The War Accomplishments of British Films

Gentlemen: After grace, which will be offered by The Very Reverend Peter Bryce--Ex Moderator of The United Church of Canada--we will remain standing and drink a toast to His Majesty The King, followed by the singing of the first verse of The National Anthem.

REVEREND SIR, MR. PROVINCIAL SECRETARY, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRADE, TILE CANADIAN CLUB, OUR LISTENING AUDIENCE OF THE AIR AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

Last October The Empire Club of Canada invited Britain's leading film magnate to be its Guest of Honour on his anticipated visit to Canada and our invitation was immediately and graciously accepted.

However, in April we learned that it would not be possible for our invited guest to arrive in Toronto until several weeks after the official closing of our 1946-47 season. Our decision to hold a Special Meeting on a different day and in a different place has been justified by this overflow gathering of many of the leading business and professional citizens of Toronto.

MR. T. ARTHUR RANK is Managing Director of England's chain of flour mills known as Jos. Rank Limited, which grind out one-third of all the flour consumed in Britain. About ten vears ago Mr. Rank decided that something should be done about improving the quality of the films being shown to English audiences. Many of us, no doubt, felt the same way but Mr. Rank financed a few religious moving pictures and some other good pictures, including "The Turn of the Tide", but soon found that these pictures could not be shown unless control of the moving picture theatres was secured.

From this small beginning, Our Guest now controls over six hundred moving picture theatres, is a director of twenty-three companies engaged in the production, distribution or exhibition of films and is chairman of the board of eighteen of these companies. In the production field it is interesting to find that two British Films= "Henry the Fifth" and "Brief Encounter"-were voted among the year's best by United States critics and then for the future we have "Great Expectations". To Canadians Our Guest possibly is best known as head of the Odeon Theatres of Canada Limited and his plans for expansion in The Dominion are far reaching

Many theatres are now under construction and many more are contemplated and it naturally follows, therefore, that Canadian audiences will likely see more and more English movies of high quality.

On your behalf, as well as my own, I welcome to Canada, to Toronto and to The Empire Club MR. J. ARTHUR RANK, Christian Gentleman, Movie Missionary, Leading British Industrialist or, as Hollywood might say, Millionaire Miller and Methodist Movie Magnate

MR. RANK:

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much indeed for your extremely warm welcome. At the outset, I would like to express to your Executive my deep appreciation in their affording me this opportunity to speak to the Members of The Empire Club of Canada.

I find it difficult to put into words my thanks for this kindness.

I am well aware that in the past you have had a great many distinguished speakers address your Club. Now, I am just a plain Yorkshireman. Unfortunately, we have not the "gift of the gab"; however, we do not know when we are beaten and I am going to do my best.

In spite of a feeling of nervousness, I welcome this opportunity to speak to you. I understand that over the wireless I am addressing a much larger audience than I see before me. I have always had in mind that if an opportunity such as this should ever present itself to me, I would pay a sincere tribute to all Canadian soldiers, and especially to those whom I saw at the second battle of Ypres early in 1915. In the first gas attack, when troops were fleeing, I saw those Canadian soldiers of the First Division go in and hold the line and but for their bravery the history of the first Great War might have been very different. I welcome this opportunity of being able to refer to the wonderful courage shown by you men on that occasion and express to you the admiration I shall always have for the Canadian people.

The deeds of valour of the Canadian soldiers in the last War are all well known to us in England. The highest military authorities have told us that the duration of the War was shortened by the brilliant victory of the Canadians in the combined operation with the British Navy when they captured the Scheldt Estuary, and, jointly with the British Forces, made that epic stand at the Falaise-Calais gap. Both these operations were great factors in the shortening of the War. To these later Canadians I also pay tribute.

Canada is part of the family of Nations known as the British Commonwealth and we in England also belong to that family. I cannot help but remind you that wherever we go we can hold our heads high knowing that for well over a year, this freedom-loving people stood alone, and saved the civilization of the world. As I travel in different countries, read their papers and converse with the inhabitants, I gather that a great many people are of the opinion that one member of that family, the Motherland, having put everything she had into the war effort, and in spite of the aid given to her by the Dominions, is now exhausted and finished as a great power. I know we are in a tough spot at home, but I assure you, with the same spirit and co-operation we shared with you in 1940, and later, there is no doubt in my mind but that we will rehabilitate the Old Country. We shall win through. We shall still be a great industrial force and a power for good in the world. We in Britain, with you, will play our part in bringing order out of the chaos which exists throughout the world today.

