NEW FILMS FOR DOMINION

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21646, 3 December 1935, Page 16

NEW FILMS FOR DOMINION

AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT

J. C. WILLIAMSON'S PROGRAMME

Arrangements have been made which, it is claimed, will ensure that a very large selection of the world's best films will be screened in coming months at the theatres operated throughout New Zealand by the J. C. Williamson Picture Corporation, Ltd. This announcement was made by Mr Beaumont Smith, managing director of the company, who is expected to arrive in Christchurch to-day.

This year the company has presented such outstanding attractions as "The Scarlet Pimpernel," "Sanders of the River," and "Blossom Time," but next year it will be in a position to present a series of even greater entertainments from the leading studios of England and America. The film companies whose products would be shown throughout the Dominion, Mr Smith said, included United Artists, Paramount, British Empire Films, and the newly-formed General Film Distributors, Ltd., under the directorship of Mr C. M. Wooli. General Film Distributors, Ltd., he said, was virtually an organisation based on the same principles as Unit 1 Artists —a central distributing . company for a selected group of prominent British producers. "The formation of this organisation represents probably the most important development in the history of British film production," he said. "It is designed to meet the pre-sent-day demand for first-class pictures in which both stories and stars are of international appeal." The list of films, stars, and directors was too long and imposing to do anything but choose from at random, continued Mr Smith. Among early attractions for the Williamson theatres would be Cecil B. De Mille's magnificent spectacle for Paramount, "The Crusades"; Richard Tauber's new British triumph, "Heart's Delight"; "Modern Times," a new Charlie Chaplin comedy; two H. G. Wells's stories produced by Alexander Korda for London Films, "Things to Come" and "The Man Who Worked Miracles" (starring Roland Young); and "The Ghost Goes West," an original comedy-drama starring Robert Donat. Other notable films would be Charles Laughton in "Cyrano de Bergerac" (Korda), Freddie Bartholomew, of "David Copperfield" fame, in a film of "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (David O. Selznick); Eddie Cantor's new musical film, "Shoot the Chutes": Mary Borden in "The King of the Jews," Korda's first all-colour production; Gary Cooper and Ann Harding in "Peter Ibbetson"; Margaret Sullavan in "So Red the Rose"; and John Boles in "Rose of the Rancho." Other notable attractions from Paramount will include the operas "Carmen" and "Cavalleria Rusticana" in colour; Kipling's "The Light That Failed," starring Gary Cooper; and "The Last Outpost" (described as another "Bengal Lancer"). Twenty-five super-productions, with a minimum expenditure of £BO,OOO on each, would be forthcoming from General Film Distributox-s, Ltd., Mr Smith stated. Internationally renowned stars already under contract with this company were Leslie Howard, Robert Donat, Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Jack Buchanan, Tom Walls Ralph Lynn. Fay Wray, Anna Sten, Elissa Landi, Bing Crosby, Anna Neagle, Yvonne Arnaud, Sydney Howard, Helen Vinson, and Henry Wilcoxon. The subjects to be filmed included "Bonnie Prince Charlie" (Leslie Howard). "The Blue Lagoon," "Pagliacci" (Richard Tauber), "The Lady of the Camellias" (Clive Brook and Ann Harding), "The Marriage of Corbal" (by Rafael Sabatini), and "When Knights Were Bold" (Jack Buchanan). British Empire Films would also distribute in New Zealand the film versions of the great Shakesoearean plays, "Twelfth Night" and "The Tempest." Cinesound, he said, would make at least three big Australian films, including "The Thoroughbred" (starring the Hollywood actress, Helen Twelvetrees) and Rolf Boldrewood's "Robbery Under Arms." , "In addition there will be several Ronald Colman films released by United Artists—"The Last of the Mohicans,' 'Dodsworth,' 'lnvitation to the Waltz,' 'Natacha,' a feature-length Walt Disney cartoon, and Mickey Mouse cartoons in colour," he concluded. "This should give theatre-goers a large proportion of the best screen entertainment of 1936."