Movies Not Afraid of Television

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 173, 25 July 1939, Page 7

Movies Not Afraid of Television

MR. ADOLF ZUKOR’S VIEWS Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, July 24. A leading figure in the American motion picture industry for more than a quarter of a century, Mr. Adolph Zukor, founder and head of Paramount Pictures Incorporated, arrived at Auckland by tho Niagara from Vancouver in the course of a short visit to Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Zukor was the guest of honour at a dinner given by representatives of the film industry in New Zealand. Mr. Zukor said ho wished to meet distributors and exhibitors and see something of the public in this part ol' the world because in the present condition of the industry it was necessary to gauge the tastes in all countries very closely. American motion pictures could not be produced without a world market owing to the high costs whicn tended to increase. Mr. Zukor was not apprehensive of future rivalry from television. He had investigated it closely, he said, and in his opinion a good deal more technical progress would have to be made before “televiewing” became universally popular. There was no question that Television was already efficient in handling public events and sport after the manner of the newsreel, but motion pictures had a long start of it in developing the technique for the presen tation of dramatic entertainment. Another handicap was the limited range--25 miles or so—of the television stations. These difficulties undoubtedly would be overcome in, time but motion pictures had nothing to fear for many years, if ever.