ENGLISH MOTION PICTURES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5056, 24 November 1926, Page 3

ENGLISH MOTION PICTURES.

£To the Editor.J

Sir, —i went to the picture theatre oh Saturday evening because an English picture, was advertised, in your columns, and I was not disappointed. If we had many pictures of this standard I- think there would soon be large ajudiences giving their support to the. English film industry as wholeheartedly as they do now to the American. The story was one of lan Hay’s, and was. sensible, interesting, and coherent, with an unexpected climax. The setting was English—garden, river, and landscape—and the players, looked their parts and acted well, but without the exaggeration we have become accustomed to in American films. They did not gesticulate or slap each other on the back, or mouth . as though they were addressing an ' audience of deaf mutes trained in Upreading ; yeit their acting was expressive and conveyed character and emotion accurately. Sub-tides couched m ordinary educated English were a pleasant novelty. Two of the players, were stars of the, English speaking stage—readers of the London reviews are familiar with the names of Fay Compton and Jack Buchanan. It wohild be a) good thing if we could get familiar with some of the charming actors and actresses of British film companies and have our favouiites : among them as we have now among the Hollywood folk. The' American film also shown happened to.be a poor one. It began with vulgar farce and ' foolishness, straggled through some stunts to silly sentimentality, and made a final crash into melodramatwo corpses in five; minutes, and the strong silent hero making faces. I would not like to say that my preference 1 ' for the first picture was . shared by that part of‘the audience that stamps and cater-wauls, and .sometimes audibly helps the.herowith ’ his clbse-up kisses, but there is such a thing as debasing the state of the young and unformed by bad fare in pictures and books, and it might be, better for them to see. less licence crime, and violences I have many favourite actors and actresses among the American players, and have had a great deal of pleasure from their pictures and hope to have a great deal more, but, while Britain had to let everything go to make a,rmies and munitions, to carry on the war, America was seizing .the .opportunity, and the film industry, and it is up to us now, in spite df our love for Tom Mix and our devotion to Mae Murray, to support-British films whenever we can. Boy Scouts and Girl Guides and other good citizens who love pictures, note and encourage - good English ones I It would be a pleasure as well as a duty if many of them are as good a jS “The Happy EndS ing.” PICTURE LOVER.