Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

DOCUMENTARY FILM NEWS 75 QUOTES ABOUT THE QUOTA J. Arthur Rank: 'Already 60 per cent of the pictures shown on our circuits — Odeon and Gaumont— are British. We shall budget at least to maintain that figure. The new British quota is a very fair one, but this time we must see to it that all exhibitors do play British films and do not avoid their obligations.' Ralph Bond (Vice-President of AC AT) : 'It will certainly mean a big stimulus to production but, unless Mr Wilson keeps his repeated promises of financial help to independent producers, all the plums will go to the big combines and their American associates. The low quota for supporting programmes is a blow to documentary producers.' Senior Executive of an American Company 'We cannot help but regard it as a direct effort to squeeze us out.' H. D. Hughes (MP and Chairman oj Committer 1 1 I be supporting programme is not financially, at present, an important part of the industry but, aesthetically and in terms of entertainment, it is an important part taking something just under one-half of the showing time. I fear the result of this low quota of 25 per cent will be that something only less than ball of our screen time will be open to American secondfeature and short productions which may be of a very low quality indeed. In fact, it seems to me that there is a danger in the difference between these two quotas that the American production, diverted from first-feature showing by the comparatively high first feature quota, will, in order to occupy surplus capital and to keep its name on the market, be forcibly diverted into the second feature and supporting programme, and will, in that way, artificially be induced to compete with a section of the industry which, on many occasions, the right hon gentleman and his predecessor at the Board of Trade have expressed their wish to encourage and promote.' R. M'Laughlin (Edinburgh Branch of Cinema Exhibitors Association) : 'Independents in this section view with alarm the proposal of the Board of Trade ... as the supply of films is hopelessly inadequate to meet the quota.' ■ Alec Guiness as Fagin in 'Oli.er Twin' Sir Henry French (Director-General of British Film Producers Association): 'This quota must be complied with, and all exhibitors must play their part. It is absolute nonsense to talk about the need for 450 feature films a year to feed all the film demands of our cinemas.' * Eric Johnston (President of Motion Picture Association of America): 'This 45 per cent quota is excessive, unnecessar) and impossible of fulfilment, and violates the spirit of the Film Agreement recently negotiated between the British Government and the United States film industry.' 'Daily Fxpress' (June 15): 'The quota is unsatisfactory because it lays down that Britain, impoverished as she is, shall depend for more than half her films on imports from a wealth) creditoi country. . . . Films made by American interests m this country will count as "British" for quota purposes. "* et all their earnings outside Britain will go straight into the pockets of the Americans. They will contribute not one cent to Britain's exchange position.' 'New Statesman and Nation' (June 19) 'Mi Wilson has kept British cinemas open b) the Film Agreement. He has now quite properly demanded from exhibitors, in return for that boon, that the) should support the home industry and. indirectly, that they should assist m financing it. ["here is no doubt that, given a chance. British film production can reach its new target.'