Variety (Jun 1930)

e "VARIETY'S" PARIS OFFI€E ' Paris Building, 15 Boulevard des If aliens FOREIGN FILM NEWS Cable Address: VARINEW$, PARIS Central 01-57; Louvre, 52-15 22,700 Film Houses with Total Seating Capacity of llj Large Theatres 75% of Seats ^Although the number of picture theatres or accounts in this country using film has increased 5,000 dur- ing the last 10 years, the total seat- ing capacity for that period has more than doubled. Guardians of the inside figures state that the phe- ■ncmenal increase in capacities as against number, of film accounts is <lue to erection in past decade of many, theatres larger than five or JO of the type built 15 ye.ars back. ■ Through one of the most detailed checkups ever made of the country, conducted through the 32 Film Boards of Trade for the Hays' or- ganization and directly with larger' -circuits and operators, plus consid- erable verification, the number of picture theatres or accoui>ts now Is placed at 22,700. The approximate sum total of veats figured by the Hays' organiza- tion and based on complete surveys of several states to get average, is given in round figures as 11,000,000. While that number of seats for as inarty as 22,700 theatres (or film ac- counts) to most showmen sounds low because th© average capacity would be only 490, statisticians an- swer this by declaring that there is a preponderance of indie houses seating as low as 200 seats. Following receipt of Film Board (Continued ori page 44) Music Rights Come Up In S. A. Over Talker Buenos Aires, June 10. The Ricordi Co. here held up "The Hollywood ncvue" (M-G-M), alleg- ing infringement of certain music to which it holds territorial rights. Principal item objected to is a song theme alleged to infringe "Funicoli Funicula." Company is proceeding against the theatre playing the attraction and ignoring Metro in the action. Lichl W Far Away Buenos Aires, June 10.. Ben Llcht arrived here a few dajrs ago all prepared toj-epresent Sono- Art. Some sort of, clash developed with George Kalman, and his as- signment was called off. Ground of the disagreement not disclosed. PATHE-NATAN FAKING? Sound Newsreel Twice Evidences — Dubbing Parj.s, June 10. Twice in one week Pathe-Natan's sound newsreel evidenced faking of a not too skillful nature. Fox Movietone in both instances showed up P-N's sound-dubbing fake. Starting with the Melun (near Paris) bullfight for which Fox had the exclusive soundnews rights, Pathe-Natan shot it silent and dubbed the crowd noises. Sarne thing happened with the im- pressive funeral procession of Car- dinal I-ucon, shot silent, then noise dubbed but P-N forgot the most salient feature of the Fox Movietone shot, the tolling of the bell, which gave away the fake. . . $75,000TALKINGSHORTS FOR ADV. PURPOSES British Fdm Field By Frank Tilley London, June 1. Universal bumped itself hard this ■week over "All Quiet." Fixed on the IDth to put the Re- marque picture into Regal and Al- hambra simultaneously, opening June 6, with the trade-show the day before. At once a rookus. Under section B 1-a of this here Films Act, a film may only be shown before registra- tion "at a series of public exhibi- tions held at one theatre only on consecutive days." Otherwise there's a fine of $100 a day. It is an offense to book more than this one pre-release until a film has ■been registered, and it cannot be registered until it has been trade- jfhown. Not only Universal, but also As- sociated British Cinemas, operating Regal and Alhambra, seemed un- aware of the law, for the two thea- tres rushed ^cratch slides on at their Monday matinees announcing the opening date. Followed 36 hours all het up-ness, (Continued on page 39) Film of Mata Hari Hollywood, June 10. Paramount is planning to make a screen version of the life of Mata Hari, foreign woman spy shot dur Ing the war by the French. Very little authentic Information ia known, but a variety of colorful legends have sprung up. Marlene Dietrich, recently im- ported from Germany, is mentioned as the lead. Dutch for Technicolor The Hague, June 1. Metro's "The Viking," sound-syn- chronized, was the first Technicolor film show in Holland. It was rousingly received at the City here. Otherwise film biz is terribly off. The circuit houses are trying to get around things by reviving