AMAZING POPULARITY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 661, 14 January 1933, Page 24 (Supplement)

AMAZING POPULARITY.

Films are Patronised by All Classes of Society.

Kings and queens, duke and princes go to the pictures. The onlooker at the portals of a cinema in the West End of London, almost any evening, would recognise celebrities whose names are among the most famous in the world. Cinemas are now not only the playground of the people, but the pastime of society, of the intelligentsia, of the rich and famous, and even of British Royalty. His Majesty King George is a film enthusiast, and has seen a number of films. The Prince of Wales spends a good many evenings a month at the films when he is in London. If he is alone he does not mind at all which seat he occupies, although he prefers to sit near the screen. Much travelled himself, he likes films with a definite setting—especially an Empire setting. Prince Henry and Prince George are also regular patrons of the screen. Prince George, like the Prince of Wales, prefers to go to the cinema without Press publicity. He often books tickets in a fictitious name, and he is said to have forgotten his own alias upon one occasion. He is, perhaps, the most enthusiastic film “ fan ” of the Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of York have been ardent filmgoers for years, and frequently attend West End picture theatres. Of late they have been taking a technical interest in films, and not long ago asked the manager of a theatre to take them into the projection box, where I©®©©©©©©©©©©©©©©®©©®

the mechanical side of the talkies was explained to them in detail. On another occasion the Duke and Duchess bought the last two seats in the front row of the circle, the rest of the house being full. Two people who came in behind them were very much annoyed that these seats had been taken, and gave voice to their indignation. The Duke and Duchess, thinking they had deprived them of their seats, at once rose and stood in the gangway, where, half-way through the performance, they were found by the very much perturbed manager of the theatre. Another monarch, the King of Greece, was taken to a cinema by the Duke and Duchess of York, during a recent visit to London. Ex-King Alfonso, of Spain, and the ex-Queen, on their frequent visits to London were in the habit of going to the pictures. Society also has its film enthusiasts. Lord and Lady Louis Mountbatten are amongst them. Lady Maureen Stanley, daughter of Lord and Lady Londonderry, is another well-known society filmgoer. The names of Lord Decces, the Marquess de Casa Maurey, Lady Diana Cooper, Lord Beaverbrook, Lord Ashfield, the Hon Mrs Ward, may often be seen on the advanced booking list. Sir John Laney, among the painters is a keen filmgoer. Sir Alan Cobham and now Mrs J. A. Mollison are amongst the aviators who like the cinema; while the tennis star, Betty Nuthall, has been a filmgoer for a long time. One of the keenest filmgoers amongst the politicians is the Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, who frequently enjoys private views of notable new films. Both Ishbel and Illisha MacDonald share the Prime Minister’s interest in pictures. H. G. Wells, who more or less predicted the invention of the moving picture in a novel, “ The Time Machine,” published in 1894, has been interested in films from the start. His interest was inherited by his son, Frank Wells, who has been working on the production side of British films. But it is impossible to give a comprehensive list of famous filmgoers, because nearly everyone, to-day, goes to the picture theatre. Kings and queens, dukes and duchesses, peers and peeresses, artists and famous dramatists (including Bernard Shaw), novelists and visitors of international renown, share and enjoy a pastime which started twenty years ago in a tiny theatre. The picture theatre to-day is the great meeting place of all classes of the community, rich and poor alike.