TASTES IN FILMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22139, 19 June 1935, Page 14

TASTES IN FILMS

NEW ZEALAND MARKET \ \ INVESTIGATION BY COMPANY A survey of the preferences of New Zealand audiences in screen entertainment. is being made by Mr. J. Joel, publicity manager in Australia and New Zealand for Columbia Pictures, who arrived in Auckland yesterday after spending the past fortnight in interviewing theatre managers in Wellington and Taranaki. He intends to return South 'down the east coast and to proceed later to the South Island. "New Zealand and Australia form a very important market' for, our studios' productions, ranking next to the home and English sales," Mr. Joel 6aid. "Our studios intend to pay very careful attention to the preferences of overseas audiences, since it is realised that nowadays films must be international in their appeal," Mr. Joel added that his observations so far had indicated both in Australia and the Dominion a very marked desire for light musical films, similar in style to "One Night of Love," in which Grace Moore was such a phenomenal successHe mentioned that this film was now in its seventh month of continuous screening in, Sydney. Grace Moore was now making a film, "Love Me Forever," for which the same standard of excellence was being laid down. Mr, Joel pointed out that the reason why the Columbia Studios, a comparatively small company, had sprung into such great prominence in the past ttro j-ears, was that they concentrated on a small number of films and set out to make each one notable. Principals were engaged only for films for which they were perfectly suited, and care was taken that the director was equally well suited for the type of picture. As a result of this policy, five honours were won by the Columbia Studios in the last awards of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.