MORE BRITISH FILMS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 112, 4 February 1933, Page 6

MORE BRITISH FILMS

From 1933 Will Dominate Empire Screens PROGRESS IN AUSTRALIA A firm conviction that from 1933 onward British films will dominate the picture screens of the Umpire was expressed yesterday by Mr. Gordon D. Ellis, general manager of British Empire Films, Ltd., for Australia, New Zealand, and the East, who is at present in Wellington, en route for England, via Canada. Mr. Ellis said that 12 months ago British films in Australia were merely patronised out of patriotic motives, but so rapid had the advance been in this type of entertainment that about half of the films now being shown in the principal cities of the Commonwealth were of British origin. The British method was slow but sure, Mr. Ellis continued. Now, ho said, millions of pounds had been invested in studios at Elstree and other places, and with tlie realisaion by producers of the type of entertainment that British people appreciated, there was no doubt that British pictures in tlie future would be the most-sought-after productions. Britain excelled in producing the musical comedy, a type of picture that America could not turn out without introducing jazz, which was really not pleasing to all English ears. A new production coming soon was “Where is This Lady?” the music being written by Franz Lehar, the composer of “The Merry M idow” and “The Count of Luxemburg.” Counting on Dominions’ Support. British producers and investors, Mr. Ellis said, were definitely counting on the support of the Dominions for their pictures, and they were being made with a view to a market outside of the Old Counry. And this led to the adoption of reciprocal trade. As an example, an early example. “On Our Selection,” that inimitable story of Australian life, was being received at present very favourably in England under the title “Down on the Farm.” It had already been booked for - over 300 theatres. It gave local enterprise encouragement, and in Sydney to-day Cine-Sound productions had two pictures under way, "The Squatter's Daughter” and “Tlie Silence of Dean Maitland,” an English story. ' Speaking of new pictures, Mr. Ellis said that the most ambitious effort attempted outside of America or England to date was the recent, filming by an Australian company, under the directorship of Mr. Charles Chauval, of the story of the mutiny of the Bounty and the subsequent lives of the mutineers. Special trips had been made to Taliiti and Pitcairn Island to got genuine scones. “It is an outstanding picture,” lie said. “Tlie Alleged Film War.” Touching on the subject of what he termed "the alleged film war” in Sydney, .Mr. Ellis said that the fact was that the General Theatre Corporation, which controlled every theatre in every principal city in Australia, had refused to “block-book” the output of any American company. That was, it refused to buy, say, 100 pictures irrespective of quality, from one company, and reserved unto itself the right to choose its own pictures. Associated British Theatres, which operate in every capital city, had contracted to take the whole of the output of British International Pictures, London, without any rejections, and by reason of the high standard of British productions, tlie company v,-as able to take its pick from the American offerings. So far, as a result of this situation, only one theatre, the Capital, Sydney, had closed down, while most, of the other theatres were doing bigger and more business. Mr. Ellis will leave Wellington tonight for Rotorua.