“TALKIES” NEEDED NOW

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1929, Page 3

“TALKIES” NEEDED NOW

DOMINION PUBLICITY FILMS. ’DEPARTMENT’S DILEMMA. Wellington, July 7. Menacing one of the small forms of Government enterprise which has nevertheless very important results, are the invading talkie films. ~ Indications are that the film publicity which has constituted so much of the Dominion’s publicity abroad is likely to be killed by the newest development in motion picture production Advices from Europe and America state that the overwhelming proportion of pictures in future will be talkies, or else soundsynchronised. This means the end of the profitable silent films which the Publicity Department has been releasing at the rate of one a week, and which have been marketed widely in England, America and Australia under a favourable contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation. The Publicity Department is faced with a dilemma. It cannot continue production. of the silent films which have been its programme for past years, because the market for them is vanishin". A-final blow has been the announcement of cheap installations wnio 1 will enable small country theatres to handle talking films. On the other hand the department could not contemplate asking the Government for the installation of a talking production plant at the reported price of about £lOO,OOO. However, a report is now to hand from Mr. R. Fenton, assistant to the chief publicity officer, who has been investigating the situation in Australia, and it - is° understood that practicable proposals for the acquisition of a smaller form of talkie plant will soon be submitted to Cabinet. The importance of film publicity is recognised, and the Government will not willingly allow the country to lose it.