Towards a Comparative Economic History of Cinema, 1930–1970

Description

This book examines the economic circumstances in which films were produced, distributed, exhibited, and consumed during the spoken era of film production until 1970. The periodisation covers the years between the onset of sound and the demise of the phased distribution of films.  Films are generally appreciated for their aesthetic qualities. But they are also commodities. This work of economic history presents a new approach, considering consumption behaviour as significant as supply-side decision-making. Audiences’ tastes are considered central, with box-office an indicator of what they liked. The POPSTAT Index of Film Popularity is used as a proxy where box office knowledge is missing. Comparative analysis is conducted through the tool RelPOP. The book comprises original case studies covering film consumption in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States during the 1930s; Australia and occupied Belgium during the Second World War; and Italy, the United States, Poland and Czechoslovakia during the Post-war. An overriding theme is how the classical American business model, which emerged during the 1910s linking production to distribution and exhibition, adapted to local circumstances, including the two countries behind the Iron Curtain during the years of ‘High Stalinism’.  Preface Contents Editor and Contributors Introduction: ‘Millions of People Every Day’—Cinema as Part of the Quotidian of Life 1 Film as a Commodity 2 Hollywood 3 Industrial Organisation 4 Measures of Popularity 5 Audience Behaviour 6 Chapters in the Book 7 Conclusion References Managing Risk in the Film Business—Key Concepts and Methods 1 Trade Journals as Sources of Data 2 Vertical Product Differentiation 3 Consumer Risk: Theory and Evidence 4 Producer Risk in Hollywood 5 The Reach of Hollywood 6 International Orientation Index 7 POPSTAT 8 Comparative Analysis—RelPOP 9 Conclusion References How Did the Department of Justice Get It so Wrong? Philadelphia 1935–1936: The Stanley Warner Chain, Competitive Practices and Consumer Welfare 1 Philadelphia Dataset 2 Competitive Analysis 3 Quality Competition 4 Discussion and Conclusion References Comparative Film Popularity in Three English Cities—Bolton, Brighton, and Portsmouth: An Exercise in POPSTAT Methodology 1 City and Cinema Characteristics 2 Cinema, Billing, and Monthly Weights 3 Regent Cinema 4 Comparative Analysis 5 Quality British Films 6 Conclusion Appendix References Popular Films in Stockholm During the 1930s: A Presentation and Discussion of the Pioneering Work of Leif Furhammar 1 Context 2 The Stockholm Market 3 Method for Establishing Film Popularity Statistics 4 Findings 4.1 General 4.2 Successful Films 4.3 Audience Tastes 5 Discussion 6 Conclusion Appendix: Annual Top 20 Films References Dutch Films in the Mid-1930s Dutch Market: A Characteristics Approach to Film Popularity 1 The Dataset and Measuring the Popularity of Films 2 Cultural Nearness 3 Method of Film Analysis 4 Appropriating Earlier Successes 5 Famous Names and the Popularity of the Films 6 The Role of Genre 7 Transcending Genre: Song and Dance 8 Recurring Actors and Recurring Types of Characters 9 Recurring Themes: Marriage 10 Conclusion Appendix 1: Towns and Cities Appearing in the Dataset Appendix 2 References Unravelling Australia’s ‘Infamous “Contract” System’: Evidence from Adelaide, 1942–1943 1 General Context 2 The Diversity of the First-Run 3 Distribution into the Suburbs 4 D. Clifford Theatres 5 The Circulation of 27 Films 6 Discussion and Conclusion Appendix 1: Suburban Cinemas Used in the Study References Film Exhibition, Distribution and Popularity in German-Occupied Belgium (1940–1944): Brussels, Antwerp and Liege 1 Film Exhibition and Language Before and During the German Occupation 2 Research Questions and Context 3 Method 4 The Size of the Market 5 Film Popularity 6 Findings 7 Discussion 8 Conclusion References Five Italian Cities: Comparative Analysis of Cinema Types, Film Circulation and Relative Popularity in the Mid-1950s 1 General Context 2 The Velocity of Film Circulation 3 Cinema Classification 4 Four Case Studies 5 Film Popularity 6 Conclusion Appendix to the Chapter: Top 20 Films in the Five Cities, Released Between September 1953 and December 1954 References Cinemagoers Should ‘…learn from progressive movies, again and again’. Cinemagoing in Czechoslovakia, 1949–1952 1 General Context of Film Distribution in Post-War Czechoslovakia 2 Film Statistics 3 POPSTAT 4 Discussion 5 Conclusion References ‘It Seems to Me that the Most Popular Films in the West Are Very Harmful to Us’: Film Popularity in Poland During the years of ‘High Stalinisation’ 1 Formal Structures 2 Industry Statistics 3 Politics, Propaganda and Programming 4 Cracow, 1951–1953 5 Nowa Huta 6 Discussion—Some Examples 7 Conclusion References Americanisation in Reverse? Hollywood Films, International Influences, and US Audiences, 1946–1965 1 Context/Literature 2 Data and Sources 3 Widescreen Technology and Film Popularity 4 International Orientation and Film Popularity 5 International Orientation of Widescreen Films 6 Predicting Hits? 7 Conclusion References