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MONEY BEHIND THE SCREEN
I.— STUUCTURK.
A. — American Predominance.
1. The ])nsHin<? of the Quota Act (C'incinalojjraph FihiiH A< t» 1927), while virtually creating the British ])r()(iueti()ri iuduslrv us far as feature lilnis are concerned, did not, however, put an end to the predominance of the major American producers in tlie English market. Table I indicates the proportion of English films registered during each quota year since 1928/9, together with the quota percentage (based on footage) provided in the Act, and the total number of features {i.e., tilms measuring 3,0(X) feet and over) and shorts released each year. After an initial drop, following the spurt of home production during the first year, the proportion of English feature films increased steadily from about 16 per cent, to just under 30 per cent., thus considerably exceeding the statutory quota figure. The legal possibihty of registering long films as quota for foreign shorts has, however, resulted in a marked lag in the production of British shorts behind the quota percentage.
TABLE I.
Quota percentage, and percentage and total number of British feature and ■hort films actually registered 1929-193G.
British Films Registered.
Peecentage
OF ALL Films.
Total No.
OF
British
Year endiko
Quota
%
Films
March 3 1st
It 'E"■^InTtT^
^LiHipiOii^
^z
Features.
Shorts.
Features.
Shorts.
1929
7.5
18.9
18.1
679
829
1930
10
16.9
16.9
602
1,065
1931
10
17.9
5.0
CSl
1,058
1932
12.6
24.7
4.5
618
977
1933
15
24.7
4.9
643
841
1934
17.5
28.0
6.8
679
707
1935
17.5
28.3
8.2
667
820
1936
20
29.5
12.8
718
663
2. If we confine ourselves to feature films (Table II) we find that even to-day American features account for more than two-thirds of all films registered in this country, foreign features other than American accounting for only about o per cent.
TABLE II. Percentage distribution of films registered from December, 1934, until November, 1935, and from December, 1935, until October, 1936, respectively, showing country of origin and main renting groups.
Features. Shorts.
1935
1936
1935
1936
I. All Films Registered
... 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
f American Films
... 67.0
66.9
81.4
77.2
. Films -^ British Films
... 28.1
27.9
18.0
22.3
(^Foreign Films (other) ...
4.9
5.2
0.6
0.5