ART OF KINEMATOGRAPHY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXV, Issue 2125, 26 January 1909, Page 7

ART OF KINEMATOGRAPHY.

A MARVELLOUS BUSINESS. Some idea of the wonders of the kinematograph were obtained from M. Leopold Sutto,, the manager of an expedition fitted out by Pathe Freres, of Paris, producers of the highest class kinematograph films in the world, which was commissioned to exploit the more remote islands of the Southern Seas (says- the 'Dominion'). The expedition is only one of many sent out to every part of the world at enormous cost, the whole of which is controlled by the Expedition Department, which m turn is only a section of the enormous business of Pathe Freres. Some idea cf the amazing capacity of this big business will be gathered'from the fact that the firm employs 3500 people, it has large estates and parks in the north and south of France, and three theatres in Paris, where the story and play pictures are enacted under the allseeing eye of the kinematograph camera.

M. Sutto, who at present is making the round trip from Sydney to Melbourne for the sake of his health, says that his firm last year contracted with the Comedie Francais—the national theatre of France—to have some of its performances kinematographed, and we. may before long have the great pleasure- of seeing Bernhardt, Coquelin and the brilliant coterie of artists of the finest company in the world give performances of the greatest of classical and modern plays. We are sure to see these pictures later, as M. Sutto states that Mr T. J. West has paid the siim of £2OOO for the sole right of exhibiting them in Australasia. This, again, is only a section of the work undertaken. If there is a meeting of Kings somewhere on the other side of the world, a big naval review, a railway smash, a great horse race or athletic event, representatives of Pathe Freres arc on the spot, whirring round the little wheel at the side of the camera that makes the incident, episode, or function the common property of the world.

M. Sutto came to Australia" with a definite idea. Armed with credentials and a letter of credit for £BOOO, and supported by a couple of expert -operators, he was to visit the less known of the South Sea Islands for the entertainment and education of the masses oyer the seas. He succeeded beyond his highest expectations. "But it is not so much our good work which has made Pathe famous," said Mr Sutto, "it is our system of distributing films, which has helped to make the firm bigger than all others in the world put together. A man may take a picture and exhibit it here and elsewhere in New Zealand —then what becomes of it? With us it is different. We turn out 500,000 feet of film a week, and the show firms in all the leading cities of the world engage under an agreement to take and exhibit that programme. Then when they are done with them the films are passed on to the next larger cities; then to the towns, until they are being shown in the villages, rnd that is going on in every country in the world." M. Sutto intends to send his operators, Messrs Herault and Theyer, to New Zealand to get three or four films of Maori life, and if inducement is offered they may take a few pictures on behalf of the Government, as they are doing in Australia.