FULLER-HAYWARD THEATRES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21022, 10 May 1930, Page 25

FULLER-HAYWARD THEATRES

ORIGIN AND RISE OF FIRM. THE RECENT REORGANISATION. Mr Henry Hayward, president of Hayward’s, Pictures, Ltd., and vice-president of the Fuller-Hayward Theatres Corporation and, also its executive director, in the following interesting and chatty article recounts the history of the firm, together with his own personal reminiscences in New Zealand extending over more than a quarter of a century:— "Thirteen was always my lucky number,” writes Mr Hayward. “I came to this happy Bind of New Zealand with a company of 13 (West’s Pictures and the Brescians) in 1905. We opened our tour on the 13th of the month (it was a Friday, too); and we made £13,000 on our in|tial tour. The Fuller-Hay-ward Theatres Combine was born on /April 13, 1913, and as one of its founders and its first president, that date is perhaps the luckiest of my life. “ Seventeen years ago the picture theatre was the Cinderella of entertainments. The members the ■ legitimate stage and even the vaudeville artists tip-tilted their noses as they passed the doors of our humble, picture houses' and laughed contemptuously at " The Flickers,” as they called us. To-day the Cinderella of entertainments has learned to talk and has become the princess of all the world, housed in wondrous palaces, while the legitimate players and vaudeville artists have had to accept the decision of the public. PIONEER DAYS-OF PICTURES. “ Pioneers ever seem to have a rough time, and John Fuller, with his three sons, Ben, Walter, and John, jun., together with those associated with me in the pioneering of pictures in New Zoa land, all had our struggles. We gave our shows in all sorts of buildings. Wellington’s first permanent picture house was originally an old church; at Christchurch a livery stable was its venue; at Wanganui an auctioneer’s room; while Napier’s initial picture show was a converted garage. Auckland built the first house specially for pictures. It was first leased by Linley and Donovan, then purchased by me. “Prior to our merger in 1913 Fullers and Haywards were two small circuits of alleged theatres fightihg desperately against each other, buying the same film in the same limited market, and it was a race to get these identical films exhibited first in their respective towns/ With Fullers were associated William Douglas,, now their chief of staff in Australia, and Robert Shepard, now one of the heads with J. C. Williamson Films (N.Z.), Ltd. Associated with me were E. J. Righton, Barrie Marschel, Hugh Wilson, Geoffrey Nye, and my sister,, then Miss Florence Hayward. It wah great fun trying to get ahead of. one another with the same pictures; but it was expensive fun. So Fullers and Haywards declared an armistice and the Fuller-Hayward theatre companies wore born.. " The original constitution of the Fuller-Hayward theatres was legally framed by Sir Michael Myers, now New Zealand’s Chief Justice. It has not been altered materially since its inception and remains the same to-day, with the exception of the addition of two extra directors, but naturally the aggregate capital has increased. The FullerHayward .combination is a triangle of companies as follows:—fullers Pictures, Ltd., capital £110,000; Hayward’s Pictures, Ltd., capital £110,000; The Fuller-Hayward Theatre Corporation, capital £238,000. The first two companies ,aro represented caph by three directors on the latter company’s hoard, which is the operating concern,, and was originally titled the New Zealand Picture Supplies, Ltd. The directors for Fullers were: John Fuller, sen., Ben (now Sir Benjamin Fuller), and John Fuller, jun.; For Haywards, Henry Hayward, E. J. Righton, and P. H. Herman. Death has taken from iis John Fuller, the fathei of New Zealand entertainment. E. J. Righton, our former managing director, retired (but continues in pictures as head of Christchurch Kinemas, Ltd.), and in their stead Walter Fuller, and my only son, Phil Hayward, were elected. - TO-DAY’S REORGANISATION. “ Under the recent reorganisation with its closer affiliation to the four metropolitan theatres of Messrs John Fuller and Sons, New Zealand, as well as their wider interests in Australia, the Fuller-Hayward theatre corporation

