Variety (Jun 1930)

B "VARIETY'S" PARIS OFFICE Paris Building, 15 Boulevard des Italiens FOREIGN FILM NEWS CaMc Address: VARINEWS, PARIS Central 01-57; Louvre, 52-15 American Theatre Show Method Qverwhehns European Policy (Abel Green, lately returned to New York, from "Variety's" Paris office, wrote the following review of the Paramount, New York, show for this week, for the usual department of picture house reviews. It has been removed to this 'position for the information of both sides of the Atlantic, besides the rest of the world). PARAMOUNT BIDDING FOR SPORTS (Horace Heidt New York, June 1. After about a year abroad, see- ing and reviewing shows, pictures, etc., in almost every capital of Eu- rope, with the recurrent thought during all these months about how little the European manager gives his customers, especially as com- pared to the Publix idea of things, a return to the Paramount only heightens the contrast .for a "Vari- ety" mugg, who finds even some exti-a fancy wrinkles added on. Unlike the European psychology of the customer standing the gaff for everything, here one returns to find a multiple entertainment gfven the, patron for a single admission. Early morning organ recitals, upper and lower lounge piano concerts, the Paramounteers in the Hall of Unit—2nd Week) Nations, a quartet in the grand lob- by, special news reports in another section of the house, all created for the good and welfare of the patron, and without charge. A niugg who hates to wear a hat purposely wore one just for the renewed feel of being able to park the kelly underneath one's seat. No such hat-i-acks in any part of Eu- rope for the very simple benefit of "vestiare" (or check - room), which is a concession and every- thing done to boost the check-room concession's gross. A- flat rate per article, i, e. for hat, coat, stick, par- cel, etc., is charged for in advance. Another great kick is not to be annoyed making change to stake the ushers for the questionable "service" of showing you a seat. An- other concession, hence "tipping" (a normally voluntary idea of com- <Continued on page 68) South American Scheme Promotes Natiye Made < Talkers—Propaganda Buenos Aires, June 3. Seizing upon the opportunity pre- sented by anti-foreign screen agita- tion, a scheme Is under negotiation for co-operation between Brazil and Argentine, both for similar regula- tions for foreign film imports and tor the production of native pic- tures. Idea centers in the plan of yok- ing up Buenos Aires and Rio Ja- neiro on municipal ordinances for the control of pictures. Present idea is a commission representing both cities. Out of .this plan It is the .Inten- tion to arrange for a system of Argentine-Brazil producing sched- ule of Spanish and Portuguese dia- log pictures using Latin-American players and importing American and European technicians. . . Idea, of course, gets its Inspira- tion from certain Brazilian interests that would like to undertake picture production. British Fihn Field By Frank Tilley 'BLUE ANGEL' COULDN'T HOLD UP IN ZURICH Despite Jannlngs' Angel") ■ here. Eichber xen Im Hearts in tablished run of 11 Zurich, June 3. heavy exploitation, Emil "Der Blaue Engel" ("Blue only lasted three weeks g-Atlas' talker, "Drei Her- Dreivierteltakt" ("Two Three-quarter Time") es- a local record-breaking weeks. London, May 23. James Bryson is back with prints of "All Quiet" and "King of Jazz." "Vagabond King" at Carlton do- ing around 25% less than "Love Parade" was doing when it closed. "Rogue Song" holding up for one long week only and not so hot at that. British Fllmcraft, having had a winding up order made on petition of debenture holders this week, now claims change of mind and going into meiger with George Pearson's companies, British Screen and Ar- gosy. This is not the "Journey's End" George Pearson, but a son of John Pearson, former ■ British head of Vitagraph and now with Warner Bros. Lot of blah floating around again abotit United Artists and a West End theatre. On paper they have been sold • the Adelphl, Shubert house on the ■ Strand, only U. A. doesn't know it. Anyway, so far there's no deal for anything, but a lot of dickering. A. E. Abrahams still flirting with that Rupert street-Shaftesbury avenue .site. Had