A "MOVIE" MAGNATE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3027, 14 March 1917, Page 9

A "MOVIE" MAGNATE

' v ' MR. LORIMORE IN WELLINGTON . AN ENGLISHMAN IN AMERICA r Mr. Alec. Ixmmoro, the picture magnate, who represents two nnd a half iniljlions of dollars in picture corporations, Js an Englishman. This scarcely seems possible in those days of the all-ner-,Tading hustler from America, who appears to be nativo to the films, but, nevertheless, the fact remains. Ho as a type of the best kind of Englishman, quiet yet genial, amiable yet jalect, unostentatious yet commanding jone's attention without any effort to ■no so. Hβ is a native of London, with five- and a half years' experience of ilAnierica, the first part ot which he epent editing a C.P.R. magazine in ialoritroal. Thoii ho was called on to xindertako publicity work with an American picture company ; was associated, with the meteoric rise of tlu , . Gauwont Co., Wm. Fox, and Tlibs. liin'o. 3"o quota himself, he seemed to stumble on success. Inside three monflis of his departure' from Montreal lie was managing tho Gaumont interests'(their ffiiuiotto is still ono of tho features of Kfianctom). ki "'*' was - t ' 10 ■''' r^l, <;'" nen t»ught juio Americans the picture business. jCiaumont and I'athb were onco the |Jiead and front of tho business,' but Vthero was all the' old-world conservatism pu their business blood. They wero [afraid to opon out and spend money. lwhero_ they would spend 1000 dollars bn a film, tho Americans would spend 10,000 dollars, and as the business dcVeloped the imagination of the American expanded hlso a flower, and ho spent millions to mako tens of inilflions, whilst the ■ Frenchmen photoferaphed the life of a rose. Then I Wins with "Wm."Fox when he had threo [little exchanges,, dealing in anyone's Jfilnis in 1914, since when he has advanced by giant strides, and done some big things. 1 remember the first film he mado," said' Mr. Lorimore; "It was called 'A Fool There Was," and it was none too good when they looked it over. ■ So a film doctor was called 311, and he trimmed it here aiid there, wnd worked in two or threo : extra tsceues, and it turned out'to he one' of she records of tho season." '

!■/ Taking a Walk Round. i "I am only out here to take a walk Jrourid Australia 'and New Zealand, representing tho Famous Players-La sky [Corporation, and also tho Artcrafts -Corporation, wliich handles the Mary STickford super-features. ' These corporations have a capital of 22J- million dolllara, with headquarters on Fifth fA-renue, New York, probably tho most fcalatial suite of offices in the world, jttvith an organisation. as nearly perfection as one can imagine. They handle /thirty producing companies of the best picture players known.to the world. . ', "These are located for the post part in Los Angeles, with some Working in New York, and one at Honolulu. Our idea is to. bring out .in, company to Australia and New Zealand, and produce stories .by local authors. The American scenario-writer jwould be at sea over here, so wo would {have to get local writers' to do' scenarios Kn order to get in local colour, and tlie Spirit of the people and the place. ' So g expect Mr..Cecil De Mille, our progiucer at Honolulu, will cqme along' a aittle later, and work the camera over ja lot of new Kround. The nicturos Would not bo restricted to stories with B Now Zealand flavour, but the magriitent scenery this country bnasts, and tbe finn. industrial and forming nicturps that offer are really good material, and ff>laerd nn our programmes in Amerion Should do these'countries a lot of good. ■iWo did South A morion in tlm.fc. wny. at Panama, and tnb'ng jTPoplo visual motor trips j n C.iO\;i, jißrazil, tho Argentine. Pen:, and Chile, fwe-wero. responsible for ? nig'accossinir l+o- the touript. traffic, What wealtliv iNew York,- Boßton, ..Washinp-ton, and vhicatro poonln bad.seon on tlie serpen They immediately wanted to see actually.

: It Pays to Advertise! ; "What do the 7,000,000 people in New Oork know of New Zealand? They 'Imay have at one timo seen a still picture of a Maori, and they may not be as educated as that, but show than iithe wonders of • your. scenery, ■the fascinating thermal country, and the elastic glories of your Cold Lake district, jand they begin to realise that America Us only a part o£ the world. I can 'speak with authority because I have lectured through England on behalf of the C.P.R., and know tho value of a moving picture incidental to a programme as compared with a picture-lec-' "ture that is an obvious advertisement. In tho latter caso it costs you money Jo get them in; in the other they pay for the' privilege of seeing it. If a Government goes about it, they pay a »ig sum to get their own pictures run through America; if wo did it we would iiso them as 'fillers,' and it wouldn't cost the Government a nickel. "Then you must havo a spur to bring tho right sort of population which Now Zealand and Australia want so badly. Ninety per cent., of tho immigrants any country gets are "rou<rh necks, , and of little good to a 'country unless changed by their environment. They emigrate usually, for one of two reasons, one because they havo to get out for some reason or other, and, if not that, they are people who Jiave not made good. The man who makes good is generally satisfied to stay where he is, but that is the class of man who is required in Australasia— not tho waster or. the 'get-«ut-or-get-under' type of man. ;

! Prejudice Against Englishmen. 1 "Do you know that is the root reason for the prejudice against Englishmen in Canada and tho United States? 1 know, because I have been through Jt all, and can speak as an English-', man ' The avcrago immigrant from England is the man who has had to leave his own country because ho has not made good there, or possibly there lias been Something shady in his past that shrieked for a change of climate. Jhen he goes to the States, and with a certain British arrogance attempts to teach the. American how to run hisbusiness; or he goes to Canada, and nates to get up at 3 a.m. and work till sunset, but. is not averse to telling the Canadian how to grow wheat. In panada tho average Englishman makos Himself resented; in New York he is simply ridiculed! But I want to say this, that tho right sort of Englishman —the man who docs make good—is not only wanted but sought after, bocauso of his steadiness, and absolute intogrity. That j s w |, y so many | )|lr positions of trust in the States arc held by Englishmen."