old fa- vorites and saving the newer prod- uct for the holdover. Funny German-Czecho Situation in Cz, Slavia Prague, May 29. The Czechoslovak association of Cinema Owners' annual meeting in the hotel Golden Goose heard sev- eral speakers who railed against soundfllms and talkies and were warmly applauded. One of the critics^ declared that the introduc- tion of soundfilms into Czecho- slovakia was only a trick of the film-loan concerns to make money. The public would no longer stand for this gramophone music and de- manded the return of the old form of music in the film theatres, it was stated. The theatre association adopted a resolution calling upon the Czecho- slovak government not to permit ^hibition of German soundfilms, ex- cepting in theatres calling them- selves distinctly German. To understand this amu.sing con- troversy, it must be remembered that Czechoslovakia has a Ger- man population of 3,000,000 peo- ple. German street signs are allowed only in the sections of the republic which contain German pop- ulations over 20%. A similar law applies also to the parts of the re- public :n which Hungarian, Polish or Little Russian populations form over 20% of the inhabitants. ' London, June 1. Big drive on publicity film pro- duction 'is due here as result- of Crawford's, . biggest . advertising contractors in. EuVope, advising their client.?, which include West- ern Electric, to join . in-production of 10. talker shorts, measuring up to .2,5.00 feet at a cost, of $75,000 each, to be let out cheaply, to.exhibs with propaganda note 'only intro- duced in fade-out. "Daily Mail." meanwhile, is known to be about to start on production of full length propaganda talker dealing with horse racing. Adver- tising only to be introduced ."jlightly. Films are to stand up with ordi- nary output as entertainment and mark new departure in publicity methods here. Vaude Back in U. T.'s Best Houses In Australia—Mnsic Try Failed PAR'S DUTCH TALKERS BIG IN NETHERLANDS Amsterdam, June 10. First native -tongue talkers, shorts made by Paramount in Paris, have been released at the Tuschin- ski and a terrific success. If only on linguistic appeal, the novelty of anything in the Dutch language would be a cinch click. ' "Married in Hollywood" (Fox) is successful and the French .sound- film, with brief dialog, and song sequences, "La Collier de la Reine" (Queen's Necklace) is moderate at the Rembrandt Cinema. DANISH TALKER Three Languages Sure and Maybe In Five Copenhagen, June 1. The first Danish talker in inter- national style which will be depend- ent for the world success of thie Danish talker system of Petersen and Poulsen, is now being made by Northern Sound. Film, at their studios here and in Greenland. George Schneevoigt directing Paul Richter and the Swedish star, Mona Martenson, In the leads. Talker being made in Scandinavian, Ger- man and French version, and per- haps also in Spanish and iSnglish. Film is sold in advance to Germany and France YOUNG LASKY'S SPANISH Learned It Fast in Madrid and Ad~ dressed the Radio Madrid, June 1. Jesse Lasky, Jr., son of the Par- amount Publlx v. p., is studying Spanish with groat rapidity. Some days ago he spoke by radio to all Spain and hold a conversation with a .Spanish writer about the difficul- ties of Spanl.sh. Young Lasky speaks very well with a clear prortounciation and perfectly as may judge all who .hear him. General theory here that he is being groomed for the Par Spanish business. Byrd Talker od Pop. Run The Admiral Byrd talker, "With Byrd at the South Pole," opens a pop run at the Rialto June 19. Tho following week it will go into 40 Paramount-Publix key.s, , with general relea.se throughout the .country the week after that. Fearing Vice Influences, Dutch Censor Resigns The Hague, June l,-* Fll'm-censorship is not only a weary business but it has many pit- falls, as was ventilated by the Dutch University Prof. Steger from the National Board of Film Cen- sors when sending in his resigna- tion. The motive for his retirement was that he felt he was coming under the charm of vice by all the films he had seen and especially under the influence of those which were banned by the censors. He openly confessed that if he had to carry on much longer, his moral sense might be spoilt and before getting that far, he