The film daily year book of motion pictures (1929)

Deninan Picture Houses has also affiliated with GaumontBritish, while Associated British Cinemas, formed in November, will amalgamate 37 theaters and four new big sites, and give British International Pictures a favorable outlet for its films, as it will have a controlling interest in this company. Other circuits that have been formed include United Picture Theaters which own 16 theaters in Greater London, and which is increasing its holdings; Union Cinemas which owns quite a chain and various other small groups which have merged over the past year. Nineteen twenty-nine from every indication looks like being a pretty good year for the British trade. There will be a greater amount of British product available. New theaters are springing up in many directions, and public patronage is visibly increasing. Naturally, with a million and a quarter unemployed in Great Britain, there is still a great amount of leeway to be made up, but the indications are that 1929 will be a very good year all round. Agitation — The Cinematograph Films Act, which officially became British law on Jan. 1, 1928, became operative on distributors on April 1, 1928, beginning which time distributors were compelled to handle 7y2 per cent Brtish films. The first of the ten quota years as they affect distributors, therefore, ends March 31, 1929. The quota on exhibitors went into effect Oct. 1, 1928, and from that date until Sept. 30, 1929, theater owners must devote five per cent of their playing time to British films. This first year scale increases by 2J4 per cent until it reaches 20 per cent for both distributor and exhibitor in 1938. There it remains until the operation of the law automatically ceases in 1940 at which time it is considered the British industry should be able to stand on its own feet. The law provides exhibitors must be licensed by special permit for each of their theaters, such permits being obtainable from the Board of Trade. It also states that before Nov. 1 of each quota year, exhibitors must furnish the government with data on the British pictures which they have exhibited. In order to make certain that exhibitors reserve the necessary play dates for domestic product, supplementary provisions against blind and block booking are included in the measure, such provisions prohibiting the renter to sell or the exhibitor to buy sight unseen and limiting advance bookings to a specific period of time. In the case of contracts signed on or after Oct. 1, 1928. and before Oct. 1, 1929, the booking is limited to nine months. After Oct. 1, 1929, advance bookings are reduced to six months. The year to year percentages of the quota bill follow : DISTRIBUTORS' QUOTA Year Ending Per Cent March 31, 1929 7y2 March 31, 1930 10 March 31, 1931 10 March 31, 1932 \2y2 March 31, 1933 IS March 31, 1934 \7y2 March 31, 1935 17^ March 31, 1936 20 March 31, 1937 20 March 31, 1938 20 EXHIBITORS' QUOTA Year Ending Per Cent Sept. 30, 1929 5 Sept. 30, 1930 7y2 Sept. 30, 1931 7y2 Sept. 30, 1932 10 Sept. 30, 1933 12 'X Sept. 30, 1934 15 Sept. 30, 1935 15 Sept. 30, 1936 20 Sept. 30, 1937 20 Sept. 30, 1938 20 It is under this State-fostered enactment that the English industry is now operating. From the British angle, the Act has provided a stimu lant undreamed of. The production industry has had a re-birth and the impetus has made itself felt along the line to the public which has snapped up with great alacrity practically every stock flotation offered throughout 1928. The full effect of the quota on American business will not be felt for some time, inasmuch it is only since Oct. 1, 1928, that exhibitors have been compelled to play British pictures and the five per cent stipulated for the first year inflicts no hardship on either exhibitor or distributor. A narrowed market for American pictures seems inevitable, however. Censorship — Vested in the British Board of Censors which consists of four members and a president, the latter T. P. O'Connor. The board is entirely independent of the trade or the government, although originally it was set up by the trade in 1913. Its decisions have been so generally well regarded that the government has never considered it necessary to intervene. Local "watch or vigilance" committees of city governments throughout the British Isles follow closely the decisions of the British Board. Consistent objection is made to the materialized figure of Christ and exhibitions in the nude. Competition — 81 per cent American, five per cent English, 14 per cent other foreign countries. Of 892 features shown in the British market in 1927, 723 were American, as compared with 620 in 1926. Figures covering the half year show that for the first six months of 1928, 286 out of 365 pictures' were American, an average of 78 per cent. It is indicated that final figures for 1928 will show that bookings of American films have fallen off, due to the policy of government protectionism, and that this loss will be absorbed by increased exhibitions of British and Continental films. Copyright Relations — Established by proclamation July 1, 1891, extended April 9, 1910. Dec. 8, 1910 and May 25, 1922. Production — In 1927, 44 features were produced in England, as compared with 28 in 1926 and 34 in 1925. England, by early November, had already finished 79 features with enough additional launched or planned to bring her production up to 100 for 1928. It is anticipated that a big increase over 1928 will be made during 1929, as many important plans for the new year have been made. The quota may be held responsible for this entire active program. At present there are 13 important studios turning out pictures in England and a number under construction. Since the promulgation of the Quota Act, the British public has been called upon to subscribe to new promotions to the extent of nearly $36,000,000. The intense activity among British producers lead to an interesting development throughout the year in the form of cooperative producing and distributing arrangements between English companies and organizations in other countries. For instance, British International Pictures, one of the important English producers of wh:ch John Maxwell is managing director, arranged with Pathe Consortium and Cineromans of Paris to handle B.I. P. in France and Belgium under a reciprocal arrangement whereby the product of these latter two companies will be distributed in England by Wardour. Fotorama was lined up for Denmark ; a cooperative deal with Sascha in Vienna perfected, while Sudfilm, a German company, was purchased and in America, a deal made to distribute through World-Wide Pictures. In England proper. Maxwell purchased the interest held in First National-Pathe by Provincial Cinematograph Theaters, Ltd. Gaumont British Corp. financially backed by Ostrer Bros., London bankers, and at the end of Film Daily Circulates in World Capitals 1045