Variety (Dec 1937)

•tARiCTT'S* t,ONi»ON brncw, ■:; f St. Murtln'B, rlacr, Tmfiil||;tiir. Hqiiors INtlSRNATIONAl^ NEi¥S • ;;;.Nice,;toec.;;2();>: ■■ \ Big bii is expected!, by bperatbrs ot boast niterie^ during ,coming Winter season, judgittg from advance h0tel .bODkings.' and the Season here starts, after first of January, :preGed,ed by .a Christmas, ■ rush i>t. visitors who spend:: their short V holidays l -h^re^. / Most. itery. and trtteHainment : hdusieis will - be open a few days, before Christmas to catch the Yuletide pennjes, ■■. ' . Tine' exchahse rates, .the Spanish trouble ^aiid geheraii European .unr ' easiness-witr be-big factors, in favor of th^ French Riviera' club:-p.wne.i; ■ MUch of ihevBritish^traiJe wlvich' for:- jnerly went Hp. the. Italian Riylera l^ • eypectefi'. tb' cojnrie ;liere\. ^because pt the stfaihed hxternationail, rfelatipns :of.'the..twQ'xpiintries/; ..• Casinos, iah'tici^ ■ andi^vthe;-1^ MediteVranee, ^ white;^ elephant bililt /here by^Fraiik-^ay Gould, .W bii repp^ncd by the SB.M , Monte Carlo gambling ■ syndicate.. ■ •.. • : Casinp de la Jett<?e on the Promp - enade das Ahglaiis, -which; w^ because ; Pf, troubles^; with }the em- plpyesi has beenTeopened' find is d"3- ■ ing excellent-pr^-seasdn bizv ,Ciasihp; Muiiicipal has- been .open all the • year w ith a'' f a ir p;firseason take,, and .. the' NpuveaU . Casino .opehed. a:, few ■ ■■ Xinti^'s; ds;^lux^ Tniteiry:: opened ;4h Nbvembec;. did well for seyeral days -•WUh T^^ Merry Boys, but :. has taken ■ •: bea'tihg the last : two .- -Weeks. . Management optimistic for ■; it heavy C h ristm aS take and* .a; ban- ner winter, season, . . ■ Pierre,. Passeiron's Paraqiiet, , ■Ways .popular with^ put-Pfrtow'n' yisi • tors, ppeneci on the l;9th With a new —-orchestt:a-:and-gii.'i show;fr6m PfarLs!- ,vte Planfa'tipn Which .caters ;to( . the :, .locals .is bR€ih . and is average. / . M^ : Which never clPseS reports an .ex celient Pit . .seasdri 'arid" thfe Sporting , Club . ppened on the "ISth of the : : inpnth, .The Mayfair :C:iut);>yiIl open Christmas,:• >: . .: G casino opened ; "the • first Pf the month. The Palm ;. Beach dasi which remained open ■ until that date because of a contract ■ with th^ city admiriistratidri that one of Ahe casinos- be open all the Hftitdi That Fee<i Him ; London. Dec. 17. ' Battered old thesp^r Who ekes . a precarious existence as an ' extra. camo tp a recant .preview of a British picture \n: all the : panoply of white .tie arid, tails, cioak and opera hat .After the: scresnirig: he buttonholed , p.rpminerit t-a.de critic, hinting at. the ppssibiliiy of . a .me^^^^ *G6me again,' said -the scrib- bler. ;I didn't notice you. in the' picture.' ,v. . / .• 's. 'Oh, yes.'; loftily retorted the actor, . 'mine Were ■ the ; hands that wrote the pawnticket iri rpcl three!' . ■', Distrlbs i Uhre- 1938j and Maybe Through- out YeiarT^U. JHaye Qnly: leasied l^eature.^ bh Hand r^Spme Cutting Dbviriiv Others: 'Quitting Markiet Entirely ; ^ <. AND CENSORSHIP Taylpr> Virtue ' . . London, Dec. 20. ;. Suriday riight film shbWs are \ ..bairigvgiycn by. ^Sheffield cl^urch.'tb.^'attraCt-p^^ ; .do. not norinally "attend Wor- ship;, Last Sunday's debut bill was'. 'Magnifipent V; Obsession/ Wh ich drew a packed house. . '. ' Priest said^ the girls 'adored' . Robert Taylor: and / explained.