Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 11 June 1927, page 17
AUSTRALIAN FILMS.
OBSTACLES TO EXHIBITION. LOUISE LOVELY'S EVIDENCE. National Studio and Preference.
Before being reconstituted as a Royal commission on the motion-picture industry in Australia, the joint Select Parliamentary committee asked no fewer than 3,319 ques-tions of various witnesses in the course of its inquiries. As a Royal commission it yesterday passed the 2,000 question mark. Mr. W. A. Gibson, general manager of Australasian Films Limited, concluded his evidence, and interest was centred in the appearance of Miss Louise Lovely, the Aus- tralian film actress, who gave interesting figures relative to the cost of production and earning power of "Jewelled Nights," her first Australian production.
The commission consists of Mr. Marks, M.H.R. (chairman) Senators Grant, Dun- can, and Herbert Hays, Dr. Nott, M.H.R.'s. and Messrs. Gregory and Forde, M.H.R.'s.
lo Dr Nott, Mr Gibson said tint it would cost jbJWOOO to establish the mowng picture uidustrj m Austialia
Di .Nott - Can lou supplj tin. amount poid bl L I and 1) Cnuoll foi film hue during the last hie jcais - Lord save us! \ou ate asking a lot' Do jou know that it would take six clerks i mouth «orkmg ou the books, picking out cvci) item They uro weekly pavments
Dr ¡Nott ngiecd to trv to obtain the figuies from Messrs Carroll
Io Senator Gruut witness said that it was not the intentiou of his turn to discon tinuc making pictures at the Bondi studio During the last hie J cars about 10 or 12 films had bcou made
Senator Grant - Would j ou agree with the proposal that the fcederal Government Bhould he the sole importer ot films--I would not like to hase the job
Seoing that showmen ha\c no oppor turnt) of examining films before they airlie how is at possible for them to get u fair deal through the lcjection chuso m the contracts' - 1 he idea of that clause is that, when the pictuics amic the show man ina) lune the right of rejecting an) that do not come up to standard It would bo impossible of course for country show men to exercise that right
W ould it be possible for them to obtain an idea of the films bl the paragraphs in trade journals* - Some of them arc very misleading (Laughter j
Senator Grant - What steps should be taken to establish and maintain the moviuç picture industry in Australia '-1 irst, bullo jour studio, nest, get jour Btorj, then jour artists and producer But the greatest thing of all is to get joui money
Is that all that is necebsar) ' - A little
bit of brains
Mr 1-ordc - What about the quota sjsteni of assisting British films* - I am reallj opposed to the quota si stein We ha\e been'show ing 14J per cent of British films hut I would not like to gue a guar anteo to maintain tint percentage if I could not get the suppl) If Gi eat Britain can produce ' the goods ' British films will alua)s command a full propoition of serccu
Describing Ins expériences in obtaining a screening of Wondeiful London," Mr Alexander Brooks llellmuch, independent film renter said that w nereus a few months ago the rent of the Auditorium for tho showing of "Around the Boice Log' had
been i.105 a week tho rent for 'Wonder- 1 ful Loudon ' had been increased to £300 Neaily £3,000 had been taken in receipts at the Auditorium from that picture and
when shown nt His Majestj's Theatre, ' Brisbane, which had been hired from J C Williamson Limited at a rent of 20 per cent of the takings with a weekl) guaian teed minimum of £150 J C Williamson s share on a 20 per cent basis for the week wis £309 liojt's and Union Pictures had lefuscd to screen it when witness offered the film to them "Jewelled
Nights " an Australian production had I cost £9,000 to produce, and had earned
not more than £5 000 'Moth of Moonbi," I bj Australian Films Productions Brisbane,
sias an excellent Australian film It had
been shown at the Ha) market Theatre, I Sjdnej and the Piramount Theatre «Mel
bourne In Melbourne howc\cr, it was ? not propcrlj advertised and m Perth it i was shown at matinees only
The Chin man - Do I understand that I Union Pictures refused to ' boost' this i Australian film' - That is so the revenue
was so low owing to lack of advertising I that I asked for it to be taken out of i in) hands and I do not think it has been
shown sinco I Witness refuted Mr Gibson's statement
that he (Mr Gibson) had never refused I an Australian film Mr Gibson he said i had rclused "Australia's Lonch Lands "
which had subsequently been proied an < cNcellent "drawing card" at the Globe 1 Theatre, Sydne) (
The Chairman-What is \our experience I of Union Theatres -That the) .lavender ] been 'out" to help the screening of Aus I traban films I sa) that most emphatic t allí i
Senator Grant - Do j ou believe that t
practically all that is required to estah t lisU the mdustrv in Australia is, first, a i rpiota for British films, and, sccondl), a t proportion of that quota for Austnhan t films' - Yes, that is mv proposal for a r remedy and T think it is the onl) one 1
Miss Lovely's Evidence i Miss Louise Lovely (Mrs Welch) said -
[ have had three years' expeiicnce tn film { production m Australii My mother vi as ' here and I felt it was essential that an J Australian picture should be produced My ' irst Australian film was "Jewelled Nights j The prospects are bright for Australian pic ' Lures Wo could gain a lot of knowledge { from the gi eat American producers who ' ould teach us ho» to build up our stan
lards
The Chin man - Did you hive difhcul tic? in obtaining screenings for "Jewelled Nights"' - \ci I believe so, but wherever t was shown it was a great success It ost £8 016/6/ to produce, but with a proper studio that price would be much lower It should not have been more than £ r¡ 000 We cannot say w hcthcr there will lie a loss, because the film is still being
-bown I 1
Can vou sa) whether the screening has < lacen blocked in any way' - It «as cor , tarni) made difficult 1 hough I sav it mi . self it was a good picture At Ho)ts in
mc week it ' took ' A 1 "i63/18/6 and out of ( that wo received £382/19/ Lv<r)body ' made monc) out of it except *hc pro .
dilcers
W hat is jour sugge«ition for the idvance , mont of the Austialmn mdiistrj ' - Well
I know von little about quotas and tariffs, ' but I should sa) the establishment of i ' studio where 'sets' could be produced I mole cheaply and prcfeienee to Austia 1 han films Now, unfoitunitcl), the dif , ferent theitres have signed contracts on
blind booking " And do not forget that the film industry builds up cien other industry It uses all sorts and conditions ol the products of ever) othci industr) and b) assisting the one jon help the other
The Chairman - That is interesting That is the fust time that aspect has been put to the commission Do vou think the Fcdeinl Government should ctablibli a studio* - I think that is a wondeiful idea But it must be controlled by experts who understind their work The produc
tion manager of i Commonwealth studio i might oct as film ndviser to the Govern mont Such a studio could be innilo almost
self supporting .
The commission adjourned until half past
10 o clock on Mondaj morning i