Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-10-09
Movies in Japan
By ]. R. Stoudt

] 10y J.. M SSoooI
Movies are not new to Japan.
On the contrary, they have not
only been producing their own
movies, but have also showed for
|eign pictures in their theatres.
Although the Japanese movie in
dustry is, in comparison with that
of the United States, quite young,
it has constantly developed and ex-
banded throughout its existence.
Today, through its acquisition of
modern equipment and the increas-
ed ability Of its directors and tech
nicians, the motion picture indus
try of Japan has become almost as
adroit in its capacity to produce
good movies as those picture COM
panies in the United States.
Only recently, one of the largest
of the three motion picture COM
panies in Japan sent representatives
to the United States to study the
American methods of moyje-mak-
ing. Having completed their study
in this country, they returned to
Japan and Immediately used what
they had learned in the manufac-
ture of their own movies
japanese movies may be divided
into rwo Glasses: first. those which
depict the amending struggle Of the
old feudal lords and their tribes or
clans; and second. those dealing
with the modern elements of life
in respect to story, setting, and
acting. Although it is only re-
Gently hat the japanese have taken
pains in producing the1 pictures,
they produce some fine pictures
considering their experience in this
field. Naturally, those pictures
showing the bloody sword-fights
of the early feudal lords are more
popular with the japanese than are
the modern pictures. However,
the increasing quality of the latter,
in story and acting, is con-
winning approval with the
japanese public, and hence, this
new type of picture is a rival of the
the old type in popularity.
Now, as l said before, the Japa-
not only make and produce
their own motion pictures, but
they also show foreign pictures, in
Guiding American, German, and
French movies. The striking fact
that the japanese of today would
rather see foreign pictures than
their own shows the tremendous
and almost incredible popularity
which. the foreign pictures have
received from the Japanese.
Although American and German
pictures enjoy much popularity,
the French movies are most popu-
lar of all. One reason for this, I
think, is that the majority of Jap
anese, liking comedy, get what
they want in French pictures, be-
cause almost ninety per cent of all
French pictures are humorous.
While the Japanese regard the
showing of foreign pictures an
advantage, there is one disadvant-
age which, to the foreigner, seems
quite an inconvenience. That
drawback is the length of time,
from one to three months, which
is required for an American picture
to reach the theatres'of Japan. This
is due to two reasons first, because
it takes a picture shipped from
California from ten days to two
weeks to come to Japan; and sec
ond, that once the film is in Japan,
it is held over. for quite a while be-
cause of the strict japanese censor
ship.
Sometimes, in the case of a large
and important production, the
particular picture may be shown in
Japan soon after leaving Holly
wood. An example of this is "A
Midsummer = Nights Dream