VARYING TASTES IN FILMS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21810, 16 June 1936, Page 3

VARYING TASTES IN FILMS

AUDIENCES IN BRITISH DISTRICTS SCOTSMEN PREFER LIGHT COMEDIES “Scottish taste in films is definitely for light comedies. Yorkshire people prefer films that contain singing and music, and Lancashire audiences love comedy, mystery and exciting action in their pictures,” said Mr J. W. Lear, of Sydney, who has been engaged in the film industry for several years in England, and is at present on a business visit to Christchurch. Mr Lear said there was the greatest divergence in taste in the different districts of Great Britain. The regions nearest to London preferred sophisticated films, and Birmingham audiences were very discriminating in their choice of well-acted, elegantly presented dramas. Welsh picturegoers were always interested in musical films, but they also showed the keenest appreciation for detective plays and “horror” films. Ireland was a country which showed a universal fondness for musical films. The healthy optimism which pervaded all branches of British trade and commerce was a feature which appealed most strongly to Mr Lear. The newspapers throughout England reflected this general hopefulness and confidence in the future, and there was no further talk of depression. “The British people seem to be very well satisfied with the administration of the present Government,” Mr Learadded. “They realise that everything is being done for the best, and they are showing a wonderful spirit of cooperation. One of the results of recent economic adjustments is the widespread desire on the part of business people to trade within the Empire.” New Trend in Cinemas Mr Lear commended the picture theatres of Australia and New Zealand, which, he said, compared more than favourably with the best theatres in England from the point of view of design and luxurious appointments. There was, however; a new trend in cinema construction in England, which aimed at providing a greater measure of personal service and comfort for the patron rather than displaying lavishness.

Commenting on film production in Britain, Mr Lear said the industry had now reached tremendous proportions and was forging ahead at a great pace. British films were now commanding a very keen market in America, and had made their entry into the best New York cinemas by their merit alone. He . predicted that Australia and New Zealand would in the near future also provide a considerable amount of their own screen entertainment. Both countries possessed an interesting early history, of which comparatively little was known on the other side of the world, and the scope for film plots was almost unlimited. It would be foolish for eithesr country to attempt to produce sophisticated film dramas, because a great deal of capital was required for the erection and equipment of the necessary studio accommodation. Outdoor pictures of ordinary men and women would be the most successful.