"WORLD OF PLENTY"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 297, 2 March 1945, Page 5

"WORLD OF PLENTY"

Sir,-Having just arrived in New Zealand from England, I was very interested to read, on picking up an old copy of The Listener, G.M.’s remarks on "World of Plenty." I should like to congratulate you on publishing his article, I was particularly glad to read ", .. there are signs that many pieturegoers are fed ~ up with the 10-minute . dance-band-cum-crooner items, the fatuous cartoons and comedies . ./. etc." This paucity of good second feature films would appear to be world wide, Last November I saw in England an American "gap-filling" film that dealt with the mending of blinds, refrigerator fittings, taps, etc. In nearly every case the article described was either .non-existent in the average British household or else was of a totally different design. And yet this was quite hopefully shown along with a series of equally nonsensical "shorts." Ever since the days of "Drifters" the British film directors have been past masters at the art of the documentary and semi-documentary film. These have a high entertainment value but are not

"box-office draws" because of the lack of the stars to attract the audiences that have been educated to judge a film by the name of its actors. If some of these British films.were introduced as second feature items in the cinemas both in .Britain and in the Dominions a considerable following would probably develop. If "World of Plenty" is considered to contain too many home truths to be ‘shown to the democracies that are supposed to be fighting for freedom of speech and freedom from want, why not start with something a little less revolu-tionary-"The Harvest Shall Come," for example, which describes the shabby treatment meted out to the farmer after the last war, asks for better treatment after this war, and does so with a harmony of brilliant photography, acting and direction. If this is still too radical, how about "Spring on the Farm," which would be interesting to New Zealand audiences as to those at Home. Then there are a whole collection of films, made chiefly by the Crown Unit and G.P.O, Film Unit, ‘eg. "Ferry Pilot," "Night Express," "These Are the People," "Fires Were Started." If the public wants escapist films what could be’ better or more entertaining than "Turn of the Tide," "Song of the Plough," "Edge of the World," all of ‘which are photographed in various localities in the British Isles and are so much more natural than many farcical American attempts to portray both English and American life in a series

92 "quickies:

ROACH

(Wellington).