Variety (May 1929)

6 VARIETY FOREIGN FILM NEWS Wednesday, May 1, 1828 Midi Electrics Start Patent War; W. E. Sued by G. L Affiliated (M London, April 30. Oreaniznlion of a new $5,000,000 corponition, as yet without a name, 'by Count Anthony de Bosdarl, Rrucc Woolf, Anthony Asqulth and L41U- rence Hermes Is the opening shot In the electrics war hei'e between tlie afllllations of General Electric and Western Electric. New firm, anillated with .Selmen.s Klangnim nnd (General Electric, claims control of some SOO sound patents. On that basis they have already Issued a writ a/^inst the Regal theatre, which has the West- em Electric system. Another writ against the Western Electric Corp. is being Issued. The com))any is acquiring Bun- dy's British Instructional Films, Bundy personally retiring to devote himself to operating a Tagg's Island resort. The Welyn Garden City studios pass to the new company, which pays $3 in stock and 20 cents cash for each share of British In- structlonttl stoclt. Latter has a par value of 12.50 per share, and Is presently quoted on the London Exchange at $1.82. Options have been taken on about 100 theatres, but these shortly ex- pire and must be renewed If to be included in the final deal when the stock Issue is floated. Of the $5,- 000,000 capltallzaUon, $3,600,000 . Is , fully paid in, with the balance, of the issue offered to the public. Ufa and RCA There Is to be a working arrange- ment with Ufa, In Germany, which has adopted the allied Klangfllm- Tobls sound system. There will also be an Interchangeablllty under- standing with nc.4. Photophone, an- other G. B. afflllation. British In- ternational may enter as a producer for the new company, as Maxwell's company has already equipped stu- dios over here with the RCA sys- tem. Entire move is the most Impor- tant development to date In the Eu- ropean talker situation. Efforts arc being made to cover up the confllc- tlons, but the general understand- ing is that a battle Is brewing with the Seimens syndicate-, the real op- erators behind the new company, out to comer the British talks:' market. Tsdker Sflent Split London, April 30. Check up on British production plans for coming season reveals that S6 existing producers will make ap- proximately 66 silent pictures and 65 pictures with dialog, In whole «r part. AUCTION OFF FILM Providence, April 30. Some 4,000 feet of foreign made film went under the hammer last week In a Federal government auc- tion sale of unclaimed merchandise. A. de Oliverlo Aguas, Portuguese consul here, bought film for $36 which was appraised for several hundred dollars. No' inkling of what this film is about cr what Portuguese consul plans to do with it. wncoz wmiNG studio London, April 30. Herbert Wilcox is wiring the Elstree Studio for British and Dominions Company. First dialog production will feature himself and Ellaline Terris in their original roles of "Sleeping Partners." Wilcox is the only producer using Western Electric system to date over ncre. KMMAS FOB FOX ' Paris, April. 30. Emmerich Kalman, Viennese op- eretta composer, goes to Fox Movie- tone at Hollywood, to write and produce a special musical Aim. He sails in August. -Capt.~8anfleliL.iA. CL^X^. Captain George BaniTeld of Brit- ish Filmcraft Productions arrived in New Tork yesterday. He will make arrangements for the talker version of Fllmcreffs neit produc- tion, which will bo made at Par's Ij. I. studios, with the'silent pic- ture being done in England. ' Captain. Banfleld is accompanied by his wife, Gabrielle Morton,. Brit- ish fllm star. Uncured Audience Los Angeles, April 30. In "Backstage Blues," Para- mount successfully tried an experiment in doing away wltli a cued or directed audience in a theatre scene. Those out front wore left to "be them- selves" and to laugh and ap- plaud OS the spirit moved. Moran and Mack made the suggestion. Innovation had another re- sult in that It permitted the team to space their gags for the laughs. S. African Building Depends on Flotation Washington, April 30. Kinemas, Ltd., of South Africa, has increased its capital to go ahead with Its building program, says the Commerce Department. <3ircult TioW has about 60 thea- tres, with most of them on a par with the smaller neighborhoods in the U. S. . Aside from the Schleslnger enter- prises (African Theatres and Afrl- c(ih