The new spirit in the cinema (1930)

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316 THE NEW SPIRIT IN THE CINEMA which are at a high premium. Moreover, professing to be an index of the prosperity of the producing side of the industry, it quotes one company which is purely a renting organisation and has therefore nothing whatever to do with production. The table is, therefore, doubly misleading and inaccurate."1 A reply to the criticism appeared in a leading Sunday newspaper by a writer who took the view that the attack was part of the three-fold anti-British propaganda aiming i. "to discredit British film finance," 2. "to establish that the Cinematograph Films Act has been a failure," 3. " to bring all British film production effort (personnel, staff, studios, etc.) into disrepute."2 Another reply to the articles was made by Mr. John Maxwell, Chairman of the British International Pictures.3 The Federation of British Industries issued a circular on the subject of the damaging attacks.4 Subsequently the Star published Mr. Maxwell's reply.5 This was followed later by a reply headed " A Producer Endorses the Revelations made by the Star."6 All things considered, it may be said, I think, that there was something financially rotten in the state of the reborn English Film Industry. " Mushroom Companies " was the subject of strong comment by the financial editor of a weekly Journal, who said, " the public has been badly bitten by some of these mushroom companies. . . . Several of these companies' reports and balance-sheets are due, and the sooner they are made public, however bad they may be, the better for the industry." Continuing he considers in detail " ' the very unsatisfactory state of affairs ' shown by the belated report and balance-sheet of the Whitehall Films, Ltd."7 Referring to this company's affairs a critic said : " Consider the report which has recently been issued by 1 Extract from the typed reply by Charles Tennyson, Chairman Film Manufacturers' Group, June 14, 1929. 2 Sunday Referee, June 16, 1929. 3 Film Weekly, June 17, 1929. 4 Ibid. * The Star, June 11, 1929. « The Star, June 14, 1929. 7 The Film Weekly, June 17, 1929.