Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 1929. TALKING FILMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17068, 28 September 1929, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, SATURDAY, SEPT. 28, 1929. TALKING FILMS

It may be said to be characteristic oi' the present age, wherein people are generally more than willing to welcome anything that is new just because it is new, that the talking film has been awarded an ovation. That the synchronisation of sound and sight is a wonderful and an admirable performance for which all credit must be given to the scientists who brought it about, no one but the most disgruntled cynic will deny. But, scientific achievement apart, there remains room for a certain amount of legitimate comment upon the general effect of the new departure on public taste. The chief protagonist of the sound film is the United States of America. According to one of the millionaire “movie” proprietors, the silent film is “dead for all time.” Although it could be pointed out that once anything is dead-it is usually dead for good, one may venture to doubt if, in spite of the new development, the silent film will never again make its former appeal to many types of people. But as things are, the triumphant note sounds loud and clear from America, and a few of the facts relative to the producers there reveal the reasons for the chorus of jubilation. One firm which was first in the field, and was formerly financially insecure, has attained to an almost impregnable position. Its progress is the sort of argument that appeals to America. Another corporation has announced its decision to go in exclusively for the production, of talking films. They have been followed by smaller firms, and the other large organisations seem to be on the. verge of a vast change-over to meet the new need. In Europe,, on the other hand, the note is one of panic rather than triumph. Feverish preparations arc being made for the exhibition of talking pictures, although little is being done as to their manufacture. In Britain Mr. Edgar Wallace, who is chairman of the British Lion Corporation, recently gave it as his opinion that the “talkie” had momentarily swept the silent film industry out of existence and that no body of business men in their senses dare put even the silent films, which had been prepared or were in process of preparation, on the market. Accordingly many British firms have announced their decision to adopt an exclusive policy of sound production. The fact at the moment seems to be that a relatively bad talking film is a better business proposition . than a relatively good silent one. But it will occur to anyone who cures to think about the subject that allowance must be made for the element of novelty which is an essential part of the talking film’s appeal. It may easily be that this type of projection may be so developed that it will assume and maintain a paramount place in public esteem; but, it should not bo forgotten that the silent film has an appeal all its own, and that stop by step with improvements in projection —such- as the development of stereoscopic pictures —(lie improvements will equally apply to silent and to sounding films alike. The important thing that lias happened, due to recent developments, is that the whole aspect of Mm production has undergone a drastic change. That is to say, the- industrial aspect has come to the fore. It, is now more or less a trade war, in which America has ail immense advantage. It is rapidly becoming a gigantic struggle between Europe and America.. The question of sound versus silence , is itself . silenced by the purely commercial interest. There is involved in this fact the further,fact that what is happening is that there is a grave risk of the imposition of American culture upon the rest of the world. One gentleman, a director of First National Pictures, Incorporated, has already boasted of “the day when the talking picture will have sold the world .the English language in its American form.” Lovers of pure English will infinitely regret the possibility of selling the world any such thing. The world, they may be pardoned for believing, will indeed be “sold” so far as pure speech is concerned. Those who have visited the “talkies” have had good reason already to be disillusioned regarding many of the “movie” stars whose undoubted histrionic, ability was in large measure related to their merciful silence. On the part of some of the women, for example, physical beauty, owing to the latest development, has been allied to. an unlovely nasal twang that lias already dissipated fifty per cent, of their reputations. And apart from individual instances, one feels that the good old English language itself is at stake. It was difficult enough in all conscience, to make out the meaning even from the captions on the screen when some of the college pictures were being shown, and it is with the utmost apprehension that one views the possibility of such distortions of the English language being actually uttered in tbo u&sal accent?

of America. This perhaps is the biggest item in ile: whole problem, and at tho.sume time oho of the hopeful elements. It, cannot be expected that those who- like English well spoken will put up for long with the appalling caricatures rendered by the speaking lilms. .Nothing that has ever hap peaed so far in the history of the world has made such u clear challenge to the defenders of the purity of English speech; and wo do not mind making a prophecy that American competition in this department of industry will stultify itself by its sheer inability to give the British public what it wants in the way of audible drama, comedy, or anything else, and that the British “talkie" industry, with superior films, will come forward by leaps and bounds.

