Variety (Jan 1948)

18 INTERNATIONAI. European Frodnct Not kg. or Mex, CUef Threat to U. S. in Urggnay C. Skoiiras, Michaelove Expected Down Under Sydney,. Jan. 21.: Charles Skouras and Dan Michafel- ove are due to fly to Aussie for Kin extended looksee 'Into local condi- tions in March or April. . , The Skouras boys have been com^ ing this way for a long span, but in the past sonsetbing always cropped up to prevent the trip. Tliis time it looks pretty * sure. Dan Michaelove has been in this zone on two previous occasions^ 20th-Fox-National Theatres owns a large slice of the major Hoyts pix loop, operating some 156 houses in the keys, nabes and stix vmder Er- nest TurnbuU, By BAT JOSEPHS Montevideo, Jan. 13. It's the Kuropean product, rather than anything the Argentines and Mexicans may be ftble to turn out. that represents the likeliest postwar comi>etition for Hollywood in the Good Neighbor belt, pix toppers m this key liatin location ate con- vinced. Neither Buenos Aires nor Mexico City has improved much since V-J Day, those surveyed by Variety said. A lid while U.S. pix have pulled ex- cellent grosses in the-past two years, it's the French, Italian and British who have been making really sub- ctaniial rises. Moreover, the European gains have not merely been the superficial, curiosity satisfying ticket-buying as in some countries but an indication of something which localities say is often forgotten in the states—namely that Uruguay and Argentina.: :are essentially European countries de- spite the fact that on the map they re. Lumped with the rest of the southern hemisphere. This capitEtl, well <ivcr the «00,000 mark, accounts for more than three-quarters of the picture and legit biz of this tiny, pro-temocratic country of 2,000,000 which is a kind of buffer state between two, of South America's giants, Argeiftina Mid Brazil. Montevideo now. hoosts 90 theatres, six of them flrstruns. ^Jftest of the country averages' .47—^hat with seasonable openings said clos- ings in the long stretch frt bead» re- sorts that runs along the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic as far as the Brazilian border. ' i Uruguay is thus not, oyerly im* portant as a quantity grosser.". But the fact that the country is one of the most free in the AmleHc?s, ' possibly the highest .'proportionate Income standard, llterai3y,'?tc„ ■means that it's an entettainmisiit. Ijuyer which rates. HolIyWoed^Still First In the pix field Hollywood product is still in first place. Pix like "Best Years," despite its Americano theme, have piled up all time-'higfis of 14,- eoo pesos (about $7,000) atthelroca- dero: "Green Years" and 'nflutill of a Boroance" have regjstered new fig- ures for the Metro,;; other bouses, in the 18 de Jul^o; downtown .dis- trict, have shown.' gains, monto .tw month despite competition and..a 20% postwar tax on tickets. French product has' not yet had Kome of the better efforts already released in the U. S,' Still;, even with what's been received,, grosses have been amazing., .'CjfflOB.Glucks- man, top local distrib^and exhib. has reconverted -his .Continental into' > French release house, -and 'Cofram, a Buenos Aires distributing' outfit specializing in Parisrmades, has had excellent results both in: the capita) and the provinces.- Italian films have not only drawn the large Italian population here hut a general audience as well. "OiJen City" was the first ttome.scoduction to be released -in the' Trocadero, which for a long period never had -anything but American product, and lesser ItaUan efforts includihg some prewar features have done a fat better biz than corresponding Ameri .can efforts. !" As elsewhere, British films have; been extremely good, especially the James. Mason vehicles which the' Latins find, full of 3to>^ .an^ -tp-' ptoach particularly :"suited<. to ithW temperament, .,.', ^. .- '. Distrib situation . in general is good. While exchange is short, as. throughout Latin America, this is one country where there's been no blockade on remittances and no black market o«l greenbacte,. So far no pix -company has experienced difficulties in madcipg homeoffice re- mittances although ,'the. delay is greater than.' previously. Film- men talked to authoritieswhen difflcul-i ties first appead;edi:and pointed that continued 'importation' of films would earn as much in the country as was shipped out. They also made it dear - that there would he no fipeciilative results—the thmg''which lias i^usetf dollar refusals to some : businesses.'' . Prints and accessories are thus tacitly permitted to be shipped from the U. S. ' without licenses always having been obtained in advance, something few other industries have been able to get, (Seventh in a series on postwar ^ '' shovfi biz trends.) U5. Pix Not flit By AiKtrian Cmb &it • . Vienna, Jan. 18. The. receht devaluation of the Austrian schilling, has not had any great effect on American Mms dis- tributed iti' Austria by the Motion Picture Export Assri,, losses being negligible, according to a statement made; by , Wolfgang Wolf, MPEA manager here. Boxotfice receipts after Nov.