TALKIES IN NEW ZEALAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 934, 29 March 1930, Page 16

TALKIES IN NEW ZEALAND

MR. M. A. GOLDRJCK SPEAKS Mr. M. A. Goldrick, late business manager in New Zealand for the "Western Electric Company, stated in an Interview with an Australian contemporary recently that “Since the Western Electric Company opened its New Zealand office during: April of last year. 55 theatres in the Dominion have been equipped with Western Electric Sound Systems. This number includes a theatre in a town of 1.700 population, ns well as those in the larger cities in New Zealand, such as Auckland, where there arc 12 Western Electric equipped theatres. Although Western Electric was not the first talkie equipment company in New Zealand, our business is now more than 500 per cent, greater than the nearest competitor. There are. altogether, about 85 wired houses, of which the 55 already mentioned have been wired by us. Of this number ■nine are in theatres where other makes of equipment were originally installed. An interesting point is that during January and February we made eight installations, four of which were replacements of other apparatus. “The talkie business in general Is very* good and the theatres in the provincial and country towns are doing exceptionally well. In one town of only 1,700 population there are two talkie theatres, and the one that has Western Electric equipment has averaged £143 weekly since last September. Another town of 3.000 population has, with the surrounding district, paid in as much us £SOO In one week for talkies. "At the present time New Zealand has more Western Electric installations in proportion to its population than any other country’ in the world. Talkies also reached their nearest point to the South Pole in the Regent and Majestic Theatres. Invercargill/’ Mr. Goldrick, who came direct from [Hollywood to New Zealand, is now district manager in Melbourne for the Western Electric Company.