sR iT ish LICN
A group headed by film producer Sydney Box announced on Docauber 28 that it was negotiating to buy the assets of Dritish Lion, the largest U.K, independent film distributer, from the Government backed Film Finance Corporatiom, The price is understood to be in the region of £14n
Sir Tom O'Brien, prosident of the Federation of Film Unions, stated that this would be opposed “tooth and nail", Ile said that he and Mr George Hlvin of the ACCT had asked the Secretary of State for a meeting immediately they heard rumours of this, and they had urged him to refuse to approve any sale of the company until after ths next meeting of the Cinematograph Films Council in mid-January, when the trade association is to submit its own proposals on the findings of the Council on the present state of the film industry.
For the government-sponsored Film Pinance Corporation to have recently bought up the shares from the independent group of producers of British Lion, and then to contemplate selling the whole company to an outside private bidder before the Secretary of State had received the recommendations of his own advisory Cinematograph Films Council could only be described as an act of wanton irresponsibility, Sir Tom added, Ie went on to says "The retention of British Lion by the National Film Finance Corporation is, gssential if the problem of a> third release or outlet for British’ Is really to ba solved.
The latest move in this struggle is the opposition of Mr. David Kinggley to the sale of British Lion to private interests. Hoe said thet this sale would contradict the British Government policy .of 1948 Virich laid down that Dritish Licn was to be kept going as a 3rd force opposite the Rank and Associated Dritish combines.
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