- 12 are handled by finance authorities on'- a cash ' basis and therefore, were cut. about two-thirds. Bank ' business, done, before that date,'was.at parity. ' Boxoffice receipts dipped slightly after Sov. 12 b'iit improved soon after Christmas, reaching the high'- est figure the .first two weeks of this month.' "One of fhe big grossers was "Gaslight;" (M-G), which preemed .at the Mirabell'Kino, Salzburg, and Zentral Kino in Lintz. Picture will be released, here as '<House of Lady Alquist" in' order not to conflict with the legiter; "Gaslight." ; "Random Harvest" (M-G) is stai playing to capacity-.in its-ninth week at the Flotlien Kino. ' Afier settling.many delicate prob- lems of taxation with the British oc- cupation' ,j authorities m Siyria, MP^A now has additional houses for showing "ELS. films there. ISxampile of Uiis jsetup ,ifr..Gratz, .capital ot Styria.'Bookings-originally had been fixed t6 start, the middle of April hoi MPBA: was 'able to break in with' yniVersidV "tBestry Rides Again"; on Jan. 8 and will soon follow up with other A'merica.i product. It's also reported that business is good in the French zqne, anajhly in the Tyrolean citiea.', Best boxofi'iGe' repotted' M the bt-^ tcrnatlonal zone was on "Major and ^he .Minor" (Par), now is in its fourth week at Gartenbau Kino, Although in principle American films are npt allowed to he..shown in the Russian zone, MPKA occas- sionally getsta chance to ssnX a piC' ture in.. . * . \. , Austrian U.S.-ZoneRadi» Plttgg^g American Fix ■Vienna, Jan, Ift The American Red-White Red hroadcasthig system here is working hand in hand with Motion Picture Export Assn, to sponsor American films. Each Thurtday at 5:30 p,m, a 15-minute program. i», on the, air,' giving the listeners the inside stoiy , of Hollywood and other production Centers. An ex-camera jnan is asked eveyy possible question by two pix fans. ■ . Franz PoUak, MPEA kical press- agent, and Marie Luise Fueringk write the script. Film Pokki's SeciMid Postwar Pic Rappeil By Poiish Press^ Pnbfic Warsaw, Jan. 13. Film Polski,' the Polish., film mo- nopoly, has iust released itsf second feature, film since the end'of the War. its first ^effort, "Forbidden Songs" ("Zakazane Piosenlci"), re- leased a year ago, received a had re- ception from public and press alike. Because of its rather easygoing treatment. Film Polski was accused of having handled the sensitive sub- , ject of the German occupation in; near-comedy style! • ■ - "Jjisne Lany," the latest produce tion of the Polish monopoly, is shar-r ing the fate of "the first: Reviews have been, had, and directed espe- cially against director Eugene Cen-^ kalski and his wife Christine' Swin- arka, who had written the scenario. This, after the Cenkalskis had been hailed as exiles from capitalistic HoUyw'ood, who returned to their homeland to make good pictures; The picture's theme is the elec- trification of an imaginary village^ There are "decent" peasants and the "dark" crowd led by a. town-char- acter sabotaging all efforts, to. bring- light to the village (literally as well as sjwaholically). There is the hew schoolmaster who speaks . like a pamphlet and the heroine who is blonde, dumb and 'innocent. There is the bad, rich miller and the good,- small farmer. There is the honest cooperative and. the corrupt pri'vate enterprise. , Film Polski announces three more releases of full length pictures within the next two months: "Heart of Steel," a Gennap occiipation sub- ject; "Ulica Graniczna," the story of the Warsaw Ghetto^ and "Ausch- witz^' (provisional title),'the story of the women's concentration camp at Birkenau near - Auschwitz, di- rected by Wanda. Jakuhowska, . an ex-prisonei- of Blrkenau. ''Ulica Gramczna" is directed by veteran Alexander Fo^d and has partly bera made at the Barrandowa studios near Prague. British 2on^ Pis Setup Abeieil in Germany, With Ui. AiiKng on Dead Rdi^iNB Fix. Are B«rffkellniii^ ■ Gre Dublin, Jan. 20. ' Films with a . religious background are collecting the coin id Eire. First seen he^e ;.was the Mj^can. produc- tion of ^!!St Francis of Asist^" unltti iose Luiz Jiminez', 'which plajred to big biz at'the Regal Rooms and later cleaned up in .the provinces. "The Life and Miracles of Mother Ca- brini" proved a flop, but the latest Jiminez pic, "The 'Virgin of .Guada- lupe," looks like it will beat tiie'"'Si Frsincis^' figures. "Guadalu^," spou- sorm here by thd '{[^^ndscab H>»- sionaty. ITnion, te" :ptoving its ow salesman, 'following rave notices, with country exhibs wiring to know why it hasn't been offered to them. Next religious subject for scrcsn- ing is the Franco-Belgian story of leper priest Father Damien, made Under title .. of "Le Pelerin de L'Snfer^" hut .to be showU here as Pilgrim of the;Danm«d.!' Clergy get btiiind these showings .With pulpif comment which is quictiy reflected at the boxoffice. Madha^s AMignmant Gu.stav Mach^iy, .