Variety (Dec 1946)

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22 INTEIlNATIOPfAL •VARIETY'S' LONUOM OFUCB R St. Martin'* fliMC, Trafnlmir Siiuura Army Turns Over Odd Austrian Setup ToMPEAJan.l;50U5.PixDueinYear By .lOSKF ISRAEI-S n T Vienna, Dec. 9, ! U. S. Army's Inforniiilion Services Branch steps out pI'.disVi-iisutipn'Set i up in Austria Jan. 1 in favor of j Motion Picture Export Assn., it was , 'decided- it! a series of conferences between Irving Maas, MPEA veepee, and Army film board. Wolfgang'| ■Wolf, presently acting as films of- , fiqer for .the Army,, will resign elTec- ; tive Jan! 1 to head MPEA's Austrian organization. I Some phases of reorganization are still undecided. But it's known that , Ihe British are going commercial , next year as well, with French i future setup form still unlinown. t Bus.sia brol<e aW'ay from ISB's film distribution monopoly some months Sgo and set UP Sovexportfilm to cpn- Ircl both-distribution and production iH Austri^. Army film board of CITicers which has been overseeing ISB's pix activities since the exit ! last June or Eugene Sharin as film j officer, is now readying talks to j decide what's to become of remain.? of Nazi Wien Film properties which include Siewering and Schonbrunn studios* tboth presently active) and some 200 active titles remaining! from an original 700 Germanrmade I features seized. Probability, is that the German pix will be gradually . drained off the Austrian market, as imported product and new local films arrive to fill play dates. Army will turn over to MPEA some $600,000 in schillings being held, for account of Hollywood interests for rentals. Big headache is to find out how to get rid of the rest of Wien Y'i\m, a juicy plum. Trouble is that no one . capable of operating the former Hitler screen monopoly is in view except Karl Hartl and as- sociates who operated the combine for the Nazi, That's why Wien Film is to date the only ma.ior Austrian industry Americans haven't turned back to Austrian control under President Truman's directives of last .fall. Maas' Visa Troubles Irving Maa.s remained here five i intended days before heading for Prague. He's given up hope of getting clear- ance to visit Hungary and Rumania. In both countries only the Soviet has the say on the Allied Commis- sion wliicb controls vi.sa.s. It's ob- servable that Reds admit only a! few U. S. busine,s.s men or journal- ' ists to these countries or to Yugo- | slavia, Buli>aria or Albania, U. S. j business interests in obvious ■ com- i petition with Russian aims, as in the | case of the film industry, don't get i to first base. State Dept. and Army have been Keep Nip Weaver Out of Pix Tokyo, Dec, 1. . Osaka Spinning and Weaving Co, request to invest 175,000 in a mo- tion picture distributing agency was refused by General Mac Arthur, who watches the bank accounts of larger Jap concerns closely. Reason given for action Was that it's not a "normal operation", for a weaving concern. Pic Made of Laurel, Hardy Shorts Giving U.S. Films Bad Parisian Publicity Paris, Dec. 10. U, S. product is getting unfavor- able publicity from the current showing by Cinepresse, a Champs. Elysees theatre, of a supposed new American feature titled "Three Weddings." Pic is made up of old Laurel and Hardy shorts pieced up together by Franco-London Film, a local dealer which bought them after the Metro rights had expired. New title, and fact that the picture is shown in English version with French subtitles, both concur in substantiating the advertising rep- resenting the film as a nfw picture, to mislead audiences. Laurel and Hardy pictures still handled b.y Metro here are ''Fra Diavolo," "Nothing but Trouble" and "Black Hands," with rights to latter ex- piring soon. A local tangle has resulted from the use by Cinepresse of a print with title showing Richebe distribu- tion. Richebe holds distribution rights from FrancorLondon Film lor the provinces, but not the Paris Scottish 'Iron Curtain' Glasgow, Dec. 3. Laurence Olivier's production of Carson Kanin's Broadway hit, "Borri Yesterday," literally ran into an "iron curtain" while on 'tour through Scotland recently. A curtain at a local hou.se jammed ■ at playtime, Iprcing cancellation of the.play. Olivier asked the house opera- tor for damages but the latter claimed situation was an "act of God." Scandinavian Stage Back to Normal With U. S. Legiters Leading Parade Ounce of Prevention Stockholm, Dec. 10 NefaiJous activities of a crim known as the "Saturday Saboteur _4. Stockholm, Nov. 30. I Legit is fast returning to normal 1 in the Scandinavian countries, with I Interest particularly keen in U. S. . '. , plays .since victory of the Allies. I Sevren houses are active in Stock- . I hplm. "Life With Father" i$ a big has prompted the local censor to . ^^^^^ Dramatic Thea' U.S.OK's First 10 German Pix Producers; Limited | Production Is Likely halt exhibition of a Swedish film called "Dynamite," po.ssibly for fear the culprit tor others) may gain some ideas. It's the first picture stopped by tre. Due to fact that house runs repertory. "Father" goes off soon, but it will be back. "Patrasket," an old Swedish play, is being revived at the Vasa. nie Blanche has a Berlin, Dec. 10. ' The first 10 German film produ- I eeis or firms in the American oc- cupied zone to receive .licenses have been announced by Brig; Gen. Rob.- ; ert A. McClure, director of Informa- tion Control Division. The 10 producers or teams who received favorable consideration after having passed strict political -and professional screening — any- one with the faintest taint of iiazi.sm is automatically barred — are Gunther Stapenhorst, former UFA producer, who went into voU.int?iry exile in Switzerland during the Nazi I authorities since the old silent screen | summer musical revue, now beyond ' days. When the gendarmes.cat<;h up 1 200th performance, with the villain, it's ppssible show- ings of "Dynamite" may resunne. Rwdy Market for 16m In Siam, 35m in Holland, Cited by RKO's Lioni Louis Lloni. RKO foreign rep jiist arrived in thfe U. S. from Hoilaiiid;. .said that the dearth of good product is iireat there that Motion Picture Export Assii. sponsored films should draw record boxoffice. Lioni opened , the RKO Bangkok. Siam. office last period; Fritz Thiery; Curt Oertel. | spring after being released Irom a maker of documentaries; Gcorg ] ,j,,p prisyr, camp where he spent Fiebiger, Helmuth Kaeutners Joset ; )h,.eg years. von Baky and Richard Koenig team; Harald Braun and Jacob Geis; Gabrielle Schmalzigaug. who plans to produce documentaries In Stutt- gart; Karl Bamann. Erwin Heil and Ernst Hess trio, and. Hubert Schonr ger.'. ■ • ■ Erich Pommer, American film pro- duction control officer on McCUire's staff, said he believes the initial production will get under way early next year. Production will be limit- ed, however, due to the fact that the two available studios in the U.S. zone have a maximum capacity of nine films per year, and due to the critical shortage of raw film. Both studios, the former UFA territory, and Franco-London Film ,„,„,• supplied Cinepre-sse with a print ! Film Co. rooms at Tempelhot_ in for provincial relea.se. Richebe, unfavorably mentioned in press comments as having made the film is taking steps to have Franco-Film scissor the title oft the Cinepre.s.se print so as to get his name out of it. , Berlin, and the former Bavarian Filmkun.st Studio.s at Geiselgasteig, hear Munich, are busy synchronizing Hollywood pix into the German lan- guage. "Suspicion," in process at Berlin, will be ready to roll in about Lioni .said that all American product now playing in the Nether- lands is of prewar vintage, and that even those • films are doing good business, led by "Young in Heart." Republic and Monogram, neither members of MPEA, are already bringing product into Holland and en.ioying the sellers' market, ac- cording to Lioni. RKO rep will return to Bangkok to take over branch managerial duties there. Almost the entire film audience of that portion of the Far Eastern territory consists of natives, he said, and U. S. distribs must keep that in mind when releasing films there. For this purely oriental audi- ence, Siam is one of the few places in the world where there is_MO native production whatsoever, Lioni said, and the U. S. has virtually a free rein in that market. On paper, he stated, there are about 100 35m theatres in the cpun two weeks and is slated for release | try, with 30 in Banglcok, One of the in January. In Munich, work on 1 "Keys of the Kingdom" and "You |- Can't Take 1. With You" is being ! .synchronized. Both studios will con- 1 tinue their work on "Th« Adven- tures of Mark Tviiain,'' "The Story of INDIA SHOWING TEES NEW FAR EAST SKED Metro International, continuing to Louis Pftsteur" and others, lead the way in expansion of 16m | Studios, being : former Reich- , , . . , . operations overseas, has become the powerless to help Maas in this re- , ^^^^ program in the spect. Before leaving Vienna Maas | g^^^j con.sidered the most held a conference for local press j ,^^^^^^1^,^ ^.