IN MELTING POT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1930, Page 10

IN MELTING POT

RECENT FILM MOVES

BIG BUYERS COMBINE

PRO-BRITSSH DRIVE

For many years people who object to the American element in talking pictures have been asking: "When will British 'talkies' become available of good quality and sufficient supply?" The answers to that question have been mostly unauthoritativo and pessimistic. But the leading man of one of Australia's big pair of exhibiting combinations is not among the pessimists. Mr. Stuart F. Doyle, managing director of Union Theatres, Ltd., speaking at a dinner in Melbourne recently, said: "Even twelve months ago the phrase, 'British films for the world,' would have been almost laughable. To-day it is a challenge sand a prophecy. Beforo the next twelve months have elapsed, itwill, I hope and believe, be a statement of fact." When the New Zealand quota legislation was being designed, with a view to stimulating the use of British films, it was the silent film that was in mind. Then came the sound picture and the talking picture. Thus' the British effort to stage a silent come-back was crowded out in the new "talky" rush. A CHANCE FOE THE BRITISH VOICE. Considering the way in which the voice has added personality to film players and has altered their art, it would be thought that English voices and English histrionic ' ability would come into their own on the "talky" wave. And notwithstanding the delay £•'1 the croaking, this voice from Australia says that they will. If anything is lacking it is not technical talent, but correctly applied capital. "The industry," says Mr. Doyle, is back figuratively where it was twenty years ago. All is in a new melting pot. The fight begins afresh-and the British producer will give us all a new vision, a new opportunity, a -new and clean page in world history." It is admitted that, in order to gain a proportionate place in the motion picture business of the Empire and of the world, Britain must not rely solely on British sentiment, nor on the salesmanship of a great exhibiting organisation alone, nor on this salesmanship plus judicious or injudicious flag-wav-ing. British producers must qualify in the box-office test. There are six million people in Australia, writes "Everyones," whose support depends "not on legislation but on satisfaction." English productions will now. have the support of "a fast-moving capable organisation" in Australia, "but it cannot sell inferior product. The theatres comprising the circuit could never pay dividends on such material as has formed England's contribution to date. If England cannot take her fair share of film revenue under these auspices, she never will be able to do so. The way is clear. We must have the intelligent support of English producers who appreciate our tastes. . ._. There's a lot of money in Australia if England can make good." LESS COMPETITION FOR PILMS. According to the same authority, the Big Two have arrived at an agreement to limit their competition and thus save expenditure. Saved expenditure includes two large items, firstly, certain theatre-building propositions are shelved, which means hundreds of thousands less money spent in Australia (but prices of admittance to some theatres have also been cut). Secondly, competition of the Big TWo in film-buying is also to be eliminated, in which case there may be less money going oversea to America. "The associations of the two companies and their affiliated groups, representing a capitalisation in the vicinity of five millions, will be a hard knock to the distributors, who have drawn staggering figures as the result of percentage screenings with both firms. Obviously, they will clamp down hard on any arrangement which would give tho distributor £2000 for the first week, as 'The Broadway Melody' drew at the Sydney Begent." It may be explained here that tho distributor is the link between the American picture.producer and the exhibitor. The distributor is the producer's selling agent. Even where the distinction takes the form of a registered company,, in most cksea the distributor yet remains in effect a branch of the American producing business (according to the finding of the Australian Koyal Commission on the subject). Through the distributor America has been selling big talking pictures not for a fixed price, but for a percentage of the exhibitors' box office takings. While taking a box office percentage on the one hand, the distributor has been sending to America a percentage of his gross receipts as cost of the pictures.' According to the same Royal Commission, these percentage remissions to America have contained profits properly taxable in Australia. Percentage systems existed before the "talky" development, but this development intensified profits on big features, and thus increased the total of the percentage rake-off,' even to the, point of, as stated above, £2000 for one picture for one week. _ Percentage payments for pictures obtain in New Zealand as in Australia. Here, as there, some displacement of public patronage has marked the "talky" era. But depression is not so acute as in Australia. Referring to the pressure of Australian adverse conditions as a factor in the compromise between the Big Two, "Everyones" finds that "industrial depression and fear of amusement taxes have taken the sting out of both sides, and to-day they are happy to get together on a working arrangement which will help to solve the financial difficulties in which both companies find themselves."