THE FILM FRACAS AGAIN SIR,—Mr. Nicholas Davenport is scarcely being
fair to the British Film Industry when
he attacks it, inter alia, for denying the pub- lic any reduction in the price of seats in spite of the recent reduction in Entertainments Duty.
From his personal experience in the British Film Industry he must know that it is the highest taxed entertainments industry in the world and that the Chancellor selected cinemas for a small measure of relief in what was otherwise a standstill budget because he recognised the difficulties facing the Industry.
In his Budget speech he said
I recognise that the Industry in general will need the money, both to enable exhibitors to mainfiin the amenities of their cinemas and the attractions, of their programmes, and to assist the revenues of producers. It is on these things that the prosperity of both the producing and exhibiting sides of the Industry, and of men and women employed in it, depend.
Having regard to the fact that there have been no substantial increases in the price of cinema scats since before the war, in spite of rising costs and wages within the Industry, and that cinema admissions have been falling appreciably in the last few years, it would seem unreasonable to expect the Film Industry to pass its small measure of relief on to the public.
The fact that some circuits have 'had to raise admission prices clearly bears this out.— Yours faithfully,
IAN MANSON FORBES Tenby House, Bayswater, W.2
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