ALL THE RAGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 503, 5 November 1928, Page 16

ALL THE RAGE

New “Talkies ” Capture England and America STUART F. DOYLE RETURNS “Sound and talking pictures are at present all the rage in England and America,” says Mr. Stuart F. I Doyle, managing director of Union Theatres, Ltd., Australia, who is a i through passenger on the Aorangi, which arrived in Auckland last evening. i Mr. Doyle is returning from a flying visit to the United States, during which he has made an extensive investigation of the new “talkie” films. He has ordered 20 sound and talking equipments, costing over £IO.OOO, and these are to be installed in the Australian theatres under his control. “As you can see from that figure, they are expensive, and the maintenance is very high,” he told a Sun representative last evening. “However, I am sure it will be quite a novelty for the people of Australia and New Zealand to hear their favourite movie stars speaking as well as acting their parts.” STATEMENT DENIED Interviewed recently in the United States, Mr. Doyle was reported to have stated that British films were not popular in Australia. “This was cabled all over the world,” he said. “I did not make the statement. I was misreported.” Whether sound and talking films will endure is a moot question, thinks Mr. Doyle. At present they were very popular in America, but opinion was divided as to whether the public would tire of them or not. Personally, he was of opinion that by the time the novelty of talking films had gone, the producers would have caught up on production value which would hold them permanently. All the stars were diligently taking lessons in elocution, as they all recognised that if they could not register their voices successfully they would be doomed. Mary Pickford was now engaged on an all-talking picture which would be seen here very soon. PRODUCTION PROBLEM “The production of talking pictures necessitates the producers making two distinct pictures—one for the city theatres equipped and licensed for the reproduction of the voice, and the other silent for the numerous theatres which will not be equipped,” he added. Mr. Doyle is a director of Australasian Films (N.Z.), Ltd., with which the Fuller-Hayward organisation is connected, but his company has no direct theatre associations at present. It is contemplating action which will enable it to have representation in the Dominion.