‘Typically British’ Growth of Film Regulation The Roles of Film Industry Organisations in Formulating Censorship Agency in Pre-War Britain

This paper explores the early history of film industry organisations representing the production (the Kinematograph Manufacturers’ Association), distribution (the Kinematograph Renters’ Society), and exhibition (the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association) sectors in Britain and their active involvement in the formulation of historical film regulation. Drawing on a case study of the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) in the 1910s, this paper reveals that equal representation of the three sectors and their constructive partnerships were pivotal in establishing the BBFC as a legitimate censorship agency and protecting it against the opposing educationalists and the home secretary. The film industry organisations’ policymaking and discussions established the ‘British’ model of film policy, characterised by the autonomy of and balance among these organisations and the involvement of non-interventionist public authorities. This model and tradition shaped the subsequent film policies in the first half of the twentieth century.