EMBARGO ON FILMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26677, 24 January 1948, Page 7

EMBARGO ON FILMS

BRITAIN’S FIRM ATTITUDE SUPPLY FROM AMERICA DIMINISHING N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent ’ LONDON, Jan. 22. The blunt intimation of Mr Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade to American film producers that the British Government will not give way on the question of the presInt embargo confronts the exhibiting side of the British motion picture industry with a very big problem. Hitherto it appears to have been tacitly assumed on both sides of the Atlantic that a settlement would be reached before the position became very serious. Now both Hollywood and British exhibitors have been forced to realise that the Government means what it says, and that real austerity is not very far away. So far the American films already in the country, in addition to current British productions. have been sufficient to provide two main features for the majority of theatres, but it is obvious that as the supply of American productions dries up they will be reduced to singiefeature bills. . _ ... , There are some hopes that British producers may be able to make up aconsiderable part of the deficiency, but the present capacity of British studios is- quite inadequate to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of Hollywood productions. On present estimates, it is \ not expedted that British studios will be able to complete more than 40 new pictures this year, and by that time theatres all over the country will be largely dependent upon home-made products. , Unless some settlement is reached in the meantime, this means a very large loss, of revenue to exhibitors. As much of the capital which finances British studios comes from the-exhibit-ing side, this must inevitably further affect production.