Variety (July 1949)

18 IXTERNATIO.XAL •TARIETfS* LONDON OFFICB 1 Bt. Martin’* risc«. Trafalvar Hquar* DoHar Shortage Cues Cut in Annual Brit. $17100,0110 Fix Remittance to U.S. Lonflon, July 19. 4 With the dollar shortage remain : Ing an acute problem, trade inter«st is sharpening in the future of the Wilson Johnston agreement, which expires next summer. At the Board of Trade here, it is indicated that talks for a renewal of the pact will probably be initiated before the end of the year, but it Is too early to state whether the negotiations will be held in London or America. Of particular significance to the American industry and of vital importance to the home trade is the I fact that as the talks come under ' way. Board of Trade prez Harold Wilson will be making up his mind In regard to quota for the third year of the Act for the period 1950 to ’51. Although in the past Whitehall has always firmly insisted that the Quota Act was a purely British measure and no concern of America. it is now being broadly hinted that the British government will, when the monetary talks are on, be prepared to consider what are officially described as “relevant representations.” Adopting Hie usual cautious official style, a Board of Trade spokesman suggested there was no certainty that the present allocation of remittable earnings from this country to America would continue at the present level at $17,000,000 annually. That remark is interpreted here as tlie first sign of bargaining and there is little doubt that at the appropriate time Britain is going to plead dollar poverty. WTiile pursuing a cautious line on future events the Board of Trade is more forthright in regard to the operation of the pact up to the present time and doesn’t attempt to disguise the fact that it would like to see more pictures made in Britain under American auspices with iced sterling. As far as can be ascertained from incomplete data, not more than about $5,000,000 has so far been invested by U S. companies fn British pix over a period of about eight months, and there is little indication of a stepping up in activity. Admitting their disappointment, the Board of Trade considers that an unsatisfactory situation would develop if an excess, of unremittable sterling was left in credit when the first two years were up and it would probably lead to serious complications and might call for positive action. One important factor made clear by the Board of Trade is that the present pact provides for a dollar payment and if there is a devaluation of the pound sterling it would be the British industry that would auffer, and not the American. At the moment, suggestions of devaluation have been firmly nixed by Sir Stafford Cripps, but the possibility of such a course still exists. I Madras Pix Houses to Put I Up Advance Coin for Tax Madras, July 15. i Through a further amendment of the Entertainment Tax Act, the Madras government would require } all cinema theatres in the province I to keep security deposits with the government. It’s not disclosed how the amount each theatre has to pay would be calculated. Idea of deposit is security against payment of entertainment tax due to government on time. In case of default, deposit would be adjusted against tax due. ‘Arc’s’ Italo Campaign Genoa, July 15. An all-out campaign is being planned for the release of “Joan of Arc” to the Italian public this fall. A prize of 1,000,000 lire *1.600), plus a silver cup, will be warded for the best pub-ad campaign by an exhib. Campaign is a result of conclusions reached at a general meeting of RKO distribs held in Rome recently and presided over by Joseph Belfort, RKO European chief, and Elais Lapiniere, RKO sales manager for the continent. March ’50 Deadline Set for Ranh Distrib Switchover Down Under Spanish Film Boxolfice Off Washington, July 26. i Business at Spanish film theatre boxoffices was off in March, April I and May, particularly in the provinces, reports the U. S. Dept, of Commerce’s motion picture-photographic branch. Best busine.ss was being done in Madrid and Spanish* production w’as bogged down. I ' During the first 20 weeks of this year, grosses at the firstrun houses ' of Madrid ran 3% ahead of the same period in 1948. However, , this was unusual. Film house biz was badly hit by the