Came the dawn : memories of a film pioneer (1951)

the Hepworth Studios, ig22 Taste was on the whole improving though, I think. Though oldfashioned showmen continued to pander to the worst public, better ideas won through in the end, and British films were said to be 'infinitely higher than those of last year.' Sunday opening for the theatres was mooted and partly gained. The British Board of Film Censors was severely attacked by the lay press but survived, helped a good deal by the L.C.G. licence being made conditional upon films having the Board's certificate. Some British films found a hearty welcome on the American continent, among them The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss and Alf's Button. The last had two or three repeat runs in several large Canadian cities. It was in May of the following year (1921) that the Hepworth Company won the action for libel which was brought against it by the agent whose name was the same as that of an unpleasant character in a Phillips Oppenheim story which was filmed by us. I spoke of this much earlier in the book when I was dealing with a couple of other lawsuits, but without giving many details. The action was heard in King's Bench Division on May 10th before the Lord Chief Justice and a mixed special jury. Counsel for the plaintiff was Sir Edward Marshall Hall and for the defence, Mr. Douglas Hogg. It was brought by Bernard Montague (Mr. Marks in private life). The evidence of the producer, Henry Edwards, who was out of England at the time, had been taken on oath and was read. The great weakness of the case appeared to be that no one was brought forward who could testify that the villain in the picture was believed to represent the plaintiff. The jury, without leaving the box, returned a verdict for the defendants, and judgment with costs was given accordingly. In the autumn of the same year, Charlie Chaplin visited this country and had, of course, a tremendous reception. He travelled back to New York on the Berengaria, and Alma Taylor and I 185