* -. •. '"A#»| WednesdaV^rch*!^ l&if LATIN AMERICA — FILMS 3r BUSTY ISABEL AND HER W (FOR WORLD B.O.) 'Hostages': Fresh — As Headlines SIMPLISTIC SEX AS Hollywood's 'Nosotros' Group Cardona Trio Preps 'Amazons' — Lashes Out At Emasculation of 'Guyana' ;T Seeks Screen, Tube Casting For Mexico City. tions that they were being har­ By PETER BESAS About the biggest Mexican pro­ assed by the CIA and efforts to es­ Buenos Aires. Hispanos, Not Just As 'Heavy' ducer making product geared to the tablish liaisons with Soviet Russia. Armando Bo is an example, par world market is Real Productions, excellence, of an Argentinian film Latin Theatre Census Los Angeles. which last year produced "Guy­ maverick. For 18 years he has been Following are the estimated "Nosotros" is the Spanish word ana, the Crime of the Century," dis­ Guastella Produces making films with his leading lady numbers of theatres in key Lat­ for "we." It is also the name of an tributed in the U.S. by Universal. Isabel Sarli which have probably in republics. Los Angeles-based actors' and di­ Director Rene Cardona Jr. and been seen by more people in more Argentina, 1,450 rectors ' association made up of per­ producer Alfonso Lopez Negrete Blurbs In San Juan places in the world than any other Chile, 120 sons of Spanish-speaking origin have now completed a new fresh- San Juan. Argentinian product. Brazil, 3,000 that is seeking to improve the im­ as-headlines item titled "Hos­ Film production for video spots Bo is alternately laughed at and' Bolivia, 90 age of Hispanos on the screen. tages." Screenplay concerns ter­ and theatrical advertising is perk­ applauded in his own country, since Colombia, 1,000 Nosotros is trying to promote acting rorists who kill ex-dictator of an ing in Puerto Rico, opined Ed- his films are often unabashedly Ecuador, 260 employment opportunities for His­ Arab country. Though some paral­ uardo Zayas who runs the New simplistic, his plots directly based Mexico, 2,700 panos. It even trains its members in lels exist with the Yank hostage York office of Guastella Film Pro­ on showing female pulchritude and Paraguay, 250 theatre workshops. situation in Iran and the deposed ducers Inc. owned by Roberto his budget often a shoestring. But Peru, 400 The non-profit organization was Shah, Cardona stated that pic did Guastella. . Bo has a special knack which Venezuela, 650 founded about 10 years ago by ac­ not mean to portray the recent poli­ Zayas refers to about 350 com­ makes his films popular with aud­ tor Ricardo Montalban and it now tical happenings, but rather to pre­ mercials a year, shot mostly in iences. They are his and Isabel has some 250 members, including sent the worldwide concern with Puerto Rico and New York for the Sarli's audiences and they have performers of Cuban, Mexican and the modern era crime of taking Hispano market for such top labels kept faith with him through the Maxifilm, Distrib, Puerto Rican backgrounds. Prez is political hostages as MacDonald's, Campell, Scott, years. Armando Bo has done well Jerry G. Velasco, and veep is "Hostages" toplines Stuart Whit­ Colgate, Bulova and others. .This economically in films, though he James Espinoza. man, Marisa Mell, Gianni Machia, was a leap of about 30% over 1978. started out as a humble, untutored Expands As Exhib In a Variety interview, Espinoza Antonella Interlengui, Paco Rabal, TV Prod. Growth film assistant. Buenos Aires. clarified: "Basically Nosotros is for Victoria Vega and Hugo Stiglitz. Part of the increase, said Zayas, "Bo" often spells "b.o." in any­ Maxifilm, Argentinian dis­ Hispanos, but we also have blacks Minority coproducers are Herald was due to the growth of local tele­ thing he touches, because he is in tributor company headed by Dr. and Anglos. If they are serious Films (Rome) and Lotus and Izaro vision production in Puerto Rico, touch with popular tastes. Given the Emilio Gutierrez as president, about helping, they can join. Films in Madrid. Pic was lensed in which includes soapers, variety sort of films he has made, Bo not Monica Wiebel, as director, and Video Actors English, Spanish and Italo ver­ shows, talk and news programs. A surprisingly has been one of the Ricardo Wulicher as manager is "The bulk of our members are sions in Puerto Rico. Budget was primetime spot in San Juan now staunchest defenders of freedom in planning to expand operations into film and video actors and ac­ about $2,000,000. costs about $750. Zayas added that film and has fought a running bat­ the exhib sector and last Decem­ tresses, but there