“TALKIES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 473, 1 October 1928, Page 9

“TALKIES”

London Awaits First Exhibition HOLLYWOOD PANIC (Uruled I'mi. —By Telegraph—Copprigh * ( United Service) LONDON. Saturday. Cinema and theatrical authors, variety artists and musicians are discussing the first exhibition of “talking films” in London, which will consist of a whole evening’s entertainment of all-mechanical films, accompanied by dialogues and songs, and even with orchestral accompaniments. According to the “EveningNews”they are all puzzled concerning the effect the “talkies.” as the new films are called, will have upon the tncalulabl*; public, and they refuse to predict the extent to which the novelty will attract. Thousands of cinema owners in England are awaiting a lead from the Exhibitors’ Association. The secretary of the association expresses the opinion that there is no fear that the talking films will completely drive oui the ordinary pictures. Nevertheless the exhibitors are disposed to wait and see the attitude of the public before spending £4,00»>, the amount necessary to instal the talking mechanism. They also refuse to deliver themselves again into American hands, as no English “talkies” are at present available. Musical artists to the number of 500 or 600 who earn their living by giving items between the films in cinema halls are afraid the “talkies” will prejudice their future. The musicians are not in a panic. They point out that the advent of gramophones and of broadcasting was in each case accompanied by predictions of the disappearance of orchestras. They admit that the “talkies’* are a menace to orchestras consisting of a piano and a violin in small cinema halls. THAT BOWERY ACCENT The dramatist, Mr. Frederick Lonsdale, the author of “Spring Cleaning” and “The Last of Mrs. Clieyney,” says he is convinced that the talking film is the greatest invention the entertainment business has ever made. He says that although theatrical stars who appear in the films need not fear appearing in the “talkies/* many purely film actors will find that a pretty profile and shapely legs will no longer atone for a New York Bowery accent and an unreproducable voice. This will upset the scale of cinema values, at which Hollywood is panicstricken. Mr. Lonsdale says he believes the “talkies” will become one of the greatest of England’s industries.