Briton's Control Bid

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

Briton's Control Bid

ONE man—Mr. J. A. Rank, son of multi-millionaire flourmiller Mr. Joseph Rank—is making a bid for control of the entire British film industry. Mr. Rank is chairman of Pinewood Studios, General Cinemas Finance Corporation, Ltd., General Film Distributors, and various other cinema companies. He holds these positions in addition to his directorships of many flour mill companies. He ha« for some time been keenly interested in the British film industry. His multi-millionaire father has given more than £1,000,000 to the Methodist Church. As treasurer of the Religious Films Society, Mr. Bank, jun., was responsible for introducing the first cinema church service in Britain in Chichester Cathedral early this year. Mr. Rank said to a. London Pressman at his Reigate home: "I think that rationalisation of the British film

industry is inevitable." He refused, however, to discuss his own part in the steps being taken to bring this about. Mr. Rank spoke at length am the increasing success of the Religious Film Society. "I am not in the film industry for profit," he declared, "but for the good that films can achieve. The future of films, I think, may lie in production of films combining box office and spiritual appeal." Mr. Rank added that he was planning to introduce a film epilogue at the end of Sunday night cinema performances, which would have an appeal similar to the 8.8.C.'s current epilogues. "Another of my schemes," he told the Pressman, "is to introduce films into Sunday schools. The number of projectors we are supplying to churches is increasing. This project will he discussed at the next meeting of the World Sunday School Association.

"I believe this type of film has * tremendous scope for good."