Variety (Jun 1928)

VARIETY PI C T U R E S Wednesday, June 6, 1928 British Film Field By Frank Til ley . London, May 26. Two More Flotations Current woek has seen public: Is- sues by LrU(J\vig Blp.ttn6r Picture Corp,, fftd., and JUrltlsh and Foreign Filrns, Ltd. -, Former asked lor $945,000 out oi a total capital of $1,250,000;' latter for .$1,000,600 of a total capital of $1,7J5.0,000. In the first case, the public re- sponse was not very great and in the second case they claim to have been fully subscribed, . so Norman Wright says. Blattner's company saw much be- fore it finally got to the public. The original scheme, with United Artists ■ giving a release to a Uex Ingram . picture, fell down at the last mo- ment and then some smart giiy registered several companies lising the name. Blattner, and for ia time obstructed the new flotation by his prior right to the n.ame for a pub- lic company. After that one of the directors quit when the. prospectus had been. printed and ready for ' hiailihg. ; Issue is made in the forin of 180,- 000 cumulative participating 10 per cent bonds. Preferred of a five par, and 180,000 deferred, par value 20 , cents. Remainder of the deferred is kept inside, 'and both classes of stock carry voting powers, one vote a share for the preferred, and one vote for each four of the deferred. So the public holders have 215,000 votes against 205*000 on the inside. P^ormer Ideal studios, Blstree,. and the surrounding 43 acres has been bought,-with an option on.a further 100 acres. Of the land bought,'38 icres has been paid f.or at about $1,000 iin acre. . * Screen Rights and Contracts Other properties include the screen rights of "Jew . Suss," a contract with Rex Ingram and Alice Terry for 6ne . film, distribution here . through British International and Gaumont, and in Europe through Lupu. Pick, who is also to direct several films for the company. Blatther has a contract as man- aging: director for five years at $25,- 000 a year, with an option to ex- tend another five. There is a pro- duction committee of five, including W. G; Crothers, formerly with Cecil DeMille; Mary Murillo, scenarist; LupXi Pick, Blattner, and the Hon. Maurice Brett. Profits are estimated, at $520,000 a year, consisting of $120,000 from the distribution of six .filhis in this market; $110,000 from foreign sales of the same;. $265,000 from the world on one super, and $12,000 from studio rentals. The Old Firms British, and F6i*eign Films issues 800,000 common stock,, retaining GOO.OOO. They have a par value of $1.20, and 440,000 of the retained stock has been Issued fully -paid as part of the purchase price of exist- ing business bought. These include the Frederick White Co., Manches- ter, described as film producers and distributors; Mercury Film Service, Leeds; Famous Films (Midlands), Birmingham and Nottingham; Rob- ertson's Pilhi Service, Glalsgow, and the Messtro and Orplid Companies of Germany. From the German companies six existing films have been bought and two more are iq. production. Georg Jacoby, director of "The Fake" and "The Physician," is genera.U man- ager of the two German firms ac- quired, and goes on the board oi the new British company as joint managing director , with F. Norman Wright. By grouping the companies to- gether, the prospectus shows profits to end of December, 1927, of $271,- 650, and estimates making a fur- ther- $329,980 a yeaii?, part of this being estimated profits of $41,000 each oh five British pictures. We Sometimes Move Floated less than two months, the Welsh-Peirson-Elder Co. has shown more signs of activity than almost any of the companies which have taken money off Mr..j. P. Ublic. WPE has managed to get a re- lease for "Huntlngtower" (the Lauder film) from Paramount and expects to get some . .real money from the American . distribution. Six two reisl comedies, from W. W. Jacobs* stories, have been finished and they have contracts for three Quota pictures for Paramount to distribute here and two for Metro- Goldwyn. In both cases advances against share in distribution returns are being made on delivery of nega- tives. A couple of deals like these are worth more to the foreign film trade of America than 50 glad hand lunch blurbs. By taking British pictures ■ this way. Paramount and M-G have done more to recreiate a feeling of confidence in Anieri^an flTm^^FiTsrhesa'^inldfhSds^^ 39" speeches. - F'ilms for America As this is written, J. D. Williams Is sailing for New York with the object of arranging for a series of British films to be released through Educational. His schedule includes Herbert Wilcox'fl product, except "I>awn," and gives Jaydee's com- pany, United Motion