AUSTRALIAN MOTION PICTURES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 128, 1 June 1936, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN MOTION PICTURES

An announcement of considerable importance to the motion picture business in Australia, with a special interest for New Zealand, is made by Mr. B."Vinsen, general manager (N.Z.) for Columbia Pictures, following advice from Mr. Cecil Mason, general manager for Columbia M Australia and 'The Far East. . Though several fine' productions have been released by Australian Studios it is the opinion of leaders in the industry in England and America that there is little hope for real success unless technicians are brought from abroad. This view was stressed in New Zealand recently by Mr. Charles Farrell, who recalled that it had taken America something like 40 years, and England 20 years, to bring moving pictures to their present state of perfection. For this reason he urged the importation of directors and technicians who could bring values to Australian productions that the nativeborn could not hope to achieve even remotely. Tfie announcement made by Mr. Vinsen was to the effect that Columbia have completed arrangements, in conjunction with the National Studios, at Pagewood, Sydney, to take a film of an Australian story written by Zane Grey and featuring Victor Jory. This pictures will be directed by Mr. Clarence Badger, who leaves America on the Makura for Sydney on Wednesday. Mr. Badger is one of Hollywood's bestknown personalities, having directed "No, No, Nanette," "Bad Man," "Under Western Skies, "Sweethearts and Wives," and "Swim Girl, Swim." Mr. Jory is also well known to New Zealand audiences, his most recent film being "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The new film to be made in Australia is expected to cost not less than £20,000. The interest to New Zealand lies in the fact that the extension of filmmaking by American companies to Australia may encourage overseas directors and producers to extend their activities to New Zealand.