TO-DAY
ONLY
Queen's
At 2.30; 5.15,
7.15.8.9.15 p.m.
CAGNEY IS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE AND HE'S GOING TO FIND A RAFT OF IT!
OPENS
JAMES
GEORGE
CAGNEY RAFT
EACH
DAWN
DIES
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1948.
T
A SEAT IN 'THE STALLS
Milestones In British
Film Production
By ROGER MANVELL
Arst
appeared no лож
old
box-office. The THE cinema world has just various industrial concerns, notably at the
become stars entered its second half. Shell oll and the gas Industry. Free disadvantage that British actors and in .they the unless contury.
Many nations from the need to provide entertain- actresses could never
Alma
longer rightly claim a share in its ment for box-office reasons,
documentary film-makers concen- American mechanical invention, notably trated on making clearer to the applies, for Britain's pictures are Britain, Franco and America. citizen a number of difficult subjecta penetrating the world market with In the first years of commer- thealth, housing, food, agriculture, the result that her stars are becoming
Industrial problems and proccesses as well known as the Americans. production (which
Britain's annual output' of full- 5 SHOWS — Extra Performanco at 11.30 A.M. clal film
Britain produced largo quanti- their
they were shown length feature films has averaged sponsors
to II More than usual stress, however; tics of short films which were rarely in die cinemas, but mostly to little more than 50 since World War
despread private audiences sold all over the world. Her pioneer producers included Ceell
has been lold on their quality.
Hepworth, R. W. Paul and George Albert Smith.
TO-MORROW! EASTER PARADE" bogan as early
QUEEN'S & ALHAMBRA
as 1895-1806) and education), pald for by
These films were
When, in 1940, Britain's Government decided to use films for information and the technical and social train ing necessary in wartime, she found The latter patented the first satis- this established documentary move factory colour-fim process in 1908 mont ready to hand, and well trained (Kinemacolour), and the Delhi to produce at once the much-needed by means of this process.
•GRAND OPENING TO-MORROW。 Durbar of August 1011 was fimed films.
THE HAPPIEST
MUSICAL EVER MADE IS
IRVING BERLIN'S FASTER PARADE JUDY FRED GARLAND ASTAIRE
FORD MILLER
from M.G.M
17:
IRVING BERLIN
HIT SONGS Including: Better Lack Nat With Amara W2 Oct
-WAM topple
Your
bon on
COLOR BV
TECHNICOLOR,
Lyles and beste by
Member Direkt
IRVING BERLIN ROBERT ALTON· QUEEN'
EXTRA PERFORMANCE AT 11.30 A.M. ON:- SATURDAY, DEC. 25th || #EASTER PARADE”.
DEC. 26th }] SUNDAY,
BOOKINGS NOW OPEN!
ALHAMBRAL THEATRE
TO-DAY ONLY AT 2.30, 5.15. 7.15 & 9.15 P.M.
“AKTEUR
Eric Greta
PORTMAN GYNT
Dennis
Jack
PRICE WARNER
RROW!:
Maxwell
REED
Hasel COURT
Dear MURDERER
Tairat iç BETTY E, BOX Executive Producer SYDNEY BOX Decuci by ARTHUR CRABTREE ACAINSBOROUGH PICTURE Irving Berlin's Technicolor Musical!
“EASTER - PARADE”
World War I enforced the decline of British cinema, and the Ameri- cans, who, by this time, had begun to build up their world market from
to the top:
the California, camo great
period of American cinema then opened. The problem for Bri: tain was to begin all over again in established Holly- the face of the wood films,
Producers Protected Production was very small until legislation was introduced in 1927 (the first Quota Act) to protect the British producer by legally obliging cinemas in Britain to show a pre- Be- portion of British-made films.
percent of the total ginning at Ava parce ahown, this proportion has never yet
risen beyond about 20
20 percent.
cluding n Bad
Butely American.
"Prestige" Picturos
the ordinary.
coveral
to
The Rank Organisation is the biggest single factor in British Alms. It owns yearly half Britain's 'studio space and over 600-cinemas, as well as large international interests in cinema-ownership and distribution of this kind were of alms abroad. Over 700 films
framework Within ita made during World War II, and since then production under Britain's
costume Alms Central Office of Information has small, individual companies mako led to the same kind of output, Alms of different kinds, which rango are most out of which those fums
Hike "Hamlet" and though now on a smaller scale than from romantic
Many productions during World War II.