The Dunedin City Council has received 11 applications for tile position of city organist, several from outside the Dominion. The Legislative Council met at 10 o'clock this morning and passed the Imprest Supply Hill (No. 4), without discussion. The Council adjourned' until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday next. At' a sitting of the .Magistrate’s Court at .Milton yesterday Alexander William Robinson was convicted on a charge ot keeping liquor for sale in the no-license district, of Bruce, and was fined £SO and costs. Bitterly cold weather was experienced in Canterbury yesterday, there being heavy vow on the ranges and foothills and itiug southerly gale. The is feared, will have a serious efi’Pdt, on young lambs and early crops. . , The Cook County Women’s Guild acknowledges the following gifts to the Children s Creche: Be Grand Lounge, cakes; Irresistible, buns; “A Friend, birthday party; Alnngapapa Orange Lodge, ‘jellies, 'trifles, cases, and sandwiches; Mrs. Clark, tea towels; Miss Tucker, butter; “A Friend,” lemons; Mrs. Lewis, trees; “A Friend,” pics, bacon, ham, and sausages. The pipiwharauroa, or shining cuckoo, which makes an annual migration lo .Siberia, usually returns to New Zealand in September' and heralds the spring. A correspondent at Waipiro informs us that the birds have evidently returned on time this year, as one was heard there on the 24th inst., and from its lusty note it had evidently recovered strength after the long journey from the Northern Hemisphere. On both the Park and Makaraka racecourses there are trees so placed in the saddling paddocks that they interfere with the public view of the mile starts. Yesterday the Gisborne Racing Olub’s executive was recommended to have the obstruction eliminated if possible at the Park course, and racegoers whose view lias been limited at various times for some years will henceforth enjoy a full view of the starts at the mile barrier. Probably the Poverty Bay Turf Club executive will take similar action to improve the visibility at. Makaraka before the October meeting there. One of the impressions gained by Mr. B. H. Aislabie, during his recent visit to Australia, was that bird life is remarkably inconspicuous in the country areas. In the city of Sydney pigeons and a variety of small birds keep house among the public and business buildings’ eaves, and in the suburbs the most noticeable bird is one very similar to, but rather larger than, tile New Zealand fantail. In the country, however, one looked and listened in vain for an}' bird life of the type that makes the Now Zealand bush so beautiful. The kookaburra is not to bo regarded as a bird in the same light as the New Zealand tui, for instance. Some of the very early shearing has commenced in Poverty Bay, but so tar the quantity of fleece that is ready to send into the stores in Gisborne is very small indeed. One station owner commenced shearing as early as the beginning of this montli, since when lie lias had six bales available. Other sheepmen are expected to commence operations early next month, while towards the dose of the month a large number of shearing sheds should be busy. At present most of the activities are confined to pieparatory work, and the machines are being overhauled in readiness for the busy season. A fairly heavy dip is expected in the district this year. Found drunk in charge of a horse and buggy in Derby street yesterday, a Maori, .Jim Nepia, appeared before Messrs. John Jackson and T. Corson. .J’s.P., in the Police Court this morning, and was fined 10s and costs. SeniorSergeant Wade explained that the accused was found by a constable at 5 p.m. driving the buggy'with portions of the harness undone and dragging on the ground. 110 pulled up on the wrong side of the road, and was too, drunk to stand, having to support himself. The accused applied to have his name suppressed, but his request was promptly refused. “But l’vo got a wife and family,” pleaded the accused. “Well,” said Mr. Jackson, “she”! know now what sort of a chap you are.” From the point of view of the returned soldiers of tho Poverty Bay East Coast district, the annual re-union held ,n Show Week is the outstanding event of the spring, and this year’s function promises to overshadow even the highly successful re-union held last year, when General R. Young, the Hon. K. S. Williams, and Mr. S. J. Harrison, general secretary of the N.Z.R.SiA., were present as the principal guests. One (net that should do much to guarantee a large attendance is that General Sir Andrew Russell, former!v commander of the. N.Z.E.F. and an Empire figure in returned soldiers’ affairs, has undertaken to he present this year. He was to have cpme to Gisborne on a previous occasion for tho ex-servicemen’s reunion, bid private affairs prevented him making the trip; this year he is therefore all the more anxious to meet the returned men of this district. The function is to- be held on the first Show night, and final arrangements for entertainment, and catering are in hand. The reunion will he presided over bv Lieut.-Ooloriel R. E. Gambrill, president of’ the Gisborne R.S.A. Reference was made by Mr. A. C. Steele at yesterday’s meeting of (be Poverty Bay Power Board to the fact that ifio 111. Hon. J, G. Coates was Minister of Public Works he bad undertaken to duplicate tho transmission line between Tttai and Patutahi. if the single line was not satisfactory in service. Mr. T. Todd, who was a member of tho board when tho former Minister dismissed with the Power Board the terms on which Poverty Uav should buv current. from tho Government, stated this morning that lie had a distinct recollection of the discussion, which had taken place in Gisborne. . Mr. Coates bad assured the board that bis departmental experts were satisfied of the safety of a single lino, and that if tho board would take the.- contract • offered io>. ilie supply of current no objection wo'dd be taken to its breaking down peak loads with the standby plant, as long as minimum payments under the contract were made to the Government. He further undertook that if the single 'transmission line proved unsatisfactory, be would have ,the duplication carried out. without affectum- the board’s privilege of using the standby plant to break down the peak. Mr. Todd’s recollection of this agreement is supported by his diary note of this discussion.