UNITED ARTISTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 97, 27 April 1939, Page 5

UNITED ARTISTS

TWENTY YEARS OF FILMS "BIG FOUR” PRODUCTIONS Mr. Bernard Allen, general manager in New Zealand for United Artists, announces inal twenty years ago in the month of April, United Artists was founded by Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D. W. Griffith. The company was formed by this “Big Four” to make pictures independently without limits as to time and money, and to sell them to exhibitors independently. The advent of talkies gave this system of independent producer-distribu-tion the fillip that was needed and now United Artists Picture Corporation has allied with it every worthwhile producer who is courageous enough to back his own work by financing his own productions. The producers under United Artists’ banner to-day include the original founders Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, together with Samuel Goldwyn, Alexander Korda, David. O. Selznick, Walter Wanger, Edward Small and Hal Roach. Many of the screen’s greatest triumphs have come from these specialists in motion picture entertainmentpictures of such quality that at least one production has been selected each year in the "ten best pictures of the year.” Some of the great successes of

the silent days were "Sorrell and Son,” “Resurrection,” “The Black Pirate,” "Stella Dallas,” “The Gold R.ush,” “The Thief qE Bagdad,” “Robin Hood,” “Rosita,” “Orphans of the Storm,” and "The Circus”; and among the many notable pictures produced since the talkies were introduced are “Bulldog Drummond,” “Hell’s Angels,” "Whoopee,” "Martin Arrowsmith,” "The Masquerader,” "The Private Life of Henry VIII,” "Catherine the Great,” “The House of Rothschild,” "The Count, of Monte Cristo,” “Modern Times,” "The Scarlet Pimpernel,” "Sanders of the River,” “These Three,” “The Ghost Goes West,” "Dodsworth,” "Dead End,” "A Star is Born,” “The Prisoner of Zenda,” "The Drum,” "The Hurricane,” and "The Goldwyn Follies.” The big parade of hits from United Artists is stronger than ever this year with the following early relases announced: David O. Selznick’s "Made For Each Other,” with James Stewart and Carole Lombard; Samuel Goldwyn’s "Wuthering Heights,” with Merle Oberon; Alexander Korda’s “Four Feathers” and "The Thief of Bagdad,” both in technicolour; Walter Wanger’s "Stage Coach," by John Ford, who directed “The Hurricane"; Edward Small’s “The Count of Monte Cristo" (repeat) and "The Duke of West Point" with Louis Hayward; Hal Roach’s “Topper Takes a Trip,” with Roland Young, etc. Last year United Artists maintained leadership with an impressive record of box office successes. Motion picture lovers now recognise the United Artists trademark on a motion picture as a hallmark of outstanding quality. Every picture produced is given the industry’s best talents in stars, direction, photography, and production, each picture being a hand-made one, supervised by specialists.