Picture Pro- ducers, Ltd., "The Woman in White," "Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel," "When Knights Were Bold" and "Thd New Clown." From British International he gets "The White Sheik,!' "Toiii,". "The Ring," "The Farmer's Wife," "Poppies in Flan- ders," "The Silver Lining," "Moulin Rouge," "Tessha,' "Adams Apple" (Monty. Banks' feature), "Cham- pagne" and "Not Quite.a Lady." Behind Williams' concern is the Parent Trust and Finance Corp., Ltd., a city financial house, and it is claimed they are advancing British International $750,000 cash against .a percentage of the American dis- tribution. StMdios Busy ; Production is getting into full swing. : All existing studio space is ^ully occupied. . At Cricklewood T. Hayes Hunter is using the Stoll stiid^o for "Tri- umph of the Scarlet Pimpernel," Herbert Wilcox is completing "The Woman in White" and H. B. Park- inson is shooting some shorts. All three directors are working for Brit- ish and Dominions Co. Sinclair Hill is directing "Price of Divorce," be- ing, made by a private syndicate in which Wyhdham Standing, also in the film, is interested. AUiance Studios house "The Pass-: ing of Mr. Quinn," being directed by Leslie Hiscott for the Cattermoul- Hagen, producing quota films for distributors who have no production facilities of their own. , British Fllhicraft starts shooting 'The Blue Peter" this week end, Arthur Rdoke directing and Mathe- son Lang starring. "The Burgomas- ter or Stilemonde," with Sir Martin Hairvcy and Fern Andra, is in its third week. Studios are at Wal- tliemstow. Harry Lachman begins this week on "My Wife's Husband," British International, with Monty Banks, Jameson Thomas and Estelle Brody as CO-stars. Anthony Asqiilth Is megaphoning "Underground" for British Instructional, while Frank Wells, son of H. G., has become art director of Angle Films, Ltd., a new producing Incorporation, which is to make six two reelers from stories to be written by H. G. Wells. Ideal Films Co. releases here, and Arthur Levey of New York is interested in the new. concern making the films. Things That Have Happened Wembley scheme IS suffering fur- ther vicissitudes. Harry Hoyt can't make the first film, after he and Leslie Stuart, Jr., had spent-weeks on the Adriatic coast getting at- mosphere for the scenario. Hoyt has to start on an, American con- tract in two weeks; Their anticipated affiliation with the Nordisk Co. of Denmark seems to have blown up. Bencard, a mem- ber of -Nordisk, and here for some time, has left for home. The inside whisper IS that he is now off the board of the Danish company him- self. ' These Combines Forecast in Variety May 2 and detailed last week by the Press here as an "exclusive story," the connec- tion between , Gaumont-British—or rather Denman Picture Houses, much the same thing—and the Gen- eral Theatres Corporation officially matured May 17. It takes the form of an exchange of' stock and the mutual appointment of a director of each company to fhe board of the other. Gaumont-British acquires the whole of the Common Stock of Gen- eral Theatres amounting to $3,750,- 000, in exchange for a- smaller amount of its own stock. The com- /hine's capitaJi?ation. qf- the two compahics how amourifs to $30,500,- 000, in addition to which there are $25,250,000 In Debentures Issued. Moss Empires, which has put a di- rector on the board of Denman, has a capital of $5,300,000, with $2,862,- 275 in Debentures. "This fusion Is creating mo^e ac- tivity In : the American search for sites, both in London and the Provinces; for theatres. Fox has been vp'T busy, first after, a block on Leicester Square facing the Metro-Goldwyn New iSmpir'e—to be opened in .September, and later after a big block oh.Haymarket and Coventry street, just west of the Empire and almost opposite the London Pavilion on one street and the Capitol on the other. Prldo of-, fered is said to h.ave be^n aroiind ^S.sno.OOO-, but nothing has yet been concluded. Mohntlmo Fox' has scouts looking the Provinces well ovor for sites in the key cities. With First Niitional taken care of by the connection hetweon Pathe-^FIrst N.ntional^ and Provincial . Cine- Tnift'ofrPiTpli"" "TlV(>;iI liritish combines, and with all the big Amoricah orgniilzalions , except ilsc.lf with "shop windows" ■ scfit- terod over the Wo.st Eiid bf .Lon^ don arid a few Jn the Provliiccs.. Fox ..