KINEMATOGRAPHY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 736, 8 February 1910, Page 7

KINEMATOGRAPHY.

PATHE FRERES ON TOUR. PICTUBES OF NEW ZEALAND . .- . SCENERY. . Of tho making of animated pictures there is no. end. Through tho medium, of the kinematograph the public now know many people,' cities, and scenic spots "by sight'-' that they would not otherwiso have known. ■ Pathc Freres, tho renowned Parisian firm ,of picturemakers, are now turning their attention to Now Zealand in order to give other countries and peopled the opportunity of getting the Dominion :into proper perspective. ' This mission has been entrusted to M.r. . W.. Franklyn Barrett, who is attached to - the Australian branch, ,rer cently set up under the management of M. Sutto, whoso headquarters are at Melbourne. . .

Mr. Barrett has just arrived in Wellington after a. comprehensive tour of tho Southland, and is enraptured with the material he has been able'to secure . for development in Paris. "I bolieve," ho says, "that I have se.cured' some of the ■' finest scenic views ever kinematographed in tho world, and its exhibition in all parts of tho world should do New Zealand incalculable good, as it brings the scenic, glories' of New Zealand. directly under everyone's notice, no matter in what city or country they »live, Pathe's pictnres go everywhere."

Asked .for a brief outline of the views he had taken, Mr. Barrett 6aid that .ho went .round the; Sounds on tho first , trip of the Waikaro; and got some splendid bits of .Milford-"Sound; bottled up tho scenery from Sandfly Point to Lake Ada; and took the Giant's Gate Fall, and tho Bowen Falls. The full view - ofv, the Bowen Falls ho took from the" steamer's dock. , Then ho .wont, ashore and clambered ' up 1000 foet, and got a splendid pioture of the top section of the.falls— tho elbow.Several. panoramas;of ! the different sounds wera taken-r-tliey should he magnificent pictures.'. Mr. Barrett travelled to Christchurch—took' several street 'scenes, Cathedral Square on Now Tear's Day, boating oh the Avon, trotting at Plumptoii Park, a cycle meeting at Lancaster Park, and an exposition ■ of wire-jumping by some 'chasers just outside Christohurch! This is a novelty as far as other countries are concerned. 7

' Then the lciiiematogranhist left for tue West Coast, plunged through torrents .of rdin in the Otira Gorge, which unfortunately restricted his, labours there,. and Went on to Hokitika. Thero ho was waited on by the Westland Scenic Society, whq desired him to make a , trip to the Franz .Josef Glacier,.and offered'to pay all the. expenses of tho, expedition. Mr.: Barrett did not intend to go so far down; buVhe'thouglit the offer so generous and patriotic (as against ;some quite opposite views he had encountered in some quarters in Now. Zealand) that he "took'it on, arid was not in tho least sorry that •no had. - The party went dowi) in spring-, carts, which took three days—a very wet and uncomfortable ..journey. But there were compensations. _ Mr., Barrett was nblo to get a splendid panorama of the 10-mile' extent of the glacier, got a splendid shot at the outlet of the subglacial riv&r,, with huge, massais .. of ice, tons in weight, rolling out from the blackness; a novo) and delightful view iron; the top'of Sentinel•; fiock, arid a typical picture of the; dangers of alpinework in the Southern Alps—a party, r6ped-up, cutting its .way up an ice face. Charming, is the . scenery near Hokitika. The oxpert describes Dorothy Falls (Lake Kanieri) as fairyland,.and*Mirror "Lako' as the most wonderful sheet' of water for. reflections he had ever seen. So vivid are, tlio. shadows caused by the : absolute' mirror-like surface' of .the late tliat it is impossible on looking at the film to say which is right side up. .. Some views o,f , the, beautiful take. Maliinapua wero also taken beforo . leaving tho locality.

An industrial picture -w(is secured at Malfroy's saw-mill at IToko, near Hokitika, from the felling of the treo* to 'tho plank after it .leaves "the" mill and is stacked • for seasoning. ■ " Soma good views .'wera . also taken, in the'. Buller Gorge , and . .the Valley, of,the Murchison. Throughout tho coach trip,' Mr.,'Barrett was franked .through, by Mr. Newman, the 1 coach proprietor, who ■ declined to Barrett to pay his faro. . Mr. Newman also placed any'.variety »of conveyance at Mr.- Barrett's disposal when in Nelson, .' ■■/ , ■. ■

Perhaps the most interesting picture scoured; throughout, the trip .was that of ' PeloniS,-Jack,"taken on tne trip of the Patee"na from Nelson'oil Friday'last. The ship's officers very, kindly rigged, a large' platform Over the side ot the bow of the vessel, and as "Jaok". ; kept faith-with the shi]>.. a splendid .view .. of." this unique dewzon of the deep was caught. Mr. Barrett said that no got about 150 ft. of. "Jack," so that the' .incredulity, with which the story ,'of "Pelorus Jack" 1 has been, received elsewhere is' likely to be permanently removed- through tho'agency of Patho'Freres. .. •

'; In the North Island, Mr. Barrett is to kinematograph. the flax-iridusti'y at Shannoil, tho Wanganui .River, the. thermal, wonders at Wairakei, Rotorua,-■ and Whakarewarewa, and tho kauri industry at Northern' Wairoa..