business re j . cession in Barcelona and Valencia. ; running from 30% to 60% behind last year. The cities were also hit I by drought and shortage of electricity, which has restricted the I number of performances. U. S. feature films have dropped to only 42% of the total being ' shown. Boxoffice receipts of Spanj ish pix are up as much as 50% and there have been notable increases in the take by pictures from Italy and the Argentine. ‘EDWARD’ VICE ‘ANNIE’ IN SYDNEY IN SEPT. Sydney, July 26. J. C. Williamson production of “Annie Get Your Gun,” has set an alltime record here for a musical, ■panning over two years. "Annie,” with Evie Hayes starred leaves the Royal in September, and will do an extensive run around Naw Zealand, with probable repeat oates in Aussie later. “Edward, My Son,” with Robert Morley, will replace “Annie” here. Ellis Irving and' wife Sophie Stewart will support. Mex Wine Deal Fizz Mexico City, July 26. Attempt of some top Mexican pic producers, among them Gregory Wallerstein of Film Trust, to thaw some of their coin frozen in Chile, has fizzled. Producers bought $20,000 worth of Chilean wines and shipped them to Mexico. sure that they could thus get cold cash. But customs inspectors forbade the wines to be unloaded at Vera Cruz because of the recent addition of such drinks to the import ban li.st. The wines had to return to Chile. Now Metro’s Solo Selling In Indonesia as in Reich After leading the fight for abandonment of Motion Picture Export Assn, operations in Germany, Metro is now aiming to push through individual company selling of product in Indonesia. In a first move by any major, Metro is arranging to open its own office in the former Dutch East Indies territory by the first of the year. Action by the company will undoubtedly clinch a termination of MPEA operations in Indonesia and independent film handling by other MPEA members. It is believed that Metro’s action is jumping the gun on a decision which the MPEA was to make on J[he subject. Jan. 1, 1950. MPEA meeting, held May 19. voted to continue the org’s activities in Indonesia until the end of ’49. At that time, according to the resolution, the members were to consider what method of distribution would be adopted. Metro office will open in Batavia, capital of the new republic. Edward O’Connor, regional director for the Far East, is currently in Batavia arranging preliminarj details. M-G put up the strongest argument for separate operations in Germany and was the fir.st company to name its organization in that country. In the face of objections from several companies, it insisted that Germany w'as ripe for a ditching of the MPEA setup. Company advi.sed that it would open offices by Jan. 1, same date as its now-projected entry into Indonesia. ‘Belinda’ Only U.S. Film In Stockholm’s 10 Best Foreign Pix of 1948-49 Stockholm, July 16. Only one American film was mentioned in the list of the 10 best films of foreign origin, shown in Stockholm during the 1948-49 season voted by the critics in the Stockholm dailies, and arranged by the Swedish trade paper Biografbladet. The list is: 1. “Paisan,” Italian; 2, “Hamlet,” British; 3, “Red Shoes,” British; 4, “Germania, Anno Zero,” German-Italian; 5. “Johnny Belinda.” American (Warner); 6, “The Fallen Idol,” British; 7, “Oliver Twist,” British; 8. “La Perla,” Mexican; 9, “My Universities,” Russian; 10, “Der Prozess,” Austrian. One other American film was mentioned in the list, “The Snake Pit” (Fox), in 15th place. At the same time the best Swedish films during the same period were also voted. 1, “Fremmande Hamn” (“Strange Harbour”), Sandrew-Bauman film, directed by Hampe Faustman; 2. “Hamnstad” (“Harbour City”), Svensk Filmindustri, written and directed by Ingmar Bergman; 3, “Banketten” ("The Banquet”), Terra Film, a production by Hasse Ekman; 4, “Eva,” Svensk Filmindustri, written by Ingmar Bergman; 5, “Fengelse” (“Pri-ion”), Terra Film, written and directed by Bergman; 6. “Lars Hard” (“Lars Hard”). Sandrew-Bawman Film, directed by Hampe Faustman; 7, “Pa Dessa Skuldror” (“On These Shoulders”), directed by Gosta Folke; 8, “En Svensk Tiger” (“The Swedish Tiger”), Kungsfilm; 9, “Soldat Bom” (“Bom, the Soldier”). Fribergs Filmbureau, by Nils Poppe; 10, “Flottans Kavaljercr” (“Navy Cavalliers”), Kungsfilm. L. Pelosi-Percival