You are, no doubt, aware that my trip here is in the interests of the British film industry. I am delighted and greatly encouraged to hear from many people whom I have met that they are enjoying British films. We in England are determined to send even better pictures to Canada in the future than we have in the past, and in the meantime, as I have just said, we are very much encouraged by your reception and apparent enjoyment of those you have already seen.

The introduction of British pictures to the Canadian public is due in no small measure to my friend, Mr. Leonard Brockington. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Brockington when he was on war duty in England. I was greatly encouraged by talks I had with him, and as a result of these talks, the organization known as the Odean Theatres of Canada, is now a going concern in this great country.

The record of the British Film Industry has been a very varied and difficult one. Prior to the war of 191418---the pioneers of the industry were leading in this field, but owing to and during the war, Hollywood took the lead and after the peace Britain never really recovered her lost ground. Just prior to 1939 we were making a great effort to compete with the strong and well established Hollywood companies, then along came the second Great War and that put a stop to all our hopes and ambitions.

Just before the last Great War, the American producers had what was practically a monopoly of the world's screens. It is of interest to mention here that toward the end of 1940, or to be more explicit, the late summer of that year, there were only about two pictures produced in Great Britain, and it looked as if history was going to repeat itself, and as was the case in 1914, the production of British films would be out altogether.

However, we had a little bit of luck on our side. The Government was very anxious that the morale of the people should be maintained by entertainment through the cinema, and, moreover, the authorities were of the opinion that certain of their wartime policies could be put over to the general public by the same means, and furthermore that training films should be made, not only for the service but also for industry; and so we had our opportunity which we were quick to seize.

Immediately war broke out, the studios of our country, or at any the majority of them, were requisitioned. Of our two largest and most modern, one was taken over completely by the Government and the second one partly so, and when we asked for permission to go on with the making of their pictures, we were greatly handicapped due to lack of space. Many of our best technicians, writers and actors who could meet military requirements had already joined up with the Services and we had only a handful left. We could not blame the Government for that; they had the job of winning the war.

As an illustration of the many difficulties which confronted us; in the production of an average picture we needed 120 plasterers for making the scenes and in addition we required a great many carpenters but we had only nine. We brought over seventy from Southern Ireland but no sooner had we got them working when Jerry started with his Dl's and many houses were damaged. The repairing of the homes of the boys who were fighting became the first priority, so the plasterers and carpenters whom we had brought over from Eire were taken away for this most essential work.

I would like here to pay a sincere tribute to the technicians who were left to us; they showed wonderful ingenuity. We had had no new equipment in our studios for seven years but they carried on and considering the difficulties under which they laboured, they did a wonderful job.

As the war went on we encountered many other difficulties. We had the delightful coupon system for the purchase of clothing, there was a shortage of material, and as we required costumes for our actors we were unable to use many stories and plays we would have liked to have produced. At all times we were, and still are, compelled to go to the Board of Trade for coupons, so we still are unable to use those subjects we would like to see on the screen.

We hope that by next year the restrictions will be relaxed to some degree and we will therefore have a wider scope. You will realize from this we were compelled to choose subjects requiring fewer coupons in order that we would be able to apply to the Board of Trade for them with some measure of assurance that we would obtain a release.

I am glad to be able to say we now have our studies hack under our own control. A number of these are not yet in operation but by the Spring of next year we will have most of them re-equipped. At the present time we have not a sufficient number of technicians to carry on, however, we are now training them and hope shortly to overcome the bottleneck that exists today.

I can assure you that we have in Britain great talent, not only writers, producers and technicians but also actors and actresses. We intend to do a good job and produce some great pictures which in due course you will see in Canada.

Beside the entertainment side of films, there are three other fields which I believe will be of great benefit especially to the rising generation; many others hold -this opinion. I refer to religious, educational and children's films. Here we will have the advantage of making them in what is known as substandard (16 mm) and these can be shown in clubs, schools, institutes and at Youth Conferences throughout the world. I feel sure that pictures of this type will render a service in the education of youth, not only in secular but also in Christian teaching. As regards children, they will have a great influence in fostering the principles of good citizenship, and, furthermore, I am firmly of the opinion that pictures of this type will be of immense value in contributing substantially to the peace of the world.

