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

104 COMMITTEE ON CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS 23 June, 1936.] Mr. D. E. Griffiths, Mr. S. Eckmax. Mr. J. C. Graham, Mr. J. Maxwell and Mr. F. Hill. [Continued. 1048. Looking at it from the point of view of the exhibitor, is he not, as you put it to us, in the position either that he has to take these pictures which are very bad ? — Yes? 1049. Or fail to obey the law? — No, not always. There may be other good British pictures available to him, not from that renter at all. There are many other renters who have got British pictures which may be quite satisfactory pictures. Companies like mine could not do the business we are doing in British pictures if it were that no exhibitors took them who also took American pictures from American renters. 1050. Yes, but the quota consideration in the Act could not bo carried out? — Why not? 1051. If there; were not a substantial production of British pictures by or through American renters? — Yes, granted in some exceptional cases. 1052. I mean, you may not produce them, but they must be produced? — Yes. 1053. Then if these renters produce or cause to be produced these pictures, the exhibitor cannot avoid the dilemma which I have suggested? — No. 1054. What does he do? — As I have mentioned already, in addition to the pictures that are produced for quota for American renters, which are often undesirable pictures, there are a very large number of other British pictures produced which are not produced for purposes of quota at all, and are available for exhibitors to use for purposes of quota. That is why I say that this argument about the exhibitor playing a lot more than the statutory percentage is quite fallacious because he has available to him 50 per cent, more than the quota law requirement, and therefore he has got that extra number to work on. 1055. I think you did say that you would agree as regards certain exhibitors there was difficulty, even allowing for the fact of this 50 per cent, of surplus pictures ? — Yes, but it is not general. 1056. Yes, but that must mean, must it not, that for a great many exhibitors there is a very real difficulty in that they cannot get good quota pictures, and the explanation of their inability to get the number of good pictures which they require is the production of bad pictures? — Yes, but I say it h not universal, there are many cases but it is not universal. (Mr. Eckmari) : That, if I may say so, is more due to highly competitive conditions in certain areas than it is to the shortage of pictures as such. In other words it is almost safe to say generally that that same exhibitor who has a difficulty in finding good British films has that same difficulty in finding good foreign films also, because he is in such a highly competitive area, probably surrounded by theatres that are able to wield a greater purchasing power, and he finds himself more or less left in the lurch, not only for British films but for foreign films also. 1057. Yes. Well, I wanted to get it clear and 1 think it is now clear that the system as it exists does work in this way? — (Mr. Graham,): The system as it now works is that the other half of British pictures that is made here, the British pictures not made for quota purposes and are the best pictures, take care of the quota business. Our half i.e.. those made for quota pictures, lay in the offices largely unsold and unused. 1058. I follow?— So the other half takes care of the business and they run a longer time, and this and that. (Mr. Maxwell): He means the purely quota pictures do not get distribution or much circulation really. (Mr. Graham) : And so you have a larger production of British films than you need have; if you made fewer pictures of better quality yen would have plenty for the exhibitor. 1059. You have told us the trouble about the production in this country is the dearth of artistic quality. Would you expect that to be le<s serious over a period of years? — (Mr. Maxwell) : Yes, I think every vear we arc increasing our reservoir of talent. 1060. And so the situation is better than it was in 1927? — Oh, yes, very greatly. 1061. Does it follow from that you would be prepared to contemplate an enlargement? — Yes, if it were gradual. 1062. Suppose that it were ten per cent. now. what do you suggest it might be in another seven years? — Well, another seven years, by that time you might have a British industry so well established and supplied with talent that you would not need a quota at all. It might function on its own merit and not require statutory protection at all. As a matter of fact when this Act was passed we never dreamed of the quota quickie. The Act shut up a hole whore we thought shorts would get in to supply quota and said they must have special exhibition value. The quota quickie was a complete surprise. If we had thought of it then we might have found a means of remedying it. 1063. I should be very happy if we could contemplate a state of things in which no protection would be needed for the British film?— Personally, but it is entirely a personal opinion. I do not think we need it to-day. I think British production is well enough set to go right ahead. We have the money; we have the studios, and we are graduallv creating the personnel. I may be a voice in the wilderness, but I think as a producer I can maintain myself and sell my pictures on their merit, and that with the especial appeal British pictures have for British audiences we can hold our own even in competition with the American picture that has cost five times mine. I did that before and I think I can do it again. 1064. I wondered why Mr. Graham had so quickly abandoned the struggle after the introduction of the quota. You said you made or were making pictures from £30,000 to £70,000 but had to give up manufacturing these pictures? — (Mr. Graham): We found we could not rent those pictures and strange things happen in these American offices, and I say it without any feeling. The British exhibitor has an idea in his bead that he shows loyalty to this country by renting his British pictures from British offices, and he will go to another office and rent his British pictures preferably from mine ; I do not know that it is absolutely true but it is true in our offices. We have a very high standard, and have had for years, and have a good sales organization and no difficulty in selling our goods. 1065. Yes, the pictures you made for £30,000 to £70,000 would have been good enough to take their chance in the market of the world? — (Mr. Maxwell): They would if they were made on more international subjects. At that time we thought that people wanted particularly British subjects, and we took stories of Lonsdale and different writers hero which were particularly English and wont to trouble to produce them and found at that time they were too English for American minds. The " Service for Ladies " was not British ; it was laid in Austria. I am speaking of the story, and that is why the stuff did not go over there. We picked very English stories, at first. 1066. I find it difficult to see why you have not been able to find on the one hand stories which are good both for British and foreign markets and to produce these in preference to the inferior films .which are being produced. As you told us when you made bettor films you bad the world market? — I have not that much money. That would break us now that wo are required to have so many pictures. 1067. That applies to the other great Corporations?— (Mr. Graham,): It would keep them busy it they made that quantity. Mr. Maxwell made 14 and saw bo was making them a little too much. Ho was making them with British capital and net having to make American pictures either. (Mr. Maxwell): T did it as a whole time job. These quota pictures must In' a pari time job, in addition to distribution.