PICTURE FILMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 December 1924, Page 14

PICTURE FILMS.

NEW AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY. A strong effort will be made by Union Theatres Limited and Australasian Films Limited to produce klms in Australia of ’a quality that will 'justify inclusion in picture pi’Ograrpmes generally, states -the Melbdurne Argus. ■With this object in view'an American producer (a Scotsman by birth/ Mr. F. Stuart' 1 \yhyte,‘ ! has‘' been engaged from thb' United States. Mr. Whyte, who lias- arrived from the Unite’d ’States, produced iii:.;tliat country, especially m file W'estern ‘States, revues, musical coinedjes, pantomimes', and moving pictures. '’ In addition; f he has 5 associated with, vaudeville, in Lqs Angles for many years he had experience with some ol the largest picture productions there. He was with the Douglas Fairbanks studio during the production of some ot the more 'ambitious of. that actor’s pictures. ’ r '- Mr. Whyte states that he .is more interested in manufacturing pictures in Australia _than in manufacturing Australian pictures. Australia, he considers, has' all the necessary scenic possibilities, locations and types; and, provided that pictures are produced on a sate, economical basis, there is, in his opinion,, every possibility of success. He does not agree with the principle °f using only “legitimate” actors and actresses. He is more inclined to pick types from the general public and to use a/number that have been tested in different theatres in. conjunction with the Louise Lovely Seasons in the capitals. “It, is not my mission to Australia,’’ said Mr. Whyte, ‘ ‘‘to’ 'decry wh’at has already beep d‘one. 'Rather do 1 wish 1b take advantage of "study of past ‘Au with a view f® 'fuberpotating' ‘n6vel'' in future'' afttrsCctions. ! My'’'intention- is not to produce enormous spbcfahlbs tci begin with, but to base niy efforts on entertaining stories.” Mr. >wfiyte''referred'' t’o financial phase of picture production, and emphasised the practical impossibility, from a financial point of view, of manu! facturing pictures on the extravagant scale of the United States. To do so, in his opinion, would be “a gamble;” but this, he added, must not be taken to imply that ,if he were successful- in obtaining a really excellent film, it would not be exploited elsewhere, primary object of. the' neiv enterprise was to inti:oduce into Australia a*picture which could he manufactured at a reasonable cost, and, could, be; substituted for filnis that are, now releasedin the regular programmes. UI “ A masterpiece,’,’ iytr. Whyte, said, cioes not evolve through a producer merely waving a magic"wand. Picture pi oduction means months of, organisation. It is pot a business for amateurs, nor can it be. lightly entereif, upon, through the enterprise of rny principals I. have been placed in a position to tackle Australian, production in a wholehearted spirit, and I am already busy W C£ f-stiiig office pnd the selection of Studio and lot. It will be for the Australian, public to say if j have succeeded.” 1