TASTE OF MOVIE FANS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16875, 27 October 1922, Page 8

TASTE OF MOVIE FANS.

1 ‘ MORE CRITICAL, SAYS MR J H. HAYWARD. 1 p speaking there is a tendency on the part of. tbe motion pics ture fans to ’be more critical. They * shop ’ for their pictures now.” ’ In those words Air Henry Hayward. ’ well-known in theatrical circlets, introduced a survey on matters in connec- ’ tion with picture theatres. The pur- ’ pose of Air Hayward’s visit to Christ- * church is partly in connection with the Sistine Choir and partly to review the > position of the theatres under his con- > trol in Christchurch—the Graud and 1 Liberty. 1 PRICES TO COME DOWN. i£ There is no doubt that the picture , business has suffered, perhaps worse i than other businesses owing to the fin- • ancial depression that is brooding over , New Zealand,” he went on. ” I think we have strayed away in our prices, to some extent, from the democratic position in which the entertainments are , held. During the war period, as th<‘ prices of everything rose, we, of course, went up with them. And now. when ; prices are settling down, I think we should come down, too. ; SLACKENING IN BUSINESS. , It is noticeable to me, because I have interests all over New Zealand, that there has been a slackening off, ' particularly in the day business in the . picture business. The picture houses used to be a. kind of resting-place for multitudes of persons, ladies particularly, who used to in after doing their shopping. They do not do so now to the same extent,' because. [ think, that the prices are too high. NEW POLICY OUTLINED. ‘‘ We are going to initiate a new , policy m connection with our two theatres here. We are going; back to the old democratic prices. While we are going to sell our goods cheaper the quality will be improved. “ These days pa Hons will go where they can get the best bargains in pictures. /’ And do you think that the quality of the taste has improved ? Is there a better demand for the film with pretensions to refinement?” Air Hayward was asked. “ I am very glad to say there is. Tt is a curious thing that the great bulk of the picture fans are not particularly favourable to educational pictures. An instance of this is the. picture 1 ‘ Disraeli,” which was a fine production that was never given the patronage it deserved. TENDENCY TO PRODUCE LESS. “ Throughout the whole of the pic-ture-producing business there is a tendency to produce fewer films and an endeavour to make better ones. The output of feature films, I should say, has dropped at least 40 per cent. VOICE AND PICTURE. “ This is a good sign. There are. of course, from time to time innovations that present themselves. They are get ting closer to the synchronising of the voice with the screen tale, and I think that it will not he long before we shall get some advance in that direction.” The principal difficulty. Air Hayward explained, was to adapt any advances in this direction with the present mechanism of film-showing. Films were i\ standard size, and it would be practically impossible to alter the size now. There was a. process r>v which the same size film was being used to throw the picture on the screen and at the same time run reproductions of the voices of the actors, and accompanying music at the same time. A In.sic.’ therefore would he specially written, and in time the perfect synchronisation would be secured. A DOUBTFUL INNOVATION. £ ‘ Whilst in the popular mind there is .7 tendency to welcome the association of the speaking voice with the film, f rather think that when it is realised there will be some disappointment,” Air Hayward said. “ because the kinematograph has taught people to think more rapidly. With th© synchronisation of the voice with film the talking will seem * slow.’ “ The overwhelming success of the kineraatograph has been gained because it is not too definite. Tf yon get a har- : nessing of voice and sound with the j film you will get too much definiteness j too much precision. ] THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT. ‘‘There is a psychological study in I the success of the moving picture as at ! present run inasmuch as every member ! of tb*; audience becomes in a sense part ■of the entertainment. By the very in- : definiteness of _the story each one ir> ! able to put his individual interpreta- • tions to it- Every one Ims a different ! moral standard by which to judge the I actions of another. No two persons | looking at a picture will see it in the | same way. That is particularly so with I women. Women are mostly disappointj ed with life as a rule, principally because the male population do not come up to their ideals. They are disappointed and try to find their ideals in romances in pictures.” NEW FEATURE FILMS. Dealing with the Liberty Theatre Mr Hayward said that Air Claude Haigh. a popular New Zealand manager, was going to assume control. The orchestra was going to lie increased, j the repertory of pictures to be pre- | sented would include the four big feaj tures of Mary Piekford Douglas Fairbanks. Charles Chaplin and D. W. Griffith. One of these features would be presented every night. From time co time prologues would be presented with the picture subjects whenever suitable