=!Pemn to feel bound'to start something, Maybe others will, too.. For .the Gaunuint-Britlsh-Oei^oral Theatre Mosfii Bmp'lres alliance can AL and HARRY JOLSON After not playing together for 23 years, Al and I were reunited, Al in "The Jazz Singer" and yours trull'' in person. / Looks like a Jolsbn year. NEWSREELS' DILEMMA Olympic Committee Sells Rights to Italian Firm Patis, June 5. : World film rights for the Olympic games in Amsterdam have been sold to the Luce Organization, an-Ital- ian government subsidy. The sum was $60,000, The, American rights alone would ha,ve brought more. P'ersistent inquiry to the Am- sterdam . conimittee by American newsreels has tlius ■ far failed to elicit any definite. response. "The newsreels are left up in the air. They, have decided to abandon their policy of a few weeks. ago not to buy rights, ait any .figure in view of the way xHey have .been , treated.- Severar companies have since made known their willingness to pay a dollar a foot for stuff, the same as iCormerly. '. "\ . "wings;m4 weeks, London London, June 5. . Owing to the failure of "Running Wild" (musical) to open at; the Carlton, "Wings," Paramount'a-. air picture, has bee;, retained lor an- other three weeks, , •. This will give the film a. run of 14 weeks here. AMERICANS NEEDED . Los Angeles, June .S; Owen Gorlne,, European actor in this country on ah ekt^hded visit to study American production meth- ods, says that in order-to improve their -respective products, England needs; . American, cameramen and GJermany American scenarists. Keatpn Title Change Los Arig:eles„. June 6. , Metro-Goldwyn ha:s decided on: a chalnge of itltle for Buster l^eaton's new-picture. Instead of "Snap Shots" the pic- ture will be known as "The Camera- man." pretty well diptate the pre-release and flrst run situation. If P, C; T. could almost do it, with their fewer theatres and still fewer big ones, it is certa,in the new combine can. That is going to buck prices and other conditions with one or the other of the big American producer- distributors sooner or later. The obvious sequence is the American will use pver the plea of "insuffi- cient outlet'? and get hard into the theatre-field, Biit-they will have to build at that, for there is nothing left that is worth biiying these days except family and neighborhood houses and not so many big-seaters at that. . V .. Propaganda Films , At Croydon, where the airplanes from the Continent land, a machine from Lelpsic,' iGermany, arrived May 16 with a couple of cases (no, not hoocK) addressed to the Friends of Russia Society. The customs boys took a look-see, and found the cases held films. So they hel*them and got on the wire to the Special .Branch at Scotland Yard (police headciuarters of London).. Scotland Yard found the films »were Jled propaganda from Russia and look them to the Home Office,, where they were viewed by the Depart- ment before "beln.g destroyed. The consigners are out of -jurisdiction, but tho consignees will probal?ly get it in the neck; Not a . Bean Witli liabilities of $21,020. and -nSsots"estimated"at"$l 5^^207^^^ likely to. produce $6,395, the G. H Samuelson Film . Company, hp.s .no possibility, says the Cimclal Llqul- dntor, of paying any one. except its debenture holders. It had a capital of •$.'>,000, and made one feature and a series of shorts before being compulsorily wound On • ',:' ■ ENGLAND'S BIGGEST HOUSE, 4,000 SEATS London, June B. Construction work Is under way at Marblearch of - the new Regal CJlncma, : Independent house, which will have 4,000 seats. It will :be the largest movie house In Ehg- land. A September opening with "The Jazz Singer" is scheduled. House will probably be wired lor yita- phone. HLMNEWS OVER WORLD ' . Washington, June B, Summary of reports to tlie motion picture section of the Department of Commerce: ' ' ■ Malaya Films Films are closely censored in Ma- laya, according to Vice Consul John H. Driiins. All sc^es deprecatory to the European races or which de- pict riots,or battles are deleted. Two types of cinema theatres In Malaya:' these using films appealing to the native • population,^ coming mainly from China, and those cater- ing to the class which appreciaites the . American or; European made picture. In the latter class it is es- timated :that 70 to 75 per cent of the films shown are American. A considerable number of Ameri- can films are said to.come Into Ma- laya by way of Australia or other countries. .Italian Depression Thfc largest Italian motion picture firm, Pittaluga Company, with a combined capital stated to be 101),- 000,000 lire, has reduced the value of its shares so ..that its capital is now 60,000,000. lire. Business depression and competi- tipii: on the part of American films are' believed to be the principal rea- sons .... Australian Notes (From Assistant Trade Cpnimls- sioner C. F. Baldwin, Sydney) Receipits. at all Sydney cinema theatres during the week ending April 14 amounted to $112,500. This