Variety (Jan 1937)

•TAvinT'8' toNnoM oincm' • St. HiirtlB'* Platte. Tnfalcair aqwm INTERNATIONAL NEWS Telephoae Temple Bar Be41-5MB C«ble AddreM: VAB1ECT> tOMPON 11 5 c rOORAQW Rome, Prices will range irpm 3c to lOc Bt this year's rrheairiral iSaAurday' performances for Italy's workers ana peasants; Theatrical Saturdays arie an in- stitution tried oiit'loir the first tmie last y^ai*; all the important thieatres in Italy give Saturday performances' at -nominal' admi^on prices in an attempt to briiig poor , people back to legit .and bring--the/theatre closer 16; thl {ieople. Atieiidanice at these per- formances last yeair Was so- great, that this year- they aire being i^e- peated. Only workers, peasants, clerks, posfanen, porters, state employees and jpensionaires, whose, monthly in- come lis beiow $40v are admitted to the^ perf0^*01311068, Theatres stick, ihpre or less to regular programs of the. same type they ' ive' : to theii; wealthier audiences. London, In midst of sevieral iiidie film com-; ies tottering; Sam Smith, hiead British Alexander Korda (London Films) are discuss- ing a deal to, join forces, the. foriher to niake 16 pictures; annually in con- ^Jiinctioh V/ith Korda. • Deal^ if con- summated, would ihv^Olve over $3;000,00a. It's likely to.go through this week, With productions to start early in Mai-ch, using Smith's stu- dio* at: Beaconsfield and London FilnisV studios a:t Djenham: .Korda- is now concentrating part of his activities oii smap but popu- lar demand pictures. Smith, one of the important indies here, still is in position to raise finances in The City, Smith will likely go to Holly wood: .soon to line :up.. medium-priced nameat. M Sn$^ Wins Smt Agamst Vienna Nitery ^ Mda Ray, Ainerican. sin|;er, won ■ner suit-against the Vienna Femina, nitfitie, and is to ge#-back pay with held to her. Miss Ray had. informed the man- agement that due to hoarseness she was not able to api>ear one night. Management sent a miessenger to her home shortly before midnight, only to learn that she was not in her rooms. Sued for $200, informed Miss Ray of immediate dismissal arid refused payment of salary due Court ruled in favor of the hitefy. arguing that the singer could hot have been in such bad health iif she was able tO 'gA'but. Dr: Egon Perez, her lawyer, appealed to the higher court andi w.ph a. reversal. /^ose-Marie* Apiieal Melbourne, Dec, 22. V • .result of . the 'Rose Marie ^gle. between "WilHaiihsoh-Tait and Metro wiU probably riot be known wntrt next March. W-T will appeal *f^J"st the verdict ^ven in favor 01 Metro last week; this fpnowing an appeal by Metro over a verdict »n favqir of W^T. Irr the meantime; the ic remains in the can, locally. S. African Stage Johanrtesburg, Itec. . This section of South Africa Jinueg vrith live sUge shows. Incutn- ^nt at His Majesty's is Sholerii Alejchem's '200,000,' staged by Jacob ^aeshtz and Sarah Sylvia, with an au_Jewish compahy. ^„j^"^y Hunter's Xoridoh Follies ana Rulyari^s Marionettes are due to open soon at; His Majesty? Paut's li. of^"^' for pi-emiere a^fi *. Empire. l»agel's Circu and Menagerie is also current here. Had Their Warning Sydney, Dec. 22. In December, 1935, Variety asked the Chief Secretary's De- partment to define the <^u6ta' Act. Questions asked by Variety, ~ together with replies by E. B, Harkness, Under Secretary, are repeated, now that distribs have brought V governnierital wriith down i on them by not payi attention. (Q). 