The box office check-up of 1935 (1936)

Guillotine scene from "The Scarlet Pimpernel," London Film Production in this company's output were "Nell Gwyn," of contentious memory; "Brewster's Millions" and "Peg of Old Drury." Every one of These pictures was an illustration of Herbert Wilcox's declared policy of producing for American needs. B & D Budgets on a $500,000 scale occasionally. The general output of British production companies included a number of pictures up to or approaching American standards. Associated British Pictures, though its declared policy is to make films primarily for its own circuit of theatres and at a price showing a profit on U K. distribution, went beyond these limits with "Drake" ("Elizabeth of England" in New York) "Abdul the Damned" and "I Give My Heart." Its "Old Curiosity Shop" was a very faithful Dickens transcription. ABP also made a series of musicals, "Dance Band" and "Radio Parade of 1935" among them, which suggested a desire to extend sales beyond the U. K. Associated British Film Distributors, with Gracie Fields' "Look Up and Laugh," and British Lion with such films as "Ten Minute Alibi," were other companies definitely above the Quota level. Twickenham Film Studios, concentrating largely on production of obligatory films for American companies, embarked during the year on its own distribution and announced a production program which seems to imply a serious effort for regular American release. Production companies without their own distribution include in Toeplitz Productions and British National Films two concerns which are definitely working for world re lease. Toeplitz has already sent "The Dictator" to America through GB and has a Chevalier picture schemed. British National's first effort, "The Turn of the Tide" was an impressively sincere and effective piece of work. The future development of British production, a matter in which the American trader and exhibitor has a very direct interest, cannot be prophesied with any certainty, but consideration of the existing situation and of the factors which are modifying it, undoubtedly suggest that in 1935-36, and still more in 1936-37, there will have been an advance towards the consolidation of the American and British markets — in the sense that films made in either country will be freely sold on their merits in both, which would have been quite impossible a bare twelve months ago. At the present moment production in the United Kingdom can be roughly classified as (a) production by British companies for U. K. release, (b) production for U. S. and U. K. by British companies, (c) produc Frank Collier and Conra d Veldt in "The Passing of the Third Floor Back," Gaumont-British tion for U. K. by, or for, American companies, and (d) production for U. K. and U. S. by American companies. The outstanding success achieved in the American market by London Film, and the successful establishment of distribution there by GB, are leading reasons for believing that class (a) films will to a very large extent be displaced by class (b). It has been shown that the American market is open; it has also become more and more obvious that production for profit in the U. K. market alone is, in the long run, impossible. Another reason is that the great majority, if not the whole, of recent British flotations for production purposes are based on American distribution and, more important, the cost estimating is on a basis which assures a disastrous loss if, in fact, the American release is not obtained. "Get America or bust" is the fundamental, if undeclared, policy of all these producing companies. Similar reasons seem likely to dictate the comparatively early disappearance of the "quota quickie," made at minimum cost in order to enable American companies to comply with the letter of the Films Act. With a 20 per cent quota now operating, the burden of carrying these films as a dead loss is a heavy burden even on a major distributor. Today finds the American companies in two minds. They have written off the "quickie" as a mistake, but they have not yet come, and may not come for a long time, to the policy of making films in England for world release. The present policy is to make moderately priced films which, without making a profit in the U. K., will reduce the loss on quota films. The disappearance of class (c) films, therefore, in favor of class (d) is quite likely to be postponed for some time; nevertheless, this looks like the ultimate development, even though it implies interference with the fundamental American policy of concentrating production in Hollywood. Even in the immediate future the American exhibitor can expect a certain number of British films made by major American companies. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, latest converts to the policy of direct production in England, is discussing the transfer of stories from Hollywood schedule and the use of Hollywood stars and directors. Fox-Twentieth Century, side by side with "statutory" production at Wembley, which is definitely above "quickie" level, has sent over Robert T. Kane to plan big picture production. Warner, at its Teddington [TURN TO PAGE 145] Elisabeth Bergner and Hugh Sinclair in "Escape Me, Never," British & Dominion production 116 THE BOX OFFICE CHECK-UP OF 1935