Variety (Dec 1946)

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•VABIKCX'SM.ONDON OWFICK S St. Hwtln'* Plttce, Trafaltar gguaw INTER9rATIO?rAI« 23 Mexican Spanish Accents in Dubbed Fix NGin BA, So Metro Back to Titling Buenos Aires, Dec. 17. ' Loew's International, only one of the American majors to continue use of dubbed pictures in Argentina in the face of growing antipathy on the part of the Buenos Aires public, has finally decided to throw in the sponge. Despite Metro claims that dubbed pix have, almost trebled the company's grosses in many parts of Latin America, it wiU revert back to the use of titled versions within the next two or three weeks. •:■ Metro officials here declined to comment on the situation, but thea-, tre circuit heads report the com- pany may also change to ti led ver- sioi^ in several other Latm coun- trips One of the chief reasons for the change, it's said, is the differ- ence in accents in the Spanish sDoken here from that in the rest of Latin America. Difference is com- pared to that between the English spoken in Britain and.in the U. S., one of the reasons for hard pull some English pictures face in the Ameri- can market., . ■ Metro, i ^^"^ "° longer buck the antagonism against dubbed pix from; the wealthy, high- ly-cultured classes in Buenos Aires, which make up two-thirds of the Argentine population. Latter are the ones who frequent the ultraTSwanky first runs on B.Ai'S Avenida de Cor- rientes, ott which more than half of ' the total Argentine gross is based. Dubbed versions are doing well enough in the rest of Argentina to continue, but Metro is losing the enormous take from the first runs ■ wil;h them. ; _ Company apparently did well with dubbed pix when they were first in- troduced in 1944, but they've taken a cotisiderable .^slump ■ at the box- office since then. Decline in the quality of product since "Gaslight," the teeoff film, might have had something to do with the slump, it's believed. Metro has been using Mexican actors for the "voices" in its dubbed pictures, which is acceptable to the rest of Latin America but not to .the Argentinians. Everybody in the edu- cated classes of the country knows English and so decries the original English soundtracks with super-im- posed titles. If Metro wanted to use Argentine Spanish for dubbing, it's said, then the pictures wouldn't go over in the rest of Latin America. 'Grand Illusion' to Gain By New Fraternization Paris. Dec. 5. R.A.C., distributors of "Grand Illusion," may benelit by the new conciliatory ' attitude. the American Army is adopting towards . the Germans in occupied territory, film, which stars Eric von Stroheim and . Pierre Fresnay, depicts the folly of war, and was a smash when released before World War II. Minor editing of some Franco- German love scenes permitted a successful revival here three months ago without any adverse audience reactions anticipated^ by German haters. As a strong fraternization plug the picture, -which had been previously considered as unsuitable fare in former enemy territories, may now become a natural for re- lease in the Amcn-ican zone. 'V That $80,000,000 British Market Is Worth Having IVs Worth Studying" • argues , Maurice Cowan . * . * * an editoriar featurt of tht forthcoming 41st Anniversary . Number of Metro Plans 6 to 12 Pix Yearly In London; Acquiring Theatres Abroad Cemiame lubin Guilty la CoDaboration Charge Paris, Dec. 2. Germaine Lubin, French singer who topped the Wagnerian operatic offerings during ■ the Vichy regime, was sentenced to national indignity for life and confiscation of her pos- sessions after a three-day trial by the provincial court of. Orleans, ■where: she owns a chateau. She was charged with causing the arrest by the Qeirmans of two serv- ants who did not sympathize with her collaborationist attitude, and being unduly hospitable to German biggies. She was acquitted on the first charge. Sentence means that she loses all citizens rights and all real and personal property, and cannot live any? more in or near Paris or Orleans. French Stay Mum On Film Coin Idea Proposed by U. S. While the latest presentation of U. S. film companies ideas on coin remittances from France was made more than a month ago, no formal answer has been received as yet either by the U: S. State Department or the Motion Picture Assn. of America. Although some picture company executives see a favorable development in this delayed formal answer, others in the industry be- lieve it indicates that the French government is refusing to budge i'rom its original position regarding remitting U. S. distributor coia to Government of Prance has con- tended from the outset that this American rental revenue should be remitted at the current rate of ex- change of 118 francs to $1. They naturally are negotiating to che last limit to get the bulk of this coin remitted at this exchange figure because French currency has declin- ed so much in value. On the other hand, American dis* tribs would fix the rate at the time the revenue was accumulated, and this makes a difference of several million dollars, according to latest reports. The revenue piled up in France drops' into four categories; (a), money accumulated before the war ."tarted, exchange rate then being 44 to $1; (b>, coin that piled up during the war before France was overrun; (c), rental money from OWI pictures sent in soon after U. S. troops took ovei% and (d), money collected from postwar distribution. Argentina fix Freedom The Bolognesi, Execs Say; U's Newsreel Censored Montevideo, Dec, 5. The expected has happened. As soon as Alfredo BolognesiVwas re- appointed to his former post as- dir . rector of Argentina's Entertainment Board, foreign film distributors knew they were in for a series of censorship snarls, delays . and trou- ble of all kinds. Their fears have not been disappointed. The