The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-20
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDNELL DENNY

DL LUZ " ELL JENNY
Copyright, scripps-Howard Newspapers.
1921
KXTASHINGTON, Oct 2O.-The
w $1O0,0OO,OOO American film ex-
port trade is in danger of being
talked to DEATH
1t is one thing to sell movies to
Hottentots, Hindus, Hollanders,
British. Berliners, and Brazilians.
because the silent film speaks q
universal language. But what good
is an American talkie to any but
Yankee audience?
The English-speaking countries
are offended by our so-called dialect.
And the other peoples of the world
cannot begin to understand our
sound pictures.
The United States is selling about
250000,000 feet of film abroad an
pually. But the sudden shift of
Hollywood from a movie to a talkie
basis has created an entirely new
problem in the formerly lucrative
business Of foreign distribution.
The obvious devise of providing
different language Accomplishments
for each film has the equally obvious
disadvantage Of eliminating most
of the profits of the by-product
trade. Though there are no accur-
ate figures, general estimates of the
annual value of that trade range
from $75,0oO,OOO to $10O,OO0,O0O.
n
THIS talkie complication comes
l. at a bad moment, when other
factors also are working for destruc-
ton of our foreign film trade Those
factors are;
/. Increased competition from
native companies abroad.
2. Formation Of international
trusts or exchange agreements by
European producers to combat
| American invasion.
3. Discriminatory foreign laws and
regulations aimed directly against
American pictures.
4. Propaganda of foreign officials,
newspapers and business men,
against our movies.
This last factor is the most inn
portant, because it is back of the
others. And it also is the reverse
side of the picture of what has been
so beneficial to America.
That is, the chief commercial
value Of our film exports is not the
direct return, but their invaluable
advertising for American products
Of all kinds. This is attested I'M
animously by reports of American
consuls and exporters.
1t explains in large part the pre-
ferred position in foreign countries
Of Yankee products, as widely varied
as automobiles and shoes, plumbing
fixtures and chewing gum.
IN the postwar period, in which
such trading nations as Great
Britain and Germany are striving
almost, as the price of survival to
regain their foreign trade captured
by the United States during the
war, this foreign advertising ad-
vantage of American goods is deeply
resented.
That resentment eXplodes when
British, German and French man
ufacturers find American products
Of all kinds cutting into their home
markets, because attendance of their
countrymen and countryWomen at
American films has created tastes
and demands for the things worn
and used by Hollywood stars
A DDED to this commercial reac-
IN ton is the cultural resentment
against the Americanization of
what they consider their superior
civilization by the so-called bar
barism Of American .thrillers.
To meet The alleged American
commercial and cultural menace,
British and continental rovie pro-
ducers this year have made a Sc
ries Of production and Institutional
agreements In anticipation Of win
ming the European cinema market
from the Yankees, these firms are
increasing their output from 450 to
500 films, and increasing produce
ton costs from $17000000 to
$27, 100000 this year.
In this movie war foreign firms
are backed by their governments,
which in many cases have restricted
the number of ratio Of American
films imported or used by exhibitors.
Great Britain, France and italy
have led in these restrictions.
The full effect of the Italian ban
will begin next year. The French
government is reported unwilling to
renew the compromise agreement
made last spring with the Ameri-
can movie car, viii Hays, which
expires in June.
With this anti-American move
ment Just beginning, our film export
fell off 100000 feet in the first
half of 1928, compared with the
similar period of 1927. The drop was
heavy in our largest market, Austria
LA, which is being forced to favor
British films,
During the first six months of
this year Australia took 100000
feet of American films; Great Brit
ain, $500, 900; Germany, 100000,
and France, 100000.