(1)0;. Cbiinitess^t^roducer • :Lbhdoit, bcf;. 27. David; Bader has negotiated a cohtract with the Countess di Balmi (who Until how has been active In .tt»e Gity^ obtaining money to finance Beunipn Films productions) where- by she will make ah independent screeh version of the recent stage flop, *Murder on-Accouhti* Hayden; Talbot, one of the co- authors of the piece, will make the Jcreen. adaptation and write the.cpn- tuiuity,; ' " ■< Boiintepus Leo Sydney, Oct. 6. , Pf their vgopd wpfk^ during the year all offiei pf . M-G in this section were; grant- ed a. bphUs in thie fbrmi of fpur; Weeks' iadditi FIVEDENHAH London, , . 21, By the end pf; the; .current we^k the ;Denham studips will have cpm- pleted five; prpdUctibns, for presen- tatioh^by .Lbhdbh Films sinGe they openiedi . up " in. May« ■ ;Fiye others; planned > tb take their piaces are eijther , started or 'i ' final stages pf pr^tiration. Gom|plet|6d fil,ms, are: 'Rembrandt,' starring Charles !' Lai|ghtpn and, . i- rected by Alexarider' Korda; £ric Pbmmer's - 'Fire Over England,''. di-; rected by 'William K. Howard; 'Men Are Not Cods,*^ starring Miriam; Hopr kihs; 'Dark Jbufney,' with/Conrad Veidt, and Bob Flaherty's ^Elepha,nt Boy;' shot mostly ;itt the juUgies of Mysore;'-- . . :-vv... Total ^take oh the gi^oup is above $2,500,000. : Subjects how occupying- . - tentibn. of Lphdpn Films are: 'I, Claudius,' for Which Merle Oberbn juist siailed to . co-star'-with' Ch&rl^s Laughtoin,' with ; ;Wiiliam Cameron Mehzies assigned direction;: 'Knight Without Armor,*; on . which Marlene Dietrich and Rqb.ert .ppjnat ^re ,now working; 'Storm in a' Teacup* and "iSouth Biding,' on locatibh in Scot- land aiid Yorkshire, ahd' Trbbpshipj' for which Eric Pommer has a cam- era :Unit>film.inj5 .lin. thevC^^^ Sydnej Mwjp^ ; Sydney,; Oct. 14,, .Feelers were put oUt a > Jtew . days ago by^.a, major prbducing Unit fpr a iink-jup with ahpther,; Sp far hpth- ing has eventuated, but it is believed that-.isbihe .kind bf a deal; w>ii be reached; , . First major intehdis tb cut dbwn the scost .of. processing, fllin : for the trade to the Ibwest possible figure in an eiideavbr to secUre all the pro- .cessing biz. Same company also ih- tehds tb'.make ,piX' locally, without any ; waste on. overhead. '•'; other words, the entir^ Studio vis being tightened ;up' to preveht any ;undue waste, prbcessi' ' production, "br otherwise. Second cbmjpiaiiy has fbuhd it hard to stop overhead" costs running into high figures'. Five ApoHbs London, Oct. 25. Chain of fiVe theatr-es is to be built in Manchester at an aggregate cost' of' ;$2,0b0,pl0ll).. ' "Prornbter; is a local exhi , C. Roy, and each house'w^^^ have ;capacity betwpm 2,500 . arid 3,000, ariid all Will be called Apollo. AdmiSsiph's will range frbm 12(1. to 50c. top; Feature at iall hOus,es will be pro- yisiph for television iristallatiori, an additiph to many new buildings here,; with, exhibs eXf)ectirig that picture .brbadcasts. may jump on .thenii any inpment. Jfcrusalem Fare , Jerusalem, Oct.' 14. Film prPdU t current here.includes 'Desire'. (Par); 'China Seas,' CMG); 'Flying Down to Ri (RKO.); ;'Roberta,' (RKp); ^ ' of Bengal Lantei*;' v (Par); 'Here's to; Romance'<(20th). European productions: iarouhd are 'Legong,' (Du World); 'Ariane,:* (German); 'Es War;, Eihrnal Eiri Walzer,' (German) and;;*.Der Raub der Mona Lisa,'; ((jermaa).. Hammel in Sidney Sydney, Oct, H., Joe Hummel of 'Warners N. Y. fice arrived during the week for ari- pther lopk over the