WORTH WEIGHT IN GOLD

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 15162, 4 October 1913, Page 11

WORTH WEIGHT IN GOLD

MOVING PICTURE FILMS. GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY. SOME INTERESOntNG FACTS. The immensity of the moving-picture business ia probably only half realised by the public. So great are the strides made by-what is now a firmly established and : ever-growing industry that it is already computed that for every.patron of the legitimate drama —a term which embraces the musical play—there are a score for,the picture theatre. Some interesting;: facte from film-land were gathered by a "New Zealand Herald" representative in a chat with a prominent figure in the picture business in New Zealand. '' Many of the films screened in this country are worth their weight in gold. The entertainments provided are gradually evolving from the "mixed programme" type into one lasting the entire evening, and supplied by long pictures;. These latter entail a large expense. " For instance, the film "The Battle_of "Waterloo," partly taken in Lincolnshire and partly on the field of Waterloo itself,, necessitated the employment of 1700 people. The picture "Ivanhoe" involved the engagement of Chepstowe Castle, to say nothing of over 500 performers—the entire Lyceum Theatre Company. When a film costs a great deal to produce; it-naturally follows that a good round sum has to be obtained for it. As a rule, nowadays, such films are put up to auction in England and America, and. on the Continent, and sold to the highest bidder. The picture "Quo Vadis" started the series of big-priced films, the sum of £6500 being paid for the E-nglish rights. That _ figure has been .exceeded since, the rights to a series of three jungle pictures, for instance, selling at £7OOO. Although the New Zealand nnd Australian rights are a good deal less expensive, it necessarily involves considerable expenditure to nroduce / RUch films here, and "star" pictures'like "Quo Vadis" ' and "The Scott Expedition" are actually worth their weight in gold. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CINEMA.

There is a movement amongst the leaders of the legitimate drama to migrate from stage to screen — at any race to enter to some extent into cinematograph work. Mr Beerbohm Tree, in his production of "Henry VIH.," was the first to enter the new field. Miss v Ella. line Terriss has now entered into a contract to play before the camera, Sarah Bernhardt has done so already, whilst there is also the instance referred to of the Lyceum Company in. "Ivanhoe." The cinematograph seems to have almost reached perfection as far as the silent drama is concerned.

. Various attemptb have been made towards the association of sound with the cinematograph, and Edison's new cinetophone is believed to have solved' the problem. This is a machine which 6ynIt is not thought likely that the cinematograph by mechanical, not electrical means. The effect produced is Baid tc be well-nigh perfect, and not only the spoken dialogue but such noises as the breaking of a plate or the barking of a dag. are heard at the right instant in relation to the pictured scene.

-POPULARITY OF THE SILENT , DRAMA. , I is not thought likely that the cinetaphohe will supersede the. ordinary 6ilent drama, for the reason that the cinematograph has educated the-minds of its votaries to do without voices and sounds. The cinetophone will on the other hand, it is considered, find its uses, in the direction of presenting artistic effects, songs, operas, or special scenes, as distinct from long drama. The great and continued popularity of the moving picture is attributed by one of the pioneers of the business in Australasia to he fact that picture patrons are able to supply their own interpretations of the scenes screened, and to become, as it were, units in the action depicted. There is elasticity for their imagination, the silent drama leaving a good bit to be filled in, and this process each member of the audience likes to and can carry out for himself. In that way it may happen that an entire audience mav enjoy a picture for scores of totaVv different reasons. PLENTY OF FRESH SUBJECTS..

There is not thougnt to be the slightest likelihood of the subjects for movmg pictures becoming exhausted. Many standard ones will of course be reproduced after an interval of time, as in the case of "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Originally filmed five years ago to the extent of 1000 feet, the latest version or edition is a film 6000 feet long. Again numbers of writers for the drama and for literature have diverted their energies in the direction of the cinematograph, as being more profitable. The industry too has produced writers of its own who never wrote before. A boy in Christchurch, who was employed to make "effects" at a picture theatre wrote a scenario, and sent it to a wellknown cinema firm. His reward was a handsome cheque. v . In choice of subjects, too, there is a tendency to.get nearer to life. This is exemplified in a series of pictures taken by an American millionaire, who headed Sn expedition into the Uganda and Cen-tral-Africa, to study the life-habits of wild' animals. He produced some remarkable pictures with the aid of hidden telescopic cameras. The resultantfilm has been bought for New Zealand at a cost, of £1450.

OPPORTUNIIIES FOR INVENTORS ■; There are great? opportunities in the business for budding Edisons. It is stated- that wealth and fame await the man who shall invent a means for obtaining true stereoscopic effect*, in cinematograph films. Another invention eagerly awaited is a process to increase the wearing capacity of films.

It is reassuring to learn that danger from fire at picture performances is practically a thing of the past, owing to modern improvements' and devices, the methods of projection axe now so safe that managers say their only fear in the event of a film catching fire is a panic amongst the audience. From the burning film itself no danger whatever is - apprehended.