Adding £20,000 to Film’s Value

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 230, 17 December 1927, Page 23 (Supplement)

Adding £20,000 to Film’s Value

'Silently Revolutionised ’ BRITISH MOVIE EXHIBITIONS

TN the past 12 months the exhibition of pictures in Britain has been silently revoiutlonised.

Reviewing the situation the “Dally Mail’s” film editor says: “A year or more ago a picture was just a picture- In the average cinema any picture would do. People went to the pictures. Now people go to a picture; they are choosing their film fare.”

This new discrimination on the part of picture patrons has been created entirely by the West End presentation. The public throughout the whole country are following the fortunes of films at the Tivoli, the Capitol, the Plaza, the New Gallery, the Astoria and the Marble Arch Pavilion. A few years ago we had a flood of West-end presentations at legitimate theatres. In most cases these presentations were not made for profit. In that sense they were no index to popular taste. SUCCESS OF “CHANG” Now, the six theatres named are all run for profit, and unsuccessful pictures shown are immediately replaced, while successful pictures are run beyond their original scheduled time. The example of the moment is “Chang,” which to-day enters on its fifth week at the Plaza. This picture expected to run for a fortnight at dost Now, after four weeks. It is still Playing to £I,OOO a day, or, in terns of attendances, to 36,000 people* a week. The result is that the exhibition value °f “Chang” throughout the country is increased by at least £20.000. and everybody is satisfied. Famous Players, the owners of the picture, will take the extra £20.000; the exhibitors who show the picture will take correspondingly more money at their theatres; and the Public will flock to see it in correspondingly greater numbers, because they know In advance that “Chang” is an exceptionally fine entertainment. 'Ve are rapidly approaching the very desirable time when no film will go out as a super-attraction unless it is accompanied by a chartered accountant's certificate of paid attendances at a "est-end presentation. “BRIGADIER GERARD” A new picture which would certainly stand up to this test is 'Brigadier Gera film ve sion of one of Sir Arthur C°nan Doyle’s most excellent stories It has been most expertly adapted to JJ® screen. The action varies between inrilling adventure, hriathless suspense a nd broad comedy. The settings are 'TUIed and beautiful The acting throughout is remarkabl> fine, and in lh * case of Rod la Rocque. in the title bart. it Is excellent. Rod la Rocque makes of Brigadier Gerard the most be loved of braggarts. The story tells how a swaggering youth, the son of an innkeeper on the inters of France and Spain, saves the Countess do Launay, who is in the secret service of the Emperor Napoleon. Ir om falling Into a trap set by TalleyThis youth becomes a soldier un«er Napoleon, and in subsequent ad'entures plays a vital part in helping 'ha Countess de Launay to reveal the treachery of Talleyrand. “Brigadier Gerard" has been perfcctly directed bv DonaJd Crisp, a Longer, who. if he could he persuaded return to England, would play a very fcreat part in the British film revival.