The present-day production of "Oliver films in Britain, therefore, must of the past five years have been made at a cost exceeding what can be always be regarded as of two main kinds, documentary films produced retrieved from the home market in will assist to mainly by the Government as part the hope that they of a big-scale programme for youth create an interest in and respect for
adult education in
most
British firms overseas. and
com- Theso produced
costly branches of knowledge and enter- tainment films mercially to be shown in Britain's "prestige" pletures, but the polley of cinemag and increasingly the Rank Organisation is that these 4,750
films must not be produced abroad.
in
increase in elnemas will be for an the number of alms made, and, be necessary to For the home cinema the under- therefore, it will taking is on a huge scale. Britain reduce the time they take in the
The studios. is a nation of cinema-goers.
Nation Of Film-Fans
30
Alnis
aro
called
expere. The need of British
a
The rest of the films shown in Britain and the Commonwealth (ex-
India
Pakistan with
On the other hand, Sir Alexander their well-developed home produc- number of seats sold in a week
to over tion of alms) were, and still are, has on occasion risen
million, and even in the hottest Korda's London Film Productions number of units, almost
and he is equally interested in post 20 years, and weather seldom sinks below 22 also embrace the
market. His a world the past ien, raillion. during
cers working for notably
producers For from the British
new, and production Briush
has revived
further protection organisation is relatively
Allm, strongly. During the 1930's, British requiring any
of the he is concentrating on making the the competition documentary developed, not as film from
film, in the past five larger scale kind of feature
Karenina". making for the commercial cinema, Arnerican
National, British but as part of Britain's Government years Britain's pictures have be- such as "Anna
pany, public information services nad of come the biggest guccesses of all other main British production com-
plctures mostly for market.
Greetings
1948
JEAN SIMMONS, fresh from hor success as Opholla in Sir Laurence Oliviar's film version of "Hamlet,” emises Christmas greetings to Hongkong Tolegraph roaders.
GREAT MOMENTS, BUT NOT GREAT SCOTT
FILM
a
By" John Prebble
FILMGOERS - have, simple souls. the simple majesty of fine. prose, They take on trust as great a which makes it hard on those who flm which is ushered in by way of had to fill in the gaps.
the But the'fim falls down in Command. Performance, Royal garnished with red plush, roses. 5. presentation of its characters, programmes, a glittering stage show, and a police cordon.
This is what Happened with "Sealt of the Antarello,
Ontes, Bowers, Wilson and Evans, for all the competent acting, never really come to fe
The
mukes
tho home
O-OMPH puts on spectacles
by DAVID LEWIN
THOSE, heavy, horn-rimmed spec-
tacles are intended as a warn ing. There is to be no similarity. between Arn Sheridan, "oomph
Ann
Sheridan, pioneer," and actress,
At 33 Miss Sheridan,
THREE
SHOWS TO-DAY
KING'S
THREE
SHOWS
TO-DAY
AT 2.30, 5.15 AND 7.00 P.M. ONLY
OLSEN & JOHNSON
GHOST CATCHERS
with LEO CARRILLO
ANDY DEVINE LON CHANEY GLORIA JEAN MARTHA O'ORISCOLL WALTER CATLETT
Band
MORTON DOWNEY
ELLA MAE
KIRBY GRANT and his ORCH./ MORSE
OPENING TO-MORROW
GRAND XMAS ATTRACTION
The Heart Story of Today....
Tomorrow and Always!
MAUREEN O'HARA JOHN PAYNE
Miracle on
34th Street
EDMUND CWENN Wyman for the dowen and Dinched by GEORGE STATON 5 Prebound by WILLIAM FERIDERO
BOOKINGS NOW OPENING!
SPECIAL MORNING
SATURDAY, 25TH DEC.
AT 11.30 A.M. WALT DISNEY'S
"SONG OF THE
SOUTH"
-IN TECHNICOLOR RKO Radio Picture
PERFORMANCES
SUNDAY, 26TH DEC. AT 11.30 A.M. An Alexander Korda Production
“THE DRÜM”
IN TECHNICOLOR SABU Raymond MASSEY
Valorio HOBSON
AT REDUCED PRICES
ORIENTAL
MEZCONDITIONED
TAKE ANY EASTERN TRAM CAR OR HAPPY VALLEY BUS
SHOWING TO-DAY: 2.30-5.15-7.20 &. 9.20 P.M. IT'S A RIOT OF LAUGHS AND SONGS FROM THE START · ¦.
