AMERICA CHASTENED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 3, 5 January 1931, Page 5

AMERICA CHASTENED.

ADMITS BRITISH MERIT. ALL TALKIES TO BE TRI-LINGUAL. (From Our, Own Correspondent.) .' LONDON, November 24. It has been so long admitted that British films have been inferior to the American article, that it took us a long time to admit—fearful of too hasty reassurance—that old England might get its foot well into the trade when it got an advantage that would balance our handicaps of climate and lack of capital. And the Oxford voice, or at least a really good English voice, has done the trick! No mistake whatever about it when an American authority— very wide awake to the psychological reactions of admission of fault—announees it. . A recent number of the United States "Commercial Reports" 'says:—"ln the silent film days . .-■. there were few cases where the local product was booked against the American product in a strictly competitive- sense. Now, however, two factors have'"arisen which will tend to make the American position less secure. First is the greater difficulty, both from an economical and physical standpoint, in supplying foreign language versions to non-English-speaking countries, which are now • insisting on films in their own language. Secondly, there is a widespread feeling that Euro, pean producers—particularly the. English —are adapting themselves more readily sound than they did to silent film production. ' "Furthermore, a slight tendency for the public abroad to flock to sound films from its own studios, if only for, the sentimental reason of seeing its own actors and actresses . speaking its own language in familiar surroundings, has been observed."

The manufacture of talkies is booming in Europe, and many, of these 111 ms, whether made in England, Era'.ice -or Germany, will be tri-lingual, made by three separate companies of actors. Statistics 1 support the claim to Europe's new place in the screen producing world. 11l England in 1929 only 29 ,full-length talking films were completed. This year inore than 100 will be-completed before Christmas,- and more than "200 are to be produced next year. France released only, four sound pictures in 1929, but next'year will produce 70. 'In the last ,six months Germany has released 20 sound films, and next year will" produce 135. . ... */ . Still another remarkable index is provided by a table of the number of European cinemas adapted to showing sound films in October last year and October this year: — . 1020. 1030. United Kingdom 400 ...2000 Germany 30 . 040 France 20 350 v Spain 4 J 145 Italy 30 ,120 Netherlands *". 50 05 Sweden 7 • ?00 Czecho-Slovakia ........ 6 ' 75 Hungary 5 70 Switzerland .'. 3 fis Belgium 1 30