Films), Kinemas Is'the. only other important exhibitor and dis- tributor on the African sub-con- tinent. Whether or not the build- ing program is carried through will depend' upon the flotation of this $1,2.60,000 stock plan, it is added. Bhck's mit Policy' London, April 30. George Black, general manager of General Theatres Corporation, sails shortly for a fortnight in America. He Is looking for ideas to help solve the "what policy" problem of his chain; Ved Parnell, booking manager of same circuit, will also visit the states soon for talent. W. LS 210 ABROAD (Continued from page 2) Palladium, Blackley, October 3. Globe, Stockton-on-Tees, Octo- ber 7. Plaza, Upmlnster, October 4. (New theatre), GHHngham, Octo- ber 3. Picture Hall, Weaste, October 16. Empire, Wigan, October 11. Bow Palace, Mile End Road, Oc- tober 22. Blue Hall, EMgware Road, Octo- ber 30. Coliseum, Harrow, October 31. Park Palace, Liverpool, October 31. Royalty, Brizton, November 1. Playhouse, Miles Platting, Novem- ber 28. Royal, Margate, November 25. New Royal, Openahaw, Decem- ber S. Triangle, Bristol, December 17. Lyceum, Laisterdyke Bradford, December 21. Palladium, S. S. Blackpool, De- cember 26. Capitol, Winchmore Hill, Octo- ber 17. StoUs, Bristol, October 17. Regal, Norwood, October 24. New Premier, Liverpool, October 24. Hippodrome, Manchester, October 26. Majestic, Tottenham Ct. Rd., No- vember 6. . Alexandra, Aldershot, Jnn. z, 1930. Majestic, Camberwell, Jan. 8, 1930. Hippodrome, Tonypandy, Jan. 1, 1930. Rivoli, Portsmouth, Jan. 1, 1930. Ardwick, Manchester, January 7, 1930. Coliseum, Limerick, Jan. 11, 1930. De Luxe, Norwich, Jan. 16, 1930. Palladium, Lancaster, Jan. 9, 1930. Plcturedrome, Chichester, Jan. 16, 1930. Palladium, Oldh.im, Feb. 1, 1930. Hippodrome, Llanelly, Jan. 18, 1930. *■ Picture House, Rusholme Man- chester, Jan, 22, 1930. Queens, Palmers : Green, Jan. 25, Pavilion, Newport, Jon. 24,1930. Regent, Tooting, Jan. 26, 1930. Cinema Royal, Croydon, Jan, 31, 1930. Stoll, Ardwick M'ter, Feb. 19, 1930. Talbot, Richmond, Feb. 13, 1930. New 'Theatre, FInsburg Park, March 19, 1930. There. Is no information of any houses being wired other thati by Western Electric at presents- KEN MURRAY In reviewing the Orpheum lost week the Lios Angeles "News" said: "Ken Murray's act Is a wow. He Is the ace and jack of many .acts and master of all. He Is the perfect master of ceremonies. The only thing more captivating than his smile Is .his comic frown at the -most hilarious moments. It is Mur- ray!s excruciatingly funny panto- mime that makes the act such a wow. 'He Is deserving of the highr est praise." By by vaudeville for a while. Just finishing second week Orpheum, L. A., and signed to play featured role in R-K-O picture, "Compan- ionate." Direction CHAS. ALLEN W. B/s 20 Channels Los Angoles, April 30. Combining the facilities of the Sunset Boulevard, First National (Burbank) and for- mer 'Vltagvaph studios, War- ners has 20 channels available for sound and dialog record- ing. This would permit simulta- neous dialog work by 20 units If necessary. FOX'S FOBEIUH BULE lyos Angeles, April 30. All data on Fox foreign releases hereafter will be Issued solely from New Tork olllces. This applies to stills and portraits as well as news productions. Reason ascribed is that all distribution information originates in New Tork. Company desires to synchronize generally any publicity regordlng: a picture with Its release In a given country. Frequently many months or even a year separate release dates In United States and abroad. New rule will be unpopular with foreign correspondents, here. ftritidi Fdm Field By Frank Tilley London, April 21. We are now definitely committed to going 'talker. News, printed In Variety April 2 and featured on this side as a front page dally paper spe- cial, of Gaumont installing Western Electric In Its larger theatres and their own British Acoustic In the smaller houses, has Anally turned the scale. Most exhibitors will fol- low the lead of the Gaumont com- bine. Many have already done so. To date W. E. has 21 houses 'Wired In this country, of which seven are in London. A further 163 are sched- uled to bo completed and running by March 1, 1930. This does not Include houses to be wired on the continent. Scheduled dates for sound open- ings of some of the more Important