Kinematograph Year Book 1942 (1942)

British Production. 277 facilities were absolutely essential. In the latter part of the period a partail easement was forthcoming in the formation of a scheme, for the co-ordination of Government film production including both propaganda and training films. This has resulted in the reopening of one stage of the Pinewood studios and the use of the Wembley plant, which, however, had also been used by Ealing, and others, during the year. Service film units, including the R.A.F., the Army, and M. of I., and eventually the Royal Navy, are concerned in the scheme which also comprises the Crown Film Unit. Feature-length films for the various Services in which only Service men will take part, are planned. At jWembley, which has been housing the Soviet War News, the Army Film Unit are concentrating on training films, and at Pinewood the Crown Film Unit, hitherto at Denham, will continue its specialised productions. The R.A.F., and ultimately the Navy Film Units, will also function here. Although the M. of I. is associated with the scheme there is intended to be no interference with regard to the independent production of their 5-minute short films. The establishment of these Service Units was not enthusiastically received in all quarters. It was pointed out by Michael Balcon that a result the producers had to face was a series of official encroachments and the absorption of studio personnel into the Crown Film Unit and other Service units, for which there was no guarantee that the output would be limited to shorts. Indeed, the success of two features, " Target for To-night " and " Men of the Lightships " might very likely inspire the making of more films of this stamp. Another point made was that these units have as their chief executives men who were not producing big features before the war, and there was not an unnatural feeling that the general standard of British production may suffer from the lack of high-grade leaders if these specialised units develop into the producers of long films. The Quota Reduction. — The figures of proposed production submitted by the Producers' Association must be regarded as a maximum, because it is impossible that the Government, even with the bast intentions, can restore to the studios facilities which will enable 76 entertainmsnt films to b3 produced during the current year. If this were possible of fulfilment, there would be little need for anxiety as regards the satisfaction of the quota provisions ; consequently the modification of the latter infers that the realists among official circles themselves are not too sanguine of the maintenance of entertainment production even at its present level. It may be that while no further diminution in personnel is intended, more of it may be diverted to the making of training and other Service films and propaganda subjects, the_ production of which has risen to amazing heights, the average estimated footage exceeding 1,000,000 a week. The scope of these activities entail a severe demand on floor space and in man-power, already restricted to the unexpandible minimum. These figured among the deciding factors (supplemented by the inability of the exhibitors to meet the full requirements of the Act) which impelled the Government to modify the Quota figures. The case for the amendment was succinctly placed before the House of Commons by Capt. Waterhouse, Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Trade. He pointed out that a good many studios had been taken over, a certain amount of labour had been drafted away, and last, but not least, the Government were making considerable demands on the kirtema Industry for the production of technical and instructional films which did not affect the quota at all, the last thing the Board of Trade wished. Production Insurance. — One measure of Government assistance — the insurance of a film in production — was one of the greatest contributory factors to the continuance of the Industry since it safeguarded the financial interest in the negative. Since the start of the war the question of insurance of a partly completed film had been a matter of very serious concern to British producers, but it was not until September that an arrangement was reached with the Government which dispelled the considerable uncertainty which existed.