The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-11
THE EVENING BANNER
BENNINGTON VERMONT
Saturday, March II, 1916.
AMERICAN FILMS BARRED
English Proposal to Stop Thei
Admission.

knQ1lBn FTopO8dl W SkoP nSlF
Admission.
London, March 9.-There is renew
ed discussion of the proposal that the
Government prohibit importation of
moving picture films, both as means
of national economy and as a step
toward building up home industry in
the movie" field
Nine-tenths of all of the films shown
in England are imported from the
United States and France. 1t is esti-
mated that the trade with American
film producers sends to the United
States no less than s1O.Oo0.OoO year,
thus helping to build up a foreign
trade balance against Great Britain
and taking much gold out of the
country.
! England is taking her economies re-
luctantly and there Is wide diver
gence OF views as to the moving pic
ture, or cinema" theatres as they
are called here. Several of the leading
London newspapers are advocating
the ban against the imported film and
have grown outspoken in their denun-
citation of the American product In
particular. While admitting that some
OF the picture productions from the
States are meritorious they assert
that "Rattlesnake Pete "Broncho
Bill" and other Cow person" dramas
predominant in the American field and
are quite unintelligible to our peo-
pie"
!, But the American movie" has
staunch friends and it is asserted that
II American productions were barred
the theatres throughout the British
isles would be forced to close The
English productions could not begin to
fill the demand and It Is said the in.
dustry never could grow to great pro-
portions here because the light and
atmospheric conditions cannot COM
pare to those in California and other
parts OF the United States Those in
opposition to the film importation,
however, claim that Great Britain can
lead the world in this industry as in
many others.
There are about 5000 moving pic
ture theatres in the Kingdom and
their billboards all proclaim American
productions Most of the American
film stars have their distinctive fol-
lowings in England.
In urging that American films be
barred, the influential London Times
says.
I'VE are buying American films to
the extent of $4,000 300 at a time
when they are only two legitimate OBJ
jects on which British money should
be spent ,s.-.s
/ One OF those objects is the promo.
ton OF victory in the field; the other
which is closely allied. is the promo
tion of sound national spirit in the
people at home The Importation Of
American films so far from promot-
ing either of these objects, lis a direct
obstacle to both. Norlxio these films,
obtained at such cost, promote the ma
tional weli-being. The majority of
them are concerned with little that is
or good report, for they portray an
atmosphere OF crime and intrigue and
bacltstair humor in the crude colors
of sham romance"
The importers of American films
nave suggested to the producers in
the United States that all amounts re
ceiyed in London, less Office and other |
expenses, for American films shall be |
invested in Exchequer bonds or war
loans and placed with the Bank of |
England under an undertaking that
they shall not be sold until six months |
after the war. Such an arrangement
they point out would be in the inter
est OF national economy which Is the |
reason for the threat to bar foreign |
films.