British National Films Company - Formation of The Company

Formation of The Company

In 1934 J. Arthur Rank, Lady Yule and John Corefield formed the British National Films Company and went into production in answer to the challenge by the Evening News to the Methodist Times.

In 1935, British Nationa' commenced production of their first feature film called Turn of the Tide. The script was based upon a 1932 novel by Leo Walmsley called Three Fevers. The setting, which Rank knew from childhood, was Robin Hood's Bay on the north coast of Yorkshire, England. Having read the book, Rank decided that it would mamake an excellent family-friendly British film in answer to the Hollywood-style movies that Alexander Korda was making at the Denham Film Studios.

Although Turn of the Tide was well made and featured a good cast, British National could not get wide distribution for the film and when he did, it was as the second half of a double feature. The company struggled to recoup its costs and Rank knew that for British National to make a profit, he had to create a commercial version of his Religious Film Society in order to control distribution and exhibition.