DOMINION TRAVELOGUE

Evening Star, Issue 22559, 29 January 1937, Page 3

DOMINION TRAVELOGUE

SHOOTING NEW ZEALAND IN GOLDUR AMERICAN CAMERAMAN IN DUNEDIN In search of the unusual, and looking for New Zealand’s beauty spots is Mr Len. H. Roes, cameraman for Warner Bros., who is at present in Dunedin. A fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and member of the American Society of Cinematographers, Mr Rook has come to “shoot" about 10,000 ft of film of the Dominion’s scenic attractions, and when he is finished a coloured travelogue will travel round the world advertising the beauty of New Zealand'. ‘When Mr G. M. Dillon came to the Dominion some 14 months ago as general manager in New Zealand for Warner Bros, he invested in an air trip from Auckland to the Bluff. He was so much impressed by the beauty and variety of the scenery that he asked his head office to send a cameraman to make a colour film, Air Roos being despatched as a result, and since his arrival the two men have been slowly covering the Dominion. In Christchurch last week they hired an aeroplane and flew over Mount Cook and the Westland glaciers, taking colour pictures of the scenery. In Rotorua they “ shot ” the Maoris and geysers, and Taranaki presented New Zealand’s Fujiyama. Chistohurch, they learnt, was a city of cyclists, so a, request was published for as many bicycles as possible to be in the Square at noon on Saturday. From the number who acceeded to the cameramen’s request, Christchurch must be “ film-star conscious,” and a policeman informed Air Roos that it was the largest traffic Mock he had seen. Air Roos has been in New Zealand before—he was here 10 years ago working for the Fox Company —and he is vpry much impressed with the brilliance of the light here. In Rotorua, where he has taken films of the geysers and the Alaoris, he found that he had to adjust his lens “ two stops further ” than anywhere else he has been. Even on a day that in other countries would be regarded as too dull to photograph he was able to get a good film. During their travels through, the country, Mr Roos and Mr Dillon are keeping an eye open for oddities. For instance, there was a person in Christchurch who collected match-boxes and had an assortment of thousand's, and there was" the woman who had tame eels that came when whistled for. They had films, too, of kiwis and the gannets of Cape Kidnappers. Some of these shots will find their way into such series as ‘ Believe it or Not ’ and ‘ Oddities.’

Altogether about 10,000 ft of film would be used, said Mr Roos. This, however, would be condensed in America to the size of a short feature, and would be issued for world release. It was expected that the film would be exhibited in New Zealand about Alay. It would be accompanied by descriptive matter and recordings of national music.

The New Zealand Government had given Mr Roos its co-operation, for it was realised that the film would have great publicity value.