1940-03-23 — Page 3

Saturday,

HONGKONG. TELEGRAPH

March 23, 1940, Library, Supronis Court

| MAGAZINE PAGE.

ENTERTAINMENTS

HONGKONG'S

CINEMA

GOERS HAVE GROUCH

by "Stage Door"

HONGKONG has

grouch.

a

And it's a reasonable

one.

These roadshow

prices."

WHAT'S ON

KING'S: "Mr. Smith Goes to

Washington."

QUEEN'S AND ALHAMBRA:

"Gulliver's Travels."

MAJESTIC:

"Naughty

ORIENTAL: "First Love."

Nice."

So

As correspondents aptly put it, the picture people are quick to raise their prices when a "super- lativo" film is screened, but they never reduce them when they show trash.

But don't blame the ex- hibitors.

They are as much the vic- tims of the system as the cinema-goers. I don't think any Hongkong exhibitor wants to raise his price.

***

THE distributors-and they claim they are acting on orders from New York or Hollywood are the people who say what prices are to be charged for exhibiting their films. If the theatres don't like it they can lump it..

It is one of the iniquities of the block-booking system, under which theatres are forced to take whatever pictures are offer- ed by the dintributor under an annual contract.

Under this

chaiy

system the is not winnowed from the grain, Your loaf of entertainment bread isn't cheaper if it's sour, but it's a damn sight dearer if it's good.

It is only in places like Hongkong that the exhibitors would risk the reputations of their names by per- mitting the screening of some of the "qulckles" we inve to pay full prices for.

In the United States Itself they don't screen these "quickles" wi- less they are fill-ups in double feature programinės - and even then you don't have to pay road. show prices even if the second feature is good.

*

* *

DISTRIBUTORS in Hong- kong have the thick end of the stick. When a picture is screened in this Colony they take anything from 40 to 60 per cent. of the admission prices.

The exhibitors have to pay for the upkeep of their theatres and ataff, the Entertainment Tax, Properly. Tax and all the other incidental expenses to the up- keep of a theatre.

The distributors get away with a small office, in which all they have the to do is sit back and take money.

There's nothing much that can be done about it-unless the block booking system is abolished.

If you boycott a theatre show- ing at roadshow prices. you victi mise the people who are not res- ponsible for the system. matter what happens, the distri- butor gets his money.

No

TO-MORROW

MAJESTIC: "Golden Buy." ORIENTAL: "Geronimo."

Bat

You'll notice

rondshow thrust prices are becoming increasingly scen frequent. But you haven't

The distributors anything yet. have discovered that it's an easy way to increase their profils, and there's several films scireduled for release in the near future which will be advertised at "slightly in- creased prices."

TO-DAY'S SHOWS

Smith Goes

to

FILM: "Mr.

Washington."

Stewart, Jean STANS: Jamca

Arthur, VERDICT: First Class Entertain-

ment.

Mr. Deeds, It will be remem- bered, went to the sophisti- cated, metropolitan town; Mr. Smith is more exact in his destination.

ft is Washington for him, for Washington is the home of Ameri- ca's Parliament.

Mr. Deeds and Mr. Smith have Both are ideal- much in common.

ists, both are simple and both find

involved with a themselves

Hiri, fainty husky (Jean Arthur) with voice and a hard-bitten toughness which

not proof against the dis- which they cerning qualities in specialise.

Graft and corruption in Ameri- can politics have been exposed on the Hollywood screen often enough before, but seldom with such tho- roughness or at such length. Smith Senator suddenly finds himself a and goes to Washington to wor ship at the shrine of Lincoln and to dream of the good he can do. There is an abundance of satire in that, for all that the group which manipulated his election require from him is silence while a rag cally Bill is steered through the Senate.

Silent, however, is the one thing Mr. Smith will not be.

James Stewart endows Mr. Smith with the right brand of endearing simplicity, Jean Arthur plays her port as though she could reelte it in her sleep and Edward- Arnold and Claude Raina make a strong pair of villians.

Frank Capra, has made a good and honest fim from Lewis R. Foster's story. It is first class en-. tertainment.

