TILL MORE TALKIES

Evening Star, Issue 20252, 13 August 1929, Page 8

TILL MORE TALKIES

INSTALLATION FOR STRAND THEATRE WORLD SOUND PATENTS LITIGATION Dunedin is leading the rest of New Zealand in the talkies. Besides the Empire, Regent, and Octagon Theatres another installation is proposed. Complete plant for ‘the conversion of the Strand Theatre into a talkie house is on its way hero. Tho Strand outfit will not he a Western Electric. When the talkies first became the rage the great American company practically cornered tin; world’s markets, the biggest film producing firms Contracting not to .supply films for reproduction on other than Western Electric plant. That the monopoly is being broken down is indicated. A recant issue of ‘Everyone's.’ the loading Australian journal for the film trade, stated :

“Throughout the British Empire Western Electric is losing its light to monopolise the talking screen. In Australia ami New Zealand W.E. has .surrendered, not because it wanted in, but because it feared any further hold out; or objection to distributors servicing a locally-made equipment would have earned an official punch in ibo loud speaker. Now there is capitulation in England, and a sore defeat must lie the London announcement that ‘The Broadway Melody’ can now he hooked over the disc system of British talking pictures. "•To have boon able to corner the screen would have been worth millions to W.E., but now. that interchangeability is a dead issue, provided the substitute apparatus gives reasonable satisfaction, the company’s only alternative is to soil on quality—the fairest method of doing business. A year from now we may look back on W.E.’s attempted. monopoly of talk with the same humorous amazement with which we now recall the efforts of the old American Film Trust to corner'production fifteen or sixteen years ago.”

Litigation for the upholding of patent rights against Western Electric is under way by tho Dc Forest Phoriolilm Company, and in June the Robis Sound Film Syndicate succeeded in the Berlin Court in its contention Unit the patents of the Electrical Research Products, ’Westorn Electric subsidiary, were based on German patents.