Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 13 July 1937, page 10


FILM INDUSTRY,

POSSIBILITIES IN

AUSTRALIA.

Divergent Views.

Divergent views of the possibilities of the Australian film Industry were ex-pressed yesterday by executives who returned on the Mariposa from Holly-

wood.

"In most places," said Mr. S. S. Crick, managing director of Twentieth Century-Pox Corporation (A/sla), Ltd., "distributors will not even look at Australian films. They arc not considered seriously anywhere."

Mr. Charles Chauvel, principal of Expedi-tionary Films, said that we could not expect to be a second Hollywood. To build up a thriving film Industry would take many years. He was convinced that Australians did excel-lent work hi film production.

Mr. Crick returned after a five months* trip to England and America. Ho said that in Los Angeles he found a willingness to assist us with the local production of pictures. American companies were prepared to extend every co-operation. Australians talked a lot about natural conditions and possibilities of open-air production, yet nearly 99 per cent, of production to-day Is done inside studios. We must have large and properly equipped studios. '

"QUOTAS KILLING INDUSTRY."

"The quota system Is killing the British film Industry," Mr. Crick said. "No one wants quota films, and distributors arc opposed to them. We in Australia will have to Import actois and technicians while wc train local talent up to the standard of oversea people"

Mr. Crick said that the recent troubles in Hollywood would result in increased costs" in the Industry. He did not consider, however, that tile public would be asked to pay more to go to the pictures, or' that the standard of films would fall on*.

Mr. Chauvel said he returned to Australia convinced that opportunity existed for the establishment of the Australian film industry on a sound basis. In Hollywood he paid par-ticular attention to the wilting section of the industry, which was the weakest section of Australian production.

One of the most Interesting advances in film work was third dimensional cartoons, said Mr. D. Lotherlngton, sales manager for Aus-tralia of R.K.O. Radio Pictures, A'sla, Ltd. Wait Disney waa now making several sucli films. The process was extremely laborious, and the camera had to photograph the carloons at different levels, superimposing one on the other. They had taken up to 30 hours to do 75 feet of film. The next Disney pro-duction was "Snow White and the Dwarfs," which would be done In 14 different languages The major problems of the industry were in-creased cost, and the search for new per-sonalities,

Mr. Cecil Mason, who Is one of the prin-cipals of Columbia Pictures Pty, Ltd., said that his qompany had no immediate plans for the local productions of films here. He said that "Rangle River," which was made by Columbia in Australia, would be released in the United States in three months.

GRACIE PIELDS'S VISIT.

Mr. Charles Munro, managing director of Hoyts and General Theatre Corporation, said that it was possible that Gracie Fields would make a visit to Australia In 1938.