-producer ctt llie original Hedy Lamarr Aim, "Ec- stasy," .is ' going to Europe about the middlfe of February to make a romantic film for the Czech Film Monopoly at its Barandorf studios in Prague. Reportedly: budgeted at $1,500,000 -picture will have an Eng- lish cast but will be shot multi-lin- '.guaUy... Machaty, it'S' understood; wUl pay the talent costs while the Czech Monopoly wiU assume the rest of the productional expenses. Producer is now in? Hollywood..' .' ' Canada Sets Health Documeiitaiy FjUm. Montreal, Jan. 27. A group of businessmen from. Td-<- ronto has rented the Quebec Produc- tions Studios in St. Hyacinthe, 35 miles from, here, to produce a senri- documentai'y pic on the health proh- lem. Latter will be 75 minutos long and vriU be the'first ot a iseries to be produced by the-group. It will be distributed in Canada, U. S. 'and Britain. • Production will start Feb. 2 and all roles will be played by Canadian artists. The title has not been chosen but the script is ready. Phil Rosen, Hollywood producer who made the recent pic, "Step by Step," will di- rect the production.' Boost to U.S. Pix In Czech Coimn^ . Prague, Jan. 27. ■ Despite government heckling and virulent attacks from the Commimist' press, S. film companies sec a ray of hope- in the present Czech situa- tion from the unqualified •'praise Hollywood films are receiving in non-Communist quarters. 1^16 im- pact of these comments may be in- strumental in. forcing the Czech film monopoly to change its film barter plan proposal to the effect that Czech film revenue ia the U. S. equal U. S. revenue in Czechoslovakia, failure' to reach a new agreement has com- pletely cut off new American im- ports mto this country. According to one newspaper, l*a- 'rodni Noviny; the coin paid for some U. Si films was not thrown away, "li would be a pity," the paper says, * we did not>sc>e any more pictures of a similarly high - standard as 'Mr, Smith Goes To Washington,' : 'Tlie Life of EmUe Zola,' 'This LandTs Mine,''Wilson,'etc. These films, had something to say to the public." ' ' -. Another paper, the Krusnohorske Slovo, predicts that' failure to come to terms with the Motion Picture Export Assn. might have political consequences. "There are millions of. admirers of American films in this country. jITe are not exaggerating it we say that should the negotiations fail, we. can prophesy electimi suc- cess to that political pariy which takes into its program the unlimited import of American pictures.'' Even the government moiiopply's own magazine. Kino, states: "Failure' to reach an accord was enough to: cause otir citizens angrily to hit the table with their fists and furiously swear at the Czechoslovak Film Company,: the Ministry of Informa- tion, the government and pretty nearly the president, for not letting us have American films. ' * Vera Valdor, Swedish film actress. IS recovering from injuries in an auto accident near Rome. She was to have appeared in a picture fOr Scalera Films, ■ Clirreil Li^iiii Shats ..London, Jan. 27/ IFigdrr. shtnn tceefcjr of run) ' <'AU Over Tewu,* Playhouse (14). "Anns ttneaste," Mafesty's (13). "AUnie Get Gun," ColVm (34). "Bless the Bride," Adelphia (40). "Blind Goddeiis," Apollo (8). "Camiries Singr." Garrick (10). "ehiMelrn Hundreds," Vaude (22). "Dark Sunimer," St Mart (7). "Aiaramd IM," .Wales (V). "Dr. Angelas.^ Phoenix (2C). "Edward My Stn," Lyric (35). "nappy A« t»rry," Crit; (6). "Life With Father," Savoy (.34). "Linden Xree," Duchess (24). "Macbeth," Aldwych (7). "Never Cam TeH," Wynd (17). "Off mufti." Piccadilly (35). "OUak«M«kt? tM»f Lape (39). "due. Hfm), lUnree." Torks (20). "OatraseaBa." W- Garden (11). "Present La«i;hter," H'ym'kt (41) "Private Ent.;" St. James (10). "Starlight Eoof," Hipp. (12), "Sweetest Lowest," Ambass, (91) "Together Ag;ain," Vic Pal. (41). "Tuppence," Gl.obe (16). "WorW'S VleiiV," Whitehall (39). Badapesl L«|it to Stress l^thre Plays This Year Budapest^ Jan^ 16. . On the occasion of Hungary's cen- tenary year, Budapest legit hou.<!^ will mainly' stoge Hungarian plays. National theatre recently presented Tibor Ding's "At Home;" which drew so-so revie-ws. ' It will follow with Lajos Kassak's "He Passed the Gate." At Vigszinhaz, rehearsals ba,ve started on Razso Szirmay's "Back on the Way." Theatre wiU also do plays of Miklos Gyarfas, Peter Halasz, Gyorgy Faludy and Miklos Hubay. Success of Ben Jfonson's classic ''Volpone" delayed presentation at Belvarosi theatre of phty by Sandor Gergely, which vyi'l now take place •in early Mardh. *. 