Variety (December 1951)

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Finland's Crix Oscars To Swanson, Redgrave Buenos Aire*, Dec, 4. if ,®ny proof wa* needed thst Protectionism in Argentina is self*? defeating as far as. showed* i* con- terned, such proof to .abu hdant in connection with, -Arfciitinfl s industry. Wspfto o« the: favorable exhibition dote, bv the government rulings,, and notwithstanding thegenerousloans advanced to industry l>y the government-controlled bwter the local producer* again are in finan- cial distress, ■ This situation has reached the point where some studios are faced with legal action, taken by -film players, due to non-payment of back salaries. Another studio is actually dickering with a big mer^ cantiie firm for the sale of its stu- dio property for use as a manufac- turing plant. In addition, the Film Producers Assn, is pressuring the Entertainment Board to allow 65% percentage for national pictures as a further help for them. San Miguel studios has aerved advance notice on all personnel Of a possible closure, with a rtw Stock shortage blamed. - This outfit has been in difficulties for some time, causing reports of. merger* Continuing the effort to capture foreign markets, EFA Studios’ pic- ture on Argentina's Air Force, “La Ultima Escuadrilla," is to be sent to the Bombay film festival. The picture is rated pne of the better local efforts. in Kurnitz to Script Pic For Balcon in London London, Dec. 11. Hollywood scripter Harry -Kur- nitz has arrived here to,work on a hew film for Sir Michael Balcon at Ealing Studios, The story is “Love Lottery/’ comedy of a film star who puts himself up for auc- tion in an eff ort to-expose Holly- wood’s glamor methods. , : Monja Danische wsky and Alex- ander . Mackendrick, the “Tight Little Island* team, will produce and direct. Lensing is scheduled to start the latter, part of 1952* Paris, Dec. 4. The Socieity of Film Authors here, headed by Bene Clair, has started a drive to give proper .care to important films and Old master- pieces. They* recommend govern- mental blockhouses built to hold the negatives of all productions, The SFA is stressing the faict that films have become an integral'part of national culture and that there should be legal means of conserva- tion much like those concerning public monuments, paintings, books, etc. A law passed in 1943 did . state that a copy of all films made Should be left with the Bibliotech Natldn- ale, but almost all producers ligve flaunted this ruling and no pictures have been turned into the film archives, Henri Langlois, French Film Mu- seum head, claims the negligence in proper film care is a tragedy, He says that the films of pioneer film -- maker Thomas Ince would .have been lost if he had not been a rec- ognized artist in France, and been preserved here. Chaplin films sur- vived because he was his own pro- ducer. He further says that when a foreign film is bought outright for the U. S. like “Pepe Le Moko Daybreak” and “Port of Shad- ows” the negatives are eventually lost. Marcel L’Herbier demands that the state, which Spends 1,000,000,- Q00 francs annually on . its subsi- ded theatres, could turn some of that towards films and create a spe- cial showcase for its masterpieces. a he special outfit could also under- take production of special, pix that could hot ordinarily be done com- mercially much as the Comedie- Francaise does for the theatre. Paris; Dec. 4. < The increasing international au^ dience that French producers must cater to if they are to amortize the cost of film production makes them realize one of the problems involved is making pictures that Will be accepted by. censors throughout the world. Which is not always easy because the censor- ship standards vary' considerably from country to* country. But French producers are gradually be- coming aware of what is acceptable and what won’t get by. .There seems certain to be a re- action in France against pictures depending too much on “dirt” to get an audience, even when sup- posed to be arty. There is a grow- ing feeling here that clean pictures eventually will produce the great- est revenue.. When a producer plays to A few morons he is spoiling the market for the others, producers here Are beginning to realize. Also that it likely will cut him out of some markets, instanced