^^^^^ narrow-gauge and fan mags where lively mterest , . company teed off the Far was expressed in forthcoming Holly-^ program in Santa Cruz, small wood product. They asked particu-I ^ " lariy for Di.sney and old titles like i "Great .Ziegfeld,"'known here from i n prewar days and oft«n outdrawing | Metro's "Strike Up the Band, augurs well for the future of 16m owned property, ■ are under U. S. Military Government property con- trol, pending liquidation of the Gov- ernment-owned UFA film cartel. prog town near Bombay, India. | Welcome given the initial, entry,! newer titles. Wolf and Maas revealed that at, business in that part of the world, least 50 new U. S. titles will reach j according tp Metro International Austria in the coming year. Policy ; execs. Pioneer exhib, with no pre- basis for .selecting pix will be nearer vious . knowledge with which to commercial'values, now that the first gauge the size of his audience, pro- occupation pha.ses have been passed. I vided seats for only 300. SRO sign, MPEA will submit lists of proposed i however, was put up an .hour before releases for occupied countries to ' the show started and the picture Array and State Dept., which will ( played tp/more than twice the, orig- hold final veto. However, initial; inal estiniate, selection process will be altogether' Rea.son for the boff inaugural, it's in the industry's hands; Wolf hopes believed, is the fact that most of the soon to conclude already lengthy ne- . people in the hinterlands of such gotiation.s with Ru.ssians looking to- countries as India anci China have ward free sale and movement of, never seen any commercial enter- films between zones without refer-■ talnment of any kind. Giving them ence to quota or political content. a taste o£ Hollywood's lush product Russia would like to stay unilat- is almo.st certain to make film fan.s era! in this, but just .doesn't have of them. enough homemade product to keep its houses busy. MPEA will try to keep lists for Germany and Austria identical, to minimize paper work as well as numbers, of prints re- quired. Fifteen titles have already been okayed, and a further list of 28 WARNERS' CANNES HOLIDAY Paris, Dec. 10. Jack Warner, now in Paris, is leav- ing for Cannes where he will, spend the> holidays with his wife..' She's been in Switzerland where their daughter is at schooU He will return for a week in Paris about Jan. 10, and. return to London before sailing back to America. is awaiting government action. It is intended to have all releases avail- able in both dubbed and undertitled versions. Horney Back to Austria ■Vienna, Dec. 10. Brigette Homey, Austrian film star now in Switzerland^ will return to her native country shortly. She signed contracts with Loewenfilm Production.s for two picture;?, "Song of Life'' and "Love Without Pas- sion."; In cast arc al.so Rudolph Prack. Gusti Huber ;uid Hans Holt. Eduard von Borsody will direct. Williamson-Tait in Gain Over Preyions Year Sydney, Dec. 4. . After charging $6,876 for depre- ciation, William.son-Tait turned in net profit of $141,568 for year ending June 30, last. This compares with $135,244 for previous year. Gross profit amounted to $298,948 as against $260,204 previously, j granted to Turismo group here forj There's a steady dividend at.6%, ; the; undertaking. j HEX, GOES aBEYHOUND Mexico City, Dec. 10. Smash succes.s of horse racing here . has inspired big coin-backed moves for s greyhound race-track. Federal 20-ycar franchise was Current London Shows London, Dec. 17. •■And No Birds Sine," Aldwych. "Between Ourselves," Playhouse. "Cliitterbnck," Wyndham, "Dante," Garrick. "Fifty-ritty," Strand. "Follow the Girls," Majesty's.:' "Fools Hush In," Fortune. "Grace of God," St. James. "Grand National Nlgbt," Apollo. ''Guinea/ Pig," Criterion. ''Here Comes the Boys," Saville. "Hi«h Time," Palladium. "Honeymoon," York's. "I,ady Frederick," Savoy. "Message for Margaret," Duchess. "Night and Laughter," Coliseum. "No Room at Inn," Winter Garden. "Our Betters," Playhouse. "Percbance to Dream," Hipp, "Piccadilly Hayride/' Wales. "Pick-Up Girl," Casino. "Poltergeist," Vaudeville. "Shephard Show/' Princes. "Shop Sly Corner," St. iMartiris. "Skin of Teeth," Piccadilly. "Song of Norway," Palace. "Sweetheart Mine," Vic Palace. "Sweetest and Lowest," Ambass. "Tb* Gleam," Globe. "Under the Counter," Phoenix. , "Windermere's Fan/'. Haymarket.' ''Windslow Boy," Lyric. "Worm's View/' Whitehall. biggest obstacles to film distribution there is transportation into the in- terior. Because of this, and the theatre shortage, Lioni said that 16m is a natural for these territories. Portability is chief virtue of the narrow-gauge films, plu.s the fact that they are non-inflammable, an important consideration when prints are being handled by careless native workers. . Lioni said current RKO plans call for. 16m films to be roadshown : for some time to come, until economic factors make construction of narrow- gauge, houses more feasible. Siam is one of the few countries in the Far Eastern division which is free from strife, and film companies that are stymied* in other nations expect to get their distribution machinery moving in .