U.K. cinema 'restricted'

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32706, 8 September 1971, Page 4

U.K. cinema 'restricted'

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON, September 7. If film stars sought a share of profits instead of demanding “astronomical fees,” Britain’s film industry would expand quickly.

This is the view of the National Film Finance Corporation—set up by the Government 22 years ago to make loans for films—which has just published its report for the year ended March 31.

OUTDATED PRACTICES The corporation said it was convinced that British film production would expand and job opportunities increase if costs were lowered. “Here the major contribution must be made by top talent, which has for too long been forced to seek the maximum cash fees obtainable, owing to the remoteness of ‘profits.’ “This tendency can be reversed if top talent is paid through a share of the distributor’s gross receipts or by an investment of fees. When the astronomical fees disappear there will be every reason for other fees to descend to a saner level and for outdated crewing and other practices to be modified.” Generally the corporation held out much hope for the future—providing that unnecessap' and excessive film production costs could be eliminated. LOSSES TO U.S. In the year under review, the corporation had a loss of almost £305,000. This was put down to a

very limited choice of projects available—mainly because the most promising schemes tended to be passed immediately to the large United States companies for financing. It was felt that the corporation was being bypassed because of financial weakness.

Although the report did not deny that “errors of selection” had been made, it said that the corporation had missed out on a fair share of outstanding successes because it lacked the magnet of financial strength. After an announcement in June that the Government wanted to withdraw gradually from film finance, the corporation said in the report that it was going ahead as soon as possible with a plan to form a consortium of merchant banks and other groups in the private sector. BURTONS PRAISED The “Evening Standard” said the report named Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as guiding lights for the future of the British film industry. It praised the couple for their profit-sharing involvement in the film of Dylan Thomas’s “Under Milk Wood.” The Burtons, who have commanded a million dollars a film, exchanged their fee for a share in the profits, as did their co-star Peter O’Toole, who similarly was praised by the corporation.