first move has been to delay sending officials for censorship pre- views of product. In this way a number of releases had to be post- poned, while distribuWirs; ;anc|,'e^^ hibitors fumed. : Now, just as. in wartime, the axe is falling on U, S. newsreels, and Universal's No. 53,544. was passed only after cuts had been made to "eliminate crude scenes taken ^ in concentration camps." Dealing with th". Nurriberg, trials, the distribu- tors were made to cut statements about the Nazi war criminals, such as: "this destiaiy awaits all who idol- ize force" . . . and "the ignominy of their innumerable crinies." Bolognesi sympathy for the Nazir Fascist regimes is notorious, and he made no secret of his chagrin over the German defeat. It was Bolognesi who held up screening of .Chaplin's "•Phe Dictator" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls," until long after the war's end. * Metro's new London studios are (nearing completion and should be I ready for occupancy early next montli, according to Arthur M. Loew, Loew's International prexy. Just returned from a two-months' tour of England and the Continent, Loew revealed that Metro plans to ■ turn out between six and 12 pix yearly at the London plant, which he described as being better equipped in some ways than the Culver . City studios. . (5 . Metro also is dickering with SwisS producer Lazar Wechsler, who mades: "The Last Chance," to help finance his next film. Present plans call for M-G staffer Fred Zinneman to .di- rect. Loew said that Metro does not . plan any large-sqale production in Europe, however. ■ In addition to the theatre site re- cently purchased in Amsterdam,. Loew also bought, a new theatre in Antwerp and acquired an interest in houses in Geneva and Lausanne. Cottipany is shopping for other, theatres, he said, looking for places that will give better representation to Metro product. ,, Metro currently hSs,. six.' unre- leased importations for the U. S. market, Loew said, but these wills be screened by a special board be-: fose deciding how to handle their sales. Board is to be comprised of one member each from the inter- national, domestic distribution: and departments. Loew is also $2,000,000 Radiocentro To Be Ready by Summer Havana, Dec. 9 Goar Mestre invited a number of newspapermen and radio columnists to visit Radiocentro, now under con- struction,.and stated that it would be ready sometime in the summer. Set- up will cost $2,000,000; Stockhoiders num'ber 18 persons, including, the owners of CMQ, The theatre por- tion that has been leased to Warner Bros., will be the largest hefe. :. . Reorganization of the CMQ pro- gram department is awaited Tvith: report that some of the top execu- tives will be removed. Mestre wants a full reorganization by the time he moves the studios to Radiocentro; Czech Ties, Maas Informs Prague Release of U. S.-made pictures in Czechoslovakia is dojng much to I theatre solidify bonds of friendship between negotiating to buy two more French *Veir Click$ in Vienna Vienna, Dec. 9. British production of "Seventh Veil" has drawn unusually go.od le- yiews from Vienna presSi resulting in strong biz. Picture's Sober treat- ment, good music and psychiatric theme have made hit in a town Where music ani'd psychology were formerly major industries. Socialist party paper called film a work of art of the first order," ■and official government "Wiener Zeitung" declared it "an outstand- ing and valuable production," Operadora Deal Denied , _ Mexico City, Dec. 10. Insistent rumors here to the effect th?t the 25 local cinemas of the Ope- radora de Teatros have been ac- quired for 20th-Fox by Joseph Schenck with a stock purchase, are denied by Manuel Espinosa Iglesias, Operadora's manager. ^ Up to now, ne says, no deal has been made with Fox and Schenck. DENFS HOLLYWOOD 0.0. WITH EYE TO ENG. PROD. Arthur Dent, for 22 years until John Maxwell's death in 1940, part- nered in Associated British Corp., is in New York on his first visit since before the war. After a month east the British film producer heads to Hollywood to o.o. the talent setup lor possible Anglo-U.S. exchange, with an eye to bringing back some Coast people to produce in London. Dent reports that British film business must continue to do socko, having the pick of the best U.S. product plus the new b.o. sturdiness of the native product which, natural- ly, appeals highly to English film fans. ■■ , LOW COST MEXICAN FILM PRODUCTION BOOMING Mexico City, Dec. 17. Domestic film production in Mex- ico is currently in a boom period, cashing in on the labor troubles and rising costs now plaguing U. S. pro- ducers. Additional attractive fea- ture in Mexico production is"^ the easy tax situation prevalent here plus fact that pictures can be turned out on half the normal Hollywood budget. New Cuauhtemoc studios in Mex- ico City have recently wrapped up a deal for four pictures to be produced there, three of them to be by Holly- wood indies and one l)y Abel Gance, French producer, Latter starts work in March on "Giselle," with Dolores Del Rio. Film will be done in both French and English versions. Hollywood producers are bringing their own story material from the u. s. ■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ that Country and. America, Irving Maas, general manager of the Motion Picture Export Assn. of the U. S., told the people of, that nation in a radio address at Prague last week. Maas was well received' by reps of the Czech Film Monopoly on his arrival in Prague early in December on his European tour. He carried the greetings of Eric Johnston, head of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, who had planned visiting Czechoslovakia until forced to abandon his European tour by illness. Demand for American films in Czechoslovakia is so great that patrons are daily paying black mar^ ket prices to