BRITISH FILMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 226, 24 September 1929, Page 8

BRITISH FILMS.

NEW REGULATIONS.

EXHIBITORS INDIGNANT.

DICTATION RESENTED.

Auckland picture theatre exhibitors are not greatly concerned about the Government regulations governing the screening of British films, but they are indignant that they should be dictated to regarding what pictures they will show.

"We are not greatly concerned about the establishment of the quota," said Mr. Thomas O'Brien, general manager of O'Brien Theatres, this morning. "But we are doubtful whether British producers will bo able to make sufficient talkies. They have been promising to do so for some years, but so far they have not carried their schemes into effect. Lately, however, we have seen one or two feature films and several short films that were quite good."

Tho best British subject for talkies seen so far was "The Black Watch," continued Mr. O'Brien. It was a surprising fact that all the actors were British, yet the film was made by Americans.

"If tho British producers get down to business, and give us pictures with real entertainment value, it will be a good thing for New Zealand," remarked Mr. O'Brien. "We have always wanted good British pictures, but Britain could never supply the goods. Britain has the artists who have been properly trained in stage technique, which is such a valuable asset for tho talkies. The essentials for a talkie are a clever story, and good stage-trained artists with well-recorded English speech. Just as it will be necessary for the English to avoid nasty county accents, so it is essential for the Americans to avoid their twang. However, with the quota, we don't anticipate any difficulty so long as the British producers supply the goods." Entertainment Value the Test. The new regulations come into force on October 1. In effect they will mean that exhibitors for the first year will have to show 5 per cent of British pictures, which will mean three pictures in 53 weeks. The ratio increases by stages of 2i per cent until 20 per cent is reached, and by 1939 New Zealand picture theatres will be showing ten British films a year.

" The success of the quota does not depend on legislation, but entirely on whether Britain can produce pictures with real entertainment value," stated Mr. O'Brien, "and on past performances it is very doubtful whether their pictures will be a success. They still maintain that they can produce good films, but it is the old, old story."

Mr. O'Brien touched on censorship. He said there had been a good deal of talk about the necessity for more censorship. If more censorship was enforced it would mean that exhibitors would have to pay more fees, the expenses would be greater, and higher charges would have to be made to the public for their entertainment. " The public are excellent judges, and there is no need for further censorship," said Mr. O'Brien. "People criticise a talkie film, and say that they do not like so and so's accent, but they forget that the artists talk to suit the part they are playing. Where a Cockney appears it is not likely that he will speak with a polished Oxford accent." "Like Buying Pyjamas." "We have always taken up the attitude that the Government should not tell us how to run our business. v We object strongly to that," commented Mr. Phil Hayward, general manager of Ful-ler-Hayward Theatres. "But we are not greatly affected, because -we are already screening well over the quota number. In the last 10 years we have shown 12£ per cent of British pictures, and the drop in receipts for all British films during that period was 17J per cent. During the last three years we have shown a minimum of 12J per cent of British films."

Mr. Hayward said: his firm objected strongly to being forced by law, because they were already showing more than the stipulated number of films. They had promised the last Government that they would do so, and they had carried out their promise. Mr. Hayward did not think that any Government should dictate to the public. It was just like going into a shop to buy half a dozen pairs of pyjamas and being told that you had to buy two pairs of English and four American.

"However, the indications are that next year, we will have a fair selection of British pictures," concluded Mr. Hayward, "and it is quite likely that the standard will be very good."