"STARS OF THE EAST."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 11 (Supplement)

"STARS OF THE EAST."

THE CINEMA IN ASIA. PRINCIPALS AT £ I 0 A WEEK. When you are enjoying a good talkie, lurrounded by all the comforts of the modern cinema, do you ever stop to think how peoplo of ether lands go to the pic-' tures? In Japan the audience sit on the floor to watch their favourite star, while in Chins/you may take your girl friend to the movies, but you won't he allowed to sit with her—gentlemen sit ou one tide of the theatre and ladies on the other! In India the cinema is one of the most popular forms of entertainment, and has found its way into almost every littlo village, Even the coolies on the tea and rubber plantations are treated to a movie show once a week by a touring cinema which visits every inhabited neighbourhood. The films they show can hardly be called up to date, and most of them are of the Wild-West type, while Eddie Polo and Pearl White are still firm favourites in these outlandish places. The larger villages, of course, boast of permanent cinemas, which arc usually lean-to sheds with corrugated iron roofs, and give fhows about three times a week.

In the big cities such as Bombay and Calcutta, super cinemas arc to be found almost as fine as those seen in London. In ivery case Europeans and natives are separated in the auditorium. Hie white man, of course, pays the highest prices, about 3s or 4s 6d, while the rest of the prices are graded according to the caste of the patrons. These theatres are run on the. same lines as our own and kept amazingly cool and clean. Most of them have an orchestra (which is not one of their best points), and show all the latest talkies soon after thev have been released in Englafid, and sometimes before. Many of the larger hotels give cinema shows for their guests, and these are generally ,very enjoyable, as they are held out-of-doors tir on a flat roof, which is very pommon in India. But India is not satisfied with just going to the cinema; she also produces many films. In the cities there are to be found several film studios run by natives, who make pictures especially suited to the Indian public. These studios do not Jesemble Hollywood or even Elstree, but are situated up back streets away from the plain thoroughfare. The actual studios are just plain structures, with glass rows under which the Scenes are built and photographed, while dressing rooms, workshops for making the Bcenery, and photographic dark rooms are usually in an adjoining house. All the work is carried out by the natives, whose methods and technique are very similar to those of Western film producers, all the equipment is imported l?om England and America.

Indian directors usually adapt old •fantastic legerulb and historical stories for scenarios, thus making their pictures gather unsuitable for English audiences, ®<it they introduce European touches possible. But Indian film stars are not allowed to become temperamental. They have to ■tart work at 8.30 every morning with the rest of the company, make and supply vii. r ,own cos fumes, and for all this the "ighest/ salary paid amounts to about £lO a week. / The " big picture " lasts usually a couple of hours, and is accompanied by 6 «ange music from tom-toms and trumpets. Titles are set up in three languages, Tamil and Hindustani, and the lact that there are nearly 200 languages **plains why Indian producers do not attempt to make " talkies." The audiences J® well-behaved and applaud the firo and -boo the villain at. the right aces i whilo the presence of a " white " wses a sensation.