Variety (Sep 1928)

6 ' VARIETY Wednesday, September 5, 1928 British Film Field By Frank Tilley London, Auff, 27,. These European Cartels Wake up, Amcricja. Anyway, thai part, repi'P.sontcd by the movJe in- terests. You're so sure of- your- iselves; so certain nothing can or ever will be doh^ on this side to lop a limb ofl! your control of the business. And.riuht now the bone is boiuf? sa\vn, And. you're so much under , the anesthetic, of your own sati.'?facti6n.you don't feel it. While the olocker is oountiufi: 10, listen how you're being hit in thie future rev- enue. , For the last eight months there have been perfected numerous ar- rangements between Briti.sh, Ger- man, French, Swedish and other Continental picture interests. Ma,y- be you've he.ird that before. But you've got to hear it again. Tt^bu're. In :i?.nger of knowing a thing sq well you knpw nothing alJput it;. "The cartels, aini at one thing: the creation of an infer-liuropean piic- turc market so the producers In the varioiis countries can secure a big enough outlet to enable them to go make pictures without losing money. So' lonig ats they e-ach had to m.iiko for their own territory, and ta.ke a long chance on any foreign sales, you .could always beat them to it, in quality, coat and pi-ice. But when they have ah'assured market, covering practically. a:ll Europe, the : position is, different, E-specially when they have theatre afflllations and the law behind them to force theatres to play native pictureis. In Germany, France and Britain there are some' 9,000 . effective picr ture theatres. Leave out the rest of . Europe and figure laow much of this three-nation market you have left and where it is g:oing. The Wall Without a Tariff * Joe Sciaenck told 'em here and in France that quotas were the bunk for our o.wn business; HIgli tar- iffs,, said iSchenck, would, do much more good. . .Maybe. But you can't sell the European, film industry, that idea when they see how well the quota systems are working out for them. They are building a wall, stronger than any tariff wall, and much more immune from political crashing. Here is a list , of some of the bigger cartels now .formed: British International has atfiliations with, or owns Sudfilm, Germany.; Gine- romans, France; Sascha, Austria; Radius, Hungary; -Dorian, Ro.u- mania; Slavia, Czecho-Slovakia; Bosnafilm, Yugo-Slavia; Petef, Po- land; .British International Conces- Ibn, Spain .(two branches^—Madrid and Barcelona). In the Gaumont gi'oup are: Gau- mont, lined up with Ufa and Sv/ed- ish Biografteatern A. B.: . W. & F. Company, with Fellner & Somlo (Germany) and Pittaluga (Italy); ideal, with Terra, Germaihy. . Among the bigger indies are: Briti.s-h & Foreign Filrris Co., as- sociated with Messtro-Orplid, Ger many; Blattner Film Corp., with Mcisster and Lupu Pick; New Era, with Greenbaum, Germany. There are others, but they do not matter so much. , . The effect of these affiliations is showing itself already. This time next year that effect will double The methods of co-operatlv© pro duction and exchange for distribu- tion will have gotten under way and the quantity of American prod- uct ab.<5orbed in Europe will have fallen further. These get-togethers are not jokes or glad-handing. They are busl^ ne-ss enterprises handled by men who see ah opportunity to make a l<it of money out of a law and pa- triotisnj-protcctod European film market. Some of the Works Figure , out what it has caused in this market alone to date this year, lip to the end of this month 474 feature films will have been offered for booking. Out of these, 359 are American. The remaining 115 are British and Continental, and 51 of these are German. Hitherto, the average percentage : of American films released on this market has been around. 90. The features offered tills year to Aug. 30 nre for relea.se next year, so the American percentage . takes a fall to G6 per cent. And It is likely to go lower because of these car- tels. . With many of tlie British Inde- pendent distributors, product made at home and that made by co-op- eration -.^g n=^the^CoJi^tlnfint,^j!jt,=:yL£i^ tioh to the falling American liiar- ket, and gave Hgiires and reasons. Estimates then made that in a year the American percentage would be down ta between 60 and 70 per cent have been ju.stified. And that 66 per cent may go stlU lower. The British quota increases every, year .from now on. It comes into force for exhlliitors Oct. 1 next, and the rhoi'e your big organizations t^Uild key houses in London .and pur other cities to insure an outlet, the more they will create the picture habit for the benefit of the people tieing up theatres, native produc- tioii and framing foreign aflSHations. Still a purther Move Thi.s Berlin internationar confer- ence is adding to the possibilities of the situation.