MICKEY MOUSE IN INDIA
MORE POPULAR THAN GARBO. Greta Garbo, Norina Shearer, and Jessie Matthews are all popular with the Indian film public, but the biggest star of all is Mickey Mouse (writes Campbell Dixon, "Daily Telegraph” Film Correspondent). I was given this information by Mr M. Omalev, an American director who has come to London to find backgrounds for an Indian talkie called Modern Youth.” ; “Modern Youth” is all about an .Indian student, rich but unsophisticated , who is led astray by English gold-dig-I gers.
j 'Phis lesson, Mr Omalcv tells me, is ; very popular in India. Conservative i opinion there deplores the “debasing i influence” of drinking, meat-eating, dancing and other European habits on J idealistic young Indians forbidden ithese practices by the Brahmin faith. ; For this reason many pictures made in England and America arc almost ! unintelligible to Indians. Seeing I young women going about in public , unveiled, drinking and dancing with '•men, right-thinking Indians can only ‘conclude that they are of the lowest moral character. I Indians are very fond of Shakeispearcan films and opera, though their I own music, based on rhythm and I melody, but not harmony, is difficult 'for Europeans to appreciate. J The highest salary ever earned by [an actress for a first picture. Mr i Omalcv claims, was recently paid to jthe 2-1-year-old singer Sundarambal, ■known as “the nightingale of South In!dia.” It required the payment of £6,600 to overcome her prejudice • against “such a disreputable form of • entertainment.” I A few years ago, Indian silent pictures, the quickest of “quickies," were : produced in hundreds tor about £l.OOO leach. Now. ii seems, the public is ■insisting on talkies oi good quality. lOvcr In<i. Mr Omalcv says, will be produced this year at a cost ranging from t::.3iHi to the £”o.ooii required Ho star the formidable Sundarambal. land there are 100 cinemas wired for 1 sound.
Indian talkies are so popular that English and American productions arc gradually being crowded out.
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Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1937, Page 10
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328MICKEY MOUSE IN INDIA Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1937, Page 10
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