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

80 COMMITTEE ON CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS 26 May, 1936.] Mr. T. H: Fligelstone and Mr. W. R. Fuli.ee. [Continued. unless a surplus of suitable product, fit for exhibition to the public, is secured from which a selection can he made. 10. For exhibitors the margin of selection becomes all-important. Until 1933 there was little difficulty in complying with quota, but during the last two years complaints have continued to increase, and to-day the observance of a 20 per cent, quota is proving a very severe test. There are several causes: — (1) The foreign (American) renters until about the end of 1931 or 1932 appeared to be making a grudging endeavour to produce or to acquire British films suitable for public exhibition. In this process they averred the loss of money. On account of the financial depression in their own country they seemed to come to a settled policy of acquiring generally " quota quickies " which, being unsuitable for exhibition to the public, reduced the margin of selection to exhibitors. (2) In the last three years production of usable British films has not made any material increase. The figures of registration of long films in the last three years are as follows: — 1934 1935 1936 195 190 215 (3) Public opinion in certain areas, particularly in parts of Scotland and parts of London, has become definitely resentful of the increasing number of British films which must be compulsorily screened. (4) British shorts are not produced in sufficient numbers. Exhibitors, therefore, find their troubles increased by the necessity of acquiring " long " British films which, in effect, increases a 20 per cent, quota to about 24 per cent. (5) The best and most consistent producers or distributors of British films are allied with circuits. 11. We have made an analysis of British films trade-shown in the calendar year (not the film year) of 1935. During that year, according to our records, 178 films were trade-shown. This number, according to our viewers, may be classified as follows: — Good First Features ... ... ... 73 Varying Second Features ... ... 41 Inferior ... ... ... ... ... 31 Definitely unshowable ... ... ... 33 178 12. We are aware that the Board of Trade shows registrations of 198 films for this period. We can only assume that the extra twenty were of such poor quality that trade shows may have passed unobserved by us, as no complaints of omission were received from our members. The American distributing houses .were responsible for a majority of the films in the last two categories. 13. The figure of 178 is a misleading total. But for the compulsory provisions of the quota 64 films of this total would never be booked by exhibitors in a market where exhibitors were free to book their choice. For practical purposes we may say that the output of British films for booking in 1935 was 114. 14. We now come to the all-important matter for exhibitors, which saves them from exploitation, which is fche margin of selection. 15. The original quola scale was drawn up on the basis that it would provide two films from which an exhibitor could select one. His choice was always one out of two. It was estimated that by the present time British production would have expanded to such an extent that differentiation between renters' and exhibitors' quota .would not be necessary. Unfortunately the " quickie " was not envisaged. 16. Exhibitors normally book a number of feature films each year varying according to the character of the cinema from 104 to 208. For purposes of average we may take a figure ranging from 120 to 160 films. On a rule of thumb basis, which is sufficiently accurate for purposes of generalisation, it will be seen that the normal better class hall requires about 24 British films a year to satisfy its quota while the normal industrial cinema will require 32 to 40 British films a year. 17. When the Films Act came into operation there were usually three cinemas competing in any given town or district. To-day in the populous areas there are as many as five or six cinemas competing for patronage. 18. Very few British films (or, for that matter, American) are of such outstanding calibre that more than one run is possible in any town or district. 19. It will be seen that in the principal areas on the 1935 showings exhibitors have no margin of choice. The 114 British films, varying from good first to second features, tabulated on page 7, are booked without any choice. 20. The position for the independent exhibitors is made much worse when the best films are taken by the circuits, which, in addition by virtue of their booking powers, are able to book some of the better British films marketed by other producers. 21 . For the independents in such situations there remains the constant nightmare of sorting through inferior and bad films in an endeavour to find something that will not repel any more of their patrons than can be avoided. 22. Through a sense of loyalty to the Films Act, many exhibitors are weary of the constant loss of money which they suffer through constantly having to show British films to which the public does not respond, when there is available a considerable margin of selection in foreign (American) films to which the public would respond. 21. We have therefore come to the definite conclusion that the original intentions of the Films Act, that there should be a margin of two films from which to select one, should be the standard for future legislation. We accordingly ask that the quota upon exhibitors should be reduced at the earliest possible moment to 10 per cent. 24. We would emphasise our unwillingness to continue to suffer heavy financial sacrifice by continuing to show British pictures unacceptable to our patrons and to rely upon the sympathetic administration of the Board of Trade in the event of default. It is not fair to the Board of Trade to place upon it the responsibility of endeavouring to smooth away the difficulties arising from an excessive quota upon exhibitors. Nor is it fair that we should be compelled to be ever searching through an inadequate number of films in an endeavour to satisfy the onus placed upon us to show in the event of defaidt that the films were commercially impracticable. Ax INCREASED QUOTA A FANTASTIC IDEA. 25. Concerning other suggestions which we have heard of a quota rising to 35 per cent., we regard such proposals as Eantastic and unnecessary. Am legislation for an increase of quota would, .we venture to predict, result in an orgy of prospectuses with much resulting loss to the investing public. British films, when good, have sufficiently established themselves that an increase in quota is unnecessary for their development. They can now increase in numbers on their quality without any further artificial stimulus. As our request is for a substantial reduction of quota it follows that we shall resist to the fullest extent any proposals to increase the quota upon exhibitors.