BIG PLANS FOR FUTURE

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12607, 18 November 1926, Page 8

BIG PLANS FOR FUTURE

PARAMOUNT PICTURES HAD MR JOHN W. HICKS GIVES DETAILS FAMOUS AUTHORS AND STAR PLAYERS Mr Jno. W. Hicks, jnr., managing director for Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East of the Famous Lasky Film Services, Ltd., arrived in Wellington yesterday morning. Mr Hicks has recently returned from a trip to the United States, and is at present on a tour of inspection to the New Zealand branches of the Paramount organisation. Interviewed, he gave some interesting information in regard to the moving picture industry in America. “Production is working at high pressure,” said Mr Hicks, “throughout the studios, and the general movement among producers is to still improve the quality and tone of pictures. The outlook for the industry in the Unit-

ed States is very optimistic, and I am sure that business is still in its infancy—for there is a great deal of new capital being brought into the business.” FAMOUS LASKY’S BIG PLANS. The speaker went on to describe the plans of Famous Players Lasky, and said that he was in the studios during the making of some of the big pictures to be released in New Zealand next year. He saw D. W. Griffith at work on "The Sorrows of Satan,” from Marie Corelli’s great story, and declared that the creator of “Intolerance” has found a new zest for work since he commenced to make this picture. “Griffith is as happy as a schoolboy,” said Mr Hicks, "because in this picture he has got something really big to work on, and it is a subject with which his artistic mind is in full sympathy. Old Ironsides,’ which has already earned the titled ‘The Covered Wagon’ of the sea. will be an enormously costly production, for there will be required a whole fleet of sailing ships built for this epic story of the sea.” “Wings” would also be a wonderful film. To make this the United States Government had loaned the Paramount Company some three hundred airplanes. FAMOUS ATTRACTIONS. Famous Players had called into its fold many of the days’ most popular authors. P. C. Wren, Rex Beach. Zane Grey had all been contracted to write stories to he produced by Paramount. P. C. Wren would offer in screen form “Beau Geste” and “Beau Sabreur.” Rex Beach would give “Padlocked.” and from the pen of Zane Grey there would be produced in screen form a great mimber of pictures, chief among which would he “The Man of the Forest” and “Forlorn River.” Many new stars were being brought into the Paramount fold, and outstanding among these would be Lya de Putti, the Austrian star. “I spent four hours,” said Mr Hicks, “watching D. W. Griffith do nothing else but take close-ups of her face for the production of ‘The Sorrows of Satan’ in the Paramount studios. Griffith says that she is going to he a great star, and I am sure that he is right.” BRITISH FILMS. There had been a great deal of discussion in regard to British films of late. Mr Hicks said that recently Paramount had done much in regard to the releasing of British pictures. That comnnny had opened the door to British pictures in America, and were themselves releasing a number of British national productions. Important among these would he “London” from “T.in->ehoUsc Nights.” hv Thomas Burke. “Tintoes” and “Madam* Pompadour.” “Ndl filw.ynn” with Porothv Gish was a British picture, and the sneaker said that there was not the slightest doubt that it was among tile finest pictures that had been released this year. “As far as the Paramount organisation is concerned,” declared Mr Hicks, “they will release pictures made in any country of the world, provided those pictures are up to the standard of entertainment demanded by the public.” There was no such thing os Americans wanting to keep out British pictures. Provided pictures made in any country were up to the standard Paramount was prepared to release them. That was as fair and equitable an arrangement as could be expected from any commercial organisation. Mr Hicks was in New Zealand Rome years ago, and has a fair knowledge of this country. He said that it was one of the finest that he had ever been irr. and he was sure that many of the Americans who would come here next year would think so too. He was sure that Zane Grev would tell America about New Zealand, and we would have a great hunch of tourists here next year. Mr Hicks is himself an excellent type of an American, with “organisation” written all over him. and he looks the right man for the right job.