New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-04
British Film
Producers to
Protest Tax
Proposed American Import
Duty Called Unjust and
Discriminatory by Trade

trQea T&e 1vtotnc9 &Hf0pt0A HAAo1u
LONDON, Aug. 9.-~Strsnuous pro.
tosts BY British movie" fans and the
motion picture world generally hore
have been registered aeainst the Auaex-
lean import tax Of 80 per cent adj
valorem duty on Hritish,uAde films Ia
the United States. Discriminatory
and unjust" and ''nch playing tho
game" are phrases Of everyday use in
tho press to describe the measure,
while the slump Ia the British indus
try, throwing hundreds Of actors and
actresses out Of employment. has given
new point tc the controversy.
The American aide OF tho contro-
vcrsy has been better understood dur
ing the last few days az Z result Of
the publication Of the official version
OF the tariff law. which has made It
clear that a tax Of Is per cent IL to be
imposed on Americansmade films to
counterbAlsnce the effect Of the so per
cent duty on English screen plays.
The temporary closing Of Broad
vests and two other important Brit
ish firms for period Of months has
been announced, although this has
been attributed not so much to the
unnopularitv Of British films in the
large American market a. 10 the de-
cislon of the English film rnagnatss to
shorten the time between the prcdue-
ton of picture and its release. The
present shutdown has been resorted
to, it is explained, because the mar.
ket has been cverstocked and 1t takes
twelve months for the average Aim
to find its way to the theaters.
That British producers have not be-
gun to take the film business seriously,
and that they have made no attempt
to find out why their pictures are not
popular in America, is the claim ad-
vanced by one writer who has had con-
siderable experience in the cinema
business on both sides of the Atlantic.
There has not yet been produced in
this country screen picture that
would stand the criticism Of an Ameri-
can East Side audience," he asserted.
"Here is the order of merit, according
to the American solicitors, when they
set out to buy foreign films: I. Ger
man. 2. Scandinavian. 3. Italian. 4.
French. S. British. And they are not
keen to have them"
Another fault Of the British director,
from the American point Of view, is
lis neglect of the quality of youthful
ness in the heroine. Too often, in the
Fritish-made pictures, the illusion is
dispelled, in the middle Of thrilling
romance by grandmotherly air in
the leading lady. On the other hand,
the English actors are enormously
popular with American audiences, as
las been demonstrated by the number
OF successful English male stars in
the American ornament.
That genuine demand exists in
America for good, healthful British
pictures illustrating English life has
been proved by the number Of success
full British bookings on the other side
o. the Atlantic. Recently British
production Carnival" was disposed
ct in America for s25, 1000, with hand
some share Of the profits in addition.
Many denials that there is or has
Keen ian antagonistic attitude toward
British films, or deep-rooted and
long standing intention to boycott
them" in the United States, have been
made in the controversy