TO THE FINISH!. A Perfect Entertainment!,
IT'S A RIO(T)
OF LAUGHS AND SONG...
AS BING AND BOB
TRAVEL ALONG
THE
Bing
ROAD TO RIO CROSBY
Bob Dorothy
A Paramount Romant
Produced by Daniel Dar Directed by Horman Z, éclado
LAMOUR
Ceder
The Bathr AND THE
ANDREWS SISTERS
· SPECIAL MORNING SHOW ON HOLIDAYS AT 12.30 - Saturday:
"THE VALLEY OF VANISHING MEN"
Sunday:
Monday:
with the
SHOWING
TO-DAY
red gold hair-not quite as red as ago-flew into London ten years recently with the view that glamour is hardly an insurance for staying In pictures.
Miss. Sheridan's -way of puting it is this: "There have been threa phases in my alm career-and tho present one, playing comedy, and to blazes with the comph, is by far the most satisfying.
"PHASE ONE was in 1930, when they decided I was a beauty and promoted me accordingly, starting with 'Dodge City!!"
Phase One jacked up her salary from £250 to more than £600 a week and got her name in big rescued her from type.. Oomph being hard up, she says, but she was still miserable, artistically frustrated. she when PHASE TWO began agitated for an acting chance, and got it-with "King's Row" in 1942. Sho The phase lasted five years.
When John Mills is able to per- says: "I was playing in drama and
looking
at acting at last. I suffered for my The Alm, which will not bo sundo us that wo aro
art-in and out of corsets, But I generally released until December Scott ho is splendid.
was more salised." 30, is entertaining, sometimes thrill-
Ind, but far from great.
anger,
went Cooper
And then Ann Sheridan into a comady with Gary In "Good Sam"-not yet released. to Brilah audiences. That was the. start of PHASE THREE.
"And It's the phase I wont to antay," she says, "I'm a one-woman trade union-for the protection of Bheridan,"
Dut in the main wo are expected naivo Which is a pity, for it has a noble to share the Juvenile and
belief that a group of men can be subject,
There are great momenta. To isolated In such a lonely spot and use Technicolour was largely a mils- meyor-raise their voices in take it makes, the Antarelle look mover develop those torrible and un- too warm-but occasionally you are accountable hatredia that afflict stirred by steel-black seas, blue ice collbate community, never, in fact,
the-be anything but Britons with SU pink skeins of drifting snow. glow of a spirit lamp beneath flap Upper Lips. 1
la Britain Aar la gotting down to ping 'canvas.
I would not want the film to work on "I was a Male War Bride" Thero
are occasions, too, when the spoor of frostbito on men's chooks, malign Scott and his men, but with Cary Grant. It will be Comedy question It raises this Important their gangrenous Injuries, and would like it to show me that to No. 2, Phase 3. Scott's words: "Good God, what an conquer the Pole these men had also
for Ann: "Should wear a negliges awful placel will take you out of to conquer themselves.","
In this Olmor will people think It they had 'not done that how your seats.
Where the dialogue
taken else could we explain the spirit I'm slipping back to Phase One?"
Let 'em thinte tillg straight from Beolla diary it has of their last messager home?-
Laurel and Hardy In "BULL FIGHTERS"
"LASSIE COMES HOME!"..
Cathay
AT 2.30, 5.00,
7.20 & 9.40 P.M.
⚫ PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF TIME WITH 10 REELS
EXPLOSIVE ACTION! VIOLENT DRAMAI WILD EXCITEMENTI RKO Mighty STORMY ROMANCE! TENSE CONFLICTI
Technicolor Spectacle in the Toworing Andos Mountains"
BLASTTING ACTION
VIOLENT LOVE!
WAYNE DAY
TYCOON
Mighty story of mighty men, onda dynamite gwy wid blasted his way to the heart of a moune tuin, and a bacariiful -
KOLOBBY TECHNICOLOR
SIR CEDRIC HARDWICKE JUDITH ANGERSÓN • JAMES GLEASON
****ARTHONY QUINN
Produced by STEPHTBI AXLES '» Directed By MICRARE WALLACE.
Sean Pay by Borden Chéri uni dekat Tube:
TO-MORROW EXTRA PERFORMANCE "BLACK NARCISSUS??