On Thursday, May 14th, Lord Newton raised a discus- sion
in the House of Lords on the film industry. This British industry is evidently in a very bad way. In 1923, 139 British films were made ; in 1924 they dropped to seventy-six, and it is thought that this year there will be not more than about fifty. While this is happening in Great Britain the film industry in America has become, it is said, the fourth industry in order of importance. Lord Newton pointed out that there was an attendance of well over a thousand million in British cinemas every year. This vast multitude is almost quite lost to any kind of British influence,. as nearly all the films shown are American. No doubt for many reasons, including those of climate and available capital, -America has great advan- tages in competing with us, but when all that has been admitted our almost complete failure is not creditable to us. We are letting slip through our fingers an instrument not only of instruction and of amusement but of forming young and impressionable characters.
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