The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-20
The Soviet Unions Cinema Industry

A N infant industry worth watching
"A is the Russian motion picture in.
dustry. For the present its capital is
"a shoestring," compared with the
mountain Of gold with which Mr..
Hayes proteges operate. It's chances
OF getting more money thru film ex-
port seems as tho it were impossible,
considering the firm hold the Amerl-
can movies have on the public and pic
ture-house owners the world over.
The Sovkino (Soviet KinoJ, the unit
ed distributing trust of the seven pro-
ducing companies now making pic
lures, news, educational, spectacular
and dramatic is worth watching.
Great Interest In Movies.
The interest in kino in Russia to.
day-like all the Russian interests-is
very great. Nobody is content to take
quiet, dilletante interests. The Rus
sian studios are full of workers, who
talk dreams Of expansion and produc-
ton that make Hollywood seem un.
ambitious.
"Well, for one thing" said a re-
porter on one of the many Russian
kino magazines, "tho we may not be
able to sell our Russian-made pictures
for while, certainly we are the COM
ing market for pictures. Before the
revolution we had only five or six hun
bred cinema theaters in all Russia.
But we are the nation with the audi
ence. Millions of eyes! Since the
revolution we have built upwards Of
1000 small cinemas in the workmen's
and peasants clubs, in army headquar-
ters, and in schools. We will continue
the practice that was part Of our prop
uganda in the early days of the revo-
luton, of having motion pictures in
boxcars that educate the peasants in
the most remote railway points about
the new way of life"
Russia's Natural Advantages.
When asked if Russia had any nat
ural advantages for picture making
that would Offset the lack of capital,
he repliedb "Certainly, for our theater
has the most magnificent tradition in
the world of repertory and character
acting. We are not bound to the
American wheel, the pretty girl. We
have the material for vast spectacles.
Our producing companies are not
overburdened with the vested inter
ests of star-salaries. The play and the
whole company can be the thing"
The only Russian films SO far shown
In the United States are Polikusha.
portions of reels made Of Lenin's
funeral and Of Third international con-
crosses sold to American news reels,
and a few badly made propaganda
reels sold to labor organizations. Pic
lures of the Moscow-Tokio flight are
shortly to ~ released by Pathe. Mr..
Leon Zamkavoy. who has been in New
York for some time with the Amptorg
Corporation, making a report on Amer
lean films for Russian purchase, has
returned to Moscow. He will be one
of the chief participants in the recep-
ton which the Russian cinema indus
try plans to extend Douglas Fairbanks
and Mary Pickford. who are being
shown in the biggest motion picture
house on the Tverskaia in "The Thief
of Bagdad."
Charlie Chaplin, who was adored as
friend of the Soviets during the
early days Of the revolution, has died
down, and is not much in demand.
His newer films have not been shown.
The Chaplin interests demanded too
large price and the loving myth OF
Charlie of the masses" has given way
to an impression that the hero Of other
days is a merchant no more generous
than the rest of the outside world
Work on Many Films.
The Soviet producing companies~are
working on many films, dramatic and
scenic. Two companies are in the far
north taking pictures of life along the
White Sea, with tundra. reindeer, Lap
landers, etc, and one is in Siberia with
polar exploration expedition.
or the many films made in celebra-
ton OF the twentieth anniversary OF
the 1905 revolution there are several
showing the historical events which
took place in st. Petersburg. Moscow
and other centers. 1t is shown to the
music Of new compositions, "The Red
Engine Driver" "rhe Siren of Revolu-