Variety (Jul 1938)

■ St M*r(la'« rflviiai TrariilsHr: Sqnura INTERNATIONAL NEWS Ci«hl« :Vil(lr«iMt VARIRTV. I.ONIN)!* ' Tricpliuiie. TamiiU Bar Wll-Mtt IS lokyoCwtiiraKs^to To Itft JapanV Foreigii Sow Cdnfict Seen Thwarting Pact Tokyo, June 23. Aniericah distributors here are starling to feel that nothing may come of negotiations, in progress for the last lour months between the Americari Motion Picture Assn. and the Tokyo; Finance Office, towards llttinft o( the ban on foreign fllm imporUtion^. Glooniy ouUpok is based on continued silence by the Finance Office, Any statement what- ever has been; refuMd by the Finance Office on. tlie situation other than that a proposition is being consid^ ered. Several sources feel that the re- luctance of the government to clinch the deal is i>ased on the prospect of a continued and considerably longer than anticipated struggle with China. Original ban on fllm imports was brought on by a desire to prevent large chunks of Japan^e coin from reaching ;the hands of foreign; flrrris. When, the pending deal to lift the buii, through an agreement of the Americans to cold storage all money tor three years, was first brought up^ the Government had thouSht at the limie the conBitt with, China would be flniihetl soon.! Idea now is .that it would be unwise to have commit- ments, due in three years, hanging over:its head-it the war went on for, an indeHhite period. • Activities here se^m to point to preparations for closing a majority o( the offices of U. S. distributors •although American companies will not conftrm this. Consequently, many Ja|> distribs: of foreign pictures are hoping to get hold of what weakies are left in American vaults should U. S. companies quit.the country. Huddles of Jap distributors to wijrk out a deal whereby European films may be, brought in, when and ii (he import ban is lifted, have endr . ed in ho. dice.' Though, many recent releases have been subjects turned down hereto- fore by exhibitors, business in all spots is above normal for this time of the year. . Government figures , show 8S foreign pictures released in . the fti-st six months this year.as comr pared with 183 for the same.period in 1937. Of the 86, U. S. accounted for 87 ninis.' . 'Bluebeard,' Tollies/ TUot' Set Hot Pace in Denmark Copenhagen, June 28, Three: hits here are 'Bluebeard's, Eighth -Wife' (Par), 'Goldwyn Fol- lies' (UA) and "Test PlloV- (M-G). Uriiyersal's '100 Men and a .Girl,' which started la April,, is still run- ning. M-GINTRIPLE PROD.DEALl LONDON London, July 12: Metro'has entered into an agree- ment with Gaumont- ritish - and Gainsborough to prodiice illms here. Metro Would . distribute here wUh G-B peddling in America, .Deal so Cai- is for three productions, accord- ing to Charles Woolf, of General Film Distributors; . GFD. has been handling G-B pro- ductiohs. for the! past 18 months, comprisihg about eight pictures', but agreement has been canceled. Lat- ter.. distributes Universal pictures here and also entire Pinewood .out- put. , ' '■ . Metro can only get about four pictures from its. British . outlet, headed by Ben Goetz. New; ar- rangement obviates purchasing addi- lionai productions for quo.ta. Metro will supply half .production costs as did GFD. The first three ! productions will be one directed by I Alfred ■ Hitchcock,, a second with I Jessie Matthews and another with i Will Hay.. Saba Should Be Twins; Merle Oberon's ^Austrian' London, July Sabu,- 14-year-old Indian kid who made his'debut in Flaherty's 'Ele- phant Boy,' slaiids in line for eleva- tion as Alexander Korda's pee player. Lad recently made his second at Dehham, 'The'Druni,' and is already assigned for three more, to be in- cluded in London ilnis' next batch. Two will havis Indian settings-^ 'Calcutta,' for which Michael Powell• is off ith a'location unit; shortly, and 'Jungle Book;' based on' Rudyard Kipling's famous tales, with Sabu as. the boy Mbwgli-^and third is to be talker remake of The Thief of Bagfidad.' Merle Oberon is spotted for title role of 'Elizabeth of Austria,' his? toric tale of Franz Josef's. tragic wife, and London also announces production of 'Greenniantle,' sequel' to '39 Steps,' rights of