$iam until other lands quiet down. Lioni was a lieutenant in the Dutch Colonial Army until captured by the Japanese and put to work on the notoriotis v'Deatb Railway." "Deep Are the Roots" opened last I week at the New, but is closing this week—a flop. The Oscar has a new i 'musical,-"E-scapade," doing capacity , biz. The China has "Lady Behave," ■ a mu.sical by Slanley Lupino, which ; has (ione 60 performances and still- i doing well. "Ten Little Indlan.s" i is doing fair in the smallish Boule- vard. In Gothenburg "Life With Father" is a smash at the City Theatre. "No Exit," though it received mixed no- tices, is .selling fairly well at the Small, and Straus' "The Last Waltz" is-doing well after ;a long run at the Operetta. In Malmoe, "The* Taming of iTie : Shrew," starring Edvin Adolphson and Lillevil Ibsen, is a smash at the 1,800-seater .Big Stage. "The G\a^s Menagerie" is doing good biz at the Small Stage. "The Circus Princess" is a great moneymaker at the Hippo- drome. "The Glass Menagerie" is al.so doing fine at the City Theatre in Halsingborg. Reports from Copenhagen are . mostly good. "Within the Gates," a ; French import., is doing very well at the Royal. "The Importance of Be- ing Earnest" is a success at the Small Stage, but "Jacpbow.sky and the Colonel" was a quick flop (less than two weeks) at the New Thea- tre," "Arsenic and Old Lace" replac- ing this week. "Life With Father" is. a smash at the People's; Sartre's "Closed Doors" is doing fine at the Fredericksburg, and Saroyan's "The Beautiful People" ha.s done over 160 performances at Knights' Hall, and is still running capacity. In Norway, in Oslo. "Key Largo" is doing well at the National, as is "The Skin of Our Teeth" at the Stu- dio. At the Trondelag, in Trond- heim, "Shaw's "Man of Destiny" is doing okay. In Finland, Helsinki's Swedish theatre is doing terrific biz with "Glass Menagerie," which got the best notices any U. S. play ever re- ceived. At the Helsinki, "Of Mice and Mcn^ was well received, and is I doing good biz. Strok in N.Y. To R«sume Bookings for Far East A. Strok, veterdn Far East concert impresario whose aetivities were in- terrupted by the war, plans resump- tion of talent booking, and is in N. Y. after flying from Shanghai for the purpose: Strok plans to book such artists as Efrem Zimbalist and Mischs El- man, who used to make biennial tours of the Far East; Jascha Heifetz, and others. Grace Moore, who was booked for that area when war broke out, is also expected to be .signed. Sedlak Powders Symph ■ Vienna, Dec. 9. ' Franz Sedlak has recently re- signed as head of the Austrian Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct the State Opera. He is noted for having outwitted the Nazis in the last days of the war. Called to the Volkssturm troops, Sedlak «nd his me.i were granted permission to form their own "regi- ment" and took their instrumen'fs along instead of ■ guns. Replacing Sedlak as chief of the Philharmonic is Prof. Siegfried Freiberg. Hoffay Gets Plug in For Foreign Ad Reps at Lunch Honoring Him Last Week Mike Hoflay. retiring RKO foreign ad-publicity chief, was lauded as fully understanding the importance of the foreign press at a luncheon given in his honor by the Foreign Press Assn. of N. Y., Friday (13) at Sardi's, The foreign business of American distributors, if Canada is included, represents 40'/o of total U. S. film company . revenue or upwards Of $320,000,000 per year, according to S. Randal Heymanson, Australian Newspaper Service representative for the U. S., who spoke for the Foreign Press Assn. He thought that Hollywood and film company ex- ecutives should be more aware of this in their treatment of foreign ad-publicity rhatters. E. J. Tail, head of J. C. Williamson Theatres, Australia, who is in N. Y. in connection with his legit and music interests, briefly traced his activities Down Under and praised American show business. Tait .said that the best place to learn what to do and what not to do in showbiz was in the U. S. Donald Prince, special exploiteer for RKO in Great Britain since the fir.st of year; has been named to. suc- ceed Hoffay. Prince is due in from London later this month. DEL BIO'S FRENCH OPFERS ■ Mexico City, Dec. 10. Hit that her "Maria .Candaletia" made at the Cannes exposition has garnered Dolores del Rio three of- fers to play in pix in France. She may accept all three.