Fonn New Brit. Music Pub. Co. London, July 26. Len Pelosi, son of songwriter Don Pelosi, has joined forces with pianist-arranger Norman Percival in setting up the Denmark Music Publishing Co. One of the first songs to be handed by the new outfit will be “The Little Swiss Wishing Well,” written by Don Pelosi as a sequel to his “Little Old Mill.” Bandleader Johnny Franks is in charge of the company’s exploitation. HARRIS YENS ‘CHIFFON,’ WITH ROBSON, FOR N.Y. London, July 26. Before returning to the U. S. recently, Jed Harris is understood to have sought the Broadway rights to E. P. Clift’s “Black Chiffon.” starring Flora Robson, which he hopes to present on Broadway sometime next year with the aci tress in her original role. Among other bidders for the show were Herman Shumlin, who , wanted the play for this fall with an American star, and Max Gordon, who insisted on Miss Robson’s services this year, which was impossible as the play is expected I to run well into next year. Harris is also understood to have .set a deal with Jack Hylton for the joint presentation of “Ann Veronica,” currently playing at I Piccadilly theatre, in New York late fall with Wendy Hiller, who stars, to go to America. Coplan to Distrib Brit. TV Pix in D.S. London, July 26. Television films being made in this country with the aid of government finance are to be distributed on a coast-to-coast basis throughout the U. S. by David Coplan, formerly managing director of United Artists in London. I Coplan, who is forming a new company which will probably be known as Coplan Film and Television Productions, is now in London finalizing arrangements and is planning to return to the U. S, 'within two or three w’eeks with the first two series of completed films. ' First tw o series are in the puppet ■ class and one is based on a popular BBC feature, “Muffin the Mule,” with Annette Mills, sister of John Mills, as the star. These TV films, which are being made by the newly-formed Parthian productions, are completed at the rate of about one a day and production cost is around $2,000. They are not in the market for theatrical distribution but are being made available to sponsors and to netw'orks for sustaining time. I Coplan said he is organizing dis.tribution on the same basis as is employed in the motion picture industry. and he is confident the original cost can be earned lime and time again. He is not buying the films outright but is w'orking on a percentage basis and the earnings I will be put back into a pool to insure continued production. I First two series will be followed by another two dealing with the j music hall and thrillers and will subsequently give place to films running for about two reels. Original series will be kept to a running time of 12' ^2 minutes thus allowing. in a 1.5-mmute program, ample time for the normal commercial plug. ’ Melbourne, July 19. Hosted by Norman B. Rydge head of Greater Union, Ralph Bromhead, Eagle Lion (London) g.m., met pic industry leaders here prior to returning to his London base after an extensive Aussie visit. E-L chief stated that next March the Greater Union .setup, in which J. Arthur Rank holds a 50% interest, inclluding the distrib unit, British Empire Films, would commence Au.ssie distribution of the Rank product, now tied to the British division of 20th-Fox. Bromhead stated that an Aussie branch, to be knowm as Eagle Lion Di.stributors, Ltd., had already been formed here, with Rydge as chairman of directors, to handle the product throughout the Aussie zone. EL topper said that fewer British pix would be made next year, but they would lo.se nothing in quality. He pointed out that British producers, rather than lo.se the popularity now received by British product, had agreed to maintain a high standard of entertainment value by making fewer pix. Bromhead indicated that his own unit would make some 25 major pix in the year commencing next October. La.st year the production figure was. 40 pix. He al.so .said that fewer British color pix could be hoped for presently because U. S. producers, using coinage frozen in the United Kingdom, w'ere having their pix processed there. All Rank pix will flow over the powerful Greater Union loop once the product backlog is wiped out via the current 20th-Fox di.strib