OUR FILM REVIEWS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 188, 29 January 1943, Page 3

OUR FILM REVIEWS

Sir,-I wish to confirm all the points raised by G.M, in reply to his critics, particularly John Doe, whose chief interest obviously is not the education or uplifting of the public mind such as fine films-art at its best-can achieve. The reason for G.M.’s low percentage of first-grade rulings in the last 30 or 40 films he has reviewed is simply the fact thet the last year has given us very few first-rate films, and G.M., being an honest c.itic, is forced to record this fact. His value lies in the fact that his reviews

are his own personal, candid, honest and unbiased opinion; we would not know where we stood if he were to attempt to anticipate what other people may think, As a previous correspondent pointed out, if one wants a good review all the time, one has only to read the theatre advertisements, which pronounce each picture as the best ever. It is staggering the number of parents who permit their children to go to the pictures every Saturday without first studying the programmes and advising the children where to go. Is it any wonder these children grow up satisfied with anything in film fare? G.M. is doing a public service with his excellent reviews in educating the public towards better taste in films. I wish to thank him for guiding me to see many excellent films, otherwise unheralded, which I might have let slip but for his recommendation -and for steering me clear of being disappointed with poor films cloaked in the names of some of the screen’s best actors, such as Spencer Tracy and Norma Shearer. Also G.M.’s reviews give us entertainment, particularly when a film is a second or third-rate one; then besides serving their purpose, his reviews are cleverly written and make enjoyable reading. His "little man" gradings are excellent.

E.

BONIFACE

(Palmerston North)