Kinematograph year book : 1931 (1931)

20 The Kinematograph Year Book. British Dominion Films, Ltd. (of Australia), whose merger with Greater Australasian Films gives wide distribution over a ten-year period to the output of Gaumont, British Instructional, Gainsborough, British and Dominion, and Nettlefolds. Following its presentation to Members of the Australian Legislative Council, the British International picture, " Atlantic," had a record run at the St. James' Theatre, Syndey. Union Theatres subsequently agreed to take the whole output of B.I. P., including shorts, for a period of two years, a 25 per cent, rejection clause to cover any films rejected by the Censorship. About 40 features and 12 shorts are involved in the deal, which carries with it a revenue of not less than /60,000 a year. Through Union Theatres' affiliation with Hoyts, Ltd., and Australasian Films (Malaya), Ltd., this contract ensures distribution in 80 additional theatres in Australia as well as bookings in the Federated Malay States, Siam, the Dutch East Indies, and vSingapore (Straits Settlements). A major development of the year was the acquisition by the Fox Corporation of America of a large interest in Hoyts Theatres, the company holding the rights in their Grandeur screen. This transaction is the first direct incursion of foreign capital into the picture-exhibiting business of the Commonwealth, In order to counteract any bias against American control. Fox are making extensive plans for the production of talkies in Australia, and have taken over His Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, with the object of converting it into the first talkie studio. Notwithstanding rumours to the contrary. Union Theatres, Ltd., is not associated with any deal with the Paramount Publix Corporation. It still remains an Australian company, and has organised an Empire production unit, the putput of which would be released in the United Kingdom under the auspices of British International Pictures. Of the 746,291 feet of film exported from the Commonwealth, 624,380 feet were distributed in the British Empire, representing an increase of 30 per cent, over the previous year. Australian features acquired by American renters to fulfil their British Quota obligations included " Tall Timber," an Australasian Films production ; " Kingdom of Twilight," Alexander Macdonald's film of the Gulf Territory; the McDonagh Sisters' "Far Paradise" (all for Universal); " Jewelled Nights," with Louise Lovely (M.-G.-M.) ; and " The Russell Affair," with Jessica Harcourt (Fox). All these films are " silent," and are several years old. New productions included " The Cheaters," made at the Bondi Studios by the McDonagh Sisters; "Talkie Mad,' a talkie-revue, directed by Norman Dawn, who made the ;^50,000 fdm, " For the Term of His Natural Life," which has not yet been shown in the United Kingdom; and " Fellows," the film of the Australian Light Horse in Palestine, which was awarded the third prize, ;^ 1,500, offered by the Commonwealth Government to encourage local production. Dissatisfaction among Australian producers regarding this means 'of stimulating film-making led to a deputation waiting upon the Assistant Minister for Industry, urging the abandonment of the H 00,000 annual prizes, and the alternative provision of a national studio, fully equipped with soundrecording apparatus, which would be available, either at a rental of £\Q^ to ;^200 a day, or on a percentage of the gross earnings of each film made there ; the cost of the studio to be defrayed from the tax on foreign films, which yields approximately ^25,000 a year, and out of which the expenses of maintaining the film censorship are now met. New Zealand ■ — In addition to the Companj' Tax on net profits (assessed at i2j per cent, of turnover) the New Zealand Government has recently imposed an ad valorem tax on gross turnover of lo per cent, on British films, and 25 per cent, on foreign films. The penny footage tariff has been rescinded.