BIG FILM MERGER

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1933, Page 8

BIG FILM MERGER

DEVELOPED IN WAR TO CONTROL 214 THEATRES ( COUNTERING U.S. IN*XrUEWDS Sydney, Feb. 3. The conflict between the big American film combines and the Australian picture theatres has not ended, but some l 'very interesting developments have taken place, states the Wellington Post’s correspondent. In the earlier stages of the fight Fuller’s Theatres were seemingly prepared to stand aside, explaining that they had contracts for an adequate supply of films, and that .they were not strongly opposed to the “blocking* system. But as the struggle went on Sir Benjamin Fuller evidently came to. realise that the future of the “movies” throughout Australia was involved, and Fullers’ Theatres have now completed an alliance for a definite number of years with the General Theatres Corporation. The two groups together, regarded from the standpoint of either finance er public business, make up a very formidable combination. They control _ 214 theatres, including, with two exceptions, every “first-class” theatre in Australia. The Prince Edward Theatre in Sydneyone of the most splendid houses in Australia—and the Capitol in Melbourne are the only two important houses of standing outside the new federation, which will be able to offer, effective resistance to any American attack. One of the American distributors hero has pointed' out that “the new arrangement is a complete monopoly, under which the corporation hopes to dictate exactly what it will buy, what it • will show,- and how it will show it”; and we are supposed to draw the inference that this latest amalgamation is not conducive to the public interest But the obvious answer is that if there are to be monopolies in this 'business we would prefer to trust outselves to the tender mercies of Australians rather than of Americans. ’ QUALITY OF AMERICAN FILMS. The strangle-hold which the Americans have. already gained on the “movie” business here is now attracting the attention of public men who are not directly interested in its financial aspects. Mr. Parkhill, a Federal Minister, has commented recently upon' the dangewt inseparable from foreign control of. the film business, and he has indicated plainly enough that the Federal Government might take legislative means to protect our interests in this respect A series of articles in the Sydney Morning Herald have recently drawn attention to the injurious effects of the existing American monopoly upon the character of the films presented and also their - effects upon public taste and social morality. The threat' of the Americans to buy out the whole of the Australian theatre* might quite conceivably have most disastrous consequences. Not long since American Interests took over one of the leading picture theatres in Paris, and for two years not a single French film was shown there. important conference. It is contended that if we are to maintain here the dignity of the stage and the best traditions of British social life and culture we must encourage the . distribution and exhibition of British films. A conference is to take place shortly in London at which Australian and British producers and exhibitors will discuss the best practicable means fop dealing with the American menace and making our picture theatres “national” in the best sense of the tenn. The “block booking” system, which compels exhibitors to buy and stow considerable numbers of films quite irrespective of their individual quality, will no doubt come up for review, and the system, of “protection,” •by which suburban and country theatres are debarred from showing films till a given time has elapsed after their presentation in the cities, also needs modification. But any change that the British and Australian producers and distributors and exhibitors can arrange between themselves to their mutual satisfaction will benefit this very important industry. Meantime, it is some consolation to know that the latest amalgamation of the Australian “movie” interests will prevent the projected wholesale closing of our theatres and will 1 save many thousands of workers from threatened unemployment.