'Providing there.are nbt; suftideht; pictures prodUc(^d: in' Australia to make the total re-, quired for Quota, would the Aniericar- distributoi:s operat- ing^ in Australia! be required; to.;., enter into picture production .to., make up the required total?'' (A): 'Attention is invited to Sul>5ectipn (I) of Section 4 pf the Cineriiatograph Films (Aus- tralian Quota) Act, 1935, which reads as follows: /Of the. tbtail nunlber of 'quotia- films other than British filrifs acquired by a disti-ibutpr for the purposes of. his business in any of. the years mentioned ■ in the First Scheduib, it shaiU be his duty to' iacquire ' and make available fpr distribution in that year not less than the proportipri of Aus- tralian ^qiipta' filniS; $peciiied in th^ s^id Schedule. Where siich proportion' is not a who}e num- ber, any. fraction exceeding orie-^half, shall be deemed.to be ' whole-number. For the pur- pPse of calculating such pro- portion, ..no Australian 'qiiota' ' filni .shall be counted more, than' once, rior ishall ariy such film be counted by, more than . one distributor.' . . 'The word 'acquire', is defined In Section 2 of the same Act. The definitiPn reads: 'AG- , QUIRE, IN RELATION TO A DISTRIBUTOR,. INCLUDES THE PRODUCTION OR OB- TAINING POSSESSION OF FILMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIRING OR SELLING THEM';' (Q). 'Does; the Governmerit fully intend to see that the .Quota Act : is absolutely abided by as from Jan. 1, 1936* .iiext*' (A). AUSTRALIA GOES AFTER DISTRIBUTORS Merger in Vienna lenna,, Ipria and '.Rex film have riierged* With new title of Inter-- gloria.. Dr. Wilhelm,....Szekely is responsible for the deal. . ■ Gloria prpduccd ■Operhring*. Ith Jan Kiepura;- while a ijiew . picture with Zarah Leander, Swedish star, is fbl'thcoming. itle^ most likely will, be 'Premiere.' VAB8E CQIiNG BACK INTO NEW ZEALAND AIDED IN Wellington, Dec. Gonnpr-Paul revue-vaude unit is riiaking put very nicely here in con- junction with the Fullers. Public here is relishing a return of vaude airid vaude-revue, with biz on. the up. Reported that Frank "Neil will send 'some units across from Aus- tralia early next year in his con- templated Chain expansion. Neil, in Australia, has wprked yap a sizeable circuit and intends spreading, hence the idea take in this territory. Ye^irs ago, before vaude hit the skids, the Fullers maintained a huge chain of pop vaiude here and copped plenty of !coi AUjSlTSIAN PRODS. ELECT Vienna; Jan. Austrian Film Producers Assbcia- tipn has elected its bllicei's for 19.37. Hermann Paul of the ;Patria film company was named president, while Dr; Lebzelter of - the Selenor phbn weekly and' Dr. Szeke^ly of Lnterglbria will act as Vice-presi-' dents,.- Mexico, City, Mexican legislature passed three ,laWs this .week affecti It i^now compulsory to show af least one native-rhade; feature per, month. Other two new laws are tax revi- sions calling for a- five-year, exemp- tion for all exhibs 'from a ntiinicipal tax . and a slash ori theatre taxes bf from 8% to ,15% i- tibn of ^iflative filriis.. New- tax laws were catried. out to conipensate • for, the one-per-nionth law now in effect and because of the nix put on' the application for ex- emption, ifrbm all taxes^ including federal, state and municipal for P>nie year, v^hich exhibs .'had .iasked for. Exfaibs -, must shbw at least one Mexican feature each montii.v If full length films are unavailable, several shorts may be. substituted. Tax slash is applicable only during the. period, of exhibition of this native product: Latter mca^sure. is regulated by . the size of .the theatre.. Penalties involved for infraction bf the' new rbgulation call for fines of from $14 to $28iO for first .;:offenses Repeats make. pfFenders liable ' tp cancellation of their respective fran^ chises. Pr(rt«stanl; Council Nixes TasinresMor Brit. Kids Londbh, Jan.. iriema Christian Council, repre-; senting all Protestant llehominations in Great Britain, and haying as its hieiad the Archbishop of Canterbury, in. a formal statement approved"rhb Green Pastures' (WB) as a 'moving anid reverent' representation bf a primitive cbnceptibn of Old Testa- ment.' .