WHEN CRITICS WANDER

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 429, 12 September 1947, Page 5

WHEN CRITICS WANDER

Sir.-It might be said that a film critic is without honour in his own country, for his opinions are disregarded by the very people for whom he writes (the movie-going public) and scorned by the very people he criticises (the moviemakers themselves), But if a film critic should chance to wander out of his own country, as G.M. did recently in. his article "It’s An Ill Wind," he is endangering what honour he might be entitled to claim. The fact that G.M. may be a good film critic does not necessarily qualify him to deal with etonomics or international affairs. How can G.M. logically justify the following phrases in his article:: "The British producers’ will-o’-the-wisp pursuit of box-office markets in America .* . the most cherished dream of Mr, Rank." "It is a good thing that British films should not capture the American. market." "The prospect of earning biz money in the U.S.A. seems largely illusory." "It is improbable that America would ever have permitted a large-scale invasion (by British films)." "Britain’s economic crisis has put an end to Mr. Rank’s risky and costly experiment." There are a greatimany other unjustified assumptions in the article, but those quoted above may be taken ag a fair sample. But perhaps they, only appear fallacious. Perhaps G.M. really has inside knowledge of the intentions of American and British producers. If :o he is too valuable a man to be wasting his time in this country. If G.M. really knows Mr. Rank’s business policy so well, perhaps he will explain why he is so bitter in his published remarks against a man who has apparently taken him so fully into his confidence,

R. A.

McINTOSH

(Auckland).