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TN SPITE OF THE TAX settlement, which
everyone considered would mean an immediate
boom in British production, the industry
is still not working to capacity, independent
producers in particular being shy
of starting new production. The reason for
this is that nobody yet knows what the new
quota is going to be for British pictures in
the cinemas and as things stand at the moment
the independent looks like being frozen
out. With current production the three major
circuits can take care of their quota requirements
from the units affiliated to themselves
and require no outside films, now that
American product is back and the independent
producer is finding it difficult to
get backing. Unless one or the other of the
three circuits books it a film cannot get its
negative costs back in Britain and producers
are therefore urging the board of trade to
set a high quota so that there will be room
for the small man.
At present only two independent producers
are working. Anthony Havelock-Allan
is making "The Small Voice" at Riverside
with his wife, Valerie Hobson, stan-ing. and
Nat Bronsten is working on "The Silent
Dust" at the Warner studio at Teddington.
A complication of the position is the fact
that production by the big companies, at the
insistence of the government, is at a new high
level and thus there is less room than ever
for the outside product on the booking
schedules of the big three.
Denham, Rank's major studio, now has five
films on the floor, which is a good record
for a seven-stage studio. Gainsborough is
working to capacity with the large-scale
Fi-edric March picture, "Christopher Columbus,"
and two ordinary features occupying
their stages and several location units out
shooting exteriors so that they can go straight
in for a few weeks floor work as soon as the
space is free. In addition to the three mentioned,
Gainsborough has another under way
at a rented studio. Ealing, which can only
make one picture at a time, is experimenting
with the idea of shooting one completely
out-of-doors and is sending a unit to the
Isle of Barra in Scotland to film Compton
Mackenzie's "Whisky Galore." The few days
floor work needed for this will be obtained
by shooting in the Isle's town hall, which
has been hired and for which one or two
prefabricated sets have been sent up.
The only studio not working to the utmost
will be Pinewood, for Launder and Gilliat,
who have been occupying space there, will
transfer shortly to the Korda banner. Their
place will not be vacated for long, however,
as Sydney Box will have another Gainsborough
picture going in with Antony Darnborough
producing.
With all this increased production the independents
will find it hard to keep going
unless the board of trade gives them a firm
lead now and states definitely what the quota
will be. As matters now stand no date has
even been fixed for the first meeting of the
Films Coimcll, which will decide the quota.
* * *
SIR ALEXANDER KORDA is now being
mentioned as a third party in the British
National—Herbert Wilcox negotiations. We
understand that Sir Alex and his distributing
company, British Lion, wUl be included in
By JOHN SULUVAN
the deal when the lease is signed. Herbert
Wilcox was recently stated to have taken a
lease on the premises for three pictures a
year, which is about half the studio's actual
capacity. Since Wilcox rents space from Sir
Alex at Shepperton and has his pictures distributed
here by British Lion it is more than
likely that the latter has offered to take
over the lease and rent the space for three
pictures to Wilcox using the rest of the year
to make some of the films he has arranged
recently to produce for Sam Goldwyn and
David Selznick.
IT LOOKS AS THOUGH General Films
Distributors has decided to put on "Hamlet"
in one or two other spots besides the Leicester
Square Odeon as a trade show has been arranged.
British law demands a trade show
for any film wliich is to be shown in more
than one theatre and, although it was not
intended to tradeshow the film for some
months, yet the decision was made suddenly
last week.
It is no secret that "Hamlet" is doing a
terrific business at the Odeon. In three
weeks more than 50,000 people have paid to
see it—and it must be remembered that the
film has only two shows a day. The only
possible chance to walk in without reservations
is at the matinee performance where
an occasional seat is vacant. This is due to
the fact that the Rank offices has sold the
picture to the theatre-going public rather
than to the average film fan, and the result
is that evening business is capacity but not
the afternoon show. The same state of affairs
exists in the legitimate theatre in
London.