- • that the ■ pic \ pointed : a good mprsil—^'One; man's yirtue: brings ; happiness to all,' : ,V " Budapest, Dec. 20 German Film: Cliamberl delegates are in. Budaps'st, negbtiating : witn representatives of Hungarian ■ Film Fiirid fiDr,. ekcharigC; pf German: and Hungarian pix. . ■ Hungariaris Want to. .export: one Magyar picture .to/. :Germ'any ; after every eight German features im- ported to this dountry. German offer is to let .one Hungarian film enter for every 15 German flickers that cPme here. Agreement would be advantageous to Hungary even on the latter terms, since it would clear the way of Mag- yar product, tb other .European cpuh^ tries and open up new export fields:: Reported that German d'eTegates" seem .lenient- about applying the Aryan paragraph, .so agreehient will probiably click. ;'..:,v OLD DALYS, LONDON, WB WORLD Tokyo, Dec; HV- ' ./ Future...of:, American- dislri.bs .hare becaine 'still more unc^rtaiit. last, .week ,Whei5|.'the .Finance npuneed. exterision..Pf the. pressrit bian ;dn. foreign pix imports .to April, ipSft^ At thV. s^niai tirii.e' it Was . hinted" that, the prbhibitrori: WiIt.\ihdoub .vail.throughbut alT.Pf 1938. Original order Which Went; into effect Sapt. 24 Was,; for a - three rhpiifihs . paripd 'cnding/Dec:.25: .'" : with' only .; around 100 . unreleasetd subjects in their vaults, American^ distribs • feel .their days.. ITare are numbered. Thpse. "jyith the. lirgest .orgariizatibns. are a.ire'^ady . making plaris^iPt^ effecting .drastidvredUc While twp of; the smaller outRts have perfected ■ pians for : .quitting :the country entirely, if the .bari^ conti.iiues beyond . It was rumored last week that sev- eral pf the Jap idistribs of,European pix Will be permitted to bring in a number of new subjects on the show- ing, made to the. Finance Miriistry, that they were paid for before ■ the iapplication pf the ban. It is thought suchi showing was made by juggling pf I cpntract. dep oiitg iri the hands of European pr.oducersr"n"P1il; of .whltrlv ■ :. London, Dec. 28. When reconstruction is: completed next August on the.old Dalys theatre time ,lpst:badly in last •.three months; i^^g^ig^j^ cinema palapei the jSpbrtingjDliib Gaslnov under direc- ] house will • be the Warner Bros. . tipn of Charles Cartier, opened sev eral. days ago with cocktail . and" has done gbod pre-season busi neiss. ; Jpe.Ca'volli's Dolphin Club opened .first of November but reclbse.d with- world show window. It willhave about. 2,000 seats and latest improve- ments iri.picture theatre construction and conveniences. Present plan is; to' use product bbth frorii Hollywood and . Teddington f,eW'"daysJ^wh^ri:^bust6m^ .Count i' rpult^iiig; •bulk: ;'pf "six or seven to appear.- CavoUi will reopen on :: the 20th. ■': kit-Kat club :• has ; bean open fPr several Sveeks and is talcing - all the IPcal business: La Bastide, and : the jungle will open after the first of the year Official : reports . released by the ■ city ot, Nice . shpW that ipver doubie : the number; of British: and\ Aitieri arrivals were recprded (iuririg ;, the months of October and Noyerii- '. bef as . cpmpared with, the saifie . . month, last yer.r. . Many; .owners . of / villas - who ^ Kaye not" beeri -pn; .the . Riviera sine ^ 1931 because Pf the ..monetary .exchang^^ ; ..hei-e to live, according, to figures :NJca,. t.lie. hub;;bf:;Ri.viera^^^ .' has. arVariSPd. . /entertainment pro grani' d.niwn:'up: Fetps and ■Spprts C'nmmit;' , ■.;^/ ■ ' .•■ The .GOlh Nice .Carnivat- Will 'itairt -Fob. .17. and Battlesvbf Flowers, indusli-ial fairs, flat and trptiihg. ■.' races at lire. Nice Hippodrome and. a '■; stiocial c.hiIdvciis. carnival ■ have, beefi .; arranged- The : Annual In'.eu aa- ti6ivaV'M.bli.tai:y,Hprse.'Show.