The European Film Market-then and Now

European producers will offer some 450 feature pictures during 1931. Leading producing countries are Germany, offering over 150 German dialog pictures, England some 140 sound features, and France over 100 Frenchdia log films for the year 1931. Europe is rapidly wiring its theaters, as indicated in the 10,400 wired theaters during 1931 as compared with the 4950 theaters wired during 1930, over a 100 per cent increase in the short space of one year. — Elimination of legislation detrimental to American interests occurred in France during 1931, and a tightening up of quota legislation was continued in Germany. Agitation to increase the quota percentage to 50 per cent in the United Kingdom gained very little headway, while other countries that have become picture conscious are trying to encourage their own production through subsidies, contingents, or taxes, as the case may be. Coupled with the problem of European production competition and the artificial trade barriers set up by European governments, is that of supplying European countries with dialog pictures in their native tongue. — While the above obstacles appear difficult to surmount at the present time, the ingenuity of American technicians and producers will find a way to solve these problems to the extent of producing a sufficient quantity of foreign dialog films at a cost that will bring a fair return on their investment.

Print ISSN

0097-5834

Published

1932-04

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J01336