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under the BFTPA agreement. This would also be possible should the film be made by a film-making subsidiary of the TV company. Several ITV companies regularised their commitment to film production by setting up wholly-owned film-making subsidiaries, such as Thames’s Euston Films (set up in 1974) with Southern Picture s (Southern TV) following in 1979, as did ITC’s (ACC) Black Lion Films. But why film and not videotape? Some possibilities include high audience satisfaction with the ‘look’ of films (or rather impatience with studio-bound TV drama), especially in the US; the universality of film (there are three TV colour standards worldwide, not to mention different tape gauges and formats, so tape transference is often necessary); and the ease of cutting film to suit different timeslots, or different moral and ethical codes. The new lightweight video c a m e ra and portable bro a d c a s t - s t a n d a rd video recorders, if they were available, or indeed operable, under existing union agreements, figured little in technicians’ expertise until the late 1970s - the BBC series ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’ (tx. 22/01/78- 05/03/78) was a rare example of an attempt to use Electronic Field Production (EFP), i.e. using video on location in a similar way to film. Television’s increased interest in film production has taken several forms over the last ten years. The desire to produce the occasional ‘prestige’ one-off play (thus gaining approval from the critics and the authorities for services to both the audience and the state of dramatic art) is compatible with the production of ‘quality’ films. Thames T V ’s ‘A r m ch a i r Cinema’ slot in 1974, for example, was a direct descendent of the long-running A B C / T h a m e s ‘Armchair Theatre’, and many BBC and other ITV made films have been transmitted under traditional single play anthology titles. ‘Prestige’ films made during the decade include: ‘The Mosedale Horseshoe’ (Gra n a d a , dir Mich a e l Apted, tx. 23/03/71); ‘Edna, The Inebriate Woman’ (Play for Today) (BBC, dir.Ted Kotcheff, tx.21/10/71); ‘Stocker’s Copper’ (Play for Today) (BBC, dir John Mackenzie, tx.06/06/74); ‘Regan’ (Armchair Cinema) (Thames, dir Tom Clegg, tx.04/06/74); ‘The Evacuees’ (BBC, dir Alan Parker, tx. 05/03/75); ‘The Naked Civil Servant’ (Thames, dir Jack Gold, tx. 17/12/75); “Philby, B u rgess and MacLean’ (Gra n a d a , dir Gord o n Flemyng, tx.31/05/77); ‘Licking Hitler’ (Play for Today) (BBC, dir David Hare, tx.10/01/78); ‘Gossip From the Fo rest’ (Scre e n p l ay) (Gra n a d a , dir Brian Gibson, tx.29/07/79); etc. Smaller companies also got in on the act e.g. ‘Drake’s Venture’ (Westward/Bayerische Rundfunk, dir Lawrence Gordon-Clark, tx. 28/12/80) and ‘A Sense of Freedom’ (Scottish TV/Isaacs, dir John Mackenzie, tx.17/02/81). The TV series form also benefitted from an increase in film production, ranging from the themed anthology series like ATV’s ‘Thriller’ or Anglia TV’s ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ to regular series like ‘The Sweeney’ (Euston Films for Thames) and ‘The Adventures of BFI Information Services 6 Black Beauty’ (LWT/Thames) to serials like ‘Fox’ (Euston Films for Thames) and ‘Wolcott’ (Black Lion for ATV). Not all TV involvement was manifested by productions made directly for TV, however. Lord Grade’s ATC (later ACC) empire of which ATV Network (the Midlands ITV franchise holder until 1982) was a part, included ITC which in turn owned Black Lion Films. ITC made many features intended for theatrical release from the mid-seventies onwards and these included ‘The Boys from Brazil’ and ‘The Gre a t Muppet Caper’. The BBC started modestly seeding some feature film projects in 1977, e.g. ‘Agatha’ (1972), as did some ITV companies like Scottish TV, who put up some money for ‘Gregory’s Girl’ (1980). Some TV shows spun off in f e a t u re films, like ‘Man About the House’ (ex - Thames), ‘Porridge’ (ex-BBC) and ‘On the Buses’ (ex- LWT). At the end of the decade, the expansion of the uk’s t e l evision service from three channels to four (Channel Four started broadcasting on 2 November 1982) created further demand for feature films. These ranged from commissions from existing TV programme contractors e.g. Central TV (‘Walter’ dir Stephen Frears, tx.02/11/82) through independent film and TV production companies e.g. Enigma and Goldcrest (‘First Love/P’tang Yang Kipperbang’ dir Michael Apted, tx.03/11/82) and companies with a long involvement with TV, such as Rediffusion (‘Giro City’ dir Karl Francis, tx.01/12/82) to bfi Production Board and regional film and video workshops. So what appeared in the early seventies to be a fairly bleak prospect. for the British film industry has n ow, t h rough direct investment put forwa rd by British television, metamorphosed into something more hopeful (in terms of employment at least!). Whether that ‘something’ is a renaissance is clearly debatable; what is clear is that the TV, video and film industries are now more closely linked together than ever before. Ian Macdonald