which Korda has bought from John Buchan (Lord Twetedsmuir, GovernorfGeneral . of Canada). : . Now shooting is 'Prison Without Bars,' remake of a French talker; and .itext scheduled ■ is'. Technicolor version, of A.E.WI Mason's 'Four Feathers,' Zolton Korda ■ irecting. First-Come-Firsl-Served In France Draws Pic Concerns as They of U. S. FaU Behmd Freshay, Printemps For 'Waltzes' Picture Paris. July 5. ;'The Three Waltzes.' popular op- eretta of the list season, with music by the three Strausse.s, is going to be made into a film, \yith Pierre Fres- nay and 'Vvbnne Printemps again in the Toies they , played in the stage production, .. Liidwig Berger will direct and pro- duce. Expected to commence early next month. Ab.sicnce of word from the Finance I QlTice. a( .japan is regardeid in N.Y.I by Sonne picture representatives . as ill icating that there's pressure on! to set up the Japanese market for, Japan. Jtaly and Germany, to the j e.Nclusion of the U. S. | There has been a three-way pact j between these nations in existence So long that the influence of it rhay be felt In the present fllm situation to the detriment of American film in- terests ill Japan. G B'S JAPAN MSTRIB TO DISSOLVE. REPORT METRO SETS PICTURES FOR BRTTISH PRODUCT London, July 5. Metro has arranged its .schedule of Euylish productions to Jollow 'The I Citadel." Finished script is ready for ■ Robert Donafs next: 'Goodbye, Mr, J Chip.s.' and Sidney Franklin Is com-; iiU over to direct; Spencer Tracy ^ will be over for a leading role, too. •And. So—'Victoria.' by 'Vaughn | Williams, with Hugh Walpole on the ! script; 'Busman's Honeymoon,' 'Death oil t|ie Table.' The Missing Minia- ture.' with Wallace Beeiy, also arc on tap. Ontario Tightens Watch On Foreign Pr Tokyo, June 24. Sanwa Shoji Kjaisha, Jap Arm dis- tributing Gaumorit-Brilish film here, is atKJul to be dissolved, according to report. Cause is said to be in- ternal trouble between T. Yoshlda, Tokyo capitalist and backer of the outfit, and Masao Soda, active mana- ger of the company. According to Yoshida, he holds the fraiichi.se lor distribution of all G-B product and turned the flickers over to Sanwa Shoji, for distribution, on the understanding that he would rer ceive a 50-50 split on all net profits. He avers, that no payments have been made under the contract and is therefore about to enter suit for re- covery of money invested, all films tin ned over plus'damages. He also i.ntend.s to a.sk for an injunction against Soda to prevent him from do- ing further bu.siiiess under the name of Sanwa ohbji Kai.sha. Because of the s'plitiip in Sanwa, Yoshida has formed-a new di.stribu- tiiig company to be known as Showa Films Distributing Co., through which organization G-B product will reach the theatres, in the future. NEW $2.0(I(M)I» LONDON Pie GO. '. London, July 12. . New. company, Albion Films, is In course of formation headed by Sir Adrian Baillie, member of Parlia- ment, and Montague Marks. Understood amount' involved is over ^2,000,000, with capital secured from Swiss interests. Company will make three features annually. Liszt Directs Mexer Hollywood,, July 12. Panamericana, new producing company in Mexico City,, signed Max Liszt, former Hollywood direcr tor, to .pilot its first film, 'Running Away' From Yesterday,' dealing with a revolt of chicle workers against Portfirio Diaz:- Shooting starts, this week In Qiiinlaha Rio, southern Mexico; .with, native army and navy co-op- erating. $KOI)O.OM HELP BY FRANCE TO Assurance that the French.. tiohal theatres won't have, to- shut ter for. the remainder O.f has just been made by. a ministerial decree placing nearly $1,000,000 at the disposal of the Opera, the Opera- Comique and the Odeon, ' with a small amount'of the credits destined fOr: theatres in ihe provinces. •The plight of the national theatres was extremely serious as the credits destined for them, and first Included in a bill last December, which the Senate never voted, had again been shelved before the. ;recent 'adjourn- ment of Parliament. The only man- ner in., which the needed credits could have been made available was by the decree inethod, which Min- ister of National Education; Jean