Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 7, J1941 PICTURES MORE FILM BARTER TALK Nazis' New Pix for U.S. Exhibition Said to Be Specifically Primed To Cool Off Any U.S. Entry Into War Apparently frightened by too much'publicity, Nazi propagandists in the U. S. postponed the opening of one of their major film efforts, 'Sieg im Westen' ('Victory in the West') from last Friday (2) until today (Wednesday) and called off the six simultaneous premieres re- portedly planned. 'Sieg' is said by antirNazi organizations to be the first in a series of three super-pro- paganda vehicles turned out in Ger- many for U. S. consumption and brought here at great effort to divert the current tide toward war.- ^ 'Sieg' is opening at the 96th SI. the- atre in Yorkville, heavily-Nazi sec- tion of Manhattan. It's understood it was to debut at the same time, or within a few days, in another Man- hattan house, one jn Brooklyn, and others in North Bergen, N. J.; Irv- ington, N. J., and Chicago. It is be- lieved, however, that the wide at- tention given the picture in the press, as result of protests to the State Department by the Friends of Democracy and the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League, resulted in tlie Reich reps' decision to go a little easier. It is said only the 96th St. date is now set. "Sies im Westen' is the first of a number of Nazi pix shown in this country that were admittedly made by the Army propaganda unit. Fur- ther evidence of the importance Ger- man officials attach to it is the full- dress preview it received in Berlin early in February, as reported in the Film-Kurier, Jleading Reich trade- paper, recent copy of which has just arrived in this country. Entire front page is given over to a story of the opening and re- view of the film by the editor, Gun- ther Schwark. 'The Serlin-UFA Palace at the Zoo was dressed in festive appearance for the premiere,' he wrote. 'Flaming banners, German war flags and a reproduction of the Iron Cross were above the entrance.' Long description of those present, including military attaches, diplo- matic corps and general staff mem- bers, is given, with the big moment coming 'about 4:30,' wlien 'Field Marshall von Brauchit^ch, at whose order this documentary film was made, fentered the hall with Dr; Goebbels. Beethoven's triumph march was played by pupils of. the State Academy of Music' The It-lsh and the Jews ■The other two films which the Friends of Democracy and the Anti- Nazi League claims are on the Deutsche propaganda agenda are 'The Irish Tragedy' and the 'The Eternal Jew.' Irish film is said to be a terrific slam at the English for the alleged subjugation of Ireland to their own Interests and their ef- forts to draw Eire into the war on their side. 'Eternal Jew' is a super- duper cavalcade of the ages, show- ing the standard Nazi idea of the Jew in every period of history. It's supposed to be pictorialization of the rankest stuff from professional Jew hater No. 1, Julius Streicher's news- Paper, Der Stuernier. Whether the prints of 'Irish Trag- edy' and 'The Eternal Jew' are in this country cannot be determined. Nazis now have a new route for getting their films across and are said to be having more success than formerly. Prints are sent to Lisbon, then to Dakar in Africa, then to South America, and then to the U. S.. all by air. Circuitous route is nece.s.sary to avoid British censorship. Formerly the films were sent via Atlantic clipper. If the plane had good weather and was able to skip Ber- muda the pix got to the U. S. If forced to stop at Bermuda, British censors there removed theni. It was a case of sending print after prim until one arrived safely. Delay in showing 'Sieg im Westen' '■^'Es laid :by UFA'S American pres- ident, George Nitze, to 'technical difficulties.' He wouldn't enlarge on that except to. say that when prints travel such a long distance some de- Jay must be expected. UFA is dis- tributing the films. Review of 'Sieg' in the Film- Kurier reveals that the technique has changed from previous war propa- ganda films. Concentration is tcken off machines and placed on men. 'Let us talk first about the bravery of the German soldier because his face appears again and agein in va- rious scenes,' the Kurier's editor writes. 'A heart of steel in the tense- ness of the struggle, a humane light in his dust-covered face, a fortitude in bearing hardships, a fearlessness and quiet in the midst of the in- ferno, a pezcefulness as he curls himself up for a few hours rest... so we see in this film the German •■soldier of 1940.' Dunkirk and Compieene Film is a deluxe version of "Blitz- krieg in Westen' shown in the U. S. last fall. That was a hurried com- pilation of newsreel shots boasting of victories in the Low Countries and the beginning of the rout in France. 