1935 FILM DEAL

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 84, 3 January 1935, Page 8

1935 FILM DEAL

RKO Radio to Supply Amalgamated Theatres

A comprehensive film deal has bee/1 completed between RKO Radio Pictures (A’sia.), Ltd., and Amalgamated Theatres, Limited, covering the entire output of RKO Radio Pictures’ 1935 supply to the Amalgamated Theatres chain of theatres, comprising sixty-two theatres operating throughout New Zealand from Invercargill to WUangarei. Mr. \V. W. Duff, general manager for New Zealand of'RKO Radio Pictures (A’sia.), Ltd., and Mr. M. J. Moodabe, governing director of Amalgamated Theatres, Limited, completed the arrangements of the deal for their respective companies. The agreement represents a continuation of business association for a further period of twelve months following on 1934, during which year, Amalgamated Theatres Limited and RKO Radio Pictures (A’sia.), Ltd., were also in business association.

The Amalgamated Theatres company commenced business fifteen years agi with one theatre. During the past twelve months the company has opened ten new theatres, an activity whicn has-released £250,000 in .capital value represented by buildings, land and equipment. The lesson which the RKO Studios together with other companies have learned from recent years’ has been that pictures with no story valpe, no matter at what cost they are made, do not provide popular entertainment. One of the main considerations, therefore, in the production schedule for re- ■ lease during 1935, has been story value. This is exemplified in coming RKO pro* ductions which will be arriving in New Zealand early in the New Year, by “Anne of the Green Gables,” from the book bv L. M. Montgomery ; “Laddie, and “Freckles,” Gene Stratton Porter: “Wednesday’s Child,” from the stage play by Leopold Atlas; “Little Minister,” Sir James Barrie; “Three Musketeers,” from the book by Alexandre Dumas; “The Fountain." from tm. bok by Chas. Morgan, and She, from the book bv H Rider Haggard. In addition to production taken from world renowned books, RKO Radio Pictures have secured the screen rights to the musical productions, “Roberta” and “Gay Divorcee. Phis latter production features Fred Astaire, who is considered the world s best male eccentric dancer, and Ginger Rogers, both of whom were the stars of the RKO Radio production, Flying Down to Rio.” released during 1934 throughout New Zealand It is also proposed to release two feature length productions entirely in the new techni-colour process, Tlie first of tlie techni-colour production will be “Becky Sharp.” from the immortal classic. “Vanity Fair, ’ by William Makepeace Thackeray, and the second will possibly be the _ Ihiee Musketeers.” by Dumas. Among the stars who will appear in RKO Radio productions for the coming year are:—Katharine Kepburn. Ann‘Harding, William Powell. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, John Boles, Miriam Hopkins, Francis Lederer, Wheeler and Woolsey, and Irene Dunne. In the supporting subjects field RKO Radio programmes will inelude coloured cartoons, Toddle tale cartoons, a series of “Dumb-bell Letters,” which have been gathered from all over the world, representing actual ■•funny-bone breakers” that business firms receive and file away, together with the well-known Pathe Newsreels and Audio Reviews.