"FILM: "Geronimo",

STARS: Preston Foster, Ralph

Morgan.

VERDICT: Melodrama.

71

A Western meludraina about Indian warfare during the Grant Administration, with an uttack on stage conch, suggestions of torture, ambush, and a pitched battle, winding up with cavalry rid- ing to the rescue.

Preston Foster, Ralph Morgan, Andy Devine, and Ellen Drew head the cast.

ARTICLE for WOMEN

My

FILM: "Gulliver's Travels". STARS: Fleischer cartoon. VERDICT: Excellent.

FULL length colour cartoon from Jonathan Swift's story, full of pleasant tunes and comic little men.

Music is the food of strife be- tween two tings in Lilliput nd jet- ting Gulliver propose a musical A compromise to settle the war.

Intro- new character, Gabby, is duced.

Dick

FILM: "Naughty But Nice". STARS:

Sheridan, Ann Powcil. VERDICT: Good light musical

FARCE with music about a professor who goes to New York to publish some music and falls into the hands of Tin Pan Alley and a jitterbug nunt.

Amusing, even though it some- times misses the mark.

Ann Sheridan, Dick, Powell, Gale Page, Helen Broderick Ronald Re- agon, Allen Jenkins,

FILM: "First Love",

STARS: Deanna Durbin, Eugene

Pallette.

VERDICT: Good Family Picture.

DEANNA Durbin and Pro- ducer Joe Pasternak going back to the Cinderella story with disarming ingenuity.

They have no trouble at all in convincing audiences that she did meet her Prince Charming. Deanna Durbin sings less than in some of her pletures, but she is developing nan netress, and maintaining her Individuality, stacerity, and sense of humour. Helen Parrish, Robert Stack, Mr. Pallelle.

PHOTOGRAPHY

PICTURE

your PETS

A flash bulb, fired just as the photographer aroused the doy from sleep, captured thle picture. The camera was first not for "time" and the shutter opened.

FEW albums contain enough the dog, kitten, parrot, or pictures of the family pet- whatever animal companion you have.

However, with a little patl- ence and strategy, such shota are not difficult to get-and they certainly add interest and

GRIN AND BEAR IT

By Lichty

"The doctor gave me the most marvellous reducing diet to-day -a Corman ration card!"

Friends All Look Muddle-Aged

THERE'S a new vogue. It's the the woman who no longer has

any respect for her husband. "Why Grow Old?" school.

THE allure of the "other" mun and "other" woman begins at forty.

The original romance is con- siderably tarnished.

My friends the G's have polished their silverware more faithfully than their love.

only

charming 3d Q charming wife, a mother, a charming friend-and tho; roy hairs will take care of themselves.

Be Creatival It is forty's way of being istoresting. That needn't mean composing an Immortal symphony. It may well mean just redecorating the living-room or growing superior roses.

* THE satisticians say that still THE

have thirty-two years to

live.

variety to your picture collec- tion.

For a good picture of the pet, you need a large image-and here is where the portrait at- tachment comes in. Slip one of these on the camera lens, and you can take pictures with a box camera as near as 3 feet lo the subject. Even nearer, . If yours is a focusing model and you use the attachment.

Naturally, you'll pick a mom. ent when the pet is quiet. Bait is helpful. For example, saucer mikk to tempt the cat. Put the milk in the chosen spot, under your photo lights place the eamers exactly the right din- lance away from the -and a8 800D

the as

pet takes the balt, you're ready to shoot. For shots with photo bulbs of the "food" type, load camera with high speed film.

saucer

FLASH bulbs are often a help in shouting pet pictures.

set for

a

"fash

was Then the

to

The picture above is a chot."First, the camera was placed fust the right distance from the dog, while he slept under the kitchen

stove. The shutter "time" exposure.

turned off the photographer kitchen lights-opened the camera shutter made a loud noise awaken the dog-and flashed the Bush bulb. Then was necessary merely to close the shutter and wind the film for the next shot.