'Sieg im Westen,' which runs two hours, is much more complete, re- peating some of the shots from the earlier film, but using ■ new ones wherever possible, and taking the wnr right up to Dunkirk and the signing of the armistice at Com- picgne. Special attention, according to the German reviewer, has been given to production and photography to make this the 'finest' of the war victory films. An unusual angle of the picture, as revealed in the Kurier, is the inter- larding in it of footage made fay of- ficial Dutch, Belgian and French army cameramen and captured by the Germans. This is supposed to emphasize, from the opposite view- point, how invincible is' the Panzer machine. Kurier states that 'Sieg' has been given a 'blue card,' meaning it is okay for children. Reviewer sums it up thus: 'Valuable to promote po- litical policies and has artistic and educational value. Will in time be used in schools for educational pur- poses. Can also be shown on holi- days.' (Only specially-designated pix can be shown on holidays in Ger- many). There has been much agitation re- cently to prohibit entrance of Nazi films in the U. S. Independent Thea- tre Owners of America has adopted a resolution Esking that the pix be kept out because American films can- not be imported into Germany. State Department has given no in- dication of its attitude on the ques- tion. FOREIGN PIX COIN Majors Would Rather Delay Getting Foreign Money— Long Been Irrevocably Op- posed, But Gaining Some Momentum of Late CoHege Men s Anti-War Group Avers Newsreels and Other Pix Are Dominantly lllfar-Mongering MONEY EMBARGO The Nazi Influence Santiago, Chile. May 6. Officers of Chile's German-trained army have been forbidden to visit theatres showing anti-Nazi picts while in uniform, according to a rule announced by Juvenal Hernan- dez, Minister of National Defense. GLORIA JEAN'S U PACT SUBJECT OF % SUIT Eniil Ncugcbauer filed suit Friday (21, in N. Y. Supreme court against Nathan J. Blumberg, president of Univcr.sal, and Lawrence Waterman, hi.-; secretary, seeking damages of $200,000 for alleged breach of con- Uzct Plaintiff claims to have dis- covered Gloria Jean and been prom- ised compensation for securing her .services for Universal. The agi'eement made in October, 1938. was a verbal one. The defend- ants ar(i charged with conspiracy to defraud plaintiff of what he claims are legitimate commissions. With maF.e ana more countries, in which U. S. ;;lm companies pres- ently are distributing product, clamping down monetary restrictions because of the scarcity of dollar ex- change, the barter system of doing business is being discussed in the trade with heavier concern than at any time in years. Barter system of doing business has been fought for years by princi- pal American distributors, majority of them holding that they are in the business of selling and distributing pictures, and nothing else. And that if they have to deal In other com- modities, they might as well as aban- don the foreign markets where such barter arrangements are demanded. Recent developments, even e:vtend- ing to some Latin-American coun- tries, indicate some modified barter arrangement will become essential or American dlstribs will have to wait until the end of the war for remittances from innumerable for- eign markets. American business always fought the barter system bitterly. And even now the only, chance for film com- panies to go for sucli arranr;emcnt appears predicated on its general usage in world commerce. Num.er- ous U. S. film companies abandoned Russia as a market for their pic- tures until lately because of inabil- ity to secure adequate rentals—and then to gel them In cash. Recently Paramount and 20th-Fox sold five pictures between them to the Rus-ian government trading agency, but deals were made only because the transactions were strict- ly in cash, payable In N. Y. Trade Balances Check this week revealed few^ countries, most of them with negli- gible business, today possess favor- able trade balances with the U. S. All nations engaged in war have frozen part of American company film rental or restricted coin remit- tances completely in their effort to conserve dollar exchange. Despite this situation, film com- pany foreign chiefs in New York are wary of going tor any barter arrangement even on a mild scale. Outside of other reasons, the Tisk involved in barter deals is so great that they preclude usage except by veteran traders. Purchase of cotton in Brazil and wheat In Au.stralia, which might conceivably be done by film com- panies if the barter system should be employed, would lay open the U. S. I distributor to possible loss if the : market in cotton or wheat declined while such produce was en route to U. S., or before sold elsewhere. Thus a $1,000 account might be translated, j into only $500 when the dollars ar- I rived in this country. Also the pic- I ture company would be confronted I with the Usk of finding a purchaser i for his produce once it had been : purchased. Both cotton and wheal I are admittedly a drug on the market I in this country, when exported from ; these land-s. Despite durrent objection to bar- I ter arrangement, the ever-increasing I list of foreign nations which are I placing restrictions on American film I company Income presents a problem ! that is worrying financial and cx- ! ehanjc experts within the difforeni film di.'itribulors. Returning professionals from Chicago tell of some players' propensity to make speeches against the Government's aid to Britcin policy. A leading man referred to an actress, who made addresses at such opposition gatherings, as: 'The Nazi Joan of Arc' Man Bites Girl Much-denied charge by Senator Burton K. Wheeler that newsreels are 'war-mongering' is claimed to be borne out in a series of figures is- sued after a three-month study of the reels by a recently-org§nized collegiate anti-war group. In a total of 550 subjects concern- ing war and national defense, it is claimed, only seven showed the existence in the nation of public opinion opposed to American inter- vention. Figures were compiled by College Men for Defense First, made up of about 350 graduates of some 70 col- leges. Majority are alumni of Ivy League schools, Harvai'd. Yale and Princeton, and include many Social Registerites. Lone show biz rep is Jose Ferrer, who closed a season in 'Charley's Aunt' on Broadway Sat- urday (3) night. He's Princeton, '33. Survey reveals that 1,175 subjects in art were released to theatres dur- Mllwaukee, May 6. ing the past three months by the With many citizens criticizing the five reels. Of these, 47% were on continued dissemination of Nazi war or defense subjects Separating ... , . 