by. the French picture, “Garcon Sauvage.” Supposedly arty, it was passed for adults' in France, but banned in Italy. Apart from plain filth, censors have political slants to consider. Also the religious angle, as witness the current ban of “Miracle" in Australia, and parts of the. U. S. French censors are careful not to get involved in ridiculing the ruling powers. They carefully eradicate from scripts submitted anything that would make justice appear a joke or unduly poke fun at the gendarmes, But where the French censor is most on his guard is when political problems with internation- al implications are concerned. BRIT. FOX m (Week ending, Dec. 8) SYDNEY . “Moon Is Blue” (Williamson), Fa I ace. “Chez Paree" (Tivoli), Empire, *n Ce ii F £ llie ” Tivoli), Tivoli. Hi®?, 011 .* Can<Ue ” (WilUam- dependent* L " tteoU ” Litton), In- < <Tr . MELBOURNE edV nff (Williamsoh), Com- Show” (Tivoli), Tivoli. Boroyansky Ballet (Williamson), HJ.s Majestys. , • VP The Sky* (Carroll), , . Adelaide S 0n' W R O yaT Cert ' tr0WPe (WiU1 * n * ‘‘Dbi u n.RKBAKE Ma^ 0ma (Williamson), His London, Dec. 4. After 12 months, of negotiations, the British picture industry has set a deal with the British Broad- casting Corp.-Television for a com- posite trailer of y current releases to be aired over the LondOn-Midlands- Northern network, starting in 1952. The negotiations, initiated by the Better Business committee as a meins of harnessing TV to the in- dustry, were finalized here when the BBC agreed to a trial setup of six programs, each running 45 min- utes. A sample trailer was made in the summer and was seen by ail sec- tions of the industry before it was confirmed by the Better Business panel. It includes excerpts from West End pre-releases Well as London and provincial general re- leases. Series is entitled “Current Re- leases” and will have its initial air- ing Jan. 17. The telecasts will take place on alternate Thursday nights with an afternoon repeat during the intervening Weeks.. ‘Vadis’ Preein in 2 London Spots London, Dec; 4. The N; Y. pattern of a dual preem for “Quo ‘ Vadis” is to be repeated .here. The film is skedded to open Jan. 25,. day-date at the Carlton ahd the Ritz. ‘ ,, Because of its length, it could not be fitted into the program at the main Metro showcase, the Leicester Square Empire, which has a vaudfilm policy. The hour’s StageshoW precluded using pic «r Helsinki, Dec. 4, Jussi, small statuettes known as the Finnish Oscars, were pre- sented to film winners by the Fin- nish Film Critics Assn, here re- cently, Top film was the criminal- thriller,. “Radio Breaks In’V from Suomen , Filmiteollisuus (SF).’ As actor in supporting role was Nope- |*mpi Piiroisen Passlakin.” Special awards to foreign stars went to Gloria Swanori (“Sunset Boulevard”) and Michael Redgrave (“Browning Version”). W. German Pix Exports This Year Six Times in Frankfurt, pec, 4. West German film exports in 1951 are at least six times higher thah in 1950) industry authorities reported to the Bonn government. The report said that while foreign currency gained from 1950 exports was only $238,000 worth, exports of this year are between $1,428,000 and $1,900,000. With thnte exported pix, Pontus Film alone.brought $190,000 worth of foreign exchange into the Bonn treasury, while a fourth film is ex- pected to gross $142,000 abroad. Earlier this year, Junge Film Union (JFU) announced that a $200,- 000 deal was signed for the. export of JFU pix to Italy, Belgium ahd Switzerland, in addition to other foreign contracts totalling $357,000. Real , Film, the country’s biggest production company, also has ex- port contracts with more than a score of foreign countries. Meanwhile, Santiago Ellenberg, rep of the Compania Central. Cine- matografica, of Uruguay, announced in Hamburg he has purchased four German pix for distribution in Uruguay. The producers suggested to the government that 30% of the for- eign earnings should be returned to them immediately after payments are received, to assure future pro- ductions with a special eye on the foreign market. * The Germans are especially keen to get back in circulation with their films in South America which used to dis- tribute a number • Of local. films before the war; Argentina, Brazil and Mexico are the primary target areas. New Scot Film Producing Co. Edinburgh,: Dec, 4. A hew Scot film company is be- ing formed, to ; be. called Albyn Films, Ltd. Aim is to produce Scot- tish stories, the first will be Comp- ton Mackenzie’s. “Monarch of the Glen.” Associated in the venture are Compton Mackenzie, Moray McLar- en (both authors), actor James Robertson Justice, Ian Pitman, J; R. Meyer and Antony Pellissier. (Figures show weeks Of rim) London, Dec. 11. “And So to Bed,” Strand (8). “Blue for Boy,” Majesty’s (54). “Cl'destine Marriage” Old Vic (1) “Fancy Free,” Pr. Wales (31). “Figure of Fun,” Aldwych (8). “Folies Bergere,” Hipp. (40), “Gay’s the Word,” Saville (43). “Hollow,” Ambassadors (28). “Kiss Me, Kate,” Coliseum (40). “Knight's Madn's,” Vic. Pal. (91), “Latin Quarter,” Casino (40). “Little Hut,” Lyric (62). London Melody,” Empress (28). “Love .4 Colonels,” W’ndh'm (30). “Lyric Revue,* Globe (11). “Moment of Truth,” Adelphi (3). “Othello,” St. James’s (7). “Penny Plain,” £|t. Mart. (24). “Priest in Family” W’tm’ns’r (10) “Rainbow Square,” Stoll. (12). “Relative Values,* SaVoy (2). “Reluctant Heroes,* Wt’th (75). “Seagulls Sorrento,” Apollo (79). “South Pacific,* Drury (6). “To Dorothy, a Son,’’ Gar’i’k;(55). “Waters of Mobn,* H’ym’k’t(54). “White Sheep Family;* Pic. (9). “Wife's Lodger,* Comedy (21). “Winter’s Tale,” Phoenix (24). ^Women of Twilight,” Vaude (8). “Zip Goes Million,” Palace (8). CLOSED LAST WEEK “Biggest Thief,” Duchess (17). "Mary Had a Little” Strand (2). OPENING THIS WEEK (Figures denote opening date) “Lady Godiva* New Boltons (10). “Day's Mischief* Duke York (11). “Intent to Murder,* Q (11). “Indian Summer,"; Criterion (12k “Colomhe,” New (13). ■NTBR1VATSONAI, —i 13 *■ By GEORGE F. GAAL Mexico’s Nat’I Cinema Week: Hailed by Aleman Mexico City,. Dec. 4. President Miguel Aleman and Several, Mexican and Hollywood film stars will participate in Na- tional Cinematographic Week, Dec. 6-13, which the trade and the gov* eminent organized at the sugges- tion of “Voz,” news mag published by Miguel Aleman, Jr., the presi- dent’s son. , Prizes are to go to the best Mexican pie, actor and ac- tress, producer, director and cam- eraman. Mexican films exclusively will be exhibited throughout Mexico on Dec. 6, Tokyoi Dec. 11. Paul Green, Pulitzer prize win- ning American playwright, Who re- cently. wound up a month’s lecture visit in Japan, left this country with Unstinted praise for the con- temporary Nipponese theatre, par* ticularly the ancient but still pop- ular “kabuki” dramatic form. T]he author of “In Abraham’s Bosom” visited Japan with his wife while on a Rockefeller Foundatlon-spon-. sored tour that will take him around the world, Green Caught a lot of the cur- rent Tokyo stage fare during his visit, going to one theatre after ‘another in between lecture stanzas at a local university. He was most impressed, he said, by the lavishly costumed and mounted •'kabuki” drama, the classical Japanese - art form which draws its Story ma- terial from myths and legends of medieval Nippon. “Japan has the best acting and the best produced plays I have ever seen,” Green declared. Speaking of “kabuki,” the playwright said he was thrilled With “the choreog- raphy—the color—the exquisite use of dance, pantomime, music, and, above all, the tremendous virtu- osity. and lyrical Teach of the act- ing.” The American dramatist said he envied Japanese playwrights, in spite of the fact that many of them came to him during his stay and . lamented that the Nipponese theatre lacked the virility of mod- ern American drama. Green said he felt American playwrights could, learn much from their Japanese counterparts. Green said he intended to em- ploy some of the ideas he picked up in native theatres in .fashioning the outdoor symphonic dramas which, are his current forte. He said he definitely would make use of the “hanamichi,” the runway in a “kabuki” theatre which extends from the stage to the rear of the house, along the left side of the house. The most spectacular en- trances and''exits in “kabuki” are made via the runway. m TOURIST TRADE TO BRITAIN TOPS ’50 London, Dec. 4. After a slow start, the 1951 figures: for U. S. tourist traffic to Britain have topped the previous year. Total from January to Oc- tober amounts to 117;702 compared with 116,267 during the same pe- riod in the previous year. The total for October, which: amounted