It is our wish to produce and operate along these lines in Canada, where at the present time we have a small and nearly fully equipped studio which we hope will be a starting point for greater production in the Dominion.

We have similar organizations in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, but if we can make good pictures here, these can lie shown throughout the length and breadth of the Empire and British Commonwealth.

In England we have great resources of inventive genius. To day you have been introduced by your President to Sir Robert Watson-Watt, the discoverer of Radar, a scientific achievement that helped so much to the winning of the War: the jet propelled aeroplane originated in my country; truly, in the British Isles there is great talent for scientific development.

The production of films requires an immense amount of research and we are fortunate in having the advice of that great scientist, Sir Robert Watson-Watt. I feel that those engaged in the discovery of new methods, under his guidance, are doing a good job.

Before the war, we were leading in the field of Television and were well ahead of the United States of America but owing to the war, we felt we were going to lose ground. I do not know what the situation is at present. I saw a great deal of what has been accomplished in the States and no doubt I will see more when I return from the Coast. However, so far, I have seen nothing any better or as good as we have in England at the present time but I may when I return East.

At the beginning of the war all our boys who were on our technical research were immediately taken off and put into different fields to help the war effort. One of the things of which we were very proud was that our group of technicians developed and were in full charge of the production of mine detectors, and as a result of this, our workmen in the film industry helped to make it possible for the great advance in the battle area.

Here is an interesting sidelight on the labour problem. We were being pressed by your Governor-General to speed up the production of mine detectors, as the advance of the. Army was impeded without them. To accomplish this we had star speakers down to our workshops, among them soldiers, but our production did not increase very greatly. However, we had two women in the factory whose husbands were in North Africa with the Engineers. These men had written home to their wives and told them how lives were being saved by the use of mine detectors and urged "For goodness sake, get your backs into it and send us more". These two letters were posted on the notice board; the result being within a week our production was doubled.

We have labour troubles in all parts of the world. It is up to management to make the right approach to the workmen; to win them over is no easy ' matter but when this has been accomplished they can do wonders.

As the Germans changed their type of mines, we were forced to alter our mine detectors to meet the situation. I am glad to be able to say that our boys did an excellent job and eventually as the war progressed, we had to extend the production to other factories of which our group was the parent.

It is a great joy for me to know that we did contribute something to the saving of the lives of Canadian soldiers as well as our own men.

In our factories we are in many fields of researchlenses sound photography and equipment of various designs. I am going to tell you we are not following Hollywood; we are going to get ahead of Hollywood in studio equipment.

In conclusion, in Canada we have at the head of our organization a man of character, ability and energy in the person of the Honourable J. Earl Lawson and this is a matter of great satisfaction to me. Earl Lawson is a gentleman in whom I have the greatest confidence.

We are making steady progress and I know you will all be proud of what we are doing and are going to do in your great Dominion of Canada. (Applause).

PRESIDENT LLOYD: Mr. Rank has mentioned Mr. Brockington's name in connection with the coming of this organization to Canada and I am going to ask Mr. Leonard W. Brockington, K.C., if he will step to the microphone and on behalf of this audience thank the Speaker for this address--Mr. Brockington.

MR. LEONARD W. BROCKINGTON, K.C.: Mr. Chairman and Gentleman, I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, first of all, for having spoiled my lunch by telling me immediately preceding it that you expected me to perform this task. It is a motto of the British Empire that they always muddle through and I presume that is the motto of The Empire Club, too.

All I can say is if this part of Operation Rank is not properly carried out, the blame for it being too little and too late, is on you and not on me.

Somebody once said on this Continent that there were more speeches to the square meal than anywhere else on earth-I certainly believe it. Even I, myself, am beginning to lose a little faith in the strong, silent man, because for several days now, and on his preceding visit I have gone around with Mr. Rank as a sort of reluctant, silent shrinking jackal, with an equally modest reluctant and shrinking lion, but I am very glad indeed to be here at this meeting with him.

