FEAR OF THE HIGHBROW?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 424, 8 August 1947, Page 5

FEAR OF THE HIGHBROW?

Sir-It is now some two months since the French film La Kermesse Heroique was reviewed in The Listener, but since its Auckland screening has just been held it is still in the news here, and one of the points under discussion

is why it ran only a- week, From th@ theatre management’s point of view the answer is obviously that the size of the audiences attending it did not warrant a longer season, but the query still exists as to why those audiences were not bigger, especially when it is considered: that it ran for six months to packed houses’ in London. The film seemed ta me to be quite well advertised, and ale though Aucklanders may have forgottem G.M.’s praise in The Listener by the time the picture was screened in Auck« land, one of the local papers gave it a good review when it appeared here. Fur thermore, all those I personally know who saw the film-and they were people of varied film tastes-spoke in the highe est terms of it, so that it would not be unreasonable to presume that word-of4 mouth: advertising of the film was fave ourable. It might be thought that the fact that a number of worthwhile filma have been screening here recently Great Expectations, for instance, opened. at the same time as La Kermessa@ Heroique, attracted attention elsewhere, but this argument holds no water, as some mediocre films have also been screening here and to better houses than in the case of La Kermesse Heroiques Therefore one is left with the conclusion that the public were frightened away from the French film, either because the dialogue was in’ French, or because they considered that, being foreign, it would be beyond their enjoyment-"too highs brow," in other words. Of course nothe ing could be further from the truth, If do not pretend to be a so-called highs brow, nor do I pretend to fully appre ciate the finer points of motion pictura art, yet I, and many others like me, thoroughly enjoyed this film as one of the most delightful comedies ever seen, Therefore I find this lack of interest im this film, not necessarily a thing to bd@ deplored ‘as an indication of poor taste on the part of Auckland film-goers-I leave the deploring to those better quali« fied to speak on films-but as an ing triguing sidelight on human behaviours It would be interesting to know how long La Kermesse Heroique ran in other centres, and if for only a short tim what reasons can be put forward for thisy

A.

M.

(Auckland).