tq 8,466, represented an increase! of 13% over the corresponding pe- riod in 1950. Oyerali; proportion of American visitors arriving : by air was 53%. Grand total of overseas tourists to Britain ' the first 10 months of the year reached a record figure of 630,000, whidh is 70,000 ahead of last year. German Distrib Get* DOS Pix Frankfurt, Dec. 4. s Schorcht Film, one of the promi- nent German distributors, ini an- nouncing J.951-52 plaijs, discloses that. '-the. company* has taken‘ over distribution in Germany Of pix of the David O. Selzriick organization. Bonn, Dec. 4. The West German Bundesrat (upper house of Bonn parliament) has approved government - spon- sored legislation aimed at the decartellization of UFA, Nazi Ger- many’s giant film monopoly. The Bundesrat action now opens the way for what’s expected to be ® heated debate on the German UFA law before the Bundestag (lower house); This debate will be the decisive ojie isince the Bundesrat action Is only of . rubber-stamp nature. If the Bundestag approves the UFA law, the way would be open foT the Allied High Commis- sion to formally hand over the liquidation of the $11,900,000 com^ bine to tlXe Germans. It would also bring to f an end the sharpening tension between the Allies and the Germans on this issue. A month ago, the Bundestag declared a virtual open war on the High Commission, for, what the deputies charged wer e Allied attempts to “^[uander” UFA pro- perty. The Bundestag, with the rarest case of complete unanimity,» called on the government to protest with the High Commission against, and demand the stoppage of Allied sales of UFA- Many deputies called the Allied attempts to auction UFA property a violation of the recent Washington Big Three agreement promising Ger- many sovereignty in exchange for her soldiers in a European army; Meanwhile, the Allied High Com- mission' is maintaining its original stand t,o go 'ahead with the UFA sales pending the German UFA law’s becoming effective, Offered for sale so far is Bavaria Filihkunst, worth $2,856,000 and comprising more than 50% of the country's production capacity, and AFIFA, worth $833,000 and another 20%. of the production capacity.: Bids have already been made for both, and the Allies hope they will be able to effect these sales. Scheduled soon for the block are AFIFA’s Berlin studios and other properties, with an aggregate value of about $1,900,0000. The Allies plan to sell this in one block and serious efforts are already being made by Berlin and west German producers to, obtain credits for the lump prehase of the properties. The producers are backed by pro- minent Berlin banks as well as the. Berlin Senate arid the city govern- ment. The planned deal also has the blessing of the Allies. UFA,; under the supreme direc- tion of Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goehbeis, once was rated a $200,000,000 business. Some Allied officials fear that former top UFA executives will be back in business once the Germans run the UFA breakup, ■» ♦ CHURCH WARNING ON FAULTY PRINT HELD OK Vienna, Dec; 4. A court in the state of Upper Austria recently handed down a verdict of considerable interest in the constant fight between crix, producers and exhibitors. Issue at stake was a warning not to attend a picture show in a small town. The beef against pic, “Flaming Mountains,” was written by critic Dr. Erika Haala for the Catholic .Central Press Bureau, and rou- tinely; posted on the church door. It said the .film’s, contents were okay, but warned that the print being -exhibited was in terrible shape and nOt worth viewing. The local exhib (only house in town) went to court, saying that While an- other oldie shown just ahead of 4 ‘Flaming Mountains” had drawn 800, th^* subject of the church warning sold only 300 tickets. He wanted 834 schillings ($35) dam- ages., Witnesses said they stayed away because of the warnirife. Press rep for: the distributor also ap- peared and admitted, the print was not so hot. The defense stood firm- ly, on principles of press and criti- cal freedom* The judge dismissed. the ex- hibitors’ complaint^ spying the is- sue did not seem to be one of dam- age through false information, but pure ^critical opinion, which he was not prepared: to punish. - Austrian press hailed the verdict as a Vic- tory for freedom of the press.