There were at the end of 1937, 17 cinema theatres in the Settlement and 8 in the French Concession, but none in territory outside these areas. Practically all cinemas suspended business on the outbreak of Sino-
Japanese hostilities. A few reopened in September and were followed by others. At the close of the ar all cinemas situated south of the Soochow Creek were in operation.
The Police censored 451 feature films, 932 short introductory films and 269 newsreels representing approximately 4,373,496 feet of film as compared with 457 feature films, 1211 short films and newsreels and a total of 4,458,729 feet of film in 1936.
132 films were approved after the objectionable parts had been deleted; 15 were not approved and no appeal was lodged to the Board of Film Censors. Decisions in the case of 5 films were pending at the end of the year, The Police censors also examined and passed film press books and advertising poste The countries of ori, of films are as follows:—U.S.A—7245 per cent. 5 Great Britain—8.90 per cent. Japan—7.50 per cent. China—5.71 per cent. Soviet Russia—2.72 per cent. Australia—1.80 per cent, other countries (Germany, France and Czecho-Slovakia)—92 per cent.
In July the Police requested local film importers to supply then with exact copies of monologue sheets of newsreels in order to facilitate the work of censorship.
In May the manager of the Lyric Theatre, 780 Peking Road, was fined $5 by the First Special District Court for screening a film without written permission from the Council.
In June a Russian was sentenced to a fine of $300 by the First Special District Court for being in possession of an indecent film.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.