-. Its ehicf object was for the German Exhibitbr.'j Produ- cers* Syndicate to put a resolution to the Briti.sh visitors, representing the-Oihemato.gr.apli Exhibitors' As-, sociation, that independent Cxliib- itors should go into production, <*o- operativelY with the German ex- hibitors. Victor Davis, president of .•the C. E. A., has received the. resolution with some coolness, saying it must be submitted to the dissociation. . • More than once the ind exhibs here have thought of going into pro- duction, but are so . afraid of each other nothing has com^i of It. But, leaving out the Provincial Cinemat- ograph Thetares, the . Gaumont- Denmari, United Theati-es, Stoll, and one or two more circuits, the indies still count for about 2,000 theatres in the association. So far as this writer knows^ ofthand. the German Syndlkat groups only some , 700 houses, so any co-operative Aiiglo- Gernian productloix plan would have to .be 75 per cent British. The trade press here is naturally against any such idea. It would have nothing to come from an ex- hibitor pt-oducing organization oper- ating through trade societies. Be- sides which, these papers have been told to pan the Berlin conference by their present supporters. Joseph Phiflips, who came here with Jack Connelly, walked out on him on an offer from British Photo- tone while . Jack was sick in bed. Phototone knew Phillips was hero with Connolly, who brought him In on a labor permit. Which, if it's pulled away from Phillips for sw^itchlnp his job, may not be so good for him.' SELLING VIA SCREEN Govts, and Firnris Sho% Commer- cial Films at Toronto Fair Toronto, Sept. 4. More film Is being shown at the current Canadian National Exhi- bition than ere before. Eighteen government exhibits use flickers and 4'4 private qoi-poi\'itions shoSv pictures of the manufacture or dis- tribution . of product. In addition three camera manufacturers invite the public to take a peek at their product. The Eastman Co. shows the' new home color device. A.<5 big a gathering of news cam- eramen as ev€fr irivaded the Domin-. ion were shooting the first section of the third Wrigley mai-athon: for its $50,000 prizes. The main sec- tion of this lake ■ derby goes ^^'ednesday. WAXING WARM Union Theatres and Hoyt-s After Films and * Houses main, and in some eases their en tire. oulr>ut at this time. Independent distributors here who ■up to a year , ago handled few but jVmei'ican films, with an occasional pietu'ro of their o'vvn making, are now entirely off American films. Thoy make more money di.strihuting their own and continental stuff, e.<?- peoially now that they get a break in the oontln''ntal market through Uielr tie-up.T there. Horse Sense It is just about a year ago since this department first called atten- Pcrsonal Exhibs are framing a presentation to A. C. Bromhead, of Gaumonts, to celebrate his 30 years in the picture garrie. Iris Barry, film critic of the Daily Mail, quits at the end of this mOnth. Says she went voluntarily 'cause she'd been there long enough. Fol- lowed in by Russell Stannard. Colonel Lowry, here some time for the Hays organization, has gone back to Ne-w York. Understanding here is that he's through. A. E. Abrahams^ flnlsiiing the Re- gal, Marble Arch, this month, is starting on another Regal at Nor- wood, The first two Edgar Wallace films, "The Ringer" and . "Chick," are scheduled for preview next week. "Young. Woodley," still running at the Savoy, has been bought for film- ing by British International. Will be directed by Thomas Bentley. . Graham Cutts has rejoined Gains- borough Pictures, of which he was at one time on the executive. He is to make a third film with- Ivor No- vello, "The Return of the Rat." There's talk. E. A. Dupont is try- ing to get back with Uriiversal. Bur Inside is, Laehimle won't play till the business of the former contract is a bit more clear. Films in Town Tvoli, now with its last picture before the M-G-M control of the house ends, is stopping the traflUc on the Strand for a couple of blocks with queues. Playing to capacity, matinees and all. Picture is "Trail of '98." Business of general release plays the devil with program.s. In town this week four houses are showing "Twelve Miles Out," four have "Now We're In the Air," while "A Sailor's Sweetheart," "Stop That Man" and "Her Wild Oat" are all at two houses. Two British filma are on, "A South Pea Bubble," at the Astoria, and "Carnival" (rels.suc), at the Forum. Both, the.sc were directed by Ameri- cans. Universal still hold.s "The Man Who Laughs" at the Rialto, and "Th^-=G'[mrht("^lTmf?