NO FILMS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 425, 9 January 1933, Page 5

NO FILMS

(Press. Assn.—

SYDNEY THEATRES CLOSE AS RESULT OF DISPUTE

■By Telegraph — Copyright).

Sydney, Jan. 7. Two theatres, the Lyceum and the Haymarket, will close next Saturday owing to a shortage of films. This action advances a further stage the disputo between the General Theatres Corporation and the American film distributors. The directors of Fullers' Theatres, Limited, have offered to take over the LyCeum and Haymarket and reopen. A previous Sydney message stated : A "war" is at present waging between American film distribnting companies and Australian exhibitors. The former demand that their terms for the supply of films in 1933 be accepted in full. The Australian th'eatre owners have made a detennined stand against these terms, and in particular against the system of "block booking," whieh requires that the year's output of films shall be bought as a unit without any right of rejection. They declare that many undesirable films are being forced on them. Neither side will give way. American interests declare that they prefer to stop the supply of all American films. .The Australian interests maintain that rather than give way they will close the theatre. Unless some new development oceurs there is every prospect of both threats being carried out.