Spent £7,000,000 In Four Years

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 17, 2 November 1934, Page 30

Spent £7,000,000 In Four Years

British Film Company’s Representative Visits New Zealand and Talks of Future Plans — British and American Stars in ‘Radio’ Parade of 1985"-Talkie Apparatus For Duke.

"IN the past four years my company has spent about £7,000,000 on the production of talking pictures," said Mr. A, J. Williamson, Australian representative for the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, to a "Radio Record" representative last week. Mr. Williamson arrived from Sydney the other day and is spending a fortnight in New Zealand. "My company’s films have been bought by Amalgamated Theatres in New Zealand, which means that they wili be shown in those small ‘intimate’ theatres that are so suitable for talking pictures. We have profited from our experience of the past four years, and to-day the British product is holding its own in every corner of the earth. In New York we have two pictures running just now, one of them, ‘Chu Chin Chow,’ which is already

screening in New Zealand, having been seen at the Roxy Theatre by 21,000 © people on the first day! ‘The other film is ‘Little Friend,’ an entirely different type of picture which brings to the screen gq new star in Nova Pilbeam, a young girl: with an understanding and personality. that will take her far in the cinema. world. "By closely studying the. reactions of audiences’ ‘the -worldover. to our films ‘we have been able to turn out pictures * that will appeal- not: only in London’ but in New York and: Nairobi, Wellington and Shanghai. For a long time :the Wnglish producers: confined themselves to’ the.drawing-room type of film, but they. have now foiind their feet and are meeting producers from other parts of the world in equal combat, .Think of the range of subject that ts-now being covered-spectacles like ‘Shu Chin Chow,’ musical shows like ‘vergreen,’ historical stuff like ‘Henry

the Wighth,’ comedies of the type turned: out by Walls and Lynn, dram: like ‘Jew Suss,’ and romantic films like ‘Waltz Time,’ "New Zealand audiences, we have found, appreciate almost the sam2 kinds of picture as English, and ar? quick to show their interest in a film that demands intelligence and: thought. Most film producers grade their films for ages-some films are intended io eater for the 14-year-old intelligence, some for the 18-year-old, and so on. It is a compliment to New Zealand that the films made for the lower grades are never a success here and are seldom shown to Dominion audiences. "The Gaumont-British Company has not entered the production field in Australia, although it has given a great deal of technical assistance to the making of Australian pictures. Australia has the technicians-all that is needed is a little more experience. We are very happy to lend our help to picture producers in Australia and New Zealand-in fact, one of the reasons for my visit to the Dominion is to give advice to a picture-making company in Wellington. My company is handling ‘Romantic New Zealand’ in Australiait’s a fine film, but a little story inter- est would have made it acceptable anywhere in the world and its value from a publicity angle would have been more than trebled." THE greatest collection of radio stars lined up for any one film has been gathered together for B.LP.’s new film, "The Radio Parade of 1935," which has been started: at the B.LP. studios at Hlstree under the direction of Arthur Woods. This film, which is to be made on a scale comparable even with Hollywood’s biggest, stars Will Hay, the music-hall comedian, Helen Chandler, the American film star, Clifford Mollison, Teddy Joyce and his Band, the American Broadway beau‘ties, Les Girls from the Dorchester Hotel, who are easily the most lovely collection of girls appearing in London now, the Western Brothers, Kenneth and George, Clapham and Dwyer, Billie Bennett, Douglas Byng, Jack Doyle (the boxer), Morris Harvey, Phyllis Robins, the Carlisle Cousins, Lupino Lane, Les Allen, Nellie Wallace and Lily Morris, Three Sailors, Claud Dampier, Nina Mae McKinney, Peggy Cochran, Ronald Frankau, Haver and Lee, Ted Ray, Yvette Darnac and Davy Burnaby. Nis ASTHDR, one of Hollywood’s finest actors, has signed a contract to come to Wngland to play one of the numerous leading roles in "Abdul Hamid," which is to be made by B.I.P. shortly. MSS ELAINE BENSON, a 14-year-old London girl, has finally been chosen to portray the role of Little

Nell in the film version of Charles Dickens’s "The Old Ouriosity Shop," which British International Pictures are to make at Hilstree under the direction of Thomas Bentley. BEFORE the Duke of Gloucester left BEngland to come to Australia, he had a private demonstration of the Gaumont-British equipments’ 16 m/m or "Suitcase" talkie apparatus, ana! ordered the installation of -a complete:

set in his private suite on board H.M.S. Sussex. He also ordered a quantity of talkie films, which he selected himself from the wide range of films in the Gaumont-British library. After a few minutes instruction in the working of the apparatus at the private demoustration, his Royal Highness showed a surprising knowledge of the technical side of a miniature talkie set, and in a few minutes was able to work the set single-handed.