Films and theatres have been his life-long interest

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 17

Films and theatres have been his life-long interest

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SANDY SOUTHON

A man whose lifelong love of films has brought him fame and given pleasure to countless numbers believes that it is not hard to be a success if you enjoy what you are doing. Lang Masters, owneroperator of Masters Independent Cinemas, began showing films as a school,boy in the family garage which had been made into a theatrette. He now has five suburban cinemas and his ambition to own a drive-in cinema is more of a probability than a possibility, although nothing is definite yet. Confirmation is awaited from the Minister for the Arts (Mr Highet).

If permission is granted. Masters cinemas would fontf a consortium with the two other film dist r i b u t i o n companies. Amalgamated Theatres and Kerridge Odeon Corporation.

I.ang Masters’s career in films began in 1949 when he took a job with the MGM Company in Wellintong. After learning the business, he became a travelling one-man show in the 19505, taking projector, films, and screen once a week to the then Harewood Tran ci t Camp.

He also showed films in local halls at Southbridge, Diamond Harbour, Halswell, and Lincoln. It was a lot of mileage in those days, and many one-night stands, until he bought a theatre at Leeston.

Then came the purchase of the Lido (New Bright ton), the Hollywood (Sumner), the Barclay (Papanui), the Harbourlight (Lyttelton), and later the Avenue (Riccarton).

The Hollywood was converted into a twin cinema last year; the Harbourlight was sold about 1970; the Barclay was closed three years ago;

and the Roxy recently replaced the Lido at New Brighton.

The newest Masters’ art fdms cinema, the Academy at the Arts Centre, occupied 13 years of fighting legislation and the objections of the two big ci-

nema companies (Amalga= mated and Kerridge Odeon) before it came to a very successful fruitition, on March 7. But it has been a long hard road to success all the way, says Lang’s wife, Maureen. In the early 19605, as newlyweds, they were running three theatres without staff.

-We had to do everything ourselves because we couldn’t afford to pay any 1 staff,” says Maureen

Masters. "I couldn’t go out and spend a lot of money even now. I am accustomed to economising.” Maureen thinks that Lang would still have “made it” without her, because films are his “thing,” but that having a wife who shared his interest had probably helped him. This is an understatement. Maureen Masters made all the curtains for the various theatres on an ordinary sewing machine. The latest sewing for the Academy took 800 yards of material. Maureen and Lang work four nights a week at their cinemas and Lang also works days. At weekends they are at their busiest. and in the early days of their marraige theyworked together every public holiday, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. They designed the colour schemes for the cinemas and many of Lang’s ideas are incorporated in his theatres. The Hollywood for example, was converted into twin cinemas in 1976 at minimal cost. A 10-inch wall separates the two small theatres, which were previously one. The screens are adjacent to each other, and a walkway has been built out on to the adjoining land. The cinemas have been decorated with scenes from the old movie days. Lang’s mother was artistic, too. Several of her drawings hang on the Masters’ living room wall. Her interest in films is also apparent in her lifelike drawings of Charlie Chaplin. To make up for all the working hours, the Masters have travelled overseas in the last two years. Lang has taken slides and home movies of their ex-

periences. He is not interested, however, in making films or getting into the fledgling New Zealand film industry. He says that he would rather be showing films than making them. But, he agrees with the critics that the New Zealand film industry has come a lang way. One of the biggest faults of New Zealand movies was the terrible way of speaking that came acorss in the earlier films. The actors’ diction left much to be desired, says Maureen, but “Sleeping Dogs” and “Solo” put a stop to all the criticism about Kiwi-lingo, The Masters also think that Australian films are

doing very well. Lang has some lesser-known Australian films that he says are very good. They are lined up for possible screening. On the subject of diction and grammar, they agree that overseas actors do not seem to pay as much attention to speaking clearly, as did actors of the calibre of Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable. The emphasis on being natural has led to a decline in this area, and they name the film “Rocky” as one in particular where the clarity of speech was not one of its highlights. There is no need to ask Lang what his hobby is. On a mezzanine floor above the lounge at his home are a film screen and projection box. His relaxation is to have friends in once or twice a week and show previews of films. He sometimes sneaks in the odd release, although his competitors and distributors would not be happy about his, apparently. Why watch films on your only night off from working at the cinema? “Well, you really don’t see that much of the film while you are working in the projection box at a cinema,” he says. Even the ushers only see films in bits. He likes most kinds of films, and does not seek any particular “message.” He' says that young people are the ones going out to films and swelling the cinema numbers, and they seem to want to think about what they see. There is more of an emphasis on a “message” type of film than on the “straight entertainment” of the older films. An interest in romance must also be on the increase. A recent re-run of a romantic film starring Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford was booked out on a Saturday night and received good audiences for more than two weeks.

Film stars do not have the following they enjoyed years ago. Stars like Greta Garbo, ERrol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, and Valentino had the sort of following that present day pop stars generate.

“Clint East wood is about the only film star today who has what can be referred to as ‘star quality,’ and perhaps also Dustin Hoffman,” says Lang.

He has plans to start a housewives’ morning session, initially at the Roxy one day a week, including free coffee. He wants to see l»ow the idea appeals.

Film sessions at 11 a.m. used to be common on Fridays when the “basket brigade” (Friday shoppers) went to town, but with the advent of shopping malls the town shoppers dwindled.

Lang thinks that there may be a following for an early showing in the suburbs. In Australia, an early session at some theatres includes a light lunch, provided to draw people in.

Australian cinemas are also ahead in automation. In one theatre complex their three projectionists run five cinemas, with the help of a semi-automated system. Lang sees the automated system as the future answer in New Zealand. And what of the drivein cinema, so popular in the United States? He says that it gets rid of the need for a baby sitter, and is popular among families for that reason. Certain standards would have to be set, and supervised, but Lang envisages little trouble in this.

Maureen has also started the “Kiddies Film Club” again. She used to run it a few years ago. This time she will have help from a man who used to run children’s programmes at the Barclay. She stopped when it became too much to handle herself. “We used to send out birthday tickets to anyone in the club with a birthday, and talent quests were common. The children loved the film club.” On the adult scene, the idea of a liquor licence for the Academy appeals, possibly one shared with the Court Theatre. But a liquor licence does have its problems. “Imagine trying to serve 200 people with a drink in 15 minutes,” says Lang. A challenge in organisation, indeed. “It’s ail been such a challenge, right through,” Maureen says of the last 15 years.

To Lang, it has just been the natural progression of a hobby which became bis work — and which has been his success.