Safeguarding and Developing our Film Markets Abroad

American motion pictures are maintaining immense popularity throughout the world, yet barriers and obstructions that tend to limit their sale continue to be imposed abroad. Safeguarding and developing our film market abroad, “contingents” taxes, and complex restrictions, which continue to be imposed in all too many instances, are some of the problems American producers must face. Some are legitimate from the standpoint of local interests, but others appear to be unreasonable. In certain cases our motion picture industry may be justified in taking a strong and positive stand with the object of bringing about the rectification of unfair measures. — The efforts of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce to safeguard and augment American motion picture markets by supplying factual data and utilizing trade-promotive methods is covered. The Bureau's motion picture unit has recently been raised to full divisional rank, in recognition of the industry's importance. Such helps as it provides are especially vital at the present moment because our motion picture producers and distributors are likely to find themselves puzzled, entangled, or thwarted by the ever-growing intricacy of the conditions that they face abroad; their continued success in foreign markets depends upon the functioning of a reliable intelligence service.

Print ISSN

0097-5834

Published

1938-02

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J14701