1935 FILM DEAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18595, 4 January 1935, Page 5

1935 FILM DEAL

RKO RADIO TO SUPPLY AMALGAMATED THEATRES A comprehensive film ileal has boon completed lie tween' RKO Radio Picturns (A'siu.j, Limited, and Amalgamated Theatres, Limited, covering the entire, output of R KO Radio Pictures' 1955 supply to the Amalgamated Theatres chain of theatres, comprising Oh theatres operating throughout New Zealand from Invercargill to MGuuigu* rcl. Mr. W. ML Dull', general manager for New Zealsitul of RKO Radio Pie* lures (A. Asia.), Limited, and Mr. ML ,T. Moodabe, governing director of Amalgamated Theatres, Limited, completed the arrangements of the deal for their respective companies. The agreement represents a continuation of business association for a further period of I*2 months following on l!)'i-l, during which year, Amalgamated Theatres Limited and RKO Radio Pictures (Vsia.), Limited, wore also in business association. The Amalgamated Theat res company commenced business 15 years ago with one theatre. During the past 12 months the company has opened 10 new theatres, an activity which has released £250,000 in capital value represented by buildings, land and equipment. The lesson which the RKO Studios, together with other companies have learned from recent years has been that pictures with no story value, no matter at what cost they are made, do not provide popular entertainment. One of the main considerations, therefore, in the production schedule for release during 1955, has been story value. Tins is exemplified in coming RKO productions which will be arriving in New Zealand early in the New Year, by “Anno of the .Green Gables," from the book by T,. M, Montgomery; “Laddie," and “Freckles," Gene St rail on Porter; "MVdaesday’s Child," from the stage play by Leopold Atlas; “Little Minister," Sir .faino.s Barrie; “Three Musketeers," from the book by Alexandre Dumas; “The Founlain," from the book by Charles Morgan, and “She," from tin' book by 11. Rider Haggard.

MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS. In addition to production taken from world ronownod books, RKO Radio T’ie.lores have secured the screen rights fo the musical productions, “Roberta” and “Oav Divorcee.” This latter production featuros Fred Astaire, who is considered the world’s best male eccentric dancer, and 1 dinner Honors, both of whom were the stars, of the RKO Radio production, “ Flying Down to Rio,” released during J!K!4 throughout New Zealand. It is also proposed to release two feature length productions entirely in the now technicolor)process. The first of the technicolor production will tie “Bbekv Sharp,” from the immortal classic, “Vanity Fair,” by 'William Makepeace Thackeray, and the second j

will possibly be the "Three (Musketeers, ’ ’ by Dumas. Among the stars who will appear in HlvO Radio productions for the coming year are: —Katharine Hepburn, Ann Harding, "William Powell, Fred Astaire, ("linger lingers, John Poles, Miriam Hopkins, Francis Lodorer, Wheeler and Woolsev, an<l Trene Dunne. In the supporting subjects lield RKO Radio programmes will include colored cartoons, Toddle tale cartoons, it series of ‘‘Dumb-bell bettors,” which have been gathered front all over the world, representing actual ‘‘funnybone breakers” that business firms receive and file away, together with the well-known Rathe Newsreels am-.' Audio Reviews.