a pash for a Frith street-Shaftesbury avenue site some years ago to build a Florida theatre decorated In Californian style. Abels a great lad for Art with a capital, is Abe. Discovered—Marie Dressier When Marie Dressier had been here a week Metro discovered it and threw her a press lunch. Since Marie's last episode Iti London she's (Continued on page 56) Foreign Alibi for Hops Paris, June 3. Phocea Films and Grandes Pro- ductions Cinematographiquea, both producers in Mar.seilles, have begun criminal proceedings following the collapse of . their joint Paris dis- tribution agency. Companies disclose that 'losses from the enterprise totaled $240,- 000 and make charges of misman- agement. Terra s Deficit/$149,000 Vienna, June 3. Terra Films Co.'.s net loss for 1929 Is placed at $149,000. Usual "Talker Blues" is the financial theme song. FLOPS IN AUSTRALIA Sydney, June 3. Illustrating the low state to which the legit theatre has declined, Edith Taliferro Is a good deal of a flop In "Let Us be Gay." Piece is current at the Criterion, Sydney. "Love Lies," musical at the Royal, Sydney, Is regarded as having but a email chance. Meeting in Zurich Zurich, June 3. American film producers, includ ing Western Electric, will discuss here later this. month the working agreement with Tobis-Klangfllm, according to a dispatch from Berlin received by the Swiss- Telegrapli Agency. Big "Sokol" at Belgrade Has News Reel Angle Dutch Indifferent The Hague, June 3. "The iGodle.ss Girl"«(Pathe) is but mild at the Passage theatre. "Flaming Youth" (M-G-M) at the City, new on change of bill. Belgrade, June 3. The big film companies of America and Europe ore competing for the rights to make records of the big Pan-Slav "Sokol," series of athletic contests on the order of the Avorld Olympiad, which takes place here in June. A huge stadium has been built tor the purpose at a cost of ?2,000,- 000. It is expected 250,000 people will be attracted from all over Eu- rope, as well as from the States, for the exhibition. German Wants Rights For Heavyweight Fight, And M. Schenck's Dough Berlin, Jime 3. Curtis M^lnitz, general manager of the Terra Film Compariy, sailed on the "Bremen" Saturday (31) on a double mission to the States. He wants to buy for Germany the film record of the Schmeling- Sharkey heavyweight fight in New York, June 12. Picture, according to information here, is to be made with sound effects. Melnitz' other objective' is to in- terview Jos. Schenck in an effort to take a financial interest Jn Terra productions here. McCormack Film Draws BriQiant Crowd—Liked London, June 3. A brilliant audience attended the opening at th© Prince Edward the- atre last Friday (27) of the John McCormack picture, "Song of May Heart." Picture was cordially received. Hutchinson as G-B Head London, June 3. A trade report has it that when Hutchinson, head of Fox Films in London, returns from New York June 7, he will Immediately assume charge of Gaumbnt British and Gen- eral Theatres Corporation. The latter is a subsidiary of Gau- mont British. ^Benson Case* in Spanish Hits in Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, June 3. "The Benson Case" (Par) W an all-Spanish version opened at the Cine Sulpacha here to a big recep- tion. Extremely favorable comments by the reviewers. 2d Runs Rejected by 1st Runs in Germany Making More Money Through It Paris, May 22. The paradox ot the world's film industry is Germany where it has been consistently proved that films which .the fir.st-run reject make money in the second runs and the sticks, and vice versa. Unlike America, where after the first runs the rest of the market will accept a film, in Germany, many a picture which flopped in Berlin's ace houses makes more money in the neigh- boring adjacent countries like Aus- tria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Balkan States, etc., than in the original German territory. It will mean, so far as the Amer- ican interests are concerned, plan- ning to produce for the German market, either a plan to produce for the first-runs or for the hinter- land market. In Berlin and the kindred Ger- man, metropolises, the first runs rather prefer the big spectacular American films .to their own native brand. Hence, "Der Blaue