=-open ed- to-f« irly good receptions at the New Gallery, Four "West lOnd houses arc play- ing vaudfilm programs. Sydney, Aug, 4, Union "Theatres and Hoyt's Tlie- ati'es ai-e gi-imly battling to gain the upper hand . regarding plctui'es in this country.. Both companies con- trol many big theatres in every state of Australia, Hoyt's ace house Is the. local Regent^ while Union's main site is the Capitol, also lo- cated here. Latter house runs a weekly charjge with the. Regent now reverting to a split week instead of playing films on a run basis,. It's a trade war. Stuart Doyle, head of Union, has Just bought out- right the '29 program of Paramount and has secured the pictures offered by M-G-M, First National, Univer- sal, Pathe, Fox and Master Pictures. This gives Doyle 1,500 fllin.<!, count- ing shorts, for '29 and '30, or 90 per cent of the market. Oppo.sed to this, Hoyt's announces a contract ehtered into with British Dominion Filrtis for 52 British made program features per ,annum. Union holds options on the specials put out by the firms with which it has signed, . but should the price for these be too high this option may not be exercised, Hoyt's will then probably buy at any price owing to its short supply of "features. United Artists has stated it has hot closed with either circuit and will wait for the highest bid. Construction Strife . Hoyt's has held sway .!n Mel- bourne and other big cities in Vic- toria and has lately Invaded New South Wales by building and buying neighborhood houses. Sir George Tallis and the Taits, heads of Wil llamson-Tait, are in with Hoyt's and F, W, Thring is the man behind the gun. Interested with LTnion are E. J. and Dan Carroll, who control the Prince-Ed.ward,. Sydney, and; many other Queensland houses. Hoyt's recently built a magnificent theatre In Melbourne and Union replle.d by starting on the State in that city. This is to be the largest house in Australia and opens around Jan. 1 Union Is now building another big house in Sydney t6;al.s6 be named the State. This one will be larger than the Capitol and opens next year. Another point is that Hoyt's may establish its own exchanges. This depends on what product it can.se cure from the independent market in America, The firm is likely to turn to FBO, A Hoyt representa- tive is now on his way to New York to confer oh the matter. Union opens its new Ambassa dores in. Perth Aug. 15. Moscow, Aug. 14, Jliyliest Soviet authorities, after an investigation of the quarrel be- tween the iSovkino, largest Soviet movie tru.st, and the ^Mejrabpom- Filni, a lesser Soviet company, have decided that the Sovkino heads acted In this matter unwisely and unlawfully, Investigation confirmed the com- plaint of the Mejrabpom-Film that the Sovkino withdrew financial aid, which by the .Soviet law it was to give the Mejrabpom-FUm produc- tions, and that obstacles were placed by $ovkinp in the pathe of domestic and foreign] distribution of the Mejrabpom-Film product, which actions had put Mejrabpom-Film in serious financial straits. Report, showed that prior to the conllict between the two Soviet'film oorporation.s, more than half of the Soviet films sold abroad were of Mejrabpom-Film. make. As a re- sult of the investigation, Sovkino is told to suspend its hostilities against Merjrabpom-Film, to pro- vide the latter company with an ad- vance of $250,000, with 'which the new Mejrabpom-Filnl . productions will be financed, and to resume the distribution of the latter company's output both in Russia and abroad. Organization of special film sell- ing offices, abroad by the Soviet de- partment of commerce is recom- mended,. These ofllces will supplant the existing foreign agencies of Sovkino and other Soviet movie companies, making the distribution of Russan films abroad a highly centralized business, selling the output of all Soviet picture com- panies and showing no favors or ob.stacles to anyone of therii. Decisions were rendered by a mixed commission of the Soviet de- partment of commerce, department of people's education, and the so- called "Worker-Peasant Inspection Committees." BRITISH DIRECTOR COMING 'Los Angeles, Si'pt, 4. Dudley Bott, a director of Photo- tone, British sound company, is en route to Hollywood from London. Tie expects to spend several weeks here studying local methods on the talkers. Vaude Acts Berlin Jaunt To^MakFTalii^ London, .Sept. 4. A number of -vaudeville nets quietly slipped away liu't week. to Berlin. Understood they will appear, in talking shorts to be made under German pro<|esR for BiKlsh Photo- tone with Producers Distributing Company to handle for British Isles.' Gaumont-British in Canadian Film Drive First No. American Wedge Inserting a rrillking scene into his new film "Ivan and Maria" proved the undoing of the Soviet mega- phone wielder Shirokoff, Moscow critics who witnessed a preview of the film wrote in their accounts that it was a good scene except that the a;iimal milked: was a bull. Other- mistakes are apt to lead to a complete veto of the picture by the Soviet authorities. There is a wholesale migration of Russian movie folks from Paris to Berlin on foot. Ivan Moszhoukhin, who played "Michael