Variety (Apr 1947)

SbwUz Takes Worst Eai^ in Occupd Imk Urougii SeUIIing-Upg By JOSEF ISBABLS II Vienna, April 3. German and Austrian showbiz circles are wondering how much longer gravely unhealthy economic .situation of amusement industry can keep up without utter qollapse. This particularly applies to low earnings of actors, musicians and artists of all categories. These are underpaid and underfed to a pitiful extent, even, in contrast to generally low pay and living standards of all workers In occupied territories. ■ - In estimating the worth of salaries, note must be taken of contrast be- tween official and "black" worth of money. ■ The Austrian schilling, while standing officially at 10 to the dollar, same as the German mark, sells this week in the black bourse at 80 to the dojlar, while the mark is around 300. Therefore the month- ly wage , of a middle class actor in :i good theatre, 500 schillings, must l.e considered in buying power as I. ss than $7 rather than its official i.'juivaleiit" of $50. Cockeyed Valnes One trouble, is that salaries in im- portant theatres and on Kavag, j-:mi-gbYernmental- radio monopoly, ne still based'on prewar value Of marks: (later converted-at I to I lor schillinBs> when ' schilling -w&s about-4 to the dollar and-there were things to buy in food and clothing shops besides. ■ Therefore today's absolute top salary in Vienna's Wo.'l legit house, Burgthealeri at ,3,W schillings a month, "fades from' prewar magnifi- cence to a MS47 ' equivalent buying power of under $30. -A pack of U. S. cigarettes costs, an Austrian 20 ■schillings, a pound of black market meat 60 to 100 schillings ana.one egg four schillings. Sug^r is 50 schill ings a pound. A - pair of shoes, rarely obtainable at all would cost 1,000 schillings and a man's suit 1,200 to 1,500. Nevertheless, the 3,000 schilling salary represents a big raise on paper from Nazi. time salary top in same theatre of 2,000. But no more tiwn'half a dozen players are draw- ing €b»t Jkind of ittoney. Average player in the state subsidized the- atres here is getiing 500 to 1,500 a month. In pri-vate theatres it's an average of 25% less. Despite, fact that in most cases it's a yeaif- iround wage^ it-S not a living. Fees * in gov^wiHmt . subsidized Vienna Statr-<^ta are somewhat better. A top conductor gets schillings monthly ($56). Experi- enced ballet people draw 1,000 to 2,000 schillings, but have it extra hard to get enough food' to support strenuous exercise of their jobs. Pit musicians at opera and in orches- tras of Philharmonic calibre are. getting 600 to 2,000 schilling top- equivalent of $8 to $22 a month. Pay in radio, both at jRavag and U.S. Army-operated Bed-White-Red network, is so pitifully smaU that better show people are refusing jobs. Officials Just shrug and en- gage others from plentitul supply of unorganized musicians and -actors. A radio .iob varies from 15 schillings to 100, depending on importance of spot and including all rehearsals. A leading woman on a 45-minUte dra- matic spot did seven hours of re- hearsals and the performance for 70 schillings. The fee woullln't buy half a decent mfeal in a black mar- ket restaturant. $325 Wage "top Per Pic In pix, top wage is currently re- ported as 30,000 schillings, drawn by Hans Moser, comic, for recent "World Turns Backwards." Most stars can't get over 20,000 ($225) per pic. Leads have been accepted recently for as little as 6,000 schil- • lings (under $100). Players would rather play and starve than starve in -idleness. Taxes of approximately 30% are deducted at pay window from all figure.? quoted here, making take- home money even more pathetic. Despite small nut in theatres and studios, managements are squawking they are losing money. One factor is price of seats, averaging 8 to 10 schillings, with opera going as high as 16 schiUings. Gordon's Multi-Lingual Hollywood, April 15. Two Continents Pictures will shoot "Delirium" in Paris next month in English, French and either German or Italian. Paul Gordon, producer-director, sails on the Queen Elizabeth May 8 with crew and some cast, rest to be signed in Europe. .French cast will be headed by Iiouis Jouvet. iiriiirsE|eII.S.' Bx ^^ptically' Berlin, April 6. Interviewed recently by Radio Berlin, Krnst Lindemannr of DEFA, German Him enterprise, and consid- ered a leading authority in his field, said Berliners take a "more critical and skeptical view of 'Hollywood films, which recently had been so popular." There is, he saidj great interest in the "high artistic staiid- ard, admirable technique and strong human appeal" in French films but Berliners rejected "their negative approach to life." British Alms