BRITISH FILMS POPULAR

Chronicle (Levin), 27 May 1946, Page 2

BRITISH FILMS POPULAR

British films have achieved such popularity in Australia that runs of eleven weeks are quite usual. Hardly any British picture runs for less than eight weeks in Sydney or Melbourne. This has been stated by Mr. Williamson, Australian representative of the- Rank- Film Group of Great Britain. Mr. Williamson, who has been in London attending the Rank World Convention, says that over 82 per cent. of all possible exhibitions in the vast territory regularly show British films, despite the often considerable difficulties of communications. For example, to get copies of a film from Mr. Williamson's Sydney office to Perth means transfer to six different trains en route. Mofe copies have to be fciade of one film than are needed in a smaller community such as Britain or the.countries of Western Europe, because " interchange between branches means a distance of 600 miles from Sydney to Melbourne, 450 miles from Sydney to Brisbarie and 500 miles from Melbourne to Adelaide. The distance from Sydney to Perth is over 3000 miles by rail. "We've found that word-of-mouth recommendation has built up British film audiences," says Mr. Williamson, '.'and this in my opinioii is the best criterion we can have of the value of British pictures." Many cinemas in Australia now have a policy of showing British ■ films j.exclusively, a policy .which they. have themselves adopted as being most successful. It is these: cinemas which are attracting new aiidiefices. "There's a new cinemagoing public growing up," says Mr. Williamson, "which will only go to a cinema if British films are showing."