THE THEATRE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19917, 2 May 1930, Page 19

THE THEATRE.

PUBLIC TASTE CHANGES.

TALKING PICTURES « SUPREME. HUM PRESS SpecU) Servico.] WELLINGTON, May 1. "Never in my ll ' e have * known any. tiling like the disturbance in the theat* rical situation such as has been expert eneed in the last twelve months," said Sir Benjamin FuUor to-day. "Hitherto public taste in entertainment has changed gradually with pome logical sequence," he continued. "One form of entertainment has developed out of another—from opera bouffo to comic opera,, comic opera to musical comedy, musical comedy to rovue, and so on, I think the silent pictures have an effect in bringing about such changes. They taught the public to like action and plenty of it, and to cut out waste time between turns. But the change registered in the last twelve months has been revolutionary. The 'talkies' have upset the calculations of everyone. The public has said pretty plainly that they do not wantsanything else. They said that by staying away from the shows. We hove only throe revue shows left, those headed by Jim Gerald, George Wallace, and the Paul-Connors combination, and they are only carrying on owing to existing engagements. We had to compromise with Mr Fred Forbes, who was producing musical comedy quite Ably, bflt the husinesa did not justify the continuation of the en(f&gement. He has gone buck to Engand. "It is the same story everywhere, The little companies which go out from Sydney to the country towns have all been coming back unflnaneial owing to the introduction 0* the 'talkies' in the local picture theatres. "In some eases the figures are amassing,", said Sir Benjamin. "At Show .time in Glen Innes last year the silent pictures took £92 in five nights; this year the 'talkies' took «000 in the five nights. We have no flesh and blood shows in New Zealand at present, and are not likely to have any this year. We have put 'talkie' installations in all our theatres, and are right into the business, both here and in Australia. Will it last! Who ean say! All we knew is that the public has turned down all other forms of theatrical entertainment, not only out here, but in other parts of the world for talking pictures, and so long as they are in that mood so long will the 'talkies' prevail, And as it always was and always will be, the theatres giving the best pictures, will get the largest audiences. The play is still the thing, even if it is only a shadow play." Sir Benjamin leaves for Sydney again to-morrow, having come across to Attend a conference in connexion with the Fuller-Hayward picture theatre interests in New Zealand.