-riot held ./ last-year,. Witlvbe;, helci in Marchi.":- product in theatre week runs, ' for Resident y. S; in England Protest New Invisible et • ' HollyWoo.d, Diec. 28. .Al ex and or - Kor d a.. ticketed . Palsy: Brill, M-year.-old actress, tP .. a pai't: in suppbi-.t of - Nbva Pilbcam i IV: her ne.xt London Films producr tion.: ■.. : . •/ ■ London, Dec. 22. - Increasing importation of actors from .the U. S., to. filI supportin roles - in-, ■legit .■sh;6\\-s .here is causing squaWks- 'ff rom." ■.resident.: Arnericari players., They t.al k p I iappealirig to the Home Office .tp .give; them.: prof-, crcnco.. on the gtoiind ■that they..are takpayors-,;-, w^^ over. for... a t sirigle job - contribute little • , nothing • to^ the support, of the. goycrnmoiit. , ';:■':,[ . ^ .; ; Residents., claim they are'- filted tP.' play the necessary parts :and that their" :-riariies:.,'me;y more than the neVc.oriiei\s..tn: tlic. the lie here.! 'r Ajsp ;.<ay .that - the •v'ls.it compete .with; tlichi -for ^'Ariicrlc^n parts ■ .'British " pix;.. , ...; ' rROELlCH IN LINE > Berlin, Dec. 20; . Carl■;■ Froplich -; has riicrged, • his' .studio with. .U[a, agreemont ruhnirig uritil .October,: 1039; . -. \y.as'. the. Iftst. bf;; the ,ir\depond'erit, producers.- His- sUidio.s- are .considr ered the beiiV'.jn Germany fp'r cplor pix. .::':/■"' . ■■ was originally allocated to specific subjects, ' Alarmed at the poor quality of the product'being, turned out: by Jap prpducer^, the Home Office recently ordered 'that after Feb. 1, all pro grams- iriust be cut to three hour runni'ng tiriie, including shorts: and ihterrtiission peridds. It, is thought that this will cut down the number pf pix required to service the couri- try, -thus enabling :producers to con centrate on quality. .Cerispt. is ex Ipected to cboperate by ;throwitig put ■filips: considered ■•pf ■ Ibw. standard. ' . Finarice Office is giving no cricour ageriient for the .issuance of rernit tance permits-during the first half of 1938. While no definite stataments are issued, they point out that lillle or nothing has yet been done toward ,.whittlirig'3owri Vthe . ady^^^ balance.. .November figures; .showed a slight margin bf exports over im ports, but not enougri to make any impres^ibri.'' 'Authorities look, for .th year to end with ari adverse figure ot $300,000,000, which .-will, be .reduced somewhat with deductions for iri visible exports. ' / / ^ Stricter Censorship :. Film 'Yoshiwara' (Lux) " Which Sessue Hayakawa is, star red. . ha.-; been 'banned by .tlie ;,po.lice canso.r. ■ Flicker. received; consjcleriibie att'en-; tiPri;-hei-'.':'ihis', summcr;;wheii.'it: Was learned :that certain: .. . 'di^-. regarded Japahesa inanner.=; and cpii- ditiPri's,.'..:. Attpr^ being apprpachad throiigh,: diplomatic clianiiels.... the Frcrich-.pr()dueors... vag^cad,;-to. vsa^^ the story to climiiialp ;pb:j£;6Liortab pai'ts.- ■ ':•'■ ... :.'■ In issuing; .the-; ban, ; tlra .. CPivspr 3tatcd thatthe Vpi'^ still; coiitaino rii.any. scenes which are .■.'o:UtragePU5' and. are 'enoiigh to; a:rou.se tFie ire pi y^oripus-mindcd' :the.atr:e:/ ;:a'iic|i.ciTco:r,. •bccausa-the.picture is .tpo .ex.p:)si!L;)ry<' An. uncoiVfur'nicd rUmor.' iridi l.liaV; censprsljip is'^tatighteii; iip.a.:lit;l,-w:itl:i 'oartic'uIar.:atterilion" .bein!i.,j.:iveii to 'spy'.; subjtcjls,'./Jhhs ; actioti,,; i,^^i:;■sLip- posedly tok.cn 'iti anticip;iti on' oC ini >prtation:of.''a';Fre.nati,Ts,ub.icb^^ •Iji-riei-. re{;ph,(ly; 'inatl.c- ''by ..il^yalia Wa'l, T'w o Am.brlcqn • .s'libjocls,''' M u rd'q r ,'a t. •Dawn'•!' and "S.bcret.<!.' .'pf Chi n a town/ 'ipugh t 'Co./:fa.i,16d. to clear-'c'ustoni.s^ be.cau.