I am not going to thank him, I think it is rather improper to do so. First of all, I am going to thank this audience for having turned out on this occasion, and I would like to say, that you have had as your two main guests, two men who seem to me, to represent in themselves the epitome of British courage and vision, patience and elementary honesty.

Now, I have known Sir Robert Waston-Watt for some time and I think I know something of the man who had to do with the direction of the war and what he himself did. James Barrie once said that the most awesome sight in the world is a young Scotsman carving out a career for himself. I may tell you one of the strangest sights in the world has been this young Scotsman working for his country and all the world of free men, and I would like to add to what Mr. Rank said, by assuring you, not for myself, I am not capable of judging, but from what I have heard from the lips of great men, no man did more to save Britain and the world and freedom than the man you have entertained today in the person of this most brilliant and engaging young Scots scientist.

I would like to say, too, about Mr. Rank that I think he himself has shown what we believe to be one of the British virtues. I think the greatest of all British virtues is to turn defeat into victory, to find Springtime in the middle of Winter, if I might use a film expression--to turn the steps to Hades into a "Fairway to Heaven".

Now, as far as this club is concerned, Mr. Rank, I believe that this club is not ashamed of ancient loyalties. I believe it is proud of the tradition which joined your country and ours. I think it believes that the love of Canada which is in the hearts of us all-that if it has any opposite on the shield it is also the love and respect and admiration for the ancient land of Britain, and I know that we are all proud that this Club, both guests and members, there is one link which joins us all together, that is the common loyalty to a Gentlemen who, whether he is King of Canada, South Africa and Australia, we shall always be glad to know he is also King of England, and I would like to give one little reminiscence of the days I have never forgotten in the year 1939.

You may remember at that time the papers and films and newsreels were full of the pictures of scowling and murderous Dictators and suddenly, in the months of May and June, across the King's Highways that leads from Halifax to Vancouver, there walked a man and a woman, and we, the children of Canada, and the men of Canada, saw their faces, and suddenly, all the images on the coins and the stamps resolved themselves, and we saw a gracious Gentleman and a compassionate Lady, who walked among their people in this country, and I can remember no occasion which has uplifted our hearts and brought us more closely together than that visit.

Now, as you go across Canada, Mr. Rank, you will hear things, I have no doubt, said about Britain, and questions asked you. I think I can perhaps thank you best by trying to say in about two minutes what I believe my fellow citizens in Canada feel at the moment about the ancient island from which you come.

I think we believe that no land did as much during the war to save freedom as did the British Isles. I think we believe that no land has done more to extend its boundaries since the war, than the British Isles, and I know perhaps some Gentlemen in this room do not agree with me, but I believe in the great emancipations that are taking place in India and Burma, history will say, that there is the British Empire at its finest, that it taught what were once subject races, the lessons of freedom and were ready to put into practice with a great and a wholehearted co-operation--they gave them that opportunity.

Now Emerson once spoke about England, almost a hundred years ago, in a speech which he delivered at Manchester, and he apostrophized this aged England which is ever young, and he said, "In times of stress her pulse is like a cannon and she always sees more clearly when the clouds are overcast".

So perhaps as this is a film occasion I would be allowed to sum up what we believe about England in some words once spoken at the end of a great film-the film "Cavalcade". You may remember after the sufferings of the last war and amidst the distress that came upon young and old, when it was over afilm was made and sent .out to this country, and at the end, a typical English mother and an English father, having suffered losses in the war, at New Year's toasted their native land. And the words as far I recall them, were these:

"Let us join the future of England with the past of England; the sorrows which are almost over with her triumphs that are over too; let us drink to our sons who have fashioned the pattern, and to our hearts that died with them. Let us drink to the courage and gallantry that made a strange Heaven out of an unbelievable Hell and let us drink to the hope that some day the land we love will find dignity, and greatness and peace once again".

Now, Mr. Rank, we are all marching together into the future. I can assure you that the men and women of Canada will march all the mare gladly and all the more hopefully because they know that their aged yet their young partner, Britain, will be marching at their side. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT LLOYD: Thank you, Mr. Brockington, and again Mr. Rank, on behalf of this audience, we are very happy and proud to have had you here today and we hope you enjoy the rest of your visit to Canada. This meeting is adjourned.