contract, expiring next month, with March next as the dateline for the switch-aver. Formerly most of Rank material went over the Hoyts loop, but w'ith Rank holding that 5()-,50 interest in GUT, the scene changes next year. MEX 50% RADIO TAX HIKE STIRS INDUSTRY Mexico City, July 26. National radio chamber has petitioned the government to reconsider its plan to hike by .50% the tax on all commercial radio stations. j Stations see levy cutting their I biz at least by half. Radio perI formers are also aroused. They see a sharp entertainment staff slash if the tax is enacted. The second Spani.sh American Cinema Convention will be held iri M.adrid in .Novt ml)ir. Mex Pats-Forging Racket Mexico City, July 19. Two 10-year-old boys trying to enter a cinema here on a pass tipped a pass-forging racket that has victimized all local exhibitors. Police found 8,000 such passes are circulating. Local 1 (cinema and office help) of the National Cinematographic Industry Workers Union (STIC), that issues passes to its members, ducats from which the fakes were made, is helping police and exhib ilois (Cl end the r.acket. Frankovitch Sets Cast For Italo-Made Film Rome, July 19. Venus Productions, headed by producer Mike Frankovitch, signed .several actors this week for his forthcoming film, “The Dark Road,” with story by Phil Yordan. They are Edouardo Cianelli, Warner Bros, .starlet Janis Paige, ItaloAmerican actor Tony Centa, and Italian heart-throb Massimo Serrato. Sidney Salkow, who will handle the directing chore, arrived from Hollywood this week and is making last-minute checking so the camera work can .start on Aug. 5. Cameraman is Tonino Delli Colli and Paul LePere is a.ssociate producer. Int’l Film Workers Union Under Discussion Again London, July 19. Formula for the creation of an Iriternatlonal Organization of Film Workers, which would not encroach on national policy, has been worked out at preliminary talks held recently in Paris and which will be developed in London in the near future. Project was first broached during the recent visit to France of George H. Elvin, general secretary of the A.ssn. of Cinematograph and Allied Technicians, in discussions with labor chiefs, and a draft scheme is now being prepared for submission to interested organizations. If there is sufficient interest in the proposal, a preliminary conference will be convened in Cannes in the .second week of September, at the termination of the annual film festival. A similar venture launched by the Czech unions in 1946 lingered for about a year before finally collapsing. Skpuras & Co. in Israel, Get Official Welcome Tel Aviv, July 19. Arriving by special plane in Israel yesterday (18) were Spyros Skouras, Murray Silvcrstone and ' Robert Harley, European head of 20th-Fox. Immediately upon their arrival, they told Variety that one of the objects of their visit was to study the possibilities for the corporation in this country. Israel’s need for newer and better theatres I is great, Silvcrstone said. No detailed plans as to erection of cinemas by 20th are expected here, , however, for some time. I Skouras said that he hoped that one day the company will make a film telling the world the story of Israel and its army. At a special reception given in their honor, the I visitors were welcomed by I. I Klinov, head of the film and cinema department of the Ministry of Interior. ! A documentary short with He( brew commentary and compiled of newsreel clips of the last year in Israel was shown at a special dinner given in their honor by Mosht Sharett, Israel’s Foreign Minister. Other Foreign Newi on Page 20 There’. No Biz Like— Brisbane, July 19. Brisbane showmen are still trying to figure out show biz. The |Cremorne. operated for a while with musical comedy by Will Mahoney. lost the comedian-producer , a lot of coin. j Then in moved an amateur show land wrapped up a sweet $12,000 in one week with an oldtime m.c. FOipino Martyr Pic Manila, July 12. Premie**^ Productions. Inc., has begun filming a motion picture depicting the life of Father Jo.se Burgos, one of the Philippines’ leading revolutionary martyrs. „ It’s expected the filming will be finished in three weeks. All the scenes are being shot at various places in Vigan, in northern Luzon, where Father Burgos was born about 100 years ago.