FULL-LENGTH FILMS

Evening Star, Issue 25769, 16 April 1946, Page 4

FULL-LENGTH FILMS

MAY BE PRODUCED IN N.Z. RESULT OF KERRIDGESAHK PARTNERSHIP (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, April 15. One direct result of the partnership of Mr Kerridge with the Rank organisation is the possibility, that films may be produced in New Zealand. Before leaving London to catch the Queen Mary to New York, Mr Kerridge said: " There is quite a possibility that fulllength films may be made in New Zealand, and it is likely that the first one may be 'So They Began,' by John Brodie. Nothing definite has been decided yet, however." Brodie, formerly of New Plymouth, wrote ' The Little Country ' and ' So They Began/ before the war. An option to film the latter was taken up, but the plans were interrupted by the war. Throughout, the war Brodie served with Fighter Command in the R.A.F. as operations controller. Now in London, he is editor of ' Books of To-day.' Commenting on the new partnership, Mr Kerridge said : " The management will be exactly the same as at present I will be managing director in New Zealand, and Mr Rank and Mr John Davis will be joint directors, but there will be no resident representative of the Ranik organisation in the Dominion. Both organisations have a 50 per cent, interest, and there is no control on either side. The object of the partnership is to give the British film industry the opportunity it deserves, both from patriotic and merit points of view. British film production facilities, despite the handicaps suffered throughout the war, are reaching a stage where they compare quite favourably with those of Hollywood. The Americans are taking the English activities very seriously, and the net result will be an improvement in the standards of both British and American films. The partnership also means' that there will no longer be a delay in British films reaching New Zealand. Mr Kerridge also stated that it was hoped that arrangements would be made for English theatre companies to visit New Zealand. He had no comment to makp on his visit to Paris. With Colonel R. F. Gambrill, he will spend three weeks in New York and a similar time in California. ' They expected to reach New Zealand on May 25.