also registered some major hits but generally speaking,< tiindemaun said, "Berliners miss in them tfie genuineness of the. French and boyish, happy-go-lucky attitude of the Americans. At the same time,; their good-taste and good acting are appreciated." FoUowing the outstanding success of the. Russian films in pre-Hitler Germany. Berliners awaited' the Russiati product with great hope, the producer said. The first selections were "not' very good," but product such as "The Youth of Maxim Gorki'* met with great success, and The Vow" and "life of the Bees" arounsed considerable interest. The old German films (Unterhaltungi^e) were also still popular, but interest^ was mainly centered now on the new" German pix. liindemann said the widely her- alded film ''Murderer Among Us" haii &e«fn shown to audiences in the 1,400 theaters in the Russian zone, appfoxiinating '4600,000 people. He said DEFA has adequate materials for film production but that there is ai shortage of good playwrights and pi-oducers who can "give the Ger- man industry Tviiat it needs so that it wHl not have id depend «>-heavily on foreij^ films.** LOE&a, April 15. "Animal K.lnfSwsa," Fisyhouie. "Anonymons tvnt," York's. "Born ycslierd»r," Garrick. "Call Home Heut," St. James. "CUitterbuck," Wynditam. "Dwaeinc Tit^v*,"' Cssino. "Eagle "Sws tSt&Ss," Globe. "FIftF-FKiy," Strand "Here, There," Palladium. "Guinea Pijf," Criterion. "JTane," Aldwych. "Lafiy Frederick," Savoy i fmim Evow Ministry/' Comedy. "Ks R«em at tout," Winter Gai^^icn. "Now Earabbss," Vaudeville. "Peacs to PecKhssuj," Princes. "Percbance to 35?eKm," Hipp.'. "PiccnaiHy EsyrISs," Wales. "Power and Gtety," Fortune. "Jiassaay Love," Majestys. "She Wanted Cream" Apollo. "SSaap Sly Cwmer," St. BSqrtins. "Song of Norway," Palace ■ "Sweetest and Lowest," Ambass. "Under the Counter," Phoenix. "White DevU,'' Dutchess. "Wbtte Steed." Whitehall. "Wlnslow-Boy," Lyric • . Beyer to Olivier London, April is. Elsie Beyer, general manager for H. M. Tennent .for many years, leaves company end this year to join Lajirence Olivier's newly- formed legit producing organization. Will go with Olivier and Vivien t>ei^ When they leave for Australia «nd New Zealand «arly next year. £. lane's learf Gets Warm London Welcome London, April 15. Fresh from a provincial tour and slightly doctored prior to its debut, Clemence Dane's "CaU Hdrne the Heart" preemed "njursday (10) at the St James. A vdrbdse first act was followed by a sprightlier second and the play in-general was well received. A domestic drama, Miss Dane's play deals with the dilemma of a young matron, Lydia Fraser, who's in love with a man other than her husband. As. Lydia's mother Dame Sybil Thomdike -(vaS outstanding while Valerie White, who portrayed Lydia, handled her role adroitly. Moderate run for "Heart" is antici-^ pa ted. U-^Rank Fonng 16m Bistrib Co. London, April 8. Neither llniversal's United World Pictures nor the J. Arthur Bank or- ganization will distribute I6m non- theatrical films in parts of the world other than the United Kingdom and the U. S. For that purpose, its been decided Here, a new company -wiH be formed jointly by U and Rank to handle the narrow-gauge prod- uct of IT, Rank and UWP, O's sub- sid. Agreement to organize the new distrib has been reached at confer- ences between James Franey, XJWP prexy, and Rank officials. Conferees alsb came to another important conclusion. They've re- vamped initial plans \trhich envis- aged the handling by HVTP of the- atrical distribution of 16m prints, That idea has been dropped after Considerable njuUing and it's now been decided that th^ parent com- panies, both Rank and U, will take on their own distribution ot narrow- gauge theatricals. Consequently, there'll be no joint distribution of 16m prints _ for the- atricEtf purposes. Wherever either company maintains exchange fox the release of 35m prints, those ex- changed will also take on the 16m versions. With the jurisdictional question settled, Joseph Seidelman, U's foreigr^ dept. head, lias already given the green light to 16i» opera- tions throughout the Continent. Dec! sion to confine UWP to non-the atricals was made because Its felt that there would be too many com- plications in handling both theatres and educational and home narrow gauge outlets. The new company to be formed by Universal and Hank will operate with the extensive library of both organizers in the educational and religious fields. UW|» will act in a similar capacity in the U, S. Pepper to Puerto Rico James A. Pepper/ fojfmerly Warner Bros; manager in.P^ru,.b»» been transferred to Puerto Rico Sn similar capacity. He succeeds Jack McHugh, resigned. Herbert