MOTION PICTURES

Evening Star, Issue 19352, 11 September 1926, Page 15

MOTION PICTURES

SOME IKTERESTIHfI FACTS [Written lor tho 'Evening Star’ by Motion pictures in New Zealand, as elsewhere, nave become one of the country’s most important industries. There is every evidence of growth and advancement in the future, and the following are some interesting details in general:— Moving pictures are now classed as “ necessities which people persistently demand,” declared the ‘Wall Street Journal ’ (published in New York) recently. Actual money invested in real estate in pictures in America is estimated at m the vicinity of one thousand million dollars, Clock booking, and producer-owned theatres. The weekly attendance at pictures in the United States is estimated at 130 millions — that is to say, greater than the population of that country. The average cost of admission to a Broadway theatre at the present time is in the vicinity of 3s 6d, whilst ten years ago the highest price in a Broadway picture theatre was about 2s. It is interesting to compare the present and past admission prices to pictures in America and also in New Zealand. Actual money paid in admissions to theatres in America during the year 15)25 was 700 million dollars. The number of pictures produced last year was 41(5 and 1,500 short subjects. _ In earlier years there were more pictures produced. but quality has improved considerably, and the tendency is toward fewer producing companies and lower and better pictures. The average cost of a feature picture is between £30,000 and £70,000. The prices for rights of plots vary considerably, although there is no longer the absurd spread such as existed a few years ago, when rights to one best seller went for £4,000, whilst another went for £250,000. The average paid to-day for a popular novel is around £2,500. FICKLE TASTES. Then there is the fickle public. No expert in tbo industry can say in advance bow well a picture will go. Tbo best seller in a film, as in a book, frequently turns out to have been what seemed an ugly duckling to its producer. Then, too. the motion picture industry has been bursting its shell everv few months.

Fireworks in motion pictures are not yet over. There are still spectacular gains and losses. The big corporations in the industry are still venturesome, though no longer reckless. The independent companies play for large stakes. The cost of pictures is so great that they can frequently lose. These spectacular “ flips and flops ” have naturally blinded investors to the steady and underlying stabilising which has been going on inside the industry during the last ten years. Concentration common in nil other leading industries has also been going on in tho motion picture business. Some ball a dozen big producing-distributing oiganisations have about 85 per cent, of tho business. They are in close touch with the banks, and run their business on approved financial linos. They have also taken tho public into ■‘.heir financing, and have more than 50,000 shareholders. INDUSTRY IN NEW ZEALAND. Tho picture business in New Zealand has developed well in a country of just over 1,000,000 population. There are at present about 450 theatres in New Zealand, and employment in theatres and film exchanges is given to well over 5,000 New Zealanders. Actual money invested in picture theatres in New Zealand is in tbo vicinity of £12,000,000. The average weekly attendance in this country is about 600,000, that, is to say over 50 per cent, of tho population. There is by comparison a vast difference in motion picture attendance in New Zealand and tho United States. It is anticipated, therefore, that pictures, from a point of view of attendance, are to become of much greater importance in New Zealand. Also, there is no doubt that theatre construction will bo entered into very seriously, in view of tho fact of tho enormous production that is going on. At tho present moment ono largo theatre is in construction, and there is a possibility of another in Wellington alone. General improvement in theatres throughout tho country is being carried out, and New Zealand exhibitors are fast becoming to realise the importance of good presentation and surroundings in theatres. Tho picture industry in New Zea land is conducted on a very stable, basis. Matters concerning tbo common interest of the film trade are handleJ by a Film Exchange Association (Incorporated), of which every reputable exchange is a member. FORWARD MOVEMENTS. Ono of the most important forward movements in regard to the of film in New Zealand is the institution of tho convention, by which an opportunity is given to exhibitors to meet the distributor and learn something of the actual nature of the product ho is going to buy. Credit for this movement must go to the Paramount organisation, which recently held throo conventions in Australasia. In tho past exhibitors have been asked to buy products which they have not seen other than through a catalogue. Tho aforementioned company went to tho enormous expense of putting together a I,oooft picture of shots for seventy-live pictures to bo released next year. This was done <3O that this picture could be shown to exhibitors. thereby giving them some material idea of what tho actual pictures would be. ADVERTISING.

Advertising may be said to bo the very lifeblood of tho picture industry. Each and every day theatres absorb a goodly section of tho advertising columns of our newspapers. It would bo interesting to estimate tho actual money spent on motion picture advertising, hut it is safe to say that the motion picture people spend a very fair proportion of their profits in newspaper and other advertising. The most enterprising piece of advertising that has been carried out hy any film company is that of bringing ten American Indians from America to Australia in connection with a bog production, ‘ The Vanishing llaee,’ from Zone Grey’s story, ‘ Tho Vanishing American.’ Sydney has regarded this as a civic event, and right royally it has received the lied Men. It is anticipated that these Indians will be brought to New Zealand in connection with this picture, and if so some of our childhood dreams will come true. It is safe to say that not 1 ]>er cent, of New Zealanders have seen an American Indian, and tho same may be said of Australians. BRITISH PICTURES.

This is a question of which there hae been considerable discussion in the p.-ust, but there is evidence that at least

a fair trial is being given to British pictures. A recent cable received from Paramount. New York office, was as follows: —“Paramount organisation has closed contract for world-wide distribution for British national productions, commencing with ‘ London.’ ” This is one of the greatest pieces of news thav the industry has heard this year, and it must bo received with a complete measure of interest. British National Productions, Ltd., was founded by X D. Williams and tho Australian pastoralist, George D. Eaton, and in the face of big odds they succeeded in building England’s greatest motion picture studio and in producing ‘ Nell Gwynn.’ ‘ London ’ is from the pen of Thomas Burke, author of ‘ Limehouse NightSj’ and Dorothy Gish, the former D. \V. Griffith star, is Other stars aro to be signed by British National Productions, and now that the world market is assured for them productions will bo entered upon on a tremendous scale, thus solving to a very large cx L , tent the groat problem of film production. la Groat Britain.