The Times (13/Mar/1929) - The Film World: Through unknown Australia
(c) The Times (13/Mar/1929)
- keywords: Alfred Hitchcock, Benn W. Levy, British International Pictures, Juno and the Paycock (1930), Sean O'Casey, Tambourine
THE FILM WORLD
THROUGH UNKNOWN AUSTRALIA
The advent of the talking film and its future are dealt with in the annual report of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association, which has just been issued. The report states that the General Council was asked to present a report on the subject of talking films at the earliest possible moment. Investigations were carefully made, and this report was issued at a time when very little experience of talking films was available in this country. The Council wisely advised caution at a time when extravagant claims were being made for the new form of entertainment. The report adds that talking films are now undergoing a public trial, and the verdict is as yet unknown. At first, novelty has its value, but the success or future of talking pictures rests upon entertainment value.
Referring to the Cinematograph Films Act, the report says that the former evils of blind and unrestricted block booking are happily no more. These practices gave tenters many advantages, to the detriment of exhibitors. Booking after a trade show enables exhibitors to make a more judicious selection. The report adds that renters who can no longer dispose of inferior films may regard the changed conditions with regret, but the industry is back to a condition of fair dealing. Whether the benefits gained by exhibitors by the abolition of blind booking will be supplemented or offset by the quota obligations time alone will show.
An Australian film entitled Through Unknown Amhem Land is to be presented at the Imperial Institute, South Kensington, tomorrow afternoon by the British Empire Film Institute. The film was taken by the Mackay Exploring Expedition, who spent over four months travelling some 1,100 miles in this hitherto unexplored territory, which lies immediately west of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Australia. The expedition discovered many aboriginal tribes, which had not seen a white man in their territory before, and these natives afforded a wonderful field for study and research. Among the tribes which the expedition came across were the Tauwan in the South West, the Mara in the South East, the Rembaranga in the centre, and the Kakatu in the North West. Most of the natives were found living in the sand hills, but during the rainy season they occupied caves or long bark huts, of which the walls were decorated with objects of the chase, totemic emblems, and sacred beings. These were photographed and sketched by members of the expedition, which was led by Mr. Donald Macfcay. Mr. W. H. B. Sully was the cinematographer.
A NEW COLOUR PROCESS.
A demonstration was given at the New Gallery yesterday of "Zoechrome," a new process of producing colour films, which has been invented by Mr. T. A. Mills. The film selected for display included scenes of various country roads, views of the sea, and photographs of dresses and flowers. Though the reproduction in colour of the sea, dresses, and motor-vehicles was realistic, the best effects of the new process were seen in photographs of mauve and yellow flowers, the two colours being perfectly differentiated. In a technical description it is claimed for the process that it is quite simple, and follows known practice throughout. The camera is fitted with four lenses, which all register at the same time. Three of them are in a single unit, cemented together side by side in the form of a triangle, with the fourth just below. The whole assembly is in one mount, so that the four lenses are automatically focused when the mount is racked. Behind each of the three small lenses is a colour filter, red behind one, green behind another, and blue behind the third. The negative stock used is Eastman Kodak ordinary, which is specially pan-chromatized at the Zoechrome laboratory with their own sensitizing solution. All printing is done by projection in a machine, which is an adaptation to cinematograph requirements.
Mr Sean O'Casey's play Juno and the Paycock has now been chosen as one of the earliest "all-talking" pictures to be made by the British International Pictures in their sound studios, which are now being erected at Elstree. It will be directed by Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. Three other talking films will be made by the same company — Tambourine, a story written specially for the screen by Mr. Benn Levy, the author of Mrs. Moonlight, to be directed by Mr. Alfred Hitchcock ; Under the Greenwood Tree, to be directed by Mr. Harry Lachman ; and Mumming Birds, the music-hall sketch, in which Mr. Syd Chaplin will play the principal part. Further progress with talking films is announced by the New Era Film Company, who have just acquired a new English portable talking apparatus for projection, which, it is stated, can be installed in any cinema in three hours and without any extra expense to the owner of the cinema. A demonstration of the machine will be given at the Scala Theatre on Tuesday afternoon.
