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14
MONEY BEHIND THE SCREEN
TABLE II.— (
^ontd.
Features.
Shorts.
'Gaumont British Distributors
, 1935
1936
1935
1936
Ltd., and Wardour-Pathe ..
15.8
9.8
9.9
13.9
Other British Renters
20.8
24.3
23.1
20.5
. Renters I
United Artists and Genera
Film Distributors, Ltd.
2.9*
11.4
2.9*
15.6
^American Renters
60.5t
54.5
64.lt
50.0
II.
British Films Registered
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Gaumont British Distributors
Ltd., and Wardour-Pathe ..
26.7
15.4
27.0
36.8
Other British Renters
23.6
25.2
46.8
29.7
United Artists and Genera
Film Distributors, Ltd.
4.2*
16.6
♦
9.0
American Renters
46.5t
42.8
26.2t
24.5
No. AU Films
709
653
783
697
No. British Films
199
182
141
155
* United Artists only.
t Including Universal.
3. This does not, however, provide a complete picture of American domination. In the first place not all the American films imported are the product of the eight major companies (Paramount, Warner — First National, M.G.M., 20th Century — Fox, Radio, Columbia, Universal and United Artists). American films handled by these companies amount to one half of all films registered, in this country ; under the quota regulations these companies must however in addition distribute a specified proportion of British films, and these ** quota films " actually amount to one-half of all films produced in this country, so that one-half of the British production is in fact quota production controlled by the English renting subsidiaries of the major American companies.
4. The remaining American films (one -sixth of all films registered in this country), on the other hand play an important role in the business of the English renting companies, practically all of whom handle foreign films as well as English ones, and these American films in fact amount to one-half of all films distributed by these EngUsh firms.
5. Until recently this American predominance was exercised through direct control only of the renting side of the Enghsh film trade. Only two companies (Warner-First National, here always counted as one firm, and Fox) had estabUshed Enghsh production subsidiaries, while the remaining firms contracted with innumerable independent English producers for quota films. On the exhibition side most companies confined themselves to the control of a prerelease theatre in London, and only Paramount had a circuit (at present numbering 14 halls) in various key cities.
6. At the same time it was true to say that there were only two ••rious rivals to these controlling American companies in th«