Minutes of evidence taken before the Departmental Committee on Cinematograph Films (1936)

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE 5 May', 1936.] Mr. R. D. Fennelly. [Contih hi ,1 . annual licence issued by the Board of Trade. The number of licensed renters in recent years has been : — 1933-4 51 1934-5 55 1935-6 65 A considerable number of these renters only register one or two films or none at all (22 renters acquired no registered films in 1935-6), and the number of renters who registered more than six long films was 22, 16 and 19 in the years mentioned above. A list of the principal renters is given in Appendix IV. Nine are subsidiary companies in the United Kingdom of the chief United States producers' organisations, as follows: — Columbia Pictures Corporation, Ltd. First National Film Distributors, Ltd. Fox Film Company. Ltd. Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer Pictures, Ltd. Paramount Film Service, Ltd. Eadio Pictures, Ltd. United Artists Corporation, Ltd. *Universal Pictures, Ltd. Warner Brothers Pictures, Ltd. In the renters' quota year ended 31st March, 1936, these nine foreign companies hetween them distributed 342 out of a total of 506 long foreign films registered in that year. They also distributed 113 out of 212 British pictures. 48. The chief renting companies associated with British producing firms are: — Associated British Film Distributors, Ltd. British Lion Film Corporation, Ltd. * See note on General Film Distributors to para. 48. Butcher's Film Service, Ltd. Gaumont-British Distributors, Ltd. ^General Film Distributors, Ltd. Pathe Pictures, Ltd. Wardour Films, Ltd. Twickenham Film Distributors, Ltd. Gaumont-British Distributors, Ltd., mainly distribute British films produced by Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, Ltd., and Wardour Films, Ltd., and Pathe Pictures Ltd., those made by Associated British Pictures Corporation, Ltd. These renters, however, all occasionally distribute British films made by independent units. Between them they were responsible for distributing 86 out of 212 British films registered in 1935-6, and 87 out of 506 foreign films. 49. As already stated, every renter is under an obligation to acquire each year a certain proportion of British films in relation to the total films acquired. The following table " D " taken (with some modifications and the addition of figures for 193-5-6) from a paper recently read by Mr. S. Rowson before the Royal Statistical Society, shows the quota during each of the years ended March from 1929 to 1936, together with the corresponding number of British and foreign films registered for renters' quota during that period. * This is a new renting organisation which distributes films made by a number of independent film units. It has recently become associated with a group under Lord Portal which has bought into Universal Pictures, the United States producing concern, and has taken over the distribution in the United Kingdom of Universal films. Table D. Comparison of British Films produced with minimum quota requirement. 1 2 3 British shorts 4 British shorts 5 6 7 8 Minimum length of 9 Actual length of 10 Exc< 11 ?ss of Year Quota Foreign shorts required if there registered Deficiency in Foreign Longs British Longs British Longs British Longs British proc Longs uced. ended per cent. registered were a separate for renters' Col. 4. registered. required for quota. required for quota registered for March 31. quota on quota. Col. 7 + renters' Per cent. shorts. Col. 5. quota. Length. '000 ft. '000 ft. '000 ft. '000 ft. '000 ft. '000 ft. '000 ft. '000 ft. 1929 H 922 75 170 3,400 276 276 904 628 230 1930 10 1,204 134 150 — 3,331 370 370 624 254 70 1931 10 1,160 129 60 69 3,649 405 474 789 315 66 1932 121 1,071 153 59 94 3,962 566 660 928 268 40 1933 15 893 158 47 111 3,057 540 651 961 310 48 1934 m 769 161 60 101 3,115 661 762 1,180 418 55 1935 m 891 189 68 121 3,116 661 782 1,183 401 51 1936 20 756 189 96 93 3,316 829 922 1,379 457 50 50. It will be observed that since the year ended March. 1930, there has been a deficiency in British short films calculated on the basis of the quota percentage of the length of foreign short films registered. So far as the combined quota of long and short films is concerned, there has been, however, in each year a considerable excess of British long films registered over the actual length of British long films required to meet the quota both in long films and in all films. The liability for quota is, however, generally speaking, an individual one. Table K shows the quota liability for all films of the main British and foreign renting companies in this country during the quota year ended March, 1935, together with the actual length of British films registered by them during the year in question.