theatres are: Capitol, Dublin, April 21; Kensington theatre, April 29; Capitol, Cardiff, May 1; StoUs, New- castle, May 16; Scala, Glasgow, May 18; StoU, KIngsway, London, May 30; *Alhambra, London, June 14; Palladium, Brighton, July 4; Picca- dilly, Manchester, July 6; •Emi>Ire, Shepherds Bush, July 13; 'Empire, Hackney, July 18; Hippodrome, Bal- ham, Aug. 5; *Empire, Chlswick, Augl 4; *Emplre, Woodgreen, Aug. 11; 'Coliseum, London, Aug. 22; Carlton, London, Aug. 31; Hippo- drome, Manchester, Oct. 26; BIo- graph, Victoria, Dec. 20; Davis theatre, Croydon, Sept. 9; 'Ardwick. Manchester, Jan. 7, 1930. •At present straight vaude houses. W. E.'s New Company Meantime Western - Electric has gone into voluntary liquidation for the purpose of forming a new com- pany, registered last week with E. P. Pelly and H. G. Knox as found- ers and a capital of $500,000 nominal In $5 stock. Stoll's Idea in going talker is ap- p,\rently to run shorts in the vaude progr.ims At the Coliseum, Alham- bra and other vaude houses during the week and all-talker programs Sundays. Other angles on the situ- ation here are Tobis-Klangfllm Is about to buy out British Talking Pictures, the Schleslnger synchron- izing outfit. This would give them a fairly good studio at Wembley and further force a settlement of the intorchanfreabillty squabble. RCA Piiotophone is getting a break in Germany with n synchron- ized version of M-G's "White Shad- ows" going Into the Universum, Berlin, early in May. This Is be- cause RCA Is interchanging with Tobis-Klangfllm. Latter Arm is supposed to be threatened with, a patent dispute with W. E. In Germany, but Inside is that this is a gesture from W. E. to try to force Klangfllm to let them In. Klangfllm seems willing to do so If W. E. agrees to full 1. c, but Is laughing at the patent%threat, hav- ing sr ne time ago sold American rights on some of their patents to. •FO'x^aBFir'-BO'-Movietono-could—bo- made safe in America for Fox. What the Quota Has Done Check-up for the first quarter of this year on features registered— as all have to be—under the films act shows a considerable fall from last year. Total of features Is down 61, being 191, as against 262 for the corresnondlng quarter last year. In' that quarter 187 American features were. registered, but this year shows only 113. British fea- tures have risen from 28 for last year's quarter to 35 this; German from 27 to 33; French from Ave to eight. Swedish fell from three to one; Russian remained at one both this and last year, and Italy fell out with none this year against one last year. Distributors line up; r—First quarter—> 1928. 1929. ParaYnount 28 17 M-G-M 22 13 Fox 16 14 Universal •.. • 38 8 P. D. C 17 9 First National 11 0 Warner Bros 9 5 United Artists 8 4 Independent distributors regis- tered the same number of American features first quarter of this year as last year, 38, but the footage fell from 204,938 feet in 1928 to 114,344 feet this year. In the Gaumont group no varia- tion was sliown, merely a switching to different subsidiaries a little. Gaumont's total for first quarter 1928 and 1929 was the same—18 features—made up In 1928 of Gau- mont 7, Ideal Co. 11 and W. & F. Co. nil; and this year of Gaumont 6, Ideal Co. 12 and W. & F. Co. 1. Americans and British Quota In this period last year only {wo British films were registered by American houses. This year, over the same period, they registered 12. Reason for this increase is that last year quota requirements under the films act were not obligatory until April 1, consequently practically nothing was registered. But this year it goes for all four qimrtei's and on. American distributors registered British product over this quarter line up as follows: Fox, four; M-O- M. two; PDC, two; Warner's, two; Universal, one, and United .