Ten Years Ago Fox Was Making "Westerns"....

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 1, 12 July 1935, Page 26

Ten Years Ago Fox Was

Making "Westerns"....

In 1933 the Company Made

7) The World-Famous Cavalcade

EN years ago the Fox Film Corporation (4/812) Limited was not considered by the film trade to be among the leading exhibitors, the corporation’s output at that time consisting largely of "action" pictures which were very popular among picture-goers who liked entertainment of the virile, out-of-door type, but not so popular among the more sophisticated audiences in the larger cities. Since that time the history of Fox in New Zealand-in fact, in the whole world-has been one of continual progress and steady expansion, ; It was in 1925 that Fox Films released in New Zealand "he Iron Horse," an historical story of the romance and adventure surrounding the building of the railway which joined the Hastern and Western districts of America: The featured players were George O’Brien and Madge Bellamy, and such was their success in that picture that each received important assignments as leading players in many subsequent.pictures. It is a tribute to the ability and popularity of George O’Brien to mention that éven to-day after ten years he is still playing the lead in outdoor action pictures produced at the Fox Studios.

A year or two later Fox produced "What Price Glory," with the well-known trio Victor McLaglen, Edmund Lowe and Dolores del Rio. Again the success of "What Price Glory" brought fame and reward to the principal players. McLaglen and Lowe were featured together in many later suecesses. Probably the next outstanding picture was "Saventh Heaven." Once again two practically unknown players were destined by their success in that picture to place their names on the roll of screen fame. The players were Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, a team which was later to delight a host of picture fans in New Zealand with portrayals of romantic parts. On March 6, 1929, Fox Film Corporation released the first talkie programme to be-seen and heard in New Zealand. The premiere took place at the Paramount Theatre, Wellington, and was voted by thousands who attended as the marvel of the age. While the feature picture "Street Angel" (Janet Gaynor-Charles Farrell) was synchronised with music and sound only, the supporting short subjects were fully recorded as talking picture subjects. As this was a most important event in the annals of the motion picture business in New. Zealand, it is worth while recalling each item of the programme individually. The programme opened with Fox Movietone News, the outstanding item being a talk by the King of Spain, his first effort before a talkie camera. The second item was a duet at the piano by the Rio Rita girls, the next a talk by George Bernard Shaw, followed by a song by Gertrude Lawrence. Then followed the first two-reel all-talking comedy, "The Star Witness," featuring Chic Sale, That completed the first half, the second being taken up with "Street Angel." Approximately a month later the same programme opened at the Octagon Theatre, Dunedin, the second theatre in New Zealand to be wired for sound pictures. In that city also, the public flocked in thousands to see and hear pictures for the first time. An outstanding subject recorded by (Continued on page 33.)

(Continued from page 26.) Fox and presented to the public for the first time with the second talkie programme at the Paramount Theatre, was that of his Majesty the King opening the Tyne Bridge. The year 1938 saw the release of the two outstanding pictures of the year-both from the Fox exchange- . "Cavaleade’ and "Paddy the Next Best Thing." The former picture is so well and favourably known from the North Cape to the Bluff that it hardly needs any comment. But it is interesting to note that although. "Cavalcade" was produced in Hollywood, its entire cust in addition to, the director (Frank Lloyd),- and the scenario writer (Reginald Berkeley) were British born. No picture has appealed to the ideals and sentiments of New Zealanders with anything like the force. of "Cavalcade," and. no picture has given the screen greater prestige. In July of the same year, 1933, it was announced that an agreement had been reached in London whereby Fox Film Corporation would distribute the -output of the Gaumont-British and Gainsborough studios throughout the world, with the exception of Britain, where -Gaumont-British had their own offices. This further enhanced the reputation and prestige of Fox in New Zealand, for the Gaumont-British : and : Gains-

me borough ‘trademark. had been well established .in public favour at the time that the "All British House" policy was launched in all four cities with "Sunshine Susie’ .and followed by "Jack’s the Boy’. . , The most recent,’ and probably the most. sensational ‘announcement that has‘ever been made in connection with Fox activities was made just before the. end:.6f. May this..year...The announcement: wag that the interests of Fox-Pilm Corporation and Twentieth Gentury Pictures had been: combined, that Joseph Schenck, formerly Twentieth. Century. president would * become chairman of the Fox Board, Sidney R. Kent-to remain as "president; "and Datyl F. Zanuck to be vice-president in charge of production -alongside Wiufield R. Sheehan, thus making easily the strongest quartet of experience and -past achievement that the industry has ever known. This’ combination. of. interests means that in the near future Fox Film Corporation‘in New Zealand will be distributing in addition to the ‘Fox and Gaumont-British output, probably as many as twelve -outstanding pictures per year from Twentieth Century, who have under their banner ' such '.personalities as George Arliss, Ronald Colman, Fredric March, ete. Amongst the successes they have contributed recently are "The House of Rothschild" and "Clive of India."