PUBLIC AND PICTURES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 105, 27 January 1933, Page 14

PUBLIC AND PICTURES

IfR. M. J. MOODABE, governing director of Amalgamated Theatres, Ltd., stated recently, according to an exchange, that the statement made by the New Zealand Motion Picture Exhibitors’ Association, in .reference to the closing of over 100 theatres during the last two years, owing to the depression, was misleading. “Most of the shows that have closed down are in backblocks districts, whore the attendances at the best of times would not warrant the installation of expensive modern talking equipment, lie said. "The public are even keener than in the past for picture entertainments, and our experience with a large circuit that penetrates all over Zealand is that the slump has added - to the picture theatre patronage, as it is the oue form of permanent entertainment that the people cau afford. Dating the last six months my company Ims taken over three theatres that bad been closed for sonic considerable time, and three others that the former owners could not make pay owing to the fact Hint they were run individually and not connected with aiiy circuit that would aid in the purchase of film. Pictures are the people's cheapest form of amusement.' and box office receipts throughout the Dominion show that the public are taking advantage of this class of entertainment in all parts of New Zealand.”.