are also some di­ 'Treasure of Amazon' the outfit had also been selling its tle with the censors ever since he ber bought property in centre of rectors. Basically our activities are product to Venezuela, Guatemala made his first pic "El Trueno Entre Real is now readying another town (Calle Tucuman and Carlos confined to the Los Angeles area, and Santo Domingo. las Hojas" (Thunder Between the film titled "The Treasure of the Pellegrini) to build a new duplex. but this year we hope to go na­ Guastella product unspools on Leaves). Since then he has made 30 Amazons" concerning gold-pros­ Theatres, skedded to be ready by tional. We've also made some con­ Puerto Rican screens via variety more features, including "Fuego," pectors in the late 1940s in South March 1981, will be called Maxi 1 tacts with Puerto Rico, but mostly and news shorts called "Cine "Carne," "Fiebre" and "La Diosa America. It's expected to roll in and 2 with seating capacity of 1,000 through political and artistic Revista" and "Cine Periodico" Virgen." June with an international cast. Lo­ and 1,200. groups. Most of us are Mexican- which are shown on the island's 98 In an interview with Variety, cation shooting may be done in Banner meanwhile marketed Americans." theatres, with attendance averag­ Armando Bo let loose clusters of nine features last year, mostly Ecuador. Cardona and three others Espinoza emphasized that Noso­ are presently working on script and ing about 125,000 a week. Guastella bons mots and some very person­ French and Italo product, but also tros' members were not seeking hope to get a Yank "coproducer" set up his company about 15 years alized views on filmmaking and the "The Martian Chronicle" and "The work in the Spanish-lingo film and involved in the project. ago. The commercials in cinemas industry as a whole. Legacy." Titles lined up for release video markets, which are very Shooting sked would require began in 1961. Isabel As In Sex this year so far include "The Water limited, but in English. three to four weeks in the Amazon "To forbid one of our pictures in Babies," "Double Negative," region, followed by two weeks in the Argentina," he quipped, "is almost "Comandos de la Muerte," "The "For too long now the Hollywood Chapas jungles in Mexico and then N.Y/S FILM ELEMENTS a matter of snobbery. Now that the Border" and "She." Syndrome has ignored us. We're some scenes in Acapulco and stu­ National Film Institute is handing Manager Ricard Wulicher told part of the American way of life. dios at Churubusco in Mexico City. CATERS TO LATINS out credits, there are loads of films Variety that Maxifilm plans to re­ But the only time we get a part is Banner has also recently pro­ Among New York laboratories a that never open. The only time I got lease 28 features in 1980. when we're cast in a gang, or as a duced four pix for local market ti­ principal contact with Latin film­ government aid was for 'Amor en Top Maxi grossers in 1979 were bandit or a prostitute. We don't tled "Verano Salvaje," "Johnny makers is Film Elements, run by Tierra de Fuego,' which I made ac­ "La Clef Sur La Porte" which sold mind doing those parts, too, as long Chicano," "Burlesque" and "El Alex Goldstein, as president and cording to the rules and which was over 150,000 admissions, Claude (Continued on page 44) Mundo Clandestine del Aborto." Harvey Quintal, as exec veep. They released without cuts. But that's not Chabrol's "Blood Relatives"- and Chides Universal set up operations in 1972. what the public wants. The public local pic "La Isla." Maxifilm re­ wants to see Isabel in sex scenes." TAXISTA MILL0NARI0' Anent the recently-released Gu­ Said Quintal: "Contacts with La­ leases through the SAC circuit. yana film, Cardona was most cri­ tin filmmakers has been on the in­ Bo then reminisced: "When we Stake Out Theatres FOR U.S. VIA COL PICS crease and this year we expect to be did our first pix 18 years ago they tical of the version that Universal "In our first year of operation," Columbia Pictures Spanish Di­ doing more biz with them than ever threw the book at us. I remember in had distribbed in the U.S., which, he affirmed Wulicher, "we were in the vision in New York City has picked before. At present we're on the 1959 they hauled us into the police felt, had emasculated all explica­ black. For this year we've invested up distribution of "El Taxista Mil- verge of opening our own lab station to play the little piano (take tory and controversial ingredients about $1,000,000 in product and lonario" produced by Centauro