Page 25 - CR-89AA

Big news for the Company and Auckland was N.Z. Picture Company, first by saving it and
the opening of the Embassy after much then by selling it at a bargain price that even
opposition from competitors and many court his chain stores would envy.
battles. The magnificent theatre, costing
£40,000 and seating 843, opened 9 April 1936 Back home, they were suffering the loss of top
with the latest Ernemann IV projectors looked first release titles to their prestige houses. The
after by George Gregory. The theatre, an art Company was being squeezed on film supply
deco marvel, was a site to behold. and was in difficulties. It requested financial
assistance from the government, but this was
July 1936 saw Laurie Quinn, then head of refused. However, help was at hand. Victorian
Fuller-Hayward Theatres, depart to join the born John McKenzie, who was on the board
J.C. Williamson Picture Corporation at head of J.C. Williamson (N.Z.) Ltd (later Sir John
office which, by then, was in the Dominion McKenzie, knighted in 1949) took a majority
Building, Wakefield Street, Wellington. shareholding and rescued the Company.
The exhibition business was excellent for The prevailing competitive conditions of 1938
1936, but problems lay ahead. The purchase brought on by an aggressive
of 50% of Amalgamated Theatres by the Fox Amalgamated/Fox move, and increases in
Film Corporation gave that company much film hire by distributors, forced three of the
needed cash for expansion and access to first major chains - Fullers Theatre Corporation,
run films that normally played the Williamson New Zealand Theatres Ltd and the
Theatre Royal, Christchurch 1945 circuit. J.C. Williamson Picture Corporation - into an
arrangement designed to reduce overheads
In Australia, there was movement in J.C. Over the sea, in late 1937, Sir George Tallis and eliminate wastage caused by separate
Williamson Ltd with the retirement of Sir and A.W. Allen sold their 200,000 shares in trading. They formed Theatre Management
George Tallis in 1931, leaving the Taits in J.C. Williamson Ltd to John McKenzie. Ltd, although the companies retained their
control. They later increased their holding in McKenzie would play an important role in the separate entities. This informal agreement,
the new New Zealand Company. Within two Avon, Christchurch 1946
years, Beaumont Smith was replaced by John
Mason as managing director of the Picture
Corporation and Smith returned to Australia.

The Company continued its expansion into
Christchurch, taking over the Crystal Palace
on 19 January 1935 (Amalgamated Theatres
would take over the theatre on 25 September
1936) while 15 May 1935, Williamson's new
art deco style 943 seat Avon Theatre was
opened. Designed by Llewellyn Williams, it
was referred to as Williamson's Luxury
Playhouse, proudly carrying the flag for
Christchurch.

The Company made some new appointments
at this time. Christchurch based Gordon
Mirams became marketing and publicity
manager. Years later, as Chief Film Censor
from 1950-59, he would usher in an
enlightened appreciation of film.

which affected only certain locations,
consisted of either a combined exhibiting
company, an arrangement for pooling the
returns from all theatres with allocation to the
theatre-proprietors on an agreed percentage
basis, or a buying arrangement under which
competition for film supply was eliminated.
Loosely referred to as the ‘combine’, the three
companies were now able, under more
favourable buying conditions, to pressurise
the exchanges not only into reducing their
film hire, but also into reserving the best films
for their theatres in towns where they were
competing with independent theatres.
On 1 July 1939, with N.Z. Theatres Ltd, the
Company took over the Prince Edward
Theatre, Woburn, which had been run
uneconomically by the previous owner. The
same would apply to the King George, Lower
Hutt, which was acquired on 12 August 1941.
Fullers pulled out of the combine in 1941 after
Embassy, Auckland c 1937. Demolished December 1979 Sir Benjamin and John Fuller decided to go

CINEMARECORD # 89 25