Fletcher has been named by Wolfe Cohen. Warner Inter- national vice^prexy, to manor's post in Peru. Adnish Rollbii Halts Brazil Biz . Despite-a 40% slash in flrstrun business as a result of the govern- ment's rollback order, film revenue in Brazil is holding .about even With a year ago, according to S. E. Pier- point, Paramount Internatioiial dis- trict manager for Brazil, Argentina, Cliile, Urugiiay and Paraguay.' He arrived in New York over the last weekend for home'o'Sfi&fef,huddles. Pierpoint regarded this- as a clear indication of how healthy -business is for American screen product at Brazilian theatres. He, said that ren-, tals were- up (for Parirg{«mt> 30% in 194S as against '%5, bncC -that only the Brazilian edict rolfing back ad- missions is preventing: ,sfa- increase this year. . Brazilian exhibitors "-stili are-:'try- ing to adjust themsel-yes;to this re- alignment in- admissiori-;'scaIfiS, he indicated. Generally the admittance price was frozen at the -si)afe exist<- ing four years ago. This was done last October even in the face of a. 100-350% hike in the cost of living there. r-i ■ ■ Hov/ever, subsequent-runs:; were* allowed to. boost their amission prices under the scale adjustment, with grind houses, maiifly patron- ized by the poorer dasi^ getting as much aS; a ;30% boost TftJs gave hikes in admissim to ;:1d^d, and fourth-ran houses of BrkdI. while, holding back atCmissionS lli 'Hie first- runners. Film industry in Brazil how . is approaching the government for re- lief, showing tfiat tfe. ,'rottteek is discrimioatory and »ot'' iieiS>ii»g the people that the' gove«i«ni^ -souglit to atid in battling the toSt *dt living. Under present regulation^ Pieir- point cited one odd 'Ttsle -which forces non-air-conditionfed' theatres to cut admissions 40% wfiile air- conditioned spots are'forced to trim only 25%. ; . RKO Latin-America Shift Includes Gomez Switch Phil Reisman, RKO veepee in charge of foreign distribution, has realigned several spots in his Latin- American division, most important being the elevation of Max Gopiez, general manager in Mexico,; as fe- cial saleis exec under Jack Osserman in latin' - America. New worjc calls for Gomez to handle sales of Ramex and Pathe CSnema productions throughotit the Latin - American market for RKO. Ramex films' are the Mexican productions made at the Churubusco studios neat Mexico City, while other cdmpai^'s pix are "French-language films made in Paris. Harry Davis, former manager in Colombia, moves over in charge of Mexico, being replaced by Ricardo Canals, formerly in charge of Peru. Ned Seckler, iHtnama raanaiger, is being movid to Brazil^ where he will be RKC manager in tliat imjtortant territory. . ' British Film Briefs London, April 3. Ann Todd to star in Hal Wallis's "So Evil My Love," by Joseph Shear- ing. Film« was originally titled "For Her To See." Costaning with her is Ray Milland, with. Ann Richards and Raymond Huntl^ in support. Shooting to start May 11 at Denham Studios ... American film distribu- tors getting plenty burnt up with J. Arthur Rank for haying some of their top films ^witched to the Odeon (formerly Regal), Marble Arch. Spot was originally intended as second- run West Ender. Currently playing Hitchcock's "Notarions,"*' <BKO- Radio), with "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim" (20th-Century-Fox) sked- ded to follow . . . Clayton Button's play "Power Over Glory," recently produced at the Lindsey Club theatre, then transferred to Fortune theatre, West End, April 5, is being- dickered for by Hitchcock for film Herbert Smit, exec in charge of production for Two-Cities Films, given another five year contract . . Edward Dryhurst building film studios in Torquay in the autumn ... Frank Harley has been appointed managing director of Paramount Briti.sh Prod., with P. D. Cornwell joining the board of directors, re- placing C. F. Karuth, wlio tecehtly resigned. Parley was for 40 years a Par continental rep. Mes Tkatre Usks For Hont'ffivideo, April B, There h».v« bean a number of developments important for Argen- tina's film industry in the last week and each <«ie feSghlights the extreme nationalist iendfncy vehich distin- guishes every act of the Peron gov- ernment. In the first place, Congress has practically approved and made law the famous protectionist decree No. 21,344 forcing the country's l,60o" tWatres to exhibit Argentine pix on a. preferential percelitage basis. Ex- hibitors, wlib-stand to lose coin on the local product, have been trying for three years to stymie this decree, but prodncing interests has been too strong for them. As the Peron fac- tion holds a' majority in Congress, which