THE PICTURE BUSINESS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2702, 23 February 1916, Page 6

THE PICTURE BUSINESS

ITS WONDERFUL GROWTH INTERVIEW WITH MR; EDWIN CEACH. Mr. Edwin Geach, formerly a -wellknown theatrical manager, and now a director ol' the Australian Films and Union Theatres, Ltd., is visiting Wellington after an absence of eight and a half years, lie was then advance manager of the Willoughby-Ward' Comedy Company, playing "Tlie Now Clown," "The Man From Mexico," and other comedies. "When I was in Now Zealand then," said .Mr. Gcacli, "there wore no permanent picture sliowp in the country— only an occasional itinerant show that «as satisfying the public curiosity that moving photographs could really be taken, and reproduced. That will give a guide to the enormous advancement that has taken place in tho kineina as, an entertainment. Then it was regarded by the ordinary theatrical manager as a flash ill tho pan, but something beneath his notice. Other ideas prevail to-day. People take their pictures as regularly as they take their meals. They never grow tired of them hot weather or cold, and they iiever will. "It has been an eye-opener to mo to see the line houses you have over this way, not only for pictures, but for other shows. Fuller's His-Majesty's is equal, if not superior, to the best we have in Australia. That best is the Princess in Melbourne, still, as far as design goes your new Grand Opera House is a lino big theatre, but it's a pity to see it closed up half the year, l.'at-rons of tho melodrama will be glad to learn that William Anderson is onco mere 011 tho road, and my old partner George Marlow, in association with Mr. Hen. Fuller, has once more resumed control of the Adelphi, where a rovue is following a successful pantomime season. To show that lie is not' wedded, to the melodrama, Mr. Marlow has instituted a season of -Shakespeare at the Princess, Melbourne.

"Australian drama is coming to tho fore. Following the phenomenal success of 'On Our Selection,' Phillip Lyt•ton came to Sydney, with 'The Waybacks,' and did wonderful business. Now a young man named Stanford, from New Zealand, is producing Edward Dyson's 'Factory 'Amis' in,dramatic form, with what success I cannot say.

"Despite war conditions, the picture business continues to boom in Sydney. Between Sydney and Parramatta, a distance of only 19 miles, there aro 130 picture theatres of all shapes and sizes, and now J. C. Williamson, Ltd., have decided 011 pictures for the old Theatro Royal in King Street. The theatres in ordinary must be affected very considerably by tho enormous crowds that go to the 'movies.' All the theatres would be packed last Saturday, and there would be 3000 people at one theatre alone in Newtown. The system H'hich obtains in Sydney- is to exhibit all tho star films in the city first, then in tho suburbs, and later still in the country. The trend, I think, is tho in-and-out show, though there is always room for one or two good theatres for tho big 'star' all-ni{3it programmes. Only recently wo securcd a very wonderful film entitled 'Tlio Hypocrites,' so much of a feature that we put it into tho Palace Theatre at 35., 25., and Is., where it ran for six weeks instead of tho two originally contemplated. Our Mr. Harry Musgrove, jun., has just returned from a trip to America and England, and has made fresh arrangements for star attractions in 'movies' that will keep us going for a year to come. America is the home of the 'movie' business, and there they are certainly turning out constantly improving work. Pathe's are doing next to nothing. Their big placo is now a munition factory. -We did get some very fine stuff from the Nordisk Company, of Copenhagen, but wo haven't seen their stuff for somo time past. The British wero slow to grasp the great future pictures had, but are now snowing a very marked improvement, and are employing all tho big artists in their latest productions. Continual trouble with orchestras in Sydney has led to the introduction of tho American orchestral organ, which produces all kinds of effects—harp, violin, xylophone, drums, trumpets— and in tho hands of a skilful operator is ail orchestra and a military band combined. Two of these have already been established an Sydney, and others must follow in time."