plans for Fiji

Mr. Burr has "big” plans for Fiji

From SUE WENDT, in Suva Since buying his Fiji island several years ago, Raymond Burr has kept the local populace guessing somewhat about his long-term intentions in the South Pacific.

In October, perhaps intentionally to coincide with independence, the actor unveiled a few of his plans— including his intention of starting a daily newspaper in Fiji.

He also talked at length about the two feature films he intends to make in Fiji at a cost of SF4 million, and his plan to arrange exchange schemes and aid for the University of the South Pacific.

And as a guest speaker at the 10th annual tourism convention at Koro levu, he urged travel agents and others to invest in Fiji. “I don’t necessarily mean money. Money is simple,” he said. “Not so simple and vastly more costly to you are the bigger investments I envision . . . investments of imagination, of energy, of time.”

The actor’s involvement in Fiji and things Fijian has endeared him

Raymond Burr . . . plans a newspaper, university exchange programmes, two feature films and even an orchid farm in Fiji.

tremendously to local people; so much so that they consider him rather as Fiji’s own special celebrity.

As he pointed out at the tourism convention, so far as Fiji was con cerned he had “in the vernacular, put my money where my mouth is”.

Whenever he returned from abroad and saw his island, Naitauba, rising from the sea he felt that all his in vestment was amortised. “I am paid out, my account with Fiji more than balanced. I have realised a profit beyond my power to tell you,” he said.

Raymond Burr told me that plans to start a daily morning newspaper were already being formulated, al though it would probably not get off the ground until 1972.

“Fiji can well stand another daily newspaper, perhaps with news in Hindustani and Fijian as well as English,” he said. He added that experts had already studied the possi bility of starting another newspaper and it seemed a feasible proposition.

“I will be looking to both local and overseas staff,” he said. “There are plenty of bright young people in Fiji who could be sent overseas for training.”

On the question of aid and ex change schemes for the USP, Mr.

Burr has told the vice-chancellor, Dr. C. C. Aikman, that he will help mobilise US and Canadian aid for the university.

He is particularly interested in the area of exchange of staff and students, and is reported to be investigating the possibility of exchanges with the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of the Pacific in California.

Hundreds of local people will be used as extras in the two films Mr.

Burr is planning to make in Fiji. The first, to be filmed in 1972, will be based on Garland Roark’s novel, Angels in Exile. Another film based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Beach of Falesa will be made at a later date.

“I hope to do every bit of filming here. We will be using different loca tions, some in Suva and Lautoka and others on the Coral Coast,” he said.

Mr. Burr will play the lead male role in both films, which are to be made by his company, Harbour Pro ductions Unlimited.

He has also announced plans for the export of cut orchids from Fiji— and has formed a new company, Sea God Nurseries, for the purpose.

The intention is to produce “stud” plants in America and grow plants in the Sigatoka Valley and another area.

They would then be shipped to many parts of the world.

“We will produce unique orchids,”

he explained. “They will be of our breeding. There are ideal conditions in Fiji for the kind of flowers we want to grow.”

Further details about the aid and exchange programmes planned for the University of the South Pacific were revealed when the actor an nounced the formation of an Ameri can-Fijian Foundation in October.

The first project to be undertaken is to be the preparation of a new Fijian-English dictionary covering the main Fijian dialect, Bauan, and 12 principal dialects.

At a joint news conference with Dr. Aikman, Mr. Burr said there were plans too for a specialised dic tionary of the modern Suva Fijian dialect, with extensive coverage of terms used in commerce, industry and administration.

During the course of work on the dictionary Mr. Burr expects to develop projects in language, history, legend and the creative arts such as handcraft, dance and music.

He expects the project to be com pleted over a period of five years at a cost of about $250,000.

Money in the foundation at present, he said, had been provided by himself and his associate, Mr.

Robert Beneveds.

“If no other money comes into the foundation from the American people, Mr. Beneveds and I will be guaranteeing the cost of the dic tionary project,” he said.

The foundation has been granted five scholarships by Judge Gordon D, Schaber, dean of the McGeorge School of Law, which is under the auspices of the University of the Pacific at Stockton, California. • UTA French Airlines will in crease Los Angeles to Papeete DC-8 service from five to six non-stop flights weekly, from January 1, 1971.

Evening departures will be on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with an 11 a.m. departure on Wednesday and Saturday. Weekly service from Los Angeles to Papeete via Honolulu will be replaced by Tuesday return flights between Papeete and Honolulu. Papeete-Nadi round-trip flights will also increase from two to three weekly.

UTA has already replaced its three weekly DC-4 return flights between Noumea and Vila with one-hour Caravelle services. UTA is also adding a fourth weekly flight with a DC-4 service from Noumea to Espiritu Santo via Vila.