BRITISH FILMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 6

BRITISH FILMS.

DISCOVERY IN DOMINIONS. "THERE ARE NO PROVINCES." (By NELLE M. SCAXLAN.) The British cinema world lias made a discovery about Australia and New Zealand; it has taken tliem some time. When I i inquired from one in authority about the formation of this new organisation, Dominions Films Distributors, Ltd., a voice like a roll of thunder said: "There are 110 Provinces." I was slightly puzzled at first; then I saw the point, it may be a little flattering to audiences in Australia and New Zealand to be told that their tastes and demands .are more like London than those of English provincial towns. But it is true. There is a far wider gap between the small towns of England and London than between the small towns overseas and this great city. Ihe term "County" in England has an aristocratic flavour. A County family suggests the manor house, park lands, hunting and shooting, Army and Navy, a season in London and all that sort of thing. But "Provincial" is quite another term. "From the Provinces ; A Provincial cousin" —there is a bit of a sniff about the phrase. In America they are called "small-town people." But in our young Dominions there isn't much difference between the small town and the large town, and Australia has not very much in the way of small towns, though New Zealand has a string of them, linking the four cities, and life is modelled on that of the cities. Harm Done by "Quota" Films.

I was told that hundreds of films arc made and shown in English provincial towns which are never seen in London. Some cinema authorities, it would appear, had the idea that remote colonial towns could be treated in the same way, and shown the same rubbish. But it was this poor class of British film that was so prejudicial to British reputations, and gave scope for comparison with American films. Xow that the great discovery has been made, and fully appreciated, that "there are no Provinces" in Australia or New Zealand, ami that cinema audiences demand the same high standard as London audiences, a new distributing organisation has been formed to sift, as it were, the lilm output, and only those up to our standard will be sent overseas. The "quota" film has been responsible for much that was bad. They were bad from two points of view: American companies had to show a certain proportion of British-made films in each programme. They did. They made these "quota quickies" as cheaply as possible, to save expense, and the fact that they were bad and British, and wedged among their own best films, did considerable harm to British film reputations. Though you get many excellent films, you have probably been treated to some of this quota rubbish as well, and the new firm hopes to eliminate most of this.

Child "Stars" Not Possible. While on the subject of films, it may surprise many out there to know why there are so few of what you might'term "domestic" comedies and dramas produced in England. It is a favourite theme in literature, and home life is a special feature of the British people. There , was quite an outcry when "Cavalcade" was 'made in America. It was so truly British and so closely allied to the history of the past, and with such intimate associations that -people exclaimed in wonder. "Cavalcade" could not be made in England because of the law which restricts the employment of children in the cinema. Sometimes they can include a child or children in a crowd, or some incidental touch, but they cannot be "featured." There can be no Shirley Temple or Freddie Bartholomew in British films, until the law is changed. They are hard at work trying to have the necessary legislation passed, but things move slowly in England. The law as it stands was enacted before the coming of the cinema. There is 110 provision for it. The cinema producers are prepared to provide any safeguards demanded, to have creches, nurses, fresh milk, tutors —anything in reason —provided they are permitted to make films in which children play a prominent part.

One producer told me the other day that to introduce a comedy touch into a film lie had the father saying good-bye to his family —a family of seven —who stood in a row, and lie kissed them on a sort of sliding scale as he came down from tlie eldest to the youngest. But a woman saw the film being made, turned "common informer," and had them prosecuted. There is sure to be ail outcry about the exploitation of children, and the dangers of such a life for a youngster, but there are crowds of fine stories which would make excellent films. They cannot he made in England until this law is changed.