Page 13 - pg_1955_08

the ledgers as a boom year for the Corporation was invited to
the company, mainly because of become a programme contrac-
the success of CinemaScope. tor. A decision was made not
There are now more than 23,610 to take part, however, "for the
C i n e m aS cope installations time being"-which seems to
throughout the world, with over leave the door open.
9,000 installations located outside The group's trading profits for
the United States and Canada. the year to ~flrch 1955 totted
And the president announced up to the significant figure of
at the same time that in a few £3,014,687, compared with
weeks they would be demon- £2,265,390 last year. And we have
strating their n ewest technical chairman Sir Philip Warter say-
advancement- photography on ing, with very sound grounds
55mm., reducing to 35mm., ex- obviously, that he believes that
cept for a few pictures in a few despite the rapid spread of tele-
road show engagem ents. vision the cinema is maintaining
its popularity with the public-
Double Pleasure who realise, he says, that it still
offers "the best value for money
This truly is a period of t ech- in the entertainment world".
nical trial- and no error, and to
come nearer home, what of the
Pathescope Duplex system in this Commentary Refinement
world of the amateur film
maker? Surely it is a develop- One of the most interesting
ment that will provide still more business films I have seen re-
zest and interest for the nine- cently was "The Story of Cary-
fiver. Obviously, he can now ton", which seemed to hold
have the best of two worlds, for many lessons on how to make
the price of one. a documentary- for although a
I have written just now of business film it is ·at the same
.technical standardisation. W ell, time a documenta ry. To give
in this new system Pathescope cr edits where they ar e due, it
seem to have knoclred t hat prin- is a Vacuum Oil Company film,
ciple very delightfully for six. produced by Verity Films in as-
sociation with the Film Pro-
ducers Guild, and it impressed
Greater Scope
me in th~.t it is both factual
Talking of CinemaScope in- yet dra m atic, down-to-earth yet
stallations, it is interesting to poetic.
read in the annual report of The film describes the birth
Associated British Picture Cor- and growth of a modern oil
poration that over 300 A.B.C. refinery, and having paid more
cinemas have been equipped to than one visit to the Coryton
show CinemaScope, while the refinery during its construction,
favourable reaction from the and also having been present at
public is witnessed in the fact the opening of the refinery by
that attendance figures fur the Queen Elizabeth the Queen
A.B.C. circuit during the year Mother, I was intrigued to see
were "relatively better than the artistry with which the re-
those for the industry as a finery had been transferred to
whole". the screen.
According to the report, by Speaking afterwards with the
the way, A.B.C. had for some producer, J. R. Greenwood, I
time been considering entering learnt of some of the problems
the field of commercial TV. and that can arise in arranging a
thi1"teen