11ieatr« will also preem one play each of Endre Illes and . Sandor C^to. Muvesz Szmhaz, which is prepping an American, drama, "Deep Are the Roots," will afterwards present Klara Bihari's "Island of Happiness" and Istvan Orfceny's "Voroniezh," a war drama. Other theatres have not yet announced their plans, but consider- able part of their future programs will be work of Hungarian authors. Berlin, Jan. 13. Far-i;eachlng tteps towards the establishment at • vigorous film in-, dustry In 'the British Zone of Ger- nmn/ have beeii taken during the last two weeks by the Film Section ot British Military Government. Similar steps hfive recently beeii announced in the American Zone. To date, apprpxinuitely 1,100 cin- emas have been opened in the Brit- ish Zone where German films which have parsed the censorship; British films b(ith subtitled and dubbed into German, and films from other coun- . tries have been shown. The dis- ' . tribution of these films or their allocation to the cinemas was at first a MUitary Government operation conducted by the Film Section of Control Gommission itself, but lately it has been the responsibility of the Atlas Film Verieih, a German firm actiftg under MG. Now this setup, too, is to be drastically changed. Following discussion between U.S. and British Military Governments, attended by representatives of the Motion Picture Export Assn. and of British film trade interest!;, and rn parallel with the economic fusion of the British and American Zones, It -has been decided to permit the com- mercial ^iistrihution of films on a reciprocal basis in the two zones. An - invitation, to British and 'American .film industries to com- mence commercial tradmg of tlieir respective films in the combined Anglo-American Zones, has been . accepted on,the American side by the MPEA, and on the British side by Bagje Lion Distributors, which has at the same ..time indicated will- ingness to handle the films of British companies outside its group. A num- ber ' of German distributors have also been granted licenses for film distribution and German films at present being.heid-and controlled by MG will be allocated to these 11- , cen$ee&.,fOB distribution on a fully commercial basis. With, this step; the cinema owner inr the-British and ^ American Zones' will: be £tee to choose his own theatre program for the first time in many year;;. Eneomrafe'GennB Pr«iuc(ian ' HandUni^ over «t responsibility for di^ribution to commercial interests and.the changes in personnel which . this necessitates, will enable Film Section, ISG Branch, to get on with its equally important tasks of encauraging . German film produc- tion, the building up- of a thriving non-theatrical illm movement, the fostering .'of film sotueties and other public bodies Interested in the cin- ema, the establishment of a film censorship board, and the .spo^sori ng of German legislation necessary for the 'rc'-establishment of the German :Slm industry. . Though the British Zone is lack- ; ing in studio facilities, film pro- ducers, who are pblitically clear, who presented accepteble and practic- able stories, and who had the neces- sary staff, equipment, financial back- ing, and ability have been and will Continue to be encouraged. These cooperative efforts' have already proven their worth and film produc- tion has now been established as a vital part of German economy with- in, the zonfe Xhese new German films must contoim to a strict cen- sorship and an endeavor will bt made to make them of value for the rebuilding of Germany as well as pi'oviding entertainment. It is hoped to establish overseas markets for these post-war productions and that their earnings will help to - pay for imports of critical raw material fo^ the country as a whole as well as for the film industry -in particular.' Twelve production licenses have already been granted in the British Zone. All possible action will be taken in close cooperation with the American authorities to provide studio accommodation, laboratories, and the other facilities to enable; them to go ahead with their plans. Thomas Hodee, .-issociated with the film department of the British Information Services in various ca- pacities for the past five years, has been named Director of Films & PubUcatjotis Division. Janzon to Record Swede U.S. Celebration on Film Stockholm, Jan. 13. Bengt Janzon, Swedish film pro- ducer and director, has been named by the U. S. Swedish Pioneer Cen- tennial Commissiob to be official film recorder of the Jime celebration in America that wiU commemorate 100 years of Swedish immigration. He visited the U. S. last year and turned out "Jens Monson in America," now on© of the taoxoflSce hits in this country.