Talkie Films Spread Among Black Races

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 931, 26 March 1930, Page 14

Talkie Films Spread Among Black Races

Africans Demand to Hear Marvel The talkie boom has reached the j heart of Africa. Not only in the long- ; colonised Southern British Dominions j but even in the Congo, in Kenya and j Rhodesia people have decided that i the silent pictures are out of date. j Only -within the last few months has ] the new invention become popular j although equipment imported from j America has been in use in the larger j cities ever since 1927. New, dozens j of installations are going into the cinemas of the continent. Films Popular Among Blacks Films are very popular in Africa even among the native blacks and because of the continual trekking of kraal dwellers to the cities their kinsfolk, no matter how stay-at-home their habits, know of the “jumping pictures” (thus the Bantu tongue expressively labels them). , Owing to the fact that natives through social segregation are barred from visiting up-to-date playhouses, the talkies are known only by rumour to the majority of the swarthy patrons of their own theatres. Now, however, tidings of the marvel have been well spread throughout the country and thousands of black men ask that they too, may obtain facilities for hearing as well as seeing. Not only are talking film installations being put into use in dozens of African cities and towns but the local manufacture of “talkie” news reels has also started. Like their colleagues in America and Europe, musicians employed by African cinemas are passing through bad times. At Johannesburg and other places whole orchestras have been disbanded. Spreading of English In the settlement of A.frica the talkies are likely to provide an important unifying force as soon as the natives obtain facilities for seeing them. English will be heard through this medium for the first time by multitudes of blacks and thus the numberless dialects that are found wherever one goes will he replaced to a great extent by this dominant tongue. Talkies, It is stated, are going to be made by several visiting American and European expeditions and it is rumoured that some import- : ant Hollywood producers expect to ■ furnish their homeland with unprece- ; dented thrills by reproducing the . thunderous din of it, monster tribal ’ war dance and similar savage cere- - monies occurring only in Africa.