PRESS, BROADCASTING AND FILMS
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only to the United States of America, Japan and India as a film-producing country. About 25% of the films made are in Kuoyu, the remainder in Cantonese, Usually the Kuoyu films are of a higher standard of production and employ better- known actors. There are seven major producing studios, but there is also a large number of small production companies renting studio space as and when required. Films made in Hong Kong are shown throughout South-East Asia wherever there are large Chinese communities. Some are also shown in the United States.
In the Colony itself there are 65 cinemas. The larger modern theatres in Victoria and Kowloon are air-conditioned and equipped to show modern wide-screen productions. Of the 65 cinemas, 29 are on Hong Kong Island (23 in Victoria, 3 at Shaukiwan, and 3 at Aberdeen), and 26 in Kowloon. In the New Territories there are two at Tsun Wan, two at Yuen Long, and one each at Cheung Chau, Taipo, Shatin, Sheung Shui, Luen Wo and Castle Peak.
Apart from locally-produced films, a preponderance of American films is shown. British films are third, averaging about 50 a year, in comparison with 400 American. Japanese, French, Indian and Italian films are shown occasionally. First- and second-run cinemas are required under quota law to show British films at least seven days out of seventy.
All films must be submitted for censorship before ex- hibition to the public, but any owner or distributor of a film who is aggrieved by a decision of the Panel of Censors may appeal to a Board of Review, the decision of which is final. Provision is also made whereby anyone objecting to a film being shown may appeal to the Colonial Secretary for its examination by the Board of Review. All films passed by the censors are released for general exhibition. There is no system of special certificates limiting the audience to certain categories, as in the United Kingdom.
During 1955 Hong Kong was chosen as the setting for three Hollywood productions. In the early months Twentieth- Century Fox sent two units to film location sequences for Soldier of Fortune and Love is a Many-Splendored Thing. A Sabre Productions unit arrived in mid-December to film Flight to Hong Kong, to be released through United Artists. Several documentary units visited the Colony, and a colour travelogue on Hong Kong was produced by the local Gains- borough Studio on behalf of Royal Interocean Lines.