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The film business in the United States and Britain during the 1930s

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  • JOHN SEDGWICK
  • MICHAEL POKORNY

Abstract

The film business in the United States and Britain during the 1930s. Film was a most important product in the lives of the people during the 1930s. This article sets out to analyse the underlying economic arrangements of the film industries of the United States and Britain during the decade for producing and diffusing this commodity type to the population at large. It finds a highly competitive industry that was built around showing films that audiences wanted to see, irrespective of the extent of vertical integration. It also examines the nature of the relationship between the two industries and finds an asymmetry between the popularity of British films in the American market and that of American films in the British market. The explanation offered is that the efforts of British firms in the American market were not sufficiently sustained to make a significant impact on American audiences.

Suggested Citation

  • John Sedgwick & Michael Pokorny, 2005. "The film business in the United States and Britain during the 1930s," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 58(1), pages 79-112, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:58:y:2005:i:1:p:79-112
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0289.2005.00299.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Weinstein, Mark, 1998. "Profit-Sharing Contracts in Hollywood: Evolution and Analysis," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 27(1), pages 67-112, January.
    2. Michael Pokorny & John Sedgwick, 2001. "Stardom and the Profitability of Film Making: Warner Bros. in the 1930s," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 25(3), pages 157-184, August.
    3. De Vany, Arthur & Walls, W David, 1996. "Bose-Einstein Dynamics and Adaptive Contracting in the Motion Picture Industry," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(439), pages 1493-1514, November.
    4. Sedgwick, John, 2002. "Product Differentiation At The Movies: Hollywood, 1946 To 1965," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(3), pages 676-705, September.
    5. Gerben Bakker, 2005. "The decline and fall of the European film industry: sunk costs, market size, and market structure, 1890–1927," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 58(2), pages 310-351, May.
    6. Bakker, Gerben, 2001. "Stars and Stories: How Films Became Branded Products," Enterprise & Society, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 461-502, September.
    7. Dimsdale, N H, 1981. "British Monetary Policy and the Exchange Rate, 1920-1938," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 33(0), pages 306-349, Supplemen.
    8. F. Andrew, 2002. "Revenue-Sharing in Movie Exhibition and the Arrival of Sound," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(3), pages 380-402, July.
    9. Arthur De Vany & W. Walls, 1999. "Uncertainty in the Movie Industry: Does Star Power Reduce the Terror of the Box Office?," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 23(4), pages 285-318, November.
    10. W. Walls, 2003. "John Sedgwick: 2001, Popular Filmgoing in 1930s Britain: A Choice of Pleasures," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 27(3), pages 298-301, November.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Neil Rollings, 2007. "British business history: A review of the periodical literature for 2005," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(3), pages 271-292.

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