BRITISH FILMS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19986, 22 July 1930, Page 16

BRITISH FILMS.

OUTLOOK ENCOURAGING. CRITICAL PERIOD FOR TRADE. There are distinct bigus that the British film industry is entering upon a more prosperous year than it has hitherto experienced, although, at tho same time, the next nine months will prove a critical period for tho trade in many directions, states a writer in tho London 'Morning Post." Several of the large corporations hare decided to embark on ambitious 6chedules of production, and tho directing boards of other companies hare uwler consideration big programmes which, if realised, will be the means of putting the industry on the international map for the first time. A kind of tempered optimism was expressed by representatives of the trado to whom I havo spoken. An oilici.il of one of the leading linns —the pioneer of talking films in this country—statod that the outlook was "very encouraging." "The tune has now arrived," he added, "when wo shall be able to get more for our products in the foreign held than ever before." This firm will produce this year twenty feature full-length talking pictures—five of these will be what are known in the trade as "outstanding bupers"—which will, it is hoped, be produced in French, English, German, and Spanish. Two other important corporations are each scheduled to produce this year twelve full-lengtli talking pictures. "Our policy for this year has been concentrated upon the production ol bigger and better pictures," said a representative of one of these corporations to me, "and tho question of producing multilingual films is now under consideration.''

Multilingual Films. There is. however, considerable difference of opinion in the trade as regards the commercial value of theis® multilingual films. Ono opinion expressed was that the language difficulty and the enormous time spent in producing such pictures rendered them scarcely worth the trouble and expense, "f am not very hopeful of trying to interpret the national spirit of foreign countries by this medium," said one expert. "Tho trend in the European trade will be for every country to make its own pictures." 1 gathered that on a conservative estimate, the year's production of leading British full-length talking films by the big companies and independent producers will, according to present plans, be approximately between 50 and 60. I was informed at the Board of Trade that this estimated figure could be regarded from data in possession of the Board as well below the actual production figure for the year. "On the whole, there has been an enormous improvement since the coming into force of the Quota Act," I was told. It was pointed out, however, that there was little hope as yet of British productions finding their way in any quantity into the American market, since American interests were doing their level best to keep Great Britain out. Although there are indications that the British industry is becoming more firmly stabilised, producers are warned that tho Americans are not worrying so much now about exporting their films to this country as fighting to obtain control of as many picture houses in Great Britain as possible, with.the object of dominating the industry indirectly.