Australian field. Hummel was here last in Gernian Prod, tip Berlin, Oct. 23. Official data' reveals that in the first nine months of 1936 125 films were admitted, among them. 8.6 Ger- man piXi Of the balance, America: has th4: largest number, with 22 films. Home prbductibn was heavier than In '35, when 55 German films were okayed, 44 American arid. 43 Pf bther natibhality. . Bribshers Demand Represenlatioii Oh Anzac f ilm Board $ydneyi Oct. fl. There a ikoye afbot vby British filmi interests :.to Secure rep- resentati neWly-fprmed Filiji Board bf Trade. ritishei* has already been in cpmrnUnicatibh with Chief Secre- tary Ghaffey; covering the . position of the British men,' bUt -the Chief Secretary referred;hini to Dan ;Car- rpll, chairman of the F.B.T. At Ihe monient Garrpil is recoyering. from an -operation and the -.abtivity of the prgahizatiph ' suspended^ 'lempp-; rariiy; , • .Britisher' stated . that at present the F.B.T; is made; up entirely- bf Aihericah interests,''and dbeS hbt in- clude one ; represehtatiye of the iBritish ^distributors, or One repre^ sehtatiye of the Australian prbducers; Britishers .are anxious to gain repre- sehtatioh to protect their inteirests. ; ; If the Britishers fail to; get a rep- resentative'' placed bn the board further appeals will be m^de: to the gbyerhmeht tb see that the position, as 'it stands today,,is altered. FdX-HOYTS ALONE IN liEW ZEALANDSPREAD Sydney, OcU Officials of General Theatres state that the'Fox-Hpyts ' w'ith the Moodabe^ circuit has ;no ;cpnnecti()h with; G-T with Greater Union Theatres, Deal, j point but,- Is strictly bhe bbtweien indei<ehdeht in .teirests.; . Sbmie time ..ago - it was repbrted that General Theatres .vras-. dickering with' another New iZealahd chain fpr a buy-ih, but the deal fell thrbugh; Greater 'IJnibh also had eyes on; the N.Z,. field, bUt; iinaliy i decided to drop dickers. Principal units operating in New Zealand include Amalgamlated The^ atres,, Ltd., FullerTHayward' Thc^ atres,-Ltd.-, J, G. 'Williahisoh Pictures,: Ltd., ahd Jfew. Zealand- Theatres, Ltd;. Several ■ units;'work .In with eaich other in certain territories, bUt the major circuits hbld the key posi- tions to the N.Z. itUation generally^ ; Whether Greater l^nion ' will • go but after, ah bpenihg in N.Z.J how that Fox-Hoyts ,haye brbkieri mtp^the territory, is .uncertain.- ' At 'tlie pres- ent time G.U.T. is deyoting most of its energy to swinging schemes, into operation tp take care of the Aiisr- traliah position so as to give G-U."!*. added power in. the' ace spots and, if possible, in the nabes.; G.U.T. men say they are not. interested in New :Zealahd at . jhe mpment. Nazi Propaganda^^^^j^^^^ South African PubGc Gapetowtii Oct. , Showihg pf :'Mbdeirrt Germany' nh alleged I^az'i prppagahda film at. the Town Hall in Paart (Cape Prpvihce) caused strong -public protest Film, purporting to be in ai of the . Society fbr revention of Cruelty to Animals, tjirned cut to ".e. poorly disguised ;prppaganda glorify-^ ing Geririany and Hitler. So* Africap Saga Capetown, Oct. $puth.-African' i;bvernment wiU enter the film production field yvith a fllmiz^tlon of the. istory of\Sbuth Africa from the timb of its discoyery to the present day* . Intention is to, produce a reial pro- gram, filmi hot jiist a i>ropaganda ^gent African Film Prod.., Ltdv, Will handle the production, Joseph Albrecht 'and A. , P'ienaar, native novelists, will irect. ^Picture .is ^ expected"to icie cbmpleted in 1938;"^ ; Metro and Par Make One Way Rome, .Oct. 23*. Society. Of; Authors and Cprh- . posers has set up al. committee composed of five inusiciahs; and one. dramatic expert,.; to judge com jpositions ,and.