\rtistB registered nothing this quarter. Exodus Exhibitors are holding their horses till ail the field men say it's a sound horse for them anyway. Hardly anyone putting out anything right now, and several British units mak- ing ready to sail away and shoot talkers in Hollywood pending there's some plant here to shoot them in. Herbert Wilcox hasn't made up his mind when he goes back tliere yet. Dupont is flgui-ed to go to make "Atlantic" for British Inter- national, while Monty Banks Is to direct Syd Chaplin in "Mumming Birds." A cliance Chaplin may turn his other half-brief over to Dupont. George Banfleld sails April 24 on the Homeric to look over the sound situation: Believed he is going over on a proposition to make "Lyons Mail" all dialog, with Sir Jolm Mar- tin Harvey. Banfleld'a company, British Filmcraft, Is making pic- tures for Paramount, mainly for -world-distribution; AV. J. Gell, Gaumont's chief go- getter, sails April 24 for New Tork. Liable to do some business there. T. C. Elder is said to be quitting, Welsh-Pearson-Elder, the unit which made the Harry Lauder films for Par here. Issue made April Id of $760,000 in half dollar stock by London & 'Southern: Super Cinemas, Ltd:, was oversubscribed immediately the lists onened. ... Washington, April 30. Greater slgniflcanco is glven.^thei State Department's protest, by-^Br. Julius Klein, new Assistant S^dre* tory of Commerce, than just to in- form the foreign governments named that high handed and ai-l)i- trary methods against American produced motion pictures will not do. This former head of the Com- merce Department bureau of for- eign and domestic commerce char- acterizes the protest as a declara- tion- of policy by this government. He states that pictures are not tlio only industry "being picked on." It was because of the magnitude and Interest held by all peoples eveiT- where that this government came to the aid of the producers. "If the foreign governments were to be permitted to get away with this thing In connection with American pictures it would act as an open- ing wedge that nothing could stop," said Dr. Klein. Returning from a European tour of the offices of the Commerce De- partment Dr. Klein describes the legislative and administrative moves of the several powers named in tlie protest as violating the agreement entered Into at the Geneva Eco- nomic Conference in 1927. These powers and 40 others all agreed to do away with trade bai'riers. Must of them, however, are clinging on to tlie restrictions placed during the war end, as in the case of the pic- tures, going even further. Reverse Angle In defense of the foreigners Dr. Klein stated they look to their gov- ernments from a difTeront angle than do Americans. "In the U. S.," said the Secretary, "big business rises up In arms against government Interference, or help, or whatever you may wish to call it. In Europe as soon as an Industry suffers any reverses, or a crisis, It literally xvfna to Its government for help. With many foreign governments In con- stant polltlca\ flux the films arc a valuable weapon for tlieir purposes. Social influence of American pic- tures is not wanted because of for- eign difference In status." Speaking of the representatives of the American fllm companies abroad he stated the difficulties of compe- tent and continuous representation had been overcome. "Not only the individual companies, but the asso- ciations, too, are now excellently represented and are co-operating with government officials. It they will continue along tliese lines we can go through with the protest." Dr. Klein sees a long flght ahead In connection with talking pictures abroad with it also a question on sound pictures. On the former the natural question of lan.'.'uuges with every solution as offered to date not the real answer. On the latter, foreigners have no musician over- head to cut and no high union (Re- mands to worry aliout. Another Big Flotation London, April 30. British Screen Productions, Max- imfllm In Germany and Bayart Productions in America are affili- ated in a new dialog production tie-up arranged by George Pear- son. New concern, Anglo-American- German Talkie Company, will bring out a $4,250,000 stock Issue May 8. Seymour Hicks leaves stage to become chief director of new com- pany. GUITET-PMNTEMPS' TAIEEE Paris, April 30. Plans are maturing for a French dialog feature to be made with Sacha Guitry and Tvonne Prln- temps. Jacques Halk system of recording Is to be used. FOX CASTING PLACE Los Angeles, April SO. Hereafter all casting for Fox- Hills Movietone City will be handled at~tH5-FjnrBtuanJB-lir-irollywoodr— Maltland. Rice, In charge of the. talker casting offlce, will assmme the position of assistant production manager a,t Fox Hills, "Murder" Talker Paramount will do "Murder on 'B/ Deck," the Vincent Storrett besti seller of the Crime Club Series, ▲ talker.