Strogoff," and later under the name of Ivan MPskine was un- successfully tried out in Hollywood by Universal, is making his third Berlin picture. "The Czar's Aide-de- Camp," for. Greenbaum, and plans to assume tlie megaphone soon. He will direct his own.self in "Byron." Vlacheslav Turjanskl, Russian di- rector brought to Hollywood by M-G-M .and who later tried to di- rect Barrymor^ in "Tempest," is hack in Europe. He is trying to make up time lost in Hollywood by working on a new film "Volga, the Russian River" for a German com- pany. Among other Russian film people who have moved frojn Paris to Ber- lin, N. F. kolin is ohe^oif theTjQHi^st; His contract with Ufa calls for the making of two comedies. A. A. VolkofC ■will begin his work on "Czar Alexander I'' for the same company shortly. M. F. Andreeva, Gorky's former wife, is signed to play In "The 17-Year-Old One.s" for Terra-Fiim, another • Russian, G. Azagaroff, is directing. Olga Chekhova, V. G. Seroff (Moscow Art Theatre), A. P. Boldireff, Gregory Khmara and N, A, Lissenko are also in Berlin studios, The two last named arc doing two films on Ra.sputin, being shot simultaneously by two oppo- sition studies. Scenario on one of these was prepared by B. S. Nevo- lin. Jolson Sept. 27 London,'"-Sopt. 4. Tlic Warner Bros, open the Pic- ^adiJl v=^Sgiit^ 27 1- With - '.'The_Ja Singer," first of the new talking pic- tures to hit London. It will be fol- lowed by "Lights of . New York" and then "Noah's Ark." It took much fixin.g to arrang<> these bookln.ij[s, as "Jazz Singer" \yas originally contracted for the new Regal Cinema which opens soon. ICaHler showing at the Pieeadilly ■vxas arranged when Warners con- ceded first call on future product to the Heg.al, Toronto, Sept. 4. Invasion of the Canadian pictiirs field both as to production, dlstrlbu'^ tlon and exhibition by. British Inter- ests is seen in the granting of a Dominion charter to the Gainnont British Corpi. of Canada, Ltd. Management is Indirectly in -the hands of Lieut,' Col. A. C. Bronihead, C.B.E., wiiQ also heads the parent company, Gaumont British Corpora- tion, Ltd. Actual management will lay with Arthur E. Lee, who is made vice-president, and Edward Auger^ who becomes managing director.. The; charter—-first granted this outfit in North America—empowers: the company to produce, distribute and present pictures anywhere in Canada and to build theatres. They have linked up with the Universal offices for actual distribution. Other executives arc Reginal C. Brom- head, treasurer-, and W. F. Barrett, secretary. 30 Features a Year Head office will be in Toronto, with branches in St, Jolin; Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. Intention is to import and distribute 24 to 20 British features annually. These will not. nece.ssarily be of Gaumont production and will not for the • present be sent into the United States.' Lee is at present president of the Ainerr Anglo Corporation; Ne^v York, and was formerly with the General Film Co., here. Reginal, like A. C. Bromhead, is connected with the parent compa,ny. The Toronto olTiee will ojien imme- diately. Czech's New Quota I^w Is Menace to U. S. Films Washington, Sppt, 4, Proposed quota law on pictures' for Czechoslovakia is meeting with considerable suppor,t and is a sub- stitute for a previous proposal to subsidize, the do'mestic industry which was withdrawn because of the belief it would place too great ai, burden on the exhibitors. Present proposition, holds an actual menace for . American pro- ducers, though to just what extent developments will disclose. Un- limited po'wers are placed In the hands of the Minister of Commerce, who could, should he desire, place the quota of domestic pictures at an abnormally high figure and could thus almo.st exclude foreign films. This same minister would decide how many domestic films the theatres wo'uld have to show an- nually. Heavy fines for violations are provided with local producing companies subject to penalties un- less producing their stipulated quota.s. No Paris Trade Shows Creates a Precedent Paris, Sept. 4. Creating almost a precedent, there was not a single trade .show in Paris" lust week. Whether it- marks a, change.in business custom or is accidental or whether it is a consequence of the new situation brought about by the now quota regulation.?, are questions. "Wedding liells" was presented for. the first.time, at the Paramount Friday and "Bringing Up Father" at the Gaumont Palace. The Madeleine Cinema is an- nouncing the last performances of "Ben Hur" marking the end of an extraordinary engagement. ' RENOVATING MARIVAUX l'ari.s, Aug. 27. Salle Marivaux, picture, house specializing in United Artists pro- ductions, is closed for. alterations. Seating capacity is being incretised. L. A. to N. Y. Charles Christie N. Y. to A. Al Christie Josej)h M. !<i'hen<'k. Frank Brandow.