preferred to back out. Legit in Australia Coming Back? Talkers Grow Cold; Revivals Click By Eric H. Gorrick 4 Sydney, May 20. From present indications legit is slowly but surely coming back again. Survey of many weeks indicates that this city is beginning to tire of the same type of talkers served them in the weekly change houses. I'oor bills have drawn very small grosses week after wcok. While the unemployment probloni had Something to do with tr.ade fall- ing off, it was not to the extent tlie manager,*? would have one believe. The bookers evidently are of the opinion that the talkers arc still booming and while talkers will still draw the money here, they must be good. In legit one finds that such an old timer as "The Belle of New Tfork" (Continued .on page 50) 4 "Rogue's" Tongues Hollywood, Jime 10. Metro will have Italian, German French and Spanish versions of "The Rogue Song." They will bo silent except for Tibbett'."^ songs. Opera star will sing nunTbcrs in the four different languages. 'Gay Madrid' and Students Madrid, June 10. Local authors are peeved. at Metro's "Kl Alegrc Madrid" <iit- erally meaning "Mirth of Madrid," but referring to the Novarro film, "in Gay Madrid") and its exposition of the customs of students at the University of Santiago in Galicia, Spain. Above report froni Variety's cor- respondent doesn't state whether film was released in Spain or whether advance reports are nega- tive. This refers to Ramon Novavro's talker, "In Gay Madrid," currently at the Capitol, New York. Indians as Linguists Indians in the prolog of "The Silent Enemy'J will have their words duped for the foreign market in eight languages. Paramount will insert German, French, Spanish, Polish, Italian, Portugese, Swedish and Dutch lingo into the lips of the North American tedskins. 1st All Talker in Africa Capetown, June 10. South African Theatres has just opened here the first ail-talker the- atre of non-European backing. It was "Singing Fool," with a capacity premiere. Other film houses of local owner- ship and management afound Cape- town are being rapidly wired. Sydney, June 10. Union Theatres is reintroducing- vaudeville together with stage jpres- entations in its principal iound houses_j, •'• Action follows the failure of in- creased orchestras to draw business. Present plan makes it seem like- ly that foreign acts will be of- fered from 10 to 12 weeks' tour. It is likely the U. T.'s American booking office will be reopened. CDTS IN OVERHEAD . . FOR AM: EXCHANGES London, June.JO. Tightening up by American film concerns due to reduced "income re- ceived from this side has beeii fol- lowed by reduction in operating overhead by several English branches. *■ Both Metro-Goldwyn and First National are letting several people out this week and next. UFA IN SPAIN Dickering for Spanish Thcatro Outlets Madrid, June''10. In Barcelona UFA is looking for their own house to show their films. Also in Madrid they^are dickering for a good cinema but have"been scared away at the elevated trices ^f these. Their object is to have a cinema exclusively their own, as they find difficulties in getting their films shown as American programs are preferred both in B.arcelon.iaj^ and Madrid. ■ '•Jj ''Heart's*' Dublin Opening London, June 10. Plans here are for the John Mc- Cormack picture, "Song o' My Heart," to open in Dublin the last week in July. That is Horse Show week in the Irish capital, an annual event somewhat similar to the -state fair weeks on your side. Not known whether J. J. Mc- Carthy, who is handling the film over here, will linger for this open- ing, but it is probable. This would postpone McCarthy's arrival In Hollywood until about Sept. 1. Isen Way South Buenos Aires, June <{0. Monroe Isen, Univer.sal's territo- rial chief, here on biz. Supervi-sing the Latin-American situation wlti the Missus in tow. PLAGIABISM SUIT Prague, June 1. H. R. Naek and H. Demelz, well known Czechoslovak-German au- thors, charging plagiarism against the film concern which produced the sound-film "Das I.Kickende Ziel" (Richard',Tauber). Authors chargV that the tfauber film is a copy of their comedy, "The High C." pro- duced in Prague in 1024. 1 THE 6th ANNUAL International Mer 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 64 VARIETY" NEW YORK CITY, U. S. A.