Recently Mr, Weait made an ex: tensive journey into the interior of South America, taking with him films for display in that country. His means of transportation ranged all the way from a trans-Atlantic ocean Liner to stern-wheel " river Steamers, In which he journeyed up tthe Rio, In connection with " dis: cussion of the proposed Chinese censorship Mr, laughingly gave an account of the native recep. tion of the British film in South America, The natives wore eager and glad to pay, the $1.60 gold which was the admission fee, but once inside the show became theirs. Nor were they loathe to object tronuously and frequently to cer tain seenes. If the operator did not encode to their scruples and cut out that portion of a film to which they disapproved they gleefully are fen masse and hurled their chairs at the screen, They also fought with equal gusto any policeman who attempted to restore law and order. This quaint custom is, no doubt, a rollo of the old manner of show-Sng disapproval at Toreador fights, Into the ring, infuriating the bull and annoying the Toreador, went all the cushions from the circle of sents about the fighting area.
In Argentina Mr. Weait found'it slightly irksome when the orchestra refused to play anything but tangos. Evidently the orchestra leaders knew their public better than did the cinema magnates for it was almost always the tangos which brought down the enthusiastic applause of the house and not the picture Censorship Not Feared In connection with Chinese censorship Mr. Weait believes that there will be much liberality in the matter and that the Chinese will never be as strict as are the Japan-
"pho talkie', Mr. Weait announced, "is taking London storm, After the first showing Al Jolson in his world famous Vitaphone production The Singing! Fool; there was a temporary. reaction against the talking film, due imperfectly constructed apparatus and lack of knowledge as to, th: operation of that apparatus. Since! that time, however, machines have been mechanically ' perfected and newer inventions and accessories axe being added almost daily, There is, at present, an enthusiastic accept: fnce of the sound drama by the Tt is to be hoped that Mr. Weait's optimism regarding the future of the British film industry is warranted From the films which have already been produced by the British International Film Ca. we conclude that not only will they show us more than the- traditional musical comedy, and offer us more than the traditional yodeling of. love-songs, Dut they will pat before our eyes and ears many of the old masterpieces of English literature, Thomas! Hardy's "Under the. Greenwood Tree? has already.been produced and accepted with much enthusiasm The great picture "Atlantic" shows definitely that the drama of human
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.