<?e E'riipire.. neglected to 'secure iriiport permits. Though the conriplete text of . the . recently " passed New South Wales qubta; law has- not been ^recei,va in:. N, Y. via mail by the Hays offioeV foreign departments of ' major :,filin ; , companies already; have been apr -■ priscjd- of the sarioUs Putepirie of this^ Workable measure . ." V Australia.; ;; Sta.ta:s of Victpria, 9ubenslarid,::Sbuth' .:.' Austriali-i, .'and^ V/csta are, •.- i'expect.c'd -.: tp•.^ad^pt . .si;^riil■ai; . '"quota- ;• ; measures as soon . as drafts . can': be - drawn...' ''^'. ;^ari(i^ :legrslhliori enacted,: - according ..'.^tp.;' foreign ^ ; ;'•: famili.'ir v/ith the Aussie/setup. ;•:-.' ; While I'ne.- unimportant island state pf :TaSmari'.,V probably .Will riot '''.'.-' cure .ai .quota .because,it hasvless thjiri GO ;theatra5./many with small seating -. capacity, ■ other., more- ^vita't. stat'as -'are.;' oxpectad to forget; their "-called ;>..: rivalry 'and hold tpgisthai:: on. the na- .... tioriali'stiG angle;-tp pa.Vs quota acts. '.' Larga ;'citifes\'of,';.'Me banc.; Adi;laida.:artd:perth ;^^^ in thar.a four bther. states, and .quota ■ laWs .adopted -siriiiiar'to the latest m With thai impPrtant, state of .New New .South .Wiiles might mean event- South : Wales ■ .; Australiar set on- its productipn iri Australia on .an ex- / .: riaW. workable quota .ari,d England tbnsiv.e.scale by A:mei"ic^n;cbmparlies.,.V^ abput'tP pass -orie; that is apt td .fbi-ce Tiasritdriia;' has 'brily • Hobart," ' city ; •• . .U. S.. production in that cpuntry, the of about 5(5.000, arid. Launceston\ With ;: often suggested 'quota ecpnorny' prcA similar pppuiatibn; and conscqueritly''.'.';. ductipn unit idea appears due tp be dposn't figure as importantly as other revived and placed in force at Hplly- statas.: ' . . '.; ^^'^^^'-^ \/-;".':' Wood, Industry leaders believe that. . ylctbria Was the; first state to bring ; . it .:' only a: question of time until in a quota iaW fer -Australia,- but it virtually all: states in Australia; ,as applied pnly. to shprt features and ;; well as Eriglan.ci, ;hay,e quotas. hewsrecls. 'First vital qupta m Basic idea is to .have a one-tnan ure was the one p3.s.sed,and in effect department, to be enlarged a^ rieces- 1 tor the first time this year-. in New '-■ ■'.'' sary,; to riiaintaln " cpnta^ the; south- Wales, This, was sb ;vaguely film cbmpariy -representative: ' . .a | woirded it. never could . be enforced. Now legislators have changed thb . way the law. reads, reduced the per- , centage frprii 10% to 3% and made it a must. ' ... Those familiar With the-Australian; .. ,<;itu.atibn a-"? -it pertains .tp New, South ,: Waie.si contend: that the industry .p^^^^ ^^ ; plejin that state are; deadly, .m earnest; abput.this .new iaw^ Qiiite. a. few 'bf :^ those back; of prbductipn plans and With cojri -in studiPS are fprrhcr neWs-: paper people now With : an; interest' in the government They claim that if ' the present 1933-39 law is riot foreign. land such as Australia and England, By keeping close to all American prpductiPn arid rhaintairi- Ing a liaison with>the-'U tion executive abroad pr in Austi'alia, I this new :divisipn would be able; to | effect ecbnPmies bye'armafkirtg. getS; transparencies . and laboratory fpr- mvil,a f pr future us.e^^ land'. In'this manrier, he Would grab any- thing Pf value that might be em- ployee! in foreign production. ; By doirtg this, the American pro- ducing compariy .would, be able :tp. give considerable luster; and quality ic^ to the foreign-made .filna$, thereby In^^ cpmpanies) so enabling them to . compete bPth iri'j