does not include receipts at semi- suburban and suburban shows. Total is considered excellent. At an extraordipary meeting of shareholders of British Dominions Films Pty, Ltd., It was unanimously agreed to forfn the company Into a limited liability company with, a subscribed capital of $1,250,000,, - Managers of this English company will soon visit the capitals of Aus- tralia and New Zealand, where ex- changes and agencies will be estab- lished. English Film Stocks Rise Deispite Lethargy London, June 5. Survey of first six months of 1928 shows amount of stock issued to public for film producing companies totals for the period $27,038,500. While the t>ublic in general Is not subscribing largely to these Issues, present valuation by the London Stock Exchange for the same stock is $42,978,875. Australian Pictures London, June 5. British and Domimbn? Film Com- pany will make three pictures in Australia with official backing. Gaumont British will release and will have the okay on directors. SWISS BAE EUSSIAN.Fipi W^ishlngton; June B.. Cantonal, film censorship of Zu- rich has prohibited the showing of the Russian film. "Ten Daiys Which Shook the World," reports . the American commercial attache at Berne, S^yitzerland. - Picture wais rejected on grounds it was propa- ganda for Bolshevism. Communist Party has protested with situation complicated as the present government is Socialist. Revised Theatre Lists Washington, June B, Revised lists on the picture thOT:trcg"^^inT-^^GWtemiil.^^^^ 24380-A), Honduras (LA2538,0-A), iJ^ijniAry (EUli-5380), and Poijtugal (EQR-10380-A), .are now i,va latale thioigh CornmerclaLJntelliger :e of the I'epartment of'wbmmerpe.' . (Dopleg ' may be secured by re-' quistlng. same by . hame a)id code nu:nlier.' All Paramounts WithSoundBefore 6 Months-Lasky London, June. 5. . Jfesse Lasky states all Paramount product within six months', time will carry synchronized 6b-piece or- chestra accompaninient and sound effects, Lasky is here with Bedding- ton Behrens, formerly of Kuhn, Loeb/ but later, with Parambunt's foreign department. Stage Unit in England Twice CanceDed on Start London, June B. / Stage unit booked by General Thea.tr es Corp., booked through Ernest Edelsten, was cancelled iafter playing, the Penge Empire last week and at Portsinouth this week.. Unit featured Jackie Hooray. ' - Replaceinent was made by Jose Collins, Billy Elliott, Evans: and Wolf'and CHarkspn Rose; ,. The Edelsten troupie; is one of the troupes in S. series being organizied: for the picture houses over here and patterned after the American idea. ' ■ • Italy Regubting? ; Paris, June 5. Agitation in Italy to restrict film irnports on some sort of quota basis hJis been defeated. Mussolini Is. expected, however, to is.suC: shortly a . series of administrative regula- : tions based on film law of March, . 1927, which requires part of pro-,, ,, gram include Italian film. Ten per cent of total exhibition time for. , , home-made product appears to bo the proviso. * France's Film Receipts Jump $1,220,000 for '27 Washington,' June 5. Picture house receipts in France jumped about $1,220,000 in 1927, (jfCorge Canty, trade commissioner, reports to the Department of Com- merce. Cinemas recorded the largest Increase of all forms of en- tertainment. The franc averaged approxi- mately 25 to $1 dviring 1927. Andther Warning Washington, June 5. Department of Commerce Is again I.e-suing a warning -against the pirating of triade-marks abroad. Foreign situation sums up in. two classes of Countries: Fii*st class wherein protection, and the con- sequent right therein, is granted to the first user, even though a. later user has registered the mark; in the second class, ownership is es- tablished by registration rather than by use. ■ Division of commercial laws' of the department .will act as "agent of good will" in any dispute and,, at the same time, will furnish* in- formation • on individual countries upon request. Mel Shaiier's Touir Paris, June 5. Mel Shauer, who succeieds Al .Kaiifman i|L Paramount head when the latter sSls for the states to be- come one of Jesse Lasky's assist- ants, will make a complete tour , of Europe before assuming office. Kaufman is ill.in a. hospital but re- ported much better. Australian Return Washington; June 5. American nicture producers re- alized over $3,000,000 from the Au.stralian market in the year 1926-27, a.ccording to the report of the film commission of that country, the first copy of which has ju.st been reCelved^-=-bT:""tlVc^''^a7eimrtnrF^ Conimerce. |. j Georges Petit. Dead I. ' ■ Paris;' .Tune 5. Georges Petit, one Of the pioneer French 'picture . di.stributors, died here May 24. «