I Paris.. .July 5. Though the number ' of-. dubbed films which can be shown in France in the coming cinema year again has been set by new. decree at 94 per half' year, the', same -figure that has prevailed for the last few: yn-ivs, there are several developments that displease representatives of, U, S. picture companies here; Trouble U that it's now virtually a matter of the company first getting its, prod- uct to the. censor, for dubbing okay.. receiving the big break. .' Oiie logical solution, advanced but never, okayed, was to allocate visas according to the average nuinber presented by each country at the be- ginning of : film dubbing. French producers, however, doubtlessly would- liever permit an' increase in the number of dubbed filins shown here, ■While, basically, the law remains, the same, with foreign nations able, to . import '188 dubbed films each ' year, the increased number of Car;* this year j pf,jn and English films presented for diibbed visas, has produced difltcul* Oddly enough, German (>ic> Z'ay. prevailed upon Prime' Minister Daladier to lake. ties. Oddly enough, German tures have shown the greatest iii- crease, there being 1.1 such filiuj registered with this, censor's office to be visaed for the coming six inoiiUis, or an increase of about 100'%. During the same period American. Companies havie averaged about JliO' dubbed films per year. But at the time' that the decree was published: it's estimated that only 70 U. S. films were registered with the cen.sor for vi.sas. Which hints how far behind Anricrican companies were on dub- bing. The American, film interests niude Mex OK's %22,m,m\ , To Support Pictures Mexico City, July J2.. State-supervised, bank to finance all phases of the domestic picture industry is feasible, the senatorial commish Of three, which investigat- ed, has reported to Preiiident Lazaro Cardenas. Idea 'was put to Clardenas by the industry. Bank, to have itt headquarters here, will have a capital of about $22,000,000, supplied equally by the government and film people. sacrifices to develop, dubbing, in I France dbspite opposition, espeoially I from German companies. Now UCA is dubbing plenty of films and tlie' : Germans probably will get at leust j a dozen vi.sas in this next cinuina year. U. S. companies' have large '.organizations here with several hun- I dred thousands of: dollars involved . „ . ; y 1 in making dubbed pictures fliid they Act m". now be re- ^^rnitledly pay plenty towards mai.i- fici can now oe re ,j^;„jns big branches with hundreds "P"^"'""^'( of French employees. No French Oppasidun - Despite^ this threat from Gerniaii COUNCIL FOR QUOTA HOLDS 1ST MEETING New Quota garded as fully in Films Council'which was appointed:! to assist Board of Trade: in operat-| ing it, sat lu.st week for the- first j j , ,- i tima. Occasi .was, however, mo.slly |';',"d English companies, its doiibl.ul formal, me:nbers being welcomed by if anything will, be done by the B.O.T. President Oliver SUnley. ^ho | f'^."!-^^^""'"'="1 ^'^ ^'^l^ ^'V!* "f^ them imporlanOe of ! '"'^'"'^y these two nations, in the of indicated to them' importance their task, afloi which methods procedure were considered. Being virtually a Government de- partment. Council will meet pri-. vately ai.d in secrecy, but will ari- niially publish a repOrl on its activi- ties. Sir Frederick Whyle, chairman, is to receive honorarium of $'2.5Q0 a, year, but is not expected to devote his full time to the panel. Other members draw no pay, except for expenses.^ Board Verdict Hits Joint Production Under English Quota Qualifications Toronto. July 12. With the inci'ease in foreign Ian-' gua^e films coming into Canada, a C'jrjful watch will be maint.iiiied for, any propaganda of a flagrant nature | by the Ontario censors. Oiie Rus- sijn ; picture, 'Mo.scow,'' has been ' bann.sd and six alterations n>ade in -lo i»'.her|j feconlly. . ; A, curious anoinaly is that while the percentage of American picluics requiring, nllcratioi).-* and deletions^ ;i< relatively low. slightly le.<s than hair 01 the. British-made films sob,-} iiiilled in tiic past few months have' booir sii!