Bad Advertisement For N.Z.

Radio Record, 27 May 1938, Page 29

Bad Advertisement For N.Z.

MTT Production of films of the ‘’On Our Selection’"’ type, featuring Dad, Mum and Dave, is to be stopped, presumably on the ground that they are a bad advertisement for Australia. Certainly, overseas audiences seeing these films might be excused for thinking that all Australians are semi-moronic. It is a pity that something similar was not done about the New Zealand-made film, ‘Phar Lap’s Son,’ which | see by a recent issue of the English ‘’Kinematograph Weekly," is due for release in England by Columbia Pictures. It is thus described by the reviewer of that paper: ‘Bankrupt of entertainment, the picture must regretfully be written down as deplorable in every department... It is impossible to find a single favourable factor in this witless and wearisome concoction. . . . One wonders why time and money was spent on making it atall..." At the time ‘’Phar Lap’s Son" was shown in New Zealand it was strongly urged in some quarters that official action should be taken to prevent it leaving the country. We spend thousands of pounds attempting to entice tourists to this country, and then send overseas a film which cannot help but create a shockingly bad impression of New Zealanders. o rrr errrrrrrrrrrrrr irri iii