-librettPS'sub- mitted by living Italian artists and as; yet not presented. ■Works judged wbrthy , by the committee will-be . submitted to the Irispectpr of Theaters, who will. theh proinpte their prpdu<ir Uioh. ;Canb'er.ray; Oct; 14. Strong protests are being m.ade to the gbvernmeht; Covering the cen- sorship quesiion. • For, spme .time there.; .has' been public;, agitation ;agaihst the m;ethods adopted, by the yarious' censors; covering .legit,; literr aitUre,. and,'motion pictures; ■ Charleis , CaUvei's •lUncivilized": (local-made) . cannot; be exported until two scenes haye been deleted. One shpjvs . a- .woma^^ irhming iihder wateri the pther . simply .shows the str^ngiihg of a native' in a brief sequence! . Pic,, as it stands, may be exhibited- io|cally without cuts;; Here the; cenisbr's . action is. .Tegarded absolutely xmnecessary. by the sqUawkers. .■ Prohibition of Clifford Odet's play, 'Till the Day t Die,;;, hy the govern- ment, is. also regarded ias a piece of imnecessary censorship. Odet's play was be^ng presented by a grdUp of amateurs here when police,' under governmental orders, sbught .to stop it. Actors cohtinued. and the prb-f, ducer. was fined. Lkter; the play v/as Officially banried;;, I Norman Lindsay and Max Monte- sole were .scheduled tp do..a brpad' cast the A-class stations, but their sketch was stopped by' pf- iibi'als,...' Many books:, published in England and ' America have, been seized by the customs and banned completely, in Alistrali "Sydney; Oct, 14* For the first time in three years M^trp has brpkeh into .a: General' Theatres' house. Deal calls for two secbnd-releasers, 'Naughty Marietta;' arid 'The Thi Man' tp play the Plaza, Sydney; through G. T, Both ' pix played - Metro's acer some time .ago and: have befen atpund ;the nabes for months, ' Behind the deal lies the story that, befpre .Ghristmasj Metro wiil. be playing .' the ace theatres of Hoyts and Greater,Union!. .Not bi road- show- attractions,. because these are • reserved for Metro's;own theatres in- Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but average big product Situation as it standis today reveals. that Metro has so many pix piling up that can'it possibly be piayed in its own theatres; that a deal must be made;; outside:; somehow. . Metro to- day is releasing in Sydney at the St James; Cameo, Mayfair, ivit^ and Variety, This month two pror-, grams go into Prince . Edward, and one into the Pliza. Pix lined up for Metro's own. theatrb (St. James) inr elude 'Gireat Ziegfeld,' 'His Brother's Wiie;' 'Gorgeous tiuissy,' and;'Romep and Jidiet/ Mf?t,ro; has enough pi on hand ior its bwn; theatres tp take in a period byer 26 weeks* plaiyijig tirne. 'These are practically all rpad- shows, and therefpre deal miist be made to; • cover the ■ rest; of the ,pi coming ih.^ . Deal with G-T- will hot ;affect :Me-. tro's;, regular buyers: .including Sni-' der-Dean^ Rbjjiy Theatres, Jjipmy Stiles, Waterman, and' the big .nabe coverage in Victoria.. -. ,; ; .> ■> ; Feeler$;.have been . for sbme^ time by Hoyts ahd^Greater ,Uni fpr. the Metrb, pfoduct,; it now/ looks as thbugh.^the three-year feud. will ;be lorgpttpri^. . > For the first time in many .ihonths,- Parambtrnt, top, goes again inta ti; <M^:, hbuse;; ^pvpyi,' i secphdrreleafeeiy is playing the Lyiric,; Sydney,''and' deal IS "on ior Pir'.:to release • -pro.