see U.S. pictures, it was revealed by the MPEA in N. Y. last week. With long lines at night shows where U. S. productions are playing, Prague patrons are paying two to three times the established admission scale to black market op^ erators, The blackmarketers have been active at many first-runs in that city where U. S. product of MPEA member companies now is being released. During the playdate of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" at . Lucerna theatre, black market operations in ducats reached such a peak that the. Czech Film Monopoly posted war- nings at the house threatening civil action against offenders. Several arrests were made. VIENNA PRATER TO BE REBUILT BY NEXT YEAR pix. Company is handling distribu-.. tion in Italy of "Paia," ifiade by the producer of "Open City," but almost every U. S. company is bldiling for the American rights. Loew revealed that his company today turns in about 40%' of the total annual Loew's gross and pre- dicted the average should hit 50% within the next two years. Industry. needs to continue its voluntary restrictiSns on the number of films exported for the next two or three years, he said, until the present backlog is absorbed. He also con- firmed reports that Metro was dick- ering to handle foreign distribution of Enterprise product. Stepping into the Samuel Goldwyn- Darryl F. Zanuck debate, Loew declared that many American pic- tures don't fit into the war-coH'^ ditioned psychology of the Euro- pean public. "I would like to see Hollywood turn out pictures of more integrity," he added, "but they might not go so well here." Refuting re- ports of other industry chiefs, he declared that American films still draw top grosses in England, adding that the majowty of American product is far superior to amy turned out by other nations. To Insure that such conditions continue, he sug- gested that U. S. producers survey the public taste in Europe to find a happy medium for pictures that will sell both here and abroad. Industry would be better off, how- ever, he declared, if inferior Ameri- can product was replaced on foreign screens by better foreign Alms, "It would also be good for the U, S," he said, "if good foreign pictures replaced inferior American films in this country, but that's up to the public to decide." French Set Up Monopoly For Saar Film Distribs Paris, Dec. 5. A monopolistic step has been taken by the French government regarding distribution of French product in the Saar and the French^ zone oj Ger- many. This will be henceforth per- mitted only via a new companv titlcrV Unifllm, organized by Robert Bichet,, minister of information. This means that independent distribution there is out. Unifllm is headed by Georges Loureau of Regina, with M. Schmit* as legal adviser, , Some French interests are also considering building up an Agfa color industry, and have been scout-; ing on the q.t. for German techni- cians. Vet English Vauder Missing After Flood London, Dec. 4, G. S, Melvin, 60, who is missing, is presumed drowned at his flooded Thames-side home in Buckingham, Starting his career in the-circus and concert worlds, then in his father's act, he made his name in the music halls in character studies, best known of which was a stoker danc- ing the hornpipe, , He played America in the old Keith-Albee vaude days, toured U, S. and Canada in 1912 and 1924, and South Africa in 1916, Vienna, Dec. 8. Vienna will have its ersatz Prater j i next year. Final plans have been | drawn up for the reconstruction the noted amusement center which j burnt down completely during the; last days of the war. Heavy fighting j . had taken place between the retir-i Stockholm, Dec. 14. ing Germans and the advancing' 20th-Fox gave the European preem Russians on the Prater grounds. | "f "The Razor's Edge" at the Park Though the plans call for building theatre here last Monday (9). The of stone houses only, the city ad-1 ="tics praised the film highly and ministration gave its permit for the I "'^ expected that it will run a long Caprice Viennois Vienna, Dec. 8. PrOf. Wolfgang Schneiderhan; famed violin soloist and member of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, received permission froms the Aus- trian Ministry of Education, by eon- sent of the Allied High Command, to reappear again in public. Schneiderhan had been charged with Nazi affiliations. ^\ 'Razor's European Preem Promising in Stockholm erection of wood buildings: and huts for temporary use. Full reconstruc- tion plans will cover three years. Painleve Protests Educ. Films at UNESCO Meet shown at the Anglals^nS is a big time at this deluxer. Another big premiere here the same day was the French film "Les Visiteurs du Soir" at the Grand theatre. First Scandinavian film in color, "Sagan Om Elddonet," made by Dansk Farve-og Tegneftlm, was Paris, Dec. 2. i success. Saga theatre will have a The French film committee to g^'a premiere this week with the serve on the UNESCO was formally British film Caesar and Cleopatra, convened for the first time by Jean ' distributed in Sweden by Benoit-Levy, head of the UNESCO ^B Eagle-Lion. pictures and, visual infoilnation branch At a recent UNESCO sitting, Jean Painleve, French educational film expert, protested the scheme of per- mitting educationals to get free ac- cess to France'if they are to be used for commercial distribution at any time. The French committeci headed by Roger Weill, includes a member from each of the unions, iii'the; film industry, . Noye Mex 20th Head Allen M. Noye, former 20th-Fox manager in Colombia, has been named to head, up the company's of- fice in Mexico. Noye, currently hud- dling with homeoffice execs in New York, succeeds Joseph G. Mullett, granted a leave of absence because of illness. Siegfried Zobel, former assistant to Noye in Colombia, has been pro- moted to managei" in that territory.