• They think, however,, it should not be seen by juveniles, and should' only be played alongside a suitable supporting pic program. .Council asks churches throughout the country to do what they can to ensure that these two recommenda- tions are carried out. picture, after five weeks ,at the. NieW Gallei-y; moved'intb the IVTarble Arch Payili continue its West End season. , Jan. 12.; liver is holding over bn the new Holbbrn Empire bill. . but, in dire need of new sock materi Ken Harycy is an easy ith his electric guitar. De'Vitp, Denny and Stevens; back from a continental tour, are still very popular with local audiences, ' Reriee Houston, and Donald Stew- airt> lattfer;art American brbiight oyer by Felix Ferry for hjs' prosyerior House floor ;show two yeiars ago, are disappointing. Nicholas Bros., playing their first yaiideyille date here after clicking solidly in 'Blackbirds,' plause hit of the iz capacity. ... Gipsy Niqa and Vic liver are both at the Trocadero restaurant,' both doubling from the Mayfair hOr tei; which is a/rarity, since the two are opposition spots; It njakes three simuitaneous engagements for Oli- ver. Both he; and Gipsy Nina. are. doing well in both restaurant date.s. .Carrbll and Howe are also at the Tree, making their first cabaret ap- pedrance, and already booked for a return. .Billy i3issett and; Band, from the Royal York hotel; Montrealj U at the Mayfair^ replacing H^rry Roy, and satisfactory. Distributors Have Failecl to Follow Through on Law, Gov/ Charges — Mostly American Pic Cbs. Iiir volved--Wiiil fie Forced to IVod^ Rebellion in Vienna .Vienna, Jin. Latest issue of ~ the Selenophbn ilm hewsreel of Austria ' was .used as a: political demonstra- tion excuse by 'the harassed ^public. It was -the first 'time since the weekly (founded i 1934 under the DoUfuss govern? ment and. pbiigatory in all the- atres) that nb riiember of the: government was pprtrayed rriaicing.some !kind of a speech. "When the. issUfe was shown in a. cinema .in. the lOth clistrict, sonieone in- the audience .irieV marked: sarcastically, 'First time I. don't see ,tbnse; 'aces.' Aiidir ence started applauding, shout-t. ing, arid almost , rioting. The Hague, Jan. . ; Looks like vaudeville is due': for .a comebacfc ln Holland. Newly rebuilt Arenia theatre, Rotterdam, is playing acts; Theatre. Carre, Arnsterdam, is again in line with-flesh, and iihere is talk that th* long idle Sc«a will pncb again house vaude. Vaudeville has always been very popular in Hplland, especially that presented by : the late Fritz . van Haarlem. After, his death interest waned. Only the Carre, Amsterdam, retained it. The Arena then burnt down and the Scala went in; for re- vises. Cha2 Chase is the feature this week at file Carre arid reported dbipg iobd business:. BRIT. EXHIBS, DISTRIBS ATilR/^(m (HIOTA . London, Jari. . . Nee;btiations between .exhibs and distribs for : a splid mPtibn picture trade . .front ,pn the quota- problern e\re at a tehiporaTy deadlock. Cine- matograph. Exhibitors Assn. is firnl in its support Pf a. Gpvernnnent com. miission ' to 'act as. arl arbitratibn board, but Kinematograph Renters Society (the distribs' organization) is sblid against any form of state in- tervention. ;r* With CE.A. able tb^eji^t nnost in- fluence in Govt. Circles, trade fears are that some form bf state control of the. rridustry is highly prbbable. K.RJ5. proposal for self-gbvern- merit of the industry^ as in the U. S., has substantial siipport, but is likely to break against the wall of C.E.A. obstinacy^ latter body seeirig a State cpmnaission as machinery to give ex- hii the power oyer distribs, .with thb Board of . cpmmittee's recpmrnendatipns sUppbrtihg tli a t belief. M, Warners and CpTs in Metrp has adopted .a flve^idayiweek policy hercj entire butfit shutting down Friday Sam Eckmari announces; the as a gesture to his' staff for a siicceissfill year. ' Colurhbia took, the lead with .a. similar announcement .just .pne day previb.usly. Warners, top, will follow suit, so to bring the London~ exchanges into 11 ith the policy already in cxiatience i the United States; Sydney, Dec. 22. Governtnent here intends making, it tougb istribs who fail to live lip tp thpir quota obli next year. ■, Chief Secretary Chaffey has stated that • thie failure. pt distributprs to comply , with, the law is regarded very seriously by this gpvernment. In the absence of evidence that, they have; niade -every effort to: meet, their obligations, the department will iur- ther consider the inatter.' 