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.