* • gramilhers at the State, MelbPurhe, • through G. T. ^ This deal will hot affect Par's own ■ acer - (Capitol) >; but' aflpwsla quicker-relbase-bf-pix that have; been banking up .fbr spnie time;.. Union Hontiflfg Sitei Londbn; Fbllpwihg recent news structipn. and ex|)ahsibh;' plahs; bf Unibri Cinemas; the company is busy Iboking for sites in provincial cities, in the; north of England. Spots have been grabbed ^liready at Birming- ham. Newcastle-ott-Tyne,' Dewsbury, Halifax and Keighley, .. Mdjor ' part' of ': VniPn^'s theatre properti ' .are established around London and in the sbuth. Just-iii-Case Squawk London, Oct,. 25, Exhi ,are getting worried pver the possi ility of newsreel units put- tihg Co'rpnatibn ;reels but next year as "speci : at high tari ' and . the. Exhibitors ;Association tP be asked by members tp prptest ■ w;ell in advance, demainding the .reels tp be supplied as part of the all-in sery-^ .icCi ' ■' ;.Pbtent argument in faybi: ;pf;exhibJ! is .that they. stPbd; by newsreel ;£ph- .cern's,earlier.this .year to resist.atf tempts bf independerit outfits' to ;put tbpicais on the; market. Vienna! Okays 'Bat* Vienna,. ii: 'Woriderbar' (WB) has finally been passed .for Austria,. Gehsofs. objected tp; the scene Sn heaven at .firstfbut part pf this scene was cut: out and the film;passed. PELUFO'S 'COICPADBITO' ;. Holiywood, Nov. Manuel Pelufo has been engaged by Hispaho Films for male lead in its Cine-Color featurette, 'Cbmpa- drito.' Twb-reeler goes into prbduc- tion at International Studios Nov. 10, with Francis B. de Valdes prodUcihg. Music is being done by Pelufo and Terig Tucci,; formerly with music department of National Broadcasting Cb, in "New Ydrk.' BrS 0NE4-WEEK PIC SKED FOR 2 MO NTHS Lohdbh; Oct/ ritish International has acquired the screen rights , of 'Please Teacher,' Hippodrome musical comedy success starring Bobby HoWes, who-Will lead the fijim. cast, suRipOrted' by Wyii Watsbn> Vera. ■ Pearce * and.' Berths Belmore from the original show* Produetion in two or three weeks;.. Otto kruger. is' sbught for the lead in a thriller titled "The NbrWlch Vic- tims,' by Francis Beedirig, best-seller crime writer- and; Buddy'Rogers Will' star in a radio revue, tentatively titled 'The Sliver Spppn/ Both gof on the floor before; the end of the year, . -j.,... Also due for immediate production; is B.I.J.'s scrieen version of the Drury Lane hit musical, ;'G]ambroUs Night;' by Ivor NpveUo* for which assi ments are burrentiy belilg made. Company has a schedule of; jght productions^ ih all before the 6nd of thfr "S'ear, with ohife job going oh the flobr each week Until all available stages are Occupied. Already 'shoot-' iing. ■;■ ^iSensatjbn/ • With John Lodge; !The, Dominant Sex,' with Romney Brent Md Phillips Holnie-s; 'Aren't Men Beasts, [ and 'Bulldog Drummond at Bay,' with John Lodge and Gertrude Michael due' to start. ;H«iei House; in Nice ■ ' . , Oct. After putting the newiy opened newsrceJl house, Cineac^ oh a smooth operating schedule,. Reginald Ford, company's British field man; planed back to Paris to complete prepara- tions for opening another company link in the northern part 6t France, Ford 'supervised the entire open- ing, ironed out the kinks and left Manager L> Newel in charge. AtiiliM Ban Eiifi Pic Cahberri, Oct. Government has banned 'Ten Daiys That Shook the World' for Aus- tralia./ ' Reports are that this Russian pifl has been shown iu England withoud trpuble.