Thus, you sec, you don't have to have a synchronizer for flash shots, although it's a convenient device. Indoors, you can use the flash bulb In any electric socket. Make sure, of course, that the light switch is in the "off" position before you in- sert the bulb. For flash pictures, either chrome film or high speed flim can be used, but you must have the light.at the right distance from the subject.

Pets are excellent subjects for indoor shots-and it would be fun, to make a collection of pictures antics and showing your pet's netlvitios.

No two pletures will be allke-

and their Interest never wanes.

Try it and see.

DIFFICULT YEARS FOR CHILDREN

All my friends are rushing My friend Helen goes about the about madly, trying to look house in any old thing.

But they Stockings with runs and dil- cleven years younger.

It's when children start to don't. They just look middle-apidated old bedroom slippers are

"good enough" for Hugh.

shoot up suddenly that they need agedt

Now she looks at him and sees She doesn't bother to dress for

your special attention. Children They remind

paunch and n bald spot. He! mo of child breakfast, her hair is straggly and

who are growing fast often tire learning to ride a bicycle. The her nase needs powder. Her neglige looks at her and can find little of telegraph-pole looms up ahead. is anything but admiration-compell- the girl she used to be.

I refuse to spend them looking book easily, get pale, listless and do So they both look round and see?

over my shoulder, like Lot's wife, at Ho concentrates desperately on ing

Her husband of eighteen years somebody elsel

The trouble is that children avoiding it. So what happens?

Their carly years together should what's done and gone; because living poorly at school.

in the past makes one old. It's only Ile runa right into it and lakes standing is old stuff. Why put her-

self out to thrill him?

be returning them large dividends in living adventurously in the present and have a double job of work to do. a nice spill.

Helen doesn't know that the age happy companionship. But they have training one's eyes on the future that They use up energy in work and "Forty" is the obstacle that is un-when a woman loses her power to foiled to substitute more permanent koops one young,

Psychologists have been busy with play and at the same time they

prove I'm still Just seating all my friends. I refuse to charm is not chronological. It is satisfactions for the ones that are

apt to go into a tail spin in the experiments treat at eighteen. So are growing!

that middle years.

learn Esperanto, or write On

or become novel,

an authority I'm not afraid to say "yes" to forty My friend Jane takes her face to the beauty parlour once a week, when it rolls round to my doorstep Florentine laces.

My chask may Iack the radiant! Sho never takes her brains anywhere. next year. That doesn't mean that

bloom She'd be horrified if her nails] think I have to look like Whistler's weren't Jacquered a shiny red.

I think self-imposed.

friends

Mental fuzziness begins at forty.

let it throw ine that way. I've learned how to be forty. I've been watching my make asses of themselves. And I've made an important discovery. They are choosing the stupid way to be middle-aged,

They're trying to kid themselves that life begins at forty. It doesn't. But a lot of other things do.

SLOVENLINESS begins at forty. It is indulged in by

Mother.

can

Doctors and nurses have re- commended Horlicks for years for children who need this extra

of sexteen which my friends energy. Horlicks moreover builds

sixteen's I can just as well go in for being pursue a relentlessly and so fullfely sturdy bone and muscle. You'l

beauty parlours.

In

Dut

But it never occurs to her that with

£1 Htle polishing and the tantalising, enigmatla Mona Lian, enchantment largely a sugar coat- find that paleness disappears, and will take

Sho's my, Idos of forty making good. ing to hide its emptiness. It is nature's school-work improves. And the sharpening.

un olayer ruze to trap a mate for youth She is careful to see that Ber With her subtle mystery and

energy and "go." Get Horlicks ear docen't run out of ell. Her fathomable mile, abe is the quintos at a time when Youth Bas little but children seem to gain endless mind hasn't been lubricated for sence of all that men have ever desired bloom to offer,

it woman. Hers is not the beauty of

nd to-day,

ages, It's covered with cobwebs the permanent wave and plucked eye- and squeaks at every jolak.

brows. It is the loveliness of thoughts.

1 don't need it. I've got my man! I mean to be forty intellfrontly charmingly enough to keep bin

Co

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3

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