KINEMA AND THE EMPIRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20901, 16 December 1929, Page 19

KINEMA AND THE EMPIRE.

AMERICAN PICTURES IN NEW ZEALAND. SUGGESTED NEWS-FILM SERVICE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 18. In a letter to The Times, Lord Gainford makes a strong plea for the use of the kinema as a means of Imperial education. He holds that the kinema is, on the one hand, “ the only effective way to convey to the peoples of our Empire, for whose welfare we are responsible, what it is so vitally necessary for them to know in regard to their health and habits and many other subjects. On the other, it is by far the most effective method of showing them the wonders of the United Kingdom, pictures of the great shipbuilding yards round our coast, of our factories and workshops, of our up to date collieries, and of the world’s greatest seaport, London—a fact not generally appreciated. Few of the King’s subjects realise the triumphs gained by British engineering. I doubt if 10 per -cent, of the inhabitants of the Empire know of Sir Henry Segrave’s and FlightLieutenant Waghorn’s wonderful performances, or if half of 1 per cent, realise that Alcock and Brown crossed the Atlantic eight years before the Graf Zeppelin." Lord Gainford suggests that in view of the next assembly of the Imperial Economic Conference the question of a service of appropriate Empire films is one which might most usefully be taken up by H.M. Government without delay. Other countries without any of our responsibilities of Empire are already far ahead in this matter. “We have," he proceeds, " already demonstrated our ability to make admirable pictures on subjects dealing with natural history, botany, and zoology, but our range Is as yet too limited and might, be extended to cover all sorts of geographical, historical, economic, or hygienic subjects and all of these should be shown throughout our Dominion, colonies and protectorates. “ This is definitely a branch of the business where Great Britain can excel. I am informed that it may be impossible for us to -compete against America’s wealth in mere entertainment pictures, but it seems that we are well qualified to take a Reading place in the manufacture of pictures that do some good to those who see them. We have scientists unexcelled and technicians equal to any. In the Empire we have a vast and undeveloped market. Perhaps thi? market is not yet capable of returning the vast sums of money expected by Hollywood, but the production of the class of film I have In mind calls for comparatively less money but more brains, and would have far-reaching beneficial and educative results. “I would like to see Great Britain leading the world in this branch of the film industry. It can be done, and I suggest that the Government should take some definite action, preferably in conjunction with the Governments of the dominions and Crown ’ colonies, to work out a comprehensive scheme suited in detail to the very varying requirements of the individual countries within the Empire.” WHAT A MILITARY OFFICER SAW. As a New Zealander, Lieutenantcolonel E. ff, W. Lascelles {commandant of the Army School of Education, Shornchffe, and formerly of Hawke’s Bay) supports Lord Gainford. He spent a few months !n New Zealand, a year ago, after a lengthy absence, and among many and considerable developments that he noted were the picture theatres in all towns, large and small—in the cities, fine buildings, well equipped and equally well conducted; in the smallest up-country towns, simple wooden buildings, showing films with the same efficiency as the large theatres in the cities. " Almost every picture play that I saw was an American production. Every topical film and * news gazette ’ that' I saw was American. . . . The only navy that I saw on the screen was the American a fine picture of cruisers manoeuvring under cover of a smokescreen made by destroyers. “ While it is very desirable that the typically British people of New Zealand should understand the great nation largely of kindred blood on the other side of the Pacific, it is vitally important that they should understand the people of the far-distnnt land that they still call ‘ Home/ and that they should know something of the daily life of other peoples owning allegiance to the British Crown. This Understanding will be promoted by the operation of the law now in force empowering regulations to be made requiring that a quota of Empire-made films shall be shown. But I do not anticipate that any <f these films will be Imperially ’ educational in character unless steps are taken to ensure that they shall be so. . addition to films of the description that Lord Gainford has in view, X the establishment of a reciprocal news-film service; I contemplate, for example, the exchange between Britain and New Zealand, and between the Dominion and the -Homeland, by the regular fortnightly mail, of films of important and interesting current events. Ibis would bring the British communities most widely separated geographically into living visual contact—no mean substitute for actual personal touch That this proposal is capable of Empirewide extension is obvious.” INTERCHANGE OF FILMS. Lord Askwitb writes that the subject of the interchangeability of Empire films came_ before the council of the British Empire Film Institute some time n<m, when it was agreed that the establishment in London of an Empire Interchange Bureau was desirable Having regard to this, the Film Institute got into touch _ with the representatives of the dominions and colonics, and has been able to compile a classified list of such films as are now available, showing not only some of the wonders of the United Kingdom, but illustrating th" history, geography, industries, and ethnology of the British Empire. Some 500 films are now available, and special presentations of these films, through the courtesy of the Empire Marketing Board Sir William Furse, have been organised at the Imperial Institute for some months past. A further 40 films relating to India are now ready. This side of the work of the ’institute could be considerably extended, and although it is doubtful whether the Government as such would finance the project. there is no reason why patriotically inclined men and women should not ill the interval come forward with financial and other support to ensure more rapid development.