Engel" (Jan- nlngs), "Zwei Herzen In % Kertel" (operetta), and the like, are doing better outside of Berlin than in the first runs. Says Only One Cameraman Working m Germany Hollywood, June 3. According to letters received here from Henry Freullch, former FN cameraman, who went to Germany to grind a camera and get an .eye- ful of those German angles, out of 103 recognized cameramen in that country the only one working Is John Stumar, an American. After looking over the field, Freu- llch hopped a boat and started a trip which will carry him around the world. He will photograph the jaunt. Midnight Shows iUbwed Buenos Aires, June 3. Midnight performances will soon be the order here. Municipality having" just enacted a regulation permitting the theatres to remain open until 1 a. m. Old closing law formerly barred midnight shows. "Deck*' Flop in London London, June 3. "Hit the Deck" goes down as a failure at the Tlvoli. It ran two weeks. "Song of the Flame," current. CZECHS WANT NO GERMAN FILM; U. S. BREAK Paris, June 3. A break for the American talkers is seen In the strong nationalistic prejudice In Czechoslovakia against German talkers. Since the Czechs' independence, their antipathy to anything German has been strongly»manife.<5ted, tak- ing its most recent turn with a semi-official embargo against Ger- man talkers as that language alone, outside of the native Czech, is gen- erally understood throughout the new republic. The alleged re-Germanizing of Czechoslovakia where even the former German cities have aban- doned street signs in the German language, caused a demonstration at the Galleries where a shooting occurred. As part of Paramount's extensive international talker production pol- icy, with a $2,000,000 production budget to test all tongues and all nations, a talker in Czech, or with dialog sequences in that tongue, is being planned "for pyjduction here at Paramount Joinville studios. GERMAN NOVEUST AS AID IN METRO STUDIO Berlin, June 3. Mero has engaged Walter Hasen- clever, widely read German novelist He will be assigned to Hollywood as a literary aid In the making of Germaji language talking versionfe. 2 German Films in Amsterdam Moderate Amsterdam, June 3. Local film trade moderate but quite good compared to the very tough legit situation' In the Nether- lands.' Richard Tauber's talker (Ger- man), "Ich Glaub' Nie" at the Gnahd, Rotterdam, excellent, and In 2d week. Tuschinskl, here, has "Wedding March" (Par), moderate biz and ditto press reaction; Rembrandt holds Ufa's "The Wrecker." also moderate. Marie's in Berlin Berlin, June &k Marie Dressier, the M-G-M scree* comedienne, here. Vacationing strictly. ,•■ Grafton's Poor Try London, June 3. Grafton, a small house formerly used for pictures, opened May 28 with a program of sketches. Initial bill was disappointing and house will have to get better ma- terial to attract business. Principal item on this program was the bne- acter, "The Searcher,' done in the States some time ago. Menjou's Next in France Paris, June 3. Pathe-Natan holds . option on Adolphe Menjou for another talker. , .Eox-ofllce success of "Mon Gosse du Pere" will force Menjou back to Paris for another picture, also di-. rerted by Jean de Limur. Menjou, engaged to Paramount for foreign version.S, will have to take time out for P-N here. HoDywood vs. Europe Pari.s, May 22. The battle of Hollywood versus Europe (Paris, Berlin or London) for foreign version talkers will be decided very shortly, aver the Amer- ican distributors on this side^who believe that ultimately the Amer- ican technique must win out. On the other hand, the instance of "Mon Gosse du Pere" ("My Childish Fathei"")—Menjou's—made here by Pathe-Natan, as against Metro's "Spectre Vert" ("Green Spook"), (Continued on page 9S) Dming Foreigners Hollywood, June 3. A dinner-dance In honor of cor- respondents for foreign newspapers will be held June 10 in the Hotel Biltmore. Studios will co-operate as hosts. Present will be 14 correspondents now touring the country under the wing of the Carnegie Foundatiom> THE 6th ANNUAL Internationai Number Will Be Issued During JULY, NEXT Advertising copy at far away points from New York City should be for- warded as quickly as convenient to 44 VARIETY" NEW YORK CITY, U. S. A. V