that- Au.striiia gets/a bp on: its pro-;, y. S: and wprld-market. '. , | ductibn plans?, riiPre drastic quota : Whole; thing is predicatedl ph the nieasiire 'seems ccrtaih at th belief that U. S. picture cpmpariies:| tion Pf the two-year ,peripd, Wili live up tp the;spirit as wel^ the letter of the new quota measures it is rib secret la the trade that if the new quptas are kicked around, as British are prone to;clairii Was done with their; bid,/ quota/ riieasure, . a mpre severe quota..:law With teeth, in , Sydney, Dec. 14. Old qubt^ laW meant; nex;t to npth- insi ■ :.;New South Waie^ in 1937. About 37 features Wpre ne.e.ded ' to meet requirements,. but this figure it i.s ant tb result in future years, ih mis.sad by about 31, with only effect that; is exactly what lirarispired; in Erigland. U. S. ACTS SEEN HIT BY BAN IN ENGLAND London,' Dec. 22 Number of American acts here ai*.e in danger ..of losing their perm its from the Ministry pf Labor for playing, charity beriefit.^. ; . iri 'nost ca.ses, iuch ^petformcrs.. hi:;yir:":;beeD doubling; ariiong legit, vau'ieville or pabaretsl: -61.6.'' Praictice generally permitted- so, the.- acts cari .■ niakc .up .i'he..d.ifTcr'cnce;i3e.tWc.cri: S'Vla and what they :wpuld - rnuke :n America, \-.'.;v;:/-'..-; ■ :.'••". ..V,-:- ■■' 'However,, the law.;.specific.allv for- bids tripling:,":: Withontf':;'.regard to whether .any of the . jobs' arc for pay ' gratis, ; .\V.ith6ut. realizing .they.: We re., v iol a li ng: a riy'.^ eg u i at ipri>, Ihe '. AtTibrican .; actS: ,hav.e.,;';bacri;, . - .spbnding; to appeals :;for - varipu.s ghdrlty ; benefits. . "Understood .;• tho Labor ' Mini;st.ry ■ riiay act -to' ;reyPke tboir permit'.-.. . ; ./:, ' , ";:.•. about . six filrhS made locally. ;; There ate' ibput. .390; theatres operating, in this stiite,, including 21 key citie. -: '—: — Aside .'.frPni I product .; f.rpm : Ci' sound, rip bther: Ibcal chalked up any biz, though . Cpriimonwealth, ' Ex- peditionary 'and Natipnal are: alsP iri the field. Pirst-named' is making jts secprid pictute. :Expeditipriaiy has. done/niat.h'irig .sinec/'Uncivili : N^itipnai nothing sirice.'jRarigle B^ New .:Era, a .:Melbourrie:.unit,; mbved acroiss the bPrder; tP. make one, 'The Avenger.' ; : ■';;;.-,.: v'' ;;.■;;' Of the 390 theatres,- U. S. pictures .'. fpok.: Put the . m.ost m.p^^^^ . and kept ; the 'theatres: ppenj everi though ex-i;; . hibitPrs .clairn;they paid ;a. stiff price ^ for 'nroduct. If thay;. hid depended p;ri .British ..and 'Ipchl filnis for busii-'';" ne.s.«. they would'. have:^-|^^^ ■ tered; 'c.-^':C .-,'■■.■;/' ;;. " ■•;■ ;■.,- ;';',' •-'....•]Bi')itr.t!.h.';,-firTO-. intarests are.'iseeking a : larger slice p.f-...fevenue.''■ claiiiming'.■ Australia, -a Bf-iti.sh. ppsse..<5siori,;ShbuM -; nPt; place all of its 1.200 theatiPs at th'e..'di;sposil pf;. AmeriG'aris'. :: .■ BEKMAN ABROAD ,: : A; G. vBcrman, recently riamed' . foreign ' sales., . chief for Selzriiclc. Internaliorial, sailed for Lpndon Dec, ;2G> where; he will; establish headquarters fbr England and the continent.,; '• ■■■, ' '..^. Berman. recently Was with N. .L. Natiiarisori in Toronto. Push Mex Pic Bank .'..':.>" ■ • :. . Max;lc'j City-;pec. 23, .; ■ .Ecitablishmcat Pf k governmaiit' supervised'. bnnlc.-to...firi3rvco.::th .mfi.=;,tic;.'pi ... 1 ndiisti:y , has.VbeCh ap* pr-ovcd.by''P()ngl;.e.s.s.,andpthe/^ 'haS;:.- b.apn.,. presio.r)te.jj[. vtp\ prcsi'fi-ent ■. Lnv.'.u^P • Gnrdanas. ' V;.... .■. ;. "' ' ;■ "■; '• P(nn .calls . frir, the.:'ba.nk.'.tb..hav'e,: a . cupltal. oE- $2ij;,OOp,000, supp^ gtjivernment and the filn\ industry. '