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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Mar 20, 2017 7:59:10 GMT
In 1930s Britain there was a type of film known as the quota quickie. These were cheaply and quickly produced films which took advantage of the fact that at the time, British law required that a certain amount of films shown had to be of British origin.
I can't explain why, but I want to watch some quota quickies. Any on DVD that you recommend I check out?
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Post by marshamae on Mar 20, 2017 11:06:54 GMT
I love early British cinema but was not aware of this legal quota. The best way to uncover these films would be to look at the pre- 1940 filmographies of British actors and directors. David Lean, Roy Ward Baker, John Mills, Vivian Leigh, were all making these films.
The New York Times mentions an early British films DVD set that might be worth checking out.
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Post by mikef6 on Mar 20, 2017 14:28:21 GMT
In 1930s Britain there was a type of film known as the quota quickie. These were cheaply and quickly produced films which took advantage of the fact that at the time, British law required that a certain amount of films shown had to be of British origin. I can't explain why, but I want to watch some quota quickies. Any on DVD that you recommend I check out? It is a worthy goal. The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 was passed to counter what the British believed to be the dominance of U.S. films in British theaters – and they were right. The Act became law in order to get films from their own industry into commercial theaters. When the Act was first passed, it mandated that 7.5% of films shown had to be from England. The quota was later raised to 20%. Furthermore: The film must be made by a British or British controlled company. Studio scenes must be photographed within a film studio in the British Empire. The author of the scenario or the original work on which the screenplay was based must be a British subject. At least 75% of the salaries must be paid to British subjects, excluding the costs of two persons at least one of whom must be an actor. (This means that a British film could hire a highly paid international star, producer, or director whilst still being regarded as a British film.) The films made to satisfy this quota were often low-budget b&w thrillers that came in between 60-70 minutes run-time and had a short shooting schedule. Michael Powell got his start and learned his craft as a director making quota quickies. All of these are of interest and, for the time and the purpose they were made, are not bad. Something Always Happens (1934) Red Ensign (1934) The Phantom Light (1935) Crown v. Stevens (1936) |
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Post by marshamae on Mar 20, 2017 14:54:06 GMT
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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on Mar 20, 2017 15:11:52 GMT
In 1930s Britain there was a type of film known as the quota quickie. These were cheaply and quickly produced films which took advantage of the fact that at the time, British law required that a certain amount of films shown had to be of British origin. I can't explain why, but I want to watch some quota quickies. Any on DVD that you recommend I check out? It is a worthy goal. The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 was passed to counter what the British believed to be the dominance of U.S. films in British theaters – and they were right. The Act became law in order to get films from their own industry into commercial theaters. When the Act was first passed, it mandated that 7.5% of films shown had to be from England. The quota was later raised to 20%. Furthermore: The film must be made by a British or British controlled company. Studio scenes must be photographed within a film studio in the British Empire. The author of the scenario or the original work on which the screenplay was based must be a British subject. At least 75% of the salaries must be paid to British subjects, excluding the costs of two persons at least one of whom must be an actor. (This means that a British film could hire a highly paid international star, producer, or director whilst still being regarded as a British film.) The films made to satisfy this quota were often low-budget b&w thrillers that came in between 60-70 minutes run-time and had a short shooting schedule. Michael Powell got his start and learned his craft as a director making quota quickies. All of these are of interest and, for the time and the purpose they were made, are not bad. Something Always Happens (1934) Red Ensign (1934) The Phantom Light (1935) Crown v. Stevens (1936) Thanks, I found two on Amazon UK (along with a third quota quickie by him) |
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