customarily acts merely as a rubber stamp for the government, the bill was 'lorced through at one' readingv and Is now held up merely by a Senate rejection on a question of details. Second development is the re- hashing. Of an old decree obliging all theatffts to eathibit Argentine- made newsreels, those of Emelco, Cinematografica Pan-Americana and Sucesos Argentines. The latter is subsidize*'by'the government. This decree was forgbtten for a time, after an .investigation disclosed that raw stock allocated by the govern- ment ' to, (me of the newsreel pro- ducers, ior government propaganda 'shots, was'being sold on the black maxi^t- at ..big prcJSts..' Now that Alfredo.BoIognesi is once again head of - the ISntertainment Board, the newsreel 'decree is to be enforced once more. ■ .Third, the church is to be given a hand in the censoring of all pix— and this would mean that Itolly- wood's Rita Hayworths and .liana • Turners would have t,o be draped ia stuklosth before their pix eould Sa&t on Acgentine screens. • fcirge Mexico City, April 15. Closed for a month's reorganiza^ tion after presenting six weeks of a scheduled 11-week season, the Amtatixm theatre at the Teatro Iris fs slated to reopen tomorrow (Wednesday) under the direetiim again of Martin Holman, Melvin Parks and Sam Pearce. Trio had been oflering selected American and British plays in English. Set for the teeoff is the Katheriae Dunham dancing troupe of 28. Com- pany was originally booked to open today (Tues.) but stalled baggage cars in which its props-wMe being; trSnspcwtod was t^e caiise Of the.de^ lay. Advance sales i|idiieaite a heflgr gross for the preiemi Dance venture is the first of its kind in Mexico and interest appears sufficiently strong to insure the suc- cess of the American theatre's re- sumption of legit shows. Tariff for the opener has been scaled for 25 pesos <$S45> then dross to 20 pesos. Duration of the teip cntt^pany'sf en-^ gagenjent depends on the basiHess done. ■ . 'Rebecca' Reissue In Foiur-Way Paris Freem Paris, April 15. Reissue of "Rebecca" is going into four firsfrun houses here. Booked by Paul White, film's four-way preem is setting a local precedent. Three of the housies will use, dubbed prints wiiile the remaining theatre will screen a titled version. Picture will be released through Erance by. Selzniok by means o£ a local distrib, but the deal as yet has not been Qnatized. '''8Hltf)r,yfar ~. Codtlnnect fkan.itatfe 14 ss for'him'marriage is merely a gesture without implenientation, ■ Lifar is another case of the same kind. accepted German domina- tion a* if they- were the Messiah and lost nothing ' by it, but never did apyihSrig. personally to harm the un- derdog. . He <Btill has a great many admireiw and ytjfltwishers here, and if it were not "Ijhat the curr«it gov- erament would never let him return to a cwnmanding position a* the Opera, he would not be there a week that they would all eat from his hand. He is neither a hero nor a traitor—just a mere weakling. ; . Cortot and Rossi Alfred Cortot, who is rather con- ceited,, was greatly flattered when General Petain made liim Minister for Music or some such Grand Vizir title. He never did any great : harm and^ept reasonably out bi politics if holding stich a title permits. He played with the job like with a doll, iastituting exams to obtain a piano or melodeon teacher's license, and such tommyrot. Being very.pompous, he certainly enjoyed the honors go- ing with his new dignity and maybe let others feel and resent it. His only crime is having stecepted a job from Petain, which is merely technical, but the leftists will never permit him, to stage a comeback on account of it; Could he go abroad and give recitals there, he would dick on his merits, but not here. Tino Rossi is a different case. Among the things against him is that hewas known' as a friend of yOiilig and beautiful (at the time) Mireille BalUn. Her nartte is mud now be- cause she fraternized so with the Nazis. There are other French stars who fraternized with Germans. Only recently on* such femme told a court that it 'v^as true she bad a Gertnah lover, but that love has no country at»d that ft would have been con- sidered OK if he had been an Baglishman or an American. The case of another femmc is somewhat different; she was tied up with some o£ the very cruel guys, kiiew of their doing and voluntarily accepted the situation. The perfect heel ts a certain chanteur, click or no click. He real- ly didn't harm anybody by loosing the Gerrhans on them, but he's sup- 1 posed to have a Jewish mother and never mi.s.sed a chance to decry the I Jews, behaving with them in the I tesost insulting way.