>joct to soj.ssorihg. i Bankrupt's $1,000,000 Loss in Pic 'Gold Mine' London. July 5. Eoh) of frenzied finance period ot United Kingdoiii production was es- afnination in bankruptcy court of J. H: ile.s. former wealthy show pro- moter, who became a.ssnciatcd with .loe-Rock in kUtei's unit at EUliCc. ■, .hb said, he lost his whoJo for- tune of Sl.OOO.OOrt in pictures in llii'ce yeuis, failed with sro.ss liabilities of over $1.850!000. against available as- .•:ct-i of *5l>0.000. Slating Rock had siyen him the impression picture lMisini'.<s wiis a '.told mine.. II'M revciiled he Iwii^ht tiii- Kistree studio for .'Vi'i.OOl) and .i!>eiil SoO.OlM) oil uquipinciit. L'.iI-m'. hrt iMiliir^ed the oultif. at ' .MWKWM) and arldeit further ., oquipiiieiit. he sai'J. I tcr canriol be included in the labor' costs, which must consist only - of. ! moneys actually dj.sbur-scd or con- I traetually agreed upon. ! Deci-sioii ni'jki'S a difference. f<)r ■ whoie star, producer and director may it'^ree on a .si)lit:'of the. profit, leash actuiilly ^pelll in produclion I may nut l)i)i>st i iiicM'iie's labor budget sLifril.-iciilly t<) briii^.it up tr> lVel)le quota cl-iss, allhou jli in the outcome final oUllay inay' be well ' Mbi>vc the iriiiiiinuiii required by l,iw; I failure to .sjcUi'j trcbh? quota. ccM-tificales \vi>ul'l. ..'iiTecl picture's v;ilu.^ tn i 1 I'ji', or to an .Vnieric^n, dubbing field. On the surface it j.looks like the firm which g.;ls its [product up for dubbih/j visas first ■ has the biggest chance of .securing 1 permits. It's not, however, that sim- ple. The French censor may refuse { visas on any number of couiiLs. and ' sornctimcs docs. I Four changes have besn made. 33 I compared v/i.th la.st year. Slarliiwi I Jan. 1. 1039, no visas v/iII be yivin • for dubbing films if lii(,t'?r wiir,* ^'iivrn public showing, in any i-ounlry j two years previous to application for j visa. This would kcp oiit reviv.ils. ^ which-have been popular in America {this season. Regulation was aimed ]-\\. French indies, whicli have bseii ; importing many foreign lilins of iiii- • cicnt vintage. Diibbin; Method New regulation .slates th» method ' by which dubbed, pictures presented : fi/r visas must be r.igistei'.ed. Pr.e-. ■ viously ,the Illins could be ragislered for visas before, dubbed, this iKjing ocimissible within, four montlis, at- l';r which Ihcy had to be pros«nl'id ; to censors. Now the dubijpd co^y mu.<l be oiTrrcd the con.sqr if tl^■^ ; ic?i.'-tratipn is valid, 'i'liis ai'Tiicls . pictures registered since J;in. 1,' V.V.'M. ! which means if they are -not rcady dubbed they have In bj fj„'- lore visa npplicali acc iplable. slniling July 1. This, clauoC i.< tir; bi'Mi-s worr-y currently becau.-'C it in •■ms (7. .S. I companies must h:ivf u in ixiininr lion of the recoipl.s. the c<)iilract number of iinixirl.iiii. f.Mliiiv!!- should specify a guai'anlccd mini-! diil>bcd arid ready f'lr .sill>iirt.-.ii»ii mum. wliicii would be taken as bisib ' visa.s if they arc I') gi :rb tln-ir slrii -. . li'iurc for returi'i to oard. .Only: ; the' scini-aiininl duljl>ini4 (|ii:)i smig i.s. if picluie later failed to rc: .•'.v!'f';nincnts. Fact lliut G^'rinany .-in or double , ;icl at the b.o., pniduclloii unit Would', •■.ii'^l iitd al.so nrp .seeUin". tliivs.; re;<- (ibv'iou.sly ; l)e in llie red. v/hei-c'j.s uiidjr pr.;.-,.-;!.!. i<f.rations i.'j furlher ciniiplicaliinj Hi 7 ill ■ London, July 5. | latter, under those circumslarices; not Coop production ha.s been hit by , so keen to contract an c-xpen.sive Board of Trade ruling in respect to. siibjoct iiiei c.ly to chalk oir i)iiC quota qunlihcalioris for quota tickets. Rulr' licl;ct; ling says when players draw noni-^ Board riiiing was sequel to ap-^ i irial .salary, plus |>eiccntage. the lat-; proach by federation of Bi itish In- dll.^t^ics; wliich asked JiuidanCc fol- low iiij; discus.sjon in House of Coiti- •mon.-i. when Socialist Members of Parliament alleged studios • were evading letter and spirit of labor cost clauses in the new act.. One simple suggestion, is. an individual a^jrees for a propor- distribu- ' .'ith tiic woi i(iii'4 iii)(>'ji.iy sl^ind: llu: deal. .(•> hwe i»ul" 111 ' 1-ice to prcparo. dubbed vorsimis any .\mcric;iii pi''Klucti'>iis,