AFTER THE CRISIS

Southland Times, Issue 23179, 21 April 1937, Page 9

AFTER THE CRISIS

The Future Of British Films

The recent crisis which has had to be faced by the film industry in England received much attention from critics. C. A. Lejeune, who writes for The Observer, made it the occasion for an inquiry into the needs of the average theatre-goer, and arrived at conclusions that should be of interest to New Zealand readers.

The present situation in the British film industry, writes Mrs Lejeune, which you may call, according to your nature and your knowledge, a crisis or a new deal, is acute enough to have set the trade apologists hunting round for curious and comforting excuses. One theory is that “the City” is to blame for the cinema’s temporary embarrassments. Another asserts that we are suffering from an annual winter slump, and that everything will come right again with the daisies. A third suggestion, and the most serious, was quoted the other day by a paragraphist in a leading trade paper. “Gloom over British film production,” it states — “much gloom, in point of fact. What we could do with now is a succession of films, sensibly made—by that I mean at reasonable costs—which would bring British pictures back with a bang; but there is no sign of them at the moment, I’m afraid . . . There’s a feeling the films which have been made, with some exceptions, of course, are a bit over the heads of the public.” In the light of that curious theory, I have been thinking over the six British films I have seen in the last fortnight—- “ Aren’t Men Beasts?” “Keep Your Seats, Please,” “This’ll Make You Whistle,” “Dishonour Bright,” “Head Over Heels,” and “Fire Over England,” and with my hand on my heart I can positively swear that I understand most of them quite easily. Going back still farther, I can recall little difficulty over “Good Morning, Boys,” “Sensation,” “Southern Roses,” “Crime Over London.” “0.H.M.5.,” or “Land Without Music.” In fact, as a very average picture-goer with a fair middleclass mentality, I can think of few British films that really seemed a stiff job to tackle. Except, perhaps, the Len Lye cartoons—and most of my;

clever young friends assure me that they are as easy as pie. I, too, have a firm belief that “what we could do with now is a succession of films—sensibly made—which would bring British pictures back with a bang.” But I have rather a different theory about them from my trade colleague. My idea is that the films which have been made hitherto, with —to use the same saving clause—some exceptions, have been a bit beneath the intelligence of the public. The present generation of picture-goers is very different from the audience of a dozen years ago. The popular Press has taught us a great deal; the radio has taught a great deal, too. Your modern cinema patron has his ideas, his enthusiasms, and a fair amount of specialized knowledge. He has been about in his own little car, or on his motor-cycle; has seen places and met people. He has, on the whole, as much taste and education as the gentlemen of the film industry—and sometimes a good deal more. I think there is no doubt at all that the present demand for British pictures by British audiences is strong and genuine. We prefer, all else being even, English voices, English scenery, and English subjects for our stories. But the English audiences, though loyal, are not by any means stupid. They only have a certain amount of money to spend on pictures, and are fast learning to spend it with discrimination. I have no real fears for the future of the British film trade. I believe that they will, in time, get back, and increase, their lost prosperity. But I am sure that they will only get it back when they have learnt to estimate their customers more shrewdly. What. is needed is more pictures of the public’s own level of intelligence. It is not possible to make them above its head.