facilities in the building which will fingerprints). Four criminal of the film. Said Cardona: Films in Bogota, per pic's helmer do all printing and developing." charges were lodged against us. we're quite optimistic, some of the "I completely agree with the bad Gustavo Nieto Roa. Item will play­ However I don't consider my pix (Continued on page 48) reviews my film got in the U.S. I More Involved off in Hispano circuits of U.S. pornography. When I started, would have been even more cri­ The exec added that lab has been everyone wanted to see Isabel, Span Of N.Y. Sets 7 Nieto Roa, who was in Gotham tical after the mutilations carried doing biz for three to four years with wanted to see voluptuous Isabel, for post-production on "Amor out by Universal. You can't take customers from Peru, Venezuela her fabulous physique. And that's New York-based Span Films ex­ Ciego" toplining Jaime Moreno and away the 'why' of the situation and and Bolivia and plans to get more still the case. But the censors ... if I pects to release seven Latin films Patty Kotero, reported that "Tax­ expect it to make any sense. Pic involved in servicing for these areas showed them an overdeveloped this year, per its chief, Lawrence ista" had beat all records at Colom­ was based on questions I asked my­ and providing final soundtrack, photo in black and told them it was Lehr. The recently set-up com­ bia wickets, totalling 1,300,000 tix self about the Jonestown situation, release prints, blow-ups and Isabel Sarli they'd prohibit it. But if pany will release Spanish pic "La sold in first two months of release in but Universal wanted to "smooth negatives. others rob and kill and do mayhem, Menor," directed by Pedro Maso on six cities. over" the crime, which can't be "Biz has been perking to such an then it's OK." April 4 in the Miami area in a mul­ "Amor Ciego" is due to open in done. They thought it would be extent," added Quintal, "that we're tiple release, following in New York Bogota on May 1. Set to roll next more commercial that way. I made opening an office in Lima, called A World Marketeer in late April and Chicago and Los week is a new untitled tuner with the film as a kind of protest, but all Film Elements del Peru. We hope As a maverick, I3o doesn't feel Angeles markets in late May. Claudia de Colombia, Julio Ale- that part was cut out. Perhaps Uni­ to increase coverage in Peru, Ven­ himself a part of the general Ar­ Lehr has also acquired Maso's man, Jaime Moreno and Amparo versal felt it might have been too ezuela, Colombia, Chile, Central gentinian film scene. "We have no­ "La Miel" for U.S. Hispano piay- Grisales. Centauro has so far pro­ critical of U.S. society.,Since it's a America and Puerto Rico. We have thing to do with films here," he as­ off; and plans to preem item late duced four features. Their "Es- touchy subject, they took the eas­ the impression of a simmering serted, adding that in 1967 when he fall or Christmas. Going nation­ posas en Vacaciones" will preem in iest route. What was interesting in cauldron, and if we play it right it'll was in jail for having insulted a cen­ wide in the summer will be "Las Caracas on April 9 via the Em- the pic were the questions people become a big market for us. One sor, not a single film personality of­ Colocadas." Partner in Span Films presa Cines Unidos distribbery. asked about the Guyana suicides." problem has been communica­ fered him a helping hand or had a is Steve Florin. Previously Nieto Roa had four- Apparently deleted from the U.S. tions, so we've set up a telex in our good word to put in for him. Though "There has been tremendous walled his product in the U.S. but version of the film were the opening office in Lima." there was a journalist, Isidro Gab­ neglect of the Latin market in the henceforth plans to work thru re­ scenes in San Francisco in which Film Elements processed three riel, who came to his aid. The film in U.S.," opined Lehr. "Our aim is to gular distribs. Jones explains to his congregation features over the latter half of 1979. question was "La Mujer de mi distrib high quality fare, using high Also slated is a film to be shot in the reasons for leaving the U.S. as Quintal and Goldstein expect biz at Padre." budgeted ad campaigns. Mean­ Miami, New York and LA, using well as later references to the col­ least to double this year with the "Then under Lanusse," he went while we're looking for product thesps from all three Hispano eth­ ony's socialistic practices, men­ Latins. (Continued on page 44) from all Latin areas." nic areas.