Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 11 February 1925, page 17


PICTURE FILMS. |

*

ALLEGED AMERICAN

COMBINE.

IN FULL CONTROL.

f~

Producers' Appeal.

A deputation of picture, producers declared to Mr. Pratten (Minister for Customs yesterday that the picture exchanges were controlled by American interests, which crushed out Australian and British films.

The deputation made sUggestions to the Minister that the importation of American films should be restricted to 85 per cent, of the present number, the remaining 15 per cent, to be replaced by Australian and British films; that a bonus should be given the Australian producers on three-reel Alms, equal to the amount of entertainment tax collected In each theatre during the currency of the film, or that the present duty on imported films should be replaced by an ad valorem duty of ten per cent., the proceeds to be used for a bounty to the Australian Industry; and that the censorship of Australian pictures should be transferred from the State censors to the Federal censors.

Mr. Pratten expressed sympathy with the deputation's aspirations, and promised to have all phases of the film industry investigated. He said that he proposed calling a conference of State Ministers, in charge of censor-ship functions in their respective States, to endeavour to formulate a uniform policy.

The deputation included Messrs. Roland Green, M.P., W. R. Bagnall M.L.A., T. J. Smith, M.L.C. A. Shirley, R. Darling, R. Longford, F. Barrett, G Smith, J. E. Ward, J. Ramstor, Rolfe, A. Higgins, A. G. MacGowan, T. Higgins, J. C. McCullagh, C. Le Maistre, Walker, Scott, Alexander, and Miss M. Mallon.

FOREIGN PROPAGANDA."

Mr. Green, M.P., who introduced the deputation, said that he believed we had In Australia the material necessary for making films the equal of, if not superior to, any produced oversea. We were receiving through the agency of pictures too much foreign propaganda, which was detrimental to a healthy Australian national sentiment.

Mr. Bagnall, M.L.A., said that during the past few years Australians had produced at least a dozen pictures that would hold their own with the majority of those from oversea.

Mr. Barrett said that the picture exchanges to-day were owned and controlled by American interests, and that many films were shipped here to-day which were not wanted. The Americans had introduced the contract system, by which suburban and country theatres wire bound to show only American pictures on certain nights of the week, and thus there was no room on their programmes for the casual Australian and British films, which could not put out a regular programme.

In reply to Mr. Pratten, Mr. Barrett said that within 12 "weeks the Australian producers could fill the gap of 15 per cent. if it were assured them.

AN AUSTRALIAN COMPANY.

Mr. Le Maistre Walker gave an account of the difficulties encountered by an Australian company he had founded some years ago to produce Australian films. The company had produced a picture called "Silks and Saddles," the box office receipts from which in two city theatres for one week amounted to £1700, of which the company received only £198. The picture, which had cost £5000 to produce, took £17,000 in Australasia, of which the company received only £3900. The English rights were sold for £3000 and the American rights for 16,000 dollars. The Americans altered the title and altered the picture to some extent, and made £30,000 out of it. Mr. Walker declared that if the best picture in the world were made in Australia they would not be able to sell It to-day unless they received the assistance they were asking for. The picture produced by his company was shown for a week In two suburban theatres, the company having to pay £450 for each In addition to £100 each for rent. The company had been able to pay 23s for the £1 invested, and had then gone out of business.

THE COMBINE.

I Mr. Longford, who claimed to be the pioneer

of Australian picture production, assured the Minister that there was a combine that operated against Australian films, and that the combine had been in existence for 14 years. He complained that the censorship in Australia operated against the Australian production and in favour of the American film, and that the combine had refused to screen even the Commonwealth pictures that were going to Wembley. We feel that we have a right to show Australian pictures in Australia," be said, "and to show them without asking the Americans."

Mr. Shirley said that the Minister had already made it possible for Australian producers to get some kind of a show." They were being given a chance by Australasian Films and Union Theatres, Ltd., but not by the American firms, which were giving them

no chance whatever.

MISS Mellon said that she had produced pictures herself with her own money. If they could produce pictures that would entertain the public she thought they should get those pictures shown.

Mr. Scott Alexander said that there were at least 2000 good pictures produced in the past five years in England which had never come to Australia. He felt sure that the 15 per cent, was a limit on the wrong side, and that Australian and British films could easily fill 20 per cent.

MINISTER'S REPLY.

Mr. Pratten pointed out that the Federal Government had no power over State censor-ship, and could only exercise censorship on films going out of the country or passing into the country, after which the Federal authorities had no control. He agreed that we wanted to establish an Australian sentiment hero. With regard to the proposal to place an ad valorem duty of 10 per cent. on imported films In place of the present duty, Mr. Pratten pointed out that the present duty was 1 per cent, so that the proposed duty would represent a considerable increase. The Government was entirely favourable to the development of Australian industries and the Australian picture Industry if it could be developed on business lines. Mr. Pratten said that his promise to Parliament with regard to film censorship would be carried out in every

detail.

PICTURE DISTRIBUTORS'

REPLY.

Commenting upon statements made at the deputation to Mr. Pratten, Mr. Connell, secretary of the Motion Picture Distributors of Australia, last night said that the deputation had hardly stated the position fairly. "Firstly," he said, "the picture business in Australia is not in the hands of American Importers. It is under the control of Australian picture theatre owners, who buy in open market the world's best pictures, irrespective of whether they are British, American or Australian. Importers have never sought to hamper distribution of locally-made pictures, and it is a fact that moderate or good Australian pictures have always been shown by exhibitors.

"I notice," said Mr. Connell, "that the suggestion was made that the theatre owner should be compelled to show 15 per cent, of British and Australian pictures on his programme. This is a matter purely for the Australian picture theatre owner, though personally I think the proposal is not a practical one. The exhibitor buyB the loss of pictures his experience and his invested capital demands. In regard to the suggestion that the amusement tax collected at theatres where Australian-made pictures were shown should be related to the producer, Mr. "Connell stated that the amusement tax was purely a war taxation measure, and that the war profits tax had long since ceased. "As the Australian public pays this amusement tax," concluded Mr. Connell, and as approximately £300,000 Is paid annually by picture theatre goers, we consider that the time has arrived when the Government might, as an act of grace, releave the picture patron of this charge."