Prom the success of the picture, with bookings
coming in from all over England, it
seems that the trend towards a more serious
and cultm-al type of film in Britain has been
confirmed.
* * *
LAST WEEK'S OFFERING from the Rank
Organization opened at the Gaumont Haymarket
and the Marble Arch Pavilion. It is
titled "The Calendar" and based on the
famous play by the late Edgar Wallace.
To start with the whole story is dated and
almost nonsensical, but when you have accepted
that fact you can sit back in your
seat and really enjoy 80 minutes of fun and
race-track thrills. The story is, in fact, so
improbable that half the amusement in the
film lies in watching it unfold. John Mc-
Callum is seen as a racehorse owner in love
with a gold-digger (Greta Gynt). When he
loses his money she marries a wealthy and
foolish playboy, who is well played by Raymond
Lovell. McCallum gets drunk one evening
and sends a message to Miss Gynt that
his horse will be pulled in its next race.
Later he repents and sends a second message
canceling the first. The original note is shown
to the Jockey Club stewards and McCallum
is warned off the course, although his exfiance
has evidence that clears him. The
climax can be well imagined with a lastminute
entry and the horse romping home
first and saving the family fortune.
Thi'oughout the accent is on the comedy
angles and the whole production is so disarming
that the sympathy of the audience
/apan Has 2,031 Theatres:
46,000,000 Not Serviced
New York—Japan has 2,031 theatres as
of Jan. 1, 1948 according to the MPEA.
A native survey showed that 826 of the
country's 10,564 cities and town had more
than one theatre. There were 9,738 villages
and towns without theatres. These
communities include 46,000,000 of the 80,-
000,000 people living in Japan. The
figures showed that there is one theatre
for every 39,300 persons. The recent
MPAA report of U.S. theatres listed 19,-
207 theatres (including 856 closed), or one
for every 7,400 Americans.
is aroused. Even the heavy is transformed
into a comedy character and Raymond Lovell
gives a really delightful interpretation of the
fat and foolish Lord Willy Panniford, and
interpretation which should go down well in
the U.S. He is run very close by Leslie Dwyer
who is exceptionally good as Hillcott, the
ex-biu-glar who is engaged by McCallum as
a butler. In her first really large part Sonia
Holm, one of the Rank starlets, shows even
more promise than she did in "Broken Journey"
and seems to be one of Britain's biggest
possibilities.
"The Calendar" was the first production
of Antony Darnborough, one of Sydney Box's
team of yoimg producers. It is certain to
do big business here and, suitably cut, should
make a useful supporter on a dual bill with
a drama.
* * *
MOVING OVER TO THE London Pavilion
after its six-week run at the Plaza is the
much-discussed "No Orchids for Miss Blandish."
It will stay there for a season. The
picture is having a stormy passage around the
country, for some local councils are banning
it or ordering cuts and some allowing it
to be shown in the original version, uncut.
At the moment no major circuit has booked
it and it looks like involving the producers
in a heavy loss.
Loew's Int'l to Distribute
McGraw Hill 16mm
NEW YORK -~ Loew's International will
distribute 16mm educational films produced
by the McGraw Hill Book Co., according to
Arthur M. Loew, president. Loew's will handle
distribution outside of the U.S. and Canada,
and also will make sound tracks for all
the subjects in the language of the country
lined up.
The deal includes an initial group of 25
films on educational methods, health and
hygiene, engineering drawing and mechanical
drawing.
Goldwyn and Korda Pool
On 'Scarlet Pimpernel'
HOLLYWOOD—Samuel Goldwyn and Sir
Alexander Korda will pool their interests
in the filming of "The Scarlet Pimpernel,"
with David Niven. imder contract to Goldwyn,
going on loan to Korda for the assignment.
The subject will be made in Britain
and distributed in the eastern hemisphere
by the Korda organization, with Goldwyn
sponsoring its release, probably through RKO
Radio, in the western sector.
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36 BOXOFFICE :: June 5, 1948