'news material from 'feature' ma- propaganda in these critical times, it | jgrial, group maintains that 73% of became known this week that the \ all 'news' clips were on war or de- FBI and the police department are ! fense. It is claimed the proportion keeping an increasingly watchful js gradually increasing, eye on the Germaj) Kino, a picture . Qf the seven clips giving the view- theatre in the northwest part of the . poi^t of those against war, five were city, which apparently shows every I released by Paramount and one each film put out by the propaganda min- | jjy Universal and Fox-Movietone, istry of the Reich, and German pic- | 'Two newsreels, RKO and Pathe turcs exclusively, some with super- ■ News, have not used one story in- imposed English titles to double their dicatlng the existence of anti-war from the Nazi view- MILWAUKEE'S NAZIPIX PUTSCH effectiveness, point. Authorities regard the major part of Milwaukee's large population of German descent as truly loyal Ameri- cans, but all are agreed there is a nest of Nazis here who are a poten- tial source of trouble, and it is on sentiment,' CMDF asserts, 'although national polls of public opinion show that more than 80 out of every 100 Americans would vote to stay out of war.' Jan. 28-Aprll 17 Survey Nowsreel study was made fbom ] Jan. 28 to April 17, during which this element that the law enforce-, jime each .reel issued 24 editions. Of ment officials are keeping a constant! jhe 1,175 stories included in the toUI check without actually cracking 120 editions, 751 were about topi- down on them. Tolerance has been ^^^^^ and 424 were feature sto- 2 policy whose end may come at any ] ^ies. such as sports, fajhions. beauty time and officers assert they can lay contests and human interest, their hands on the subversives any j ^fdm pointed out 'two facts that time they want them. intensify the. war propaganda effect Propaganda , exercised by the newsreels.' Many While American pictures whose of the clips clcss;fied as 'features' drawing power warrants holding ; contained 'strong war ang! ' it is them more than a week even in the \ claimed, such as- stories on a pet downtown theatres, are the exception ' show at a military camp, a story on TEther than the rule, the German Patty Berg teaching trainees how to propaganda films are held In the lit- ; play golf and a fashion story on cot- tie neighborhood German Kino for ' ton materials featuring military in- much longer runs—the Nazi cam- signia. paign against Poland for three wcek.s. . Second factor pointed to is that (he the Nazi campaign in the west for ^ strike coverage during the month of over a month. Watchers assert thai March was placed In non-war cists while, these out-and-out propaganda although commcntcricf: 'ronu'nr'y in- and terror pictures do good busine.s.s terpreted the primal« at llie outset they are itept on view ihcse strikes as arising from the for a tar longer time than Is ordi- narily profitable, the irhplication be- ing that the Reich's propaganda min- Istry is tooting the bill. Unquestionably, a number ot pa- trons attend the German Kino out of threat to national (' fci. Lawyer Moore Heads Gr up Chairman ot C?JlDF is Richard A. Moore, Yale. '30, n-;w rn attcrney in the old New York firm of Breed, Abbott & Morgan. Describing re- curiosity, but many others are known ^^^\^^ f,f jhe survey, he declared: 'The 'Nazis and bundsmen. FBI agcnU. fads presented here must be in- I ere reported to be in almo.st constant tcrprelcd carefully. Obviously, not I attendance tor what they can .see „\\ of the 'war' material is intended and hear, and by. checking license 35 interventionist propaganda. About numbers on cars of .some patron.s half of it concerns national defense, (often parked a considerable distance which is, of course, the leading sub- from the theatre) they cstabli.'-h the- ject of public tnteresl. Many other identities of many customers, some of stories show exciting battle pictures whom come from long distances. from Africa. Norway and Greece The German Kino, which cdvcr- which new reel cameramen risked tise.s regularly in the English daily papers as well as In the usual nabe methods, is the only house in Mil- their liv..s to obtain. 'Nevertheless, the one-sided nature of the material covered and the Burt Kelly at Par Hollywood. May 6. Biirl Kelly has checked in as as- sociate producer at Paramount. He recently was producer at Uni- versal. wi'ukee reyularly showing nothing commentaries by such forceful and but German films. In previous sea- experienced speakers as Lowell son.s the Pab.st, downtown independ- Thomas, John B. Kennedy. Graham ent legit house, has shown foreign McNamee and others, can have no lan;4ua?e films from time to time in ' other effect that to enforce the im- what otherwise would be dark -pression in the minds of the Ameri- wecks. but in the secson now draw- can people that war is inevitable.' ing to a close only one German pic- Breaking down its survey, CMDF I ture has been booked, although its declared Fox-Movlctone to have the ' management is said to attribute this highest quantity of war news, 57%. solely to the tact there have not been Metro's News of the Day was next any pifturcs coming through that it ■ with 54"/.; then Pathe, 49%; Para- considers worth while. | mount, 4C%, and Universal, 44%.