Key Events The ‘key events’ section has been compiled by going t h rough various periodicals such as Scre e n International and Screen Digest. A double-check was subsequently made by consulting Libra ry Services’ subject cards and files on various aspects of the British film industry. It is hoped all major o c c u r rences have been included but inev i t ably, because it is a selection, there will be omissions. The events’ chosen have been limited to those relating to film and the film industry; television has only been covered when directly affecting film. 1971 January: A property company, Redspring Ltd, purchased Bray Studios from Hammer Films, Columbia and EMI. March: Bryan Forbes gave up his job as head of production and managing director for EMI at Elstree Studios - his contract was not due to expire until April 1972. May: EMI Elstree Studios Ltd took over control of Elstree Studios from EMI Film Productions Ltd. May: Home Secretary introduced amendments to the Cinematog raph Acts which would seve re ly restrict the showing of uncensored films by club cinemas - these later dropped. June: National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC) given £l million of the £5 million designated for its use by an Act of Parliament passed in 1970 by the previous Labour Government. July 1:. Stephen Murphy replaced John Trevelyan as Secretary of the British Board of Film Censors. October 3: Columbia-Warner Distributors Ltd, the joint outlet for the two American majors, commenced operation. October: British Lion was the subject of a reverse t a k e - over bid from Star Associated Holdings, Britain’s biggest bingo operators - the asking price was £9.5 million. The take-over was never completed -see April 1972. October 4: The National Film School opened at Beaconsfield Studios with 25 founder students. 1972 January: Laurie Marsh’s Tigon Group bought the Essoldo chain of 56 cinemas for £4.3 million. March 29: Lord Rank died. April: £5.45 million offer from John Bentley’s Karclay Securities was accepted by the Board of British Lion. June 1: The National Film Finance Consortium t h rough which the National Film Fi n a n c e Corporation hoped to finance films in partnership BFI Information Services 7 with merchant banks and other groups in the private sector was formally launched. September; ‘My Childhood’, directed bv Bill Douglas and financed by the BFI Production Board , wa s awarded the Silver Lion of St Mark for the Best First Feature Film at the Venice Film Festival. October 1: British Lion began handling its own marketing following the termination of its sale and distribution agreement with Columbia. November: After protracted discussions over the future of Shepperton Studios, the NFFC and Lion International reached a compromise whereby 40 acres were to be developed and 20 acres kept for film production. December 3: Fo l l owing the merger of the Rank Organisation’s and Twentieth Century-Fox’s distribution interests, Fox- Rank Distributors started operation. 1973 Ja nu a ry 1: Amendment SI 1972 no.1926 which amended quota regulations so that films from EEC member states would count as British quota came into force. Ja nu a ry: Cinema International Corporation (CIC), formed to distribute Paramount and Universal films throughout the world, started operating in Britain. June 30: Ernest Lindgren O.B.E the founding Curator of the National Film Archive, retired after 39 years at the bfi July; The Independent Film Distributors Association (IFDA) was formed ‘to give the best possible service and to ensure the maximum coverage for worthwhile films’. August: Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Te chnicians (ACTT) publ i s h e d Nationalising the Film Industry which recommended nationalisation without compensation and workers’ control. September: The 479 employees of Elstree Studios were informed of its likely closure, following the withdrawal of MGM’s £175,000 participation in the Studios’ upkeep. November: Union agreement to the workforce at Elstree Studios being cut to 256 averted the proposed closure. 1974 January; EMI formed its own distribution division called EMI Film Distributors, following the dissolution of MGM-EMI Distributors. CIC took over the distribution of MGM films.