| will become one of the most powerful kinema combinations south of the line, and its operations will be controlled by the following board of directors:—Sir Benjamin Fuller (chairman), Henry Hayward (vioe-chairm’an), John Fuller, Cecil Olivier, Walter Fuller, ,p. A. Herman, Phil. Hayward. Sir Benjamin u and John Fuller are the managing * directors, while tlip executive directors are Henry and Phil. Hayward, and P. . H. Herman. During the' 17 years , Slnec the birth of the combination, its assets and business have increased tenfold, and its ramifications penetrate to all parts of the Dominion, as owners. Lessees, or partners in over 70 theatres. The combined capital of the parent companies is £458,000, which, with the capital of the subsidiary and associated companies, totals nearly £1,500,000, and > this-is now added in friendly alliance the greater interest of Sir Benjamin and John Fuller’s New Zealand and Australian businesses. OP THE TALKIES. “ Strangely, although, the talkies have only recently blossomed into the world’s greatest means of entertainment, in some form they are nearly as old as the silent picture itself. Nineteen yearsago we presented the Chrono-megaphon'e with Harry Lauder as the principal at-traction-singing and talking, by synchronisation of disc and film-—and it was not a bad show at all. Then came the kinephone, another device, in which the operator had to watch a changing sign in the corner of the screen and adjust the running of a gramophone to it. After this, Edison, who is one of the forefathers of the moving picture, concocted a complicated talking machine, with threads running on wheels from the projection box to the back of the screen—which were supposed to synchronise a megaphone with the film running through the biograph machine. Then about five years ago De Forrest blazed the trail of sound on film which was tried out at the larger Fullcr-Hayward houses: This was the genesis of the real talkie, but at that time difficult and erratic to repro•jCC'i.SO fa^ away, only to return, side _by side, to-day with the. American talkie. Through the patient application and enthusiasm of Mr R. Kemball, it has become the standard British talkie equip--“cohere and is a very efficient plant* The talkie ia the most remarkable entertainment the world Las known, and I fail to see how the legitimate theatre can ever regain its former prestige. My partner. Sir Benjamin Fuller, a year ago thought differently, and with ‘his old guard vaudeville revue made the stand for Flesh and Blood ’ against ‘ canned entertainment’ To-day, with trumpets blowing and banners flying, fair Benjatnin, as president of the reorganised Ful ler-Haywa rd Theatres Corporation and controller of his other vast entertainment interests in both Australia and New Zealand, is one of tho most enthusiastic believers in the future of the talkies. " FUTURE OF THE KINEMA. “Tlie talkie is destined to still greater triumphs in the future. Within a year our largest New Zealand theatres will be equipped with newer and more wonderful kinemachincry, our present screens will be scrapped for more scientific material. Future patrons will look back at our present screens as ‘ Punch and Judy’ presentations,’for they will' be superseded by a new type of film and screen, filling pur stages to their utmost width, projecting with perfect realism entertainment garnered from every sonree—from grand opera to circus, from the philosophies of Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde to the charmful chatterings of Noel Coward. In addition to the full stage film is promised some form of stereoscopic film—not really ’stercoscopic, for that in my opinion is not possible—unless we become one-eved as Cyclops; but some illusion of the real thing that will serve its purpose. The standard film will eventually be colour Kinephotography— not coloured, not in crude primary colours, but quieter and more delicate tints. TELEVISION TALKIES AHEAD. “Beyond these nearer developments I foresee radical changes in the presentation of kinema entertainment when television becomes practical. The day will come when the whole of New Zealand’s theatres will be simultaneously suppliedwith, sight and sound from one central television station in Wellington. Every theatre from the North Cape to Bluff will have identical fare, with probably nightly changes— supplied, like to-day’s radio, to every private house that cares to pay for them. But humanity being gregarious will, no doubt, continue to gather together in the theatres.”