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capacity figures claimed by the Fuji Photo Film Co., which are 6,000,000 feet a month in the case of positive film and 300,000 feet a month in the case of negative film.
Prior to the adoption of the wartime economy by Japan and the enforcement of exchange and trade restrictions, demand for 35 mm. motion-picture film approximated 6,000,000 feet a month for regular positive film, about 1,000,000 feet a month for negative film, and about 1.000,000 feet a month for sound positive film. Since October 11. 1937, when the Emergency Trade Control Act was promulgated, it has become practically impossible to import regular positive film, although some permits have been granted for importation of sound film. Since picture negative film is not made locally to an extent sufficient to meet requirements, some permits for importation of such film have been granted. In the case of the leading supplying company (an American concern), the amount allowed importation during the first 9 months of 1938 was fully 90.5 percent below the corresponding total in 1937. As regards positive film, the amount allowed to be imported by this American concern during the first 9 months of 1938 was about 77 percent below the corresponding total in 1938.
In the case of imports from Germany, the other main supplying country, shipments of cine film to Japan, including both positive and negative, during the first 6 months of 1938 totaled 1,115,000 feet, against 11.726.000 during the same period of 1937, according to the German trade figures.
Having to depend to an increasing extent upon domestic film, the quality of which is below that of American and German film, the Japanese motion-picture companies are reported to be having considerable trouble in expanding their output. On the contrary, it seems reasonable to suppose that they are having difficulty even in maintaining past levels of production. Incidentally, it is reported that the newly introduced sound recording film of the Fuj i Photo Films Co., has been so poor that it had to be taken off the market several times during 1938.
It is extremely difficult to present accurate figures covering capitalization of the Japanese motion-picture producing companies. On December 1, 1937, it was estimated that total paid-in capital of all companies may have approximated Yen 25,000,000, equal to $7,250,000. The authorized capital is, of course, much larger. The "Cinema Year Book of Japan, 1936-37" gave the authorized capital of major companies at Yen 53,270,000, equal to about $15,488,000.
Although there have been some shifts among companies during the past 12 months, the general capital position has not been materially affected, it is believed. Judged by American standards, it is obvious that the total paid-in capital available is decidedly on the low side. It may therefore be said that the industry is not well financed to undertake any important improvements in quality or increase in production of significant feature films.
The technique of Japanese producers continues to lag behind that of American and European producers. This weakness is appreciated not only by the producers themselves but also by official entities interested in having the projected motion-picture-industry control law passed by the next session of the
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