Page 2 and 3: Preface This is a reproduction of t
Page 4 and 5: Contents Introduction..............
Page 6 and 7: Major Trends of The Seventies A CON
Page 8 and 9: GENERAL There occurred a proliferat
Page 12 and 13: May: Lew Grade announced his plan t
Page 14 and 15: legislation and restructured the NF
Page 16 and 17: REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION AS A
Page 18 and 19: Part A: Films Registered as British
Page 20 and 21: ANOOP AND THE ELEPHANT RN: BR/E 367
Page 22 and 23: BIG BOSS, THE (HONG KONG) RN: BR/E
Page 24 and 25: CANDLE SHOE RN: BR/E 39470/12/2/83
Page 26 and 27: Tit For Tat RN: BR/E 39739/10/9/83
Page 28 and 29: DANCE CRAZE RN: BR/E 40709/15/2/86
Page 30 and 31: DOLL'S HOUSE, A RN: BR/E 36799/6/5/
Page 32 and 33: EUROPEANS, THE RN: BR/E 40113/7/7/8
Page 34 and 35: 14 , THE RN: BR/E 36858/17/6/78 RD:
Page 36 and 37: GREAT BRITISH STRIPTEASE, THE RN: B
Page 38 and 39: HORSE CALLED NIJINSKY, A RN: BR/E 3
Page 40 and 41: JOHNSTOWN MONSTER, THE RN: BR/E 357
Page 42 and 43: LITTLE MALCOLM AND HIS STRUGGLE AGA
Page 44 and 45: MAN FROM HONG KONG, THE (AUSTRALIA/
Page 46 and 47: MURPHY'S WAR RN: BR/E 35315/31/1/76
Page 48 and 49: NO. 1 OF THE SECRET SERVICE RN: BR/
Page 50 and 51: PETERSEN (AUSTRALIA) RN: BR/E 38235
Page 52 and 53: RAISING THE ROOF RN: BR/E 36380/10/
Page 54 and 55: SAVAGE MESSIAH RN: BR/E 36395/24/9/
Page 56 and 57: SPACE 1999: BREAKAWAY RN: BR/E 3797
Page 58 and 59: SWEENEY RN: BR/E 38926/9/1/82 RD: 6
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TIFFANY JONES RN: BR/E 36798/6/5/78
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VALENTINO RN: BR/E 39324/9/10/82 RD
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WILDCATS OF ST. TRINIAN'S, THE RN:
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Part B: Films made or partly made b
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INSIDE OUT (UK/WEST GERMANY) RN: EC
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TOWN CALLED BASTARD, A (UK/SPAIN) R
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1972 ALF GARNETT SAGA, THE ALICE'S
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DON'T JUST LIE THERE, SAY SOMETHING
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CADDIE CHIFFY KIDS, THE (1st series
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1981 ABSOLUTION AMERICAN WEREWOLF I
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(ii) It is not always possible to t
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Title Today's Cinema Refs* 1971 DIA
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Title Today's Cinema Refs* 1971 Stu
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Title Cinema TV Today Refs Studio/L
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Title Cinema TV Today Refs Studio/L
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Title Cinema TV Today Refs Location
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Page 94 and 95:
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Title Cinema TV Today Refs* 1975 AC
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Title Cinema TV Today Refs* 1975 Lo
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Title Screen Int'l Refs Locations P
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Page 108 and 109:
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Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
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Page 118 and 119:
STATISTICS TABLE I: REGISTERED FILM
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STATISTICS NOTES TO TABLE II: SUBJE
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STATISTICS NOTES TO TABLE III: ANNU
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Sources Of Information INDEPENDENT
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The most comprehensive collection r
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