'This stiitembnt is taken iriean that the goyfernment yfill . force thb: Ipreign (American) distribs operate ing in Australia ;to obey the law the limit as regards the quota. '.Ek-^ jictly- onie year agP the Chief Secre-?. tary iriforiried yAiiiETV thait thb gov- ernment had eyiery iritentipn .oif fprcr^ ing ..the carrying out of the act. Npw, after one year, , Minister .' charge has . come tp the-.fcoriclnsipn that the distribs have not lived up tp their obligations.. '•'■.••!./. ' . •On Carpist . IhyestigatiphS v quota : bffi.bials disclose; the fact that si x of. the 13 'distribs i-egistered under the; Act; have not. cpmplied with the prbvi-y sibns of the law,.which require.s. that .up to Dec. 31, 1936, 5% of quota pi should be :Australian. Bugbear to distribs..:is the inclusion pf the word 'aicquire' in^the Act. i?? tribs take this , to infer that they are only- required to '; includ^^ in their schedule the number of Australiaiit pix ready foi: exhibition. They point out that the *wo^^ does not mean they must prodiicb pix to bring .the required total;-tip .fo , the stipulated quota amount. Apparently^ the government now; takes the view that distribs must eriter the production field if tiie tbi^ tal required by . law falls beipW the output of local producers. Aximiitedly Failure '.GerieraUy admiittgd that the quptA .has been a cpmpletis failure in Ni S, 'V/ales: Foi*. months representations . have beeri'made to the goyernment; ;by production ; interests, afid others that foreign distribs were li^t. Uvihg. up tp the Ac^ and that legislation should be brought in to force the disr tribs to Cb-operate with local produc- ers,; On the other hand, distribs. poirit but that they ara obeying the law by' distributing all ibcaUy-riiades .available,''' ■'■''.•■'..'.. ~Actuallyi .pnly Pne. American' (Co- lumbiaf); has 'produced-la pic in Aus- trail up "to thib present. This week, the Film rpard of 'Trade will . organize a deputation to . the Chief Secretary on behalf of the Mor tiort .Picture Distributors' Assn. to, ppirit out the actual ppsition and clear up any misunderstanding be- tween the government and the for- eign/ iistribs. However, there , dre other forces at work in opposition to. the distribs and. the deputation will haye some tall explai irig to do. Yiddish Play in Tieiina Jewish. Cultural theatre presented as its New. Year's preini 'Schwer zti. Sein. ein Jud' ^CHard to bi a Jew'), play by l^halom Al^ibhem, directed by E. Jubal. In the leading roles Alice Koch, Eva Scharf^ Marcell Bacter and Ru- dolf Ernst. Wyfiam^Tut h^s M m imm Profit Sydney, Dec, 22. WilliamsPn-Tait, legit and concert PperiatorS, turned in a riot profit last year of ^131,500, after providing for taxatiPri arid depreciation. Result shpws . an increase. of $.?OiOOp :pver the previous tradiriij year. ' FreyiPiis :divi4enids of has. been pai irectprs point Put that tajfi slugs, .are still very ;heaxpr on the- atrical bi^ and also th^t' there .has riot been., any greai improvcm'ent rin; big frpm the legit point pf view. Tax- paid to the gpvernnieht ampuritcd to $154,900. . "Today the firm o^ierates onily one le^it lfou.se in.; Sydney, whereas a lew /years -ago four .houses were under its . manageriieni. W-'T may build a hew th^iatre in Sydney next year on lines similar, to its ace Mel- bpurne. legiter.; Svensk Filmeri in Detroit Detroit, Jan. Wilhelm Grill, technical adviser of in, Detroit Studying ismps rnanufac- tured.by a local, firm, for ac in lilm makiniji;. ^ With him is !Pcr Bergman.soti, of I the Agfa Film Corp., Stockhplnv/,