The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

Special Cable TO TIM New York HBRALp
Copyright, 1873, BY THE NEW YoRK HEaALp
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin. Feb. Z.
The warm reception given In Amer
lea to Germany's leading motion pic
ture director. Ernst Lubitsch. who has
Just returned to Berlin. is interpreted
by the German Aim industry as a
great triumph. Lubitsch Is reported to
have concluded an agreement with the
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
and another American organization.
He will henceforth be responsible only
to the American combine and will en-
Joy freedom Of action In the choosing
Of his subjects. the staging of his
productions and the personnel Of his
casts. He is full Of admiration and
praise for the technical development
and the general standard OF American
film production.
In an interview he declared that he
would commit grave mistake II he
were to try to produce films with Ameri-
can subjects. Americans. Lubitsch said.
expected the films imported from abroad
to have an exotic interest. As an ex-
ample of this he pointed TO his latest
production "Pharaoh's Daughter" which
he says met with the full approval Of
with particular pride that even the in
habItants Of Sing Sing prison had adj
mred his productions Passion" and
Deception" which were shown at the
prison. The convicts, he said. made
him an honorary member Of their prison
club
Lubitsch IL particularly impressed
with tho efficient technical and exhibit
ing organization Of the American indus
try. He believes that the musical ac-
compartment which Is a valuable fea-
ture Of American film productions re-
ceives much more attention in America
than in Germany. and he urges that the
American example should be followed.
Managers of German motion picture
houses whose orchestras consist Of three
or four musicians, he said, should learn
lesson from their American colleagues.
The low rate Of the mark and the
success of Lubitschs productions In
America have set the German film pro-
ducers to thinking. All are trying to
produce films At for export to the
United States
Cne OF the EbL"Sl AtOHB tHiS llHc
Is "Fridericus Rex" which consists Of
three parts and deals with the life of
Frederick the Great The principal part
Is played by the well known actor Otto
Gebuehr, who bears q striking resem-
blance to the Prussian King. Some OF
the scenes are laid In Frederick's orig
iral Palace Of Sans Souci at Potsdam.
we'll known to tourists. where all the
historic rooms in their original state
serve as a background.
The battle scenes are enacted by 49,
900 soldiers Of the German Reichswehr.
all wearing appropriate uniforms the
models for which were supplied by the
Military Museum of Berlin. Original
cannon and flags were borrowed from
the museum. At the premier OF this
film the goosestep Of Frederick's Grena-
diers evoked vociferous applause from
the audience.
Meanwhile Berlin's motion picture
theatre owners are In the throes Of a
fight for Iife. as the new municipal
taxes threaten to throttle tho industry.
At q recent meeting OF German film deal
ers and cinema owners It was decided
to "use all possible and impossible
means" to fight the new tax. Thus while
the temperature Of the discussion rose
to the boiling point tho Egyptian tenn
pies and sphinxes Of the film city OF
Steglitz near where "Pharaoh's Daush-
ter" was filmed. stood as silent witnesses
to the frozen condition OF the industry
as merry school children slid past them
on their sleds In the coldest weather
known In twenty years.