Our contributor of "The Passing Show" noted with satisfaction on Saturday the appearance in the Far East of British films, though they have not yet got to Shanghai much. So this, from a recent "Times" will be read with regret:
Fines of £2 each and costs were im. posed at Withbledon Police Court yesterday on Joseph Grossman, of the Stall Picture Studio, Crickewood, for causing an obstruction to the highway at London Road, Marden, and the Stall Picture Productions, Limited, Coliseum Buillings, St. Martin's Lane, for aiding and abetting.
Mr, E. B. Knight, for the Commissioner of Police, said that on October 12 about 30 vehicles, consisting of a four-in-hand, motorcars, and costers' barrows, and a Punch and Judy show, together with about 300 people, assembled near the George Inn at Marden, and took part in a cinematograph production, which was evidently intended demonstrate a typical Derby Day scene. The road was partially obstructed for two hours, and for periods of about five minutes on three occasions it was completely blocked.
For the defendants, Mr. Wareham said that the part of the picture being taken at Marden was a representation of the return of traffic from the Derby. the George Inn being chosen because jit was an historic place on the way to Epsom. The defendants endeavoured te minimize any cause for obstruction. The crowd employed on this occasion was bigger than it would have been in the ordinary. as Sir Oswald Stall wished to give employment to as many people as possible.
Even the last argument failed to move the stony-hearted magistrate. At this rate London will never be able to compete with Los Angeles. Truly has it been said that Britons have no real soul for art.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.