HC Deb 29 April 1948 vol 450 cc583-5
17. Mr. Wyatt

asked the President of the Board of Trade which film companies with parent organisations in the U.S.A. at present own, or have on lease, film studios in the United Kingdom; and how many first feature films did each of these film companies make in the United Kingdom during the years 1938, 1946 and 1947, respectively.

Mr. H. Wilson

The subsidiaries of American film companies who at present own studios in the United Kingdom are M.G.M.-British Studios Ltd., Warner Brothers-First National Productions Ltd., and Twentieth-Century-Fox Film Co., Ltd. The studios owned by the last mentioned company could not be used for feature production without extensive rehabilitation. The only films of first feature standard produced at these three companies' studios during the three years mentioned in the Question were one made in 1938 at Warner Bros.' studio and three made at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's in 1947. Other companies from time to time reserve studio space for producing individual pictures, but no other company at present occupies leased space on a more permanent basis.

Mr. William Shepherd

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether machinery exists to prevent these companies from flooding our country? Has he powers to stop them using these studios if the products coming from them are unsuitable?

Mr. Wilson

No, I do not exercise any power of quality censorship in relation to film production, whether British or American.

Mr. Gallacher

Is this film control a one-way traffic, or are British companies allowed to control any film production in America?

Mr. Wilson

I do not understand what the hon. Gentleman is talking about.

Mr. Scollan

Is the Minister aware that on a previous occasion American companies deliberately produced junk and labelled it "British made picture" in order to discredit our film trade?

Mr. Wilson

If my hon. Friend is referring to the famous quota "quickie," I would remind him that the matter was very fully debated and that steps were taken to deal with it in the recent passage of the Cinematograph Films Act.